Nice looking rims I like the polished lip - I am surprised that a 42 offset was able to fit on the front - I'm leaning more towards the HRE style wheels like pacethis posted in the thread. I have also been looking for the old style Konig monsoons, or the Volk AV3 - both of which are hard to come by these days, especially staggered. Thanks for the info on the show off your custom rims thread, lot of samples there to look at.
Thanks for the compliment on my wheels. At the time there were not too many 18's in a 5x100 that could be ordered this way. The Falken's have held up really well, and continue to draw attention from people. I also liked the old Konig GTR's.
If money is no object HRE makes a Ferrari look 5-spoke look in their classic design wheels that you can custom order to you specifications. However starting a $6k for a set new they are out of my budget.
Could you post some links to the other wheel designs you mentioned? The Mera Cromadoras are 15 in. I don't think they will clear you vette rotors.
I also found a company in South Africa that reproduces a Ferrari racing wheel similar to the Cromadora design in larger diameters, custom offsets, and widths in matte gold. However they were about 2k each made to order.
Thats a little rich for me - my ideal situation would be the Cromadora wheel look but 18's and staggered. But to accomplish that is way to pricey for me. I'll try and post some pictures of what I'm thinking. Tthe Mera is a dilema for me - on one side I would like to make it as original as possible with the Cromodora wheels, and Mera Badges, but on the other side it has so many possibilities to upgrade with the 13' brakes and as you did the 3.4 motor swap. I would like to know more about your swap - do you have a build thread on it? Likewise i struggle with what to do with the interior - do I keep it original or change to mimic the Ferrari. I enjoy making the suttle changes to a car to create the look i like.
Nice looking rims I like the polished lip - I am surprised that a 42 offset was able to fit on the front - Thanks for the info on the show off your custom rims thread, lot of samples there to look at.
On the 88 GT/Formula body the 42 offset is necessary to pull the wheels "in" since the suspension was widened for 1988. Otherwise the front tires tend to stick out too much in relation to the bodywork. The tires clear under full lock and spring compression with no rubbing. My car is also lowered using Rodney's 1 in. lowering ball joints in front and 1 in. in back using cut down stock springs and "flipping the hat" for additional suspension travel. The Mera bodywork is heavier than the stock Fiero panels. When the stock rear spring is shortened it then has a higher spring rate. The shortened spring reduces the float in back on large bumps, but does not hurt the ride quality.
That thread has been around so long now it sort of show the progression in aftermarket wheels. Glad you found it useful.
[This message has been edited by Rick 88 (edited 10-20-2012).]
Here is a picture of one of the suttle changes I did do - I painted the rear area around the back red just below the bumper and to the right of the tail pipe.- the paint was a fairly close match to the cars color. I have some touchup to do - it seemed that most 308's were painted in this area.
This thread show some pics of my swap and my car. My 3.4 was built by West Coast Fiero. It has some mild mods, to increade reliability, and enhance power. It has a Darrell Morse bored out throttle body and match bored intake, HD timing chain and gears, high volume oil pump, ported stock exhaust maifolds and 17 lb Accell injector, Rodney's power pully set, water pump idler pully, and with his stainless vacuum lines. The engine also has Comp Cams 1.6 steel roller rockers. They enhance the top end performance but are not quite as quiet as stock stamped rocker arms.
We had quite a group of Fiero crazies here for a while as you can see. It was a lot of fun. My car has all the Mera emblems intact and I intend to keep it this way. People really scratch their head when I tell them it's a Pontiac.
You should check out XXR wheels. They have some nice designs at resonable prices in some very wide widths with different offsets. They have a nice 5 spoke with a deep lip, and a gold monoblok design that would look good on the Mera. I would not remove the upgrade rotors to make the stock Cromodoras fit. They are too nice. I also just "flipped" my front bumper. Now it does not look like it's "tongue is sticking out". Quote from my wife..........
My interior is bone stock and has the factory GT leather. I like the Fiero interior so I will keep it this way. The exhaust tip you will see are C6 Corvette. I installed them to replace the cheap chrome tips that were on it when I purchased the car.
Here is a picture of one of the suttle changes I did do - I painted the rear area around the back red just below the bumper and to the right of the tail pipe.- the paint was a fairly close match to the cars color. I have some touchup to do - it seemed that most 308's were painted in this area.
That looks great. I have wanted to do the same to mine. I thought about opening up the block off and installing screen similar to the one in the side air intakes. I just don't know what is behind the block off. I plan to repaint my car as the 25 year old paint is beginning to show its age.
That looks great. I have wanted to do the same to mine. I thought about opening up the block off and installing screen similar to the one in the side air intakes. I just don't know what is behind the block off. I plan to repaint my car as the 25 year old paint is beginning to show its age.
That's funny because that's exactly what I wanted to do with installing the screen - but then I chickened out and decided to only paint it for now. I think i might just paint some screen red and install it over the block off. What color is your grill over the back - mine is silver (aluminum) but I've been thinking of painting it black.
I did see where you flipped the front bumper and like the look alot - I am going to do it as well but figure it would be a good winter project to do. Here is something I really need help with - as you can see in the picture my side window sail is cracked and has a slight bow in it as well. I have not been able to find anything remotely close to replacing it - and not sure how to go about possibly having it reproduced. Open for ideas and suggestions.
Here is a picture of one of the suttle changes I did do - I painted the rear area around the back red just below the bumper and to the right of the tail pipe.- the paint was a fairly close match to the cars color. I have some touchup to do - it seemed that most 308's were painted in this area.
That looks great. I have wanted to do the same to mine. I thought about opening up the block off and installing screen similar to the one in the side air intakes. I just don't know what is behind the block off. I plan to repaint my car as the 25 year old paint is beginning to show its age.
I did see where you flipped the front bumper and like the look alot - I am going to do it as well but figure it would be a good winter project to do. Here is something I really need help with - as you can see in the picture my side window sail is cracked and has a slight bow in it as well. I have not been able to find anything remotely close to replacing it - and not sure how to go about possibly having it reproduced. Open for ideas and suggestions.
You decklid grill was originally a semi gloss black with silver edges like your side louvers. The sun has just faded it. An inexpensive fix it to remove and prep it. Mask off the edges you want to remain silver, and paint it with hi temp black paint. I have used Bar B Q grill paint. It gives a nice finish and holds up to the elements.
On the side louver, your best bet is to remove and repair it best you can. The non Mera side louvers I have seen are much poorer quality, and would not match what you have now. On the bow you might consider stacking weight on it and letting it sit on a truly flat surface in the sun for a period of time. I am not sure if a heat gun would speed up the process.
I did the bumper flip in a couple of hours. If you have any particular questions just let me know.
[This message has been edited by Rick 88 (edited 10-20-2012).]
That's funny because that's exactly what I wanted to do with installing the screen - but then I chickened out and decided to only paint it for now. I think i might just paint some screen red and install it over the block off. What color is your grill over the back - mine is silver (aluminum) but I've been thinking of painting it black.
Pics of my Mera emailed to the email address in you profile. Enjoy
RottinMera turned 70,000 miles this weekend on a trip to Eckerts to get a pumpkin. Turns out the Mera could carry two adults, two pumkins, and four planted poppies! Who knew???
Hey, any of you guys have any issue with your Mera running cold? Mine never seems to really warm up. I have changed thermostats and the car still runs cool. Now that winter is coming, and I'd like the heater to produce a sembalance of warmth.
Yeah, mine runs at about 1/8 guage--I think the thermastat is working, cuz it pops up there pretty fast. Could be the guage--never calibrated it. Couple things that can affect temp are timing and EGR. OK, OK, an EGR not opening should make it run hotter, but when I did a test run with mine disconnected, it actually ran cooler. I have to admit I don't worry about it here in PHX, but I know it gets colder than $__t in Mal Paso
My theory is that the larger grill opening of the Mera allows more cooling air thru the radiator than on the stock Fiero. I had a 180 degree thermostat and changed it to a 195. My car still runs as low as 1/8th mark and will only get up to the quarter mark if it sits at a light running in this weather. I drove the 18 mile commute home and the fan never turned on till I let my car idle in the driveway for about a minute after getting home. I may have to block off part of the radiator to get some heat this winter.
Well, if the thermostat hasn't opened, blocking the radiator airflow won't have any effect; however, if the thermostat has opened that should help. 195 degree thermostat should be enough to warm up the interior, and I can't imagine your engine running below that temp--if your gauge reaches the stable setting rapidly, your thermostat is closing properly, if your needle is nailed at 1/8th gauge while up and operating, I would guess the thermostat is opening properly. I don't know if a higher temp thermostat is available, but they're cheap, give a hotter one a try--or move farther west!
[This message has been edited by reholmes (edited 11-01-2012).]
Mine sits about the same 1/8th spot on 8088. I get a nice warm interior in teh mornings. However, the Indy heat is like a sauna! Far hotter than my MERA.
Perhaps that 1/8th temperature range is normal in these cars. Since the heater was not warming the car, I decided to investigate furthur. I pulled the blower motor to see if any trash was in the plenum blocking the airflow into the heater. It was empty with only a light coating of dust. I wiped it clean with a damp cloth. Then I got under the dash and removed the heater core to check for coolant blockage, or any other airflow obstructions.
I did find the core had been replaced already. However, there is a spring steel screw on brace that holds the core in position. It was there, but the core was not being held by it. So, there was an amount of cool air that could sneak around the core. The core itself was like new and had no internal buildup. I reinstalled it correctly. Now I am waiting for a cold morning to see if I no longer need a blanket.
Mine sits about the same 1/8th spot on 8088. I get a nice warm interior in teh mornings. However, the Indy heat is like a sauna! Far hotter than my MERA.
Woo Hoo, my heater is now building some temperature. I am going to replace the thermostat one more time, and call it done if nothing changes.
For what its worth I took the Mera for an hour drive this weekend. Weather was in the upper 60's - temperature gauge went about 1/4 of the way up - but I had warm air coming from the heater vents. I have noticed a change in how my hood sits with the colder weather. When I started the drive the hood was sitting higher on the edges, but by the end of the drive it was sitting normal. I assume this is normal since the hood is fiberglass.
Hello to everyone, I just joined your forum. My name is Larry and I live in Kansas City, MO. Lots of great information on this site.
I decided I wanted a car that was different and found PFF while researching info on 308 Fiero conversions. Thanks to you guys I discovered the Mera and the idea of having a car that only 247 were produced was irresistable.
I found Mera # 8029 for sale in Ocala FL, via craigslist, and bought it last weekend. It's a 5 speed with a Series I 3800 supercharged motor. The install looks good. It's a pretty solid car, the interior is so so, and the paint job is about a 20 footer, though. I'm not sure exactly where I'll start but it will be fun making it a really nice car.
It should show up here in the next couple of days, I'll post a couple of pics when it gets here.
Have you flushed the heater core to see if it may have sediment in it? If it does it may leak after flushing.
Indiana, I flushed the core and no trash or sediment came out. Actually it looked new inside and out. I believe it was replaced just before I purchased the car. No leaks whatsoever.
For what its worth I took the Mera for an hour drive this weekend. Weather was in the upper 60's - temperature gauge went about 1/4 of the way up - but I had warm air coming from the heater vents. I have noticed a change in how my hood sits with the colder weather. When I started the drive the hood was sitting higher on the edges, but by the end of the drive it was sitting normal. I assume this is normal since the hood is fiberglass.
My temp gauge reads about the same. I am now getting warmer air from my heater, however it is still not as hot as I got from my stock 88 GT. You are correct on the hood. Mine does it too. I believe the Mera top fiberglass overlay mated to the stock Pontiac underside cause this effect. I have no problems with my back decklid which is a complete fiberglass unit.
Welcome aboard Larry! Looking forward to seeing your car and helping with anything we can.
[This message has been edited by Rick 88 (edited 11-05-2012).]
Hello to everyone, I just joined your forum. My name is Larry and I live in Kansas City, MO. Lots of great information on this site.
I decided I wanted a car that was different and found PFF while researching info on 308 Fiero conversions. Thanks to you guys I discovered the Mera and the idea of having a car that only 247 were produced was irresistable.
I found Mera # 8029 for sale in Ocala FL, via craigslist, and bought it last weekend. It's a 5 speed with a Series I 3800 supercharged motor. The install looks good. It's a pretty solid car, the interior is so so, and the paint job is about a 20 footer, though. I'm not sure exactly where I'll start but it will be fun making it a really nice car.
It should show up here in the next couple of days, I'll post a couple of pics when it gets here.
Congrats on your find and welcome to the thread. I would love to have your engine--I'm jealous!
------------------
Dick Mera #8046 1987 GT T-boned (RIP) 1988 GT T-Top (Miss February 2012)
Hello to everyone, I just joined your forum. My name is Larry and I live in Kansas City, MO. Lots of great information on this site.
I decided I wanted a car that was different and found PFF while researching info on 308 Fiero conversions. Thanks to you guys I discovered the Mera and the idea of having a car that only 247 were produced was irresistable.
I found Mera # 8029 for sale in Ocala FL, via craigslist, and bought it last weekend. It's a 5 speed with a Series I 3800 supercharged motor. The install looks good. It's a pretty solid car, the interior is so so, and the paint job is about a 20 footer, though. I'm not sure exactly where I'll start but it will be fun making it a really nice car.
It should show up here in the next couple of days, I'll post a couple of pics when it gets here.
right on and welcome!!!! a 3800 SC Mera!!!!! nice please feel free to express yourself in video and/or photo formats, if you must. ohhh yeah
[This message has been edited by batousai666 (edited 11-06-2012).]
Larry - welcome to the neighborhood - I'm a newbie myself to the Mera - puchased mine earlier this year - Enjoy your car and we look forward to seeing pictures of the car and especially the motor.
.jpg)
.jpg)
