Crazy Idea? Fiero Front End?

74sb83john · Post by **74sb83john** » Sun Jan 18, 2004 7:35 pm

closest thing GM has going to a small sporty car right now is the pontiac solstace, its supposed to go into production next year I hear. Rear drive front engine 4 banger convertable. There were some variances of platform at the north american international auto show under different GM badging including one with a supercharger. I have over 250 pics from the show I jsut need to find a place to host all of some of them.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Feb 26, 2004 7:45 pm

Soo many misconceptions about Fieros -

They started with the front suspension from a chevette AND the front suspension from a Citation. The headlights and mirrors came from the Firebird. Under the plastic skin, it has no resemblance to any other vehicle. The gas tank isn't in the front, it's in the console, between the passengers. It'll never get hit there.

Lotus never had anything to do with the suspension, Pontiac redid the rear suspension slightly to remove bump steer in '88 and I think they changed the front a little too. I've heard the best combo for autocross is an'88 cradle under an earlier car. '88s have vented discs too.

People are putting Quad 4s in Fieros. Also SC3800s, Northstars, and SBCs, which you can change the plugs on quite easily, BTW. I don't think you ever had to partially remove the NARROWER V6 to change plugs. The worst part is leaning over the trunk or sides to get to the front ones.

The performance model for the GT was the Ferrari 308, and they WERE comparable, performance wise.

/soapbox mode

Thanks for listening

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Feb 26, 2004 7:50 pm

Good luck fabbing the mounting points for that! It can be done but you're getting into major chassis mods.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Feb 26, 2004 7:57 pm

3 of the plugs are staring at you. The other 3 are no harder to get to than most FWD V6s.

Stroker 40 horse · Post by **Stroker 40 horse** » Thu Feb 26, 2004 11:26 pm

Anonymous wrote:Soo many misconceptions about Fieros -

They started with the front suspension from a chevette AND the front suspension from a Citation. The headlights and mirrors came from the Firebird. Under the plastic skin, it has no resemblance to any other vehicle. The gas tank isn't in the front, it's in the console, between the passengers. It'll never get hit there.

The FIERO was the first GM vehicle to be made with their CNC "unibody mill" , which made for excellent panel fit, helping GM to compete with the imports.
So, it used both suspensions (either/or) at the same time? Parts from both car lines?

FWIW Izusu fitted Chevette chassis with their engine, a fancier body, let Lotus tune the suspension, and created the Impulse.

People are putting Quad 4s in Fieros. Also SC3800s, Northstars, and SBCs, which you can change the plugs on quite easily, BTW. I don't think you ever had to partially remove the NARROWER V6 to change plugs. The worst part is leaning over the trunk or sides to get to the front ones.

I hear the Northstars fit real good - just minor clearancing on the hood hinges. The plugs can't be as bad to change as my '91 Lumina van - it's purely by feel! I can't even see the rear valve cover.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Feb 27, 2004 6:47 am

Yes, the front suspension of a Fiero came from the Chevette, the rear is from the front of a Citation. It was a "parts bin car".

Northstars have the plugs on top, between the cam towers. You have to remove coils and other stuff to get to them, but they only need changed every 100,000. The starter is in the valley, under the intake, but that shields it from the elements that kill most starters.

Sorry the pic didn't come up. Must be a server access thing.

Good Luck

metropoj · Post by **metropoj** » Mon Mar 01, 2004 12:13 pm

Yes, the Citation is FWD car. Based on how the engine is installed in the Fiero, you can basically chop the front off the citation with 2.8v6 and throw it in the back of the Fiero without changing too much .... it even sits the right way .....

The Fiero should have caught on a lot better than it did, it had some neat features, but plagued by it's Citation / Chevette roots .....

My mechanic is installing a 350 out of a Corvette in one now, working on the F.I. harness. Guy has 25k invested, I probably would have placed my money elsewhere but this thing is pretty cool !

No one took it seriously. I thought they were crap until the last year of the body style which I think looks pretty good. Kind of falls along the same story of the Corvair, product line improved to be an excellent buyable product and then get chopped ....

I don't think the J cars of the 80's helped the Fiero out at all for their image, they were unfortunately all lumped together as trash ...

SportyBug · Post by **SportyBug** » Wed Mar 03, 2004 3:15 pm

But the thing that I am trying to get out of this is HOW to go about getting all that I would need to do this and then how to it up and up it all in the car. But no one has talked about this.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Mar 05, 2004 7:25 am

I don't mean to talk down to you, but if you don't know what this would take, you're getting in over your head. (It would certainly be over mine.) This is major fabrication, your and other lives will depend on it. If you were going to do a custom suspension, why would you start with one based on a Chevette? I like Fieros but suspension isn't one of their strong points.

GL

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Mar 05, 2004 12:58 pm

I have a basic idea and am a welder so make it stay safely together is not a problem but i have never take apart the front suspension from either. The Fiero has struts and the beetle torsion tubes and how to make it all go together properly and go staight is the deal. The Fiero's I have driven I think that they handle much better than most cars out there.

Tugboat · Post by **Tugboat** » Sat Mar 06, 2004 9:04 am

Fiero's don't have struts in the front, only the rear. Chevettes had A-arm front ends. Fieros good handling comes mostly from the weight balance and low CG. On a rough road, where the suspension comes into play, they aren't the best. 88s are better than others. But the spring and shock rates are not likely to be right for another car.

GL

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Mar 30, 2004 4:16 am

your a fucking retard

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Mar 30, 2004 7:48 pm

guest: you spelled "you're" wrong.

there is a project bug with fiero front suspension in a shop near my old house. i didn't get to take a close look at it though. sportybug, don't get discouraged, it won't be that hard as long as you have the tools to do it, plenty of time, and a basic understanding of what you're doing.

roachghia70 · Post by **roachghia70** » Tue Mar 30, 2004 7:50 pm

whoops, that was me above!

geddes66 · Post by **geddes66** » Thu Jun 03, 2004 7:18 am

The reason the Fiero didn't catch on with me was logic.

4 cylinders, that's half a firebird.
2 seats, that's half a firebird.
price should be half a firebird.

YOU WANT HOW MUCH!?

BTW I like "parts bin" cars I had a Fiat X/19 AKA Bertone and I have a Porsche 924. Seems to me though that they all were sort of lazily put together by the engineers and all 3 ended up underpowered in their initial offerings.

I wish all car companies were bolder in how they arrange their parts.

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Crazy Idea? Fiero Front End?

Not VW at all!