So! Been in Afghanistan for the last year. I thank God every day for coming home and I thank my fallen brothers every day for their sacrifices.

So about halfway through the deployment my place got knocked over. Everything of value stolen from my house, and my Fiero MIA.

Got a certified note few days back saying it had been found, abandoned and with stolen plates, about 100 miles north of Ft Lewis. Impound fees at 4k o.O

Talked to the manager today, he said he wasn't going to hammer me as I had just returned from overseas. Said if I didn't want the vehicle anymore they would just auction it and he would write off any leftover fees. He said if I did want it, they would knock all the storage fees off of it and only charge me the base impound fee to get it back.

So! I'm renting a U-haul truck and car tower and I'm heading up there tomorrow to pick it up. He said the vehicle is undamaged, and that he will have his locksmith cut me a car key.

Its my first fastback GT Fiero, fourth Fiero total. I wanted to send it to Archie for a welcome home transplant, and I was pretty broken hearted when I got back and is wasn't here. Almost more so than all my **** being missing.


BUT! I'm going to pick it up, and I'm real excited. I allegedly get 24 months before next rotation (which most likely translates into 1 year) so I look forward to doing widebody work after the transplant.

Its good to be back, both in America and on Pennocks.


-Sam

Glad to hear you made it back! Wish it could have been a bit happier home coming, but at least they left the Fiero intact. Sucks is happened to you, one of the reasons I left Milwaukee, my stuff kept getting stolen. Wish people could just leave stuff alone. Anyways, welcome back and thanks for your service!

Welcome back, I'm glad you had a safe tour. I hope the impound lot doesn't screw you over with fees. I guess I find it strange that a stolen car would get hit for storage fees once it was recovered but just sat there in the lot without trying to locate the owner.

At least if the impound lot would auction the car off, a Fiero shouldn't draw much of a bid. He'd take a loss no matter what.

[This message has been edited by Old Lar (edited 08-10-2010).]

Welcome back! Thank you for your service!

Welcome Home!
Thanks for serving. . . and I really hope you don't have to go back there!
Sorry to hear about your stuff being stolen, hope you get that returned...
There is just something so charismatic about a Fiero that losing one can be tough,
so it's really good to hear that you got that back!

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Gold '87 GT, Black '87 GT, Black '88 Mera, 64 Stingray coupe, '01 Corvette coupe, '03 Corvette coupe & caretaker of son's Yellow '87 GT, & Other son's Red '86 GT,
General tinkerer and doer of mechanical deeds

Welcome home, and thank you for your service! It's because of heros like you that the rest of us get to sit around and tinker on old cars!

Tony

Glad you are home and enroute to getting your car back!

My family thanks you from the bottom of our hearts for serving our country. My kids have a chance of growing up in a free country because of your commitment, and that means a great deal to me.

Thanks again, glad your car is safe, and we'd better see a build thread..

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Currently in the middle of my 88 + 3800NA swap

Hey CommanderKeen, I'm in Fort Lauderdale, so I can't really help you. But... if you think you might be worried about your car getting stolen again, maybe someone on Pennock's near you would be willing to store the car for you? I know that if you lived down here, I'd be MORE THAN HAPPY to hold the car for you. It's the LEAST I can do.

If there's anyone here that would mind giving up a spot on their driveway or somewhere on their property to let him leave his car there when he gets re-deployed... please speak up...

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Todd,
2008 Jeep Patriot Limited 4x2
2002 Ford Explorer Sport 2dr 4x2
2002 Ford Crown Victoria LX
1987 Pontiac Fiero SE / V6
1973 Volkswagen Type-2 Transporter

Welcome back to the states! I know what ya mean about being glad to be back. Man, what a terrible homecoming. I've been blessed that everytime I've returned from a deployment, everything has been just as I left it. I hope you don't have to deal with any more rough homecomings. Good luck on the build, and post some pics of progress!

yeah up north here we are all alot more, how do i say, apt to shoot someone that tries to break into our homes and alot of thugs from Milwaukee have tried and gotten sprayed with lead.

welcome back to the states and congrats on getting your Fiero back unmolested. however CHECK EVERYTHING before you get pulled over lol. Chances are they had something on them and it might have fallen under the seat or into the seat and only a dog will find that certain something!

Yes its happend before, just not to me lol

First thanks for all the support, here in Washington State its sometimes easy to forget that people care.

Updates - Damnit. This thing is beat to pieces. Plus side is I talked them down to 400 bucks! Down sides include, original honeycomb wheels are gone, replaced with three dirty beater "gangster" wheels and the spare. Three 18 inch wheels and a donut. The wheels dont really fit with the tires the were most likely stolen along with, and the front two have seized completely, dont know why yet. Body scrapes, burns, and cracks all around head to toe. The interior (which looked like damn new when I bought it) is torn, soiled and grungy. The plates were stolen off of someone ELSES fiero apparently. Oh and the gt windows and tail lights covers are all broken or missing.

This makes me very sad, I bought this from a Korean War veteran, he bought it new in 86 and used it as a sunday driver for he and his wife. The car had WAY low miles, and the interior looked immaculate. Its a sad thing that has happened to this car.

quote Originally posted by CommanderKeen:I look forward to doing widebody work after the transplant. Its good to be back, both in America and on Pennocks. -Sam

Hey, I heard that-my ears just perked up.

WELCOME BACK.

Sorry to hear about your car. Cars can be fixed. You cannot. I'm really glad you made it back in one piece and I want you to know that there are people that are very THANKFUL you are serving our country. It means a lot. I know my little girls are safe because of people like you and your brothers.

THANK YOU!

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Paul

My IMSA Build: http://www.cardomain.com/ride/789315
HHP Adjustable Sway Bars: https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum4/HTML/036556.html

CommanderKeen, The car got here today.

We'll go over it tomorrow.

Archie

From one soldier to another, welcome back, CommanderKeen. I am saddened to hear about your Fiero being stolen while you were gone, it makes me sick to my stomach that yours was stolen while you were protecting those a$$holes' freedoms. They deserve to be beaten by their own detached appendages. Hopefully you can breathe life back into your old girl, and make her even better than what once was.

Just curious - did you have written somewhere how many miles were on it when you left? Wondering how many have been "used".

quote Originally posted by tonycampbell86gt: Welcome home, and thank you for your service! It's because of heros like you that the rest of us get to sit around and tinker on old cars! Tony

I second that! Thank you! God Bless you.

quote Originally posted by Cheever3000: Just curious - did you have written somewhere how many miles were on it when you left? Wondering how many have been "used".

Almost 40k more than when I had parked it.

CommanderKeen:

Send me your email address so we can get started on this & I can fill you in on everything we found.

I know why they finally quit driving it. We wanted to see if we could get it running so we could try to deterndetermine the condition of the transmission. When we started messing with it we found it was low on water. Soputting water in it resulted in water dumping out of the engine onto the floor. Waterwas coming out where the heads meet the block.

The odo says it's got 88K miles on it, is that correct?

Archie

CommanderKeen, if you're on the west side of the cascades, then you're on the wrong side of the mountains for soldier appreciation. If you ever make it over to the Spokane area, let us know and we'll throw you one hell of a "welcome home soldier" BBQ. We take care of our own around these parts..

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Currently in the middle of my 88 + 3800NA swap

Man that just plain sucks! Glad to hear your here to tell the story though....

Good luck with your new start..

[This message has been edited by Snapperhead (edited 08-19-2010).]

quote Originally posted by Archie: CommanderKeen: Send me your email address so we can get started on this & I can fill you in on everything we found. I know why they finally quit driving it. We wanted to see if we could get it running so we could try to deterndetermine the condition of the transmission. When we started messing with it we found it was low on water. Soputting water in it resulted in water dumping out of the engine onto the floor. Waterwas coming out where the heads meet the block. The odo says it's got 88K miles on it, is that correct? Archie

Hey sent you an email on friday titled 86 GT. You may have to check your spam thing, some sites dont like Army email address'. Ill call tomorrow.

I suppose 88k is correct, although when I purchased it it was at 45K, I dont even know if that much driving is friggen possible in 11 months. I dont think it was over 51k when I lost it.

Sam, Welcome home !!! and Thanks !

quote Originally posted by aaronkoch: CommanderKeen, if you're on the west side of the cascades, then you're on the wrong side of the mountains for soldier appreciation. If you ever make it over to the Spokane area, let us know and we'll throw you one hell of a "welcome home soldier" BBQ. We take care of our own around these parts..

Thanks alot, I'll be staying out here for another couple years so I'll be trying to meet as many NW Fiero people as possible.

Welcome home....and thank you.

UPDATE!!!!

I'm tired, stuck on Staff Duty at my new unit, and excited just silly about this so update time.


Mr Archie has been working on my car, and the pics he's sent me thus far are awesome. A V-8 Archie Fiero has been my dream car since I saw MadCurls silver Choptop and bought my first fiero (an 87 notchie coupe) from a good friend and forum member my sophomore year of high school.

Mr Norm from Norms Fiberglass will be installing a front end once Mr Archie is done working his magic.

I am thrilled, I should have my car back within two or three weeks!

I'm not going to paint it until the interior is re-done, my uncle (who restores GTO's) always told me that car restoration should always go, motor, body, interior, paint. He says if you paint it before something else gets done its too easy to put off finishing it because the casual observer wont notice it.

I will be embarking upon my first fiberglass experience, and building a dash board that I've been sketching since I was a junior in HighSchool taking design classes. I will of course make a build thread, but I just wanted to share my excitement right now.
wooo!

-ck

Keen,

What are you having Archie do ? Engine, chop, widebody ??

Congrats.

I dont know how to post pics, damn.

Archie is doing a motor swap, rockers, a hatchback, and repairing some of the ridiculous damage the guy who had my car did to the suspension with weird home made parts. I don't even know enough about cars to explain what was messed up, maybe Archie could explain it better. Anyways, I'll figure the picture thing out and get some up!

CK, welcome home! I wil be back in a few weeks as well.

Welcome back...I'm still here in wonderful Afghanistan. I'll be home soon. Good to hear you got your Fiero back as well. Be safe and enjoy the time in the States.

Jake

Welcome home... Thank you.

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Steve
Aka. "SmoothGT"
(r.i.p.)
" SmoothGT-'w8c' ".....
rough est. date 04/02/2011.....

We have a build thread here https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum2/HTML/112299.html

Archie

thankyou for your service, sorry about your car. enjoy your car when it is all fixed up, i am sure it will be nice. people need to leave outher peoples stuff alone. you are a great american for serving.

Thank you for your service!


To post a pic use the red/blue block at the bottom middle of this page.

Welcome Home! Sorry to hear that your car was stolen while you were away. I'm glad that it motivated you to build your dream Fiero. I'm home in 49 days and my next rotation in AFG will have me rebuilding my Fiero.

I saw your car up at Archies's a few weeks ago. Man are you going to have some fun with that ride

[This message has been edited by infinitewill (edited 10-24-2010).]

Form one service member to another.. WELCOME HOME MAN! Glad you made it home in good health and you got your car back. I am hoping that I can get at least one of my projects done before I head for the sandbox next spring. Where abouts were ya over there. Ya can PM me if ya want. Take care, and again, welcome home.

Thanks for all the support, and to those of you still over there stay safe and keep your kit clean

Welcome home Keen, and thanks!