I'm looking at buying my 1st fiero, and theres a really nice '88 GT for sale near me. I love the fastback, but I actually like the buper pad (non-aero) front end better than the GT front end. I know posts have been made about the front end swap, but how difficult is it? If I had all the right parts, would I need to have a pro do it, or can anyone with a little technical knowhow swap an aero nose for bumper pads?

Oh, and if anyone has any links to pics of a bumper pad fastback, could you post 'em?
Thanks in advance!!!

Bumperpad fastback is actually my favorite body style, I'm going to be making one out of a Formula.

Wow that easily looks as good as I thought it would!! I love the sleek fastback with the old-school looking pointy nose! There werent any factory made bumper pad fastbacks were there? And how hard is the front end swap?

quote Originally posted by seth1972: Wow that easily looks as good as I thought it would!! I love the sleek fastback with the old-school looking pointy nose! There werent any factory made bumper pad fastbacks were there? And how hard is the front end swap?

Its not difficult, you just need to be sure and have all the pieces available. Most of the Fiero just unbolts apart, or uses rivets which will need to be replaced. I think the only difficulty is in transferring the parts on and off the car while avoiding damaging them, if they have nice paint anyway.

If you choose to swap the rear bumper also, which I will be doing, it doesn't quite line up with everything and the mounting brackets may need to be modified or adjusted. Also, all the bumperpad cars have ribbed side molding whereas that 88 will have smooth. For a uniform look you need to swap all the molding out, and switch to a bumperpad rear bumper or older GT bumper before they switched to smooth molding. Alternatively, you could use the Formula/87-88 coupe bumpers to get a similar appearance while retaining ribbed molding. I prefer the bumperpad bumper myself though.

Edit: And no, there was never a Fiero assembled this way from the factory.

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[This message has been edited by Xanth (edited 10-31-2011).]

quote Originally posted by seth1972: Wow that easily looks as good as I thought it would!! I love the sleek fastback with the old-school looking pointy nose! There werent any factory made bumper pad fastbacks were there? And how hard is the front end swap?

In total from the factory there were... zero.

I like the look too.

Welcome!

That looks...... better than I thought it would lol

While not a bumper pad, I started a thread for those who have a coupe with a GT clip. https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum1/HTML/081370.html

Not sure if your looking to put a coupe nose on a GT car, or put a GT rear clip on a coupe. While similar, the look is differant. The GT with a coupe nose will still have ground effects along the side and rear facia. The coupe with a GT clip has no ground effects and the fastback styling.

I love the look also, but im not as much of a fan of the GT / coupe nose. I think the nose needs something on the lower portion to even it out.

Good luck and have fun.

Rob

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88 Coupe, CJB T-TOP, LS376 and a GT clip
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAH9yjw6XR0

I like seeing coupe bumpers on the back of fastbacks (I think it makes it helps air-flow...lol)
a bumper pad fastback...hmmmm... well, I don't hate it
but if you're buying a Fastback why not leave the correct bumpers on? if it was just a coupe body then putting a fastback rear clip on that would make sense.

I intentionly put a pad nose on my 86 Gt. I love the look. I dont like the flat snowplow GT nose at all myself

Well now Im wondering if a bumper pad (the older 1984-86 style) car was ever made with a 6cyl and a 5 speed? If so it would of course be an 86. Id rather put a fastback onto a coupe than but a pointy nose on a GT, but at the moment, im not really even sure if i want fastback or notchback, but i KNOW I want the bumper pad nose. My ideal fiero would be an 86 bumper pad notchie with a 6cyl 5spd!!! The search begins... *pulls up craigslist*

Its a lot easier to change the nose than the rear clip....

Yea lol I realize that, but i'm still thinking i might want a notchback, so were there any bumper pad notchbacks in 86 with a 6cyl 5 speed?

No. Only the GT had the V6 and the SE had the option for a V6 (in 1986). Neither are the bumper pad body style.

The closest you could get would be the 85 SE. It is the bumper pad body with the V6, but only offered with a 4-speed.

[This message has been edited by SCCA FIERO (edited 11-01-2011).]

Welcome to the forum! You must be the one who posted a WTB on CL and somebody on here recognized your picture as his car haha. https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum1/HTML/087396.html
My opinion, you’re going to want to look for a 87 or 88 GT if you want the fast back, or a Formula (88 only) if you want the notch back. All will have the V6 and then you can change the nose. As mentioned before the side molding will be different, bumper pad cars had a ridge in the molding where the GT’s/Formulas have smooth molding. Personally I would fix the ridge on the nose vs changing the side molding. That way the rear bumper will match as well. And remember to check the rear frame and cradle for rust no matter what you go look at.

[This message has been edited by DLCLK87GT (edited 11-01-2011).]

Here is one a little stretched out (not high resolution) this is what coupe with fast back conversion would look like.



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Love The Excitement! https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum1/HTML/068738.html

[This message has been edited by 85SEnochie (edited 11-01-2011).]

Lol yea that's my craigslist ad. I found the pics on google images >.<
Now that I've seen the bumper pad fastbacks, im almost thinking i like the notchback look better, but i still gotta have a 6cyl 5spd. So im thinking..88 Formula, then maybe someday change the front clip to an 84-86 style.