I have been lurking here for a few weeks, but found some time to say Hello and introduce myself.
As you can see I recently bought this 87 GT 5 speed from a forum member. I believe it is stock except for the Mr. Mikes seats. My story is that a notch back was supposed to be my First car back in '86 but it would not fit in the garage. Of course I did not find this out until about a year later during casual conversation at the dinner table one night. Needless to say, my brother and I were a liltle disapointed, as we had been driving around in the car that did fit...a 1980 AMC Spirit!
Skip ahead to my college years..... I remember seeing a GT in the mall during high school which fueled my passion for the car. So when a friend of mine said she would drive me home in her Fiero..a Grey GT with the pigskin suede..I was beside myself. I ended up usually driving the car when we went somewhere. She would look at me at stop signs with a grin...then I'd wind up the revs and brake the tires loose...what a sound! She was dating a Doctor at the time who would take her away on weekends and I would get the car. I about cried when I could not come up with the $3500 she sold it for.
I really enjoy driving this car (been out in her 7 or 8 times). Although it is not as fast as I remember from 13 or so years ago. I do look for reasons to drive it though. Love the torque! You guys with the SBC and V 8's must never get out of them!
When I am not doing what I do, I have had the privelege of being a Driving Instructor for the past 9 years with different car clubs and driving organizations. Mostly Porsche Club and mostly tracks in the Midwest. I have had lots of students turn into really good friends. The Fiero GT may have gotten a bit "slower" in my mind, as a friend points out, because I usually instruct in GT3s, 911s, 911 Turbos amd M3s. I am such a track junky that this past spring I asked my girlfriend (it was her first DE and I was her instructor) to marry me while in the car on the front straight at Black Hawk Farms Raceway ~100mph....They called it the High-Speed Engagement! I also had the opportunity to be instructed by Randy Pobst this summer. Very nice guy. If I can get the PIP to work, I'll post some pics of the GT as well as some others interesting pics.
Mini...not so Mini!
On the way home
The Track Car. Warning! It is NEVER this clean. A friend of mine could not take it anymore, so we waxed it.
Couple at the track
Me and Randy Pobst
Instructing
Just after I pulled in from the "Engagement"
I hope these pics work. I have enjoyed seeing your posts for the past few weeks. There are some really great cars here! Some very talented modders as well....who knew about chop-tops! WOW. I also came to the conclusion that although I do not really drive the track car very much, the 87 GT is much more fun to drive around on the regular streets. I also intend to join NIFE asap. Hope to get some more pics of the GT soon. Tell me your thoughts or just say hello. Thanks for looking at my first post
Welcome to the forum! I see you have good tastes in cars. I also love those shots of your 944 in action! Tho, it looks like it has a lot of lean, a bit more than I expected. Now, I have a question about the 944 tho. I hear Porche "purists" call those bodied cars "bastard children" of sorts cuz the engine is in front. Do they ever give you hassle about it?
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08:14 AM
bmwguru Member
Posts: 4692 From: Howell, NJ USA Registered: Sep 2006
Good Grief! Blackhawk Farms!!!...that brings back some memories. In a "previous life" I raced in SCCA. (Road America, Blackhawk, Nelson Ledges, IRP, Watkins Glen, etc. etc.) Still kind of get misty eyed for my old Formula Ford and CP days.
I for one would be very interested in your observations as an instructor on the "quirks" of handling a Fiero GT around a full road course if you've had the opportunity to do so yet.
Randy
------------------ Everyone thinks I'm psychotic, except for my friends deep inside the earth.
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09:10 AM
RandomTask Member
Posts: 4547 From: Alexandria, VA Registered: Apr 2005
At least your Mini isn't silver. That would be creepy! I've got an 87 GT and Mini Cooper as well. It's kind of annoying how many 87 GTs are Medium Red Metallic. It's like they all got together at the plant and decided to have babies to save the color...
Welcome aboard. Is the Mini stock as well, or have you done anything to it yet?
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11:58 AM
87_FieroGT Member
Posts: 700 From: Mill Creek, WA USA Registered: Jul 2005
Welcome! Looks like you picked up a sweet 87 GT. I've got one too, same color.
It's interesting how many of us have had the same cars. I had an 84 944 for a couple of years. There are several on the board that currently own or have owned a 944. That was the best handling car I've ever owned; just expensive to maintain.
------------------ Visit my website! David 2 Corinthians 5: 17 1987 Pontiac Fiero GT, 5 Speed 2005 Pontiac Grand Am SE, 3400 V6
Welcome! Nice cars, I almost bought a Porsche just like that recently, but I decided I'd rather keep the money and use part of it on the Fiero. If you're ever near southern Iowa, I'm always up for doing something with Fiero owners.
Do you plan to get the Fiero on a track? You might get in touch with R Runner (Paul H.) who has an insane tube frame IMSA Fiero race car, maybe ask about his custom swaybar kits if he still does them. He's fairly close to the St. Louis area, if you ever get that far south.
Jason Pollmann IT Systems Analyst, Programmer, Fiero Junkie
[This message has been edited by FieroGT42 (edited 12-21-2006).]
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01:03 PM
California Kid Member
Posts: 9541 From: Metro Detroit Area, Michigan Registered: Jul 2001
I would like to address some of the comments. I do not get much hassle from other Porsche guys about the car as it (not me)has a reputation for being very easy to drive fast, great balance! When I started to do track stuff (In a old BMW 2002 who remembers those?) there were tons of 944s, now everyone has a brand new car. I have a really good friend who will kid me about the car having a sunroof, as GT3s do not. He'll laugh and say real sports cars do not have sunroofs....I lean in and say...WOW, nice cup holders! Interenstingly the Fiero GT is a sunroof delete car, although I was actually looking for a sunroof.
The 944 in those pics was actually pretty stock. We call it the LEAN machine for obvious reasons. I have since put 944 Turbo sway bars on the car, and it will get 17" tires this spring. I have done this only because I was getting a little bored in the car. It took a long time to get there. This is actually a mistake that Many people make really early when deciding to track a car. They do a couple or maybe a half dozen events and then put on sticky tires, sway bars or bigger turbos. This is artificial speed on the track. I tell all my students to spend their money initially on driving schools like Skip Barber etc., or entry fee's for DE to learn to drive what they already have faster. Not sure this applies to just regular street driving, as I have already mapquested V8 Archie's place!
The outside and engine are pretty stock, but the exhaust is pretty much straight through after the cat. I have done lots of mods to the interior though. Mostly for safety and weight, but some for fun also. This is why I spend so much time on the build threads here. Some really cool stuff. Here are some pics of my interior that might give you guys some ideas.
I Like Alcantara...cuts down on the glare from the dash with in car cam. Also suede is nice and grippy especially with suede palmed gloves. The Ferrari conversion guys may like it also.
Some safety stuff
I have only had the Fiero a month or so, so no tracks yet. I may take it once or twice just to have some pics taken. In order to do this it really has to be gone over, just for safety sake. Other than that, it will really be a car that i enjoy driving around, and keeping shinny. I think I will keep it pretty stock (I wonder if madcurl ever said that..love the car btw!), However, I am doing my research on maybe sligtly lowering and maybe 17"s. I am trying to find info/ for sale a gated shifter...kinda like the euroshifter I guess (new here, trying to figure this all out). I have seen the threads on the shift knob recently, so I am getting there.
If randye or any other of you guys or girls are interested in doing a track day and have questions let me know. I do most of my events with PCA of Milwaukee and we always have a mix of cars, in otherwords it's not a Porsche only event. I also do have been doing alot a the Autobahn in Joliette. Not sure how active the NIFE is in track stuff yet, but Oreif I plan on being at the meeting (I'm actually in Lombard).
Old Lar..awesome pic! I am a big fan of the color combo. My Pcar is basically maroon, and my first Porsche was also maroon....so it made sense. The fiance calls the garage the Museum of 1987 Maroon Sports Cars! Almost forgot, sadly the Mini is a friend of mine who was in town and I displaced the Audi in the garage because of the snowstorm that was about to hit. But dobey, we did do a strut brace, intake and exhaust on the Mini.
87_FieroGT..very nice web site, that will be utilized even more very soon!
Although I have searched if anyone has any more pics of a gated shifter that would be great. Thanks again for looking!
I tell all my students to spend their money initially on driving schools like Skip Barber etc., or entry fee's for DE to learn to drive what they already have faster. Not sure this applies to just regular street driving,
Very interesting you should mention that. When I first started competition driving, I had a Bondurant instructor once tell me that you could always practice things in everyday street driving that have a direct application to making you a better competition driver, and all without ever violating the law.
Things like heel-toe shifting, modulating brake effort, observing lines through curves on country roads, overtaking, etc. etc. I still find myself doing those things even today. You're obviously a good instructor to teach students to LEARN to DRIVE first, THEN worry about making it go faster after mastering the basics.
The point was made on me back in the late 70's (really dating myself here), during a track day at IRP. I watched an experienced driver in a 4 cyl. Chevy Vega routinely shame the novice V8 Camaro and Corvette drivers with his lap times. When they argued that he had a much lighter and tighter handling car, he promptly climbed into one of their "big" cars and humiliated them all over again. The point was indelibly made on my brain that smoothness and consistancy, coupled with basic skills will compensate for a lot of raw horsepower coupled with ham-fisted driving every time.
Randy
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06:23 PM
Dec 22nd, 2006
fierogt3800 Member
Posts: 1410 From: Keokuk, Iowa Registered: Feb 2006
I remember when you got that 928..I'm a Rennlister too I was looking for a 928 as well, but ran into the Fiero first. Were you at 928's at the Autobahn, the 928 Motorsports day?
Randye, you know what they say...If you can't drive 100 HP, You can't drive 400 HP. Do you track your Fiero?
I remember when you got that 928..I'm a Rennlister too I was looking for a 928 as well, but ran into the Fiero first. Were you at 928's at the Autobahn, the 928 Motorsports day?
Randye, you know what they say...If you can't drive 100 HP, You can't drive 400 HP. Do you track your Fiero?
Cali Kid..AWESOME Pic!
I havent been to any events with my 928. but i would like to. even just to play on a real autocross course would be fun. but like any 928 and 928 owner. its always more fun and more rewarding rolling though high speed turns where a 928 excels. a freind of mine has a couple of the new Ford GT's that he tracks here in the midwest. you may have run into him. he owns both a white/blue full build track GT and a mostly stock red/white GT thats a occasional track and pleasure car. its, John Ohnomus of Lorane IL. When and where were the meets that your refering to?
I was at an event this summer and was passed by a red GT 40. South Course I think? I wanted to tell him that I appreciated his track manners. He actually waited for a point!
Randye, I just found out about the Reunion being down there. I am certainly thinking about coming down.
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11:12 PM
Jan 15th, 2007
Paulv Member
Posts: 1530 From: Lisle, Il, (Chicago Area) USA Registered: Nov 1999
I read your write up after the meeting Saturday. Nice having you in the NIFE club. Hope the Enthusiasts guide you picked up gives you a lot of Fiero information! My only "track" time was 2 years ago when I spent 2 days at Elkhart Lake in a driving school with a new 350Z 6-speed. Was a lot of fun! As a club, we have always talked about a track day somewhere, but never much interest.
