Jalapeno car

The lift kit can be installed by someone familiar with the Fiero in one day, including the welding. Both the cradle and front crossmember must be lowered to install the kit. Other suspension modifications can be made, but these should be evaluated with the lift kit in place to ensure there are no interference problems.

Our vehicle has a stock 2.8L V-6 with a K&N filter in the stock can and still running the box, drawing air from the wheel well.The car has the 5-speed Getrag transmission and 117,000 miles on the engine. Acceleration is still good and I can break the tires loose out of the hole if I get on it. A 3.4L pushrod replacement would be a good choice for this vehicle with the extra 30 foot-pounds of torque at the low end. In city driving, it is difficult to get out of fourth gear because of the larger tires. On the freeway, a downshift to fourth is advisable for quick acceleration even at 65mph. I generally get about 23 miles per gallon in combination city/freeway driving, with a fairly heavy foot.

All required new hardware is included (bolts and nuts). The lift kit is designed to retain the stock geometry of the suspension and maintains the original working angle limits for the constant velocity joints on the rear axles. In order to have sufficient clearance for the lift components in the rear, we used 17 X 9 wheels with an effective backspace of 4 inches (our wheels actually have a 5 inch backspace, but are a 5 on 4-1/2 inch pattern, so we made 1 inch thick wheel adaptors to convert to the 5 on 100mm pattern and 4 inch backspace). For aesthetic purposes we used the same wheels in the front with the same backspace. This brings the tires flush with the exterior of the body. We then mounted P255/55R17 tires (28 inch diameter). This gives a speed increase of approximately 16% overall. This tire/wheel combination with the lift kit will allow full suspension travel and lock-to-lock steering with only minor interference (we had to trim a half-inch here and there on the chassis in the front).

The cradle lift is 2-1/2 inches and uses solid aluminum donuts at the rear mounting points and steel weldments at the front. The struts are extended on the lower mount by welding on the supplied parts. An extension for the dogbone mount is also included. Coolant hoses need to be modified slightly, but all wiring and brake lines can be used as is with minor relocation of mounting points.

The front lift is 2 inches and is accomplished with aluminum and steel spacers for the crossmember and all related suspension components. The steering shaft is also extended by cutting a solid section of the shaft and welding in a (supplied) spacer. This retains all of the built-in safety features of the shaft, and only slightly changes the working angle on the universal joints. These are low velocity joints and still well within their operating range.

The lift kit for the Jalapeno conversion of the Pontiac Fiero performs its function by spacering the front crossmember and the engine cradle from the chassis.

Simple chassis modifications are required. Basically cut off the front 12" of the Fiero and trim the wall in front of the spare tire. After cutting, file any burrs off and spray with black primer and you?re onto installing the body. The new front bumper reinforces the trimmed chassis. The radiator is vertical and reuses the stock mounting brackets.

The PISA Jalape?o is the first Fiero-based off road kit. It was prototyped and engineered by Arizona Prototype with the highest quality parts for a simple and quick fit. All parts have returns, mount firmly, and are designed for easy installation. It takes approximately 200 hours to install the kit.

Prices
Fiberglass Kit with Front Hinge: $2,750