Introduction of self by newbie

[New to the wedge]

  Having been a car nut since I was a kid and having returned to the fold of GM rear Wheel drives after a number of unpleasant experiences with other forms and makes/models, I have been lurking on several lists mostly refering to B's (Caprice etc.), D's (Cadillac RWD with a preference for '94 to '96) , those with the LT1 whether OBD I  or OBD II .
  One day, not that long ago, I was leafing through a copy of the then current AutoTrader and saw an advert for an  Black '87 Fiero GT / V-6 / 5 speed / Grey interior. If mileage is to be believed, it shows a tad over 270K clicks and I am  the 5th or 6th owner.
I had been eyeing this 2 seater example for some time with the objective of owning one someday.  With the lustful enthusiasm of a kid who must have THIS toy RIGHT NOW, I arranged to take a look and broke my first rule : I inspected  (?) after dark.
  There were several aftermarket options in addition to the factory SPIDs:
      > Black & Red Momo Steering wheel ,
      > wheels , TSW split 5 spoke design ,16", painted silver.  Looks like a knock off of a wheel used in the Ferrari F-40 or F-50, all attempts at research indicate no longer in production.
      > tires , BEYOND bad
      > short shift stick , snick - snick
      > seatcovers , beyond redemption. To-do list includes re-upholstery, yet I fear the underpinning cushions are toast. Anybody tried to carve varying densities of bonded blocks of foam with the electric carver that's used to cut up the seasonal bird at festive mealtimes ?
      > fire extinguisher (oh ye of little faith) seems to be too small to be more      than decor,
      > Front  (where else ?) Bra by LeBra
      > MSD Coil ,
      > Hypertech Chip ,
      > freeflow air intake  (K&N ish) ,
      > a growly exhaust note (that maybe due to Cat Delete) (yet to be                                  confirmed) . Not at all unpleasant; Less rumbly with windows and sunroof closed (could this be due to excellence of engineering in the noise suppression dept.?)
       
   It was unceremoniously put away for the winter.

   Now the fun begins.

   Curb Rash on front wheels (didn't scare me) should have led me to look more closely for the bent wheel that has turned up. Presently out to be straightened. If this doesn't work to my satisfaction, I'll be on the hunt for 4 matching alternatives , of an inexpensive variety. Saw in this forum that there is a very knowledgable gentleman with a set of cast 15 in. copy of something that Ferrari might have used on a 308(?). I may be a prime candidate if they are still available.

   Guages are of questionable accuracy, they were re-faced (?) white at some point in the past , blue backlighting insufficient and they are not what I would have preffered.

    Dasboard has some plastic coating face to be repaired here and there, long term (dream) is to replace with a design better suited to my height (6'2.75")

    IF I can salvage the carpet and mats I will do so, if not, more expense.

    Needs sun visors. I don't think the remaining passenger side would match anything. Also need interior sun cover to factory glass sun / moon roof .

    Factory A/C doesn't. Has anyone done an R-134 conversion that performed ?

    There was some mention that the emerg. brake doesn't as a consequence of a changeover to Grand-Am front calipers (?) thereby negating the function.  Is this possible ? I would make a fresh technically updated brake system a priority.
It would go along with my frequent dream of putting in an LT1 of modest tune at some point in the future.

     The paint is desperately in need of attention. The clear coat has turned opaque around the areas from which it appears to have left completely. Since the outer shell is mostly NOT biodegradeable this doesn't concern me. If all goes well  I'll be taking it for a dip in Krown before too long.

    Anyhow as you can guess by now I bought it and as long as I'm really through with my mid-life crisis, I'll die with it.

     It also occured to me that I should have a knowledgable enthusiast take a look at all areas that are prone to corrosion damage with a view to uncovering if any exists . Any volunteers ? I'm not looking for a free lunch,  just to make a stranger into a new friend.

      Well that's me and my project . BTW I live in Ottawa and would appreciate meeting you one and all.

       Sorry for the length of the post but I've never develloped the brevity and wit my sister wished I had.   

[aaron88]

Welcome.

If you come to a meeting you will meet several of us.  We have one far from here this weekend (that I will not be able to attend) and one every month plus a couple in the summer.  I have too many things to say about your purchase to get it out in this post so it’ll have to wait for a meeting, but from what I read, rust withstanding, your issues can be resolved fairly easily, but with much labour.

Aaron

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[New to the wedge]

Thanx Aaron.
I'll look at the meeting schedule and re-arrange things to be there.
Your comments are welcomed and reassuring. Labour and readily available parts and accessories is precisely why I picked this marque and model.

[2ML67]

You are welcome to attend the meeting at my place and if you are interested I have quite the stock of spare parts. Dan

[dguy]

Guages are of questionable accuracy

This is normal for Fiero instruments.  Don't trust the numbers, but use them to establish what a normal reading is, and start troubleshooting when the readings become abnormal.

Also need interior sun cover to factory glass sun / moon roof .

AFAIK there is no such thing, at least not OEM.  Once in a while a hard-to-find, GM-issued sunroof bag pops up on eBay, but that's about it.

Factory A/C doesn't. Has anyone done an R-134 conversion that performed ?

Currently in progress on mine; waiting on a o-ring kit at the moment before I can start re-assembly and get a shop to recharge it.  To make a long story short, it barely worked when I purchased the car, but a leaky low-side service port eventually hissed away all but about 4psi of whatever refridgerant was in there.  Upon gutting it the system appears to be relatively clean, so I'm running a gamble & only replacing the seals & the receiver/dryer.  We'll see...

There was some mention that the emerg. brake doesn't as a consequence of a changeover to Grand-Am front calipers (?) thereby negating the function.  Is this possible ?

Yes--Grand Am front calipers on the rear are a semi-common "upgrade".  Unfortunately the car won't pass a safety without a functioning e-brake however.

Well that's me and my project . BTW I live in Ottawa and would appreciate meeting you one and all.

So would we!  As aaron88 mentioned, there's an informal get-together coming up this Saturday.  Check this thread for details.

Sorry for the length of the post but I've never develloped the brevity and wit my sister wished I had.   

You'll get along just fine with FieroBUZZ then.   

[aaron88]

Also need interior sun cover to factory glass sun / moon roof .

AFAIK there is no such thing, at least not OEM.  Once in a while a hard-to-find, GM-issued sunroof bag pops up on eBay, but that's about it.

These aren't very common, but I have one on my car.  Don't know if it was an option or not.  Recently brought it out of storage to help keep the sun out of my interior.


Aaron

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[2ML67]

I have found a few of those sun roof shield like things in wrecks, still have one in the back shed as I didn't like the way it looked or didn't stay properly in place. Dan

[FieroBUZZ]

Welcome!!!!!   

Gary

[FieroBUZZ]

Hey, that was pretty brief.  This wouldn't be the car by chance?

[aaron88]

I remember that car, and now that you mention it, it dose soud like it could be.

[New to the wedge]

Sure looks like it could be FieroBuzz.
How old is that shot ?
Any tales to tell, anyone ?

What do you remember Aaron88 ?
I'm fully prepared for bad news.
If anyone thinks they should / shouldn't hold back, don't be shy.
I'm friendly, broad shouldered and it takes a lot to get me going.

Warmly,
New to the wedge

[Joe Fieroshop]

Welcome newbie.

It's nice to see people still have an interst in the Fiero, i don't live anywhere neer Ottawa but hope that one day we can meet, maybe at a Fiero car show.

Thanks

[Kevin]

That is a pic of Lee Laviolette's Fiero from our first meeting way back when. He sold it two or so years ago to buy a house if I heard correctly. Welcome to the funny farm.  Kevin

[FieroBUZZ]

That was the only time I think I saw it out.  BTW, that may be one of only a handful of pictures of me in existence.  I'm the gent near the passenger door with the orangy-tan t-shirt and the gazelle-like figure.  I've gotten fat since then.   

NttW (New to the Wedge) (we may have to start calling you Newt):

I can probably scare up a decent set of seats (maybe not both tracks).  The fabric may have some wear or cigarette burns, but the innards are good.  I'm making a set of speaker seats by cannibalizing a few I have here.  Skins are not too hard to source cheaply (if you don't need perfection).

The 5 star wheels are now in the care of 2ML67 (Dan) so if you come to Belleville this weekend you can see them.

Other cars will give up their visors, some with mirrors and vanity lights.  Personally, I tossed mine.  I figured they hindered vision at traffic lights more than they helped.  I have a dark tinted strip at the top of the windshield, which I like as it dulls the glare but you can still see up higher.

Carpets usually respond to a good cleaning, unless badly frayed.  They are easy to find.  If you want a different colour you can get aftermarket.  The carpet, rubber and sound deadner always seem wet and weigh a ton.  I threw them away too.

What area of town are you in?  I'm sure someone would enjoy a little jaunt to look at another old Fiero. 

In any case someone always seems to know how or where to get something done or found.  They're a good bunch but tend to pick on the gentle, simple people with broken cars.   

Gary

[2ML67]

If memory serves me out in one of my sheds is a pretty much complete grey interior out of an 85. The spare dash is in mint condition as well as all the inside panels. I have a spare set of grey seats with mint tops but both bottoms have a small hole in them. Will check but pretty sure both carpets are ok as well. If you like you are welcome to come and look. Dan