My fiero Indy 500 Pace Car,
a total basket case!
A pictorial series of a rare and neglected fiero
I bought my fourth pace car in April of 2000. I found it sitting in the backyard of on Illinois home.
It had been sitting for 2 years since the owner slid off the road and into a pole. The accident pushed the side "A" pillar in so far that it had crumpled the dashboard inside the car. There is NO WAY to fix this correctly. I knew the frame would have to be scrapped, and I'd have to start over on a rust/accident free frame. But the price was right
Once I started the stripping process, I found even more surprises. Its amazing what this car had been through. How could the previous owners treat such a rare car so badly? The car has 111K miles.
Oh yeah, I almost forgot to mention the MILLIONS of ants that made their home under the carpet and headliner.
The following is a pictorial of this fiero's hard life.
The trunklid hinges were broken, and the wing was held on with only one stand. The trunklock was gone. But hey, who needs it when you've got a bungee strap. The only good parts on this car were the Indy emblems and the four brand new tires.
Weather coming in through the hole in the windshield has soiled the carpet. The seats have cig. burns, and the leather is cracking. Leather armrests, steeringwheel, and shift knob will be redone by FieroDave. Somehow, the doorpanels are perfect???
Check out the craftsmanship taken on this prior accident damage to the front driver side. What Pride!!! I'm surprised the entire front corner of this fiero didn't fall off.
A "little" damage compliments of a telephone pole. It ruined the front cross member and both "A" arms. Even crushed the dashbaord.
I've removed the windshield, and you're looking at the passenger side dash. The speaker would be sitting where the frame is crumpled up. This could never be fixed right.
Here's a nice shot of the driver's footwell. More quality work here!!! The floor damage was hammered out. And yes, those are holes in the floor. Someone pounded a little too hard.
More surprises! The passenger side rear has been hit too. The driver side rear is the only corner of this fiero that has never been hit.
I tried to get the engine to start. (see next pic for more on this). This TBI looks like its been sitting in a yard for 2 years.
OK, this damage is my fault. I caught my Indy on fire. Fortunately no one was hurt, and no Indy items were damaged. The car had a rotten fuel line. I was sitting in the car cranking on it, when I heard the familiar sound of a gas grill being lit. NOT GOOD!
The car was still on the trailer, and thank GOD the trailer was still hooked to the Suburban. I immediately removed the burning heap from my garage and extinguished it outside. The garage also houses 11 other showcars (most are fieros). My main priority was to get the burning Indy the heck outta there. Extinguishers make such a mess when used.
Only the quarter panel and some engine wiring was destroyed. I think my trailer received the most damage. Make sure you have a fire extinguisher in your garage.
Over the next few years (yes, years) I'll restore this Indy to its original condition on a different frame. The car is an automatic, and no recalls have been performed. The interior has cleaned up perfectly, and the seats will be reupholstered. As desperate as it seemed, its still an Indy worth restoring.
....Doug
Contact the Fiero Warehouse: dmkfiero@ovis.net