I've been working on a V8 swap (SBC with a 4T65E tranny) for a while now. I've put a webpage together with my progress. The main reason is to possibly help others that are interested in a similar swap. This is a very wide package since most people use that tranny with a 3.8, or a manual tranny with a SBC; either one is smaller and fits easier. Here is the link (I'm no expert webpage designer, so it is basically pictures and information, no fancy graphics):

http://wheeltimesolutions.com/fiero.htm

I'm changing direction slightly now. I just bought this:



I've set up another webpage with a couple more pictures and a little info; not much yet, but this is going to get the V8 now. The webpage is:

http://wheeltimesolutions.com/dinero.htm

I'm really excited about this one. I think it is going to be a really nice car when it is all done......that will be a while though.

Rick

That's a pretty sweet looking ride. I don't know if I personally have seen a kit like that one before. Good luck on the build.

Nice. What company made the Dino kit? I got into this hobby during the 355 intro.

The kit was made by normsfiberglass.com. I think he still makes them for anyone that is interested, but doesn't advertise it much.

Rick

This would be a drastic measure, but that looks like a good candidate for a choptop, maybe not as severe as how th Choptopies do it, but just go give it more teardrop.

quote Originally posted by Amida: This would be a drastic measure, but that looks like a good candidate for a choptop, maybe not as severe as how th Choptopies do it, but just go give it more teardrop.

I was thinking the same thing, maybe just a 2 inch chop though...

I met Rick on the weekend. Really nice guy

Good luck with the Dino project. I'm sure everyone on the forum is going to want to see how this car turns out.

--justin

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1986 Pontiac Fiero SE 3.4L | The Fiero Blog (Since April 2000)
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My Portfolio site | JustinChristie.ca

Hey, thanks Justin. If you are ever in the area again, feel free to drop in.

As for the choptop, yes it would really make it look right. For now the money will go into the engine swap, bodywork and paint, then interior....then....who knows.

Rick

I love your name for the project, Dinero. I imagine that you'll spend a few Dinero's getting it up to snuf. ha ha. in all seriousness I agree that it needs a chop, that would make the lines flow sooo much better.

if you can't see the future,
your not driving fast enough. Joe

quote Originally posted by motoracer838: I love your name for the project, Dinero. I imagine that you'll spend a few Dinero's getting it up to snuf.

Yes, a friend of mine (that actually found me this car on Craigslist) said that by the time I'm done I'll have to call it the Mucho Dinero!

quote Originally posted by couldahadaV8: Yes, a friend of mine (that actually found me this car on Craigslist) said that by the time I'm done I'll have to call it the Mucho Dinero!

You should make a rocker/nose emblem like that.

quote Originally posted by couldahadaV8: Yes, a friend of mine (that actually found me this car on Craigslist) said that by the time I'm done I'll have to call it the Mucho Dinero!

ROFLMAO.

Joe

[This message has been edited by HC (edited 11-06-2008).]

Oh yeah....that thing is begging for a chop. Nice car....the 246GT will be the first car I buy once I win the lotto.

quote Originally posted by HC:

Not bad HC. Too squishy to me. Can you bring it back up an inch & slope it down towards the rear like a tear drop?

quote Originally posted by Amida: Not bad HC. Too squishy to me. Can you bring it back up an inch & slope it down towards the rear like a tear drop?

Yes, what you are describing is how the real Dino roof is shaped (though the roof is also somewhat curved and not flat).

As nice as it might look, I would have a real problem spending the money for a choptop.

Now a custom interior, that I could see!

Rick

quote Originally posted by couldahadaV8: Yes, what you are describing is how the real Dino roof is shaped (though the roof is also somewhat curved and not flat). As nice as it might look, I would have a real problem spending the money for a choptop. Now a custom interior, that I could see! Rick

Well, If you already have a welder & you do the work yourself what's there to purchase? Fiberglass repair supplies, welding material, MR2 rear window, AD355 rounded roof section, & maybe have someone repair the paint. If you just tilt the roof you could probably keep the doorglass by just tilting it.

I do interiors, but haven't done a Dino.

Rob

quote Originally posted by Amida: I do interiors, but haven't done a Dino.

I know you do, absolutely beautiful work. I'll be in touch when I get the engine swap done, most of the bodywork, and then comtemplate an interior. I think a 355 interior would look nice in it. After all, I'm not trying to duplicate an exact Dino, just something with a Ferrari flavour.


edit: after reading the various threads on choptops, it seems that door windows are the biggest hurdle; you can't use the stock windows since the curvature doesn't match once you bring the roof down

[This message has been edited by couldahadaV8 (edited 11-07-2008).]

quote Originally posted by couldahadaV8: I know you do, absolutely beautiful work. I'll be in touch when I get the engine swap done, most of the bodywork, and then comtemplate an interior. I think a 355 interior would look nice in it. After all, I'm not trying to duplicate an exact Dino, just something with a Ferrari flavour. edit: after reading the various threads on choptops, it seems that door windows are the biggest hurdle; you can't use the stock windows since the curvature doesn't match once you bring the roof down

However, if you instead take a little out the back & tilt the roof then you can keep the factory door glass by just tilting to match the new roof angle. I believe that is the method used on the Testarossa kits.
.

Thats no way a TR replica! Its too nice almost... Link?

Thats a really well done TR kit.

I'll have to read up more on the choptop options. If you lower the roof, then you have to either have the top of the door windows come in more, or widen the roof (that seems to have been done in some cases). But you can't widen the roof at the front or it won't match the windshield. If you lower the rear of the roof and tilt the door windows to match, then they won't match the windshield angle, unless the windshield is angled back as well; as soon as you do that, then the windows have to come in to match the roof line. I know the door windows have a certain amount of adjustability and maybe that's enough to get them to line up. There does seem to be a source for glass side windows for choptops, so I will have to seriously consider this.

Rick

The A-pillars & roof must not deviate from each other, so pie wedges are cut at the front corners & the whole thing is laid back. It's not a severe chop, just a tear drop, so I would guess the window & roof planes won't deviate by much ( more so at the rear ). Any gap in the doorglass could probably be filled by adusting the door seals.

I did a Testarosa back in 93', on that car when I streched the frame, the cut was also offset11/2 inches. this means the passenger compartment was lowered in relation to the back half of the car, This had the affect of laying back the windshield and lowering the roofline, it also reduced the ground clearance at the back of the passenger compartment by 11/2 inches, a trade off to be sure. the top edge of the outer door panels also ran up to the rear to hide the origanal doorline. It looks like the Testarosa in Amidas post does the same thing.

This would be a lot of work on your car, but I think it would give you the look you are looking for. the big ? here is are you up to cutting your car in half and putting it back together and doing the fiberglass work to make it look right.

Keep in mind I'm not telling you that you need to do this to the car, I'm only offering an idea to think about, it would do several things for the car, 1 lay back the windshield. 2 lower the roofline. 3 keep the glass side windows. I don't know about you but the last one is a bigge for me.

Cheers Beers n Gearz. Joe

here are a few pics of an original for reference. The nice part about the dino is that you can chop it if you want and not compromise the structure of the B pillar support like the testarossa replica (absolutely beautiful but scary)

[This message has been edited by PaulJK (edited 11-07-2008).]

quote Originally posted by motoracer838: the top edge of the outer door panels also ran up to the rear to hide the origanal doorline. It looks like the Testarosa in Amidas post does the same thing.

OK, that makes sense now. You can see how the window height of that car is a lot less than a Fiero and I was wondering how that could be without a roof chop. So the top of the door actually overlaps the lower part of the window (which I suppose is done on all vehicles to some extent). Nice look but there is no way I am chopping my car in half to change the roof-line! A choptop with glass side windows does seem to be a viable option.

If your Dino has a flat fiero door line you could slope it up a little. It's more bodywork, but better than cutting the car in half .

Just get that 350sbc installed in there Rick, before you start ripping your hair out over a chop top

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1986 Pontiac Fiero SE 3.4L | The Fiero Blog (Since April 2000)
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My Portfolio site | JustinChristie.ca

quote Originally posted by justinchristie: Just get that 350sbc installed in there Rick, before you start ripping your hair out over a chop top

As you know, there isn't a lot left to rip out! Too many car projects over the years.
I did get the Dinero running (needed a fuel pump and a fuel injector). Fortunately a friend of mine who is doing a 3.8SC swap had these parts that he didn't need, so it didn't cost anything; well, a few traded parts of mine later. I did notice while sitting in the Dinero that I only have about 3" of headroom, so I'm not sure now about a choptop. Anyways, the SBC swap comes first. OK, second; I have to finish stripping the white one to get it out of the garage.

Just seen this thread ....Nice one Love the Body of it

..Rob

Nice looking car. If I had the cash, I'd do it, too...Of course, I'd modify it.

Bob

http://detroit.craigslist.org/pts/934436709.html

Bump, any updates Rick?

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1986 Pontiac Fiero SE 3.4L | The Fiero Blog (Since April 2000)
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My Portfolio site | JustinChristie.ca

Didn't find a convertible but found

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Gokart Mozart:

Didn't find a convertible but found...
QUOTE]

There are no convertible Dinos. Just the one you are showing and the coupe version.

Not much progress on mine. I was replacing all the brakes and kept running into problems. The front calipers and master cylinder have been replaced and I was working on the rears a while ago. I've been playing around with indoor projects for a while (radio controlled helicopters). I'll put the garage heat on this weekend and see if I can finish the brakes. The V8 is patiently waiting on the cradle to be installed.

Rick

Here's the best I could do quick and dirty.
It's chopped in the rear (roof rotated 3 degrees) and given a proper stance. The B pillar strip just behind the side window is also painted "black" (like I said, quick and dirty).



Now get that V8 in there.

quote Originally posted by ALLTRBO: Here's the best I could do ...

Looks very nice. The plan is to lower it for sure. I have some stock rear springs cut down 1" that are going on it. I'm going to get taller tires as well. This should reduce the gap above the tire by about 2"; I hope that is enough for a decent look. As for chopping/modifying the roof line...well...it looks nice, but I don't know if I want to put that much work into it. I'll see how I feel after the engine swap is done and I start on the bodywork.

Rick

looking at both pictures , i dont think the chop improves things much .get coilovers for the rears , street dreams drop spindles for the front and hunker it down .the lowering in the photo chop made the biggest improvement .chops are expensive and a lot of work to get right .

The gap in the rear looks to be about 4 - 5 inches, it might need a couple coils removed from the springs which will stiffen the ride considerably in the rear. If it's within your budget the adjustable coil-over conversion kit would be the best method. I installed a set onto my 88 Formula. As far as the chop goes, I'd hold off on that until you have taken care of everything else mechanical. Breaking the tasks down to little weekend projects will help keep your car on the road so that you can have fun with it. Especially when good weather is just around the corner.

Looks even better as a convertible!




I think a Dino kit should get a 3.4 DOHC engine. It's pretty close to the actual engine used in the Dino:

"Calls for more power were answered with the 2.4 L (2418 cc) Dino 246. The motor was a 65 degree, dual overhead camshaft, 9.0:1 compression ratio, iron block with alloy heads. The European motor produced 195 bhp (at 7,600 rpm),"

[This message has been edited by Formula88 (edited 01-31-2009).]