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| The Silver Freak Project (Page 17/59) |
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85SEnochie
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AUG 13, 12:31 PM
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doublec4
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AUG 26, 12:22 AM
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Blacktree
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AUG 27, 06:34 PM
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Sorry, guys. I've been doing post-vacation damage control on the Fiero. The car suffered its fair share of wear and tear, but luckily didn't suffer any major damage.
But I think in a few days, I might be able to start working on the custom intake. I bought a Buick Grand National throttle body, and a Trueleo intake manifold custom built to match. That should improve the mid to upper RPM torque a bit.
As for the photo-chops, the side markers will be installed just below the trim line. And if I do delete the side moldings all around the car, there will be no seam lines on the doors or rear quarter panels.
On an unrelated note, I finally was able to determine the highway fuel economy of my Fiero. I went on a 2-week road trip, most of which was highway cruising (70-80 MPH). I didn't keep track of the fuel economy during my vacation. So I didn't adjust my driving habits to skew the numbers. I stuffed the fuel receipts in the briefcase and kept on truckin'.
I crunched the numbers after I returned home. I drove a total of 7571 miles, and used 224 gallons of fuel. That comes out to roughly 33.8 miles per gallon. Needless to say, that was a pleasant surprise. I can thank the 5-speed manual transmission, and the 7730 ECM's lean cruise mode, for that. I think the higher altitudes were a factor, as well. Still, it's a big step up from my city fuel economy, which is about 21 miles per gallon.
Now, as an added treat, I give you some "Fiero on vacation" photos.
The high plains of west Texas:
White Sands:
The campground at the Grand Canyon:
The badlands of eastern Arizona:
And last but not least, the Grand Tetons:
 [This message has been edited by Blacktree (edited 10-02-2017).]
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DeLorean00
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AUG 27, 07:10 PM
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Man that looks like some trip!! Did you have alot of fun? Its great to see a Fiero being used, most of us just play with them and then drive our boring cars everyday. ------------------
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exoticse
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AUG 27, 11:33 PM
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Mike,
Did you experience any mechanical troubles along the way ?
Did you run across any other fieros ??
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Blacktree
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AUG 28, 12:38 AM
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Yes, I had my share or car troubles. However, I brought an emergency repair kit. So I was able to fix some of the problems. When I was in Yellowstone, the drain valve in the radiator failed. It came apart, and drained out all the coolant. I gooped it up with JB Weld, refilled the cooling system, and was on my way. Then, the radiator fan motor fried. So I replaced it. And then the schraeder valve in the high-side A/C service port failed, and vented out all the refrigerant. The A/C problem was something I couldn't fix on the spot. So I had to suffer with it. After that string of problems, plus the persistent bad weather in Colorado (where I had planned to visit several places), I was starting to get discouraged. So I decided to head home.
I was able to fix the remaining problems after I returned home. So the car is good to go. I can always take another vacation later. I still had a lot of fun. I got to visit some truly awe inspiring places. And I got to meet some interesting people. I have no regrets.
The Fiero also got a lot of attention along the way. The car seemed to get a lot of "love it or hate it" reactions from people. Some just looked at me like I was nuts. Others openly admired the car. While I was at a gas station in Texas, a guy approached me and asked me for buying advice. He was thinking of buying a Fiero. So I helped him as best I could. He seemed surprised that a Fiero with a V6 could get 30 MPG on the highway. And while I was at a gas station in Louisiana, a guy wanted to buy the car on the spot, no questions asked. I explained to him that if I sold him the car, I'd have no transportation back to Florida. He then offered to come to Florida and pick it up! I politely declined. And once, a guy walked up, took a long look at the car, and said "well, you put a lot of work into this car, didn't you?" I also heard many stories of the "I used to have one of those" variety. And several people commented "you don't see many of those on the road anymore". It was also funny seeing truck drivers do double-takes when they look in their mirror and see my car approaching.
BTW, yes I did see two Fieros during my vacation. But they were fleeting moments, and I never got to meet the owners. One was a white base-model coupe parked outside a Taco Bell in Canon City, Colorado. I was driving past, on my way to Royal Gorge. I also saw a black SE or GT (not sure) in Wyoming (don't remember the name of the town) as I was headed east to South Dakota. It crossed an intersection as I was approaching. There were several cars in front of me, and I only got a glimpse of it.[This message has been edited by Blacktree (edited 08-28-2008).]
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Blacktree
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SEP 01, 03:39 PM
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I've started working on the custom intake. As mentioned earlier, I bought a Trueleo intake manifold, custom-built to fit a Grand National throttle body. The GN throttle body measures 59mm diameter, compared to 52mm for the Fiero unit. That may not seem like a lot, but it'll be able to flow 25-30% more air.
Before leaving on vacation, I covered the intake in WD40, to prevent rust. So when I returned, I had to clean off the oil. Then, I used my Dremel tool and a couple small metal files to clean up some of the rough spots. Then I bead blasted the whole thing, and sprayed on a coat of primer (to prevent rust). And today, I used some JB Weld to smooth out the seams.
Here's what the intake manifold looks like right now:
After the JB Weld hardens, I'll sand it smooth and spray on another coat of primer. Then the intake will be painted iron gray, to match the rest of the engine.[This message has been edited by Blacktree (edited 10-02-2017).]
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Blacktree
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SEP 01, 06:28 PM
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Now the front marker lights are installed.
 [This message has been edited by Blacktree (edited 10-02-2017).]
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Blacktree
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SEP 03, 03:29 PM
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The Trueleo intake now has a fresh coat of paint.
Next, I need to clean up the GN throttle body, and decide what to do about the air filter / intake hose setup.[This message has been edited by Blacktree (edited 10-02-2017).]
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maliqua
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SEP 03, 03:56 PM
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Out of curiosity did you find the handling any better with the rear diffuser?
In theory it should provide down force, either way nice build I really like your car
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