I love all Fieros, but prefer the notchback style because the fastback style seems to be grossly out of proportion with its mid-engine design. All Fieros looks more like classic long hood/short deck front-engine/rear-drive sports cars than mid-engine sports cars; BUT the fastback seems to exaggerate this even more.

Please keep in mind it is just one guy's opinion that means nothing if you like it the way it is. In another words, no offense meant - no flames needed.

I have been studying these cars inside and out developing the plans for my supercar, and in the process I did this side view experiment to see what a fastback would look like if it was stretched a bit in back - but done in a way as to make it it look original. The first sketch is the original 93.4" wheelbase, and the second is stretched 6.6" in back for a 100"wb.

All that would be needed for the body is to make new lower front quarter sections, and stretch the upper quarter section. I didn't touch the fastback sail panels. There are some differences in the lower skirting and rear fascia, but they are not required.

perk

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toddshotrods.com - new biz name & site

I think it looks decent the way it is. I've considered the rear stretch as a good conversion to do, however, that may throw off the handeling and suspension work...basically the whole beauty of the car. The engine would probably stay in the same spot however the center of the car's turning axis would be extended (a potentially leathal) 7.6 inches. In reality it would not really do much, however, it might (i'm not mathematical genious) throw off the car's mid engine bueaty. It sure does look nice. If you could chop that 4 inches it would be the sweetest design ever!

Good work!

Best wishes

Steve O

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I like the Fastbacks the way they are. But I own one and I love it so I might be partial to it for that reason.

I like both styles the way they are. I don't agree that they look like a front engined/rear wheel drive car because of how short they are already. The look so small, much smaller than the classic camaro/mustang look. Agree with me or don't, its just my opinion.

I think making the car longer would increase its resemblance to a front engined / rear wheel drive setup

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1987 GT -- Stored for the winter

I like it either way.
I do have a suggestion, though. If I had a pet peeve with the Fiero, it's the way the front wheelhouse intrudes into the footwell.
If you extend the wheelbase, use some of the extra length to lengthen the cabin just a bit. Of course, moving the seat to the rear will likely require a redesign of the pedals/wheel/dash relationship, but you are starting with a clean slate, right?
Just my $.02.

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Raydar

88 3.4 coupe. In progress.

Out of my mind. Back in 30 minutes.

Here's a very quick photochop of wha I think the Fiero should look like.

This was made from G-nasty's car and another I don't know.

Froma design point of view I think the fastback is perfection. It flows well and just looks right. It is almost exactly the same dimensions as my old 2 gen MR2 also which was suprising.
On the notchback I like the 84-86 SE nose and the Formula as them front and rears suit the notchback shape. Again from a design point of view a GT nosed ground effects notchback is all wrong. It has this low sweeping nose and sides and then just looks cut off and square at the back. Basically the front and back don't match. That can be improved though with some subtle mods.

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White 86 GT 4 Speed Manual - Black 86 GT Auto
The Fiero Shop International - Jade Web Design
If you appreciate my contribution please give me a rating

i personally don't like the mid-engine look. I like the fiero because it doesn't look like it's pointed in the wrong direction. Just the way i was raised i guess

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Sorry Perky ol'boy but I have to side with the rest of the posts an say that the Fastback it perfect just the way it is...

Fastback's look good, but give it a 3" chop-top and then it's perfect.

Actually, I think all Fiero's need a chop-top. The roof is just way too high, doesn't fit the low hood line.

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1988 Quad 4 Coupe 5 speed click for more pics
1986 GT 5 speed
AOL: LastMinuteBastrd AIM: SavedbyJebus

Id like it to be a 'real' fastback with a hatchback glass myself, maybe even louvered like Ferrari F40. I like longer tails too, not stubbies. I think more rear overhang would balance out the looks and make it look lower + it would actually give you some trunk space

I agree with perk, as I have before in some other posts, about the fastback body.
However, Aus does make a good point. It does flow nicely together. But it has less of a mid-engine look to it. It has the basic shape of any other front engine sports car...think corvette.
I like the redesigned sketch that perk drew. It helps, but a 3" chop would help also.

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I like the looks of the fastback a lot, personally. The only thing I don't like about the Fiero body is the long overhangs in front and rear. The long overhangs make it particularly hard to make ground effects that work properly for diverting air away from under the car. I much prefer the closeness of the wheels to the corners like those of a Z3 or similar cars. My .02 bucks.

As was mentioned, stretching the wheelbase may look cooler, but it will obviously affect the handling...what you do with it to change the handling has infinite possibilities, but it's something to think about before getting too carried away.

Bryce
88 GT

quote Originally posted by 87FieroGTx: Here's a very quick photochop of wha I think the Fiero should look like. This was made from G-nasty's car and another I don't know.

Yup. I agree - this looks SHWEEET!!!! I'm wondering how I can change my Fiero to look like that. Hmmm.....

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Is this better???

Looks less like a Fiero, but more like an exotic to me.

perk - toddshotrods.com

I remember when I first saw the fiero in a copy of Road and Track Magazine.

I looked at the front and said, "Slick!".

I looked at the back and said, "Mean!"

I looked at the profile and said, "huh?"

The car seemed to evolved from front to back and then it looked like the engineers ran out of time to finish the back and just stuck anything they could whip together onto the back end.

I was not the only one who thought this. The process of "completing" the rear end design was under way for the late 1986 year model. But along the way the Indy made the coupe look GOOD!

I have to admit, the coupe with full ground effects looks better to me than any other combo, although the GT with a Formula front end is a close second.

When one already has a piece of automotive art, it's best to be very careful how you treat it!

[This message has been edited by California Kid (edited 02-09-2003).]

I believe the top one is my car... Nice mod though... i like how wide they are already, and the wider they get, the better they look, and the faster they turn....

very nice though

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AIM: phool88fiero

quote Originally posted by perkidelic: Is this better??? Looks less like a Fiero, but more like an exotic to me. perk - toddshotrods.com

Nice! now level out that front air dam. Makes the whole car look crooked.. like it's sagging in the middle.

quote Originally posted by 87FieroGTx: Here's a very quick photochop of wha I think the Fiero should look like. This was made from G-nasty's car and another I don't know.

lets see
Chop top- Archie
Stage 2 scoops- Aus
Vette Tails- FiberSmith

I agree with everything Aus said. I think the fastabck has more of that mid-engine sports car look, closer to that of a Ferrari or Esprit than a Notcher. Also has the more expensive look to it

The fastback doesnt have a long hood short deck look to it, if your actually behind it, if it was front engined, the fiero would have one huge freakin trunk. The rear deck makes up like 1/3 of the car. The Notcher's is long too but slightly shorter than the Fastes due to the notcher's slanted cut-off at the end

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--Adam--
1987 Blue GT 5-speed
IM AOL: GTFiero
Fiero mods almost done...i know that because im running out of possesions to sell for money

[This message has been edited by GTFiero1 (edited 02-09-2003).]

I have to agree with the majority that thinks the Fastback looks pretty much perfect the way it is. Although the notchback is okay, (note that I own both).

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If you find my advice useful, then please give me a positive rating, thanks...

OH NOOOO.... Has anyone seen my saw's'all??? Ya'll are going to force me to get into more trouble by starting a chop-job... Maybe next winter...

Smooth!!

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In memory of the family's, friend's and especially the 12 children of the Crew Member's of The Space Shuttle Columbia. February 1, 2003

There are some gorgous fastbacks out there but I prefer the notchback. The fastback looks "added-on+ like there was some marketting reason (I assume there was). It makes them look like a lot of other cars and takes away from the unique lines. But done right, fastbacks look great.

I prefer the 85GT/86SE look the best.

[This message has been edited by TK (edited 02-10-2003).]

quote Originally posted by Standard: Nice! now level out that front air dam. Makes the whole car look crooked.. like it's sagging in the middle.

As you wish...

The irony of this whole thing (you purists will love this!) is that the more I mess around with it the more I begin to appreciate the stock wheelbase GT Not saying I am sold on it but I am beginning to see what you see! Had to get in your heads (who turned the lights out ) and figure out what you're talking about.

perk

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toddshotrods.com - new biz name & site

[This message has been edited by perkidelic (edited 02-10-2003).]

[This message has been edited by perkidelic (edited 02-10-2003).]

How about just taking the stock Fastback and

1. Smothing out where the windshield meets the roof.
2. Pushing th wheels to the corners a bit more.
3. Adding Aus Fiero Stage 2 style vents.
4. That slight rise in the rear instead of the spoiler like you have in your original reddrawing?

quote Originally posted by Standard: Fastback's look good, but give it a 3" chop-top and then it's perfect. Actually, I think all Fiero's need a chop-top. The roof is just way too high, doesn't fit the low hood line.

Exactly. Exactly. Exactly. This is what is wrong with the fastback and why I prefer the notchback. The fastbacks roof is so high that it loses sleekness and has that pregnant roller skate look like a Ford Festiva. The notchback hides the high roof better. Altough with a proper chop-top I'd prefer the fast back, but only with the chop.

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My Website
1985 Chevy Camaro Iroc-Z LT1/L98
1986 Pontiac Fiero SE 2m4 - The project begins
1988 Nissan 200sx SE VG30E - The beater

quote what's wrong with the fastback bodystyle

Nothing!

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1988GT T-Tops, 5spd, Loaded

I always thought the Fiero had a really low roof line. It seems like it's much lower than MOST cars out there.

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quote Originally posted by FieroGTChile87: I always thought the Fiero had a really low roof line. It seems like it's much lower than MOST cars out there.

How it compares to other cars doesn't matter one bit. A Festiva has a lower roof than an F-150 but its still ugly. It has to do with the roof height in proportion to the car its on. The fastback ends up with a hump looking thing. Once again, chop-top solves the problem and gives you a wicked sweet car which I think is just about perfect.

If I were to redo the notch...

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"How do I get one of those Smileys that rolls back and forth accross the screen?" -Archie

One thing I like about my fastback whaletail is it helps lengthen the rear to match the length of the rear bumper. Meaning if you took a straight edge and held it vertically, the edge of the whaletail and the bottom of the bumper cover would be the same length.
The stock GT rear bumper cover juts out way too far for my taste. It looks hugh compared with today flush rear bumpered cars. The coupe rear bumper cover (87/88) isn't as noticable because it slants and flows into the bumper cover, giving it a much smoother appearance.
Try photoshopping the upper GT rear portion to the stock length of the bottom bumper cover. Basically Corvette the rear end.
Even though I have a choptop coupe, if I was to chop a fastback style, I'd only go two inches. Three inches falls into the radical class, two would be much more subtle looking. Folks would look at it and not be real sure what's different about it, but know something is.

Ill take the fast back over a notch back anyday of the week I like both but the fastbacks just perfect

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Man I couldn't chop 3" off of my GT if I wanted to. I wouldn't be able to fit in it anymore. I like the Gt's just the way they are.

Sour

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Silver 87 GT!

quote Originally posted by FieroGTT: How it compares to other cars doesn't matter one bit. A Festiva has a lower roof than an F-150 but its still ugly. It has to do with the roof height in proportion to the car its on. The fastback ends up with a hump looking thing. Once again, chop-top solves the problem and gives you a wicked sweet car which I think is just about perfect.

Well, TO ME, it's perfect. I like it how it is. I do like the looks of the chop tops but I don't want mine that way. I always stare at my car and think, "Now there's perfection(the design)" I like the notchbacks too but when I had my 87 SE, there were some things I didnt like about it.

Ok fellow junkies, your love for the GT must be contagious, cuz you've really got me thinking! And not even just about a GT, but a stock wheelbase, non-chopped, albeit highly modified GT. I don't think I'll ever be what they call "normal" but this is really freakin close for me...

perk - todds hot rods

[This message has been edited by perkidelic (edited 02-11-2003).]

bump for more idea's and opinion's...

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In memory of the family's, friend's and especially the 12 children of the Crew Member's of The Space Shuttle Columbia. February 1, 2003

Ideas??? Here's one - a 108" GT - Perk-style

perk - todds hot rods

quote Originally posted by perkidelic: Ok fellow junkies, your love for the GT must be contagious, cuz you've really got me thinking! And not even just about a GT, but a stock wheelbase, non-chopped, albeit highly modified GT. I don't think I'll ever be what they call "normal" but this is really freakin close for me... perk - todds hot rods [This message has been edited by perkidelic (edited 02-11-2003).]

I think that the Pontiac Grille you have going there is important if you wanted to update the Fiero, along with a Fierbird Dash and a 3800SCII.... yum yum.

Leafy

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86' Fiero 2M4, A work in progress, but the potential is there!

I prefer the notchback but i had some time to kill.

Now I am seriously thinking about building a stock wheelbase fastback I PS'd the rendering I have been playing with for my 85 notch into a fastback to see if I would like it - I do!

It looks like a modded GT but is in fact a one-off set of custom body panels with a lot of subtle refinements.

IF I do decide to build it I will try to have it ready for the 20th Anniversary Show.

perk - todd's hot rods