[This message has been edited by blackrams (edited 03-08-2023).]

quote Originally posted by maryjane: When you need a trailer hitch and ain't got one, you'll be singin a different tune...

Haha... I know. I just don't think my daughter would ever tow something from the Fiero. I have a hitch on the Crown Vic, one on the Edge, and one on the Explorer. I'll keep it, but don't think I'm going to leave it on.

quote Originally posted by blackrams: What's funny is, he already has a Fiero. Maybe it's too much to assume but, one would think she's seen it. He's also had a Pontiac Solstice and it appears he had a Porsche 944. All, pretty low riding cars. Rams

Haha... well... that's the thing. My 87 Fiero... the one I've had my whole adult life... that car has been in storage for like 12 years. I think I've been married for 18 years, and I've known my wife since 1999... dating since 2001? But at the time, I already had another car that I drove all the time. The Fiero hasn't been running well since about ~2001. I had rebuilt the engine, and basically drove it around now and then, and my wife had only been in it once or twice. My daughter was born in 2008, and since it's a two-seater, that pretty much ended it.

With the Porsche 944, I'd completely restored it, then registered and insured it, and I only had it for like a month, and then I sold it because my daughter was born... and I basically unloaded all my cars. Really, the only car my wife likes of all the cars we've owned, is our 1973 VW Bus, which has also been in storage for 12 years. She loves that car.

She's been in the Solstice plenty of times... but it definitely sits higher than the Fiero does.




We sold the Solstice in 2008 when my daughter was born, along with her VW Beetle, and we got two ho-hum sport utility vehicles. Before last week, she hadn't actually sat in a Fiero in probably ~18 years!

And yes, I'm a complete idiot for paying all the storage fees. Someone asked too if I still had the Olds 455 Big Block that I spent a ton of money on, and yes, it's still sitting on an engine stand (from the motor mount holes, not the bell housing) wrapped in plastic, in the same storage unit as the VW Bus.

I really do miss the Porsche 944 though... I got rid of that car because, when my daughter was born, I wanted to totally unencumber myself. I wanted to focus on family and not have anything that was too frivilous or would take too much time away. Then within 3 years from my daughter being born, I had a career change. This would cause me to have to constantly move... so I never had time to get back into the car hobby... and just drove normal cars everywhere. We put the Fiero (my high school car) in storage, along with the VW Bus, and all my heavy duty shop tools (drill press, engine hoists, etc.), and sold all the cars and bought a used 2008 Jeep Patriot, and a used very low mileage 2002 Ford Explorer. I kept my grandfather's 2002 Ford Crown Victoria, which I left in my Florida house that I rented out (gave them a discount). But that's back with me now.

[This message has been edited by 82-T/A [At Work] (edited 03-08-2023).]

quote Originally posted by 82-T/A [At Work]: Haha... well... that's the thing. My 87 Fiero... the one I've had my whole adult life... that car has been in storage for like 12 years. I think I've been married for 18 years, and I've known my wife since 1999... dating since 2001? But at the time, I already had another car that I drove all the time. The Fiero hasn't been running well since about ~2001. I had rebuilt the engine, and basically drove it around now and then, and my wife had only been in it once or twice. My daughter was born in 2008, and since it's a two-seater, that pretty much ended it. With the Porsche 944, I'd completely restored it, then registered and insured it, and I only had it for like a month, and then I sold it because my daughter was born... and I basically unloaded all my cars. Really, the only car my wife likes of all the cars we've owned, is our 1973 VW Bus, which has also been in storage for 12 years. She loves that car. She's been in the Solstice plenty of times... but it definitely sits higher than the Fiero does. We sold the Solstice in 2008 when my daughter was born, along with her VW Beetle, and we got two ho-hum sport utility vehicles. Before last week, she hadn't actually sat in a Fiero in probably ~18 years! And yes, I'm a complete idiot for paying all the storage fees. Someone asked too if I still had the Olds 455 Big Block that I spent a ton of money on, and yes, it's still sitting on an engine stand (from the motor mount holes, not the bell housing) wrapped in plastic, in the same storage unit as the VW Bus. I really do miss the Porsche 944 though... I got rid of that car because, when my daughter was born, I wanted to totally unencumber myself. I wanted to focus on family and not have anything that was too frivilous or would take too much time away. Then within 3 years from my daughter being born, I had a career change. This would cause me to have to constantly move... so I never had time to get back into the car hobby... and just drove normal cars everywhere. We put the Fiero (my high school car) in storage, along with the VW Bus, and all my heavy duty shop tools (drill press, engine hoists, etc.), and sold all the cars and bought a used 2008 Jeep Patriot, and a used very low mileage 2002 Ford Explorer. I kept my grandfather's 2002 Ford Crown Victoria, which I left in my Florida house that I rented out (gave them a discount). But that's back with me now.

OK, lots of previously unknown information so, maybe it wasn't so funny. But, that's one fine looking Solstice she was in. I'll leave it at that.
But, I'm not so sure the Solstice sits much higher than a stock Fiero. I have to use a similar technique getting in and falling out.

------------------
Rams
Learning most of life's lessons the hard way. Hey, you don't forget those and repeat them.
You are only young once but, you can be immature indefinitely.

[This message has been edited by blackrams (edited 03-08-2023).]

quote Originally posted by blackrams: OK, lots of previously unknown information so, maybe it wasn't so funny. But, that's one fine looking Solstice she was in. I'll leave it at that. But, I'm not so sure the Solstice sits much higher than a stock Fiero. I have to use a similar technique getting in and falling out.

I think the difference for her is that you're sitting with your legs straight out in front of you, where as in the Solstice, you're at least sitting a little bit more like you're in a seat, rather than like sitting in a cockpit. Which, seriously... that's like the best part about the Fiero... I mean, when I sat in that thing, I was thinking to myself... damn, this is awesome.

Only thing is, I feel bad for my Fiero in storage, because I had planned to put that one in where this one is sitting... haha... but I'll go through this car pretty quickly with my daughter. We'll knock it out during the Summer, and I'll give her a bunch of jobs that she can tackle on her own.

I'd kick the Ford Explorer out, but like with every single one of the cars I own right now (practically), they have some sentimentality. The Explorer is immaculate. Looks like a brand new car... and I keep it garaged. My dad gave it to me because he didn't feel safe anymore with an 11 year old car that had 43k miles on it. I didn't want to take it because I felt bad getting a free car, but he said, "...either I sell it, and keep the money, or you take it, and you get a free car... seems like a pretty easy decision to make, no?"

So, if I kick it to the driveway, the paint is going to fade, probably within a year. Not worth it to me.


EDIT: Oh yeah, I really do miss that Solstice, a lot. But I knew I couldn't keep it and have a kid. My wife and I both had two-door convertibles as our daily drivers. It was ridiculous. I had a shorty-header on it, cold air intake (the GM dealer-optioned one), and a high-flow catalytic converter from the same place that sold me the header. Honestly... it was so-so before... but after I put the header and cat on... the performance was insane... like, enormous difference. I couldn't believe it. I was blowing away BMW 330s, Lexus LX-460s, you name it. It was really, really quick after that.

[This message has been edited by 82-T/A [At Work] (edited 03-08-2023).]

quote Originally posted by 82-T/A [At Work]: EDIT: Oh yeah, I really do miss that Solstice, a lot. But I knew I couldn't keep it and have a kid. My wife and I both had two-door convertibles as our daily drivers. It was ridiculous. I had a shorty-header on it, cold air intake (the GM dealer-optioned one), and a high-flow catalytic converter from the same place that sold me the header. Honestly... it was so-so before... but after I put the header and cat on... the performance was insane... like, enormous difference. I couldn't believe it. I was blowing away BMW 330s, Lexus LX-460s, you name it. It was really, really quick after that.

Ya Know, it's not too late to get back into a Solstice. Being honest about it, had I been able to build a Convertible Fiero, I would have never gone to the Solstice but, fate being what it is, I got the Solstice and now, would be hard pressed to go back (unless it was a convertible). Then, it would be a tough decision.

Rams

[This message has been edited by blackrams (edited 03-08-2023).]