1987-1988 Pontiac Mera sales video

[@TheMrmmkkpro]

I have been a Pontiac fan since the mid 70s. I own a 1972 455HO , and have several blocks and other parts. My first legal car was a 1968 firebird. I went to the Pontiac dealer back in 1984 and almost bought a Fiero. The fastback are badass. Cool cars , I miss Pontiac , could you guys imagine what Pontiac could be doing today. Always were a step ahead.

[@christophermartin972]

I had a friend who bought a 1989 turbo trans am in 1990. That car was the fastest thing I had ever been in up to that point in my life. It would keep up with many performance cars today! Such a beautiful car also

[@deezematz]

They had some really bad ass cars they were talking about going into production with and then gm shut them down. Just like they were about to do with the feiro in the late 80’s. But gm put a stop to it because it was going to wipe the floor with the corvette and they didn’t want their sales to get hurt by it. They just couldn’t catch a break.

[@TheMrmmkkpro]

@@deezematz Even back in the early 70s Pontiac stuck with the muscle car when everyone else had anemic power. The 73-74 SD 455 was a hand built race engine, a good cam and carb is all it needed to scream. The factory cam and carb had to meet emissions so. 1964 GTO started it all. I can respect that.

[@deezematz]

@@TheMrmmkkpro I feel that’s something they always did. they were creative when others weren’t. They never had the budget Chevy did but they made due with what they had and came out with some pretty cool cars.

[@blindriv3r]

Exactly, James Garner seemed to agree

[@richardikin]

"How much of a Ferrari rip-off do you want?" "Yes."

[@darrenmuse]

This was at a time when Ferraris were in the shop more than on the road.

[@jamesmacleod9382]

If you self identify as a Ferrari then you are one. It's a modern world.

[@adamwright6433]

Ferrari, an overpriced, oversized poorly built go-cart. I'd take a Pontiac better built version, better priced any day of the year!

[@hayabusaorlovina2761]

@@adamwright6433 LMFAO ok clown 🤡

[@michaelgutierrez2690]

Holy crap lol Look at the pontiac stans I'm guessing we're forgetting about the reputation that the fiero brought with it This car WOULD have been cool if it had its OWN design to make it unique

[@williamcordier1201]

It would have looked really cool if they had only lowered the body substantially. At the stance shown here it looks like an AWD instead of a sports car.

[@einsteinsherlockmulder4815]

i love the height with these MI potholes i have to dodge!

[@Dr.TJ_Eckleburg]

Literally exactly my thoughts. All that work and they couldn't lower it like two inches so it didn't ride like a friggin dune buggy? It must have had something to do with keeping the factory warranty intact. But still.

[@MrKydaman]

The wheel wells look ridiculous. The shape is messed up.

[@K-Effect]

I think it’s the aspect ratio of the recording that makes the car look like that

[@MrKydaman]

@@K-Effect Yeah, I think you're right. I just googled the car and looked at some pictures, and it looked better. The car needs bigger wheels to look good.

[@pg1171]

Never heard of the Mera before this. Thank you for posting! Reminds me of the old Bricklin also. Probably a much better car, since the Bricklin was heavy and slow. Wouldn't mind having a V-6 Fiero just for the driving fun. Thanks again!

[@gloriousdeadman2127]

Seeing this video just now is neat. Didn’t know this even existed as a thing. I’ve got a 1987 Fiero GT of my own and love it to death. My dad used to do the F40 kits for Fieros way back and owned three Fieros before I was born. He loved them all.

[@Mainbusfail]

the 88 GT was my absolute favorite - of course for good reasons. But we have a guy here in Oklahoma that rebuilds the 87 and 88 bodies and puts a GM Northstar Small Block V8 in them. They are quite fun from what I hear. 25K would get you in one back in the earlier 2000s. No idea if he is still doing them or not.

[@dukecraig2402]

They were good cars I don't care what anyone says about them, and fun to boot, the biggest issues with them all had to do with the owners not taking care of them, Pontiac reduced the size of the oil pan of the 2.5 Iron Duke engine to fit them into the chassis reducing their oil capacity and people never check their oil being the way they are (even though they swear they do) which led to the bulk of their problems, it's not the cars fault if the owner didn't take car of it. I've never owned one but I was a mechanic all through the 80's so I've been through them more than most owners, they really were decent little cars, they were just a victim of bad timing in the long run. And contrary to what people spread around they weren't discontinued because Chevrolet demanded it, that's nothing more than fans of the car looking for something to be angry at, they were just victims of bad timing and regime changes at GM.

[@franciscodanconia4324]

@@dukecraig2402the oil pan wasn’t the only issue. They could catch fire 6 different ways to Sunday

[@dukecraig2402]

@@franciscodanconia4324 That was the main issue behind them catching fire, despite all the rumors about how they'd catch fire there really was only 1 thing that led to it, low oil would cause a connecting rod to snap blowing a hole through the block and dumping oil all over the exhaust which would immediately catch fire. The Fiero wasn't the only car GM made with the 4 cyl Iron Duke engine but it was the only one notorious for doing that and it was because of the reduced oil capacity, do that to a notoriously leaky engine and you're asking for it, those engine's leaked like crazy especially from the rocker covers, and that goes back to owners not taking care of them also, under warranty or not it's still an owners responsibility to check their vehicle. I was a mechanic for too long, I can't tell you how many times I took an owner into the service area and pulled a dipstick out right in front of them that only had oil on the tip that was burned black and smelled like a charcoal grill, I'd tell them they need to pay more attention to their car and without exception they'd always say "I check my oil and change it regularly" despite what I was showing them right there right in front of them. I've heard it all as a mechanic.

[@slowblueoval1997]

The Iron Duke was not a bad engine at all with the right oil pan. I had zero issues with my Iron Duke powered 87 Buick Somerset. Sold the car with 280,000 miles on it. Only replaced a starter and clutch.

[@drew-money]

THANK YOU for uploading this! There was a copy of this MERA promo video on KZbin a few years ago, but it went down recently. This appears to be a better quality encode as well! I recently bought the first MERA ever made (#6001). It is the only '86 made, as it was the prototype. It has been really interesting learning all about the history of these amazing cars. This video is really a great historical reference. Do you have the original tape of this?

[@einsteinsherlockmulder4815]

for sure!! that other copy was mine too. I gave a crappy copy to a friend to try and clean it up a bit. I actually have a copy from the VHS so I decided after a few years it was time........glad you enjoyed it. I own one and it is such a blast to drive after the engine upgrade!! 3800 Supercharged Grand Prix engine now \m/ \m/

[@einsteinsherlockmulder4815]

here ya go then. I was lucky enough to cross paths with ole #6001. Alan a cool dude in Bloomfield Hills was the owner at the time. I got tons of pics and vids. kzbin.info/www/bejne/d4S9pYymaNZjj9k

[@sz5876]

Drew Money, how's your dad Eddie doing? Still making shitty music?

[@sorrygunsathome]

no shit? i remember seeing that on Craigslist, it was silver but an auto though. love the car i remember trying to see if afford it.

[@LCMSM]

How many were made?

[@jamesshaw476]

I had a Fiero in 1988! Here it is 2021. I never heard of a Mera. GM killed Pontiac is so many ways I'm still discovering that many years later!

[@johnrossi6212]

I just found out about it today lol

[@jessihawkins9116]

I used to have a few of these about 20 years ago 🥱

[@billmadison2032]

@@jessihawkins9116 why? They're ugly

[@jessihawkins9116]

@@billmadison2032 I modified one with a big aluminum spoiler and ram air hood and put a 454 big block and 400 turbo transmission cold air intake turbo nitrous and 22” tires. I also had dual whip CB antennas and a cobra 128GTL peak and tweaked with a 1000w linear and extra battery and alternator. Also had 2 fultron 1000w amps and 4 x 15” subs in the back.

[@Patriot46426]

@@jessihawkins9116 sounds like a cannonball movie car damn!

[@T.R.R.Jolkien]

My boss had one in 1990. It was super clean with speakers in the seat headrest… 😎

[@kevinsibley1202]

Awesome piece of Fiero history. Thank for posting this video.

[@energyasylum997]

History indeed. It’s like finding old footage of an outopsy being performed on an extinct race of humans. Lol. Joking. But this is very cool to take us back in time. ✌🏻

[@jeffskillman9275]

What’s not to like? Ferrari 308 looks with rugged American reliability and low running costs. The video is all about selling the dream and nothing about the actual conversion which comes across as a few panels being stuck on with double sided tape and very little about any other changes. I like the fact that the hood badge is the same rectangular shape as Ferrari suggesting an obvious switch after purchase. Great nostalgic video. Thanks for uploading.

[@cooluser23]

That's what got CC and GM sued. Ferrari was fine with it until idiots removed the Mera badges and out Ferrari badges on it. That's why we can't have nice things.

[@ostrich67]

I've seen one of these in person. The proportions are weird and overall it looks cheap and shoddy like most kit cars.

[@cooluser23]

@@ostrich67 I saw both the Mera and the real 308. They both have awkward proportions. Besides the 288GTO there weren't really any Ferrari's that looked good in those years. The good looking ones were earlier and later.

[@johnmohanmusic]

As the former original owner of a 1985 Fiero GT, I think the Mera looks like a Clownmobile. And as for "rugged reliability", my Fiero GT needed a new Clutch every 25,000 miles and blew holes in its tubular exhaust manifolds (basically factory headers) every few months (luckily, the manifolds were covered under the 5 year / 50,000 miles federally mandated Emissions Warranty). And the clutches were not my fault. The Clutches on my Fiats (X1/9 and a Spider 2000) and my two MG Midgets all lasted around 40 to 50 thousand miles each. And I have nearly 80,000 miles on the clutch in my 1972 Datsun 240Z even with its modified, 200+ hp engine.

[@mopar_dude9227]

@@cooluser23no, the 308 has great lines, this thing looks like you squished a 308 from both ends and gave it a lift kit. Very cheap looking. And I have not only seen both in real life, I have driven both when I was a mechanic in St. Louis.

[@richardcranium9663]

Please bring the 80s back. Damn what a good time to be alive.

[@bluffem]

The 80s was a soulless nightmare.

[@richardcranium9663]

@@bluffem have you not seen 2022 so far???

[@randall777]

Wait 60 years, the 80s are on their way!

[@sugerhitman1295]

@@bluffem The 80s were like the 50s...the Golden Age of America.

[@bladder1010]

I like how it's biggest selling point is that it doesn't "rattle or flap".

[@EweToobUsername]

Back then, everyone doing fiberglass had some QC issues with that.

[@ronaldtartaglia4459]

I miss the 80's Cool music Cool cars Freedom The ATC 250r Nuff said

[@DaytonCarCare]

And fuel was only about $1 a gallon ;) Though in 1970 it was only about $0.35 a gal

[@IRONMAN000]

I love how you threw the ATC in there!! I had one too, I agree. Lol

[@deadgoatsRacing]

The baddest 3 wheeler ever. Just seen a sweet one the other day. Never heard of this car before just now tho

[@kylecrowder8353]

Not to mention there was copious amounts of Van Halen! Oh yes, and Members Only jackets!

[@kennethalbert4653]

@@kylecrowder8353 You lost me at Member's Only !

[@BatCorkill]

The stock fiero gt they converted was better looking than the 308 knockoff they turned it into.

[@most-hated-inc]

Ditto...

[@arcanondrum6543]

Indeed, GM managed to ugly-up later Fieros before they stopped making them but I owned an early model Toyota "Mister" 2. The MR-2 was the better vehicle but the original Fiero was better looking.

[@kenclarkii2261]

Yup

[@jamesstuart3346]

Was just gonna type that

[@tannerharris5848]

Disagree the GT is ugly, the Formula front end is much more attractive

[@thathvacguy]

that suspension sat way to high for those cars

[@tekanova7480]

Some of the side shots show distortion, vertical stretch, or oval tires/rims was a thing.

[@mopar_dude9227]

@@tekanova7480no, they did have an really large wheel gap on them. I saw two in person and drove one. They looked really cheap in person, more like some old VW Bug conversion kit. It needed to be lower and to have some performance and handling upgrades done to it to make it a success.

[@thathvacguy]

@@mopar_dude9227 I agree. never have seen one in person but those gaps are ridiculous. I would like to have one though, with updated, up graded everything and put Pontiac badges on it proudly 😂💪🏽

[@jumpinjojo]

*Too, not to.

[@tekanova7480]

My point was this, the photos are distorted, not the car. Also I meant too write '2'

[@kellingtonlink956]

Actually… this video reminds me how amazing looking the final years of the Fiero were. They used to look too Pontiac 6000/Chevy Celebrity (grey plastics everywhere) on the inside and very tight … but the exterior looked absolutely brilliant. Thanks for the video.

[@A7xnightmare66]

I’m 16 and I bought my fiero last year, I wish they still did these conversations!! Super cool!

[@einsteinsherlockmulder4815]

Fieros in general have a ton of potential....this is my Mera :) \m/ kzbin.info/www/bejne/l3OakKFpYryAoNU

[@einsteinsherlockmulder4815]

you are going to be having a blast no matter the engine for sure

[@einsteinsherlockmulder4815]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/n4SVc4Gld8RsaLs

[@ronaldtartaglia4459]

They have a prototype convertible

[@lv2surf]

Awesome piece of Pontiac history..Many reason that lead with to the demise of PMD...We sure do miss it. I have owned around 40 Pontiacs since 1978. But just recently got my first Fiero GT Fastback a 1987 and I wish I had bought one 30 years ago what a blast to drive even with the slow 2.8 L I'm going to do the 3800 SC swap...which is the engine that should have gone into the Fiero after the Iron Duke....But GM/Chevy never would have allowed that...It was hurting Vetter sales in 87/88 when they finally had the Fiero dialed in..Image if they can with the 3800 SC at 240 HP in 1987 and 1988....WOW!..But the Fiero following is great its either very young folks in their 20s or older guys like me in their 50s and 60s with no in between..But its not the fastest nor the best riding Pontiacs made....But I get the Fiero experience and will forever have one in my garage for weekend fun....

[@Snowdogkh]

lv2surf what was the stock horsepower for the 88 2M6? That's the last year correct? And what is the horsepower for the 3800 Supercharged? I had one in a Bonneville and that motor ran pretty damn good. We traded in in for the Northstar Bonneville GPX in 05. I loved that body.... last year for the Bonneville :-( shortly after Pontiac was gone :-( still have a couple old Ponchos in my stable (69 GP 428 HO & a 75 400 GP for the wife to cruise) but I've always liked the Fiero and might pick one up one day. And actually if get smoke signals the 75 is on the cover of the April issue that just came out and was just used on the Travel Channel's mystery at the Museum. www.poci.org/POCI_Featured_News.cfm?Tp=N&PID=18#

[@marcryvon]

The 2.8 V6 developped between 135 & 140 hp. Today, it seems weak to say the least but at the time, it was ok. Even the early '80s Corvette did'nt even make 200 hp at the time !

[@einsteinsherlockmulder4815]

lv2surf - I did that you will love it!! kzbin.info/www/bejne/n4SVc4Gld8RsaLs

[@blackholeentry3489]

I'm 78 and have owned a Fiero for 30 years. Now have an 88 GT with V6 and five speed. Also have an 86 that has been sitting for four years and thinking of selling it.

[@charlesray2351]

The Buick turbo 3.8 out of a grand national GNX would do fine!

[@squeakD]

Owning one of these, and without question, the number one statement that will come out of your mouth in response to curious onlookers is “No…, it’s not a Ferrari.” You’ll spend more time saying that than saying what the car really is ;-)

[@hoover2501]

These are very cool. In today's world the only thing you can compare to it are the numerous Miata conversions. It's neat that this type of body conversion still exists

[@MrTheHillfolk]

Not sure if you've heard of Smyth performance , it's one of the guys who used to own factory 5 but he started a smaller company. He's got "Ute conversions" to make your Mk4 Jetta/ golf , new beetle , Audi A4, Subaru wrx,dodge charger (and 1-2 more) into a mini pickup truck. I dearly miss my old rabbit pickup ,so I got a kit for a Mk4 Jetta. It'll be roadworthy this winter ,which gives some more time to button up other cosmetic things and make sure it's ready when springtime comes. He's got a channel on here and there's a 5min time lapse vid of a build (which helps my build ) 😄

[@SilentKnight43]

Thanks for a good laugh. Imagine a selling feature, "The fibreglas panels didn't even flap or rattle." OMG, lol. True craftsmanship - done by a guy in a white tee-shirt and sweatpants. Enzo must've been saying WTF? Wonder how fast his lawyers sent the cease and desist letter out. "Preferred treatment from the valet parking" - lol. This video is comedic gold.

[@chriscampbell867]

I remember these POS sitting on the lots.. No one wanted them!! Junk

[@SilentKnight43]

@@chriscampbell867 Pontiac always sucked. Owned a few over the years - regretted every one of them.

[@18000rpm]

@3:00 "styling that turns heads and makes you know you're alive" LOL

[@benkleschinsky]

This is too funny! They could never get away with this today.

[@davidruch7665]

Aking price

[@NorceCodine]

They didn't get away back then either. Ferrari sued GM, that's why GM stopped the Mera. Apparently Ferrari couldn't handle that a car that looked just like a Ferrari, was reliable.

[@einsteinsherlockmulder4815]

@@NorceCodine GM looked the other way on the Mera Package. it was a strictly Pontiac thing until it went if for warranty covered service. the only thing GM honored was the warranty

[@wymple09]

Lawyers

[@jlennon784]

@@NorceCodinereliable fiero? Lol. It’s a cheap blatant rip-off of the 308. These things burned more than the 355!

[@CJDiecast]

I might've saw one of these at the Daytona Turkey Run Car show recently. I saw what looked like a Ferrari 308 but knew instantly it was a Pontiac Fiero kit car because of the GM mirrors and square dash. It's pretty convincing though. It does look the part.

[@donswier]

"Not an uncomfortable car ....but the feeling you get driving it is" - LJK Setright

[@wymple09]

No, I love mine and it rides decent and corners great.

[@Bobster986]

Has anyone tried calling the phone number today? 😃

[@Edmund_Mallory_Hardgrove]

It's an invalid phone number now.

[@corporatehousing5452]

I called and it was the number for the Ferrari 308 collectors customer service

[@titop6152]

Invalid number 💪🤡☝️

[@titop6152]

They should make this the new 2023 Pontiac Fiero please

[@crw3673]

@@titop6152 That would be great, but definitely a pipe dream.

[@keithadams812]

Nothing like dry sanding in the paint booth for that show winning finish

[@johnmohanmusic]

I ordered and bought a 1985 Fiero GT as soon as they came out (took delivery in January or maybe early February 1985). I loved that car. With that in mind, the yellow "Mera" shown in this video looks like a Carnival Ride Car. Goofy. Just... goofy.

[@charlesritter6640]

I agree completely. Mostly the suspension is too high and the wheels are too big.

[@scwaty180]

Yeah if they would have lowered it about three inches it would have definitely helped

[@geographyinaction7814]

The very last Fiero was a great looking car. The GT had excellent looks, and all Pontiac really had to do was make the suspension and engine worthy of those looks. I never liked the kit and concept ideas that tried to copy the Italian marques...the Fiero on its own could have been great!

[@hanspeeters3246]

totally agree!

[@RKelleyCook]

The final year ('88) fixed the suspension. The Gen2 Fiero was designed and ready which would have been a hell of a car ... and the GM brass GM'd it.

[@jimini1976]

Thanks for sharing, I didn't know the Mera existed. Im still driving an 08 Grand Prix 3.8 with 166k miles, not a daily driver. Had a Fiero GT in the late 90's. Miss all the Pontiacs except the aztek ;)

[@craiglizt8074]

This is wild. I have never heard of this Mera variant of the Fiero ever before. Not like I was looking.

[@einsteinsherlockmulder4815]

it was one thing when it had the slow 2.8 to look at when ya park in the back of the lot and get to walk to it... but after the 3800 SC swap i run to it now. Lets Go!

[@MartinWibert]

Always wondered if they ever documented this car. Thanks for posting!

[@MelancoliaI]

that 80s corporate tune starting at 0:32 is really something. And it's been a while since I've heard of this.. Was the Mera basically Pontiac themselves trying to get in on the Fiero kit-car scene? I mean I can certainly understand, it was already a cottage industry by that point.

[@einsteinsherlockmulder4815]

"they" say the 308 kits started showing up after the Mera and may have been used as Mera Panels to "splash" parts for thinner panels or used to make new molds for Kits

[@twisterzman]

I've only seen one in person, and that was... damn..32 years ago. Very cool back then to see. Still live in Michigan.. every now and then we see some pretty cool things out roaming the streets.

[@cdjhyoung]

Never heard of the Mera before this video. But here is a bit of speculation: The picture of the front facade of the garage they were being built in clicked a memory. Michigan had two dams break a few years ago. In the coverage, there was highlighted a business that was destroyed that the pictures showed it to be surrounded by Fieros. I thought it was just an over board collector (we have a lot of those kind of guys). That building looked like the one in this video. I wonder if these conversions were still going on small scale until just a few years ago?

[@RKelleyCook]

Not the same place at all. The second dam overspill went through downtown of small Sanford, MI which is 100 miles away from Capac. And yes there was a Crazy Collector dude who's mechanic shop on the main drag in town only had Fieros. I talked to him one day a few decades ago. How much do you want for that one? Nope not for sale. Well how about that one? Not for sale either. Oh ... I get it. Well have a nice day.

[@bigsparky8888]

FRONT ALMOST LOOKS LIKE A BRICKLAN...NEVER SAW ONE IN CALIF...WOW...NICE LOOKING HOWEVER!!!

[@thatoneguy6776]

the number you have called is not in service

[@Mac10Daddy]

Did they ever build a version of these with an F40 body? There was one years ago down the street from my house, but you could tell it was a lowered fiero

[@DavidAndre657]

the Pontiac Mera sales video to be shown at Pontiac dealerships as a sales tool.

[@warrenlucier5796]

While I didn't like seeing Pontiac or the Fiero go away, the worst thing was the tooling for the space frame they had is gone too. The space frame allowed assembly with a perfect fit for body parts and other assemblies. They really needed to use the 3.8 supercharged Buick V6 in the Fiero GT.

[@einsteinsherlockmulder4815]

i have a SC 3800 in my Mera it brings the goods for sure! kzbin.info/www/bejne/n4SVc4Gld8RsaLs

[@Doc1855]

I lived in Huntington Beach CA, USA the first time I saw a Mera. I was saving my money for one but after 88 Pontiac discontinued the Fiero 😕 I was so bummed. If they still would have made them in 1990, I would have bought one. But instead I took the money I had saved and used it as a down payment for my first house. Now 33 years later with good real estate investments, my wife and I bought 1/2 of a mountain and built our dream home into the side. We have beautiful mountain views with tons of wildlife, hiking trails, quad trails, areas for skiing and sledding. Looking back that Mera was a young man’s dream car, but now we’re living the dream.

[@einsteinsherlockmulder4815]

how big did you make the garage?? maybe its time😁

[@Doc1855]

@@einsteinsherlockmulder4815 Oversized 3 car garage. We also have a single garage and a carport for our pickup.

[@einsteinsherlockmulder4815]

@@Doc1855 time to fill it

[@Doc1855]

@@einsteinsherlockmulder4815 We have an Outback Limited, (my wife’s car), a Forester Touring, (my car), a Miata (our fun summer car), a Honda Side by Side with a bed (for work around our property and playing on our mtn. (We own 1/2 of our mtn & 9 of us own another mtn here in north central WA state) and our 4X4 pickup is in our carport. We do have enough room to build another single car garage for the Mera or another “toy”. Our garages are heated so they never get below 40 degrees in the winter, even when it’s zero degrees outside.

[@jacksmiththeboss]

I'm not sure if it looks any better than the original body. It might be worse.

[@mrch33sehed93]

Oooh I love 80s theme music 💞 Also, is Adam West doing narration for this? 😅👍

[@skipstalforce]

OmG , did you seehow them parts just suddenly appear!

[@captnjaygreybeard6394]

Love the video, thanks for the upload

[@04dram04]

It still blows my mind that they could legally do this. Imagine Chevy making a ferrari kit for there corvette today? Would be crazy

[@jayphilly1703]

Ferrari eventually threatened to sue and Pontiac shut down production.

[@billvandyne4685]

It just happened. Check out the new Corvette and compare it to a model of Ferrari ( don;t know the name of it) and they are nearly identical.

[@acebragg5559]

@@billvandyne4685 New Vette looks more like the new Acura NSX to me.

[@nostrodelaantares8416]

@@billvandyne4685 new vette looks like a boxie 488 and F8 tributo copy

[@ryanjamal3038]

@@jayphilly1703 I see .. but if they stuck with the fiero it would've been a remarkable car , as I love it allot the way it's was build compared to this decade..

[@babajinde]

I remember test driving the last fiero new. During the test drive the whole center console came apart!

[@w41duvernay]

Oh, I would kill to get an 88 t top Mera 5spd.

[@angelonicassio7131]

I love how the narrator says: “ attention to detail; craftsmanship…” as the guy is laying two-way tape for the body to stick to!!! Haha! Still looks good though:)

[@einsteinsherlockmulder4815]

its a squeak barrier. the panels are held with bolts in more places than the OEM Fiero

[@frankiehta]

Is it just me or does it look like a fake Ferrari

[@fordxbgtfalcon]

I’ve seen a few of these in person. Always thought it was pretty neat.

[@ronaldtartaglia4459]

Stock fiero is nicer looking.

[@marcryvon]

Yep !

[@sirslotsalot2530]

I agree

[@weallfollowmanutd]

It was, but only because they put a Ferrari looking body on with pinched looking wheels and left the stock ride height.

[@automotiveaffairsshorts]

This is awesome… thank you for uploading this!

[@paulmcwilliams1709]

Wow! It's a poor man's Magnum P.I. car! 🤣

[@THRASHMETALFUNRIFFS]

Not poor man... just fiscally conscientious

[@ModMokkaMatti]

Maybe fit more for Magnum, PEI - who had to keep people from stealing potatoes that weren't theirs. kzbin.info/www/bejne/f4fGmqmsoKeao9ksi=FQFC4qe8BSf4MTN5

[@marktheaardvark7208]

I remember reading in some car magazines back then some journalists saying that the Fiero would be the 57 Chevy of the 2000’s…. I haven’t seen one on the road in decades

[@morgansands]

Okay... This is 30 years ago now. Look at Porsche... S.U.V's... Lamborghini...S.U.V's. At least Pontiac had the balls to replicate a beautiful Ferrari 308 . Hmmm... Do you think Ferrari will make an S.U.V. Ha ! Ha ! I hope so then we can make more Mera's .

[@04dram04]

The balls? Its actually pretty shameless

[@Kirktalon]

It's bad design practice and bad business. I'm sure GM lawyers would be on the hunt for anyone who mimicked their car designs.

[@NorceCodine]

The new Ferrari SUV is called the Purosanguo, or something like that. Its basically a regular Ferrari with high ground clearance and "back seats".

[@edwardmiller9611]

I owned 3 Fiero's. Always breaking down, but I kept purchasing them anyway.

[@MichaelOKeefe2009]

Basically, a Ghetto fake Ferrari.

[@hunterglass1840]

But did they fix the whole catching on fire issue. I was a proud owner of a Fire-Arrow. Mine came in red and ended in charcoal black.

[@einsteinsherlockmulder4815]

yes.... in 84-84 there was a recall. and the V6 never had fire issues

[@paxhumana2015]

I honestly thought that this car was essentially a rebadged Ferrari 288/308 for a bit. Sadly, the Pontiac Fiero was never a very powerful car and this custom version of the vehicle honestly needed the performance parts to match its looks. Still, it is a rather unique look at a custom option that not a lot of people knew that you could do with the Pontiac Fiero.

[@einsteinsherlockmulder4815]

agreed thats why i had mine supercharged.... its soooooo good :) \m/

[@einsteinsherlockmulder4815]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/e33YfZl9npuJjtE

[@MikeHammer1]

The stock V6 Fiero outperformed the Ferrari 308 on a number of items, including 0-60 times.

[@blessedjuggernaut]

Did you know there are molds out there for Countach bodies. You can put them right on to 3rd gen Camaro frames. Everything usually fits.

[@Santor-]

"Usually...."

[@jmorris023]

I can't believe they got away with that sh!t.

[@marcryvon]

They did'nt : Ferrari sent a complaint to GM, menacing them with a law suit. End of story.

[@nostrodelaantares8416]

@@marcryvon good

[@rokk144]

I'd proudly own one of these.

[@fredflintstone2091]

a GM feiarrow with a 308 Ferrari body with a 4 or 6 cyl? I think I just threw up a little in my mouth

[@einsteinsherlockmulder4815]

yeah they came stock with the 2.8L V6....but I don't play that :) 3.8L Supercharged. 240+ hp. kzbin.info/www/bejne/l3OakKFpYryAoNU

[@DaytonCarCare]

Still have enough roof to cram in a LS V8 in there ;)

[@parrotraiser6541]

Better looking than the GT, but what is the aerodynamic drag like? (The front end was an important part of the "Pace Car" variant.)

[@onyx2626]

I was 25 back then: notice the MacGuyverlike music, the 80s optimism was still big. I love that a Volvo 240 drives by the trailer of Pontiacs. Watching car shows from the 80s is like watching Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom from the 70s. We weren't so jaded back then, we gave New Things the benefit of a doubt, even if they turned out to be a letdown.

[@einsteinsherlockmulder4815]

i loved Wild Kingdom!!!!

[@jcm78]

It’s a Ferrariero! I’ve never heard of these before. Pretty neat. I agree with another commenter. If they would have lowered it, it would have been awesome.

[@einsteinsherlockmulder4815]

i call mine The Mer-rari!

[@andykerr3803]

It's probably very easy and a good idea. They had to maintain bumper height, that's all.

[@gosmo4504]

Fire extinguisher was not standard?

[@einsteinsherlockmulder4815]

it was stock with the 2.8 V6 those were not fire recalled

[@caeserromero3013]

How many people came into the dealership like: Hi, yeah I want to buy one of those Pontiac Ferraris 😂

[@sspeedy2859]

And it couldn't have happened without two sided tape!

[@davidkastin4240]

It must be 3M brand or it won't stick 😆

[@DrBIeed]

Funny thing is I always thought the fastback Fiero’s looked a little more modern than the 308/328. Not sure why they used those instead of the standard Fiero offering which didn’t look nearly as good.

[@IrishCarney]

God that music. Like being in the fitting room of a Marshall's with harsh fluorescent lighting

[@zoltore23]

Why such a HUGE wheel gap?

[@einsteinsherlockmulder4815]

to keep the measurements away from 308 spec? i like mine with the gaps i have 15in ft and 16in R for the muscle car stance and when ya hit something in the road the height is waaay better than the real deal 308

[@wahstomper]

Did you ever swap bodies on your hot wheels?

[@geraldlafleur7776]

I saw one of these at a car show in Chattanooga a couple months ago. The young couple that owned it said that GM got sued by Ferrari and had to destroy them , they had one of the few survivors.

[@einsteinsherlockmulder4815]

the company got to make all orders taken to the court date. the Molds were crused in front of Ferrari's Laywer in 1988

[@einsteinsherlockmulder4815]

about 247 of them got made in 87-88 with one 1986 built as the Prototype

[@MustangsTrainsMowers]

Over 200 made, I wonder if they have a greater value than a stock body Fiero?

[@einsteinsherlockmulder4815]

yeah.... my bet is one will never sell for under 10,000 unless its a give away or a special deal with trade.... :) one with a V8 went for 25K this year

[@dennyliegerot4021]

Love those high wheel arches.... In order to use a new Fiero and keep the factory warranty, GMs legal department must have placed some heavy restrictions on the deal. Like, you can not alter the original chassis in any way...period!

[@billmadison2032]

I never heard of this car before. Is it just me or do the wheel arches not match anything on the rest of this car? It looks like when a lady draws on eyebrows that are not shaped to her eyes

[@cdjhyoung]

A shame they didn't include changing out that 90hp four banger for something with more umph.

[@24hourgmtchannel64]

I was at Hinsdale Ferrari around September 1992 looking over a used Ferrari 308 and was super close to buying it for 15K cash but passed on the deal due to the unknown service of the timming belt. To this day I still kick myself for passing on it. At the time you could get a Fiero GT for less than half but of course there is no substiture for the real deal.

[@einsteinsherlockmulder4815]

yup....that sucks. i know a guy who bought an 84 Boxer for 41K and was offered 80K less than 5 years later. he kept it. some are well over 100K on ebay i see :) wow

[@jaygriffin5710]

can we just give a quick shout out to the dope ass bass player on the background track?

[@kimmer6]

I saw one in NorCal years ago from a distance. I owned a 308GTS for several years and did not know what a Mera was. It looked off in dimensions and the wheels were totally wrong. I only saw it for a few seconds and thought it was a kit car. Back in the 80's, a lot of people would ask if my Ferrari was a kit car. I got fed up with having to answer that all the time so I would tell them yes, it's a kit car on a VW Super Beetle frame posing as a Ferrari.

[@rabit818]

This Mera is new to me.

[@spacetrucker2196]

I didn't see where the upgraded the engine?

[@mxferro]

What happened to the molds? They go aftermarket to another company?

[@einsteinsherlockmulder4815]

the Lawyer from Ferrari watched a bulldozer crush them so no more could be made. rumor is that actual Mera Panels were used to "splash mold" future 308 Kits..... which is kinda cool too

[@GOGULETTE]

i tought it was a real car at first.. but its a Fiero kit lol.

[@timothycoyne7253]

Where did all those Fiero parts go?.

[@einsteinsherlockmulder4815]

they got sold for what i heard was a super low price just to not get overwhelmed if production took off before the lawsuit which came pretty quick. there is more like bulk buys too for restoration shops i think. i'd have to refresh the memory on that one

[@davidkirk6501]

I lived close by Corporate Concepts. Back in 1988 I traded some computer work at their office for a complete body Fiero Formula body set, with new wheels. It was awesome, they had a ton of brand new, zero mileage, new take-off panels in a building. I picked what I wanted and installed them on my 1984. The Mera had all new parts except the fuel filler door, the roof/window piece, and the two headlight covers. That left my 84 with faded roof, gas door and headlight covers while the rest of the car was absolutely brand new and shiny.

[@jeremydeering8280]

I can see my 16 year old self getting a Mera and growing a beach fuzz mustache, channeling my inner Thomas Magnum…

[@christorrence1114]

Looks like a 308 mated with a Bricklin

[@tooge47]

bought one of the very FIRST Pontiac Fiasco's, uh, Fieros, in Louisiana, just now hearing about this for the very first time

[@ROOKTABULA]

They actually made a great car out of the Fiero in it's last year of production so that it could actually compete with the MR2 and then GM cancelled the car. Duh.

[@shawntherapidlyaginghipster]

Wow. I really want one of these things.

[@MikeHammer1]

I always wondered what was done with the original body panels after the conversion. Anyone know? BTW, I have a 1986 1/2 restomodded GT.

[@einsteinsherlockmulder4815]

they too them off and sold them as sets for what i think was $1500. watch the video and you can see them in the racks in back

[@THRASHMETALFUNRIFFS]

Recycled into cans of TAB soda

[@MikeHammer1]

@@THRASHMETALFUNRIFFS They are made of RRIM and FRP, no metal at all.

[@THRASHMETALFUNRIFFS]

@@MikeHammer1 oh crap, I forgot the plastic body, Haha

[@brandonbentley5453]

When even Pontiac body kitted a Fiero! My mother had a 88 formula bought new. Hers had the v6 and Getrag 5 speed transmission. Very cool car just entering its stride when it was killed off.

[@michaeljordan6008]

Did Ferrari sue?

[@empowerthepeopletvwithel-m6371]

Wow - the Mera was an international trademark lawsuit on wheels. 'Fiero' was already cleverly close to Ferrari in name sound alone, but for Pontiac to release a full copycat Ferrari 308 GTSi fiberglass bodykit, and then market it as an official car of Pontiac... either takes balls of steel or an 1980's cocaine party to make this kind of decision. The Fiero as a mid-engine, affordable car was innovative... the Mera, however, is boldfaced theft.

[@pgrens]

Gonna call them in the morning to place an order.

[@timothyschanuth3197]

Mera ? My dad was a Buick dealer mechanic I never heard of this but it's basically a fiero with different pa els . The 2.8 L V6 was just junk , the fiero with the 2.5 l or the quad 4 was way faster .

[@gregmyrland2515]

Wow. A Fiero made to look like a Ferrari, who knew? My sis had a 4 cylinder Fiero and was a joy to drive. The 6 cylinder ones really had potential before they were discontinued.

[@franciscodanconia4324]

Ferrari eventually sued Pontiac to stop them selling these through dealers.