Fieros are hard to find here esp. GTs so when I had the opportunity to buy a 1985 GT 4 speed for a reasonable price I bought it even though I knew the frame needed work. When I got it home and stripped off the body I found that the rear frame rails were almost completely gone. While I know it could be patched back together I decided to look for a better chassis and when I came across a 1984 4cyl automatic with a relatively rust free chassis I bought it to serve as a donor. I know that I need to use the fuel supply out of the v6 but what about the wiring? Can the 4 cyl engine compartment harness simply be unplugged and replaced with the v6 or does the entire wiring harness need to be changed? Is the wiring under the dashboard the same? I'm hoping someone has done a similar swap and can give me some pointers. Thanks

I may be wrong.. Based on what I believe to be true. 84s and other years are different. 84 wiring harness is in a different place on the firewall, so you will need to use the 85 wiring, and possibly cut an opening for the wire harness? I believe 84 cradles were not designed for the V6, so there is a missing mount hole, or mount.. something like that. Also the 84 door skin mounting is different. Fuel pump is different for a V6, verus 4cyl, so you'll need to drop the tanks and swap pumps. There are probably other differences that others will chime in with.

Yep, I suppose your from NB??
I'm from Moncton and have a 86' GT Fastback.
I was thinking the same thing for myself.
Send me a PM just to let me know if your from around here.
A lot of "maritimes" fieros are sorta, in this condition.
There is a fellow from Nova Scotia that could help you in the future.
He's on this forum regularly.

Username --- jelly2m8

Thanks,

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fierogt28

There's major differences in the wiring; if you want it to be "right" when you're done, you'll need to change almost every wiring harness in the car. Even the fuse box is different...

Where are you?

I have a 99% rust free, low mileage chassis for sale (was an '86 SE - but it doesn't matter - as long as its NOT an '84!).

Well this is not sounding promising. I know the chances of finding a rust free v6 chassis in the Maratimes is pretty slim. I thought I had lucked out finding the 84 locally and cheap. I am not so far into the swap either time or moneywise that I would lose much if I abandoned it and looked for a different candidate. I'm not in a big rush to get the car on the road as it was bought as a long term project but I don't want to get into something that is endlessly frustrating either. Thanks all for the replies though I am still hoping to hear from someone who has tried a similar swap.

quote Originally posted by JunkCollector: Well this is not sounding promising. I know the chances of finding a rust free v6 chassis in the Maratimes is pretty slim. I thought I had lucked out finding the 84 locally and cheap. I am not so far into the swap either time or moneywise that I would lose much if I abandoned it and looked for a different candidate. I'm not in a big rush to get the car on the road as it was bought as a long term project but I don't want to get into something that is endlessly frustrating either. Thanks all for the replies though I am still hoping to hear from someone who has tried a similar swap.

If you have the time, workspace, and interest, moving the "guts" of a 85+ model in to an 84 chassis is really not all that painful. I re-fit my wife's 84 with the wiring & drivetrain from a 86 model in just over 90 hours, and enjoyed nearly every minute of it. If a write-up is of any interest or use to you, I documented the project here.

I did a simular swap a few years ago. It took me an entire winter to do it. Mine was an 85 GT Auto into a 86 5speed coupe. I stripped the donor frame right down to nothing left. Completely swapped out the entire interior and wiring harness in the dash and console. The only harness I left in was the front compartment You also have to move the clutch hyd line and feed it up thru the front compartment, put the V6 fuel pump and fuel lines in, run the shifter cables, throttle cable, install the pedals (do this while you have the dash out). If the metal doors on the 85 are any good you may want to move them to the 84 frame. As mentioned before the door panels on the 84 fasten on differently that the later years. Is the cradle in the 85 any good? It would be no big deal to drop the cradle and suspension out of the 85 and mount it in the 84. You would have to swap the deck lid also because the V6 won't fit under the 84 without some minor mods. The 84 cradle doesn't have the mount point for the little V6 shock absorber that attaches on the passenger side front of the cradle. It's doable if you have patience and don't get discouraged easily.

Dave

p.s. There is another alternative. Contact Mark Webber over in Alfred, Me.(Indyyellowgt on Pennocks) He usually has access to some good frames and might be able to fix you up.

[This message has been edited by 2farnorth (edited 01-03-2006).]

Thank you. I knew there would be someone here who had attempted this swap. I have hope again that I am not wasting my time.

quote Originally posted by 2farnorth: I did a simular swap a few years ago. It took me an entire winter to do it. Mine was an 85 GT Auto into a 86 5speed coupe. I stripped the donor frame right down to nothing left. Completely swapped out the entire interior and wiring harness in the dash and console. It's doable if you have patience and don't get discouraged easily. Dave p.s. There is another alternative. Contact Mark Webber over in Alfred, Me.(Indyyellowgt on Pennocks) He usually has access to some good frames and might be able to fix you up.

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Ah Dave those words sound soooooo familiar.

JunkCollector I bought the car that 2farnorth is talking about and drove it home to Ontario from Maine. Don't be dicouraged about importing one from the U.S. either. They're far more abundant down there, generally in better conditon than most of the ones you find here and it's no biggie to get one over the border. I started with an 84 Fiero too. I think it was the Swiss Cheese model. Unfortunelately the one I bought from 2farnorth met with an untimely end and is no longer with me.

Dave

[This message has been edited by Dave E Bouy (edited 01-03-2006).]

And an FYI.

I looked into transportation costs. Since I didn't know exactly where you are, I picked the two worst case places - Dartmouth and Charleotte town (sp?). Would have been $1500 & $2000 respectively.