I picked up an 88GT from the Las Vegas Fiero Club a few years ago. I figured that I would start a resto thread since I am going to paint it. Here goes.






This how it looks right now.


I have done a lot of work to it since I got.
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Project Genisis Lo Budget 3800SC swap
12.840@104.8 MPH Intense-Racing 1.9 rockers, 3" exhaust, 3.4 pulley, ZZP tune and 18 year old tires.

88 Coupe under construction SOLD

88 formula 3.4L 4t60 swap SOLD

88GT resurrection in progress.

[This message has been edited by hercimer01 (edited 01-09-2020).]

Looking forward to seeing your progress ....

Here's some work I've done in the last couple years.

I did a new head liner but still need the visors done. I don't think I got the headliner dark enough?




I found this, medium beechwood, got some on the way.


I put in a CD player and reglued the rubber edges of the upholstery.

[This message has been edited by hercimer01 (edited 01-12-2020).]

Watching....btw you did a good job on that headliner.

Thanks guys. I have to redo it though, I just noticed TFS has new visors and they do say all 87s and 88s were either dark grey or dark saddle for the headliners. I'll have to get some visors too I guess.

Also here's my thread from when I restored the fuel tank.
https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum2/HTML/140012.html

I have a new fuel sending unit to be installed still. I've been amassing parts.

[This message has been edited by hercimer01 (edited 01-15-2020).]

I've been slowly buying paint I need. This stuff ain't cheap!
This is the white primer.


This is the Solar Gold base coat.

quote Originally posted by hercimer01: This stuff ain't cheap!

If you want to see expensive, try buying that in our Crapifornia "VOC compliant" formula. That's why I try the best I can to buy HOK from a private vendor out of state.

[This message has been edited by IMSA GT (edited 02-25-2020).]

Another $220 dollars. ($110 per quart)
Edit 2025: $159 per quart.
I still have to get Clear Coat.

[This message has been edited by hercimer01 (edited 10-07-2025).]

I haven't done much with this car except drive it in the summertime. I think im ready to start restoring it though, the paint is rough and the sunroof leaks. But there's absolutely no rust on it and the R12 freon will freeze you out.

Just wanted to bump this thread.
I still have the car. I have been driving it in the summers and really haven't wanted to paint it yet so I can drive it. The car runs great, the motor has been bored and stroked by the Las Vegas Fiero Club. The block is from a 2.8L Chevy S10. The reason for this is the crank has a longer stroke so more torque. The block was bored .030 over with a healthy cam. Any one who knows Fieros and drives it always make a comment about how it good feels to drive.
There is absolutely no rust underneath and the R12 freon blows super cold. I quit driving it so much this year to preserve the car. So, therefore I am open to the direction of the future of the car. I have the HOK BrandyWine and Solar Gold for a base coat. The car is not painted yet. I also have a low mileage L67 and 4T65EHD with a 98 GTP harness and computer. Not sure what I want to do now.

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Project Genisis Lo Budget 3800SC swap SOLD
12.840@104.8 MPH Intense-Racing 1.9 rockers, 3" exhaust, 3.4 pulley, ZZP tune and 18 year old tires.

88 Coupe under construction SOLD

88 formula 3.4L 4t60 swap SOLD

88GT resurrection in progress.

I did buy an industrial walker foot sewing machine so I can do upholstery. I am also doing a 1966 AMC Rambler full restoration. So I figured I will start practicing on the Fiero. I have decided The car (Fiero) will be for sale, I have some prep things I want to do first to pretty it up. It's a rock solid car, just ugly as hell. So here is the start.




















The color of the 88 Fiero headliner is supposed to be medium Beech wood I believe. they're all different so please correct me if i'm wrong. I didn't know this when I did the head liner that is why is the wrong color. The color I used was from Jo Anne fabrics and its a tan color. The old visors pretty much match the new material I mentioned a few posts back. Medium Beech wood.

[This message has been edited by hercimer01 (edited 01-04-2024).]

Here's the before and after.

And so it begins. Body panels need to be replaced because this car came from the desert and is black. Also the car has been painted in the past with some sort of single stage enamel paint. They are all warped pretty bad. I have already replaced the front bumper cover, driver side door skin, and front hood. I have the passenger side door skin, rear clip, and rear bumper cover. All of my replacement panels have OEM paint on them at least. The fenders, lower quarter panels, and rear deck lid are all salvageable.




One of the threaded studs spun out, I had to cut he skin off.

quote Originally posted by hercimer01: One of the threaded studs spun out, I had to cut he skin off.

We had this exact same problem on my daughter's 85 Fiero, and even on the same stud as well. I was able to cut it off using a sawsall, and then miraculously, I was able to re-weld the same stud I'd cut off, using my mig-welder, and then epoxied the base of it on the fiberglass so it wouldn't spin. We were able to get it all back together like new without having to cut.

quote Originally posted by hercimer01: And so it begins. Body panels need to be replaced because this car came from the desert and is black. Also the car has been painted in the past with some sort of single stage enamel paint. They are all warped pretty bad. I have already replaced the front bumper cover, driver side door skin, and front hood. I have the passenger side door skin, rear clip, and rear bumper cover. All of my replacement panels have OEM paint on them at least. The fenders, lower quarter panels, and rear deck lid are all salvageable. One of the threaded studs spun out, I had to cut he skin off.

lucky for you it's not difficult to repair that panel afterwards.
lots of chamfering on both parts and getting that cut out center peice sanded much shorter to them use a fiberglass epoxy or a specific boat resin and standard fiberglass sheets to make it strong before sanding it down and using gold filler then icing and spot filler before filler primer

You don't have to cut the skin off for that spinning stud. There is a retainer in there that keeps the bolt shoulder (square) held against the skin to prevent the stud from moving up and coming loose. You just need to apply some force on the skin upward to keep the stud down as you remove the nut.

I found my retainer sitting on the roof of the car rusted out. Replaced it before putting the clip back on.

[This message has been edited by Matthew_Fiero (edited 09-18-2024).]

quote Originally posted by cartercarbaficionado: lucky for you it's not difficult to repair that panel afterwards. lots of chamfering on both parts and getting that cut out center peice sanded much shorter to them use a fiberglass epoxy or a specific boat resin and standard fiberglass sheets to make it strong before sanding it down and using gold filler then icing and spot filler before filler primer

quote Originally posted by Matthew_Fiero: You don't have to cut the skin off for that spinning stud. There is a retainer in there that keeps the bolt shoulder (square) held against the skin to prevent the stud from moving up and coming loose. You just need to apply some force on the skin upward to keep the stud down as you remove the nut. I found my retainer sitting on the roof of the car rusted out. Replaced it before putting the clip back on.

Thanks guys. I wasn't planning to save that skin anyhow. It was cracked and sunstroke rotting.
I did try to save it, in one of the pics there is a crowbar under the skin in one of the pics. The rear clip has been replaced before and not very well at that. It was garbage to begin with.

Heres my replacements. They are from northern Illinois here so they are very straight. The rear clip I got from Paul Vargyas when he moved.


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Project Genisis Lo Budget 3800SC swap SOLD

88 Coupe under construction SOLD

88 formula 3.4L 4t60 swap SOLD

1988 Fiero GT Medium Red Metallic Paint Job Maybe HOK Brandy Brandywine SOLD

88GT resurrection in progress.

[This message has been edited by hercimer01 (edited 09-18-2024).]

I took the last few days off to start painting the car, but I did find a bit of rust. I had to repair it before I could move on. For a desert car this isn't to bad.

I wonder if this is what its like in Alaska with short daylight.

The thread stopped due to my mothers move across country. I was so preoccupied with uprooting a lifetime of her belongings last winter.
I am also restoring a 1969 AMC Rogue by stripping it down to bare metal. It is also ready for body filler and paint.
I'm back at it now. I have been sanding the body panels and getting them ready for primer.

[This message has been edited by hercimer01 (edited 05-20-2025).]

quote Originally posted by hercimer01: The thread stopped due to my mothers move across country. I was so preoccupied with uprooting a lifetime of her belongings last winter. I am also restoring a 1969 AMC Rogue by stripping it down to bare metal. It is also ready for body filler and paint. I'm back at it now. I have been sanding the body panels and getting them ready for primer.

looks like wonderful progress

Every thing that's removable from the car besides the hood and bumper covers is primed with the Speedo Kote. That stuff is like pudding. Make sure you get a cheap Amazon gun with a 1.5 tip if you use it. I put in a hardware kit and new gasket for the sunroof from the Fierostore also. The gasket tracks were fine but the drain holes were plugged. That's probably why it was leaking. I opted to changed the gasket also because this is a desert car and it was pretty hard from the heat. I changed the rear clip with one I got from Paul Vargyas. It had some damage. I replaced all the body panels and front hood were heat stroked too. The door skins were peeling back on the tops due to warpage. Basically all that's original to the car is the roof skin, fenders, rocker panels, trunk lid and wing. I got some near perfect bumper covers from one in Chicago with no spider web cracks at all.

quote Originally posted by hercimer01:

Nice work. I love your passion, and your avatar.

I'm back on the paint job. I have decided to sell the car once it's painted. I do have a whole 3800SC swap ready to go in but I don't plan to install but I could if someone was interested.

I decided not to go with Solar Gold as a base but to go with white as a base. I figured that the gold would give it an orange tint. I am really after the Brandy wine brightest color. Here's the roof and rear clip. The front roof needs a bit more color because it looks like magenta and doesn't match the rear. This is why things should be sprayed all together. The only reason I took the rear clip off is because The original one was to beat up.












I'll be able to adjust it later when I give it a final flow coat.

Nailed it!

Making progress.

The sun is finally out.

The sun light is shining through a tree on the car.

It's getting dark sooner. I got the trunk lid and wing done. All thats left are the bumper covers and trim.

I shall call thee SKEETER!

[This message has been edited by hercimer01 (edited 10-09-2025).]

Been busy on it.














SKEETER! AHHHH!






This was a previous repair gone horribly wrong. It was just bondo on a tear. Needless to say it failed. I had to chisel out a ton of filler from the area. 3M sticky patches and flexible filler is the only thing that will last.
















This is an old picture. This summit link is a current product.

[This message has been edited by hercimer01 (edited 10-19-2025).]

Finally got the nose done.

quote Originally posted by hercimer01: I also have some 1.6 rockers to put in it from a 1994 Pontiac Grand Am.

Hey, just wanted to make a point on these rocker arms. I noticed they have little "tabs" that fold over the top of where the oil gets sprayed from through the pushrod. I'd assume that once it hits this, it sprays outward and more directly gets to the rocker arm pivot bushing.

Any idea why all the other rocker arms don't have this? I've never actually seen this before on any other rocker arms, but it seems to me to make so much more sense. Rather... without this, I assume the rocker arm just sprays oil all over the inside of the valve cover, like everywhere...


EDIT: Also... that paint looks nice!!!

[This message has been edited by 82-T/A [At Work] (edited 10-23-2025).]

quote Originally posted by 82-T/A [At Work]: Hey, just wanted to make a point on these rocker arms. I noticed they have little "tabs" that fold over the top of where the oil gets sprayed from through the pushrod. I'd assume that once it hits this, it sprays outward and more directly gets to the rocker arm pivot bushing. Any idea why all the other rocker arms don't have this? I've never actually seen this before on any other rocker arms, but it seems to me to make so much more sense. Rather... without this, I assume the rocker arm just sprays oil all over the inside of the valve cover, like everywhere... EDIT: Also... that paint looks nice!!!

I have never noticed the tabs. That is different. I cant remember whats different about that engine other than it was a high output engine.
And thanks for the compliment.

I got the nose mounted and the color shades are matching up really well. It just came down to making sure I had full coverage with the base coat.


This is the repair.


I think I might do a ghost Pegasus in Solar Gold on the hood. What do you guys think I should do if anything.




White COB running lights. They are bright at night. Not enough to be overwhelming like today's modern cars or butthole jeepsters like the one behind my car in the picture. I'm sure Ogre would have something to say about that.

[This message has been edited by hercimer01 (edited 10-25-2025).]