By Ted Berner

GTwildfire

Last Sunday was a day I have looked forward to for some time. After realizing that my Fiero’s original four banger had a previously undetected crankshaft problem, I decided to yank it. I scored an ’86 Fiero GT parts car and stripped it like a chicken leg. The V6 now slated for my ride had some broken exhaust bolts, that and my schedule meant more prep and made me wait. I hate waiting. Read more…

Continue reading "There’s More Than One Way To Pull A Fiero Motor" »

By Katherine Helmetag

Atomicalex

I dropped the powertrain out of the brown car this week. I don’t have room for a hoist inside of the garage, and it’s cold up here in Detroit, so I used the 2×4 method. To do a drop this way, you cut a 2×4 to fit in the fender rails, and attach your chain to it. Of course, you attach the chain to the engine also. You jack the engine and trans from the underside to relieve the stress on the mounts and then remove the bolts. The 2×4 and chain are primarily a safety device, but allow you to guide the engine down without dropping it or having it fall off the jacks. Once you get the engine safely out of the way of anything important, you remove the chain and jacks (one by one) to lower the engine to the ground. What I like about this method is that you can use the 2×4 as a lever to lift and move the engine around in the bay if you have to. It’s not as fancy as a hoist, but it also doesn’t take up much space in the garage. Obligatory standing in the engine bay shot after the jump.

Continue reading "Engine Out!" »

By Jim Brennan

UDMan

I was trying to find “Corvair wheels” for my 24 Hours of LeMons entry when I came across Larry Boardman’s website Classic Wheels, LLC. Along with promoting his business as a certified classic car appraiser and listing his credentials, he also showcases his current crop of collectible iron. One car in particular, the Torvair, has to be the mother of all mongrels.

This particular car piqued my interest as it was basically a Corvair coupe with an Oldsmobile Toronado drivetrain tucked under the stylish body in a mid-engined format. There were many Corvair V-8 conversions, but marrying the two most innovative GM creations of the sixties was a stroke of genius. So, after looking at this wonderful beast on his site, I contacted Larry to find out what the Torvair is all about.

And what do you know, it’s up for sale! Read more at Automotive Traveler.

Continue reading "A Toronado-powered Corvair: Introducting the Torvair" »

By John Coyle

Deputy Editor

Talk about insane! This Jeep is pushing 716HP at the wheels, which seems like more than enough to make it turn back flips. There isn’t any detail on the actual install in the clips StreetFire member badwrangler has posted, and the German site referenced doesn’t work. But from what I can see in this video, it looks like all the transplant work is uber-clean. Now, I don’t want to sound like a heretic, but it seems like a twin-turbo Viper motor could provide a little too much power for this platform. I mean, seriously, isn’t this like attaching a rocket engine to a toaster? Watch the way the tires smoke up on the first run, and don’t miss this clip of a launch from 90KM/H.