I still have quite a bit of work left of this to get it streetable. I have to adjust the boost pipes to clear the decklid and add the intercooler bracing. The exhaust tips are not welded on just yet. I want to give it a few hard pulls to let everything settle in and then the rear bumper will come off to TIG weld the tips on. Realistically, the car won't be driven on the street on a regular basis until Spring, but I plan to get the tuning done prior and all the little details done.
Here is a quick video...sorry for the shaking. I had a turbo shot in my coffee this morning, so the caffeine make me twitchy...lol
So Awesome! Any chance when this is all complete you could post some type of guide, with wiring diagrams etc.?
It is pretty much straightforward: Fabricate mounts. Use the factory wiring diagrams. Apply terminal 30 power where needed. Apply terminal 15 power where needed. Tune the ecu.
It has been four months. I really don't have an update. I needed to take some time off this car to clear my head. I've been modding my MINI Cooper S and modding my F350 diesel. Really the only thing left is tuning this car, which will probably finish up in the Spring. My shop has expanded greatly over the last year, so I have been hiring more employees and that has taken up a lot of my time getting them to learn my quirks. I'm a little hard to work for. I saw one of my guys writing in a blue pen and I spent a few minutes explaining that we don't write in blue pen in my shop and then threw his pen in the garbage. I guess I expect too much.
Dave
[This message has been edited by bmwguru (edited 02-05-2015).]
Just out of curiosity, why no blue pen? I do almost everything in blue pen, It's my way of knowing what's the original document and what's a copy.
Ditto
When I was a manager I always signed Blue ink for that exact reason, it made it easy to know what's original and a copy. Kept a box of Blue pens in my desk to make sure I always had one available.
------------------ 88 GT 5 Speed Black with gray interior 3800 SCII Swap Complete. Paint Complete Detailing in Progress
IT RUNS!! IT'S QUICK!!
"Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody's going to know whether you did it or not."
I know it is a little strange, but it looks better when all the estimates and other handwritten stuff is all the same color. The other reason was I have the appointment book in all black ink. The one day one of my techs wrote an appointment in the book in blue ink, we had two very very low profit weeks. I know it had nothing to do with the ink, but the joke turned into reality. We haven't had a slow week in over a year. I pay the guys a bonus based on GPM and labor sales. They haven't missed a bonus in over a year.
I fired that other guy on Friday. He wasn't cutting it. I know I am very hard to work for. My motto for the way I run my business is "It is easier to pull back on a thoroughbred than whip a mule." I pay very well, but I demand a lot. Dave
I think it stems down to having all the details done the exact same way. I have a list of stuff that is a little off from the norm, but everyone that works for me understands and it keeps us consistent.
My shop's business has grown to more than triple in size, so I have been focusing my efforts on that. I really haven't looked at the car in over two months. I do plan to take a weekend soon and get it up and running properly.
We stopped working on Fieros last year. I enjoy keeping it as my hobby, but I won't do swaps for the public anymore as it was really causing me to not enjoy my own cars. As for Carlisle, I am not much of a "car show" guy, but I will be at the next Pete or Dwane Fiero cruise....too much politics for me at car shows. If I do go to Carlisle, my Fieros will stay home and I'll enjoy seeing all the cars and not have to babysit my car. Dave
Make me the exception Im from another country lol So what would be the total cost
Sorry....the money isn't worth it to me. I get to the shop two hours early and stay two hours late. Sometimes I am there 7 days a week. I hired two additional guys to help keep the workflow going. A project would create a dip in productivity and cause everything to slow down. That is why my car is sitting for months. It doesn't bother me....it looks nice, and still gets waxed twice a year, but I have long term goals with my shop that i intend to meet and working on cars other than German cars will prevent that from happening. Dave
I understand It was more curiosity of how much such a swap would cost
I'm not sure of what the final cost i have into the swap, but my car is always up for sale for the right price. I'd expect to replace it with a Porsche turbo though.
We stopped working on Fieros last year. I enjoy keeping it as my hobby, but I won't do swaps for the public anymore as it was really causing me to not enjoy my own cars. As for Carlisle, I am not much of a "car show" guy, but I will be at the next Pete or Dwane Fiero cruise....too much politics for me at car shows. If I do go to Carlisle, my Fieros will stay home and I'll enjoy seeing all the cars and not have to babysit my car. Dave
Its car show season and the number one Fiero event is coming up in June. Your work is superb, you should drive ithe car but also show it. Those of us who don't go cruising often would like to see your work. Please consider going. This year I convinced Paula to join me and I am sending her over to the Woman's Oasis where Patrice Banks, a noted expert auto mechanic (with red high heels I might add) will be giving the ladies lessons on auto maintenance and repair. Not much new on this end except for the new Rotary Lift in the garage and more work on the ragtop. .
------------------ " THE BLACK PARALYZER" -87GT 3800SC Series III engine, custom ZZP /Frozen Boost Intercooler setup, 3.4" Pulley, Northstar TB, LS1 MAF, 3" Flotech Afterburner Exhaust, Autolite 104's, MSD wires, Custom CAI, 4T65eHD w. custom axles, HP Tuners VCM Suite. "THE COLUSSUS" 87GT - ALL OUT 3.4L Turbocharged engine, Garrett Hybrid Turbo, MSD ign., modified TH125H " ON THE LOOSE WITHOUT THE JUICE "
We stopped working on Fieros last year. I enjoy keeping it as my hobby, but I won't do swaps for the public anymore as it was really causing me to not enjoy my own cars.
Dave
Glad I was able to get one of your last creations , I'm enjoying it so much. You built the car I always wanted. Thank you.
Glad I was able to get one of your last creations , I'm enjoying it so much. You built the car I always wanted. Thank you.
That's awesome, you got a pretty slick little car there CoolBlue
And Dave, your work is well regarded and you've done things other people haven't dared attempt yet. Your work with the HFV6 is ahead of where everyone else is at and is solid confirmation of what can be achieved with enough skill. Thanks for the inspiration over the years!
You have to understand that when you do swaps for the public, doing the swap is the easy part. Everyone tends to throw their opinion into the build thread as to how they would have done it. Then the owner of the car contacts me and asks why we aren't doing it like that. Then my shop would have a busy week and I wasn't able to touch the car that week. That would lead to more questions as to why the swap isn't progressing. The last thing is when you triple the stock horsepower of the engine, you decrease the reliability. The stress of it breaking on the dyno or in the owner's hands was great.
This car has no timeframe for the build...and that makes it so easy. I can walk away and take time off. My blue GT 3800s/c is my daily driver and the car is complete, so this one will be done when it is done. You guys have no idea of how much stress that removes.
Two years ago, my shop would average $10,000 a week in gross sales with two techs (one being myself). Now we are over $30,000 a week with two techs, myself and a service advisor. Moving the shop was the best decision I have made for it.
I do plan to take a weekend soon to spend with this car. I really would like to be driving it in the fall.
We do mods on German cars. Our main business is doing everything the dealership does. We have the ability to program and code...even on the dealer only stuff that require VIN coding and software downloading...including keys, immobilizers...etc. Basically, when another shop tells the owner that they must go to the dealer for the repair, I'm that guy that can do it for a reasonable price. Dave
We do mods on German cars. Our main business is doing everything the dealership does. We have the ability to program and code...even on the dealer only stuff that require VIN coding and software downloading...including keys, immobilizers...etc. Basically, when another shop tells the owner that they must go to the dealer for the repair, I'm that guy that can do it for a reasonable price. Dave
Dave, slightly off topic, but would you recommend the new 4 series for a road warrior/daily driver in terms of reliability and reasonable repair costs? I drive about 50,000 km per year and need good fuel economy, but hate the look of the Passat and the A4 is not available with the 2.0 TDI unfortunately. Would anything bad happen if you run regular gas in a boosted 4 cyl BMW (other than the car being a little slower with the timing retarded by the knock sensor)
Dave, slightly off topic, but would you recommend the new 4 series for a road warrior/daily driver in terms of reliability and reasonable repair costs? I drive about 50,000 km per year and need good fuel economy, but hate the look of the Passat and the A4 is not available with the 2.0 TDI unfortunately. Would anything bad happen if you run regular gas in a boosted 4 cyl BMW (other than the car being a little slower with the timing retarded by the knock sensor)
I love your swaps- great work!
I usually don't see the cars until they are 4 years old. The average year car I work on is 2009 right now....some newer and a decent amount of 1960's and 70's models....all German. I would be happy to discuss the common failing parts on the German cars after they are out of warranty. I see plenty of that. PM me if you have any specific questions. Dave
I took this past weekend to work on the car. I had to be at the shop due to construction upgrades, so I spent my time wisely.
After the long break from the car, I decided to take the computer and wiring and rip it out and start fresh. I was not happy with the current location of where I decided to install the ecu. It just annoyed me of where it was, so I opened up the harness and rerouted it to inside the car. Luckily, it was not a major ordeal. I plan to start spending about 4 hours a week getting this thing running for the early Fall season.
I took this past weekend to work on the car. I had to be at the shop due to construction upgrades, so I spent my time wisely.
After the long break from the car, I decided to take the computer and wiring and rip it out and start fresh. I was not happy with the current location of where I decided to install the ecu. It just annoyed me of where it was, so I opened up the harness and rerouted it to inside the car. Luckily, it was not a major ordeal. I plan to start spending about 4 hours a week getting this thing running for the early Fall season. Dave
Don't worry, it will turn out great, I know this guy that works in that shop, he does great work, You might even know him !! lol
Was the modification to the engine cradle, cutting out that front hump absolutely needed? Or how did you get it mounted to the cradle? I wish I could see more pictures of that. I'm reconsidering this engine/trans combo as an option for my own build as well, but before I do, I'm trying to determine, outside of the trans mounts, how much custom fab I'll end up having to do. My own workshop/workspace isn't all that big, and I have a couple of other personal cars I need to maintain in the space of doing this car too, so I'm trying to figure if this or an LE5 Ecotec would be an easier swap.
Was the modification to the engine cradle, cutting out that front hump absolutely needed? Or how did you get it mounted to the cradle? I wish I could see more pictures of that. I'm reconsidering this engine/trans combo as an option for my own build as well, but before I do, I'm trying to determine, outside of the trans mounts, how much custom fab I'll end up having to do. My own workshop/workspace isn't all that big, and I have a couple of other personal cars I need to maintain in the space of doing this car too, so I'm trying to figure if this or an LE5 Ecotec would be an easier swap.
~Eddie
The hump needed to be removed to clear the a/c compressor and oil filter. Next time the car is on the lift, I will get a few underside pics. There has been significant progress and I will post up about that soon. I started tinkering with a few things and wound up redoing a lot of the swap because I felt it could have been better. The ideal plan is to have it on the road this fall, but if it turns to Spring I am ok with that as well.
I'm in the process of putting an LFX (FWD) into my '87 and I've mated it to an F23 transaxle from a 2001 Cavalier with a 2.4 (Quad4 pattern). The bellhousing needs trimming just under the coolant manifold plus a bit of carving for starter nose clearance of the LFX starter. Some of the bolts line up, others need to be added but the dowels locate properly.
I went with the F23 to avoid the expense and mods needed for the Saab F40 transaxle. I've adapted a Cobalt SS aluminum flywheel (8 bolt) by redrillng the mounting pattern and installing the proper ring gear but there is likely an easier method that already works with the F23. My combo will likely be different than a more mainstream solution so I'll leave that up to the next person. I think the rest of the F23 details have been covered in other threads.
Just wanted to let people know that there's a cheap way to get a 3.6 attached to a manual for the Fiero.
[This message has been edited by mender (edited 02-23-2016).]
I know this is an old thred, and my answer might be posted elseware, but I was wondering if you were willing to share some details about your wheels. They look great. I'm having a hard time finding exact specifications for 18"wheels. Car looks awesome. Of course. .
The are HP Racing wheels. I haven't done much on the car lately. I bought a new Rotary lift to put the car up out of the way while I concentrate on other things. I expect to have it on the road for Spring, but I'm really not on a timeframe by any means. Dave
I know I am zombie threading here. But I am interested to know where this build ended up. I am researching the LLT/ LFX and since this is the same block set up I am thinking a lot of it will be spot on. My plans are to be auto since I am trying to keep the build as basic as possible. My car is already an auto and i plan to get a donor car to keep as much as possible together so that means a auto for the transverse since a manual is not available. Where you able to keep the stock ECU, i know you had it running on it but also said there were a lot of tweaks that needed to be made. Also the last update you had said you ripped all the wiring and ECU back out. I would also love to know what all systems you had to have "turned off" in the ECU to get the car started. It is a beautiful car by the way, I am happy to see the thread on here.
------------------ "HICCUPP" 1988 2.8 GT Ocelot SS exhaust
