My local PnP got a hold of a 1988 Talbot Yellow Formula with T-Tops. What a sad day, an original yellow Formula w/ non-CJB T-Tops gets tossed away and NOTHING was wrong with it. It had ZERO body damage, almost no rust, (quarter size rust in the usual spot in the trunk sides). Solid floors and frame rails. All the body panels had their original VIN tags on them, No damage to the nose or rear fascia. Interior was clean, no delamanation on the plastic, dash corners are solid, drivers seat had two spots of wear. It should be a crime that it was tossed away.
photo added 10-26-17
Originally a Pennsylvania car, it made its way to Virginia in 1998, I found the PA registration for 95, 96 and 97. It has a VA inspection sticker for 98. There's a very good chance that this car has been off the road for almost 20 years. The original keys were in the ignition, the tag was still attached, the dealer tag w/ "new" marked in the corner and the vehicals lot number. The car only had 93K on it and like i said was clean underneath.
I checked the VIN and found out its not a CJB car, the first thing I did was open the hood and look at the RPO codes. NO CJB. I guess that's one good thing.
I grabbed the cradle, gas tank (it was sitting in the passenger side of the car) the T-Tops, bags and trim, and a few odds and ends. I think i'll go back soon and grab a few more things that I forgot to get. As I was driving away I kept saying "Damn, I should have grabbed ..... ".
I guess i'll visit the 88 database guy thread next.
Rob
[This message has been edited by qwikgta (edited 10-26-2017).]
What a shame. I don't understand why some cars get junked for no reason. That said I wish I could find a t-top car in a junk yard because I need bags and the trunk strap for my t-top swap.
Originally posted by qwikgta: I grabbed the cradle, gas tank (it was sitting in the passenger side of the car) the T-Tops, bags and trim, and a few odds and ends. I think i'll go back soon and grab a few more things that I forgot to get. As I was driving away I kept saying "Damn, I should have grabbed ....
Grab the T-top frame if you can remove/cut it as well as the headliner. I know it is a pain in the ass but then you'll have a complete kit for re-installation on a non-T-top car.
Also you could grab the wingstands and gaskets since they are hard to find.
[This message has been edited by IMSA GT (edited 09-16-2017).]
Brake calipers- brake calipers-brake calipers! If you don't need them, send them to the Fiero Store or Centric so there are more of these hard-to-get parts! (please!!)
Finding any intact, non-wrecked '88 Fieros in a junkyard is very sad. I just pulled some parts off of a fairly clean looking '88 coupe today....it is thoroughly picked over now, but it was a clean little car that probably had a bad motor. I imagine that is what was wrong with this Formula....bad engine and it sat until the owner died or decided to get rid of it for scrap value.
If there is one "good" thing it's that it was not a CJB yellow Formula.....the T-Tops were added later.
BTW....grab the rear sway bar and all its bracketry. It's an easy sell.
Great input, trust me I've been doing this long enough to know what to grab. I thought about getting the T-Top frame and even started to remove the top, but its just not worth it. I don't have the patience to drill out 52 rivets. I already have a T-Top 88 and I grabbed all the trim and now I have backup parts for my CJB car. I know about the brakes, the rears were already picked. I did get the rear swaybar but the strut brackets were already picked. I decided to leave most of the interior, because I already have 3-4 sets of radio/aux surround and i hope someone who needs it grabs it. The seats were standard cloth and the drivers had two spots of wear. The wheels were gone, they were on the car when it went into the yard so someone got a good set of black crosslace rims. Someone got all the dot matrix stuff, that goes quick. I'm going to go back soon and grab the door skins, I need a set of coupe skins for my GT w/ Archie rockers. I may grab the steering rack while I'm there if its still on the car.
A 30 year old car probably has a great deal wrong with it. Any 30 year old car. My 30 year old cars that I dumped a ton of money into still have a great deal wrong with them. They end up in the scrap heap because the owner doesn't want to deal with a 30 year old car with a great deal wrong with it.
A t-top formula is precious to us, but to 99.99% of the world it's a piece of junk worthy of being scrapped.
Great job as usual qwikgta, getting the RPO TAG photographed with your phone. I ask so many people to do this when they find a 1988 t top anywhere and if they can't get the hood open or they see one (example at car show, parking lot, junkyard or where ever)
JUST FYI, FieroMaster88 and fellow t tops, CJB and Non-CJB owners, the safety belts and t top bags, are universal with all C&C t tops done by them. Again only conversions done by C&C. You can tell by the c&c logo on the glass, that is why the bags are so big and belts can adjust. So look for 1984 to 1987 mustang, Capri, firebird, Camero, dodge Dayton, Plymouth laser.. Enjoy the info and keep those 88 t top vin and t top photos coming!!! And reason these cars have the belts and the non-CJB dont, cause the cars above store the t tops in the same interior compartment people sit, the Fiero has a separate trunk, so incase of accident so no need. BUT, In 88 once it became a factory ship thru option, the national higjway and safety standards applied., thats why they have the belts. Great info and more stuff like this will be in the Fiero t top book. And it still looks on target to be done by the 35th fiero anniversary (fingers crossed)
[This message has been edited by FIERO JOHN-WI (edited 09-17-2017).]
Hey Rob, Is the strap that holds the t-tops to the trunk still there? I could use that. Also, what are your plans for the cradle? I know someone who needs one! Aghm, cough cough.
An '88 coupe turned up in my favorite yard earlier this summer. It hadn't been tagged since 1999. It looked rough, but it was all there. Probably broke its timing gear or something similar and had been parked ever since. I asked the cashier if I could buy the whole thing but she said no.
I've been back to the yard several times to get parts off of it, and aside from the rear fascia no one else had touched it. Until last weekend. Somebody got the front cross member, the engine cradle and the front and rear suspension. Whoever did it wasn't careful and ripped up the body panels.
The car was in better shape than my '87 coupe when I bought it. Sad to see it go.
Hey Rob, Is the strap that holds the t-tops to the trunk still there? I could use that. Also, what are your plans for the cradle? I know someone who needs one! Aghm, cough cough.
saving it for my next engine swap. LS4/4T65E-HD into my 88 GT.
turbo86se, no straps are mounted in NON-CJB fiero trunks
Well, I have a non CJB t-top setup in an 87 Mera as well as a set of the safety straps. Once I have done some chrome work on the ahrness fittings it will be installed. This particular car will have non CJB t=tops as well as the trunk harness so you may have to amend your statement to non CJB t-tops did not come from the factory with a rear trunk harness.
Nelson
[This message has been edited by hnthomps (edited 09-25-2017).]
Go pull the front hubs, someone will want them. Also just go to harbor freight and get a cordless saws all. Return it when you are done if you don't want to keep it. And cut the roof off. Quick easy work.
Friday 20 Oct: So I went by PnP on Friday b/c I hadn't been for a few weeks. I went to the Yellow T-Top to see what was left, and it was pretty picked over. The T-Top frame was still attached to the car, but most of the interior was picked. As I was leaving one of the supervisors was at the front desk and I mentioned the T-Top frame. Anyway one thing led to another and he mentioned that he'd get one of the yard rats to cut the top off and then sell it to me for a great price. I told him i'd be back on Sunday to pick it up.
Sunday 22 Oct: So I roll into the yard today and when I walked in he saw me and asked if i was ready to pick it up. YEP I told him. So we walk back to the Fiero and what do we find.
Carnage. Sometime between when I left on Friday, and Sunday afternoon, someone tried to remove the T-Top frame. Now we had a deal on how it was going to be done. We were going to cut the roof off a few inch's down on the frame. I'd seen it done before so I was going to tell the yard rat exactly where to cut the roof. BUT someone got to it before me. They drilled out the rivets but didn't remove the top, it looks like they were only after the "A" and "B" pillar bracket's, they ones that the glass tops attach too. Anyway after drilling out the rivets, they had to bend the top corners up to get the brackets. After all that work, they just left it half removed from the car. It only took a little work to get the whole top off.
I was stunned. I couldn't believe that I left the roof alone for someone else to grab and then some @sshole comes along and does this, just to get a few brackets.
bottom line: I was able to get the rest of the frame out of the car and I got the plastic bits too. I'm not sure if I have it all, but I have most of it, and I did get it for a hell of a deal.
After I fix it, it will be for sale.
Rob
[This message has been edited by qwikgta (edited 10-31-2017).]
