Cadillac-powered Pontiac Fieros are fairly easy to find. The Northstar V8 is one of the most popular engine swaps for Pontiac’s much-maligned mid-engined sports car because the cradle mounting system and front-wheel-drive layout that underpinned just about every 1990s Cadillac possible made life easy when it came time to jam the engine up the backside of the Fiero. This is not a Northstar swap. This is much, much better than that. This is a big-block, 500ci Caddy-powered Fiero. Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus, and he doesn’t care one bit about lift-off oversteer.
What is fairly surprising is just how well the 500ci fits in the engine bay. Remember, this thing had heat troubles holding a four-cylinder and at best, got a V6 from the factory. The 500ci Cadillac engine is a lightweight, being only about 50 lbs. heavier than a small-block Chevy, but that’s still a solid jump from stock. The baddest 500ci Caddy stock had 400hp and 550 ft/lbs of torque, and even the weakest smogger version came with 360 ft/lbs, which in a Fiero, will produce some entertaining results. No matter which version is crammed in there, once your foot goes down the fun meter will peg. Or you’ll learn the true definition of fear. Whatever.
At an even $5,000, the car maxes the Rough Start budget, but if it runs, drives, doesn’t catch fire and is licensed, you will have on your hands the world’s angriest doorstop to play with. Think of it as a mini-Ferrari: half the class while hauling twice the ass.
LIKE=WANT=NEED=too far away to deal with
Wow, reverse rotation even. I was wondering what they did about the transmission since it was mounted backwards. Can auto transmission pumps be spun backwards??
The engine and trans rotate the normal direction. The differential is turned upside down with an adapter plate. This reverses the rotation of the axle shafts.
The owner verified this in the youtube comments.
No way this ends badly………go out like Elvis should have
I’m actually a fan on the Fiero, it’s one of GM’s orphans that deserved far more credit that it ever received, but I worry about this build.
Not that a big-block Caddy engine is a bad thing, but the Fiero’s big advantage was sprightly handling and low weight. This kind of kills both of those off. I’d rather a supercharged BOP 3.8 liter V6 in there.
Still, gotta admire a machine with cajones.
This car is just so so wrong… I want it. Badly.