Nope... but it won't be long, just got to round up the funds!

Still wanting to go the F23 route... stay tuned!

[This message has been edited by ITALGT (edited 09-25-2013).]

Today I got some more dis-assembly done on the Fiero, and also began to degrease/clean the engine bay and the rest of the rear frame before going any further with the weight reduction and modifications. For those wondering, I'm not concerning myself too much with weighing everything that is removed and/or lightened... this topic has been covered thoroughly enough over the years by other forum members and is a relatively straight forward process. A simple search for "weight" or "weight reduction" will yield many threads to refer to. Instead, I will eventually weigh the Fiero once it is back on the road to see where it's at. I'm not expecting miracles (like below 2400 lbs), I just want to shed as much weight as I can while keeping the car street-able, enjoyable, and safe. That said... it's amazing how much dead weight you can find on a Fiero... you just have to dig!

As always... stay "tuned!"

[This message has been edited by ITALGT (edited 10-29-2014).]

Well, it's been another productive day (and week) in the garage. I spent some more time removing miscellaneous engine-bay brackets (including the factory dog-bone bracket) and trimming down metal in and around the trunk area of the car. So far, a considerable amount of weight has been removed and things are cleaning up rather nicely. The rear frame is now down to it's basic structural skeleton and is almost ready for a little bracing and overall finishing... it's time to buy that welder I've always wanted!





The the rear clip is undergoing the weight loss treatment. The panels are being modified for a more "easy on, easy off" modular installation and dis-assembly. More on that later:



Next I will be removing the HVAC system while continuing the weight reduction process on the rest of the car. Yes, this means no heat and no A/C. Living in sunny Florida definitely has it's perks... for at least 6 months out of the year we have too much heat, and I frankly don't need anymore of it comin' from my ride! Besides... this Fiero is to basically be a bare-bones, no-frills V8 mid-engined sports car... visceral and raw... you could think of it as a four-wheeled sport bike with a comfortable seat and a windshield. And the need for A/C in Florida is a bit over-rated if you ask me... that's what your cushy daily driver is for!

So this is where things start getting interesting! I am ready to use my welding and fabrication skills to take this project to the "next level."

Stay "tuned."

[This message has been edited by ITALGT (edited 03-15-2013).]

Yet another step in the right direction. Today I received my new Chicago Electric welder... no, it's not anything that fancy, just a very basic 120V/90 amp flux wire unit from Harbor Freight... no gas, no frills. It will weld up to 3/16" steel (advertised, will weld thicker than that), and should be more than sufficient for the projects I have lined up for the Fiero, and most other projects I may have in the future. I could have spent a little more $$$ for a MIG welder, but really this will do the trick for what I need... for now.

I've been a proficient welder for years and have plenty of experience welding MIG, ARC (stick), and even some TIG. I've welded steel, stainless steel, and even aluminum (my favorite)... I just never had my own welder before. So this is going to be fun for me.



On to the next chapter!

[This message has been edited by ITALGT (edited 10-14-2014).]

[This message has been edited by ITALGT (edited 10-11-2014).]

quote Originally posted by johnyrottin: I wish I had just loaded that tranny up and brought it to you. Glad to see you are back!!!

Thanks John... good to see things working out for you too, btw! I haven't really been gone from the forum... been lurking/visitng but haven't been posting much. Yes, looking back, I should have taken you up on that offer to help with the trans... at least I could have been driving and enjoying the Fiero all this time! If I remember correctly though, I was still very unhappy how easily the Getrag let go after a mild launch at the dragstrip, and wasn't too excited about putting in another one. At the time, I had my mind set on upgrading to an F40/F23 so I declined your offer.

A lot of time has passed... now I am liking the idea of using a late model Getrag instead. In my case, it's a more affordable alternative and way easier to install than a F40/F23, uses a hydraulic throw-out bearing, better/smoother shifting and has slightly beefier spider gears than the old-school Getrags. Not too concerned with having a LSD unless someone convinces me otherwise (not planning on doing much racing at the strip, if you know what I mean ). Same gearing as the old Getrags tho, which kinda sucks, because 1st gear has a WAY too high ratio for a lower-revving/torquey V8.

Because money has been so tight for so long (bought a house, got married, have kids, etc), not much has been getting done on this project the last couple of years. I now have a lot of Fiero parts for sale in the mall... hopefully I can round up some $$$ to get this thing back on track. Anyone in the central Florida area who's needing/wanting Fiero parts, check it out:

http://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum4/HTML/067330.html

Stay tuned!

[This message has been edited by ITALGT (edited 10-11-2014).]

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SSFiero@Aol.com

Still dead in the water...

I'm pretty sure most people in my shoes would have just given up on this project

[This message has been edited by ITALGT (edited 10-06-2014).]