I was looking at a
Fiero on ebay. The seller claims:
THIS ABSOLUTELY MINT 1st PLACE SHOW WINNER HAS BEEN RESTORED TO PERFECTION BY THE LEADING North Carolina RESTORATION SHOP OF CLASSIC VEHICLES AND IS THE PERFECT TIME CAPSULE WITH ONLY 40,000 ORIGINAL TENDER CARED MILES. SHE IS IN LIKE NEW SHOWROOM CONDITION WITH NO IMPERFECTIONS AND WILL ONLY GO UP IN VALUE ! SHE IS COMPLETELY STOCK WITH ORIGINAL OWNERS MANUAL AND EVERYTHING WORKS AS NEW...SHE IS AS BEAUTIFUL TO LOOK AT AS SHE IS TO DRIVE ! THE FIERO's UNSTRESSED BODY PANELS WERE PAINTED IN RELATION TO EACH OTHER, OFF THE CAR. THE RIGID SHEET MOLDING COMPOUND (SMC) WITH REINFORCED REACTION INJECTION MOLDS (RRIM) UTILIZED AS BODY PANELS ARE PERFECTLY FITTED AND PAINTED AS NEW WHICH WILL NEVER RUST, DENT OR GET OLD. THE NON-CORROSIVE BODY PANELS WILL LAST A LIFETIME ! WINDSHIELD, SIDE GLASS, AND FLYING "BUTTRESSES" ARE LIKE NEW; HEADLAMP DOORS WORK , ELECTRIC WINDOWS OPERATE AS THEY SHOULD, LIGHTS AND SIGNALS WORK PERFECTLY, WIPERS & MOTORS ARE LIKE NEW, TIRES & BRAKES PERFECT!
It looks like a fairly nice Fiero with an aftermarket paint job, but not particularly nice for a 40K mile car. If all the seller's claims are true, I would expect that the body panels (right fender) would line up, the driver's door wouldn't sag (hinge pins), the cowl wouldn't be sun-faded, the wiper arms wouldn't be missing paint, the valve covers and intake wouldn't have discoloration, the dogbone would be in better condition, those rusty bolts would have been cleaned up, the left dash corner wouldn't be worn, the interior wouldn't be warped, the trunk light would work, etc.
Of course, I'm sure that the quality of the restoration depends on the restoration place, the cost, what the owner's standards are, etc. Perhaps the definition of "restored" is different for different people.
It's just hard for me to figure what has been restored. It looks about typical for an unrestored vehicle with twice the reported mileage, but with an aftermarket paint job. I really can't see anything I'd call restored. The exhaust tips may have been replaced. The tail lights don't appear to have been polished.
The words "absolutely mint" were used. What is mint on this car? The car hasn't even been detailed. Perhaps the restoration was done many years ago. The driver's arm rest is dirty, the steering wheel is worn, the windshield is faded, the trunk catch is rusty, the trunk carpet looks terrible, the sun visors sag, etc. There are no pictures of the underbody, or of the front compartment, or of the trunk corners.
Of course, perhaps this Fiero was saved from the crusher, but I doubt it.
What am I missing?
