A while back, Bird Mini-Cars made some Fiero go-karts. The company was located in Nebraska, but has since moved to CA. I've spoken with the "owner" Fred many times, but he has not been helpful at all, and has basically fallen off the face of the earth since I purchased the fiberglass body.
So, does anyone have any leads or friends that are selling any parts to the Fiero go-karts? I have a body here that I would like to restore, but I need the running gear, meaning chassis, wheels, engine, etc. - whatever you can muster up is fine by me. I know a few of you have seen these (probably not in ages though) and hopfeully someone knows where there's a chassis, sitting neglected, just waiting for a new home.
For those that have never seen one of these, here's what it looks like:
I understand that David Gageby (here in Minnesota) is considering selling his original 84 Indy Pace car go-cart and matching trailer. I'm sure he wants a fortune for it- it's been completely restored and has a brand new engine. I think there is still an email link for him at http://www.fiero.mn.org
The Fiero indy go carts were made under GM licence. Some people made molds of the bodies and used generic go cart chassis under them. There was someone in Auburn Indiana selling them for $750 on eBay about two years ago.
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07:20 PM
Boomtastic Member
Posts: 2359 From: Athens, Alabama Registered: May 2000
Minn - I think I've seen that one before, and if memory serves me right I didn't like it. Something about the dog-dish style hub caps and the faux side maker lights ... (am I right?)
Kas - I thought about that too, but I swear to you that it wouldn't be a 7hp on the back! It's actually easier to find one than to make one right about now for me. I have a lot of irons in the fire, so to speak. Btw, how's your project coming? PM me on that one ..
Lou - Rumor has it that Manco's chassis (from their Indy cart) will fit, but I can't buy one from them. They've sent me a price list, and it shows in the parts breakdown, but it's not listed at all in the price sheet. I *did* go as far as to tell Bird that they could pull a mold from my car (for future use, since their molds are long gone) for free if they helped me find a chassis. The last conversation I had with the owner, he was going "back to the original manufacturer to see if they could tool up and pump one out, which shouldn't be a problem .." Obviously, it was.
------------------ Boomtastic
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07:40 PM
May 24th, 2002
Boomtastic Member
Posts: 2359 From: Athens, Alabama Registered: May 2000
why can't you just buy a basic go kart from somewhere? that is what I would do. Then make bracket to fit the body if you have to. I have seen many go karts that seems like they would work unless you are going for the org. condition of a new fiero go kart.
Originally posted by isthiswhereiputausername?: Maybe even have the body as a one piece shell, with no floor so it could drap over a gokart frame
That's what it does now, so it wouldn't be hard to make a mold from.
Revin - I am looking into it, but it's not a racing cart style chassis like most kart houses sell. It's also tough to get the right dimensions (width, length, axle widths, etc) *and* still have the engine on the left side. Trust me - if I could find a chassis to fit, *I'll* pull molds off and start making them again.
------------------ Boomtastic
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07:03 PM
88CoupeV6 Member
Posts: 1578 From: New Bedford MA Registered: May 2001
http://www.kartworld.com carry any part you want and may have a chassis that will work. I have a racing cart with a 2 stroke 100cc engine in my garage id sell if you can use it.
------------------ Scott 86GT 3.4 turbo
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08:58 AM
RAREW66 Member
Posts: 1119 From: Davenport, IA USA Registered: Jun 2001
The guys at Midwest Fieros in Iowa have an original unrestored Pace Car that they bought from an Antique store. http://welcome.to/midwestfieros
Maybe they can come up with some pics of the chassis for you. It did have a cheap tube chassis and all of the carts that I have seen had those odd looking chrome "baby moon" hub caps.
The local Pontiac dealers had them for a raffle around Indy 500 time. I can not remember what the details of the raffle were. I do remember that the salesman broke the rear axle from jumping the speed bumps in the driveway of the dealership.
------------------ Fred Bartemeyer Chairman Heartland Fieros 86 GT 4spd 26k miles 87 GT 5spd. Blue 37k miles 88 Silver T-Top Formula 256k miles 87 GT 5 spd Annette's Sunshine Driver
There is a go-cart w/ a fiberglass Fiero body on E-bay. It has a full roll cage, and new tires. Perhaps you can win that and reproduce the needed parts? It's at $300 with the reserve not met. Perhaps looking into.
Greg
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04:07 AM
rockcrawl Member
Posts: 2528 From: Lehigh Valley, PA Registered: Jul 2000
Originally posted by rockcrawl: I have a chassis that I'll give you if you want it. I hope it's still around. I'll see if I can get some pics and measurements.
If it's for the Fiero kart, I'll take it!!
------------------ Boomtastic
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09:07 AM
FieroGTguy Member
Posts: 3087 From: Indianapolis , IN Registered: Mar 2001
Something about the dog-dish style hub caps and the faux side maker lights ... (am I right?)
I feel another road trip coming on... 
