Dave Jones's  IFG VT Kit 

DJISM@hotmail.com


I have been working on my IFG VT kit for two years now. I am in the final stage now and check your web site to see your progress. I put in a Chevy 350 crate motor and connected it to a Porsche 911 5 speed transaxle. I found the same problems you have identified, suspension, cooling, and waiting on IFG. They are always helpful, but I had to wait 18 months for a windshield. I thought I read where you or someone else put in a power steering unit. Can you tell me what power steering rack would fit in my 84 Fiero donor? Let me know if you have any questions about my kit. I had to redo most of the work on the car several times to get it right. It has been a fun challenge. I can't wait to get it finished.
Dave Jones
Newburgh, IN

Sorry I did not get back with you sooner. I have been out of town enjoying the holidays. Thanks for the information about the power steering unit. It sounds
like John got it to work right, but not without the usual problems associated with retrofits.

To answer your questions, I got a radiator built by Griffen with special angled inlet and outlet so I could mount the radiator in the front. I think it is a 19" x 24". Summit has them without the angled inlets for much less than what I paid for the special. I ran 2" and 2-1/4" pipe from the engine to the front radiator
to give me volume. I also removed the thermostat to improve the flow. I have not had the car on the road much since it is not licensed so I may have to make a few more changes. So far the concept appears to work good. I have the A/C radiator mounted in front of the engine radiator with a scoop underneath for
protection and to direct the air through the fins.
I did not have a problem with the door connections at the hinge. I just tightened the bolts on the hinge plate. I did have to tack weld the hinge pins. They would work out. The biggest problem I had with the doors was poor fit. They were warped and I have to shim, grind, and fill to get them to fit right. I spent months just getting the doors to fit properly. Of course after you put on the rubber trim the set up changes. I went with a better than IFG supplied rubber trim so I have to work on one door some more. 

I did not have to use the counter weight in the doors because I mounted the air springs in a different way. I wanted to have electric windows so I had to mount the springs to one side and low. This does not give much lifting force to the door until it is started up. I have to pull the door up a few inches to get it started up by itself. It works out good. After I put in the speakers I will have to see how it works. I think I will have plenty of force even adding the speakers.

I have attached pictures. Some were taken with a flash and appear too bright. 

That is fine. I should of sent you an overall picture. I kind of hate to advertise for IFG because of some of the problems I have had with them. They may be no worse than any of the other kit suppliers. I have just been disappointed with all the extra work involved that I have not expected to do. 

I am frustrated because the second windshield I waited 18 months to get is cracked and IFG wants $600 for a new one. OK, I'm off my soap box. 

I did get door lock solenoids with the kit and I mounted them directly below the door latch. I made a pin to lock the latch from inside and prevent it from opening when the pin was up. I have not tied the latch to the internal door handle, but I plan on using a cable and spring. The challenge is to clear the window with the opening mechanisms. I got a electric window kit from (I can't remember now) and fit it in the bottom of the door. It consists of a motor and track. I had to cut off the excess length and bend the track on a radius to get the glass to move correctly. Due to the clearances the window will only open 8" or so. Of course the side windows from IFG are crappy. They have air bubbles in them and the edges are rough. The window will have to go in front of the air spring and clear when the door opens. I bought window channel from JC Whitney and plan on mounting it to the outside of the door in the recess. There is no way to attach it so I will probably have to put some type of plate on the outside the full length of the door to hold the window channel in place. I think it will come together if time and patience. Look and the one picture inside the door and you will see a flat plate near the end of the air spring and a narrow piece of steel sticking up. I will attach the window mechanism to the plate and top of the guide to the narrow steel piece for stability. I am not sure how much
help I have been, but I not gotten everything mounted yet. I will send you pictures when I get more of the door and windows into place. You appear to working on your car at a more rapid pace than I have been able to. My goal is to at least get the car licensed by the end of February so I can take it out on the road, at least legally. Those late night runs through the neighborhood are risky.
Talk to you later

I got my power steering put on after your sent me the information from John Bell. It saved me time on searching for a rack that steered from the front of the axle. I never thought about it, but most cars steer from behind the front axle. The T1000 or Chevette (one I got) works best. I only had to add an extension on one side since the other shaft was the correct length. I had the biggest problem finding fittings and hoses to get it connected. I noticed your comments about the Chevy dealer having parts. Are you aware of "The Fiero Store" online? They may not be the cheapest, but have almost
everything for the Fiero and ship quickly. I believe the address is "fierostore.com". I wish I had thought of using the NorthStar. It would of been a better fit than my long 350. Maybe not, I would of really been frustrated fooling with the computer and injector controls. I was just excited my engine started and it doesn't have fuel injection or a computer.

I am curious to see how your rear suspension works out. I had bad twist with the rear struts. When I applied power the rear wheels would toe inwards from the torque. I have added braces to the top mounting holes of the struts, but it makes for a stiff ride. I did place poly bushings in the lower swing arms. 

Have you worked on your doors anymore? Alignment and fit was a big problem. My seemed to be warped. When you get to working on your headlights I found it better to scrape the Fiero tilt motors and go with linear actuators. The ones I have are from Warner Electric, 12VDC, and have a 4" stroke. They have built in stroke limit switches and worked out well. 

Dave
 
 
I finally got around to taking more picture of my project car. I check your web site occasionally to see how you are doing. I was surprised to see you were able to put seat tracks under your seats. I tried the lowest profile I could find but it kept placing the seats too high. I settled on fixed seat locations. Your car looks goods. I see you are confident enough to go with black paint. 

I am sorry to hear about your son's accident. I used your pictures as a scare tactic for my boys. They  like to shoot firearms, but I am extremely careful with them and they now know what can happen.

I hope you can post these pictures for me. As you see I am not finished. Getting the glass in the door and functional will be a challenge. I will have to find a way to attach a track for the glass. I settled with a coated acrylic windshield. I have been working on stiffening the rear suspension and getting more of the angle out of the axles by moving the engine closer to the firewall. In fact it is sticking through the firewall. I added a gas tank so I can drive further. The 8 gallon stock Fiero tank didn't get me very far.