Hello everyone. Say I had an interesting morning this morning. Long story so.. here goes, I received a call from MI Blood for a platelet donation, which is strange as I had just donated 17 days ago. Anyway there is a cancer patient that needs platelets bad and I am a match. They asked if I could come in asap, that was Wednesday of course I could not I was working. So I told them Thursday at 8:00 AM.
Now to the story. As I am getting out of my car another gentleman my age is getting out of his Canyon and says "nice Fiero, what year, 1986?" We started chatting and before we walked very far he mentions he was an Engineer for GM and work at the Fiero plant. So we are talking about the plant the car etc and the lady that checks us in is getting impatient. LOL. I find out he was in charge of the interior and the exterior body panels. Unfortunately we didn't have enough time for me to ask a thousand questions. He is retired now and lives in Rockford which is just north of Grand Rapids, as you who live in Michigan know. He gave me is card. So I plan on contacting him again. He said the 89's were great looking and Pontiac had the tooling and everything ready to go for the 89 model year. I mentioned the video I saw on the forum where the engineers were working on the prototype. He says he was more than likely in the video. He also made a point to tell me what all the Fiero engineers knew, the Fiero is a very safe car. He said they were using some high strength steel in the frame rails.
Wow what a way to start a normally dull Thursday.
Steve W. NE Grand Rapids, MI
[This message has been edited by solotwo (edited 07-25-2013).]
There are still a few people still around and they are great for info that you will never read about. Often the lower level and mid level people will say more than the head people have or will at times.
The Fiero engineers are most fun and informative to talk to. Most of them had a lot of pride put in to their work and usually say that the Fiero was their favorite project.
Keep after him, you never know what new information might come to light.
Also if you get to know him you may ask if he has any thing left from the program as many times good paperwork and even parts pop up. That is how my 1990 Fiero Emblems were discovered.
I know that Fred and I have met people with lot of documentation too that helps fill in the part of the story GM never told.
My buddy's father passed away and am still waiting for his blue prints and documents from MTD of the Cradles he worked on. The family still hasn't gone through his stuff since he passed 5 years ago but they remember seeing them. Rick B
The Fiero engineers are most fun and informative to talk to. Most of them had a lot of pride put in to their work and usually say that the Fiero was their favorite project.
Keep after him, you never know what new information might come to light.
Fred
He is real nice to talk to. He emailed me and told me he has a couple of books that I can look over. So I will gladly read these.
[This message has been edited by solotwo (edited 06-21-2013).]
Great story! I grew up in Pontiac, on West Beverly right across from where Fiero's were loaded onto the transports. I could stand in my front yard and watch them. My dad worked at Fischer Body before the Fiero moved in. He transferred to Lake Orion to Cadillac. My neighbor who lived across from us stayed at the Fiero plant and became an engineer and worked on the prototype Fiero's. I remember he had driven home the convertible and the 4-seater at various times. Don't know whatever happened to him though. His name was Bond, John Bond.
When you see him or talk to him again, ask if he knew John.
I've actually had a little luck in this area as well. I had an email exchange with one of the engineers who worked on the Fiero Convertible prototype back in the day. Pretty cool.
I've never seen that pic before, wow it looks fantastic for a notchie!!
There are more pics of the prototype out there. I may have more somewhere myself. The running red mule prototype actually had a "Subaru" badge on the rear deck to throw people off, lol...
I've never seen that pic before, wow it looks fantastic for a notchie!!
Does it look so good because the roof is (approximately) an inch or two lower? Of course the first production run of Fiero's have a slightly higher roof design? Correct? Inquiring minds want to know.
... he mentions he was an Engineer for GM and work at the Fiero plant.
I would have asked him if he have anything to do with designing the clips for the electrical connectors and, if he said "yes" i would have kicked him in the balz .....
Does it look so good because the roof is (approximately) an inch or two lower? Of course the first production run of Fiero's have a slightly higher roof design? Correct? Inquiring minds want to know.
Cordially, Kevin
Thats one of big points, as a result the windshield is laid down further and it appears more sleek. Other things being the lack of bumper pads and the side scoops give it a much more sporty look compared to the production coupes. The wheels are pretty damn cool as well!
Thats one of big points, as a result the windshield is laid down further and it appears more sleek. Other things being the lack of bumper pads and the side scoops give it a much more sporty look compared to the production coupes
It may sacrilege but, I was never too fond of bumper pads.
[This message has been edited by 92wastheyear (edited 06-24-2013).]
It may sacrilege but, I was never too fond of bumper pads.
Neither was I, when I first learned of Fieros I thought the bumperpads looked terrible. Its taken a few years but the coupes have grown on me- I still dislike the bumperpads though. Now the 88 coupes looked SO much better to me.
Neither was I, when I first learned of Fieros I thought the bumperpads looked terrible. Its taken a few years but the coupes have grown on me- I still dislike the bumperpads though. Now the 88 coupes looked SO much better to me.
I like the Aero nose...and like you I appreciate the 88
It looks like the back edge of the front fender is higher on the prototype than on the production models. Maybe thats what gives it the lower looking roofline.
It looks like the back edge of the front fender is higher on the prototype than on the production models. Maybe thats what gives it the lower looking roofline.
I think so too. It looks like the windshield glass is much more curved toward the sides as well.
I would love to see someone make that nose. That is the mule that was in the very first picture I ever saw of a Fiero. I think it was in Road and Track Sports and GT Cars issue in '83. It was a series of B&W pictures of the car on a test track, I would guess the car was silver at the time.
