Blaze-

You stated that you're in Edmonton Alberta? According to exchangerate.com $2500 CAD is $1821.27 US. I think most people here are thinking in US dollars. So a budget of 2500 CAD is EVEN LESS than what most folks are talking about in this thread! I wish you luck. I know that just about anything is possible with time and ingenuity. I'd say your best bet is to get an 88 Fiero to start with and then a 3800SC and do all the work yourself. Just my .02 (US)...

-Rick
Way over $2500 in a 3.4DOHC and the parts are still in boxes

get into the 13's for $2500? if it were that easy, the streets would be littered with 13 second cars.
If I could tell you how, I'd have done it myself.
this seems to be what I am reading above.
A 4.9 w/nitrous doesnt hit 13's? thats well under $2500 - but you dont want to use nitrous (why?)
of course the not having tools and paying for labor basicly means it aint gonna happen.
making a fast car on a budget means YOU have to do the work, YOU have to have the plan, YOU have to know what you are doing. I keep think "if you need to ask, you'll never know", but I remember not having tools, only work I've done on cars was changing an alternator, and thinking I was gonna fix up a Pinto with a 302 (this was back in the late '70s)...was gonna put a whale tail on it, and fat tires & call it my Pinto 911...ug...silly me.

what you want to do is not impossible, but it requires experience & resourcefulness - and of course the tools. you need to be able to find a donor motor/trans/ecm (more like donor car....) cheap. a rear wrecked 3800SC Riveria would be a great start.

quote Originally posted by ShueGlue737: my advice to do a swap on a small budget is WATCH EBAY very closely. i found a 3800 ser 2 sc motor for 200 bucks. i also found a getrag for $240 but i was outbid on that. (d*mn 56k dial up crap). if you spend about $800 on ebay you can get 3800SC with wire harness ecm trans and some accesories.

There is one flaw w/ buying a motor off eBay that no one has addressed. Shipping. Motors that I've found on eBay are usually local delivery or delivery up to so many hundred miles. Now, if you live about a 1000 miles away from a sweat-priced motor (like me), you'll spend a small fortune just to retrieve it... and then there is the question on the status of the internal wear. A $100 to $200 motor will get to be pretty pricey, especially if you don't own an SUV or a truck to personally pick it up and transport back home. Wonder how much gas I'd burn in a truck that gets 19 mpg w/ a round trip of 2000 miles? I bet with all said and done, it be about the same price as buying one from the wreckin' yard.

What I believe will make this upgrade impossible w/ a $2500 budget cap is paying someone to install a motor regardless of what it is. To make this happen, you'll have to be out in the parking lot with a coupla hydraulic jacks and a buddy to install the motor yourself, Blaze.

You are right regarding the engine internals, Blaze. If you opt for turbo (already exceeding the $2500 budget cap), you'll have to build the motor up w/ forged internals if you want this motor to be reliable. But, you get what you pay for. If you go cheap and ghetto rig it, it won't last. Easiest swap is the 3.4l push-rod. The 4.9l wouldn't be bad... problem w/ them is rebuilding the block if you have to. I talked with a machine shop that had experience rebuilding the 4.9l and he said he won't touch them ever again because the crank had to be shimmed in just to get the correct tolerances. Apparently, the aluminum block's holes elogate over time. With that in mind, and the fact 4.9ls can't be upgraded too easily to get power out of it, turned me off from that upgrade.

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-jason
'87SE
'88GT (5spd)
'90GTZ

check the mall. there is a 1988 GT turbo with a camaro 3.4 engine. that would be a really good start. and with another $2500 i bet you will meet your goal.

He can always maybe find someone who is selling a fiero that already has a engine swap for around $2000 if lucky then the remaining $500bucks into other goodies.

That would be the best way in achieving that goal.

I went to the wreckers and they NO 3.4s from 90s camaros/firebird.. BLURGH I want a fast 3.4 car!

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VOTE FOR THE FIERO!

Black '87 GT Auto - Daily Driver & Autocrosser
Eibach springs, Koni shocks, Kosei K1s, Kumho Ecsta V700s, poly bushings, rear swaybar, MSD ignition, shift-kit, custom intake scoop

http://www.tacreationsusa.com/v6.htm

I got a 3.4 here. Shipping was a little over $100 additional to Texas.

[This message has been edited by DanielKJenkins (edited 05-06-2004).]

Hi all

Like I already mentioned earlier, the $2,500 was NOT including the car or any other
mods -- just the engine alone. And this was $2,500 USD, not CDN... if I was talking
about CDN I would have specified that.

Thanks,
Mike

Blaze,

If you have $1000 US available... Look here. https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum4/HTML/020062.html

It's an 87 GT, 5-speed Getrag, newly rebuilt front suspension, and a 96 Northstar V-8. Check out the thread in the mall. He's in Virginia, US. It sounds like it needs to be finished, but it would certainly be viable, since the engine is already in the car, and the suspension is nearly done.

That's the best deal for your budget, that I can think of.

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Nic
*Just purchased* 1987 Silver GT 5-spd, 134,000+ miles,
1987 Black GT 5-spd, 119,000+ miles,

Email me at my PFF username @hotmail.com

Do what the younger modifiers around here do. Drive around neighborhoods and parking lots looking for faster cars and steal the parts you want. Lots of guys like Johnny wont care at all and it dont cost anything............. If they catch you, they will politely ask you to leave it alone.

(dont take me seriously, please, some like me may shoot you)

the cheapest shop i found said they would do a 4.9 or 3800 swap for around 5k and extra 1500 if you wanted a rebuilt engine

quote Originally posted by Oreif: Well which trans do you have? The auto's weigh about 40lbs more than the manuals. When you add all the fluids up (gas, water, oil, trans fluid, washer fliud, etc) You can add on another 85 lbs. So now your up to 2570 lbs. The base coupe is also with the skinny 13" wheels/tires, Not the 14" wheels and wider tires used on the SE version. Sunroof adds weight, Power accessories add weight of motors/solenoids, AC is a good 50 lbs, etc. You need to take into account many small things. There are many things that can add up the weight.

This car has a Getrag 5 speed which seems pretty close in wait to the M19 four speed. The car has no sun roof or power accessories. Good point on A./C. After 10 years in Texas I forgot that all cars do not have A/C. The wheels are Koenig Theory with 16/215/60's. Out of curiosity I think I'll weigh a wheel versus the stock 13's.

With a spare tire I'd be at 2660 lbs. Take off 85 for the fluids and 50 for the A/C I'd still be at 2525 lbs. That leaves 75 lbs difference to be explained by the engine and wheel differences - that's close enough that it's a possibility.

I bought a 4.9 with 4t60e at a U pull it for $220
I will buy my harness from Ed Parks--$700
Mounts---just materials-thanks to forum members.
A very reasonable amount to have my "chip massaged" by Rockcrawl
and I guess there will be a couple hundred in doo dads and thingamajiggers
--looks like around $1500
now, it won't be a super fast car---but it will be all I can handle.

Blaze,

The car I mentioned earlier, has quite a bit of interest on it now, but I would definately still consider something like that... Unless you've changed your mind. Don't give up yet... But, as was stated before, be patient, and have money set aside to do something right when something comes available.

Nic

quote Originally posted by Blaze: Hi I'm planning to get myself a GT soon, and I could use some help with modifying the car. My goals are to build a mid 13 second car that pulls around 1g through the corners, with *daily driven* reliability. Oh, and the car will most definitely be a standard. Your help with this will be greatly appreciated!! So, focusing solely on the powertrain - what is the most affordable, reliable and also quickest/ easiest way to achieve these results? I'd like to stay away from anything too complex, and I also don't want to use NOS. (And of course I will upgraded the clutch to handle the extra power.) I'm looking to spend no more than $2,500 on the powertrain (including paying for labor at a good shop). Can you PLEASE help me with this... I have read through so many posts already, my head is spinning. I just need some good simple feedback to come up with a plan to make this happen. Thanks! -Mike

I spent about 1500.00 US on my DOHC conversion including the car. The wheels, shocks and brakes were extra. It really helps expenses if you do the work yourself. My car is a low 13 high 12 second car, cant beat that for the price

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[This message has been edited by Erik (edited 05-08-2004).]

quote Originally posted by musicman_L7: Blaze, The car I mentioned earlier, has quite a bit of interest on it now, but I would definately still consider something like that... Unless you've changed your mind. Don't give up yet... But, as was stated before, be patient, and have money set aside to do something right when something comes available. Nic

We think alike. I read this thread from the start, and before getting to your post was going to offer the same advice. This in my opinion is the best solution for what you want to accomplsh. This deal may be gone, but there are others like it that pop up from time to time.

The biggest problem you are going to have with what you want to do is the labor cost. If you find someone that will do a engine swap for you for 2500 bucks, please let me know who it is. Especially if they do SC3800 or 3.4 DOHC conversions.

[This message has been edited by topcat (edited 05-08-2004).]