Watching my 87' GT come home on a flatdeck trailer from Calgary in the dead of winter after I bought it, I was 17 and it was my first car. I earned the money for it flipping burgers at McDonald's. I've felt ten notches more cool ever since haha.
When I got to the seller's house and walked into the garage and saw it in real life. It looked so much better than in the pictures. I was like and got butterflies. We took it for a test drive and somehow set off the aftermarket alarm by accident. We had no idea how to turn it off. So we were driving around Chicago, lost, with the alarm blasting and people staring at us. It was so embarrassing. As soon as we got home, we uninstalled that monstrosity. I get so many looks in the school parking lot.
Coming back from vacation, I had a call to do a network troubleshooting/setup at my favorite restaurant to eat in Akron. It was a hole in the wall, & little did I know they remoddled it into something huge. It had 14 or so large screen tv's, two floors, two bars, the place is a party center now! Anyhow, I pulled up in my Fiero, happy as a clam to do business with them, fixed their issue in 2 hours, then drove my car to a private birthday party with my wife, her sister, & her cousin. It was a fun day for sure, made all the sweeter that I was returning in my Fiero.
Mine would have to be attending my first "Pete's Fiero Cruise." A car itself is fun, but when you meet people that you can honestly call friends, it takes the enjoyment to a whole new level.
Starting my car the first time with the turbo installed is a close second
The time my wife and I flew all the way to Atlanta from Michigan to buy an 88gt. The sale didn't turn out and we never bought the car, but we met a few really great people.
Also, the first time I ever drove my Fiero. It was the first time the car had been driven since 1991. I was nervous and excited at the same time.
Driving on Gateway International Speedway in 1998 and passing The Rattler on the straight away, only to have him pass me in the corner. It was probably the only time I ever really pushed my 87 GT, shifting at 5000 rpm, hitting 90+ in third.
When I bought my '84, the Duke was dying a sad painful death which resulted in a six month father-son engine swap exercise. My biggest moment? When I started it for the first time after the 3800 swap and seeing my dad's face light up with excitement.
Driving on Road Atlanta, Doing the Tail of the Dragon and blowing the doors off a Mustang SVO. Oh, almost forgot, Running over 100mph behind a Kentucky highway trooper for about 10 miles and then he got off and I slowed down to a normal speed
That first full throttle drive in my 3800t, laughing like a little girl, while talking to Darkhorizon on speaker phone. There is something about having so much fun, you don't care about looking like a complete knob. PRICELESS. Then it exploded.
Or it could be the time when Whodumbass delivered my car and I went all Nitro Circus through my neighborhood, jumping "serious road obstructions" and doing "full boost burnouts" across my lawn.
Mine was the past 30th show and receiving one of 10 John Callies awards from him personally. Definitely made the entire build of my car worth it over the past 11 years!
Too many to pick from, but two stand out in my mind:
Cruising at 165 mph side by side with a Viper GTS, through northern Texas for about 10 minutes.
My "brain fart" track experience at Waterford Hills Road Course. I was determined to pass two cars safely, didn't pay attention to my speed, or turn coming up (which did very quickly). Resulted in one crazy spin out, landing in pea gravel trap bed way off the track.
No one has ever asked me that question, but I really want to answer it' My biggest Fiero moment was Valentine's Day 1988 when my ex-wife opened the door to the garage and saw my brand new white 1988 GT 5 speed and screamed "Is that your car?" And then I told her I traded the conversion van we had to haul her damn show cats around in for her for the Fiero. One of the best days of my life! I kept that car for 20 years and still have 2 Fieros. It was my ticket to getting rid of the ex and freedom!
When one of the editors of Hot Rod Magazine came up to me and said, "we would like to do an article on your car, is that alright?" The four-page spread with my Formula with the SC3800 came out in the May 2001 issue of Hot Rod Magazine. Just one of those wow moments
When one of the editors of Hot Rod Magazine came up to me and said, "we would like to do an article on your car, is that alright?" The four-page spread with my Formula with the SC3800 came out in the May 2001 issue of Hot Rod Magazine. Just one of those wow moments
Bet is was a great moment for you !!!
Missed my moment with Hot Rod Magazine twice now at different events, I wasn't around the car and they left notes on the drivers seat both times to come to their Motor Home, each time I did, they were no where to be found.
Phil wasn't with his car, but when he came back someone said the Hot Rod Magazine guy was looking for him. Phil was lucky and found him and the rest is history. The pictures were taken before dawn in MS when Hot Rod Power Tour stopped at Sam's Town Casino that year. I have pictures of them taking pictures of the car. It was very exciting. When the pictures came out in the magazine, Phil kept being asked, "How do you get in the magazine?" Phil would just tell them, "Be in the right place at the right time."
In March or so of 1988 right after the announcement that the Fiero would be discontinued I got serious about getting one. My local Pontiac dealer gave up his whole allocation of Fieros so I had to go out of town to get one. Steve Johnson Pontiac in Colo Spgs grabbed up all the Fieros he could from stupid dealers like my local one and when I got off the plane and went to his store there were a bunch of brand sparkling new Fieros lined up on front of his showroom. I had my choice but already knew what I wanted, met red Formula w tan, but had to go w grey int. I think he was smart to grab up all those cars, as Pontiac was beginning their corporate campaign to ruin the reputation of the Fiero. I had never seen such a campaign to eliminate a car from the face of the earth. GM kept mailing me higher and higher offers to trade in my Fiero for another GM product at great discounts, this went on for the first 2-3 yrs. They really wanted Fieros off the road!!! With rebates it was 11,200 out the door. But the moment of extreme joy was driving home on I-25, varying speeds to gently break in the motor yet still enjoy the thrill. Above Las Vegas NM I hit 110 for a short moment, noticed how light the front end can get at speed. That drive home was my first real Fiero Moment, but since then I have had hundreds just coz its different when the engine is in the middle !! I've had all kinds of cars including 5.0 mustang notchbacks (3) Mercedes SL's, but the Fiero I have now, just like that new one in 1988, really gives me a thrill when I drive it. Todays car, basically a 4cyl 5sp Formula is actually my dream Fiero, the Formula guts w the Iron Duke, carefully built by another member of this forum; n2x88. I now know how great it is to lower a Fiero, something I probably never would have done, but it makes such a difference. Could go on.......
and got butterflies. We took it for a test drive and somehow set off the aftermarket alarm by accident. We had no idea how to turn it off. So we were driving around Chicago, lost, with the alarm blasting and people staring at us. It was so embarrassing. As soon as we got home, we uninstalled that monstrosity. I get so many looks in the school parking lot.
