Cradle - Lambo Lounge

Chassis - Fiero - Cradle

These are photos and comments from other builders about there installation methods.

Chassis Cradle Evaluation - writen by Endre (Andy) Bujtas

Endre (Andy) Bujtas

To all those that are modifying the stock Fiero engine cradle to mount a V8 longitudinally, I recommend that an additional bracket be welded to the outside of the cradle near the forward chassis mount. The reason is that I don't trust the stock Fiero cradle mount to withstand the torque of a V8 that is mounted longitudinally. The stock Fiero mount is merely spot-welded to the chassis tub. The bracket may be ok for transverse mounted engines since the bracket may only see an up/down load on it, but a longitudinal engine torques from side-to-side causing a twisting load on the mount.

To play it safe, I would add a removable verticle bar on each side to hold the cradle in place. A more sophisticated version of this bar would be a 1 inch round steel tube with L/R rod end nuts welded on each side so that the bar can be tightened and locked in place after the cradle has been mounted. For guys with a tubular subframe, try attaching the bar to a horizontal member. For stretched Fieros, perhaps the lower stretch plate will do.

Gary Robertson

I have a great schematic I used to stretch my Fiero engine cradle without cutting it. I have the plans drawn out and illustrated below.

Cradle Extension
From a Fiero to a Lambo

Procedures (follow exact!)

Cut a piece of 2" x 3" x 1/8" steel to 48 3/8"
Cut four pieces of 3" x 3" x ¼" angle, 3" long each.
Follow schematic and drill a ½" hole in each of the four pieces you cut (above) exactly ¾" down and 1 ½" from edge (which is the center).
Space out your 4-pieces of angle, and be sure you have exactly 35 ¾", measured from inside of your two inner pieces. At this point, this should give you a small ¼" area on each end, to weld down your angle. Weld all sides of the angle.
Fabricate and weld on end caps.
Bolt the new piece (angled pieces pointing down) to the Fiero cradle.
Level the cradle. You should have a 1"-2" gap in-between the Fiero frame and the new cradle extension to the frame (level)

If you have any questions email me gary.robertson@sbcglobal.net

Fiero Engine Cradle (New Location)

I fabricated a new piece to tie-in the engine cradle to its' new location (11" further back).

I think this will prove to be much stronger than cutting and extending the factory cradle.

This proves to be extremely easy to do and very rigid! This is a top view.

Close-Up of New Cradle Location

Here is a close-up of the drivers-side, showing the new cradle location and how I fabricated the new cross-member and bracketry.

Very simply to do, clean looking (especially when painted) and hopefully much stronger than cutting and extending the factory cradle.

Although my information comes from various builders and sources, if you want any information contact me. The photographs used on this site are used with permission, if you want to use any, contact them through the various links on this site. I did and you can see the results!