1986 Countach Replica

[88.5countach]

Sorry been away from the site a while.  I'm wondering if when the blower is on it is still getting hot from the heater core.  You need that for defog but wondering if you bypass the lines to the blower box if it makes any difference.  Just a thought, the fiero guys may know better.  My thought is to loop the hot out line from the engine to the heater box to the return line from the heater box on the engine.  Then you know for sure there is no heat in the blower box.  But I think you'll need it for the defog.

[Correy7]

I am now just a few repairs away from clearing the British Columbia safety inspection, the remaining to do items are:

1. Front hood electrical latch needs to be re-wired or replaced, does not function atm. Looking like this will be a straightforward fix.

2. Driver and Passenger seats need to be secured, original fiero set was extracted by previous owner and replaced with racing seats....bolted directly to floor pan. Is this common practice? I am contemplating installing seat tracks and brackets for ease in re-positioning. Problem with existing situation is that they are not secure... there is a marginal amount of play when tested.

3. **Not a safety requirement however under progress now, I am replacing the muncie 4spd shift cable, purchased new one from Rodney Dickman and awaiting arrival of the sport shifter Rodney produces to replace the existing shifter which is aesthetically hard on the eyes. 


Inquiry:

1. The door glass on my car is a solid piece with bracket layover to mimic the split window look of OEM (i.e bottom half does not roll down). on top of this, it appears that my cooling system is kaput i.e. AC brings in marginally cooler air. I am looking for ways in which other owners have brought in outside air into the cabin to ensure I do not bake like a lobster. When thru vents are opened they still brings in very warm air, largely due to the fact that they lie right behind the rad in the front compartment... would anyone have ideas as to how best to tackle this issue. Cabin interior and cooling system are stock 86' fiero, I am looking for a relatively easy solution as opposed to an overhaul of the AC system.

As a thought, I am mechanically inclined but still new to this hobby... could clogged air filters be contributing to this issue?

[Correy7]

Fellas,

Great news to report and will update with pictures if interested later this week.

Purchased an 86' Fiero washer fluid reservoir and pump via EBay, installed in front compartment (mounted on subframe assembly), wired off primary harness (thanks to the help of members pointing me in the right direction with diagrams) and plumbed...it may seem small but pretty rewarding to now have a fully functioning wiper assembly!

Next up: shift cable and shifter assembly.

Question: Would anyone have a lead on a shift gate similar to that of the FiEuro product?I know Rodney Dickman offers the improved shifter but am having difficulty finding a gate (for aesthetic purposes only).

[Correy7]

Fellas -

As always appreciate the insight -

Was able to find an 86' Fiero Haynes Service Manual on EBay for next to nothing, great suggestion, I would have never known something of the like existed otherwise.

Lots to work on for a few weeks now, I'll keep this thread up to date as progress is made or challenges come up.

Thank you again!

[76mx]

Sounds like they spliced and lengthened the cables when they lengthened the chassis, and did a poor job of it. $200 will get you two new cables the correct length at Control Cable Inc. 562-949-0455, talk to Greg.

[88.5countach]

TS -

I was able to get the front latch opened finally, it is an electrical latch however the switch under the bumper appears as though it is not functioning, I was however able to circumvent this by running 12v directly to the switch. The question now is do I try and rewire or simply replace with a mechanical latch, the latter seems more practical. I am going to get a test light though to determine wether it is a faulty switch or feed first, this will influence my decision.

Regarding the wiper issue - this is a bigger can of worms then I was initially expecting...

The car does not have a reservoir... the fluid line that runs from the wiper cuts off just under the hood 

So I am starting from scratch on this endeavour, my first thoughts are:

1. Purchase a used reservoir/pump
2. Mount within interior steel frame
3. Figure out how to wire pump....I have looked fiero at wiring schematics and it appears as though the pump is wired to the wiper motor...does anyone have insight or picture / schematic reference for an 86 fiero? Does not seem as though the physical component of adding the reservoir, pump and line will be difficult...the challenge for me will be the electrical end.

Thanks all!
SC

See if you can find a diagram for the shift cables online.  Picking up one of those service manuals is a must, it will tell you step by step, it will always come in handy.  Since one cable went, there is a good chance the other may be at the end of its life, so I would suggest you do both, (your their).  Good thing is you now know how to get at both ends hopefully there is access to any cable mounts there may be between the two ends.  Hopefully others building with Fiero's can help.

[Correy7]

Fellas,

Sincerely appreciate the wiring diagrams and advice - I expect the washer reservoir will be here mid week and will have time to install next weekend hopefully. Will update along the way.

Progress this weekend:

1. Headliner has been repaired, not in necessarily the most aesthetically pleasing sense but it will now clear BC safety as it is not impeding vision. 3M adhesive spray and steel wool did the trick to remove foam residual from prior liner.

Next up:

1. While taking the car on tour in the parkade we lost ability to shift into all forward gears with only reverse working  ...

Initially i believed it to be an issue with the gear shift itself but after disassembly of console itself, this did not appear to be the issue.

I checked the cables through to gear box and low and behold I found the issue, the previous owner had taped a piece of copper tube around cable towards end linkage as I suspect the original broke... with heat when running engine as of recently I believe the tape melted which loosened the band aid repair job... I couldn't believe it.. I had this vehicle inspected by a mechanic in New Brunswick prior to purchase...I would think that this should have been addressed then! Oh well, a few issues will keep me busy I suppose.

Question I'd like to pose to the group:

1. How do I determine wether this is the selector cable or shift cable?
2. Is it possible to replace end component of linkage or does the entire cable need to be stripped out and replaced?
3. If answer to (2) is yes, any insight that can be offered as to proper steps in replacement, linkage seems easy enough but I am sure there are other factors to be aware of.

As always, thank you!!

[diablodoc]

This is the wiring diagram for the Fiero wiper/washer system.

[Correy7]

RT - really appreciate the insight thank you.

I have disconnected the electrical actuator and am in the process of snaking a pull cable through to original hood release switch just under interior dash.

Further progress, I have removed all reminents of previous headliner material and am awaiting receipt of new headliner for mounting.

Also, 86' Fiero washer reservoir and pump are on their way to my door.

Question:

I cannot locate any diagrams as to where and how the hot wire on washer pump connects to washer motor module. Motor and module appear to be stock, would anyone have a diagram or picture reference that would assist me?

Cheers,
SC

[RT]

Correy7...
As for the front trunk latch, it is up to you if you want an electrical switch or mechanical latch but if you go mechanical, I would mount a pull cable inside the car with its wire and housing snaking their way up to the latch.  That way the car has to be open (unlocked) for anyone to use it.
The washers are usually wired up with the wipers because when you activate the washer you want the wiper to make a swipe or two to clean the windshield.  That is why you see it wired up to the wipers.  The reservoir can be almost anything from any car as long as it fits your space.  They commonly use a small motor pump with just a hot wire and a ground wire.  Simple to hook up.  The motor is usually mounted on the plastic reservoir and you just press the hose that goes to the windshield squirters onto the outlet port.

RT

[Correy7]

TS -

I was able to get the front latch opened finally, it is an electrical latch however the switch under the bumper appears as though it is not functioning, I was however able to circumvent this by running 12v directly to the switch. The question now is do I try and rewire or simply replace with a mechanical latch, the latter seems more practical. I am going to get a test light though to determine wether it is a faulty switch or feed first, this will influence my decision.

Regarding the wiper issue - this is a bigger can of worms then I was initially expecting...

The car does not have a reservoir... the fluid line that runs from the wiper cuts off just under the hood 

So I am starting from scratch on this endeavour, my first thoughts are:

1. Purchase a used reservoir/pump
2. Mount within interior steel frame
3. Figure out how to wire pump....I have looked fiero at wiring schematics and it appears as though the pump is wired to the wiper motor...does anyone have insight or picture / schematic reference for an 86 fiero? Does not seem as though the physical component of adding the reservoir, pump and line will be difficult...the challenge for me will be the electrical end.

Thanks all!
SC

[88.5countach]

01 - success! With a little elbow grease, multiple curse words and a few lucky bounces I was able to remove door cards, remove struts and replace with new 4775's that were easy to order at Lordco (same day). The doors function 100% better than before, I am really impressed! Thank you again for the guidance fellas, saved me many $$ along the way!

Not to mention, the car was missing the key for door locks when it arrived here in Vancouver, the seller did not have a copy, lo and behold the original key must have been forgotten in the door during the build as I found it in a pile of dust in door interior  when replacing the strut ..I was pretty happy about that, one last thing that would have needed to been replaced! I.e lock cylinders

Next up: headliner repair, front latch repair and last but not least , washer fluid pump attention.

See picture for outcome of strut replacements!

Front latch is it no latching closed or you can't open it?

For the washer fluid, think its in the front but you can always follow the nozzel line from the wiper area into the compartment and trace it that way. 

TS

[01Lambiero]

Please note the headliner repair videos in my previous post.
01

[Correy7]

Thanks - that was a late night post, appreciate the rotation 

[01Lambiero]

Owww!  My neck!!!!!  Now, how to fix your headliner (if it has just come unglued from the hard board form).  If the foam on the headliner has deteriorated, it should be removed with a wire brush (very messy) before spraying the adhesive on.  Here are a few youtube videos which may be helpful.  Some have removed the entire headliner board form and others have reglued it without removal.  Have fun.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXdS0nBVMZc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DryrSaNm7W4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f91Ht0J45jc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MxxaYgEJ8E