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The story of two 2+2 Fieros: (Page 1/2) |
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Midwest Fiero Clubs
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JAN 17, 01:55 PM
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"The chassis of the car started out as two of the very first pilot build Fieros built in January of 1983. All of the pilot build cars with the exception of the very first car built were virtually destroyed at Milford Proving Grounds in preparation for the production car build anticipated in July of 1983. The front half of the 2+2 is verified as pilot build Fiero #009. The back half, I have not been able to verify which car it might be, but it does have the early design spaceframe strut mounts that were changed in the months between pilot build and production start. The stretch in the frame was accomplished by cutting one car just after the door frame at the b-Pillar and cut the other car just before the cowl. The problem with the 2+2 is that the car was intended as a design study and not a car to be driven per say on the street. The frame joints are pop riveted together with plates and a couple of small tack welds in the corners. The car has a lot of flex in the frame and is actually quite fragile. After the car was built in the original notchback form, it made its rounds in 1984 as a show car for Pontiac and once its useful lifecycle was over, it went to the Pontiac Special Vehicle Collection.
When it came time to start defending the cancellation of the Fiero (yes, the battle to cancel the Fiero started in 1986), one of the brainstorm ideas was to restyle the old 2+2 to the current GT Fastback model to show the options of the flexibility of both the spaceframe and the body panels. The original 2+2 had already been placed on the Special Vehicle Collection Purge list to be destroyed when the guys grabbed it to use for the new design. The car was sent to AutoFab, a outside prototyping service provider used by Pontiac for special projects where the old body work was removed and the clay modeling was formed right on the stretched chassis. Once the first clay model was finished utilizing a stock fastback rear clip, the designers realized that the stock B-Pillar was too tall and wide to have a continuous flowing arc across the roofline down the side buttresses to the taillights. An extensive modification was made to the B-Pillar to allow the proper lines of the bodywork. A second clay mock-up was made on the modified stretched spaceframe that resembles a fastback Fiero but is dimensionally completely different than a stock fastback Fiero to make the proportions look correct with the added 18" of frame stretch. A mold was pulled from the clay model and the entire upper roof section from the cowl to the tail lights was made in one piece. Once the body was finished and painted, the new custom interior was made and 16" wheels intended for future Fiero GT"s were fitted. Once the car was finished and on the ground, the front suspension was too tall. The quick last-minute fix was to tie wire the front springs together to bring the car down to the best ride height. The car was then presented for corporate review at the GM Tech Center, and was displayed in 1986 Detroit Auto show and then right to the Pontiac Special Vehicles Collection where it went unseen until the early 2000's. Both cars where running driving prototypes. The 84 version had the 2.5 four cylinder and the 86 version has a early development 2.8 V-6." -Fred Bartemeyer Jr.
See the fastback 2+2 Fiero at the Fiero 40th Anniversary event, Summer of 2023 in Pontiac Michigan! Follow our pages for the latest information:------------------ http://midwestfieroclubs.aaca.com/
https://www.facebook.com/midwestfieroclubs
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reinhart
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JAN 18, 05:05 AM
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I like the targa top on the notchback. That would look good on the fastback I think.
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Bluwolf
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JAN 18, 08:27 AM
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Notorio
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JAN 19, 12:12 AM
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Fascinating! What did they do with the extra 18" of interior space?
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Australian
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JAN 19, 05:24 AM
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With all that engine space move the firewall not wrecking it just making it as intended.
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FIERO JOHN-WI
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JAN 25, 01:14 PM
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I was digging through some of my old magazines and I found that there is this 2+2 fiero photo [This message has been edited by FIERO JOHN-WI (edited 01-25-2022).]
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FIERO JOHN-WI
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JAN 25, 01:18 PM
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Here you go [This message has been edited by FIERO JOHN-WI (edited 01-25-2022).]
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FIERO JOHN-WI
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JAN 25, 01:19 PM
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FIERO JOHN-WI
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JAN 25, 01:21 PM
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FIERO JOHN-WI
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JAN 25, 01:30 PM
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I know in another magazine they have this same car from the rear 3/4 photo and it has GT taillights in it.
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