I has been over 13 years since we had an organization that had a museum with our stuff in it. I will be traveling a lot in the LA area in the next couple of months and thought i would try to drive by the old places where focoa used to be and might be able to find out where all the rare stuff that was donated by GM went. Any one else ever thought of doing this. I am not looking to sell these items or sue someone or even bust down doors with a gun in my hand. I just want to know what happened to the items. Some closure if the items are found put them back on display like at the pontiac museum in pontiac illinois. Any one have any info on what happend to the items there. I looked in search mainly a lot of the ownership bashing but none where some one went and asked to have a cup of coffee with them and politely ask where the historic stuff went.
Everything I have seen indicates its in storage containers in Pahrump Nevada. Fiero Phil operates a Lincoln museum there. It would be great if any of it could be recovered and donated to the Pontiac museum.
[This message has been edited by mrfred8 (edited 04-18-2015).]
First there really was never what I would call a Museum. He has a lot of things GM gave him and little of it was displayed.
I saw it in California once and he moved a lot so often it was just stuff in cabinets. on shelves or in piles. Lets just say I was glad I never went there to just see it. Even his cars were dirty and had flat tires.
At this point I am shocked he has not attempted to sell the stuff if he has not already quietly.
I never knew how he made his money as he could not have taken in much from the club. Even the money he took from people in bad deals was not enough compared to what he was spending.
I am not sure what all he has left but a lot of what I saw was the same stuff I know many of us have. I do know GM gave him some things like the Fiero sign from the plant and such but many of his other things I have seen in the hands of people here on this web site.
A lot of what GM had got tossed out as they do with many other models too. Much of what does get out is what people take home or out of the dumpster. Companies are in business to build cars and make money any more and have little time or space for archives. I see it where I work today as we had a big anniversary and I had to supply many of the things for the company as they did not have these items.
While I am sure Phil may have some neat things yet I would temper to many who had not seen his collection that it is not what you may image either. I was sorely disappointed and that is when the club was still going.
I talked to Phil a couple months ago. I was interested in the Fiero signs that were on the cross walk. I thought he had received both of them. However he only received one which was destroyed in shipping. He still has it in the shipping container. The two Indys are setting outside. They still have low miles. Think of the condition they are in from the hot sun. He still has not sent me the info to put on fieropacecar.com I asked him about a purchase any Indy items he has and was relucent to make any comment on that request. I will keep trying, maybe one day he will change his mind.
Ron T Historian Indy #305
------------------ signature by F-I-E-R-O (My Indy on right / #1 IMS)
I talked to Phil a couple months ago. I was interested in the Fiero signs that were on the cross walk. I thought he had received both of them. However he only received one which was destroyed in shipping. He still has it in the shipping container. The two Indys are setting outside. They still have low miles. Think of the condition they are in from the hot sun. He still has not sent me the info to put on fieropacecar.com I asked him about a purchase any Indy items he has and was relucent to make any comment on that request. I will keep trying, maybe one day he will change his mind.
Ron T Historian Indy #305
Ron just keep the pressure on and hope there is something salvageable by the time he is ready to sell or is estate is.
I often wonder if he is laying low as he fears federal mail fraud charges? He took money and never delivered on many things at the end.
Once Gloria had her issues he could not keep things together. He was the idea guy with the talk but she ran things.
I had heard one sign was damaged but the other was ok. I thought he had both. I wonder where the other one is now.
I just wish when he was letting this thing fall apart he had sold it to someone who could have kept it together. As we all know a open national club is difficult to do but a private one while a lot of work and responsibility for a couple people can last. Just you have to have someone that is not lazy and is willing to put the time and investment in it.
The Shelby club is done this way and has done well once they got Shells endorsement for a small sum.
I really hate people who do this crap. They treat these cars like they are complete garbage. Not only does he have Fiero's baking in the heat NEXT to his warehouse, he has an Enterra sitting out there also.
If these were neglected horses they would go out and save them and give them to good homes. However, sitting in the NV sun for several years there won't be much left. Problems seem to follow the Huffs.
I really hate people who do this crap. They treat these cars like they are complete garbage. Not only does he have Fiero's baking in the heat NEXT to his warehouse, he has an Enterra sitting out there also.
Could be worse as they could be in a muddy field rotting away. They may not be pretty but they will not rust.
To me it is a shame but they are still cars. He is hurting himself more than anyone else.
Heck we had a real Ferrari GTO sitting in a yard here in NE Ohio for a decade till someone was finally able to buy it. What are they worth now $35 Million? It suffered a lot of damage but is now restored and in Europe.
Originally posted by hyperv6: Heck we had a real Ferrari GTO sitting in a yard here in NE Ohio for a decade till someone was finally able to buy it. What are they worth now $35 Million? It suffered a lot of damage but is now restored and in Europe.
Suffered alot of damage that having a roof over it would have helped prevent I guess is the point.
Suffered alot of damage that having a roof over it would have helped prevent I guess is the point.
Understood but a solid metal frame is harder to replace than an interior or paint is my point.
They park planes in the desert for a reason too.
Keep in mind many of the cars he has had were far from showroom new to begin with. The last time I saw them the pace car and the Formula were dirty but solid but the other cars were a mixed bag of conditions.
[This message has been edited by hyperv6 (edited 04-21-2015).]
it is a white automada and that barn is full of gm focoa stuff i bet. anyone near parumph nv want to shake a hand and have a cup of coffee??? i am too far away and in my current situation not able to work out a long haul deal.
So what is the deal, it is still owned by someone?
It seems like everything is still owned by Phil Huff and he seems to have no inclination to sell it or donate it. ( I love the idea of it going to the Pontiac Oakland museum).
Well I knew he like to get drunk at the national meets. It sounds like he may be a stoner.
What kind of Museum is it now. The last I heard it was a Lincoln Museum as in the president.
As in growing things not much grows around them thar parts.
I guess he is proof if you have a good line of bull you can sell anything or do anything.
The contents of his past museum is not as great as some thing. When I saw it in California it was not all that much but it did contain some things that GM gave him or he took that would be nice to share with others. To be honest much of what he did have is much of what many of us also have collectively on this sight. In fact I know some of us have things he did not have.
It is a collection worth saving but I was not overly impressed with much of what I saw. I am sure the building is full of other things not just the Fiero stuff as he did not have that much stuff before the move unless he had it hidden.
I know he does not have anything like these. Grand Award sign / 1984 , bricks from plant #17 demolision. Will keep trying to see if he will sell anything in the near future.
RT Historian
------------------ signature by F-I-E-R-O (My Indy on right / #1 IMS)
I know he does not have anything like these. Grand Award sign / 1984 , bricks from plant #17 demolision. Will keep trying to see if he will sell anything in the near future.
RT Historian
------------------ signature by F-I-E-R-O (My Indy on right / #1 IMS)
I know he has the sign and I saw things like the plant blueprints that I have seen later on E bay. I known Fred has many things he does not have as well I have a couple things he did not have either.
He did have a lot of press things like Pace Car folders etc.
I have to look in my FOCOA magazines and see if I can find what all he did publish he what he had. I remember he would print stories on things he acquired from GM.
I am sure he has some things that are things we would not lose but it is far from what many imagine. There were really no big wow things there. I also have to did for my photo's of the visit and see if I can pick anything out. I do remember the cars sitting dirty with a flat tire.
I will give him credit for at least being the only national club that did last for more than a few years. He did have support of Pontiac at the start but even then his model was one that could be copied by someone that could do it again. His undoing was the fact Gloria was unable to run things and he was lazy and too often not honest.
If someone had the time and real effort to put in this to run a club as a business would be the route to go. It would still take a lot of work and time but who ever is willing to do that should be compensated. Some of the best run national clubs have been privately owned.
The real key is to put out a news letter/magazine of some value and keep it fresh by monthly and no less. Not an easy task and it would take investment risk to start. Then fighting the image of another national club that could fail is another. So many of us have paid the money to see another club fail.
If someone runs it as a business too it would also show they have skin in the game. For them to make their investment back they have to deliver product. There is no easy way out. That would be a help to show how serious they are. Also it would use up most of their free time and also time away from work of a full time job at times.
It is a shame he just did not sell the club and contents to someone who could have picked up the ball and run with it.
I have seen them all come and go over the years and only a few of the local regional clubs have lasted and even they have struggled at times with leadership, membership and money.
[This message has been edited by hyperv6 (edited 04-23-2015).]
I have yet to visit Fiero's Forever in Sanford, but I have met Tim Evans on a couple of occasions. Nice guy, great Fiero talks He was driving an 88 with a 3800 SC last time I met him I hope to get up to Sanford on a Saturday when I'm not working or busy with stuff around the house (has yet to happen). He is only open on Saturdays
This post only confirms what a shame it is that loads of Fiero historical items are just sitting in the heat and rotting away. Phil Huffs FOCOA was never a real club but one run solely run by him for profit. No board of directors, VP, treasurer or other officers- just the Huffs. The Illinois, New England, Space Coast ,MAFOA and many other regional groups are all genuine non-profit clubs, yet Phil had the "Club" and the Museum so GM donated loads of stuff there. That historical stuff should be in a real museum not in the hands of a con artist. In the final days of the FOCOA, Phil Huff screwed many people, taking their money for parts and magazine subscriptions and delivering nothing. He even screwed the guy who designed and manufactured the Intermoda top and a number of other parts suppliers. This guy is bad news. The only other museum that I remember was Harold Hootens "American Fiero Museum" in Michigan. I visited Harold one time in the 1990's with my family, and he had an incredible collection of Fiero memorabilia and one of the early Indys with like 60 miles on it. It was in a garage next to Harolds house and he was very proud of all that he had collected over the years . Harold invited and welcomed anyone to see his collection for free. I still have an old VHS video of my trip there. Sadly Harold passed away several years ago and I understand that all the memorabilia and cars were auctioned off and sold for very low prices. Harold was a true gentleman and a nice guy.
------------------ " THE BLACK PARALYZER" -87GT 3800SC Series III engine, custom ZZP /Frozen Boost Intercooler setup, 3.4" Pulley, Northstar TB, LS1 MAF, 3" Flotech Afterburner Exhaust, Autolite 104's, MSD wires, Custom CAI, 4T65eHD w. custom axles, HP Tuners VCM Suite. "THE COLUSSUS" 87GT - ALL OUT 3.4L Turbocharged engine, Garrett Hybrid Turbo, MSD ign., modified TH125H " ON THE LOOSE WITHOUT THE JUICE "
I have bought and been given a bunch of Fieros over the last couple of years.
I refuse to give into greed, arrogance and ignorance.
When I get a Fiero for Parts, I take what I need, I then remove all that I can and to the disdain of my wife I store parts.
When someone in my area post on the local FB Fiero group page they are looking for parts, if I have them then they can have them for a price. What price is that you may ask? I TRADE for parts I need. Usually I am getting the bottom end of the stick per say but I would rather someone use the parts I have and keep their car going then for me to horde the items and want TOP DAMN DOLLAR for it.
Recently an owner 4 hours away in a semi secluded area of Alberta Canada damaged his passenger rear; Control arm, strut, spindle and tie rod. So I traded him a complete unit including the spring and mount and two spoiler stands for his extended wing stands. I had to go out of my way an hour to drop all the parts off at the local Greyhound bus station. No boxes for all these parts were available so I made a very strong one. I think he may have a post on here somewhere about his adventure.
Yes it was a PITA to get him these parts but HELL he is back on the road now.
Maybe if people stopped being Greedy wanting top Dollar for used parts, not be ignorant saying stupid statements like, "rather watch it rot" then share and be arrogant thinking their 30 year old parts are worth much more then what they are, then maybe there would be a Larger Group of Fiero Owners out there trying to help each other.
Well I started with the man in the mirror.
BTW it makes me sick to my stomach when I see a car just rotting away when someone could be loving and enjoying them and keeping them alive.
He was driving an 88 with a 3800 SC last time I met him 
