Car Moon

All too often, Pontiac Fiero-based replicas are simply horrible, to say the least. But, once in a while, a truly unique build hits the internet forums like this LS3 V8-powered Lamborghini Miura wannabe. Dreamed up by the owner of Chop Top Fiero in Machesney Park, Illinios, the so-called Fiura (no need to explain that) has been carefully developed over a period of three years and it’s the mother of all replicas using Fiero underpinnings.

Part of its awesomeness is due to the fact that Archie, the man behind the project, went to enormous lengths to make it as accurate to the original as possible, but without spending a fortune.

If you have the patience to read all 19 pages of the thread on Pennock’s Fiero Forum, you’ll learn that Miura parts aren’t exactly cheap nor abundant, so Archie did a lot of fabricating and scavenged all over the internet for suitable donor parts.

Is there some sort of underground movement in Germany we don’t know about devoted to converting Pontiac Fiero’s into shoddy Ferrari knockoffs? Is this a new national pastime over there or a devious ploy by Porsche, Mercedes-Benz and Audi to discredit their Italian competitors?

Whatever you may think, the Fiero-based Ferrari replica is here to stay. And, much like David Hasslehoff, there’s nowhere these things are more popular than in Germany. At least, that’s the impression that I get. Presumably built in Belgium (as it is registered there), this replica has 71,000 km (44,154 miles) on the clock, a manual transmission and a whopping 123 hp. That’s only 349 hp short of a real F40!

Suppose you are a used car buyer in Germany, with €9,990 (US$13,199) to spend on some new wheels. Would you - even in your darkest, most masochistic hour - consider buying this...this thing? Let’s run down the list of why you shouldn’t buy this car:

1. It’s a Pontiac Fiero. Yes, it’s mid-engined and built in the good ol’ U.S.A., but it was built in the good ol’ U.S.A. in the 1980s and has a body made of plastic. That’s like saying, “She’s Latino and has a great body, but she has rotten teeth and herpes.”

Here's another rare oddity found for sale on eBay Motors. The long-nose Zimmer Quicksilver is a custom made coupe with a mid-mounted V6 engine. And yes, as you may have already guessed, it's based on GM's Pontiac Fiero. The car's retro styling takes its inspiration from glitzy Lincoln and Cadillac models of the 1970s.

We never cease to be amazed by the things some people do to their cars. But while we may turn a blind eye to creations such this Acura/Honda NSX turned into a Ferrari 360-lookalike or this Mazda RX-7-powered BMW E30, there's something fundamentally wrong with swapping the original 214HP 3.0-liter V8 powerhouse of a Ferrari 308 GTSi with the... Pontiac Fiero's, Chevrolet-sourced 140HP 2.8-liter V6 unit.

Originally made for Alfa Romeo by Bertone, the (real) Carabo was built atop a chassis donated by Alfa's 33 Stradale. Packing a 230-horsepower V8, it debuted at the 1968 Paris Motor Show. But this isn't it.

Don't worry, this isn't some tacky, Fiero-based kit car, either. The guy behind this replica wanted to purchase the original from Bertone (so the ad says) but the design firm wasn't willing to part with the masterpiece, so he decided to say to hell with that and have his own built...by Sam Foose. For those who just got out of bed, that would be Chip Foose's father.

These are very sad days for General Motors which is so desperate for cash that it has decided to sell off around 250 vehicles from its Heritage Museum Collection at the upcoming Barrett-Jackson auction that takes place in Scotsdale, Arizona from 13-19 January, 2009. Most of the cars that are up for auction are from the 1980s and 1990s though the list does contain older models like a 1955 Buick Century and a 1969 Pontiac GTO Judge as well as -oddly enough- a pair of Peugeot 205 Turbos. Unfortunately for us, Santa won't be bringing any extra cash this year but if you happen to have some savings set aside, you may want to check out the preliminary list after the jump. We're pretty sure that you'll find plenty of interesting cars.

List of Cars

1. 1955 Buick Century
2. Bolero
3. 2001 Blackhawk
4. G6 Rolex Pace
5. 2007 Corvette Indy Pace/copper
6. 2008 Corvette Indy Pace/black
7. 1918 Cadillac
8. 1995 Riveria Convertible
9. 1993 Allante Pace car
10. 1996 Presidential Limo
11. 1998 Popemobile
12. 1999 Eldorod
13. Indy Pennzoil IRL #4 (yellow)
14. Indy Pennzoil Panther Racing (yellow)
15. 2003 EXT - M
16. 2004 CTS Super V
17. 2004 SRX Hot Wheels
18. 2004 SRX SEMA
19. 2005 STS MCE Integration
20. 2006 DTS Appearance Pkg
21. 2007 Escalade Limo
22. 2007 Escalade SEMA
23. 2008 CTS Sport
24. LMP #8
25. 1925 Chevrolet House Car (Blue/Black)
26. 1948 Chevy I-5 Vortech
27. 1960 Impala
28. 1972 Impala
29. 2004 M/C Rock&Roll Pace (blue/yellow)
30. 1987 Chevrolet Sprint Turbo Convertible
31. 1989 Corvette DR-1
32. 1989 Corvette Snake Skinner
33. 1989 Corvette Splash
34. 1989 Corvette ZR-1
35. 1989 Corvette ZR-1 (Dark Red)
36. 1989 Corvette ZR-2 Big Doggie
37. 1989 Tracker Boom Box
38. 1989 Zonker
39. 1990 Corvette Right Hand Steer
40. 1990 Corvette ZR-1 Active
41. 1991 Caprice Classic
42. 1991 Corvette Convertible
43. 1991 Syclone PPG Pace
44. 1991 Tracker Dirt
45. 1992 Corvette ZR-1 First Built (Red)
46. 1992 Impala SS 510
47. 1993 Camaro ZL-1 "572"
48. 1993 Corvette LT-1 Spyder
49. 1993 Typhoon
50. 1994 Corvette (Teal)
51. 1994 Impala SS 6 Speed
52. 1994 Impala Wagon
53. 1994 Tracker Kalahari
54. 1995 Monte Carlo Led Sled
55. 1995 Monte Carlo Pro Street
56. 1996 Camaro Brickyard Pace
57. 1997 Corvette Alpha Build
58. 1997 Corvette Beta Build
59. 1997 Corvette Tiger Shark
60. 2005 M/C Rock&Roll Pace (red)
61. 1997 Monte Carlo Intimidator
62. 1998 Camaro Drag
63. 1998 Corvette First Built
64. 1998 Corvette X-plorers
65. 1999 Corvette C5R Show Car
66. 1999 Corvette Shark
67. 1999 Silverado Tonka
68. 2000 Corvette Z06 Race
69. 2000 Monte Carlo Brickyard #3
70. 2000 Tahoe K5
71. 2001 Impala Low Rider
72. 2001 Monte Carlo Drag
73. Silverado #17 GMAC Racetruck
74. 2001 Silverado Intimidator SS (Black)
75. 2006 Silverado Craftsman Pace Flex Fuel #2
76. 2002 Camaro Police
77. 2002 Cavalier 425 A/FX Drag
78. 2002 Monte Carlo Looney Tunes Pace
79. 2002 S-10 Little Red
80. 2003 Aveo Xtreme
81. 2003 Corvette Lemans Pace #3
82. 2003 Monte Carlo Rock & Roll Race
83. 2004 Aveo X-treme
84. 2004 Colorado SS Dark Cherry
85. 2004 Colorado Xtreme
86. 2004 Colorado Z-71 Vision
87. 2004 Corvette Indy Pace
88. 2004 Impala SS Project Vehicle
89. 2004 Malibu Maxx SS
90. 2004 Malibu Xtreme 2004
91. 2004 Monte Carlo Dale Earnhardt Jr.
92. 2004 Monte Carlo Tony Stewart
93. 2004 Silverado Speedway
94. Solstice "Jazz" Transformer Movie Vehicle
95. 1969 Reggie Jackson Camaro (red)
96. 1990 Beretta Indy Pace
97. 2004 Escalade Pinnacle (black)
98. Holden Race Car #22 (red)
99. 2000 STS Saftey
100. 2007 Yukon "CSI Vegas" (used in filming of show)
101. 2003 Rendezvous CXL
102. 1998 Rivera (teal)
103. 2005 Colorado CC Z71
104. 2005 Corvette Atlantic
105. 2005 Corvette Pacific
106. 2005 Equinox Xtreme
107. 2004 Suburban Quadsteer
108. 2006 HHR Official Tailgate Crew
109. 2006 HHR Open Air
110. 2006 HHR Panel
111. 2006 HHR Panel Tuner
112. 2006 HHR Xplorer Scout
113. 2006 HHR Yearone
114. 1995 Aurora (red)
115. 2007 Avalanche Z-71 Plus
116. 2007 Corvette Z06 First Built (Red)
117. 2007 HHR SS Panel Motor City (Flat Gray)
118. 2007 Silverado "Big Red"
119. 2007 Silverado CC Rally Sport
120. 2007 Silverado Country Music
121. 2007 Silverado E85 Handy Man
122. 1985 Calais "MSU"
123. 2007 Silverado OCC
124. 2007 Silverado Roadside
125. 2007 SilveradoZ71 Orange
126. 2007 Suburban HD Diesel
127. 2007 Suburban Major League Baseball (Blue)
128. 2007 Tahoe Foose
129. 2007 Tahoe US Ski Team
130. Camaro Trans Am 2 seater
131. C/K 1500 Supertruck Chevy 2 Seat
132. Camaro GTZ
133. Camaro LT5
134. Corvette C5 Display Chassis
135. Corvette Purple Smash
136. Corvette Racing Boat
137. Corvette Trailer
138. Corvette ZR1 Rolling Chassis
139. HHR Floral
140. Holden Race Car (Red)
141. Kappa Chassis
142. S-10 Drag
143. S-10 Off Road Truck
144. S-10 Race Truck (Red)
145. S-10 Stadium Truck
146. 2003 Centieme Concept
147. 1916 GMC Stake Truck
148. 1917 GMC Trailer
149. 1948 GMC Firetruck
150. 1978 GMC Suburban (Brown/Cream)
151. 2003 Rollback
152. 2004 Canyon Kayak
153. 2004 Envoy Race Truck
154. 2004 Envoy Water Sports
155. 2007 Sierra All Terrain Crew
156. 2007 Sierra HD Denali
157. Caprice "Fire & Rescue"
158. 2007 Sierra Texas Edition
159. 2007 Yukon Denali Jay-Z (Blue)
160. 2007 Yukon XL Big Max
161. 2007 Yukon All Terrain
162. 2003 Hummer Spring Special
163. 2005 Hummer Dirt Sport
164. 2005 Hummer H2 Slant Back
165. 2006 H3 street
166. 2006 HHR Spring Special (Cappucino Frost)
167. 2007 H2 Safari
168. 2008 H3R SEMA
169. 1994 Corvette HO
170. Corvette ZR 1 Snake Skinner
171. 1904 Olds Touring Runabout
172. 1923 Olds
173. 1931 Olds Chassis
174. 1940 Olds Blue
175. 1949 Olds (Green)
176. 1954 Olds Ninety Eight
177. 1960 Olds 88 (White)
178. 1970 Cutlass SX
179. 1970 Olds 442 W30
180. 1977 Olds Delta 88 Indy Pace
181. 1995 Cutlass Darth Vadar
182. 1995 Cutlass Mobil Net Race
183. 1998 Intrigue 1998 (Blue)
184. 1999 Intrigue 442
185. 1999 Silhouette OSV #2
186. 2001 Bravada Indy Pace
187. 2002 Intrigue Last 2002
188. Aurora Exxon Race GTS (Gold/White)
189. Aurora IRL Race Car Cut-Away #5
190. Aurora IRL Race Car Cut-Away #5
191. 1985 Peugeot 205 Turbo (Gray)
192. 1985 Peugeot 205 Turbo Active (Gray)
193. 1926 Pontiac
194. 1926 Pontiac (Gray/Black)
195. 1968 Pontiac Cataline (White)
196. 1969 Pontiac GTO (Green)
197. 1969 Pontiac GTO Judge (Orange/Yellow)
198. 1980 Pontiac Grand Am Pickup
199. 1994 Firebird Lingenfelter 383
200. 1999 Grand Am SCT
201. 2003 Sunfire X-plores (Yellow)
202. 2006 Solstice DTP (Orange)
203. 1967 GTO XXX Hardtop
204. 1984 Fiero GT 2+2
205. 1986 Firebird Trans Am Kamback
206. 1987 Fiero GT Convertible
207. 1991 Firebird Trans Am Twin Turbo
208. 1993 Firebird IMSA Race car
209. 1994 Firebird Firmula V8
210. 1994 Firebird Trans Am 25th Ann.
211. 1998 Firebird Trans Am Gold Rush
212. 1998 Firebird Trans Am X-plorers
213. 1998 Grand Prix M&M Pace
214. 2000 Bonneville Salt Flats
215. 2000 Firebird Rytek Project
216. 2000 Firebird Trans Am Darth Vader
217. CTS-VR Race Replica (black)
218. 2001 Aztek First Built (Black)
219. 2001 Aztek Pace #1 (Red)
220. 2001 Aztek SRV
221. 2002 Firebird Trans Am Daytona Pace #2
222. 2003 Grand AM Autocross
223. 2003 Vibe Autocross Sema
224. 2003 Vibe FX
225. 2004 Grand Prix GXP SEMA
226. 2004 GTO 1st built
227. 2005 Firedbird Trans Am Collectors Ed.
228. 2005 GTO SEMA
229. 2006 Solstice Red Bull Drifter
230. 2006 Solstice Weekend Racer
231. Fiero Goodwrench Race
232. Grand Am #85 race car
233. Grand Prix (show car)
234. GTO Drag Performance Parts
235. Firebird Mobil Race Car
236. 1991 Saturn 4 Door 1991 (White)
237. 1995 Saturn 1 Millionth
238. 1999 Saturn 2 Millionth
239. 2004 Ion Red Line
240. 2004 Ion Red Line
241. 2004 Ion Red Line
242. 2004 Saturn Vue Spring Special
243. 2004 Vue Red Line Street Play
244. Saturn Lola Race Car
245. 1999 Grand Prix GT (red)
246. Regal Cielo Open Air
247. 2001 Regal GNX
248. 2002 Rendezvous Inca Trail (grey)
249. 2002 Rendezvous Tour Edition SC
250. GTP Ultrlite (teal)
251. 900 Pikes Peak
252. Malibu Friday Night Cruiser

Via: Jalopnik , Source: HRFbody