Really glad to read that Chester thread. I can't imagine finding a low mileage Fiero in the junkyard. I've seen MANY rare Fieros in the junkyard, Formulas, 85 GTs with the sheepskin seats, 87 SEs with the factory leather, TTOP cars... you name it. Sigh... I just don't have the room or I'd buy every single one of them. All I can do is just fix up my own... :/
I just talked to the guy. Really interesting! He said over the years He's bought & sold over two-dozen Fiero's. Shipped some across the country even. I'm going over to take a look at it this weekend for johnyrottin. I have a feeling I'll be there for quite a while. I suspect he is the guy that originally brought my 86GT up from the Carolina's.
------------------ 86 GT 87 coupe restoration project.
I bought a complete, brand new 3.1 V6, a THM125C (3T40) automatic transmission, a brand new cradle, a brand new exhaust system, and lots of other Fiero-specific parts in the same lot. I have a bill of sale documenting that I acquired these items legitimately. The transmission has "MOCKUP ONLY" stenciled on the case, and it has been disassembled and reassembled by students so many times that it's pretty much worthless except for its now-semi-random internal parts.
Schools aren't supposed to sell these things once they accept them from GM, but as soon as school administrators realize they can get MONEY for them all bets are off.
Edited for stuttering.
[This message has been edited by Marvin McInnis (edited 12-16-2010).]
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11:48 AM
ED77KATR Member
Posts: 420 From: Wildwood Crest, NJ Registered: Nov 2003
I bought a complete, brand new 3.1 V6, a THM125C (3T40) automatic transmission, a brand new cradle, a brand new exhaust system, and lots of other Fiero-specific parts in the same in the same lot. I have a bill of sale documenting that I acquired these items legitimately. The transmission has "MOCKUP ONLY" stenciled on the case, and it has been disassembled and reassembled by students so many times that it's pretty much worthless except for its now-semi-random internal parts.
Schools aren't supposed to sell these things once they accept them from GM, but as soon as school administrators realize they can get MONEY for them all bets are off.
Congrats on a great Buy. Once GM Donates the cars and parts,legally they no longer own them. So the schools can unload them at will. The general rule is to keep them 7 years. Now if they are "On Loan" from GM thats a different story.
I bought a complete, brand new 3.1 V6, a THM125C (3T40) automatic transmission, a brand new cradle, a brand new exhaust system, and lots of other Fiero-specific parts in the same lot. I have a bill of sale documenting that I acquired these items legitimately. The transmission has "MOCKUP ONLY" stenciled on the case, and it has been disassembled and reassembled by students so many times that it's pretty much worthless except for its now-semi-random internal parts
THAT is why I expressed my concern about the car's condition. I assumed it was for use in the Auto Shop, not Home Ec or whatever.. Even though they didn't drive the car, what DID they do to it?
[This message has been edited by Doni Hagan (edited 12-16-2010).]
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09:33 PM
Dec 17th, 2010
ED77KATR Member
Posts: 420 From: Wildwood Crest, NJ Registered: Nov 2003
THAT is why I expressed my concern about the car's condition. I assumed it was for use in the Auto Shop, not Home Ec or whatever.. Even though they didn't drive the car, what DID they do to it?
Everything a 16 year old loose with a Hammer and a wrench can think of !!!
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08:50 AM
Marvin McInnis Member
Posts: 11599 From: ~ Kansas City, USA Registered: Apr 2002
Even though they didn't drive the car, what DID they do to it?
The stuff I bought reportedly had been sitting in a tech school storage building for ~10 years. The engine appeared pristine when I bought it, but I tore it down anyway because there was no other way to be sure that it was rust free and had been assembled correctly. Among other things, the internally-balanced engine had somehow acquired an external-balance flexplate. A lot can happen in 10 years.
While impossible to verify, the story that accompanied the stuff I bought is that it all came from the Fiero prototype shop. The 3.1 V6 was never used in a production Fiero, but my 3.1 block (which is virtually identical to the '88 2.8) with large-valve Fiero heads on it is still consistent with the story ... as is the transmission with "MOCKUP ONLY" stenciled on the case. Everything else I bought were parts-bin production items from the Fiero model years ... no rare prototypes in the lot.
[This message has been edited by Marvin McInnis (edited 12-19-2010).]
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10:49 AM
Australian Member
Posts: 4701 From: Sydney Australia Registered: Sep 2004
I own a 1987 white Fiero 4cyl Auto that was a donated school car. It sits in my garage with 000079.9 miles on the odometer. School never used it..was sold by the City as a abandoned car in 2002 since there was no title. Still had plastic on floors and window sticker on it.Also factory chalk marks on tires and body. There was a old post here from 2008 "how many miles on your Duke" pics of car on there. Its a cool thing to own as its a new 24 year old car. Like a time capsule. It cant be titled but sold thru "Bill of Sale only" Dont wanna drive it anyway... Some states will title it I hear. Wish I knew which ones. I guess as salvage. Im preserving it in AS-IS new condition.
If anyone can help me post pictures on here,please PM me. I have a few of my 79 mile Fiero. Thanks Ed
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11:49 PM
Dec 20th, 2010
nmw75 Member
Posts: 1676 From: Mc Falls, Maine Registered: Mar 2007
Went over on Saturday to look at the car. Its nice. It has some cosmetic issues inside & out but nothing major. The outer dew strips are dry & cracked, some of the front body panels were out of alignment. Inside was clean. The dash corners were perfect. Original tires... Wasn't able to take a good look inside the engine bay but it started immediately upon turning the key & idled perfect.
There is no factory VIN # for this car. The owner was able to get it titled by the state & it now has a VIN tag applied to the door jam. So - yes, it is able to be driven on the road legally. This was quite a process from what I was told. The state police even came to investigate the car. I guess they didn't believe what it was.
I think its an honest price for the car... Would I buy it - I dont know. I'd drive it & just rack up the miles on it.
------------------ 86 GT 87 coupe restoration project.
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11:28 AM
Dec 23rd, 2010
indydriver Member
Posts: 233 From: Los Angeles, California, USA Registered: Sep 2002
Mine Mine Mine Mine Mine Mine Mine Mine Mine Mine!!! Thank you all for procrastinating. I just received the title in the Mail. I'll be drivering her home soon. Look here: https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum1/HTML/083858.html indydriver in L.A.
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09:20 PM
fieroboy_gt Member
Posts: 324 From: Lewiston, Maine, USA Registered: Mar 2007
I know the owner personally an i have bought several cars from robbie. He has supported the local fiero fanatics in the lewiston auburn area for years. He had this car 10 years ago. But at the time was fighting for the title. He is a stand up guy but health issues have made hime have to gett out of the fiero buisness. He still does some model a stuff . He use to have like 10 fieros at his house. He did a clutch job for me bqck in the day for 100 bucks he still has a assortment of parts there. The car is def a nice car. Hes kinda just giving it away. He wanted alot more for it a while back but the economy is killing us all.
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10:29 PM
Dec 24th, 2010
Boomtastic Member
Posts: 2359 From: Athens, Alabama Registered: May 2000
This is all true. I'm the one who bught Chester's gold SE and drove it home from Connecticut to Los Angeles 7 seven years ago. I put an easy 10k miles on it per year. Most of those miles were 80 mile round trip freeway runs to work. I cared for it like a baby. I sold it last summer to a nice couple from North Hollywood who turned out to be something other than a nice couple from North Hollywood. Now I don't thik they were a "couple" at all. They were buying the car for the Top Gear show. I think the episode will be shown this Sunday. When Chester found the car in New Hampshire it had no VIIN tags on it. New Hampshire issued tags with new VIN numbers. When I took it to the California Highway Patrol to have it inspected (a DMV requirement to register out-of-state vehicles in California) the inspecting officer would not accept the N.H. VIN. He pulled the N.H. tags off and put brand new California VIN tags on the using the original GM VIN that was found on the chassis. I was thrilled. Now she was all original. It will be sad to se her defiled on that stupid T.V. show. I'll watch the show out of respect for the great times I had with the car. However, being one of the few remaining Capitalists in California, I must insist that they have the right to do whatever they want with the car. That's what I did when I bought it and drove it home and many thought it should go into a museum. That doesn't mean that I don't regret selling it to them. That show is still stupid to the bone. indydriver in L.A.
Great story - thanks for sharing. I remember them getting this car too (back when I lived in Mass). I've got a copy of the Top Gear episode on my website so it will be archived.
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