Trying to see if there are any people who've already gone through the process of modifying a street legal car in California, and are interested in parting ways with it. Prefer a manual with a 3800 SC but open to most swaps. Thanks.
Edit: The California engine change laws are intended to make sure that, after an engine swap, the new engine/transmission does not put more pollutants into the air than the original engine/transmission
[This message has been edited by Vintage-Nut (edited 08-22-2023).]
Trying to see if there are any people who've already gone through the process of modifying a street legal car in California, and are interested in parting ways with it. Prefer a manual with a 3800 SC but open to most swaps. Thanks.
We're all looking for that in California. A few with manual transmissions have slipped by the referee and are smog legal but I'm betting not recently. I've looked a long time. I even called Chris at West Coast Fiero (since he had an E.O.# for the headers) about building a smog legal one. He tried to discourage me asking why would I want to do that; too many hassles he said. And he does this for a living. I gave up and bought an SRT4 with stage 3 (350 horses +). At smog time, I swap out the computer, injectors, MAP, TIP, and my "race" cat for the original OEM stuff. Afterwards, I do it in reverse. Every two years. Down to about two or three hours.
I still love Fiero's, but the need for speed is great and I live in California.
[This message has been edited by ICouldaBeenAV8 (edited 08-22-2023).]
I appreciate the responses, I knew it was going to be a long shot that someone had everything good to go and wanted to sell. Having said that, I am still interested in a swapped car. I've gone through the California rules, and as long as the swapped in engine/trans was previously California compliant and retains all emissions equipment and is not further modified, it should pass inspection/smog. So if you guys have something like that let me know.
a 3900 v6 with matching 6 speed may be the best option to look for but its extremely rare to find one of those swapped into a fiero. i guess with a stock 4 or 5 speed the 3900 would still work if its from an 06-07 car (wish i would have saved the vin # from my donor car, you could have used the vin# since it was a stick shift car, 06 pontiac G6 GTP)
I appreciate the responses, I knew it was going to be a long shot that someone had everything good to go and wanted to sell. Having said that, I am still interested in a swapped car. I've gone through the California rules, and as long as the swapped in engine/trans was previously California compliant and retains all emissions equipment and is not further modified, it should pass inspection/smog. So if you guys have something like that let me know.
I just had an idea, a wonderfully awful idea: what if someone in a sensible state that doesn't require inspections for old cars was to buy these high performance Fieros and then leased them to us victims of One Party Rule? Hmmmmn. That 'someone' could even be an organization of Fiero Owners set up as an LLC or even a Charity ...
[This message has been edited by Notorio (edited 09-16-2023).]
I have an 88 with a 4.9 mounted with 5 speed (Isuzu) that was intended to be a track car. It has an aluminum flywheel that was custom made by McCleod Racing. Has a Kirk rollbar. I intended to run it with a carb and have the parts… never completed. Could possiibly be registered in AZ in a county that does not require smog test, but you would need to secure an Arizona address. Or just use it for track events. Send me an email for a couple photos.
Edit: The California engine change laws are intended to make sure that, after an engine swap, the new engine/transmission does not put more pollutants into the air than the original engine/transmission
Shouldn't be a problem to have a manual transmission.
"3. The transmission and evaporative systems will be allowed to remain in the recipient vehicle configuration, but must function appropriately:.
Never done one of these but one isn't forced to swap the transmission in wfrom the original drivetrain according to that. One could use the getrag if it mates with an adaptor. After it passes inspection I'm sure no future smog tech would notice if a 6 speed or something else were swapped in if desired.
