Finally got this thing after talking about doing it for a few years.
The original color was red, my grandfather had it painted a custom "candy" in 89 I think.

I planned on going with the blackout treatment, but the chrome really makes the car, plus....chrome is purty. And no that emblem is not stock, the original was stolen, that eagle is off of a Zimmer GoldenSpirit, and will be removed.

Anyway, plans are to restore this baby back to original as close as possible minus powerplant and wheels. I dont know what engine I am going with, most likely it is going to be a 3800SC or a 3400 3.4 turbo'd(thanks Don).

Here are current pics, and a few after I put some elbow grease to work.






paint is untouched by me! yes that reflection is untouched!!!


real wood

Today I picked up some regular chrome polish, here are some before and after shots.





before

after



one side polished



And on for the real work, "hood" removed.

Looking good, always wanted a Zimmer! Just a little helpful tip. If the rust doesn't go too deep into the chrome. You can use some steel wool to remove it without hurting the chrome. -Jason

Looks like you have some work ahead of ya

i do not know what is available in NE, but here in Denver, there is a company called ( iirc ) "Denver Bumper". They can acid dip and re-chrome all of your stuff, and from what I recall they were not too expensive.

I talked to them about 5 yars ago, or so, and they have a tank that is barely big enough to dunk the Fiero frame (minus the steel bumpers) in acid and then they could galvanize it, I want to say they wanted $1500 to do that...

Still thinking about doing it on my 87GT that I am building...

Not sure where Belleview is, but you have to bring that baby down here after you get her done. I know that I would love to see it in person...

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You're only given a little spark of madness. You mustn't lose it.

- Robin Williams

I've never seem a Zimmer before. What is the story of it?

-M

quote Originally posted by Austrian Import: I've never seem a Zimmer before. What is the story of it? -M

Kit car made in the 1980's by a guy from Florida named Zimmer. It is for those that wanted a long heavy ( Luxury?) tw passenger car. Obviously not too many wanted a 3800 Lb. Fiero (it did have power steering though) so few were made. It is certinly a unique looking automobile that would make every pimp this side of the Mississipi proud but is is a curiousity and a rare kit car. I believe the massive chrome steel bumpers were taken from a Chrysler product of the same era. While the car is not my taste I enjoy seeing these at Fieros shows evey now and then. They are a testiment to the creativity of kit car makers.

The short story is that although it doesn't look like it from the outside, the Zimmer was all Fiero underneath.

The Zimmer is featured on the cover of and in a 5-page article within the September/October 2005 issue of Fiero Focus, a bimonthly publication of Northern Illinois Fiero Enthusiasts (http;//www.fierofocus.com). Maybe the originator of this thread has a copy of that article he could send you.

quote Originally posted by Dennis LaGrua: Kit car made in the 1980's by a guy from Florida named Zimmer. It is for those that wanted a long heavy ( Luxury?) tw passenger car. Obviously not too many wanted a 3800 Lb. Fiero (it did have power steering though) so few were made. It is certinly a unique looking automobile that would make every pimp this side of the Mississipi proud but is is a curiousity and a rare kit car. I believe the massive chrome steel bumpers were taken from a Chrysler product of the same era. While the car is not my taste I enjoy seeing these at Fieros shows evey now and then. They are a testiment to the creativity of kit car makers.

you are wrong on many accounts, the car weighs no where near 3800lbs, hell my 02 ws6 with me in it only weighed 3750lbs.
Also the bumpers are not from anything, they were made for the car. I dont think anyone calls them kit cars either, as "the guy from florida" was actual a company based in florida. I wouldnt call the Zimmer Golden Spirits "kit cars". A kit car is something you purhase and put together, if someone can purchase quicksilver parts to install on their fiero please point me in their direction because I need some.

quote Originally posted by Zimmer: you are wrong on many accounts, the car weighs no where near 3800lbs, hell my 02 ws6 with me in it only weighed 3750lbs. Also the bumpers are not from anything, they were made for the car. I dont think anyone calls them kit cars either, as "the guy from florida" was actual a company based in florida. I wouldnt call the Zimmer Golden Spirits "kit cars". A kit car is something you purhase and put together, if someone can purchase quicksilver parts to install on their fiero please point me in their direction because I need some.

The Zimmer motor car company is actually located in Syracuse, NY

http://www.zimmermotorcars.com/

quote Originally posted by Fierofreak00: The Zimmer motor car company is actually located in Syracuse, NY http://www.zimmermotorcars.com/ <-----Warning....put ear plugs in before clicking on link

quote Originally posted by Zimmer: the car weighs no where near 3800lbs.

That seems a reasonable statement.

Here's a quote from the Fiero Focus article I mentioned earlier: "There seems to be some discrepancies in the published numbers for the weight though because two different curb weights are published for the Zimmer. The Zimmer weighs approximately 440 pounds more than a 1988 Fiero Formula, which is probably accurate considering the additional 29 inches of frame, the additional acres of fiberglass body work, which is heavier than the Fiero body panels, the steel bumpers, power steering equipment, full size spare and carpeting in the underhood storage area."

The Quicksilvers were not kits, but cars manufactured on the Fiero frame by the Zimmer Motor Company.

Look it up. A Zimmer Quicksilver Fiero actually weighs 3600 lbs! You can find the specs in old Zimmer sales literature. While the parts were never sold separately the car was constucted exactly the same way as a Fiero kit car is; using the Fiero chassis platform. I believe that the Zimmer made in Florida was by a different company than the one in NY State.

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87GT 3.4 Turbo- 0-60 5.2 seconds -Best
Engine Controls, ECM goodies, Chip
re-programming & odd electronics stuff

This is a thread on a Quicksilver restoration, (first ever on PFF as I can recall), please let's not let it degrade into an argument on semantics...is the MERA a kit? Is the Firebird Firehawk a kit? was the Quicksilver a kit? Who Cares?

5 seconds on the Zimmer Motor Cars website would tell you that Paul Zimmer started selling Cars, (not kits) in the 80s and manufactured and sold about 170 quicksilvers before his companies all went bankrupt.

In 1995 Art Zimmer, (no relation) heard of the Zimmer and decided to start making cars again, (but did not bring back the quicksilver).

I did look it up:

Car review on ZIMMER QUICKSILVER

Zimmer was a well-known van conversion company who in 1980 decided to produce a nostalgia coupe called the Golden Spirit. It used Ford running gear and that decade produced sales of 1,500. In 1986 GM designer Don Johnson penned the striking Quicksilver for the company, and while it was first shown that summer, it didn't start production until 1987. The car was based on the Pontiac Fiero so, unusually for a large coupe, it had its engine mid-mounted and handling was very good. The long nose was purely there for styling and was deceptive as there was no huge engine under it, though it did give incredible luggage space. The retro-styling also featured with the massive chrome fenders, as a nod to the glitzy cars like Lincolns and Cadillacs of the 1970s. The front suspension used wishbones, while the rear had struts, and discs front and rear uprated the braking.


ZIMMER QUICKSILVER

SPECIFICATIONS


TOP SPEED

121 mph (193 km/h)

0-60 mph (0-96 KM/H) 9.7 sec

ENGINE TYPE V6

DISPLACEMENT 173 ci (2,834 cc)

TRANSMISSION 3-speed auto

MAXIMUM POWER 140 bhp (104 kW) @ 5,200 rpm

MAXIMUM TORQUE 170 lb ft (230Nm) @ 3,600 rpm

WEIGHT 2,920 lb (1,327 kg)

ECONOMY 24 mpg (8.50 km/l)

[This message has been edited by jscott1 (edited 04-08-2007).]

So are the brakes and suspension from a fiero, or have they been upgraded???

Some good news(ill post pics 2morrow) I spent some time on the chrome with some wire today, the rust on the bumpers is gone! Sure it has the pits, but from 10ft you cant even see it! The side chrome...now thats another story.

The paint on the hood and top is starting to come back, believe it or not it now has a mirror gloss in some spots. Must be that pine sap and whatever else all over the hood and top, the passenger side paint is flawless, and the drivers side is minus a few chips.

I also got it started today(briefly). In the next few days I'm going to swap out injectors and possibly the fuel pump, hopefully I get it running(constantly) this week.

New battery, plugs, wires, injectors tomorrow. Its moving along slowly but surely!

That chrome is looking really good. I can't believe how it came back so nice. I can't wait to see the pics of the paint.

Looking good. Didnt Zimmer also make a 30s style car out of 82-87 Lincoln Town Cars ? Had a sloped trunk, spare tires in the front fenders ?

There's the Zimmer Golden Spirit, but that's made by the company founded by Art Zimmer.

quote Originally posted by jscott1: The Quicksilvers were not kits, but cars manufactured on the Fiero frame by the Zimmer Motor Company.

quote Originally posted by jscott1: This is a thread on a Quicksilver restoration, (first ever on PFF as I can recall), please let's not let it degrade into an argument on semantics...is the MERA a kit? Is the Firebird Firehawk a kit? was the Quicksilver a kit? Who Cares?

You guys are both right, I think. I've looked at the webpage, and it reminds me of a coachbuild. The way cars used to be built. One company built the chassis with drivetrain the other company built the body that went on top of them. So I'd say that Zimmer is a Coachbuilder, similar to modern day Fisker Motorworks. (Henrik Fisker is a designer that used to design Aston Martins, hence the strong influence of their design. Their cars include the Latigo and Tramonto. One is built based on a BMW and another is Mercedes. www.fiskercb.com)

-M

pics from the latest clean up, look at the chrome the rust is "gone"! Had some friends "putting in work"





i tried somemore on the hood, what ever is on it, is damn thick!
I did get the top of the car to shine, more pics tomorrow!

quote Originally posted by jweisman: So are the brakes and suspension from a fiero, or have they been upgraded???

In regard to the above question, it appears that whatever upgrades were made to the Fiero brakes and suspension on Zimmers, they were relatively few.

The following is excerpted verbatim from the fourth page of the Fiero Focus article I cited earlier in this thread:

"The drivetrain and suspension from the windshield back were stock Fiero components that were left unmodified except, presumably, for the XTZ with its `special handling package'. The power-assisted rack and pinion steering was cribbed from the Mercury Merkur, a short-lived Ford of Europe product that apparently was a good car but was poorly received here in the U.S. A stiff anti-roll bar was added to the stock Fiero front suspension and the Quick Silver used disc brakes at all four corners. It is likely that the Fiero rear disc brakes were kept because the Zimmer retained the Fiero's parking brake with its black handle and its incongruous orange release button."

What happened to Zimmer?? He just posted in the mall today and is now banned?? Doesn't even have a bar yet.

I wanted to see this car prettied up

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www.FieroDomain.com
Over 120 Fiero Links, Articles, Images, Diagnostics

"If any car is both the parade and the rain, it is the Fiero"

[This message has been edited by Xanth (edited 10-08-2007).]

He was defending that guy bashing Archie. I guess he got a bunch of negatives.

That sucks this is the craziest fiero i have seen yet.

That does suck, while the comments weren't needed I don't think he should have been banned. I would have given him a positive had I known.
I really wanted to see this car fixed up

[This message has been edited by brandon87gt (edited 10-09-2007).]

What happened? That came out of nowhere. How are we going to see how the Zimmer turns out now?

I want one of those soooooooooo bad, you are a lucky man.

It's strange to see a Quicksilver in need of restoration. There were so few of those cars on the road that all of the ones I've seen have been mint. He really needs to get rid of the pigeon on the hood, though. The stock "hood" ornament was much more subtle.

There's some elderly guy in Elkhart that has one exactly like Zimmer's....red with palamino interior. But his looks like it's been stored in a baggie and I've only seen the car on nice days.

The Zimmer was certainly a part of Fiero history. It was a large heavy car built on a Fiero frame and it transformed a sports compact to an auto creation in the full size car class. As such it greatly altered the Fieros handling and performance abilities With a $55,000 price tag you can imagine that not many were sold as the market for a high priced 2 passenger full size car was probably very small. I have seen Zimmers at shows and they are certainly gaudy looking but quite interesting cars. With the extra body length and additional weight a power steering system was developed and added. You see Zimmers now selling for a few thousand bucks but would a true sports compact car enthusiast want one? I guess one mans food is another mans poison.

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87GT 3.4 Turbo- 0-60 5.2 seconds
2006 3800SC Series III swap in progress
Engine Controls, PCM goodies,
re-programming & odd electronics stuff
" I'M ON THE LOOSE WITHOUT THE JUICE "

Yea, the power steering was of a Merkur. (what fit at the time) Be cool to see if it still can be adapted to a Fiero. Just to see if it's possible (only really makes sense if it tightens the steering ratio though. 2.5-3.0 turns lock to loc)

That is awesome I never even heard of one.

quote Originally posted by Hudini: He was defending that guy bashing Archie. I guess he got a bunch of negatives.

WTF

One of the downsides of the ratings system. Just because of that crap, which he didn't even start he's banned

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www.FieroDomain.com
Over 120 Fiero Links, Articles, Images, Diagnostics

"If any car is both the parade and the rain, it is the Fiero"

You have to know how to pick your battles on this forum unless you want to get baned. It also is better if you have a ratings bar before you start something, that way you will know if you are geting into trouble.

quote Originally posted by ly041181: That is awesome I never even heard of one.

They are quite rare. I test drove one about 8 months ago. Decided to get a Fiero instead. It's a European Ford that's turbocharged RWD. Actually quite fun to drive. From what I understand Ford didn't bother marketing it right, so it never took off. (Kind of like the Mazdaspeed 6 never really took off, but that's another story)

Oh well, I guess the guy was banned. He seemed to take responses rather aggressively from some people.

In any case, if you're reading this, I have a couple of suggestions.


There are SOME cars "today" and in the past 10-20 years which WILL become classics, or rare cars in the future. For example, the convertible Buick Reatta (I just have a feeling), or perhaps the older Z cars, or the Cadillac Allante, cars like that.

Although the Fiero probably won't ever hold any real value (due to it's unfortunately bad and undeserved reputation), I do think the Zimmer Quicksilver version of the Fiero probably will. If you watch Barret Jackson, cars which are typically like this tend to end up being worth something.

With that said, I'd suggest that WHATEVER you take off the car, you keep. Whether it's in your attic, or basement (if you have one), whatever. I'd also suggest that if you're going to have the engine rebuilt, you do a stock rebuild or keep all the original pieces.

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Todd,
2006 Pontiac Solstice
2004 Volkswagen Beetle Convertible (Wife's Car)
2002 Ford Crown Victoria LX
1987 Pontiac Fiero SE / V6 (3.2) 5-Speed
1984 Porsche 944 5-Speed
1981 Pontiac TransAm (Olds 455BB)
1973 Volkswagen Type-2 Transporter

I too was watching this thread was was disappointed when he turned aggressive and got banned in another thread. Too bad as this was going to be a good build up.

Maybe he can come back if he behaves???

If the forum was run as it should be he would still be here. I run 2 forums and have never had to ban anyone. You as a owner remove vicious post and email the aggressor asking to chill a bit. It works great and have had no problems as of yet. In the case of a ratings bar, all it takes is a bunch of people to get upset over anything and you are working your way off. I have seen a few get tossed for a real problem but some tossed for a problem the owner could have fixed early on.

I read Zimmers post and must have missed something as I didn't see any reason he was booted. Proof again how this system is flawed. Clearly Zimmer should have had enough positives from his good postings but folks don't give those as easily. They are fast to get upset and toss a reddy in. Rick

I want one of those dang things!

quote Originally posted by SuperchargedV6: I read Zimmers post and must have missed something as I didn't see any reason he was booted.

He made some RFT-like comments basically insulting Archie's customer's. It was upsetting, but I would accept an apology.