My name is Mark and I am the membership director for NIFE (Northern Illinois Fiero Enthusiasts). I have been following this thread for a long time. I fell in love with the Mera shortly after inheriting my Fiero in April 2010. At that time I found a yellow one that I was desperate to own, it was located in San Diego. Sadly, lack of funds prohibited me from purchasing it. I believe that Rexgirl eventually obtained it. I'm glad to see she loves it as much as I would have. Anyway, the reason for this post is to contact the Mera community on this forum and ask if anyone is interested in contributing to/writing an article for our award winning magazine Fiero Focus. The article would be the main feature in our May/June issue and would have to be completed by March 31st. It will include picture/s of a Mera. It could be one person, or a number of members pooled together for the article. We would like an article that features what I find most interesting about this thread. The info that you just don't get by googling Mera. Insider/owner information. We featured Mera's in a previous issue a few years back. It featured Julian's Mera on the cover and gave the basic info. I can email that article to whoever helps with this. Please PM me if you are interested.
Also, to go along with this idea, I have talked with the president of our club and we want to include Meras in our show event in September called Fierorama. It is the premier Fiero event in the country, displaying more than 70 Fieros in a number of different classes competing for awards chosen by fellow entrants. We want to have a Mera class, not just putting them in the rebody class. This way you will be competing against fellow Meras for awards. We would need at least 3 Meras to register to have a class. You can go to our web site www.fierofocus.com and go to the Fierorama page and get further info on this event. Please post your interest in attending on this thread.
Ok, finally got through all 161 pages. I'm pretty sure I now have carpal tunnel syndrome. And I've been staring at the multitude of posts of this thread for so long that I seem to have tunnel vision.
So, a rare case of CTV. Carpal Tunnel Vision. ;-)
Here's a fun fact:
Rexgirl, your SPID label has RPO code 84P. You have listed the code's definition as unknown. Certainly, it is quite difficult to find the definition for that code.
However, it is the color code for the original crosslace wheels that your 77U car had: Charcoal Metallic, or Gunmetal Metallic, depending on which 84P paint code Pontiac used on the 1987 Fiero.
The RPO 84P Charcoal is a different color than RPO 84P Gunmetal.
It might be fate that you're currently running those gray wheels!
[This message has been edited by GoGoFiero (edited 01-14-2016).]
My name is Mark and I am the membership director for NIFE (Northern Illinois Fiero Enthusiasts). I have been following this thread for a long time. I fell in love with the Mera shortly after inheriting my Fiero in April 2010. At that time I found a yellow one that I was desperate to own, it was located in San Diego. Sadly, lack of funds prohibited me from purchasing it. I believe that Rexgirl eventually obtained it. I'm glad to see she loves it as much as I would have. Anyway, the reason for this post is to contact the Mera community on this forum and ask if anyone is interested in contributing to/writing an article for our award winning magazine Fiero Focus. The article would be the main feature in our May/June issue and would have to be completed by March 31st. It will include picture/s of a Mera. It could be one person, or a number of members pooled together for the article. We would like an article that features what I find most interesting about this thread. The info that you just don't get by googling Mera. Insider/owner information. We featured Mera's in a previous issue a few years back. It featured Julian's Mera on the cover and gave the basic info. I can email that article to whoever helps with this. Please PM me if you are interested.
Also, to go along with this idea, I have talked with the president of our club and we want to include Meras in our show event in September called Fierorama. It is the premier Fiero event in the country, displaying more than 70 Fieros in a number of different classes competing for awards chosen by fellow entrants. We want to have a Mera class, not just putting them in the rebody class. This way you will be competing against fellow Meras for awards. We would need at least 3 Meras to register to have a class. You can go to our web site www.fierofocus.com and go to the Fierorama page and get further info on this event. Please post your interest in attending on this thread.
Larry, As I understand CC conversion process, the 1988 Mera's structure is 100% Fiero GT or Formula , and if so the chin spoiler should be a stock Fiero part for those models.
When I first got my Mera, all four lights would light up when I hit the brake. Obviously that wasn't meant to be, only the two red lights should light up. I spent about two hours trying to figure out how to mix and match the bulb holders. Then it occurred to me that my Mera was built on Formula, and thus, the different light setup. After studying the wiring diagram, I found one single white wire under the steering column. All I had to do was cut it, and bingo...tail and brake lights work with just the red, and the signal only with the amber. It was a great feeling to figure that out..sorta like the bomb disposal guy cutting the right wire.
Cheers! Tom
I need to do this and want to make sure I cut the right white wire. Has anyone done this, your help would be greatly appreciated. My MERA is an 88 on a Formula chassis.
This is how I resolved the problem of my turn lights illuminating along with the brake lights on my 1987 SE based Mera... My solution involved the C-500 connector.
To disable the brake switch from activating the rear orange (outside) turn lights on my SE based Mera, I did the following: Locate the C500 wiring connector mounted on the passenger side frame rail between the battery and the front of the strut tower. It has two multi-wire plugs; a front plug for the rear lights the another plug for the engine. Look at the front plug and you should see a LOOP of white wire that sticks out about three inches. Cut that looped wire and cover the cut ends with electrical tape. Now if I press the brake pedal, one half of each red tail light glows and the high mounted brake light (in the rear window) illuminates, and the orange (turn) tail light stay dark.
Rexgirl, I made a mistake about the original equipment on your Fiero, now MERA.
I said that RPO 84P on your SPID indicated that your original Fiero had Charcoal Metallic crosslace (diamond spoke) wheels.
After reviewing your SPID (sadly, this is how I spent my lunch hour today), your original Fiero had RPO N78 Hi-Tech Turbo Aluminum wheels, not the N90 crosslace (diamond spoke) wheels.
However, those wheels were still RPO 84P Charcoal Metallic.
It looks like I won't get that summa cum laude cord when I gradgitate (sic).
My Mera's RPO coding shows (N78) 14x7 wheel with (QDX) P195/70R14 tires but it also indicates (W69) Goodyear Eagle GT+4 P205/60R15 tires (front), and the CC promotional video indicates (early) Mera's are fitted with resprayed 15" crosslace wheels. My Mera came factory shod with body color crosslace 15x7 wheels, and without doing automotive archaeology to identify the factory color under the CC applied yellow paint, the original wheel hue will remain unknown. Who knows, maybe they were charcoal? Thanks for trying to help :-)
You have identified an interesting question, Rexgirl: When and where did the crosslace 1987 MERA wheels get painted? (I have not seen any posts regarding this)
Did CC buy unpainted crosslace wheels from the wheel manufacturer, or unpainted crosslace wheels from Pontiac? (I do not know if the 1987 Fiero wheel and the 1987 MERA wheel are identical)
Or, perhaps the manufacturer painted the wheels before shipping to CC and/or Pontiac?
I suspect that CC painted the 1987 MERA wheels. CC had those specific MERA paint colors on hand.
However, did CC paint over an existing wheel color to get the body-color match for the 1987 MERA wheels?
[This message has been edited by GoGoFiero (edited 01-31-2016).]
The paint on my Mera's wheels is quite thick. My guess is that typically CC painted over the factory color with the same paint that was applied to the bodies.
wow wee......this place is a jumpin. its been awhile eh? since Mera X and Black Dynamite broke I felt I had nothing to post here on the PFF anyway. but my Black Fiero is weeks away from 400 HP they say soooo I am back in the Fiero game. thought i'd stop by and say HI! soooo many questions......sooo many answers. in this thread there are Black Mera just cant remember if they are OEM black. plus I checked and I got a letter written by Rodney Dickman for what seems may be for a magazine that states that the wheel color was indeed matched to the body in 1987 only and aside of the Red Mera which I believe were left OEM gold. not to sure about that....cuz that flat grey is OEM for the pre '88 Fiero but its all right then when all this happens.
I also have a Car and Driver article (6/87) that does not mention the color of the wheels on their test Mera which makes me think they are Grey.........so there is evidence out there. and the video is where its all at!!
*EDIT* oh and I forgot there was a guy in FL Bill who had a grey set with the Mera emblems he wanted to sell me but the shipping killed it cuz he wanted $400 for the set as is still have his voice messages, even
NOW I HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT......I think I have finally gotten a format that will allow me to make data copies of the video on CD media.....not DVD yet. but if someone wants to sent me their home address in a PM I will sent you one to see. One of my Biggest Fears was getting this out and someone making money off it.....but you know the story is better than that. MY GOAL IS TO GET PHS TO RECOGNIZE THE MERA, as the "Pontiac" ordered Option that it is \m/
[This message has been edited by batousai666 (edited 01-31-2016).]
plus I have been real busy with work, rock concerts and breaching national security protocol!!
all the best plans of the Secret Service laid to waste from the Balcony of the Lincoln Display at the 2016 North American Auto Show in Detroit. 120 digital zoom even!! so cool!
[This message has been edited by batousai666 (edited 01-31-2016).]
Well, heavens to Murgatroyd, this is head-scratchingly perplexing.
I've searched for, found, and reviewed those old CC photos and do not see a single factory-painted black MERA.
And not a single MERA serial tag with a black DuPont paint code.
Is it possible that a MERA never left CC dressed in black?
well heres something.....trying to get a copy of the Sales Vid ready to post on youtube for all here and noticed the video does not offer Black as an option but the later color sales brouchure does that's sweet
here we go......I have a copy I think will work. heres the deal..... I will send this copy to the person either......
#1 willing to be the one that sorts out hard copies for the core Mera group and/or beyond.....I don't have PayPal so even at cost these will be between $3-5 shipped you think?? not sure.
#2 anyone willing to post it on their YouTube account.......or both. One copy is all I have
[This message has been edited by batousai666 (edited 02-01-2016).]
Rexgirl: On the bottom of page 145 of this thread, I saw your MERA's yellow wheel and the aftereffects of the custom, hi-tech removal procedure. You're correct, the yellow paint is super thick. I could not tell, however, if there was primer, or paint, or both underneath that yellow.
Mr. Dan: Good to see that your Fiero's are coming together nicely. Still a bit chilly and snowy up there in Michigan, so you have some time to iron out the rides before spring thaw. I grew up in Livonia and I am well-acquainted with that mean ol' February weather.
Thanks for checking on those factory Black MERA serial tags. I've scoured this thread and others and still do not see a factory serial tag indicating black paint for 1987 or 1988 MERAs. Black paint was not a popular color in the late 60s and early 70s, but I think it was fairly popular by the late 80s. So, a bit of a quandry there with the MERA. It's not really a big deal, but paint interests me and I find it interesting that black has not been documented on a MERA. Was black a popular color on Ferrari? (I know zilch about foreign cars)
By the way, it looks like Mr. President is lookin' right at you. Great photo!
Rexgirl: On the bottom of page 145 of this thread, I saw your MERA's yellow wheel and the aftereffects of the custom, hi-tech removal procedure. You're correct, the yellow paint is super thick. I could not tell, however, if there was primer, or paint, or both underneath that yellow.
Mr. Dan: Good to see that your Fiero's are coming together nicely. Still a bit chilly and snowy up there in Michigan, so you have some time to iron out the rides before spring thaw. I grew up in Livonia and I am well-acquainted with that mean ol' February weather.
Thanks for checking on those factory Black MERA serial tags. I've scoured this thread and others and still do not see a factory serial tag indicating black paint for 1987 or 1988 MERAs. Black paint was not a popular color in the late 60s and early 70s, but I think it was fairly popular by the late 80s. So, a bit of a quandry there with the MERA. It's not really a big deal, but paint interests me and I find it interesting that black has not been documented on a MERA. Was black a popular color on Ferrari? (I know zilch about foreign cars)
By the way, it looks like Mr. President is lookin' right at you. Great photo!
I have not seen a factory black Mera but there are a few black ones out there after a repaint. Here is a picture of one so that you can see how it might look. Ignore the F308 turn lights and nose badge since they will go back to stock during the paint session.
Nelson
[This message has been edited by hnthomps (edited 02-08-2016).]
I see that this very early 1987 MERA serial tag is similar to other early 1987 serial tags: they have the word CONVERSION typed immediately before the MERA build/serial number. The usage of that word began sometime after 7006 and was dropped sometime after Rexgirl's MERA 7029 and before 7035. Dan has done a great job of compiling and posting those tags.
From comparing the other serial tags, 7014 seems to be an original tag, and not a re-type. However, I see that the CC employee made a little typographical error: the "Flash Red" paint code on the serial tag of 7014 is indicated as B8390. However, Flash Red is DuPont paint code B8590. The incorrect B8390 is not red!
MERAs 7061 and 7064 have a similar typo. The "Red" paint is indicated as B8490. Again, Flash Red is B8590. DuPont B8490 is not red, it's blue!
Either that CC employee did not pay attention to details or we suddenly have two new colors for 1987 MERAs.
Because the word "Red" was typed as the color, I'm reasonably confident that we are seeing a typo on all three serial tags.
Good stuff.
[This message has been edited by GoGoFiero (edited 02-09-2016).]
this just popped in my head.......about the Black Mera.
seems the sales brochure has a copyright of 1987 and has Black available, but the sales video does not mention black as a color option, but has a quote from this Car and Driver review......and if I am not mistaken the Car and Driver article came out in 1987 however there is a 1986 copyright on the bottom of this scan that is weird.....
hummm...........
[This message has been edited by batousai666 (edited 02-09-2016).]
This is how I resolved the problem of my turn lights illuminating along with the brake lights on my 1987 SE based Mera... My solution involved the C-500 connector.
To disable the brake switch from activating the rear orange (outside) turn lights on my SE based Mera, I did the following: Locate the C500 wiring connector mounted on the passenger side frame rail between the battery and the front of the strut tower. It has two multi-wire plugs; a front plug for the rear lights the another plug for the engine. Look at the front plug and you should see a LOOP of white wire that sticks out about three inches. Cut that looped wire and cover the cut ends with electrical tape. Now if I press the brake pedal, one half of each red tail light glows and the high mounted brake light (in the rear window) illuminates, and the orange (turn) tail light stay dark.
Thanks for the info, I finally got a couple of warmer days to work on my tail lights. I cut the looped wire and now the amber turn signals work right.
My tail light housings were warped where the bulb sockets twist in from bulb heat. I had some old C4 Corvette tail lights laying around so I cut part of the back out of them and pop riveted them to the Mera housings. The Fiero sockets don't fit in the Corvettte tail light backs so I had to change them too. The wiring for the tails and turns was a mess on my Mera so it was a good excuse the clean it up. It really worked out pretty good and now the bulb sockets twist in and lock like they are supposed to. In the process I found that one of the red tail light bulbs on each side of my Mera is a single filament bulb, they don't have a brake light filament. I am going to change it to a two filament bulb and socket so the brake lights will be brighter.
I also ordered some Plasma LED bulbs, they look pretty good, I will post an update when I get them.
i found a 88 formula in the local cl. its complete and runs but needed minor bodywork. i am going to go look at it. then im thinking an evmrob full kit. we shall see how it works out.
looks like I get another chance to make due on a plan I once had about this Prototype and Modifying Mera X too bad 2016 sucks so far for gainful employment! story of my life
I'm the owner of the 1986 Mera Prototype #6001. It's a sad day that I did not expect to happen so soon but the Mera is for sale. With an addition to the family, a four seater sports car must take the place of my Mera. If anyone here is interested, I would be happy to work on price. I would rather see it go to a member of this community them a flipper or dealer (both of which have already contacted me about the car). Feel free to message me or call the number in the ad if you have any questions. I have collected many documents about my Mera over my ownership and will of course include this in the sale. I have completed a lot of maintenance and updates to the car to make it both as original as possible as well as reliable enough to drive as much as you want. I really don't want to sell it, but a rear facing car seat won't work well in the car. Let me know if you have any questions!
Hey guys and gals! Just letting you all know that MERA number 19 (1987, Silver) is in the mall. It's starting to get several inquiries through the other media I've put it on, which surprised me as I was sure that PFF would generate FAR more interest. Anyways, if anybody is interested, take a look. Let me know if there's any additional questions. Have a great day out there!-Barry
Ford "Fiero"--http://mycarquest.com/2016/05/wallys-favorite-concepts-ford-mach-2-survive.html
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Dick Mera #8046 (Miss January, Mile High Fieros 2014 calendar) 1987 GT T-boned (RIP) 1988 GT T-Top (The Fiero Store Calendar: Miss February 2012) 1987 McBurnie Daytona Spyder
Very pretty car and nice T-Top--would like to see the headliner. I didn't notice a CBJ code on the build sticker--is this s dealer installed top?
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Dick Mera #8046 (Miss January, Mile High Fieros 2014 calendar) 1987 GT T-boned (RIP) 1988 GT T-Top (The Fiero Store Calendar: Miss February 2012) 1987 McBurnie Daytona Spyder
[This message has been edited by reholmes (edited 05-21-2016).]
The driver's side mirror is not an original Vitaloni mirror and somewhat reminds me of a F40 mirror. It may or may not be powered but I am betting it is a nonpowereed mirror. I have a few questions in mind about why someone would not at least have matching mirrors even if one was not a power mirror. The basic cost for one of the powered Vitaloni mirrors of this style is in the $300 plus range if everything else is still functional. They are hard to find and pricey when you do locate them, There may be other questions wrt to maintenance practices based on this photo.
The driver's side mirror is not an original Vitaloni mirror and somewhat reminds me of a F40 mirror. It may or may not be powered but I am betting it is a nonpowereed mirror. I have a few questions in mind about why someone would not at least have matching mirrors even if one was not a power mirror. The basic cost for one of the powered Vitaloni mirrors of this style is in the $300 plus range if everything else is still functional. They are hard to find and pricey when you do locate them, There may be other questions wrt to maintenance practices based on this photo.
Nelson
Because it is in Santa Clara, California which means it has been probably parked in downtown San Francisco where if you DON'T tuck in your side mirrors, you will be hit with everything from another car's mirror to the courier bicyclists that deliver packages to the homeless that simply piss on your car's wheels and break your mirrors on purpose.
[This message has been edited by IMSA GT (edited 05-28-2016).]
