batbuilder's LP640 called "No Mercie"

[batbuilder]

Was considering West Coast to do the engine upgrade but they said it would take two months and i would have to send over an engine. The places that I called seem to have over priced used engines. $1600- $2200 dollars for engines with 125k to 180k miles on it. I found better deals on Craigslist.
I did order the conversion kit from WCF for about $1100. IT included motor and transmission mounts, upgraded fuel pump, used rebalanced flywheel, new clutch and pressure plates. Seems like its a start when I get the engine back.

[batbuilder]

Chris offered to let me drive a Fiero with a 3800 supercharged and auto transmission. This is what sold me on using that engine. Low end torque is immediate on a supercharger verses a turbo system that has turbo lag due to the turbo spinning up from the engines exhaust. Acceleration was immediate on the supercharger since it is tied into the front belt system. I felt the power would be more direct with a manual verses that automatic transmission.

[batbuilder]

Chris also had a 3800 but with an automatic transmission adapted to a Fiero skid

[batbuilder]

Well after we made the decision to go with the 3800 engine I felt we should drive down and meet Chris over at West Coast Fiero. I had never really seen a Fiero cradle out of the car and there it was right in his shops front yard.

[batbuilder]

hey ShultzA, yeah I had read where getrag a german company had designed the tranny but they were actually built by Muncie. Getrag is fun to pronounce but if Muncie really built it, like I read, then I like to give the credit to them. I read on V-8 archies site those tranny will take up to 500 hp. But other people I've talked to say no. I have wanted to rebuild my tranny so that I could improve it. Also wondering about using 13 inch wide rims and tires if that much traction area would make it easier to break once I upgrade the engine.

[batbuilder]

I remember I accidentally called Rodney Dickman about a place to rebuild my getrag/Muncie transmission. I guess it was his home number and that information was years old. i apologized profusely but he was a pretty nice guy about it and said he did not have a shop that was rebuilding those 5 speeds any more. A local shop that came recommended to me gave me a quote of $1400 to rebuild my tranny. I told him does anyone really rebuild a manual tranny for that kinda money. It seemed crazy high to me and so I'm still looking.

[No Bull]

Many car guys have said that the overall weight from the "over built" frame on the Fiero is one of the things that killed it.  I know that in the 80's it was one of the safest cars on the road which people didn't believe given it's small size.  To this day it's one of the few production cars built that you can remove every body panel and still drive it around with no effect on structural strength which is all the more reason to use them as donors for our replicas.  Rumor has it that GM intentionally overbuilt the frame to accommodate the plastic body work which was revolutionary at the time.  Also because of previous small car experiences, they knew there would be concerns and eventual rumors about collision protection in such a small car.

Chris

[jb1]

I'm restoring a WWII Signal Corps generator that has been passed down through the family. I can only imagine the things its seen.

Is the Muncie 5 speed from a fiero or from a front engine car? Just wondering how your designing the drive train

 yes it is a  front wheel drive trans  more commonly  referred to as  Getrag.. several newer cars used them as well,  but  to use from the  newer cars  you  have to have to use a   shifter  adapter  I believe is available from Rodney Dickman.

[batbuilder]

Another thing I really enjoy is to see how much stuff I can strip off the Fiero and still drive it around. When you get that added wieght off it makes a big difference especially those doors. They feel like they weigh a couple hundred pounds each. So I'm driving the most stripped down Fiero you can imagine on the freeway and a California Highway Patrol passed me doing about 80mph. He hits his brakes and lets me catch up to him. He looks my car over and as I wave to him he just shakes his head and takes off again. I think the reason I don't get pulled over a lot is my age. I'm 54 years old but young at heart. I remember as a kid I use to get pulled over a lot. But I think its an age thing now. Here's the car right befor my business partner Harold did a burnout. It seems like the Fiero has posi traction with both tires burning out....
Thanks for looking

[SchulzeA]

I'm restoring a WWII Signal Corps generator that has been passed down through the family. I can only imagine the things its seen.

Is the Muncie 5 speed from a fiero or from a front engine car? Just wondering how your designing the drive train

[batbuilder]

It was fun driving this car around it had a lot of pep. But in California where everyones car represents your status in life you get a lot of stares from people. I think they think look at that poor guy hes got to drive that POS around. It crackes me up..... So I like to mess with people. When they look at my junk yard car and then at me I like to ask. Hey do you know where the nearest pick-n- pull is? Man I love these little Fieros. But true to form when I went to Costco to fill up the gas tank with high octane gas it wouldn't start. So I asked the gas station attendant and a guy in a Lexus if they could give me a push start and sure enough it started right up...

[batbuilder]

So Fiero number two we like to call Redwood car cause it was found in Redwood city is being stretched and fitted with a roadster body. We did get it smogged, registered and new license plates. In California its a $280 fine not to have a front license plate. Makes it hard for traffic cameras to identify your car for the fine and the fine not having one is just a money thing. State of California has no money. This is our old POS trailer we like to use to snatch donors. We put a nice winch on it from Harbor Frieght and that helps a lot on the big cars.

[batbuilder]

Thanks again for introducing me to the world of resizing. here is a photo of my second Fiero we ended up finding on Craigslist. It was at a local tow yard and was siezed from the original owner. apparently he was caught driving this 1988 Formula with the 2.8 v-6 with the Muncie 5 speed. The police arrested him cause it wasn't his first time. Car was towed and impounded fees totalled $2800. So the car was sold to us for $1000. No haggling, no joking, no smiling. These guys at the tow yard lacked......personality. I knew it was a good one when I saw the RANGER sticker in the window. (military Ranger). The car runs and drives perfectly. Only flaw was the key had to be jiggled a lot to get it to turn. Replaced the tumbler and still no improvement. Made me think I'd like a push button engine start.

[batbuilder]

Thanks usmc-butler, I am always amazed with the stories that a lot of veterans and active duty have shared with me. Even though its awkward at first I go up and thant them for their service. My dad was old school Marine very similar to clint eastwoods character in Grand Torino. He was so patriotic that as a kid I was embarrassed. Had flags on his mirrors of his truck, always wore Marine Corps hat and even had the Marine Corp emblem air brushed on the front of his 5th wheel. As I've grown older I've learned to appreciate him for the man he was instead of the just my dad.
Once I figure out my picture loading problem you'll probably think who is this crazy picture loading dude. But I think of this build as a diary and like to remember all the people who have helped me along the way.

[usmc_butler]

Batman cant wait so see some pictures . I enjoy the stories in your build, so many people don't tell stories about acquiring parts and who they have helped along the way, makes for reading a build thread, little more interesting ...

Sorry to hear about the loss of you father. His dedication to our country serving in the military along with many others will "Not Be Forgotten".

Semper Fi to you and your father and thank you for your service! OORAH!