Dreams really *do* come true...

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LZeitgeist

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O.K., this isn't about a T-Bird (but it *is* due to the generous help of a T-Bird owner, and a wonderful, amazing friend of mine).

Her member name is 'brandonbird', and she's the proud owner of a 2004 Pacific Coast Roadster that I sometimes get the honor of taking care of in some way, shape or fashion. :)

However, I digress...

Here is my car as of a few weeks ago... a 1988 Pontiac Fiero Formula.

http://members.*******/lzeitgeist/PatsFormula.jpg

It's a five-time trophy winner, two Fiero-specific shows (including a third place in the Nationals) and three 'all-Pontiac' shows.

Well, back in 1990, when I test drove the first Fiero I owned, I had a dream...

Looking at the car, I knew that it would make a really cool convertible. After buying the car (a 1988 4-cyl Fiero Coupe), I pored through a few kit car magazines until I discovered a company called Automoda, who made the most perfect convertible conversion kit for the Fiero that I could have imagined.

My plan was to pay the car off in three years, turn around and use the car as collateral on a loan to get the convertible conversion done.

However, in that three years, the company went out of business (for reasons I hadn't discovered until late last year - no fault of the company owner other than being too trusting of a shyster, but again, I digress...)

So, for the next nine years, I drove the car and loved it, before I sold it to my Dad with 222,000 miles on it. :)

Shortly after that, I picked up the V6-powered Formula seen in the pic above. It's truly the perfect Fiero for me.

I'd also met 'brandonbird' through a mutual interest in a television actor/character and we became friends. Along the path of our friendship, she began helping me make some extra 'play' money by doing handyman work around her home and gardens. :)

About a year ago, I started looking for a possibility to be able to relive what I'd hoped to do so many years previous, and I struck gold - gold that I was able to purchase with 'brandonbird's help, trust and belief in me.

Just a couple weekends ago, I got back from Chicago, where I was able to have this done to the car you see above...

http://members.*******/automodafiero/LZcar1.jpg

http://members.*******/automodafiero/LZcar2.jpg

http://members.*******/automodafiero/LZcar3.jpg

http://members.*******/automodafiero/LZcar4.jpg

It's not a T-Bird, but it's the absolute perfect car for me, just like how I've always wanted it. :)

It's still in need of a more permanent paint job, and all the little custom odds and ends and alterations that a custom job requires, but that's where the fun comes in. :) I plan to have it done by September 1st, since that first week is when the next local all-Pontiac show is. Boy, I can't wait to show it off *this* year. ;)

Thank you, 'brandonbird'... next we're gonna have to post up a whole bunch of pics of *your* car, in one of the *ON*-topic sections. ::chuckle::

Thanks for reading... looking forward to learning more about *your* favorite convertibles so I can help keep 'brandonbird's in good shape for a long, long time. :) And thanks for letting me 'play' here - there's a great group of folks here.
 
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Patrick:
That's a great ride you have there. And an interesting story. Please post the repaint pics when done. :)
 
George said:
Patrick:
That's a great ride you have there. And an interesting story. Please post the repaint pics when done. :)
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Thanks... :) It's actually just going to be repainted the same color, so no huge changes there... I know it's off-topic, but things seemed a little quiet here lately. Must be all the nice weather. :)
 
.....speaking of dreams.....Two years we drove an Inspiration Yellow 'Bird...It was a dream that became a reality this past December 29th....... :D
 
Sophia said:
I love your car LZ! :cool:
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I would hate to get hit by an Excursion or Suburban in one of those!
 
tbird said:
I would hate to get hit by an Excursion or Suburban in one of those!
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Seems like it'd be pretty bad to be in *any* sort of sports car in an accident with either of those tanks... better to be able to scoot away from them in traffic. :)
 
Would REALLY hate to get hit in my T-Bird, since it is mine :p
 
Sophia said:
Would REALLY hate to get hit in my T-Bird, since it is mine :p
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Then keep an eye out for Brad - he's always trying to hit on you...
 
Darn $@&~$ !#$* , I just noticed a couple of tiny dings on my door!!! :mad:

So Quick, Brad must have done it, right? Where is that man!! Does anyone know if those auto repair people can really pop out those little dings without too much trouble? Should I send Brad the bill? :confused:
 
Sophia said:
Darn $@&~$ !#$* , I just noticed a couple of tiny dings on my door!!! :mad:

So Quick, Brad must have done it, right? Where is that man!! Does anyone know if those auto repair people can really pop out those little dings without too much trouble? Should I send Brad the bill? :confused:
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Well if you don't want to invest $20 in a Dent King (as advertised on TV), you could take it to one of those places. I haven't heard of anyone having the dent come out worse but I wonder it they would want to drill access holes in the door jamb to insert their tools? If thats the case, no thanks.

Brad appears to have life from time to time and disappears for days on end.
 
Well, as advertised on TV, generally scares me. I thought they just used a suction device. There will be no drilling, I will ask first. :eek:
 
Quickdraw said:
Brad appears to have life from time to time and disappears for days on end.
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You don't suppose he is responsible for putting all the dings in cars, and stealing at least one sock from each dryer, do you??
 
I've been just a lurker here but seeing LZ's post, I have to at least try a post - I hope this works. The photos that he posted of his car are wondeful, but really don't do it justice. That is a seriously awesome convertible! Although I had seen photos of what he was hoping to acheive, I was still unprepared for how beautiful it was until I saw it in person. He was even brave enough to let me drive it (top down, or course) without once screaming in terror or trying to wrench the wheel from me. :) He's done an amazing job with this car. It is truly cool and I was so happy to have been able to help see that dream come true for him, since he has made so many come true for me with my little farm. I had even feard that I woul have to give my place up because it was becoming more than I could take care of by myself and help was hard to find. But thanks to him, everything stays in great shape, new projects that I had only imagined miraculously take shape and I'm really enjoying living here again. So instead of spending all my time trying to hold things together, I can concentrate on the things I enjoy - like driving my Tbird. :)

brandonbird
2004 Pacific Coast Roadster
 
New pics added (with apologies to dial-up users)

Here are some more recent pics of the completed car:

I wanted very much for this to appear as though it was done by Pontiac themselves (not to fool anybody, but for my own satisfaction), so I've even gone so far as to purchase required items like the third brake light and the lighted rear-view mirror from a 1988 Pontiac Sunbird convertible, since if the factory had built this Fiero this way in 1988, those are the parts that would have been available for them to use. I removed the rocker switches from the lighted rear-view mirror, filled the holes and rewired it to utilize the original Fiero maplight switches in the cut-down upper console I modified to fit. I also rewired the circuit from the four light (two dome lights and two maplights) system to a two light system (each maplight in the mirror comes on separately when the appropriate button is pressed, but when the door is opened or dashlight dimmer switch is activated, both maplights come on in conjunction with the under-dash courtesy lights).

I used hex-mesh that duplicated the look, style and size of the mesh in the dash defroster vents to fill the custom decklid grilles, and I created room inside the seat headrests for the 4"x6" B-pillar speakers to fit in behind the fabric. I also cross-wired the rear speakers to provide better stereo effect against the output of the front speakers. The headrests are non-perforated (but still quite adequately acoustically transparent) so they appear completely stock in appearance.

Getting it to be as '1988 Pontiac OEM Believable' as possible was always my goal.

I feel this style of convertible top fits the design of the Fiero perfectly, and I believe it to have been designed after a couple different Ferrari soft tops.

Here you go...

http://members.*******/automodaformula/PWHFormula1.jpg

http://members.*******/automodaformula/PWHFormula2.jpg

http://members.*******/automodaformula/PWHFormula3.jpg

http://members.*******/automodaformula/PWHFormula4.jpg

http://members.*******/automodaformula/PWHFormula5.jpg

http://members.*******/automodaformula/PWHFormula6.jpg

http://members.*******/automodaformula/PWHFormula7.jpg

http://members.*******/automodaformula/PWHFormula8.jpg

http://members.*******/automodaformula/PWHFormula9.jpg

http://members.*******/automodaformula/PWHFormula10.jpg

http://members.*******/automodaformula/PWHFormula11.jpg

http://members.*******/automodaformula/PWHFormula12.jpg
 
.....Hello BrandonBird....Interesting story here.....just wondering what number your PCR is?..and how you are enjoying it?.....Cheers! :D
 
Thanks for responding, LZ. :) I rarely get time to visit the forum, so I often miss posts. Yes, I absolutely love my PCR. It's my dream car. I fell in love with it at the dealership when I stopped by just to see the new style Tbirds up close, with no intention at the time of buying one. It was like they had made this car just for me out of all the little things I've always dreamed a car should be. (A bit like LZ's car is for him :) ) The feeling of power and freedom is terrific, but almost even better is the feeling I get when I go out and see it parked there, waiting for me. Even though I've had it since March, the feeling of knowing that this beautiful car is actually mine just doesn't seem to get old. And now with my new windscreen (again, thanks to LZ) I can enjoy our beautiful fall weather with even more top down driving. :)
 
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