quote Originally posted by reapermedic: If you are going to use the gorilla paperclips (that's what I call them), get some tongue depressors too. That way, when you apply the pressure, the depressors will distribute the pressure over a larger area and not leave any depressed areas where the clips were. Just a suggestion.

ah thats a good idea. im gonna go to wal mart tonight (hopefully) to get glue and all that good stuff.

I found that small "C" clamps worked best for repairing my shift console with Gorilla glue. Those paper type clips did not have enough spring in them to close up the gaps on the interior pieces that are separating. Mine were pretty bad. Large paint stirers work well too for distributing the pressure. Good luck and take your time. Too much GG and you have a mess as it foams up and drys very hard and a pain to remove the excess.

go to home depot and grab a few paintsticks. they're free and they work great to distribute the clamped pressure.

ok a little off subject but i was reading "what are your goals for your fiero this year" or something like that, and decided i would just make my own list on my own thread so here are my goals:
-fix up conter console and gauge pod
-get GT body pannels and stuff (dont know the official terms)
-replace front brake rotors and pads (doing that easter weekend with my daddy cause he has a nicer garage! )
-get those sweet emboridered black floor mats from The Fiero Store
-finish my paint job
-new spark plug wires
-new sun visors
-nice seat covers
-put fuzzy purple fabric on the part behind the seats (to match the headliner pictured on page 2)
-other various small interior things to make it look better
-switch to automatic tranny
-make the two hood scoopy thingys that go downwards??? man i suck at knowing how to explain things
-try fiberglassing
-figure out a nice way to have a cup holder
-new wheels! some kind of nice 17" rims
-colored light bulbs for the interior
-new head lights

the list may look long but there are a lot of small things on there. anyone who can send free or cheap stuff please let me know because i have big dreams and a small budget

What is the Fiero you have exactly? If it is a 4 cyl. 5 speed leave the tranny alone. An automatic 4 cyl. is a slug and no fun to drive. At least in my opinion. Besides the swap would probably be a bigger headache than you realize. If you are dead set on an Auto, you may want to buy one with a V6 and sell what you got. Other than the tranny I like what you have planned and good luck with it. Keep us all posted and lotsa pics please!

Mine is an '87 coupe auto 4-cylinder....I second the slug opinion. I shift through the gears if I want it to move at all. The '84 I originally had with 4-speed was FUN! When it didn't have problems with it. The GT that I am fixing is a getrag 5-speed and it is also FUN! from the limited driving that I've done. If you insist on the auto, get the most gears possible and look at the ratios. Squisher mentioned running 3800 rpm with his V6 auto and not liking the loud engine noise on the highway. My coupe runs about 3000rpm with the 3-speed auto in lock-up on the highway. If all you do is city street driving, I can understand the automatic tranny desire. Living in the near middle of nowhere, I highway drive a lot and prefer the stick. ummm, I just prefer the stick, the '87 coupe was a cheap initial investment.

Brian

yea, see the thing is, first off i live in the city of pittsburgh where driving is hell. second, i can barely drive stick, that itself is a headache. also, my 4 cyl is doing VERY well. another thing, the swap is free. cant beat free when you have no money in the first place. im not looking to have an amazing car right now, just something that works well that i can feel good in. aaand im starting school soon and i have no choice but to drive myself to the half hour away location. having a stick car for me in this situation is not gonna work out at all. sooo thats why im changing it.

Alex, as others have said before, each Fiero is a reflection of the owner. With your dis-comfort with a standard shift, driving it would not be a pleasure for you. The whole purpose of having a Fiero is to have fun with it. If puting an auto in it makes it more fun for you, then go for it!

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86 SE 2.8 4-Speed

quote Originally posted by Mike Marden: Alex, as others have said before, each Fiero is a reflection of the owner. With your dis-comfort with a standard shift, driving it would not be a pleasure for you. The whole purpose of having a Fiero is to have fun with it. If puting an auto in it makes it more fun for you, then go for it!

thanks man, i love all the people here on the forum but im gonna do what i want done to the car. even though everyone who likes cars like manual cars because of the benefits that come with, but for the time in my life right now, auto is way more preferable. now when it comes to engine advice, or looks or something, then i value the opinions of people that know what they're talking about.

If you're stuck in traffic a lot, then I'd go auto. But for highway driving and fuel econ, straight drive is they way to go. But it's your car, so it's your rules. You're the one who has to be happy with it. Maybe you could get some of the material you did your headliner with in several different colors. Change your headliner when you change your hair color. Kind of a "mood Fiero."

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Whade' "The Duck Formerly Known As Wade" Duck
'87 GT Auto
'88 Ferrario
'84 Indy

quote Originally posted by BekaintaFunk: yea, see the thing is, first off i live in the city of pittsburgh where driving is hell. .

I live in Houston where hell would be an upgrade from the traffic I drive in. Still, I wouldn't give up my stick shift cars for anything. And I want to convert the one auto to a stick..

But it's a personal preference...if you remove the stick shift parts, save them for the next swap meet, I might need them.

Whatever is going to make you happy is what it is all about. I just wanted you to be aware that there will be a difference in performance of the car. An auto seems like the best choice for heavy traffic especially if that is what you want. Good luck with your project.

hey thanks for all the positive words guys! but guess what.......

i drove the whole way home today!!! thru oakland(for those that know what oakland is)!! i mean... given it was night time and there wasnt much traffic... but i did it all myself!!! yaaaay! im still pretty sure im gonna switch to auto but iiii donno

If you can, take a drive in a 4 cylinder automatic and get a feel for how they drive. It's easier not having to shift, but you do give up some power and mileage.

I can definitely understand wanting an auto in town. I love my 5-speed, but I've also got a daily driver with an automatic.

[This message has been edited by Formula88 (edited 04-03-2007).]

bump!? ....i guess...

quote Originally posted by BekaintaFunk: bump!? ....i guess...

I am sure a billion people already told you something similar to this, but my girlfriend couldn't drive stick, she was getting a new car, and I wanted her to know how to drive both so she could choose, since she would have her new car for like 5 years. she learned and still wanted an auto. but it was because she was not fully comfortable with it. I made her hold out on getting a new car for two more months, I said keep driving my standerd car, even tho she hated it.

now she will not drive or own another automatic, traffic or not, it does not bug her in traffic, "doesnt for me ether" she acctualy says it gives her somthing to do while sitting in traffic bored. she ended up getting a scion xb in 5 speed.

I also have a few friends who didn't like standerd and complained to me that since they didn't race, they didn't need a Effing standard. I got em to drive mine more and more, and now they both bought standerds. you have more control over your car in a standard.

honestly it is your car, and of course your choice, you want to go with what makes you happy, but give driving the standard more of a chance, from what it sounds like you are still pretty new to it. and have not got to the point where you can drive it without thinking about it.

drive the standerd as much as you can before you swap, so when you do have to decide, you can say ok, I am comfortable driving both. and I want an automatic.

I am willing to bet you will have a different opinion of manual cars after you get it down well enough to drive it without thinking about it.

btw, my girlfriend commuited with her 5 speed in los angels traffic every day during rush hour, on the 5 and 405, as did I, and we now live in houston on westhimer with tons of traffic, by galleria. and we still won't drive autos.

[This message has been edited by 84fierotrevor (edited 04-04-2007).]

well the amount of times ive driven so far have been getting better but i still think even if im fine with it, im still gonna want an auto cause im reaaaally bad at doing a lot of things at once.

off the subject of transmissions...

Here's an idea for you: paint the 'spokes' of your rims black, have a thin silver line in the center of the spokes, put a red hourglass in the centercap

Not sure Bobadoofunk has thought out the ramifications of his girlfriend being a black widow, hehehe...

James

quote Originally posted by JazzMan: Not sure Bobadoofunk has thought out the ramifications of his girlfriend being a black widow, hehehe... James

Well if Alex were roaming around in little or nothing, would you really care?

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Whade' "The Duck Formerly Known As Wade" Duck
'87 GT Auto
'88 Ferrario
'84 Indy

quote Originally posted by 84fierotrevor: and we now live in houston on westhimer with tons of traffic, by galleria. and we still won't drive autos.

Amen... Houston traffic is about the worst, and yet you would have to pry my getrag out of my cold dead hands. Once you get used to it you can shift without thinking, and it's still a lot more fun.

hey everyone, just wanted to post an update. me and my dad replaced the front rotors and pads this weekend. which was good because the pads on the passenger side were worn down to the metal! also, my mom told me shes buying me the black emboridered floor mats from the fiero store sweeet. i also gorilla glued and painted my center console and its looks great. sorry no pics and im too lazy to go out and take some sooo for now, just gonna do some more interior stuff and still finishing my rustoleum paint job. ill post more pics of whats going on when i get around to taking them!

Other than seats and carpet, I have a bunch of interior stuff if you need any.

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Whade' "The Duck Formerly Known As Wade" Duck
'87 GT Auto
'88 Ferrario
'84 Indy

cool, ill let you know if i need anything

Alex- Have you thought about putting a 4t60 in it instead of a TH125C? If you got it with a final drive ratio greater than 3.33:1 you'd get better performance and better economy, as long as you're in there...

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1984 Fiero SE, White, first love, sold...
1986 Fiero SE 2M6, gold
1988 Fiero 2M4, the Fox
1987 Fiero GT, Blue, 3.4/4T40
Still looking for that perfect CJB 88 GT...

I need to stop looking at pennocks after three AM, so that I can realize that this and other threads like it are considerably old... LOL

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1984 Fiero SE, White, first love, sold...
1986 Fiero SE 2M6, gold
1988 Fiero 2M4, the Fox
1987 Fiero GT, Blue, 3.4/4T40
Still looking for that perfect CJB 88 GT...