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April 13th, 2024 -
DATE CHANGE FROM
PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED
Winter Zoom Meeting -
Gary Pickardt (Pickardt Performance (2P’s):
Register for the meeting at this link:
Meeting start time - 9am CST
We all love driving our cars,
and typically enjoy them more
when our cars are performing
well – but sometimes “performing
well” on a stock car doesn’t
satisfy the hunger for more
performance!
There are a lot of engine
options available, but if you
desire an LS4 for your Fiero,
you will generally hear the name
Pickardt Performance (2P’s).
They are a small, family-owned
business in Maryland that began
by building and making parts to
support their own LS4 swapped
Fieros. If you’re like me, once
you see one of their builds, you
want one for yourself! I vividly
remember talking to Gary’s son
Jestin at Fieroama in 2021 while
admiring his gray GT; it is a
work of art. They have performed
many swaps and are now offering
packages and limited runs of
high-performance parts.
When Gary met his wife
Jennifer, she owned a red ’88
Fiero GT. This was the first car
for which Gary performed an
engine swap, installing a
naturally aspirated 3800. Years
later, their son Brice started
driving this car, and not long
after that, their other son
Jestin got his own Fiero. One
day, Gary saw an article on
Pennock’s Fiero Forum (Fiero.nl)
regarding the LS4 engine swap,
and everything took off from
there. We are honored to have
the Pickardt family share their
time with us and give us an
insight into the LS4 engine swap
process.
Please join us on Zoom for our
April NIFE club meeting where
Gary Pickardt will discuss the
LS4 engine swaps, transmission
options, and general information
relative to the engine swap
process of installing an LS4
engine in your Fiero.
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The giveaway
prize for this meeting
will be an AutoBio Tag!
What is an AutoBio Tag?
Think of it as a website
for you Fiero. Anyone
who stops to look at
your Fiero can learn
your Fiero’s story by
scanning the QR code tag
you place on your
windshield. Once you
receive your tag, simply
register on their
website, upload your
Fiero’s information and
pictures, and you are
good to go! The QR code
tells your Fiero’s story
for you! This meeting’s
prize is valued at
$49.00. The winner must
be present at the time
of the drawing or a new
winner will be selected.
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May 4th, 2024
Spring Driving
Tour - White Pines Forest State Park, Mt.
Morris, IL:
It’s nearly the time of year
to think about getting our
Fieros ready to enjoy on the
road again! What better way to
shake off the cobwebs than a
nice countryside drive and lunch
with other Fiero enthusiasts?
On Saturday, May 4, 2024, we
will travel west from
Pottawatomie Park at 8 North
Ave, St. Charles, IL 60174 (the
Fierorama location) to White
Pines Forest State Park in Mt.
Morris, IL. White Pines Forest
State Park is in the heart of
the Rock River Valley and is the
southern boundary of the
historic Chicago-Iowa Trail. The
park is perfect for family
getaways to enjoy hiking,
fishing, camping, and
picnicking. With serene,
picturesque beauty and modern
lodge facilities amidst a
beautiful forest and open space,
it's a destination worth seeing.
If you are worried about
this being the first drive of
the year and mechanical issues
arising, there is no better
place to be than surrounded by
others who work on and enjoy
Fieros; we are there to
troubleshoot and help you out!
Some participants even carry
basic tools in their vehicles
and are willing to assist with
any issues that occur. This is
what being part of the Fiero
family is all about!
We ask that everyone begin
meeting at Pottawatomie Park at
9:00am for a 9:30am departure.
It’s about a two-hour drive to
White Pines, which will include
a drive along the scenic banks
of the Rock River. We will then
enjoy a nice lunch at the White
Pines Lodge. After lunch, we
will head a little farther south
along the Rock River, then turn
east to head back to
Pottawatomie Park, where we will
conclude our day around 4:00pm.
Typically, we have 10-15
vehicles on this type of cruise
with about 20-30 people
attending and would love to see
those numbers increase. If you
cannot make the whole day event,
you are welcome to meet us at
the White Pines Lodge and
Restaurant for lunch to enjoy
the second half of the day, or
enjoy the event with us for as
long as you are able and break
off from the group when needed.
Meeting locaiton
White Pines Lodge
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May 30th-June 2nd, 2024
Cruise to the
Annual Dells Run, Wisconsin Dells, WI:
Haven’t been to the Dells Run
event in a while? Or ever? You
are missing out on our annual
Fiero community pilgrimage to
the Wisconsin Dells to join
Fiero owners from across the
Midwest as the Wisconsin Fiero
Fanatics host the 31st edition
of the “2K24 Dells Run” event,
starting Thursday, May 30, 2024,
and running through Sunday, June
2, 2024. That’s right; four days
of Fiero fun with countless
opportunities to meet new Fiero
friends, see others that you may
have not seen in person since
2023, and experience everything
Fiero – from mild to wild!
The host hotel and show site
will again be Chula Vista
Resort, located off the beaten
path in a wooded area north of
downtown Wisconsin Dells. Call
888-601-7053 to make your
reservations and be sure to call
early to guarantee a room. The
group discount number is K12145.
Consider pre-registering for
this event by downloading a
registration form on
FieroFocus.com, or visit
Wisconsin Fiero Fanatics on
Facebook for the latest
information.
On Sunday, June 4, 2023, we
will caravan back to Illinois
after the awards ceremony and
traditional NIFE club photo. We
plan to be on the road headed
back home by 10:30-11:00am. Join
us for great times and good fun
in the scenic Wisconsin Dells!
Chula Vista Resort
Registration
form for the show
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From the Midwest Fiero Clubs (MWFC) to all all
the other Fiero Clubs across the United States. Enjoy all the events in the Fiero community this
year. This section will help you plan your summer events from coast to
coast.
Visit
www.midwestfieroclubs.aaca.com for more
information or check out the Facebook page at
Midwest Fiero Clubs
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Cruise Nights:
Locations TBD (April - September)
Car Shows and Cruise
Nights:
Double K Productions Cruise and Car Shows
Carousel Sound Company
Old Ride
Drive Chicago
BVG Motorsports
Post your favorite Car Shows/Cruise
Nights on our Facebook Page:
NIFE FB Page |
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March 16th, 2024
Winter Zoom Meeting -
James Brown:
Register for the meeting at this link:
Meeting start time - 9am CST
We can all agree that the
Fiero is incredibly fun to
drive, but did GM make them fast
enough to drive in this day and
age? Do you have a Fiero that
you wish had a little more punch
when that Ferrari pulls up next
to you at the stop light? Ever
thought about doing an engine
swap, but not sure where to
start? Please join us for our
March NIFE Zoom club meeting
where James Brown of P-Body
Motorsports (on Facebook) will
discuss the most popular V6
engine swap for the Fiero, the
supercharged 3800.
James is probably best known
for his beautiful work on his
wiring harnesses, but he also
spends his days modifying cars
and building street rods. If you
have talked with James about his
wiring harnesses or about doing
your own engine swap, you
already know how generous he is
with his time and knowledge.
James started back in the 1990s
wiring old muscle cars while
also running his car audio shop.
Although James has built several
show quality muscle cars, his
first engine swap was actually
an ‘87 Fiero GT with a
supercharged 3800.
James
still has a few Fieros,
including a 512tr replica, and
my personal favorite, a Diablo
replica. During this meeting
we will spend some time talking
about the 3800 V6 engine swap,
some of the parts needed, and
processes involved in doing this
swap.
The giveaway prize for this
meeting will be the very last
2023 NIFE Illinois special
events license plate celebrating
the 40th Anniversary Celebration
– a value of “Priceless”! Winner
must be present at the time of
the drawing or a new winner will
be selected.
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Our new giveaway
feature will continue at
this meeting, where we
will award the lucky
winner a 40th
Anniversary Special
Edition Plate #39!
Winner must be present
at the time of the
drawing or a new winner
will be selected. |
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February 17th, 2024
Winter Zoom Meeting -
Fiero Austin Thomas:
Register for the meeting at this link:
Meeting start time - 9am CST
Is your Fiero overheating or
having cooling issues? Are you
wondering what aftermarket
options are available for your
Fiero while maintaining a
factory appearance? Well, do we
have a treat for you! Please
join us for our February NIFE
Zoom club meeting where Fiero
Austin (Austin Thomas) will walk
through how to diagnose, repair,
and even upgrade parts of this
system to get your Fiero back on
the road and running in top
form.
Fiero Austin is well known
for his 3800 engine swap parts
lists on Pennock’s Fiero Forum
(Fiero.nl), and his “how-to”
videos on his YouTube channel,
FieroAustin. Austin owns a white
‘88 Fiero GT that began life
with a stock 2.8L V6. This car
now sports a supercharged 3800
and Lambo doors. Fiero Austin is
highly recognized in the Fiero
community for his wide range of
knowledge in aftermarket parts,
including Lambo door hinges,
factory-looking radios, Fiero
electronics, brakes, suspension
upgrades, Sunbird tachometers,
body mods, and 3800 engine
builds. Watching Austin’s
YouTube videos is where I
personally learned about
rebuilding my 3800. It is my
pleasure to have Austin share
his knowledge on the Fiero
cooling system with us for this
meeting.
Our new giveaway feature will
continue at this meeting, where
we will award the lucky winner
one $50.00 gift certificate to
the Fiero Store
(FieroStore.com)! Winner must be
present at the time of the
drawing or a new winner will be
selected.
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January 20th, 2024
Winter Zoom Meeting - Fiero
Jon:
Meeting start time -
9am CSTIs your Fiero having trouble
starting? Is the idle not
smooth? Is it having
misfires or feeling
sluggish? These are all
signs of possible ignition
or fuel delivery issues.
Join us for our January NIFE
Zoom meeting where Fiero Jon
(Jon Miller) will present on
how to diagnose, repair, and
maybe even upgrade parts of
these systems to get your
Fiero back on the road and
running in top form. Jon Miller is the owner of
Jon Miller Car Center in
Tuckerton, NJ ( JMCarCare.com).
He is highly recognized in
the Fiero community for
restoration and mechanical
repairs to Pontiac Fieros,
Deloreans, and other
late-model cars. Three years
ago, Hagerty Media (Hagerty.com/media)
published a web article
about his work and love for
the Fiero community.
Jon is very active in the
Mid-Atlantic Fiero
Organization ( MAFOA.com)
and helped greatly at the
40th Anniversary Celebration
by leading the tech
inspections for the M1
Concourse track event and by
serving as the auctioneer
during the awards ceremony.
This event is scheduled to
last 90 minutes and is open
to the entire Fiero
community (NIFE members and
non-members).
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