9/6/2009 - 103 Days of Fiero Ownership
Well, its not as obvious in the above pictures, but there's a slight problem. For some reason the passenger side quarter panel, after being installed, did not line up correctly. I measured the driver's side for comparison. Between the scoop and the door there is a 1/4 inch gap. At the bottom of the passenger side, though, there is a full inch gap. Something is awry.

So, for today:

1.) Scuff bottom of front bumper
2.) de-grease / de-wax front bumper, clean, tack, prime
3.) Fill pinholes in bumper
4.) Remove passenger side scoop - figure out what is wrong - re-install
5.) finish sanding top portion of deck lid
6.) Sand passenger rocker panel

Not too much I don't think. The hood will come off tomorrow when a friend comes by to help out.

EDIT: WooT! Page 3!

[This message has been edited by Blueiii (edited 09-06-2009).]

Dude, take a breath and relax.

Fiberglass does flex and so do your fenders. On both sides there are 1 screw that attaches the bumper to the fenders. I know this is complicated but put the 1 screw in on each side and just sit back and watch what happens.

Once you get the 1 screw in on each side, come back here and report what you witnessed.

------------------

Click here for all your Fiberglass part needs

Okay, so I listened to your advice, relaxed for a bit, and went back at it.

I understand what you're saying. Get everything together and put the screw through the fenderwell that attaches the bumper to the fender.

Unfortunately, they driver's side is too far off for this to work. No matter how much I try to manipulate it into place, it simply won't go. It doesn't help that I've been at it now for almost 9 hours today. . . it just seems like something isn't right, and I don't know what that something is.

9/10/2009 - 107 Days of Fiero Ownership

FINALLY - and with fingers crossed, project Grrr is all grown'd up. He has left the humble abode known as my garage.

Although a wangless - errr - wingless boy, he's ready for some makeup as much as this loving parent will ever hope he is.

In between classes, date night, and coaching the rowing team, I've managed to knock out all the little remaining things except 2. With time of the essence, I couldn't wait much longer.

1.) I never did get the bumper to line up correctly. This will be done at the shop.
2.) There are a few spots where the SMC in the roof was chipped. I'm going to have them glaze them out, sand them, and call it a day.

I had a friend stop by after our night classes to give me a hand, resulting in loosely hanging the bumper, re-affixing the hood, popping in the rockers (they are coming out for paint anyway) and covering the battery with a piece of cardboard in the event of rain overnight.

He is sitting at the local paint shop, waiting.

I'll be going over tomorrow after a calc test to finalize the deal. . . The orange stripe is yet to be determined as I'm waiting to see how many hours they spend with the bumper. (If its excessive, I'll probably nix the stripe idea.)

Of course, now I've got other ideas for paint running through my head. . . but tomorrow I'll pull the final trigger and go from there!

Here's to crossing fingers, hoping my prep work, scoop alignment, etc. all worked out and the "ugly duckling" turns into a swan.

(Oh, and once he's back, there's still a lot of work to go. . . . )

Final teaser pic before paint. . .

[This message has been edited by Blueiii (edited 09-11-2009).]

9/15/09 - 112 Days of Fiero Ownership

Okay, I don't have any build updates to speak of. No new pictures, either.

I did want to point out that I decided against going with the blue and orange theme as a last minute decision. The color codes I had picked out were custom colors, and since they are pictures viewed on the web I couldn't tell 100% if that's exactly what I wanted.

They also wanted an extra $200 to add the stripe. For something I wasn't sure if I really wanted, I couldn't justify $200, especially since I'm not working currently. $200 could go towards MUCH better things for Grrr IMO.

So, the color of choice? Cornflower Blue. This will be accented with black in a few areas down the road.

Once he is back, progress will stop for a little while. I am moving in 2 weeks and need to focus on school. Plus, its the middle of the rowing season and as the head coach I have a LOT going on.

Pictures should be up by the middle of next week!

9/17/09 - 112 Days of Fiero Ownership (Happy and Sad

He's baaaaaaaaaack.

Now, I'm not expecting perfection, but I think I might be going back in on Monday.

1.) One of the bulbs for the turn signals is stuck under the bumper. They need to take the bumper off, put the turn signal bulb back in, and put the bumper back on. My guess is this will result in cracked paint. . .
2.) My antenna? No clue where it is now. . .
3.) The hood is misaligned, and the lights won't go up. I think trying to fight against the hood busted one of the motors - the verdict is still out.

Moving on, I bought a set of sail panels off Ebay. They don't line up because the black paint needs to continue into the window by another 1/8 inch - just enough to see parts you're not supposed to see. UGH again.

Its obviously very dark. . . but here's what I'm working with!

She looks to be coming along nicely. There are always a few things that don't work out as planned. But, i really like those lower side vents. They line up nicely with the GT style.

Tony

The blue doesn't really stand out in the dark. . . I'll get more pics up tomorrow hopefully!

chris, your fiero is looking great. if you get time call me,or stop by so i can see him in person. pm me for my phone number if you need to. p.s. those blue fenders turned out good! your fiero buddy-JERRY LYNN. I put a new decklid on my black fiero. mustang scoop with a comarro lip. come see it. take care...

Looks nice!
Interesting color, never seen that before.

That's a very unique color. With all of the cool customs out there it's difficult to pick a color that's not been done at least half a dozen times, very cool. I look forward to seeing the daylight shots, and the trim and sail panels on. Very inspiring build so far though. I have a beat up 87 GT in my backyard that looks about like yours did when you started...unfortunately I'm not working at the moment either so it'll probably stay looking that way for a while yet. Anyway thumbs up, keep up the great work.

quote Originally posted by winger1955: chris, your fiero is looking great. if you get time call me,or stop by so i can see him in person.

Thanks Jerry Lynn! I actually was hoping to stop by soon and check out the spoiler and seat covers. I've got a race in Cleveland this week for the rowing team, but if I get a chance on Sunday I might swing over or give you a call.

quote Originally posted by matchmade: That's a very unique color. With all of the cool customs out there it's difficult to pick a color that's not been done at least half a dozen times. . . I have a beat up 87 GT in my backyard that looks about like yours did when you started...unfortunately I'm not working at the moment either so it'll probably stay looking that way for a while yet. Anyway thumbs up, keep up the great work.

I kept a budget and got off it a bit, but there were some opportunities if I would have looked around. I could have shaved about a grand off my budget between the scoops, fiberglass bumper and having the rear bumper refinished professionally. My advice: DO IT.

Better light. . . .



Still can't see the blue in the paint. I tried making some adjustments on the camera. . seems to show the blue a bit more!

Before

After

This is really going to aggrivate you...

The front bumper is going to have to come off anyway so the belt line molding trim can be put back on. The front fenders are going to have to come off also so the belt line molding can be put back on. And... I can't tell from the pics but if the small belt line molding, behind the door handles, is off then your door panels are going to have to come off so that can be put back on too.

I am assuming the shop got the front bumper lined up OK?

[This message has been edited by JimmyS (edited 09-18-2009).]

Molding won't be an issue.

Actually, I'm going to paint the molding with trim paint before installing it. (I installed it temporarily - permanent "fix" is on the way.) The bumper is coming off at the shop since they need to make a few more adjustments, including getting my turn signal out from under it. They got it lined up for the most part. They ended up needing to do a bunch of trimming of edges to make it work.

I did find the antenna! (YAY!) I also have a call into Chris Cook regarding his sail panels. I need to find out exactly what he used to coat the backs of them so that I can match it up correctly. Then I'll re-mask them off and respray the inside line so it eliminates the problem area I have.

I will have to order reflectors as mine are cracked. . . But, for now, I think you get the picture. (Providing you're not using 24.4 Kbps, at which point you are probably still waiting for this page to load.)

A few pictures from today, with the sun out. . .

Well, he's back in the shop.

Nothing major - Just some things I wasn't happy with.

The front bumper wasn't right. They never put the screws in the top lip. When I asked about it, they said that they had to shave too much off to make it work, and had told me it wouldn't be perfect. I just wanted the screws put in is all, plus they needed to take it off to fix the turn signals.

The hood was also misaligned, so we're waiting on that.

I talked to the individual (who will remain nameless for now) that I obtained my sail panels from. I have pictures to email him when I get a minute to show him the issue. (Grad school and coaching AND moving in just a few days are collectively kicking my butt.)

Off to work on some Calculus. . . . More updates when I have them!

So, its been a few weeks. School, no money, and coaching have taken up a lot of my time.

To make matters worse, my girlfriend called me about 3 weeks ago. Her mom's car needed some work. As it turns out, there were battery issues. Then, about a week later, she freaked out when HER car started to have problems.

Long story short, her escort with 140k finally bit the big one. She got word today that her mom's car has so much underbody rust its not safe to drive any more.

And, as it turns out, it has a 3800 and an auto in it already.

Does anyone have a build thread that outlines the basics of what's involved with the swap?

What extra parts would I need to order, and since the motor does have 140x miles, in the future how much more difficult would be a 3800sc swap if the 3800 bites it? I still have to find out the exact motor and transmission in her mom's car, but this might be a free motor and transmission (or nearly free) and just happens to be a 3800!!!

Well, scratch that plan. Her mom had the boneyard come pick up the car before I had a chance to talk to her about it.

Boooooooooo.

Keeping it out of archives, I'm strongly considering the GT Scoops from Fiero Store. I've seen that they have some fitment issues, though. Can anyone provide more detail?

11/7/2009 - 166 Days of Fiero Ownership

I FINALLY get my car back from my girlfriend tonight! I can't wait to see it and (hopefully) get some more work done to finish it up.

Long story short, my girlfriend's car AND her mom's car broke down within a week of each other, leaving them a bit stranded. I let them take the unfinished Fiero project so they could get around. Since then she called freaking out because the headlights stopped working, so it looks like I will have some work to get done as time and money permits.

[This message has been edited by Blueiii (edited 11-07-2009).]

12-1-2009 (I don't know how many days off the top of my head? 180 or so??)

Well, I got some goodies today from the Fiero Store. I have been holding off finishing up the project while waiting on some money to come together, but I had a few dollars and placed an order last week. Mainly just trim and clips to attach the trim, however I also ordered the Fiero Store GT Scoops.

Let me start off by saying that the quality of the GT Scoops is subpar. It looks like the molds have seen better days. Around the edges are spots where the mold apparently stayed attached to previous scoops, leaving indentations in the mold that filled with resin and now all need to be sanded off.

Also, the fit isn't all that great. I test fit them and it looks like I will need to notch the upper corner facing the nose of the car, then shave down the back end. Needless to say I was really hoping that "light prep" meant scuffing, priming and sanding.

Even more kudos to Jimmy S for the products I've gotten from him in the past.

The pictures aren't the greatest, but I did lay the scoops in to get a feel for what they will eventually look like. Also, the trim will be finished up in the near future and the overall car will be "back together" so to speak.






I guess all I can say is, not bad so far. For a car that I've got a little over $3,000 in it doesn't look bad, and what else can you buy on the market with any kind of curb appeal for this price?

Scoops look nice on there! Looking good.

It's looking great! Amazing how something as simple as side scoops can really change the look of a Fiero.

Thanks guys!

The FieroStore scoops will need a ton of work. The ironic part is that I got a set of blemished scoops from Jimmy S. and they were LESS work than the "perfect" scoops from the FieroStore.

Once I get the scoops and trim finished I probably won't do much over the winter. Next summer, however, I hope to make a few more adjustments. Going with the black and blue theme, I plan to tint the tails (nightshade) and paint the wheels black, though I would like to get another set of wheels (17s) and lower the car.

The other ideas I'm still debating include:
Warber-esque style hood, which I'm 99% sure I will be doing this upcoming summer

POSSIBLY a chin spoiler, also in black to match the trim, wheels and GT Scoops

Then - the final debate. I was thinking about switching to munson style headlights since my motors are now shot. If I do this, I'm really considering painting the hood black, changing out the bulbs in the munson style lights to HIDs, and nightshading over the munson headlight covers.

I'm curious as to how you guys think that would turn out?

Sounds like a solid list of upgrades. If you're going for the black and blue theme, I would probably also tint the windows black. Would really complete the look, I think.

A lot of work on the exterior. I repainted my red Fiero. Read how I delt with the cracks here:

//www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum1/HTML/052684.html

Hi, Chris. i can rebiuld your headlights for you. i can also help you make an extrackor hood. call me if you want help..or stop by. Jerry. your fiero buddy.

Bump to keep it out of the archives.

I stopped by a corvette shop the other day and they will likely be able to help with my fiberglass woes, however I'll be waiting until summer to touch the Fiero again. (Winter + Ohio + apartment + school = waiting to work on the Fiero for a while)

IT NEEDS TO BE SUMMER SOON! ARGH!!!

On the plus side, I found a company in Michigan that sells used road race tires relatively cheap! (ie: less than $400 for a set that will get me through an entire autoX season!) Plus, with used tires, I can try out a few different combinations to see what I like.)

Plans for summer / June include:
1.) Figure out the front bumper issue
2.) Reward to self - if I get all As this term, I get to spend some money on tires
3.) Possible KYB GR2 shocks so that I can stay in ES
4.) AutoX whenever possible

Ugh. Snow. I hate it!

I realized that I DO have access to a garage on the weekends. My mom doesn't like giving up her parking spot, however she goes to the lakehouse in MI now every weekend, freeing up the garage!

I realized this yesterday and was all kinds of excited to be able to work on the Fiero. The roads were dry and salt free, so I picked up a small heater and planned on messing with the fender to bumper alignment issues I'm having. (I have a fiberglass aftermarket bumper, however I have never been able to line it up properly.)

With the new heater ready to go, this morning I woke up to this:



I hate Ohio. On the plus side, I picked up some sandpaper and fixed the mold errors on my first GT scoop. I still have to get the second one done, then I'll prime them at the 'rents house in the basement.

Here's a picture of what I had hoped to try to fix today.

The front bumper I got just doesn't seem to fit right. I'm going to attempt to take everything off the front end, then install the bumper first, THEN the fenders. I really hope this fixes the problem, otherwise I'm left with the options of either a.) Taking it to a local corvette shop for a yet-to-be-determined price or b.) track down another factory bumper, get it over to Keystone, re-install and have it painted. (about $650) If I'm going to go that route I've considered driving down to Jimmy S. for spring break and getting a F355 nose, but installing it with him and showing him the problems I've been having with the stock bumper I got from him.

[This message has been edited by Blueiii (edited 02-06-2010).]

Nothing too exciting on Grrr at the moment. Last night on the news they mentioned that this year we have had the second highest snow accumulation for the month of February the city has ever seen. Ah, Ohio. How I hate thee.

I snapped a few pictures for Jimmy S, so I though I would post them. Kind of boring pictures but whatever.

I also took a closer look at photos of when I got the car. It looks like the fender / bumper / hood alignment wasn't all that good when I got the car, so any suggestions or help would be appreciated once it warms up.

Well, school is finally out and today is the last official day of the rowing season, so it looks like I'll have some time to work on the fiero again!

I started prepping and "fixing" the turbo scoops so that they will fit properly this weekend. I'm almost tempted to have the portion covering the (C?) pillar color matched to the car so that the scoop itself doesn't look as disproportionate, however that will cost more money at the moment, which is something I don't really have. I start a summer job Monday and I was originally offered a manager position, then right before starting they switched it out to part time, minimum wage. Ugh.

This weekend is the first AutoX of the season I'm going to make, although I'm still running on cheap walmart tires that slide like crazy. I have set of R6's to buy from a guy up in MI, however those aren't available until next week.

So, back to work buttoning up the exterior, including switching back to an OEM bumper sometime this summer. Then, to tackle a few mechanical nuisances (exhaust manifold gasket with a leak and replacing the alternator belt and cleaning the pulleys so it doesn't chirp.)

Well, the sail panels weren't on in time for the first AutoX of the season. . . Nor was the trim. I have a "new" used OEM bumper being delivered tomorrow. The aftermarket bumper, no matter how much I tried to make it fit correctly, simply won't. (Not just me, mind you - I also paid a body shop to fit it. The previous pictures were the "best they could do," and I'm just not happy with how it turned out.

Anyway, the results were quite unimpressive. I also noticed that my dogbone bushings are shot. I'm pretty sure all my suspension bushings are shot. My friend, who I introduced to AutoX, offered to let me drive his S2000 for the next event, so I'm hoping to race his car instead of the Fiero. For the time being my goal is simply to finish putting the body back together and see if I am happy with things, then decide from there. I'm really leaning towards picking up something different once I graduate from grad school in December. (Mustang, WRX, S2000. . . still undecided!)

Update!

1.) The headlights now go up and down. I still don't know what the gremlin is that has been screwing those up. All i did was loosen the adjustment knob, then tighten it back up again. Poof! Headlights work.

2.) I pulled the driver's side speaker since it was audibly blown. Sure enough, it was still the original factory speaker. I ended up installing a cheapo AutoZone 4x6 with an adapter plate for the time being.

3.) I attempted to paint the gt scoops, however ran into two problems. a: I live in an apartment, and dogwood cotton was floating around the air and landing in my paint. b: Apparently I forgot to sand with 120 and 320. Jumping from 80 to 400 did not work well, and there are a ton of scratches. Back to sanding, however I'm on a very tight budget thanks to being unemployed. I should be able to pick up some sandpaper by this weekend, though. (Seriously tight budget, and having a girlfriend means that money gets spent faster than if it were just on myself. . . not that I spend a ton of money on her, but when your food and gas budget is around $15 per day, date night really throws that number off.

4.) I attempted to fit my 10" subwoofer behind the passenger seat. Yeah, that's not going to fit at all. The magnet it too big. I might have to shop for a slimline speaker and truck box. I'm thinking a nice 8" sub in a truck box will add some kick. I have some money in Best Buy gift cards, so that's likely where the stereo equipment will be coming from.

Just measured my (our) seats. . . they are 32" tall. No way the Summit Seats are going to work!

So, I have been driving Grrr around a bit more now that its nice out. I've had 3 or 4 people honk and give me a wave. Yesterday, while at a Kroger, a gentleman stopped me and said, "Hey, are you the guy I've seen driving the blue fiero around?" It turns out he has a few in his garage that he is going to part out or sell me - I just need to give him a call when I get a day free.

Today at work, I heard, "I just want to know who's blue fiero is. That thing is sick!"

It's not even back together completely!!!!!

June 7, 2010. 359 days of Fiero Ownership

Time to place an order at the Fiero Store!

A few days ago I noticed a puddle underneath the Fiero. I stopped driving it, initially unsure if it was coming from my car or the parking lot.

After letting it sit for a few days, no puddle. I checked transmission fluid and oil, both were good, though oil was a little low. I topped it off and drove around a bit more. Let it sit for a few minutes, then backed out of the parking spot to find a three inch puddle of. . . green blood. Coolant!

I eventually figured out two things: the rubber hose connecting the pipe to the motor and the return pipe was the likely culprit. Also, the belt squeel that had been getting worse might be worth addressing. Since the coolant was a minor drip, I stopped by a family friend's shop to confirm (and have him get back to me on rear exhaust manifold gasket replacement estimates) and picked up a alternator belt. On the way home, BAM! Belt snaps, water pump stops pumping and damaged rubber hose blows out.

Grrr is now back at the apartment, awaiting outpatient surgery. . .