Wow. I didn't notice that you smoothed the trim out in the earlier pictures. That is a really nice touch! Looks so great. Congrats, you now have a fiero that looks like an exotic supercar.
Are you planing on putting that rear defuser back on? That was an interesting idea.
Dark blue window tint might look cool on it. edit... hmm maybe not, after looking at the pics again
[This message has been edited by zMacK (edited 04-29-2006).]
Thanks zMack - It helps to have a clean car to start with The diffuser needed some more work before it looks like the way I want it. I didn't want to detract from the car with a half-thought out idea, so I took it off.
As for the smoothing, I hid any evidence of that in the progress pics. If anybody tells you smoothing a Fiero is easy, they are lying. It is a Huuuge effort. One of the things I did different is I intentionally put a line on the fascias to relieve any stress to minimize cracking between the urethane and the reinforced urethane.
Big thanks to Archie!!.
You have to drive a chop top to understand that the whole look and feel of the car is different. Archie and the late Rich Warber understood this and created an amazing look.
Ran into a few folks at the gas station today, and fielded the usual questions..."is that a Lotus?" "A Fiero???" "Are they making those again?" "That car is 18 years old!!??"
As Madcurl suggests, when the wheels go on it will be another order of magnitude to deal with.
[This message has been edited by jscott1 (edited 05-01-2006).]
It definately has an exotic look to it, especially in this picture:
That's just a nice angle. I think the corvette tail light panel would make it look even more so, but the stock tail lights look good. It's too bad a front plate is required in Texas. I'm glad we don't have to have those here. BTW, are you planning on taking it to any shows this year?
Hard to believe that is the same car parked next to the GBCT, wouldn't you all say?? What a transformation!
Remember this pic? Proud-1 parked next the the car that it would later be rebuilt to look like!
Fiero_Adam - I hate the front license plate too, but it's not worth it to get pulled over for not having it. I'm planning to put the "folded" plate on like I have on Proud-2. I couldn't find anything in the code that says I can't fold it.
Thanks Pete - you built a smooth running drive train. There's a small chance I might be passing though Ontario again someday. Maybe I can swing by and you can drive the finished car!
I am planning at least on coming to the chop top reunion in September/Fierorama. Maybe I can get Archie to sign my hood?
[This message has been edited by jscott1 (edited 04-29-2006).]
Your car looks great.....I can't wait to see it with the new rims. It seams every Choptop that gets finished raises the bar for the next one. There are times when I think about changing the color and wheels on the GBCT to freshen it up………then I wake up.
See you in Sept. at Archie’s………we can get another picture side by side.
DL10 - Thanks, your car was the inspiration. It would be awesome to see them side by side
Godfather - thanks! Getting rid of the moldings makes any Fiero look better in my opinion...even more so on a chop top!
Wil-Martin - Thanks...more inspiration for you to go fastback?? Maybe you'll get to see it soon
Her86GT - Thanks...you have the honor of being the only person to have taken this car to the track...maybe again some day but it's probably going to be even slower after the new wheels
Revin - Thanks...Feel free to compete against my car. It's still rough on the inside, probably be years before it's as clean as yours overall.
But I will tell you that the guy who did my body work didn't exactly know what he was doing. There are several areas that need rework already. I am building a list to take to my new body guy to fix.
But I will tell you that the guy who did my body work didn't exactly know what he was doing. There are several areas that need rework already. I am building a list to take to my new body guy to fix.
I HAD my roof line covered, it cracked when I was at the track launching hard. Car flexing.I am guessing. if your list means you can take it backed to get fixed, try a few hard starts just to be sure the glass will hold together.
I HAD my roof line covered, it cracked when I was at the track launching hard. Car flexing.I am guessing. if your list means you can take it backed to get fixed, try a few hard starts just to be sure the glass will hold together.
Yeah no doubt a powerful launch at the track can do some damage, but my whimpy little normally aspirated 8 banger probably doesn't flex the body too much. My roof had cracked before I left the shop, but he refused to fix it...darn fixed price contractors I'm going to have it re-done somewhere else.
I noticed that you painted the side view mirrors and the upper triangular corner of the door. Did the guys "smooth" the surface or was it sanded and sprayed over?
Edit: Do you have any "straight-on" pics from the rear?
[This message has been edited by madcurl (edited 05-02-2006).]
did you graft tips from another wing to form the tip extentions? Ive made my own 6" stands putting two pairs together and i have the wing i took them from left over to use, Im very interested in how you formed the tips, and would appretiate more details,
quote
Originally posted by jscott1:
------------------ 85 GT, bright blue met. fastback, chrome 16"s, 3800 swap, (soon to be SBC) 85.5 Porsche 944 euro *for sale* 73 VW Karmann Ghia convertible (sold to finish SBC swap)
did you graft tips from another wing to form the tip extentions?
No, I cut out two pices of cardboard exactly 2 inches long and taped them onto the end of the wing. Then I glassed over that with about 5 layers of cloth and then bondo over that. It has been on like that for over a year and showed no signs of cracking.
Jscott - I saw you "dropped" a photo in another thread, so I had to come looking for more of the finished product.
The car looks great! A nice tribute to the GBCT, with your own modernizations & style. I really like the smoothed moldings with the intentional body lines - it's got a much more "production" feel to it. I also like the fact that you had the body blended into the door jambs (and painted to match). nice.
quote
Originally posted by madcurl:
#011 has been glassed over for several years. So far, no cracks.
I think the key to this mod, is using a flexible body filler (as opposed to your normal "bondo" type filler that is more rigid). It should be able to be smoothed just as well, but not react to the flexing so much!
Jscott - I saw you "dropped" a photo in another thread, so I had to come looking for more of the finished product.
The car looks great! A nice tribute to the GBCT, with your own modernizations & style. I really like the smoothed moldings with the intentional body lines - it's got a much more "production" feel to it. I also like the fact that you had the body blended into the door jambs (and painted to match). nice.
Thanks, MinnGreen - coming from an artist like you it means a lot!!! I was going to debut the car at a show this summer, but I couldn't wait. I looked at a lot of cars getting ideas about the marker lights and the smoothing, and I noted that on even the smoothest production cars, like the 350Z they all had a line where the fascia is mounted so I simulated that line, and I think it looks more natural that way.
Looking good. And a price already! Hopping too get one the 20th of May when I have my chopper on a show. Madcurl told me... ------------------ Regards SHARKMAN 86 GT, 3.4 Camaro engine, choptop # 1 in Europe/Sweden
[This message has been edited by Sharkman (edited 05-15-2006).]
Well this was my first win of any kind so I'm quite pleased...
But to clarify, I won "best of show- 80s and up", so I wasn't competing against the t-bucket or chevelle...but I did beat out an impala and a couple of mustangs, and a few other 90s cars though.
The diffuser needed some more work before it looks like the way I want it. I didn't want to detract from the car with a half-thought out idea, so I took it off. 
I'm going to have it re-done somewhere else.
