Nelson, that is interesting. Thank you. I was keeping EVM_Rob in by back pocket for the back shells. My lenses are good, but the back shells are melted.
Anyone else with experience using OEM lenses?
Bob
That appears to be a common problem with the Mera tail light housings. I have had a couple of custom fabrications done, cut/glued housings from other Fieros, etc. My current solution to this issue is to replace the incandescent bulbs with LEDs. I have converted three Meras to LEDs now and still have one to go.
Nelson
[This message has been edited by hnthomps (edited 05-16-2019).]
Nelson, that is interesting. Thank you. I was keeping EVM_Rob in by back pocket for the back shells. My lenses are good, but the back shells are melted.
Anyone else with experience using OEM lenses?
Bob
BTW, the fitment issue I had with Rob's tail light mounts was not with the bucket that held the lights, but with the external ring where the tail light lens actually mounts. If I can locate it, I would be happy to send you the ring and see if you get any different conclusions about usability.
Just to cover down on a few people questions about MERA letters and nose badges I thought I would take a few and revisit the process I went through. Nelson hooked me up with a way to get the GRAND AM SE letters which were originally used. There were very few available still so I wanted them done perfectly first time. I sent them to Bosco's Modelers for productions. (page 142)
I sent the chromed letters there to be edged in black with the exact same paint. While the letters were there I had them CAD'd so we could get Billet nose emblems and exact letters.
Hope that helps those looking for emblems! I would like to do it with the other tail emblems but don't have any to send Billet Badges.
Rear panel logo's between the right side tail and back up lights. The "2.8" logo is from a Chevrolet S-10 truck and the "GTS" is from a Chrysler LaBaron, IIRC
Rear deck-lid scrip
These photos are courtesy of Nelson (and another member ?)
I believe there are no MERA logos within the interior, only Fiero badging.
Just for the record.... Some MERA's had badging inside the car. I think near the end of production they added a few badges here and there. I had it on both door handles (inside) and one on the dash.
Gawd I miss this place. I use to post in here several times a day. For those who don't know me, I'm Julian from Canada. I purchased my MERA 8071 back in 2000 in New Jersey. Had it restored to original by 2003. Last 5 years it's been parked. Just went through a divorce and moved my MERA out of the garage and into storage. Tonight I'm going to plate it and insure it for the road. May have to get the cobwebs out of the exhaust. Needs a good waxing. I think the new paint job has only seen the outside of my garage 5 times max. I still have the Fiero Magazine cover I was published in Illinois. I think you guys will see more of me in here. Hide your single women!!!!
Just for the record.... Some MERA's had badging inside the car. I think near the end of production they added a few badges here and there. I had it on both door handles (inside) and one on the dash.
Julian,
If the Mera interior stickers are small and located near/on the door opening cover plate, they may have been made by Rodney Dickman. I have seen a few of them and may have a couple in my storage area,. If you have a photo of the door stickers I can likely tell if it is a RD sticker. Please post a photo at your convenience. As a side note, none of my 88s had any interior Mera stickers, but one of my 87s had the rubber horn cover with a gold M font sticker that may have come from a wheel center cap sticker.
My badging on the inside were not stickers. They were actual badges. The door ones were wheel centers and the dash was a front hood badge. When I bought my car in 2000 it was unmolested, meaning no Ferrari makeover. When I stripped it down for restoration I reused the interior badging for the faded damaged exterior badging.
Can someone give me a quick tutorial on how to post pics.... last time I had them posted on some share site and I'm looking back and they are all broken links.
These pictures were taken yesterday (5/12/19) on an overcast day but the yellow dandelions stuck their heads up to check out #8071. First day back on the road since 2014. I'm experimenting on posting and scaling pics.
This scaling may be a bit small but it loads fast.
Too small?
[This message has been edited by Julian (edited 05-14-2019).]
Thanks Sage. I tried my best to keep it original with a few personal modifications. I went up a size for my wheels so they will fill the wheel well much better. I also like the DeTomaso look with the raised white letters. The interior was the drab gray cloth seats with the matching light gray carpet. I went with black carpet & head liner and two tone black-gray custom leather seats. I also hated the automatic T shift handle so I replaced it with the Grand AM cobra leather handle. I added the Nardi leather wrapped steering wheel and tinted the windows. Yellow matching MOMO pedals. I also added the factory sub woofer and map light with bass slide control. I have the Mera aftermarket nameplate on the engine cover and am currently missing one wheel center cap. I had all the body panels off when I had it repainted and tried my best to match the color. The power mirrors were replaced with similar non-powered ones.
Future plans are to replace the pins and bushings in both doors (rattle a bit), clean them raised white letters (grrrr), upgrade the stereo and speaker (keep the originals aside), replace both power window motors (slow as molasses), need new weather stripping in the rear trunk, add European sounding horn, recharge A/C and see why my rear suspension squeaks like a bunch of seagulls following me when I hit a bump.
I also want o replace my rear whirring harness so my lights work more like they should. I think the Formula harness was different than the GT. Currently when I tap brakes all 4 lights come on (including the ambers).
So there you have it....my update on #8071
------------------ Julian - MERA #8071
[This message has been edited by Julian (edited 05-14-2019).]
The good news is that you may be able to do a simple modification to your existing wiring harness to make your rear brake lights work properly. From my post #5950 on page 149 this thread:
"To disable the brake switch from activating the rear orange (outside) turn lights on a Fiero SE based Mera, do the following: Locate the C500 wiring connector mounted on the inside of the 'frame' rail just behind the battery and just in front of the strut tower structure. It has two multi-wire plugs; a front plug for the rear lights and the other is 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. If you press the brake pedal now, you should see one half of each red tail light glow and the high mounted brake light (in the rear window) illuminate, but not the orange (turn) tail lights. The Parking/headlight switch should cause the other bulb in the red tail light to glow. The rear orange turn lamps should flash both bulbs in the selected housing when you use the turn signal."
There is also an associated picture in the next post..
My Mera was a Formula also, same issue with the tail lights. My tail light housings were distorted from bulb heat bad enough that the sockets wouldn't stay in them. I used some C4 Corvette tail light housings to repair them and the C4 sockets also. I cut the white loop wire and connected the C4 sockets to the existing Fiero harness. I wired the amber lens bulbs in each socket in parallel so both of the bright/high filaments are the turn signals and wired the red lens bulbs in each socket in parallel also so both the standard/low filaments are tail lights and both bright/high filaments are brake lights. I used Plasma LED bulbs from West Coast Classic Cougar and they work great and are very bright. The amber lights only illuminate as turn signals and the red lights are tail and brake lights. If your housings are good just re-wire the existing sockets to make all the bulbs function correctly.
East Coast MERA owners and 308/328 kit owners...… How come there are only two FIERO rebodies registered for the 25th anniversary of the MAFOA at Carlisle in June? Close to 65 FIEROS are preregistered for the event. Bring them out!
[This message has been edited by steve308 (edited 06-07-2019).]
My only issue is a 1200 mile trip with a spouse that may or may not want to travel very much. It changes from day to day so I would need to evaluate everything at the last minute. If I went to Carlisle, are there provisions for car trailer storage at either the meet site or hotel?
My only issue is a 1200 mile trip with a spouse that may or may not want to travel very much. It changes from day to day so I would need to evaluate everything at the last minute. If I went to Carlisle, are there provisions for car trailer storage at either the meet site or hotel?
Nelson
Carlisle does have trailer parking but I'm not sure what's involved. The motel that I am staying at along with a number of MAFOA travelers (Quality Inn North Carlisle) has plenty of parking and there were a number of trailers in the lot last year.
My only issue is a 1200 mile trip with a spouse that may or may not want to travel very much. It changes from day to day so I would need to evaluate everything at the last minute. If I went to Carlisle, are there provisions for car trailer storage at either the meet site or hotel?
It makes me miss my Mera. It originally belonged to the owner of the company that made them. When I got it it only had 1500 miles. I put a Northstar engine in it. Many years ago I sold it to a man in New Jersey. I wonder if he still has it.
It makes me miss my Mera. It originally belonged to the owner of the company that made them. When I got it it only had 1500 miles. I put a Northstar engine in it. Many years ago I sold it to a man in New Jersey. I wonder if he still has it.
The New Jersey owner (Funnywheels on the Kit Car Forum) sold Bob Bracy's black Mera with a N* engine several years ago. I was supposed to be first in line when he decided to sell it but was in Iraq at the time and he never contacted me. I believe that it has been sold one time since then but do not know where it is now.
As an interesting tidbit, I also was offered the vehicle that Bob Bracy's wife drove. It was a white automatic transmission 2.8 L and had the conventional wheels and seats as extras. Recaro seats with a custom Mera embroidery and the Chromadoras were on the car when I inspected it. I did see the registration and paperwork proving that this vehicle was legitimate but ultimately decided that the price was higher than I wanted to pay for an automatic transmission vehicle.
Nelson
[This message has been edited by hnthomps (edited 06-25-2019).]
The New Jersey owner (Funnywheels on the Kit Car Forum) sold Bob Bracy's black Mera with a N* engine several years ago. I was supposed to be first in line when he decided to sell it but was in Iraq at the time and he never contacted me. I believe that it has been sold one time since then but do not know where it is now.
As an interesting tidbit, I also was offered the vehicle that Bob Bracy's wife drove. It was a white automatic transmission 2.8 L and had the conventional wheels and seats as extras. Recaro seats with a custom Mera embroidery and the Chromadoras were on the car when I inspected it. I did see the registration and paperwork proving that this vehicle was legitimate but ultimately decided that the price was higher than I wanted to pay for an automatic transmission vehicle.
Nelson
Nelson, not to contradict you, but are you sure it was Funnywheels? He lived in Tampa, built a 355 replica, and passed a few years ago. He was ill for a while before passing.
Nelson, not to contradict you, but are you sure it was Funnywheels? He lived in Tampa, built a 355 replica, and passed a few years ago. He was ill for a while before passing.
Bob
I am ancient so my memory from 10 plus years ago might be faulty but that is how I remember things happening. I know that the Mera owner had either two or three Fieros/replicas and was ill. Maybe the third vehicle was a Testarosa rebody but I am certainly fuzzy on that one.
If the guy's name in Tampa was Bill, I also corresponded with him. I think that he had a F40 and a Mera. I had several conversations with him about JR and engine swaps in the 2006/2007 era.
Nelson
[This message has been edited by hnthomps (edited 06-26-2019).]
I am ancient so my memory from 10 plus years ago might be faulty but that is how I remember things happening. I know that the Mera owner had either two or three Fieros/replicas and was ill. Maybe the third vehicle was a Testarosa rebody but I am certainly fuzzy on that one.
If the guy's name in Tampa was Bill, I also corresponded with him. I think that he had a F40 and a Mera. I had several conversations with him about JR and engine swaps in the 2006/2007 era.
Nelson
It sure sounds like him. That's cool. My memory's just as fuzzy, if not worse. I followed his builds at Ari's (Madmechanics) of Funnywheels 1 & 2. I don't recall him ever mentioning the other cars.
Bob
[This message has been edited by RCR (edited 06-27-2019).]
EVM_ROB might have the Moulds to make some for you. I believe that I may have one spare set attached to door panels but would not really be interested in separating them.
THANKS. hnthomps. i have already sent him an email and have fingers crossed that he replies. ( not the easiest guy to get in contact with ). if for any reason you do change your mind on selling your spares please keep me in mind i will paypal you payment. you can PM me or call me 917-432-4400. i also emailed him looking for the side louvers if he still has the molds as well.
Any one here have any spare kit parts they would like to sell ????????? i have the 328 kit and am looking for side panel louvers, door caps etc etc.
If you can't get a pair of fiberglass louver panels my solution may be an option. The louvers on my Mera were warped beyond repair. I saw the louvers that Bloozeberry made for his Stinger 308 kit and did something similar for my car. I had the frames water jet cut out of 1/8 aluminum sheet. The slats are 1/16 x 1 1/4 aluminum bar stock. It was a challenge to bend the frames to match the sail panels, I used a Harbor Freight ring roller. The aluminum panels are much better than my old set that were some type of plastic, not fiberglass.
THANKS. hnthomps. i have already sent him an email and have fingers crossed that he replies. ( not the easiest guy to get in contact with ). if for any reason you do change your mind on selling your spares please keep me in mind i will paypal you payment. you can PM me or call me 917-432-4400. i also emailed him looking for the side louvers if he still has the molds as well.
Any one here have any spare kit parts they would like to sell ????????? i have the 328 kit and am looking for side panel louvers, door caps etc etc.
I have an unused set of louvers for the rear quarter panel but bhey may require some work to install them.
Nelson
[This message has been edited by hnthomps (edited 11-01-2019).]
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