OK, so the cat's out of the bag (or should I say box?):



These are Schoenfeld 180 degree cross-over headers with 1-5/8" primaries and 3" collectors, part #179-2.

http://www.schoenfeldheaders.com/180_crossover.htm

YES, they actually fit in the Fiero after a little "massaging."

NO, it's not as hard to do as you might think.

I will be glad to show you all how I did it... more details and pics to come soon.

Stay "tuned!"

[This message has been edited by ITALGT (edited 04-26-2015).]

Firewall and trunk clearance is the real issue to deal with when installing these headers into a stock Fiero, as some trimming is required to fit. FieroGuru has been down this road before... check out his thread from the archives:

http://www.fiero.nl/forum/A...100421-2-092757.html

The following video features the same headers I used, only in a stretched Fiero chassis for a Lambo replica. Notice when you watch it that there is plenty of clearance from the header tubes to the firewall because the frame is stretched, which moves the cradle/engine back about a foot or so from it's stock location. Works fine in a stretched chassis, but having this kind of clearance is obviously not the case in a stock Fiero which I will demonstrate in upcoming posts. Also, when the gentleman talking in the video says "modification" is required to these headers in order to clear the Fiero strut tower, what he really is saying is that the straight ends of the primary tubes going into the collectors need to be shortened before the collectors are slipped on. This is a very simple thing to do. Shortening the straight tube ends this way also keeps them equal length, retaining 100% of the headers efficiency and sound.

This style of 180 header is available from Schoenfeld in two variations, with different angled collectors and selected primary size being the only major differences between them. I chose the #179-2 because it has the 45 degree elbows that are needed to clear the strut tower, and because it has 1-5/8" primaries which are plenty big for even a heavily modded street SBC.

Here's the video. The Dr. Gas "Freq-Mod" mufflers sound like crap in this vid, BTW. SpinTechs would be interesting to hear:



And as for good 180 degree header sound... self explanatory! There's lot's of videos on YouTube featuring 180 headers. It's a sound I've loved since I was a child.

This vid shows the same headers I am using... wide open, no muffs:



Some more great sounds... here's a gnarly-sounding outlaw dirt-track car with a high compression SBC and 180's:



Kelmark GT with a 355 & 180's... built on a Fiero chassis... don't know which headers were used. COLD start:



Wicked De Tomaso Pantera with a BMW Alpina V8... not 180's, but a custom equal-length 8-2-1 system achieving a very similar sound:



Same Pantera, longer vid. Notice the almighty Ferrari hardly getting noticed, and the loud applause when the guy with the Pantera rolls in and does his thing... awesome!:



More info and videos of this wicked Pantera can be found here:

http://www.bodinecc.com/

I've always wanted 180's in my Fiero...

Now I have them.

More to come...

[This message has been edited by ITALGT (edited 05-27-2016).]

From Guru's archived thread... this pic shows you the firewall clearance issue almost perfectly:



The first clue as to how I made these headers work in my Fiero, is understanding exactly WHERE the headers would hit the firewall if nothing was trimmed.

As it turns out, they would hit on the upper firewall area located directly BEHIND the center console glove box.

My, my, my... how convenient.

Second clue: if you are one of those individuals who absolutely has to keep the full trunk space in your Fiero, these headers are not for you. Luckily, I'm not you.

At the very least, simple strut tower bracing is required for these headers to fit properly and to retain the frame's rigidity. The front trunk cross-bracing has to go.

More details and pics to come.

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

I spent a LOT of time examining pictures on the internet, watching YouTube videos, taking measurements and doing some serious eye-balling before I came to the conclusion that these 180 headers could fit with some creativity. After getting the headers bolted onto the engine while the cradle was out, I could see that I was in fact good-to-go with fitting them into the car based on actual measurements I took.

The first step was trimming the firewall behind the center console glove box so that I could put the cradle back in for the first test fitment for clearance. I decided to cut above where the shift cables pass through in an attempt to leave them as they were without modification. The rectangle-shaped cut was made all the way to the top to the rear window lower support, based on the overall height and position of the headers relative to the firewall. Again, I wasn't positive they would clear without slightly more trimming, but I was confident that it was close enough to try it out before removing any more metal. My hopes were to be able to reinstall the center console back into the car and retain the Fiero's "stock" look, so I cut accordingly. If it didn't quite work out that way, I would just have to make a custom center console... which didn't matter to me. Either way, these headers were going in the car.

BEFORE CUTTING:







AFTER CUTTING:








With the firewall trimmed behind the center console, it was time to drop the body back onto the cradle for the first test-fit. The headers actually fit great on the first try, with no more trimming necessary:

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

Here's a few more shots showing the actual firewall clearance. Soon I will be rerouting electrical wires and building a shallow steel box to cover the hole in the firewall:









More details and pics on the way!

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

[This message has been edited by ITALGT (edited 10-12-2014).]

I'll get into more details about the rear header fitment this weekend.

This part of the installation was pretty straight-forward... the remaining structural metal connecting the two strut towers, without question, had to go:



Stay "tuned."

[This message has been edited by ITALGT (edited 11-21-2014).]