A Real Mera in Paradise (Page 127/713)
reholmes JUN 23, 02:36 PM

quote
Originally posted by Fiero-in-Paradise:

Okay guys, don't flame me too hard, but I saw this ad for a 1998 Z28 SS and thinking seriously about doing a trade-in with the Mera.





Well, before you do anything rash, let us know what you are getting for your Mera. What is shipping to the mainland--$1000?
Rick 88 JUN 23, 03:45 PM
Welcome Dan!

Your Mera looks nice in black. What size tires are you running on it? Are the emblems on the wheels and fender Ferrari or Fiero? We need more pics. You can include some of the 64 Vette too!
GMplastic JUN 23, 04:13 PM
Tom & Dick,
Thanks for the nice welcome. All of the people I've met on the forum and Fiero owners in general are SUPER!
Yes, I intend to do the body repair myself. It's a matter of finding the time, so it might happen during an upcoming cold and dark Minnesota winter (time spent in the garage doesn't count against you, unless you're working on a daily driver!). There are some weak points on the Mera: Around the corners of the headlights, the front corners of the hood opening and the upper corners of the grill opening.
After stripping the paint to survey the damage, I will probably reinforce the back with some glass and resin, then grind through the cracked gelcoat on the top and repair if the cracking seems to go any deeper...replace the gelcoat, board sand, prime red, prime dark gray or black, board sand again. Two colors of primer make any imperfections show up easily so they can be corrected before paint time. Then Dupont Chromacolor and clearcoat.
It should turn out ok. Black is always challenging, because it shows every tiny ripple or piece of dirt.
The exhaust is from the Fiero Store, except for the Mera tips, which came from Rodney Dickman. There was no problem getting the bolts out of this car, as it doesn't have that many miles on it anyway.
I have changed manifolds on several Fieros...yes, it's a pain in my southern hemispheres, but I found that even the front manifold yields to patience, good lighting, a lot of JB-80, a thesaurus of bad words is handy along with a set of sharp left-hand drill bits and bottoming taps.
A right angle pneumatic drill, starting with a small left-handed bit and working up to a larger size will usually back out broken manifold bolts. Once a small hole is made in the broken bolt, a larger bit will catch enough to back out the rest. Try to avoid using screw-type extractors because they just expand the bolt, break off and cause you to refer to the above-mention thesaurus. If you still can't get it out,
drill the hole to the correct size and then use the bottoming tap (bottoming taps have a square, not pointed, end). There is a lot of satisfaction in getting rid of any and all exhaust leaks and getting back that nice 2.8 liter burble without all the ticking.
Give yourself a weekend in the garage to accomplish the manifold change on an older car. You can do a new one without broken bolts in about 4 to 5 hours. It also helps to disconnect the dogbone and use a small come-along to rock the engine back a bit. Then use a block of wood between the firewall and the front engine lifting eye to hold it (don't depend on the come-along completely).

Well, that's been my experience. I hope this helps!

~~Dan

------------------
Gold '87 GT, Black '87 GT, Black '88 Mera, 64 Stingray coupe, '01 Corvette coupe, '03 Corvette coupe & caretaker of son's Yellow '87 GT, & Other son's Red '86 GT,
General tinkerer and doer of mechanical deeds

mera7 JUN 23, 04:29 PM
welcome dan.... very good looking car. i like the black.
GMplastic JUN 23, 04:43 PM
Rick,
The tires are p235r15 in front and p255r15 rear. The emblems are Ferrari.





And here's my old vette. I've drove this car all the way through college...1974 to 78. Total restoration 5 years ago:


It's still fun to drive, but hard on gas compared to a Fiero or a C5.

Take care!
~~Dan
Rick 88 JUN 23, 05:02 PM

quote
Originally posted by Fiero-in-Paradise:

Dano..thanks for the measurements! I'll see what I can come up with. LOL...will need to waiting until I get back to work. I'm on leave, but busy with house projects. This am, went to change just one stupid sprinkler head. Apparently the previous house owner or whoever installed it, GLUED it into the pipe. So, what should have been like a 15 min job, turned out to be most of the day...digging down to the pipe, and under, so I could cut it, and install a correct, threaded T so the sprinkler head could be screwed to it. I should have wore a t-shirt...I now have a nice tank top tan.

Rick, no problem on the parts! I think that headlight switch thing was a F/S repro. I was looking at the Mera last night, and the type is much better/clearer than the repro...almost looks like painted on. Yep...door sills on the long-range radar.

Hey Mike, did not mean to slight you. I knew you were able to provide the panels, just weren't sure how willing you were so I did not mention you. Well dang, the last time I talked with "xxxx" (can't remember her name) at Jimmy's, she said they did carry 308 panels that would also fit the Mera. Oh well.

Okay guys, don't flame me too hard, but I saw this ad for a 1998 Z28 SS and thinking seriously about doing a trade-in with the Mera.

http://honolulu.craigslist..../ctd/1804612303.html

Jeez...the car just looks fast sitting there! HIGHLY tempting, for sure!




What you talkin about Willis??? An SS Camaro is a nice car, but don't give up the Mera!! I'd let the GT go first. Tom, if you have to go fast, I can get you set up with a new Grand Sport!
I wonder if my wife would like an automatic mera, you've seen her Vette
Rick 88 JUN 23, 05:07 PM

quote
Originally posted by GMplastic:

Rick,
The tires are p235r15 in front and p255r15 rear. The emblems are Ferrari.





And here's my old vette. I've drove this car all the way through college...1974 to 78. Total restoration 5 years ago:


It's still fun to drive, but hard on gas compared to a Fiero or a C5.

Take care!
~~Dan



Very nice 64 Dan! How is it equipped? Are the tires on the Mera 60 or 70 series? They fill up the fenders nicely compared to the stock 50 series originals.
batousai666 JUN 23, 05:40 PM

quote
Originally posted by Fiero-in-Paradise:

Dano..thanks for the measurements!

Okay guys, don't flame me too hard, but I saw this ad for a 1998 Z28 SS and thinking seriously about doing a trade-in with the Mera.


Jeez...the car just looks fast sitting there! HIGHLY tempting, for sure!





First off Dan (GMplastic) welcome NICE Mera. i got stories for you!

But excuse me for a minute ....TOMMY????!!! YOU ARE GOING TO WHAT, WITH? ........FOR A CAMARO! i need a minute!
hnthomps JUN 23, 06:29 PM
E-mail sent
batousai666 JUN 23, 07:05 PM
sorry i had to get my Heart Medicine. Thomas How dare you Hahahahahahaha.......

that camaro is not worth that asking price. offer of $8000-$10,000 (if its real nice)But really. are you crazy? Mera #8044 is perfect.. fair trade will only devalue #8044. and make me mad.....lucky i dont know how to swim.
FIREHAWK..FIREHAWK..FIREHAWK......PONTIAC TRANS AM ..FIREHAWK
they make an SLP Pontiac for ya Tommy. they fast too! my little LT1 is good. 275 hp. the Firehawk is 330-345 hp....LS1 powered get ya sum. whatever i will still talk to you.hahahahaahahaaa
anyway.
its story time fellas.....again Dan welcome to the show.

Ok its totally funny first, that it must be a DAN thing, cuz finally someone with longer posts than me....Right on

2nd. i see that your Mera #8085 is Badged F-car. you are witness to the Ferrari Mystique, our new friend.

see i live in a weird town..... i have seen a few Lotus and Lambos. AMG this and that.....because of the, how do you say.....big business (capitalism).....the Auto industry all branches, in the city alone. plus the our Hospitals are cutting edge, Pfizer (Upjohn), Stryker...ect. you know all the upper Execs. salary just in them circles alone are Millions..not counting zee bonuses....so this area reflects it....cars, Boats, motor homes, lake houses, lotta lake houses. nice newer cars are around, so not rare.
well here along comes Mera X, in the best Ferrari 308 homage possible, these Meras are tight.

But, it surprizes me, how the young Kids know its Ferrari. maybe not the 308 part, but F-car none the less.....

heres the Kicker, tho. after we go by, all rubberneckin' the rear, when they see the Pontiac -Mera on back, well you woulda thought i Farted, for the way their eyes roll back into their heads. i thought they were gonna pass out. they turn away all dissappointed. so i have only had one pic (known) to have been snapped on the road. that one almost got her wreaked. she was not watchin in front of her.....swerve and a miss.

ok let me say when i 1st got Mera X it was all badged up Ferrari. well the first day we were out 2 newer Vettes pull the rev, rev, vroom, vroom card. thinking i was Ferrari. i am sorry but the Vette Guys around here know better than to challenge anybody at all. thats how i know it was a challange. most anything cannot compete so they (Vette guys) do not even play...Maybe cuz really my only challange is my Trans Am.

hear that Tom? bet you they would race if i had a SS Camaro or something......JOKE. KIDDING...seriously. trade the Mera...you'll be sorry.

now with the Mera Emblem on the back i get nothing as described as far as ohhhh and ahhhh's.

you know?? the aforementioned Aloha Tommy, may have some Mera hood emblems if you want to try a little experiment....hell i got one i will sacrifice/donate to the cause. let me know if you want to put it on your car to see if you get a different reaction. i am interested in this outcome. sounds like fun and quite interesting to see if you, especally notice a change. i cant tell, people always stare at me. wonder why? 2 words,Hyper-Active. Put it this way YES-i do talk (alot) with my hands and never shut up! notice yet.hahahahahaaa

one interesting point is that with the Mera X licence plate and the makeshift Mera emblem i made, 1 guy actually saw me eariler on a cruise and went home and looked up Pontiac Mera on the internet and of course its all there. Well i a few days later I went into a local Park for some Summer Photo fun and he was there fishing. totally made a beeline and i could tell he was comming for us. Biker lookin dude. well he comes up and asks if he could look at "my Mera". i was all jaw on floor. he knew what it was. that was a first. cool dude, also.

well .........uhhhhhhhh........
thats all i got....DRAWS BLANK.....

Later
D

[This message has been edited by batousai666 (edited 06-24-2010).]