AS some of you know, I had a thread going on how to build the Fino. https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum1/HTML/014855.html That thread was going pretty well (60+ posts) when it was highjacked by a small group of PESTS from WCF including Eric Nelson and Craig (Sleeper) Poeske.

I've started this new thread to try to bring the fun back into this build up.

If those guys decide to try to highjack this thread, I pray that we all find the strength to ignore them.

May the Force be with us to have a clean thread.

I'll try to re-post my beginning from the other thread and many of you had good input and questions..... I would ask you to repost those here when appropriate.

So hang on while I repost my 1st. post from the other thread.

Archie

This is a repost from another thread and was originally posted 02-21-02 6:53pm.

The build-up of the LT1 Stinger will continue to be an ongoing thread. However, we have moved on to our next major project and have started on a Fino buildup on a V-8 Fiero chassis that already has the V-8 engine in it.

With the success of our build-up of the LT1 Stinger, I thought you all would like to follow along with us in the building of a Fino.

In my original plans for going to the Daytona Show, I was going to take the LT1 Stinger and My Red V-8 powered Finale. However, I have this thing where I don't like taking the same car to the same show 2 years in a row. The Red Finale was at the Daytona show last year. So we decided that we should take my "T" top V-8 5 speed car and put a Fino body on it & try to get it done in time to go to the Daytona show. That means we would have 5 weeks to get it ready to go. I know it only takes a week to mount the body and the car already has a V-8 in it & the interior is in pretty good shape, so this should be a lot easier than it was to build the LT1 Stinger in 8 weeks.

Anyway, is anyone here interested in following this project here on PFF?

Archie

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Have there been any V8 Fino's built yet (not Finales)

lookin good arch

chris

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see my toys click here

WOW, this is going to be great for me, because I have never seen one started from scratch. I have a few questions for Archie, if you get time to answer them:
What kind of budget to you give yourself for something like this?
All of the body parts just clip right on the old Fiero body?
Does the whole car get new body parts or do you use some of the old Fiero parts?
This really isn't about the project, but about your business:
Do you do the 3.1 engines also, and do you install them into the car?

If you don't have time to answer these, I will understand, sounds like you are very busy. Thanks Archie, good luck!

quote Originally posted by Don_Chi_Chi: Have there been any V8 Fino's built yet (not Finales)

By my count, right now there are 6 Fino's on the road IN THE WORLD right now. Several others are under construction right now by our customers.

About 6 months ago, we finished a Viper Red V-8 Fino 5 speed car. It is in South Bend, IN right now.

Also Al Bohr of Salem, OR has built a real nice Fino on his Fiero chassis with a NStar V-8 engine in it.

I don't have any pictures of Al's car but there were a couple of pics of it (in primer) in the last issue of Kit Car Magazine.

So right now Finos are rare and V-8 Finos are real rare.

Archie

I am also completing a Fino project myself (that I bought from Archie). www.edstephens.net I have had all sorts of problems with having to replace all the brake lines and suspension that I just can't get time to finishing the Fino body yet. I would like to complete my project by the end of May so I can go to the Indy show.

Fino www.edstephens.net

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hey arch, put this engine up to like 400-450hp so the front wheels can get off the ground and call it the free-standing Fino

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Adam J. B.
The search for a GT will never end!
IM AOL: GTFiero & Rumpdetective (dont ask)

One again, It's called "Viper Steel Grey" and it's a 2000 color for sure.

Here is why this Fino needs it!

Best!
Ben

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Ben Cannon
88 Formula, T-top, Metalic Red. "Every Man Dies, not every man really Lives"
88 Formula, Northstar, Silver, In-Progreess. -Mel Gibson, "Braveheart"

we've already seen a Fino in Silver. how about... Polo Green and later on add a tan interior, if i ever built a Fino thats the colors i would choose. You know that part that goes around the tail lights that you usually paint black and it raps around the sides? how about you do the car a polo green or some darkish metallic green and get a custom piece of brushed aluminum to fit that part. it would look so bad-ass.

BTW: i say at least go with a custom dash and door panes, the fiero interior looks really out-dated in a fino/finale.

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Adam J. B.
The search for a GT will never end!
IM AOL: GTFiero & Rumpdetective (dont ask)

quote Originally posted by artherd: One again, It's called "Viper Steel Grey" and it's a 2000 color for sure.

I think you were supposed to wait for Orief to ask what color it was going to be painted. LOL

Since we are on to color I vote for a bright blue like Haze suggested. I think that would look good with the grey interior.

Is it to early to ask about a name?

Yes!

( my post )

I vote for "Viper Steel Grey" too.

Grey never stands out at shows. I'd say go blue. Make sure whatever you choose shows compliments the Stinger because I'll assume they'll be next to each other quite a bit

If you want the car to stand out paint it bright pink , anyways i like the look of these cars there 'unique'.

I hope this thead doesnt get hijacked again.

thanx
randy

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Rally car, full roll cage, skid plates, light bars, scs suspension, koni adjusters

I say you go w/ Viper Steel Grey w/ a milk chocolate color interior (with your $700.00 interior kit). I plan on getting that kit when I get around to my interior. It would be great to see it in a car.

lil' Ro

I wasn't a big fan of the FINO until I saw it in VIPER red, WOW!! I vote for another one just like it.

Now I am doing the math, the donor car was in the mall for $9900, add on a FINO kit at $5700 plus Archies labor ???

Could we be looking at a V8 Fino for under $20K? I dunno but I would be heading to Chicagoland with checkbook in hand.

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88 Coupe...

Archie I would be interested in all the Aero parts including front and rear facias off the donor car. Are you going to be at Ed parks in April?

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Commit your works to the Lord, And your plans will be established. Prov. 16:3

[I say you go w/ Viper Steel Grey w/ a milk chocolate color interior

i may be a bit of a joker but wouldnt the milk chocolate interior melt in the heat
hehe (sorry i couldnt resist)-i am going to paint my next custom paint job the viper steel grey i love it (i saw it here first)

[/B][/QUOTE]

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86 gt v8
Speed and Looks
Chop Shop Customs

ah...colour.

i'm going to throw in my usless vote for either

Saturn blueblack. 'cause it's neat
Gunmetal with black interior
or
Chevy mystic teal metalic. off the camaro.

i am also looking forward to this build.

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Malacite

Grendel-88 Fiero RIP
'94 Saturn SW2 RallySport
'95 Saturn SL1 Touring

I got an idea what colour I would like to see it in but I'm colour blind and it wouldn't much matter.

Okay, I finally figured it out, and you are all wrong....

The 3 secret mods never done to a Fiero that Archie is gonna do are...,

1) Lambo doors
2) All Wheel Drive
3) 2x 15 gallon saddle gas tanks like on a pick up

-edit-sp

[This message has been edited by blakeinspace (edited 02-25-2002).]

How about this?

Almost black in the shadows
Here's the link to the auction, the pics are much higher Res http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1807493858

So what do we get if you pic our color Arch?

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Jeff
AOL IM : Only2xsess

Visit My Website

Naw, Archie told me what the secrets are:

1) Mid engine front wheel drive
2) Raised roof
3) 1.6lt 3 cylinder engine
4) Big Drum brake kit
5) 70 Gallon Fuel Cell

Well it's time to try to bring you all up to date.

As you know we started on this car last Thursday afternoon. We reported to you thursday evening on the progress we made in just over 5 hours. The we worked on the car for about 6 hours on Friday. By the time I would have been reporting on that days' progress our thread was heading off topic real fast. Over the weekend we didn't work on the car & ,even though I was on the computer quite a bit, I wasn't in the mood to spend the time to write a report on our progress Friday. We worked on the car again today and I'd say that after you subtract out the time I was rolling video tape & taking still pics. We put in about 5 hours on it today. I fact the guys are getting a bit mad at me because I keep interrupting them to take video (for the new Video Instruction tape) and Still pics. Several times now, I've actually had them remove a part they had already put on so that I could take video of them actually setting the parts on the car. A couple of times today, while video taping the phone would ring & I'd make those guys wait until I was off the phone so I could finish whatever I was taping.

By the time you are done reading my posts tonight you're going to see that we are done with all the trial fitting & ready to final mount the body.

There is a good thing about this that makes the guys very happy. I'm going to be out of town most of the day tomorrow and these guys will be able to "have their way" with this car tomorrow. The good thing is that all the stuff they will be doing tomorrow is stuff I can video & photo after the fact and still report to you again about the progress that will take place tomorrow.

On the color issue..... I know I told you I was going to retain the stock Gray interior and that we needed a paint color that would go with it. I was seriously considering Silver or Gray but as someone said, I already had done one in Silver. Anyway, we decided today that if we needed to we change out the interior with an other color if we needed to do it to accommodate the paint chioce.

The Fino (& Finale) were designed in England by Peter Ashdown I bought the whole business from him more than 2 years ago. Back in '58, '59, '60 & '61 Peter won the British Sports Car Racing Championship. From what I understand this is the equivalent, stature wise, to winning the NASCAR title in the States. During Peter's racing career he drove for Colin Chapman at Lotus and was the 1st. Lola works driver. I think it's easy to see the design elements of the Lotus and Lola in the lines of the Fino.

Now that I've told you the history of the design and designer, I'd like to open this up to PFF..... This time I'm not asking you to name the car, I'm asking you to paint the car. So, I'm gonna have you all pick the color. Only 2 colors will not be considered Black and White are off the table. So let's open this up to a Vote starting right now.

What color do you want????? & If I paint it the PFF color will you vote for it at the shows this year?

I'll be back to post some more in a couple of hours.... I have some 45 pics to go thru to write todays report on progress.

Archie

quote Originally posted by Archie: I'll be back to post some more in a couple of hours.... I have some 45 pics to go thru to write todays report on progress. Archie

Archie, Thanks for the extra effort needed to get us this information. As you can tell by the Stinger thread and the majority of your first thread for this build-up, The majority of us out here really love seeing the car come together.
Thanks again,
Vince

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CFOG-I | GTA Fiero Club

The color that i would pic for the car is the green color off of MINNGREENGT's car, i think it would look nice, either that or a nice bright mettalic blue.

Randy

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Rally car, full roll cage, skid plates, light bars, scs suspension, koni adjusters

I vote for like a Polo Green with a tan interior. Up in Maine I saw a 1993 Cadillac Allante with that color combo and it was absolutley stunning, then add the brushed aluminum pnael around the tail lighs that you usually paint black like i suggested earlier

Medium Metallic Red with a nice set of 18s!

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'87GT 3" Drop, 17" Primax 618s/Nitto450 205/40, 4" Monza exhaust, Mudstain decklid scoop, 7" wing stands, Kid Danger air dam, Clear front and rear lights, custom interior, all optioned.
'91 Beretta GT: Gets through the winters.

fieros only

Pewter. Look at a pewter Dodge Durango. That color.
I know you already did a silver one, but WTH?! (What the heck. Right?)

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Raydar

From the Department of Redundancy Department.

What about that burnt orange metalic thats on the new Pontiac Vibe and Sunfire at the auto shows. The Saleen S7 was running somethin like that too. Its neat.

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quote Originally posted by 85 gt fiero: The color that i would pic for the car is the green color off of MINNGREENGT's car, i think it would look nice, either that or a nice bright mettalic blue.

Well Randy, you managed to pick two of my favorite colors. The Green (obviously) and Metallic Blue (actually Dodge has a nice form of this- highly metallic). That'll be my next project color (if I ever finish this one ).

Personally I think you should avoid the Medium Metallic Green (that was the base color used in my car)... we don't want too many of these Green-machines running around (and we are in pretty close proximity ). Actually I'm going to need a repaint (probably next year) after a handful of body mods- and I'm going to go to a slightly greener-green (Toyota has a nice one on the new Tacomas). My car is too often mistaken for black in low/dark lighting.

I have a couple of real thoughts on color... the orange that is shown above- would be awsome! It is a very exotic-looking color and will stand out above all others. Mitsubishi did a cool orange on their 2000 eclipse prototype showcar. The car was originally painted siver, then coated with 18(?) coats of orange-tinted Clearcoat. It made for an extremely "deep" color.

Second on my list: Peter Ashdown (who I almost visited back in '97 while on "holiday" in Britian) had originally named his business "candy apple cars" (I happen to have his original Finale brochure with attached 4x6 35mm printed photo). So why not a really slick "Candy Apple Red"?

Lastly- since the design is originally British (and Lotus-influenced) why not go with the traditional BRG (British Racing Green). It would still keep it in the greens, but not necessary the same as mine ( )

Basically I think it boils down to how you want to present the car. As an exotic- go orange. As a British influenced design- go BRG. Or as an American built Hot Rod- go Candy Apple Red.

then again these are just my opinions... and if the Forum votes for Medium Metallic Green- or anything else I'd be just as happy (actually I'd be a bit flattered that people like my Green Car).

Oh yeah- one last thing. Gold wheels make the Green/Tan combo perfect... keep that in mind when looking through aftermarket wheels!

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Looking for Fiero posters?

Ferrari Dark Blue, like used on the F355! Yeah, that's it!

how about a mustard yellow. It will look awesome I promise

well maybe with the stinger another yellow would be to much yellow...

I think the orange on that Saleen would be bitchin!

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Home Page w/ Vids : http://ucsub.colorado.edu/%7Epattons/Home15.html

The orange on the Saleen would be awesome that color is the sweetest orange I've seen.

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Mike

Let me try to bring up to date on the progress of our Fino project car.

In the last 2 days, I figure we have put in about 11 or 12 hours and along with the 1st day of this project we are now at a total time invested of like 17 hours & the car is basically roughed in and has all been trial fitted.

The following text and pictures are meant as an outline of the work performed, the Video instruction tape will give the exact details of the installation.

At the beginning of the day Friday this is what we started with.

We dismounted the from "Z" beam, removed the headlight assemblies & the inner wheel wells.

Because the Fino and Finale bodies are more rounded on the corners than the stock Fiero is, we have to "round-off the corners of the Fiero chassis. To do this we have to cut out the sheetmetal that forms the Fiero headlight bucket. To build this car, there is very little cutting you have to do to the stock Chassis and NO Welding.

On the rear of the car, we have removed the "Z" beam rear bumper. In this case we are leaving both "Z" beams off of the car but you can actually put them back on after you've trimmed off the ends of them. If you just trims off the end of the rear "Z" beam, that's all you have to do to "round off" the Fiero Chassis for the rear clip. The rear of the body we are about to install has to have a mounting point. To mount the rear we use these 2 Triangle supports (included with the kit) They just bolt down and stick up like this, we will show you more on this as we mount the body.

Now we start mounting the body. It might surprise you to know that the best way to mount the body in the correct position is to mount the Door panels 1st. In this picture you see us marking the door panel for the door panel fasteners (included with the kit). These fasteners will be mounted loosely so that we can move the door panel around a little bit as we try to line it up with the rear clip.

More to come tonight.

Archie