I had the opportunity to visit the double secret storage facility of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Friday. Ron Treichel of the Michigan Fiero Club made arrangements to meet up with Terry Gunter,the IMS museum currator. Terry is the guy who brought the real Indy to the 20th show. Our purpose: To photograph some Fiero history from the days when GM was testing the Fiero for pace duties. I naturally had a very itchy trigger finger on the camera and was'nt afraid to use it. I shot 160 pictures. Here is what we saw:
The Prototype test Indy as it sits in storage. The car was in remarkable condition considering it has not had much attention since 1984.
The car had 4914 miles of testing on the track. Note the 150 MPH Speedo.
More to come----------
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12:45 AM
PFF
System Bot
RAREW66 Member
Posts: 1119 From: Davenport, IA USA Registered: Jun 2001
The engine is the 1.8 Turbo that I am asuming was used in the Sunbird Turbo. The documentation indicated that it only was 150 HP. The roof scoop was fully functional in to what appeared to be a stock V-6 air cleaner.
The car sported the CPC Experimental tags.
More Yet-----
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12:53 AM
RAREW66 Member
Posts: 1119 From: Davenport, IA USA Registered: Jun 2001
The windshield decal was different than the real Indy. The interior was a 100% stock production Indy interior. The arm rests and seat bolsters had seen a considerable amount of wear.
The wing
Close- up of the wheel. The classic Centerline two piece aluminum rim painted white with a red stripe on the outer edge of the rim with 50 series tires. It is really to bad that GM did not use this wheel on the production Indy. Brake calipers were painted white also.
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01:10 AM
RAREW66 Member
Posts: 1119 From: Davenport, IA USA Registered: Jun 2001
My old used car clean-up instincts from when I was younger kicked in and I found this three ring binder under the seat.
The binder contained all the hand written notes from the test drivers. Also inside was the GM CPC rule book for conduct with an experimental vehicle. Considering that there was a sheet expaining usage of the manufacturer plates and a Michigan State proof of insurance card in the car, I would asume that the car was driven to the track from Michigan. Sample form binder, explains the alignment specs and expected procedures.
A pic of a familiar sight at the 20th Show.
The two cars together. The 1988 Olds Cutlass Pacecar was inbetween. We had to push it out to get pics taken.
The prototype car was completely stock mechanically and physically except the engine. No drop spindles in front, stock shocks and struts, no superduty axles, no brake up grades, no aluminum cradle bushings, no fuel cell in front, no stobes on the car, no door decals. So I am guessing that the 1.8 Turbo was an attempt at using a production engine. The log book shows that the engine did not hold up and kept dropping the lower end after between 35 and 50 minutes of 130 MPH running. The log book also indicated poor low RPM performance and excessive vibration and cabin noise.
A pic of a very nice model of the 1984 Indy Winner.
That is it for now, enjoy the pics.
------------------ Fred Bartemeyer Chairman Heartland Fieros http://www.heartlandfieros.com 86 GT 4spd 26k miles 87 GT 5spd. Blue 37k miles 88 Silver T-Top Formula 275,000 miles 87 GT 5 spd Annette's Sunshine Driver 88 GT 5 spd Annette's Daily Driver
[This message has been edited by RAREW66 (edited 10-12-2003).]
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01:34 AM
RAREW66 Member
Posts: 1119 From: Davenport, IA USA Registered: Jun 2001
Great job on documenting some rare history. This is the kind of stuff I wish we would see more of. We have enough of where can I hang a neon light. Keep up the good work yourt a true historian.
[This message has been edited by hyperv6 (edited 10-12-2003).]
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12:25 PM
litespd Member
Posts: 8128 From: No where you want to be Registered: Aug 99
The prototype car was completely stock mechanically and physically except the engine. No drop spindles in front, stock shocks and struts, no superduty axles, no brake up grades, no aluminum cradle bushings, no fuel cell in front, no stobes on the car, no door decals. So I am guessing that the 1.8 Turbo was an attempt at using a production engine. The log book shows that the engine did not hold up and kept dropping the lower end after between 35 and 50 minutes of 130 MPH running. The log book also indicated poor low RPM performance and excessive vibration and cabin noise.
Fred, I had a 1984 Olds Firenza, and it had the same engine as the Indy prototype, minus the turbo. It was a 1.8 liter 4 cylinder, produced by GM of Brazil. It was the optional engine in my car...the standard was a 2.0 pushrod engine, if I recal right. The 1.8 supposedly had more horsepower...at least, this is what the salesman told me when I bought the car. I was surprized to see that same, familiar valve cover that I saw in that old Firenza staring up at me in that pic of the Prototype engine bay...
------------------ Mike...86 GT 4 Speed "Sucks to be me..."
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12:38 PM
blakeinspace Member
Posts: 5923 From: Fort Worth, Texas Registered: Dec 2001
From the looks of it Id say its a boost guage. I would say oil if it was an oil preasure gauge.
------------------ Fierokid's baby: R.I.P.V-6 Swap 1987 Blue Fiero sport coupe White 1988 Fiero Formula AIM: Fierokid87 Rate Me Please 2.9L V-6: 2030 Compucam, Darrel Morse Fuel Pressure Regulator, 9.5:1 comp, zeroed out balanced crank, connecting rods matched, MSD 6A ignition box and Blaster GM style coil, Darrel Morse Bored out TB and intake, 19# Mustang Injectors, Removed TB coolant lines, Darrel Morse Dogbone strut, and more to come
4th picture down-the one showing the engine. Did the production indys come with the louvered side covers? I thought that was an 85 and later thing, with only solid covers on all the 84s.
FURIOUS FIERO 
