Was at the junkyard today and found this gem, thought Id give you guys a final look. It has the worst body work I have ever seen, fiberglass repairs gone horribly wrong, bondo in some spots over the fiberglass, cracks everywhere. The car was once probably really cool but now its irreparable.




EVERYTHING was damaged, I dont think there was a good panel on the car except maybe the hood. Had a rear swaybar I thought about grabbing, but it was about rusted through. The car was in sad shape.




So for now, I bid you adieu IMSA, hope you had a great life.

See part 2 for another story.

-Joe

[This message has been edited by joesfiero (edited 12-08-2010).]

Is it bad that I assumed that PK was the author when I saw Topic: Farewell IMSA (A sad 2 part picture story)?

jk Rick, we know you're keeping it.

------------------


-Aaron

quote Originally posted by pontiackid86: I could have been an 85 SE V6.. never know

I woulda loved that car...if only someone could have saved it...rip fiero.

quote Originally posted by 1988holleyformula: Is it bad that I assumed that PK was the author when I saw Topic: Farewell IMSA (A sad 2 part picture story)? jk Rick, we know you're keeping it.

I have to be honest, I thought the same thing myself at first.

This is sad, it was obviously a really cool IMSA widebody in its day that someone created. Time went on and was most likely passed on to owners that didn't know how to do body work and it just went downhill from there. Since you said the rear anti-roll bar that was added was nearly rusted though, I don't even want to think what the rest of the frame was like.

Why does it have two driver side mirrors... the top one looks like some kind of "growth"

always do body mods in a well ventilated area....

whats with the driver mirror"s"?

I think I need to remember to hit the yards... and frequent just to Look before the crusher rotation.

Yeah, but check out that '91 or '92 Camaro behind it! You can turn hella profit from those 2-year-only ground effects. Those are in extreme high demand! I got $400 for the last set I had. Think how much Fiero stuff you could buy with your profit. Get the hood, too.
Also, the spindles are beefier than pre-'89, so are better choices for the 1LE brake upgrade. And since it's a Z28, the steering box is also in high demand, even the S-10 guys want that. If it has rear discs, grab the PBR calipers. If it still has the TPI, grab the plenum and fuel rails. If it has a T5, that's an easy $400 profit by itself. Lotsa money to be made from that jewel!

P.S. Also, those front seatbelts are great upgrades for '84-'90 that haven't had the recall upgrade done to them. Lastly, grab the instrument cluster. Not the whole dash.

[This message has been edited by Isolde (edited 12-08-2010).]

It looks like they were trying to go Ferrari Testarossa style on that driver's mirror. A lot of Testarossa's had only one mirror and it was the driver's mounted up high like that. Likely that mirror came off of some Testarossa kit (or a rare chance it might be the real deal, but unlikely).

I would have grabbed that mirror...if you go back get it.

Hey get out of there lol Al's is pretty cool place. I'm guessing part 2 is the se with the melted dash.

Howdy,
ft fenders look saleable!!
1 ground skirts look fine to re sale as well!

My imsa was not that bad off but I could always use a new imsa fender. I would go offer $200 for that car and part it out. Many of us can fix fiberglass that looks that bad. Please reconcider leaving it there.

Jay

quote Originally posted by 10speeder: Howdy, ft fenders look saleable!! 1 ground skirts look fine to re sale as well! My imsa was not that bad off but I could always use a new imsa fender. I would go offer $200 for that car and part it out. Many of us can fix fiberglass that looks that bad. Please reconcider leaving it there. Jay

i was thinking the same thing, about the fenders, ground fx, and even the side rears, but if you notice the front fenders are glassed into the nose.

These guys have seen these parts up close and would probably snag it themselves if they thought it was at all salvagable.

Pictures can be decieving, sounds like a lost cause.

quote Originally posted by 1988holleyformula: Is it bad that I assumed that PK was the author when I saw Topic: Farewell IMSA (A sad 2 part picture story)? jk Rick, we know you're keeping it.

Lol NEVER, i dont care how much it pisses me off its with me for life
Joe. Go pull thoes pannels if you can get them for like $100 or so there deffentley worth grabin easpecaly if there DGP

quote Originally posted by pontiackid86: Lol NEVER, i dont care how much it pisses me off its with me for life Joe. Go pull thoes pannels if you can get them for like $100 or so there deffentley worth grabin easpecaly if there DGP

lol @ you and your DGP.

If you have the skills or know someone who does-then those parts are still good IMO. You can pull a mold from the part and turn around and sell them. Besides, you need bondo and fiberglass to make a buck anyway. Or do it correctly by grinding down the bondo off and and you'll have a wide body kit.

I thought about salvaging it, but Im just not able to do that right now. Space and time are at a minimum and my car rebuild is first and foremost. My wife has let me slide putting some old body panels outside on the trailer but shes about ready to tell me to throw them in the trash.

The body work done on this car is ridiculous. I have very little skills repairing fiberglass and could do a better job. Like someone mentioned already, the front fenders have been molded to the bumper, plus tons of other things you cant see in these pics. Somebody glassed over the bolts that hold the front fender on, a large chunk of front air dam missing, where the body meets the sail panels is cracked where it mounts, I dont know what the hell they did to the side molding, and as you can see the whole rear end of the car is one big nightmare. Needless to say if I WERE to save the car, it would take me months if not a year or better to get the body in shape let alone the rest of the car. Since my car wont be done for a few more months already, and I have one other car awaiting restoration, this would just be sitting in my driveway for quite some time. The wife would be thrilled (to kill me).

If someone wants to save it please do. I hate to see it rot as well but just cant justify trying to save it right now.

-Joe

That's a shame to see what was a nice car at one time look like that.

quote Originally posted by joesfiero: I thought about salvaging it, but Im just not able to do that right now. -Joe

What's up with the side view mirror? That's not a real 355 is it?

any idea of what year it was?

quote Originally posted by pontiackid86: any idea of what year it was?

it looks like a 84 judging by the sail panels but they could have been changed out

It is an 84 and they won't sell the whole car because they don't have a title, I already asked. It would be a pain to pull the body off because of how they molded it all together. It could be done and I thought about it but it would take some doing.

Joe I was there on Monday getting mirrors and front bumper off the orange Honda. I first saw it there 2 weeks ago but didn't have ability to take pics. Would love to check out your 3.8 swap. Ray

i dunno if its an 84 im goin by the trunk carpet and the decklid vent.. the vent is an actual vent and the carpet is suposed to be black

I beleave thats an IMSA stage 2 kit as well.

[This message has been edited by pontiackid86 (edited 12-08-2010).]

quote Originally posted by pontiackid86: i dunno if its an 84 im goin by the trunk carpet and the decklid vent.. the vent is an actual vent and the carpet is suposed to be black I beleave thats an IMSA stage 2 kit as well.

Not all 84's came with black carpet. So saying an 84 is supposed to be black is an incorrect statement. I have two 84's, both SE's and both came stock with grey carpet.

quote Originally posted by IwannaIRM: Not all 84's came with black carpet. So saying an 84 is supposed to be black is an incorrect statement. I have two 84's, both SE's and both came stock with grey carpet.

lol learn somthing new every day.. i dident know that

While everyone was busy ooogling the body panels, did anyone notice the front hubs?

They might be worth going back for!

GOOD eye!
I looked over those and may go back and grab them. Does anyone know where they may be from? An aftermarket company make them? Those were the one (okay two) things that looked new on the car.

-Joe

Whats the diffrence in the hubs?

They are hubs without rotors on them. I am doing the Lebaron conversion and you need to cut off your rotor, creating a hub like this. They have to be some sort of aftermarket part, they are new looking I just dont know where they came from or exactly what they are.

-Joe

True. I was gona say if it was a hub with longer studs or somthing like that id probabley buy them off you for my IMSA... gota figure out a way to get longer studs on there. You know its bad when the lugnut's are tight in only 5 or so turns

Remove hubs from spindles, place hubs on blocks of wood, remove old studs with BFH, flip hubs over, clamp one old stud in vice grips, use that and BFH to install new longer Moroso or Dorman studs, reinstall hubs on spindles, done.

quote Originally posted by Isolde: Remove hubs from spindles, place hubs on blocks of wood, remove old studs with BFH, flip hubs over, clamp one old stud in vice grips, use that and BFH to install new longer Moroso or Dorman studs, reinstall hubs on spindles, done.

Thatsd what i need to do.. these ones i have on it are really scary with the way they are.

Here ya go, from Rockauto.com longer lug studs. These are used in Lebaron brake swaps, should be fine for you.

DORMAN Part # 6103231 More Information About this Part {#610323, 98501, 985011} Type Serrated Stud / Thread M12-1.5 / Knurl Dia. 12.80mm / Length 54mm / Shoulder Length 8mm / Head Code 323
Category: Lug Stud

-Joe

quote Originally posted by joesfiero: Here ya go, from Rockauto.com longer lug studs. These are used in Lebaron brake swaps, should be fine for you. DORMAN Part # 6103231 More Information About this Part {#610323, 98501, 985011} Type Serrated Stud / Thread M12-1.5 / Knurl Dia. 12.80mm / Length 54mm / Shoulder Length 8mm / Head Code 323 Category: Lug Stud -Joe

Thanks i'll have to look into them.

I went back yesterday, grabbed some parts off the other car then moseyed on over to this one. I figured I would snag those front hubs off and after good inspection it looks like a machine shop turned down a set of original hubs, score thats just what I needed for my brake upgrade. I also noticed that the bearings were freshly packed with new grease and upon removal I noticed they looked brand new! I couldnt tell what kind of brake upgrade somebody had done in the past to warrant machining those hubs, it also had brand new brake dust shields but the rears were mangled.

I found a tool laying on the ground in a package and opened it up. It was a knob for turning Koni adjustable rear struts. I noticed them the first time but didnt realize they were Konis. Unfortunately someone snagged the LR strut so it wasnt worth taking the other one.

Also, I found the decklid in the bed of a nearby truck. It had the whaletail spoiler molded in. I thought about grabbing that too but it was also in such bad shape and if I were to sell it I would have to ship it which would be a pain. Seriously it was bad, the fiberglass was splitting and splintered.

-Joe

Joe,

Check your PM

You might check the RPO label for the paint code. This looks like an original blue 85 with factory paint that Ed Parks had at the Fiero Factory. IF it's an original blue 84 IT MUST BE SAVED no matter what.

How cool would that be to find a rare fiero in the junkyard like that. Definitely check the codes on it. I know it looks like hell but if I had the space and time I would definitely try to grab that car... Fiberglass is neat stuff, there is almost ALWAYS a way to repair it... peace

Pete

To late it is gone!!!