This was the original GTP Fiero. It was the First fastback shown to the public. A company named Autostyle worked with PPG and Pontiac to produce 7 cars for a Cart pace car driving team in 1984/85. This was the first produced and was originally red. It was also the fastest and the only one with a boost knob. Indy driver Steve Chassie drove this car over 150 MPH at Mid Ohio in 1985.
It has a Mitsubishi turbo on the 2.8 with an intercooler. The engines was built by John Lingenfelter. and were reported in the 200-300 HP range. The interior has a roll bar, leather seats, 150 MPH speedo, VDO add on guages swithes for the pace car lights, and a one off steering wheel.
A fuel cell was installed in the front trunk, with the rear trunk holding the electronics and fire system.
The cars were prone to running very hot, I was quoted in traffic they could see 300 + degrees oil temp. They add many fans and additional oil to cure the problems. If you note the rear deck it has a hole with a grille that is still with the car, it was from a Lebaron Turbo and helped with air flow.
The many one off body panels were to show case Autostyle and the Fiero's ability to be rebodied cheaply.
The car was donated by PPG to a [unnamed] High School and used in their body shop. The are planning to restore the car to it's original color. All the one off parts are still with the car so it is possable they will get it right.
There are only 2 of these cars still know to be around, the other is the Blue PPG car in Pontiac's collection. It is the one that was at the 20th ann show last year.
There is no plans to get dispose of this car and they would like to remain unnamed. Yes it runs but the original computer is missing.
I have posted these pictures for you to enjoy. I would be glad share info from the original hand out I recieved when I photoed and sat in this very car back in 1985.
I will try to get updates and photos on the progress of this car during the school year.
Again they will not sell this car for any amount of money and do not want to be contacted. At this point we are trying to get the car donated to a museum if and when they are done with it. They are aware aware of the importance of this car and we hope will take the steps to protect it.
The pictures may make you rethink donating your body to science or car to a high school. If you have a weak stomach you may want to look away.
[This message has been edited by hyperv6 (edited 07-20-2004).]
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11:56 PM
PFF
System Bot
Jul 20th, 2004
hyperv6 Member
Posts: 6099 From: Clinton, OH, USA Registered: Mar 2003
This is Pontiac Autostyle GTP PPG pace car in Pontiacs collection. The one pictured above was in this condition when it was donated only it was red. Note the windows in the sail panels were in all the cars but the red car, it only had scoops.
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12:18 AM
Silicoan86 Member
Posts: 1614 From: Savage, MN, USA Registered: May 2004
At this point we are trying to get the car donated to a museum if and when they are done with it. They are aware aware of the importance of this car and we hope will take the steps to protect it.
PLEASE make sure that they do NOT donate it to Petersen's Car Museum. We all know that they have NO CLUE about the Fiero .....
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07:11 AM
hyperv6 Member
Posts: 6099 From: Clinton, OH, USA Registered: Mar 2003
Keep in mind we hope the car will be donated at some point in the future . As of now there are no plans to do so.
They fully plan on keeping the car, the donation suggestion is only to keep the car from being scraped if they ever decide to do so in the future. We want it written in to the paperwork on the car not to scrap and donate. There is a local museum that probably would get the car or at least first crack at it.
Also I did not discover this car. A freind and member the Fiero group I belong to {Gary} found this car a few years ago. I gave directions to someone to go and document the car this spring. I just finally got off my butt to go look at it myself. This is the 2nd Rare Fiero I have looked at localy this year. The other is the 184th built that GM used for testing rear swaybars like the one on this car. Also we think it may be the 2nd oldest. We have not found anyone to have a vin# lower other than the #1 car that pontiac has.
This proves cars and parts are all around you just have keep you eyes open and know what to look for [ know your Fiero history]. I have seen people miss on some cars and related items because of false info given on this web site and others, don't believe everything if it is not documented in some way. The a guy who knew a guy who knew a guy story can get wrong info out real fast.
I agree OZ ! I wish the body could be molded, I even suggested if they made molds they could make money for the school if they sold copies of the body. They did not seem interested, we could reask when if they ever have a school levey fail [HAHA].
Well I am still looking for the local guy with the 16 inch plastic wheels Pontiac fooled with in 1984 with Motor Wheel. I Knew they were prototype wheels the first time I spoke to the guy but he never told me they were plastic. I just found this out last fall when I saw a 5th wheel. Keep your eyes open they are around and look like the wheels on the clay 1990 GTP. [the silver ones not the black ones] Here is a picture if you missed it last fall. I since have found the story in Autoweek in 1985 that covers info on the wheel.
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07:44 AM
FIERO JOHN-WI Member
Posts: 2408 From: GREENFIELD, WI, MILWAUKEE Registered: Jun 2001
"HyperV6" I love it when I see a person like myself that has a passion for finding out more about the history of the fiero (I know my wealth of knowledge and documentation is and continues to be on the C&C t-top option for the fiero) but this stuff is very important as well. Keep up the good work we must all work together to "Preserve are Excitement and love for the Fiero" since many do not. Just one more thing above you said there were only 2 left (there is actually 3) the blue one at Pontiac, the red you have pictured, and the yellow one (That Ron Triechel of Michigan club) did a story (in the michigan newsletter) on it. It is in a high school in Michigan and was donated. Get in touch with him!
AS FOR THE FIERO PEOPLE TO SEE WHAT ALL 6 LOOKED LIKE ALL TOGETHER SOMEONE NEEDS TO SCAN FOCOA CALANDER THEY DID IN THERE IS A PICTURE OF ALL OF THEM TOGETHER.
Thanks HyperV6 for the story!
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08:00 AM
mrfixit58 Member
Posts: 3330 From: Seffner, Fl, USA Registered: Jul 99
As have stated a few time the school does not want to be named [not my idea, sorry!].
I will contact them next June to see if they will bring it to a local Pontiac event to show it off. If they do I will post it so everyone can attend and see it.
Also as for the yellow one in Michigan. I was told Ron went back and it is now unaccounted for. I don't know if it was moved or destroyed. May be someone in Michigan and find out the latest?
[This message has been edited by hyperv6 (edited 07-20-2004).]
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05:59 PM
Toddster Member
Posts: 20871 From: Roswell, Georgia Registered: May 2001
Man!!!!!!!!!!!! now I'm mad. What is wrong with GM Pontiac? Those Corvette boys must have alot of clout, monies, and monkey balls in-tring to keep the Fiero down. GM is so darn secretive and its not even a V8 and is nearly 20 years old.
I like the inner-cooler location vs on the back of the deck. It really needsa side scoope.
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06:34 PM
hyperv6 Member
Posts: 6099 From: Clinton, OH, USA Registered: Mar 2003
I don't know if this is the scoop you were looking for. It is hard to see but the car had one on both sides. The driver side feeds the intercooler. If you look at the pictures of the blue car it has windows like the GT with scoops. The red car was the only one with out windows in the sail panels. Talk about a blind spot!
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11:17 PM
NotAFieroAnyLonger Member
Posts: 4413 From: 75762/Texas/USA Registered: Dec 2003
I have never figured out the car at the Peterson. It looks very much like a car that was in North Carolina with DGP panels and sold in an Autoweek ad years ago? Does anyone know for sure if it was built by Pontiac? I have never seen it in there GM press photo's?
The Peterson is a good museum but it is like much of the rest of California just different. Not bad! just different than what most folks are used to. I really love going to California just because it is so different. Though I could do with out the traffic. I Enjoyed the Peterson when I was there, Also the vault really has some really neat cars in it.
[This message has been edited by hyperv6 (edited 07-21-2004).]
There is a Dutch company named Auto Style that makes car accessories. Any chance this is the company that did the rebody work? And, if so, any chance they still have the molds?
I have never figured out the car at the Peterson. It looks very much like a car that was in North Carolina with DGP panels and sold in an Autoweek ad years ago? Does anyone know for sure if it was built by Pontiac? I have never seen it in there GM press photo's?
The Peterson is a good museum but it is like much of the rest of California just different. Not bad! just different than what most folks are used to. I really love going to California just because it is so different. Though I could do with out the traffic. I Enjoyed the Peterson when I was there, Also the vault really has some really neat cars in it.
Here's what I found out about this car: It's an '84 (according to the VIN tag) built by Pontiac (it had the documentation, and Petersen's backed it up in a letter to me later) with a GT body (more than likely DGP - notice there's no front marker lights) on it, a Super Duty engine installed AND power steering. A Pontiac test mule? More than likely, but to see this many different pieces on the same car raises questions. GM usually changes one item at a time, tests it extensively, then moves on. For instance, they would put power steering on an otherwise stock Fiero & test it. To put power steering on, then a Super Duty engine, etc etc it becomes overkill for the engineers as each is tested by a different group. Is it a prototype? Most certainly not. Prototypes were never built from OEM vehicles, and because this had a VIN tag it was one that went down the assembly line. (GM had an unlimited supply to Fieros - why use one that was destined for resale?) Is it an interesting Fiero? YES!
WKDFIRO - I'm very surprised that they had no idea it wasn't the 89/90 Fiero. These are the guys behind Hot Rod - you would hope that they would know what they had and what they didn't. On the flip side, am I surprised that they had a Fiero in their midst? Oh hell yeah!
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01:28 PM
hyperv6 Member
Posts: 6099 From: Clinton, OH, USA Registered: Mar 2003
On the Auto Style, they may be connected but even if they are the molds were only temporary molds. The hand out I was given in 1985 said they used temporary molds that could be tooled into production molds. So unless someone comes up with something new these are it unfortunaly.
Nothing against the GT but I always liked the front and the back of this car better than the 86 1/2-88 GT. Just my preferance for the smaller tail light I guess. It was more 348 like. But god is the rear deck heavy with all the glass and bondo they grafted on.
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04:12 PM
cjgable Member
Posts: 1198 From: Fort Worth, Tx, USA Registered: Dec 2001
Dude, that is a sweet find! I love the rear decklid with the notchy lights and the wider body over the rear wheels. Does anyone know what exactly the guys at PPG paint (logo on the side) had to do with the pace car? Was it just for promotion/partnership with PPG for a limited edition pace cars? Do you think they were hoping of making them publically available?
Chris
[This message has been edited by cjgable (edited 07-21-2004).]
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04:33 PM
FieroMGDriver Member
Posts: 961 From: Concord, NC USA Registered: Nov 2001
OK Scott, you shamed me into posting the some pics to. I had the opportunity to spend time with the car in April. I am glad to see the car in one piece even though I counted six coats of paint over the original. The most pleasing comment from the directors of the school was that they do realize what they have and will do everything in their power to keep the car from being destroyed. The shop instructor wants to get his students involved and restore the car to original and to show condition for public display. This car was considered the No. 1 car and got used the most. From my understanding, the program was not all that well funded and the engineers did what they could do with what they had. It would be interesting to find the specs on all 7cars. I will bet that not all of the cars had a turbo. I attempted to get the engine bay open on the blue one at the 20th, but the key did not work and there was no trunk release switch. That car should be as it was.
The red #1 had a ECM go bad. The original looked like two production ECM's piggybacked. The school chnaged the car over to a Holley ECM and hooked up enough to make it run. The engine compartment is a mess after the "rewire" The instructor started the car for me. It sounded very similiar to the SD-4 and would barely run under 2k rpm. What a wicked sweet sound. The exhaust was all 2-1/2 in to one small dual inlet, dual outlet muffler.
Here are some of the pics I took:
In addition to the quarter window intake scoops, there is an induction fan over the intercooler
The intercooler was shrouded from the fan
The engine bay is such a mess that it is hard to see the turbo over the transmission to the rear. If you look under the intake tube you can see the top of the Super Duty 4 speed trans with a huge gear box. It make the standard Muncie 4spd look like a kids toy.
continued.....................
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08:35 PM
RAREW66 Member
Posts: 1119 From: Davenport, IA USA Registered: Jun 2001
The intake manifold is welded in to one big plenum with no runners. A plate was welded across the bottom of the plenum and the sides where filled in. Not pretty, but effective. it had an external adjustable fuel pressure regulator with what appeared to be a stock fuel rail. The way the intake was modified, the stock fpr would have not had clearance.
The throttle body looked like a stock bore, but had a plate between the TB and the intake with enrichment injectors in the plate. The two enrichment injectors were fed off the fuel rail pressure tap.
It appeared that the air cleaner had duct work that attached to the right side quarter window scoop
The ECM was located in the trunk. I would assume that the harness was in better shape originally. The car also had dual batteries with an isolation solenoid in the center.
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08:50 PM
Dennis LaGrua Member
Posts: 15528 From: Hillsborough, NJ U.S.A. Registered: May 2000
From the appearance of this car it seems to have had plenty of use. I wonder about the "genius" whos design loaded the trunk with stuff which should be in the engine compartment? While I like the historical significance of this Fiero; the layout of the engine controls and air intake through the trunk is poor.
. I think the school missed a payment 
