Wow... that is awesome. You're in raleigh? I live about 45 mins away. I would love to head out that way and check it out sometime.
You're welcome anytime... weekends are best for me. Send me an e-mail if you're going to be in the area, and I'll be glad to meet you somewhere in town. Maybe we can get together for lunch or something.
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10:08 PM
Formula88 Member
Posts: 53788 From: Raleigh NC Registered: Jan 2001
build thread please i would like to do this btw it look spectacular
Thanks! Glad you like it.
As far as a build thread goes, I haven't gotten around to cleaning up the pics and uploading them, mainly 'cuz other than casual curiosity, it wouldn't help much in duplicating the car 'cuz an Automoda top kit would be needed to do that, and they've been out of production since about 1992.
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07:30 AM
LoW_KeY Member
Posts: 8081 From: Hastings, MI Registered: Oct 2001
I actually originally discovered it in 1990, and got info on it back then. The plan was to pay off my '88 Coupe in three years, then get a loan to get the conversion done. But during that three years, the company was forced out of business.
A few years ago, V8Archie snagged this particular kit off eBay. Formula88 and I were excited as heck 'cuz we figured he'd be jumping on the thing to reverse-engineer it and replicate it. But, a couple years later, the convertible bug was biting me something fierce, and I sent out feelers everywhere I could to try and locate a kit. Archie responded, named a price, and I jumped on it.
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10:26 PM
PFF
System Bot
Flamberge Member
Posts: 4268 From: Terra Sancta, TX Registered: Oct 2001
Not a problem! When someone asks you just have to show them. This is a nice car and I love the top. Maybe someday he will let me drive it to see what it feels like to go Topless! (bad pun I know)
------------------ Thank you, Robert Ver Halen Winston-Salem, NC (IZA-TOY)
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09:06 AM
LZeitgeist Member
Posts: 5662 From: Raleigh, NC, U.S.A. Registered: Dec 2000
I've wanted a convertible Fiero for several years, and yes, your kit appears to be the best out there. All I can say is great job, your car is absolutely beautiful. Rolling Art. Enough said!
------------------ Ron Freedom isn't Free, it's always earned. My imagination is the only limiting factor to my Fiero. Ooops forgot about the money issue.
[This message has been edited by blackrams (edited 05-29-2005).]
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10:13 AM
LZeitgeist Member
Posts: 5662 From: Raleigh, NC, U.S.A. Registered: Dec 2000
I wish I could take credit for the design of the convertible top, but that goes to Onofrio Scaduto, founder of Automoda back the the late 80's/early 90's... but it's the only style I ever considered putting on my car.
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12:21 PM
Jun 13th, 2005
AnimalGT Member
Posts: 1118 From: Chicago, IL Registered: Jul 2001
Abosultely beautious great car LZeitgeist! I just saw this... I've been away from the forum doing Army stuff. The best convertible coupe I've ever seen. I'm PMing you for some build pics please. I've got a convertible mechanism and top that I'm about 99% sure is a Automoda. It was on a late model coupe. I don't have the vents from it and the top is rough; but the mechanism is in great shape and everything else is there.
quote
Originally posted by Formula88:
Yeah, but who's got an Automoda kit to tear apart to reverse-engineer?
....Me... heh... heh
It should be going on a Formula w/ fastback deck this summer. (I say should because I could be deployed to the sandbox before the summer is over.) I'll be putting a 3.4 DOHC in the car w/ a getrag. I'll do a build thread when I get enough progress to show anything.
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05:37 PM
LZeitgeist Member
Posts: 5662 From: Raleigh, NC, U.S.A. Registered: Dec 2000
Thanks for the compliments - replied to your PM. Hope I helped a bit, anyway...
Actually, seeing that your address bar lists you as being in Wisconsin, I would DEFINITELY get in touch with V8Archie - he's in the Chicago area and will definitely be worth talking to.
[This message has been edited by LZeitgeist (edited 06-13-2005).]
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06:01 PM
Jun 27th, 2005
LZeitgeist Member
Posts: 5662 From: Raleigh, NC, U.S.A. Registered: Dec 2000
Hey Patrick, I took the liberty of posting up a full page of your car on the Fiero Photo-Rama. To get there, www.fierodriver.com and click on the "2" in the year 2005... Wudman
------------------ Wudman Affordable Websites & Search Engine Optimization - Premium Disc Jockey, Emcee & PA Services for Southern Illinois & Metro St. Louis Home of the one and only Fiero Photo-Rama www.fierodriver.com
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01:22 PM
LZeitgeist Member
Posts: 5662 From: Raleigh, NC, U.S.A. Registered: Dec 2000
Wow... that is awesome. You're in raleigh? I live about 45 mins away. I would love to head out that way and check it out sometime.
Come out to one of our Tarheel Fieros get togethers! Lately we've been meeting at the Fox & Hound in Winston-Salem, and there's also the Carolina Fiero Club that aerosmithr0cker is starting up. They really pretty much overlap, since nothing ever official happens with Tarheel Fieros - we just get together for lunch every so often. aerosmithr0cker is trying to make Carolina Fieros a real club, with activities and such, but so far all of the meetings have been at their place in Charlotte. I'm hoping to have a few around the state so more people can show up.
Come out to one of our Tarheel Fieros get togethers! Lately we've been meeting at the Fox & Hound in Winston-Salem, and there's also the Carolina Fiero Club that aerosmithr0cker is starting up. They really pretty much overlap, since nothing ever official happens with Tarheel Fieros - we just get together for lunch every so often. aerosmithr0cker is trying to make Carolina Fieros a real club, with activities and such, but so far all of the meetings have been at their place in Charlotte. I'm hoping to have a few around the state so more people can show up.
Definitely stop by sometime - meeting announcements are usually floating around the Forum somewhere...
Very clean and well done. Looks as though it was an option in 88.
I believe that was the point. Everything LZ does to his car is done with the idea of "OEM Believability." If you didn't know better, you couldn't tell if it's stock. He even used a third brake light on the trunk lid, below the rear wing, from an 88 Sunbird - since that's probably how they would have done it in 88.
Now that's just
What he needs to do now is take a lot of detailed pics and post them with descriptions of deviations from stock. You wouldn't believe how many little things have been changed - but they all blend together to look like they belong there.
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11:02 AM
Dec 19th, 2005
LZeitgeist Member
Posts: 5662 From: Raleigh, NC, U.S.A. Registered: Dec 2000
I've been a product engineer for GM for many years. I remember seeing a Fiero at the proving grounds with an Automoda conversion. I was with a friend in upper management at the time who owned a GT. He told me we were testing it for possible production.... then somebody pulled the plug on the whole thing.
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11:19 PM
Apr 8th, 2006
wiccantoy Member
Posts: 3372 From: northwales , pa / Williamstown nj Registered: Mar 2002
I've been a product engineer for GM for many years. I remember seeing a Fiero at the proving grounds with an Automoda conversion. I was with a friend in upper management at the time who owned a GT. He told me we were testing it for possible production.... then somebody pulled the plug on the whole thing.
Yeah, it's a shame... I really wish these could have hit the market.
