14-year-old girl restores an 86 Fiero

[bull]

http://now.msn.com/money/0417-girl-restores-fiero.aspx http://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum1/HTML/085309.html

From the Fiero Forum:
Now I should tell you that she is 12 going on 22, but she presented these arguements to us.

1. She would like to buy a fiero because she saw one at a show and thinks they are cool (we are corvette people, so she has been around a few shows). Fair enough I like GM products and remember the Fiero fondly from my youth.
2. She makes the arguement that it gets reasonably good gas milage
3. It is relatively inexpensive, so she would be able to afford it.
4. She could completely restore it in the 4 years until she turns 16
5. She would learn about how cars work, it would be a cheap education for the money
6. She would only have the capacity to take one friend along with her, so there would be less distraction
7. She wants a manual so she would learn how to drive stick
8. When it is done it would be a cool historic sports car
9. She would pay for it all herself.

[bakerhillpins]

That is excellent. 

I am doing my best to get my daughter involved enough to give her general knowledge but even that is a struggle sometimes. 

[68 Bullitt Charger]

That's great, she seem's talented and I like the fact she chose an AMERICAN made car to restore!!!!

[Finn]

How cool! Good for her. Wish I had started that early, might be closer to done by now...

[resq302]

Hell of a good idea for her!  Actually might want to start prepping my 5 yr old to start thinking the same thing!

[Ghoste]

Huge thumbs up for her.  What led you to the Fiero forum Bull, do you have one of those as well?

[Cooter]

I can see only one problem as the Fiero's were big POS....Catch on fire turds, but if that's what floats this little girls boat, I say more power to her.


Remember the "Magnum PI" (Ferrari body kits) versions being sold at dealers? We have a V6 one comes in the shop every now and then. Wow, what a turd.

[nvrbdn]

its great that a young girl is motivated enough to find a car of her liking and tear that thing down replacing all the parts instead of hanging at the mall buying crap, sitting on facebook or nonstop texting all night long. amazing

[kab69440]

Please try to turn her attentions elsewhere before she throws her life away on a dream that most likely will never happen. I remember being 15 and thinking if I could put $2,000 per year into a certain 1969 Charger, I would have a really nice car to cruise in my mid 20's. I also used to believe that I was a reasonably intelligent human being.  Every time I open the garage door, I am reminded of just how stupid I can be, twenty-five years later. Please, darlin'... don't do it.

[bull]

Please try to turn her attentions elsewhere before she throws her life away on a dream that most likely will never happen. I remember being 15 and thinking if I could put $2,000 per year into a certain 1969 Charger, I would have a really nice car to cruise in my mid 20's. I also used to believe that I was a reasonably intelligent human being.  Every time I open the garage door, I am reminded of just how stupid I can be, twenty-five years later. Please, darlin'... don't do it.

Well, thanks for the encouraging words.

[kab69440]

It may not be encouraging or all warm and fuzzy, but it's the truth. Sorry to be a downer.

[Back N Black]

I can see only one problem as the Fiero's were big POS....Catch on fire turds, but if that's what floats this little girls boat, I say more power to her.


Remember the "Magnum PI" (Ferrari body kits) versions being sold at dealers? We have a V6 one comes in the shop every now and then. Wow, what a turd.

your just a ray of sunshine. 

[mauve66]

she could put a caddy motor in it and haul ###

[TheGhost]

she could put a caddy motor in it and haul ###

Northstar?  Seen a couple of those.  Traction is a problem.

[bull]

It may not be encouraging or all warm and fuzzy, but it's the truth. Sorry to be a downer.

Four years is not out of line for a mild restoration on a Fiero. Especially with her parents helping her out. If you didn't look through that 2nd link I posted there are pics of her opening several Xmas gifts containing car parts from Santa. Not everyone can knock this stuff out in a year. Sometimes you've got to suppress the perfectionism and just pick away at it.

[resq302]

A little more than 10 years ago, when I was first starting out working on cars, I decided to get a fiberglass body kit for my 85 Jeep CJ 7.  It was a custom kit called a Hum J-7 which essentially was a Wrangler body flared out and had a one piece tilt nose that looked like a hummer.  I was the first person on the east coast who had one and did some marketing for them.  If any of you have tried this, it is a major headache as the steel body had a lot of grounds attached to it.  With a fiberglass body, you needed to run a full length ground line all the way to the end of the car.  I tried many new things like installing a new Painless wiring harness, fuel injection conversion kit, etc.  With the one piece tilt nose, the radiator shroud was now gone and had to have a free standing frame made for the rad support.  All I know is that I got a ton of experience from it and learned a lot of how mechanics work then.   I think that is why I am as confident as I am today when I work on any other project that I do.  I applaud her for her efforts and hope she makes out well with it as the finished product is certainly something to be proud of!

[Cooter]

I can see only one problem as the Fiero's were big POS....Catch on fire turds, but if that's what floats this little girls boat, I say more power to her.


Remember the "Magnum PI" (Ferrari body kits) versions being sold at dealers? We have a V6 one comes in the shop every now and then. Wow, what a turd.

your just a ray of sunshine. 

I mince no words. I will certainly try to not get banned from here as well as CC.com. Troy has been good to me.
Some want to believe the world is  agood place. I know better.  I know these cars and they are a POS. Do a search and you'll see, i'm not the only one who agrees on this point. Thank you for your kind words. Peace, love, hair grease...

[TheGhost]

The same could be said for e bodies, cooter.

[71ChallengeHer]

Good for her.    It will be a great learning experience.

[bill440rt]

I admire her determination.
Good for her!! 

[bull]

I can see only one problem as the Fiero's were big POS....Catch on fire turds, but if that's what floats this little girls boat, I say more power to her.


Remember the "Magnum PI" (Ferrari body kits) versions being sold at dealers? We have a V6 one comes in the shop every now and then. Wow, what a turd.

your just a ray of sunshine.  

I mince no words. I will certainly try to not get banned from here as well as CC.com. Troy has been good to me.
Some want to believe the world is  agood place. I know better.  I know these cars and they are a POS. Do a search and you'll see, i'm not the only one who agrees on this point. Thank you for your kind words. Peace, love, hair grease...

Please, don't flatter yourself. You're not nearly the badass you think you are.

[jaak]

Please try to turn her attentions elsewhere before she throws her life away on a dream that most likely will never happen. I remember being 15 and thinking if I could put $2,000 per year into a certain 1969 Charger, I would have a really nice car to cruise in my mid 20's. I also used to believe that I was a reasonably intelligent human being.  Every time I open the garage door, I am reminded of just how stupid I can be, twenty-five years later. Please, darlin'... don't do it.

This was done in less than 7 years....I have a lower middle class income, married, have 3 kids and a mortgage. This car was built using money I made on the side working on cars, money made flipping 3-4 cars, buying/selling parts on eBay, etc. All the work was done myself, because I could not afford to pay a professional. Just because in 25 years you didn't have the initiative or drive to finish a project, doesn't mean everyone else doesn't either. 

Jason

[bull]

 

[Musicman]

Good one Bull, I like that!

[Vainglory, Esq.]

I can see only one problem as the Fiero's were big POS....Catch on fire turds, but if that's what floats this little girls boat, I say more power to her.


Remember the "Magnum PI" (Ferrari body kits) versions being sold at dealers? We have a V6 one comes in the shop every now and then. Wow, what a turd.

your just a ray of sunshine.  

I mince no words. I will certainly try to not get banned from here as well as CC.com. Troy has been good to me.
Some want to believe the world is  agood place. I know better.  I know these cars and they are a POS. Do a search and you'll see, i'm not the only one who agrees on this point. Thank you for your kind words. Peace, love, hair grease...

Please, don't flatter yourself. You're not nearly the badass you think you are.

Heh.

[ACUDANUT]

That car does not look like a Fiero

[bull]

That car does not look like a Fiero

Check the 2nd link I put in my initial post. Lots o' pics.

[ACUDANUT]

Gotcha.

[myk]

Please try to turn her attentions elsewhere before she throws her life away on a dream that most likely will never happen. I remember being 15 and thinking if I could put $2,000 per year into a certain 1969 Charger, I would have a really nice car to cruise in my mid 20's. I also used to believe that I was a reasonably intelligent human being.  Every time I open the garage door, I am reminded of just how stupid I can be, twenty-five years later. Please, darlin'... don't do it.

I don't understand.  Why would her dream "not likely happen?"  Furthermore, why was $2000 a year into your '69 not enough?  What happened?  Also, we're talking about restoring cars; last I heard that IS possible to do.  

Kudos to this young girl, who hasn't been snared into the typical teenage girl trap of boys, bands, drugs and premarital sex rituals that plague most of America's young girls these days.  It's always possible that she'll lose it later but for now at least she's doing something constructive...