Met the State Patrol today....

[tamarav]

So, I was driving home from Seattle day before yesterday and punched my 88 Fiero and the throttle stuck wide open. I was coming away from a stoplight on Highway 20 and the next light was about 6 miles away and there is a weigh station just beyond that. since it was dark and I was dressed I figured I would just accelerate, brake and ride it through to the weigh station and kill it to un-stick it. Finally got it into 5th gear and was accelerating, then braking, hit the next light just right and killed the motor about 1/4 mile from the weigh station and coasted in to a stop.

Heavy brake smell in the air and rotors are almost glowing. I pop the trunk lid and grab a flashlight and slide out, almost into the arms of a State Patrol Officer. He was in an unmarked car and had seen me pull into the weigh station with some "smoke" coming from my car. He had already gone for his fire extinguisher. I told him what the problem was and shined my light into the engine compartment and saw the sticky throttle valve (must hit WOT more often I guess) and popped it back. He just watched, I sat down, fired it back up and let it idle down. He put his extinguisher away and then seemed to want to talk, not asking for ID or registration or anything. He was smiling and very nice. WTF? (I got that from my Son)

So as my car idled down and appeared to be OK and the officer idled down and appeared to be relatively OK, my heart rate was back to almost normal, I got back in and drove off. The State Trooper did not follow me, for which I was thankful. I made it home without further issues.

Let's see, driver's license, registration, proof of insurance, flashlight, coveralls, lipstick. Yup, got all I need. Since I didn't ask the Trooper to take my picture while I was there, below are pictures of how I looked when I left home that morning.

82498

82499

[Karren H]

Yeah right... That's really hard to believe, Tami!! Yeah!!! You drive a Fiero?? I surprised you weren't arrested for driving that!! Hahaha. Where's you muscle car??

:)

Btw... I just put 4 spiral drilled rotars on the daughters Solara!! Talk about enhanced beaking!! You should get a set!! Lol.

[tamarav]

I forgot to tell you that this is a Small Block Chevy V8 powered Fiero. You can see more of them at my other web site at www.v8-fiero.us (http://www.v8-fiero.us) (the one I was driving is the yellow one)This one produced 457 hp at 5600 rpm to the rear wheels when I built it and rarely gets driven but for car shows and parades. It does look better than most 21 year old cars...

[Karren H]

Lol!! See........ I knew you driving an old stock Fiero was mutually exclusive!!!

[Sally2005]

Doh! Glad the cop was understanding. Way back when I was in school, I had a 4 banger Mustang which I rebuilt with headers, cam, overbore etc. It actually went pretty good (for a 4 banger). I also painted the car, but had to go to work and didn't have time to install the hood beforehand. It was a nice day and I was going a bit over the limit...not that fast though (I think it is true, a new shiny red sports car and noisy exhaust looks fast). Anyhow, I pull off the highway, in to work and park. A cop car pulls up with lights going and he says '...if I could have caught you, you would loose your licence!'...right then, I knew I was off the hook. He didn't notice the missing hood! ...when I got in to work, I just had to tell my fellow car lovers how fast my car was compared to theirs.

[Kelli Michelle]

"Bad girls, bad girls...watcha gonna do when they come for you...bad girls, bad girls..."

Sounds like a very responsible police officer. Hope I don't meet one, but if I do, hope they are like him. :D

[MsJanessa]

I used to have an 85 6 cylinder Fierro and that car was fast----got pulled over a couple of times(but never got a ticket)--the 8 cylinder version must reach warp speed 10---and if you were looking as good as your photo when you got stopped its no wonder the cop smiled and was nice.

[divamissz]

I imagine the trooper was more concerned that your car was on fire than anything. Since he did not see you doing anything illegal, he didn't have probable cause to ask for your ID. He probably thought you knew what you were doing and let you fix the car.

Why did he hang around and talk to you? Well...

* He was questioning you to see if you were going to say something to set of his alarms, and you didn't.
* He was being polite to a lady
* He thought you were pretty and was hitting on you :)
* He liked your car (there are a lot of motor heads in law enforcement)

You are lucky, though-that throttle sticking is not a good thing. You might want to put a cut-off switch in to shut the ignition down (but not lock the steering) under the dash. Or as you said, drive it WOT enough to keep the thing from sticking :P

[sarahNZ]

He was probably trying to figure out if he was dreaming or not... I mean here is this cute chick dressed to please, killer cleavage, and knows her way around a V8?!

RARE CATCH if you ask me.

[cheryl anne michaels]

yup, cops and ER nurses see it all. as long as you arent committing a crme, a professional will barely notcie the new dress and heels, darn!!!!

[carhill2mn]

You were probably the best thing that had happened to him so far that night!

[JoAnne Wheeler]

What a story !!!!!!!! No wonder you got stopped - driving a Fiero - and one thats "smokin" No one ever saw a Fiero that would go fast - but it appears that all turned out well.

JoAnne Wheeler

[arani5879]

My baby is a '66 mustang. She is in too good of condition for her age to mess with too much under the hood without devaluing her.

[Tashee]

You were probably the best thing that had happened to him so far that night!

Yep I would say so---The Civil Right Attorneys basically have in office in the Barracks these days....

Trust me Most are Jerks to the Major Degree----But the New training heavily influenced by the new and easy taping devices make it really easy for some megalomaniac to lose his retirement and pension at the drop of stepping on someones civil rights......That said----If you only Knew-----

If I get better I should write a book------"Trans And The Law"

You can see----I need to work on my getting un bitter....

[Paulacder]

Tami, Several years ago a co-worker had a Fiero, he was the center of a lot of jokes and laughs from the V8 crowd including myself. I was not aware that these cars, being unibody, would support the weight of a v8. Engineering a support system to carry the additional weight and yet maintaining it's stock appearance took a lot of thought. Good job gal.:thumbsup:

[Brina Halloween]

I could wish that happened to me....my '87 fiero was simply the stock iron duke having the throttle getting stuck :Angry3: while driving to work yesterday.

I can dream of an engie upgrade though :daydreaming: I have 3 potential donors here.

I think I've visited yuor other site before. Small world.

[Brina Halloween]

Tami, Several years ago a co-worker had a Fiero, he was the center of a lot of jokes and laughs from the V8 crowd including myself. I was not aware that these cars, being unibody, would support the weight of a v8. Engineering a support system to carry thye additional weight and yet maintaining it's stock appearance took a lot of thought. Good job gal.:thumbsup:

Forget unibody....it is a spaceframe with plastic panels mounted. The engine and transmission are on a cradle. There are thoudands of V-8 powered ones across the country. Just not mine. :sad:

[TxKimberly]

"Throttle stuck" my butt! :)
I've tried that excuse and he just laughed at me!

[Sherry-Stephanie]

LOL I use to have a car that had all the "police package goodies" on it and could boot it up to over 130 which I did a few times without any bad consequences....

[Karen564]

I forgot to tell you that this is a Small Block Chevy V8 powered Fiero. You can see more of them at my other web site at www.v8-fiero.us (http://www.v8-fiero.us) (the one I was driving is the yellow one)This one produced 457 hp at 5600 rpm to the rear wheels when I built it and rarely gets driven but for car shows and parades. It does look better than most 21 year old cars...

Tamara,
You never told me you were a Fiero Gurl.

And that is a nice one, that's huge power for any N/A SBC, and that's gotta be one fast little Fiero..

Karen

[beenherelongtime]

i would think he was talking to you because he was amazed that here was this young lady that knew her cars.

[Jilmac]

The cops would never stop me in my Rolls Canardly. (Rolls down the hill and canardly make it up the next.):heehee:

[Angie G]

Cool. My fife wanted a fiero. But I got the 89 red firebird. It now has only 89k on it.:hugs:
Angie

[Shari]

As I recall the Fiero was aptly named as it developed a history of engine fires.
I had a friend who owned one, until it went up in flames one day.
And be careful out there!

[LisaElizabeth]

Gee Tammi I'm a little jealous!!! But then, I have only 'thought' about driving a Fiero..... Here in the midwest, the GTP supercharged V6 seems to be the popular swap. Not sure why though, the SBC would give a whole lot more hotrodding options!! But the guys I talked to at shows say they can get 400 HP with mods and still kick out 30+ MPG. Not certain how much is wishful thinking....
I currently play with 4 toys.... 1997 GTP, 1989 T-bird Super Coupe, 1979 ranchero GT and a 1966 Mustang Coupe. It's actually pretty even.... 2 Supercharged 6's and two windsor V8's with carbs.
It keeps my non-girl times busy!!
Hugs to all,
Lisa E
http://s279.photobucket.com/albums/kk151/drlance/
Photos of the Ranchero GT....

[Brina Halloween]

As I recall the Fiero was aptly named as it developed a history of engine fires.
I had a friend who owned one, until it went up in flames one day.
And be careful out there!

The first year had problems. GM tried using only 3 quarts oil in the iron duke. Apparently not enough oil contributed to the connecting rods going through the block. This is not a good idea since the little oil available exited and caught fire. :eek:

Now, if you lose cooling, the air flow is not going to help and a dirty engine bay are the dangers. Not really any different than any other car that is old now. I smoked oil when I lost my belts once but, no fire yet.

[S. Lisa Smith]

That is so cool! I saw a Fiero the other day and thought it was neat, but with a V8 it must really be amazing!

[Laura_Stephens]

Tamara, did you have to do anything to the chassis/frame so the car could deal with the torque?

[2b.Lauren]

Yea, I had a 69 Mustang fastback when I was in my teens. It was a mean fast machine. Before my wife and I got married someone turned out in front of me and it was a total loss. When we went to court after the wreck the judge was a car geek and just said how sorry he was about that. He gave the lady the book for her illegal turn. Then said I know this will not even closely make you feel better.

Now motorcycles are my poison. I have not got a ticket yet but certainly have deserved one. I can see me getting pulled over en femme and taking off the helmet, what a surprise that would be for the cop that caught me. Well not to worry now since I don't go out dressed.

[Rachel Morley]

Hi Tami :hugs:

Gosh, what an incredible story! If it was me I wouldn't have known what to do as I'm useless with cars. :sad: I only know how to drive them!

Glad everything worked out for you ok. I bet the cop thought you were cool .... a hot looking chick who knows all about fixing cars! :D

Hugs
Rachel

[Sam-antha]

That story from Tamarav takes my mind back in time to a similar happening.
Driving dressed, on my way to Inverness from Edinburgh, on business. Time mid-seventies when roads were roads and not multi-lane motorway things. Corners, when double were really corners, etc. My car a largish Merc, weight 1.5 tons and around 17ft long, chose to accelerate up to around 120 and to try to stay there.
Me really scared, road twisting, brakes smoking. I waited for an expected straight section that did not have a drop off edge. I believed that I needed that section, cos the steering was power assisted, like the brakes. If I turned the ignition switch one click too far, then the steering locked.
I reached the waited for straight bit after eight or so miles, that included passing through a small town with a slight humphy-backed bridge and a double bend around a railway bridge just before the town..
I stopped on the straight without damage, except for my makeup.
No police, but I confess, I did not keep the appointment.
There must be others who have had this non-stopping experience ?

[Jess_cd32]

Like in another thread that started out innocent, I'm starting to smell some testosterone comming out in this one to, sniff sniff sniff, yep thats motorhead testosterone:heehee:

With all that HP Tamm its no wonder the brakes were smoking, I'd even bet the rotors are warped after all that:doh:

[Nicole Erin]

Tam, somehow I just KNEW you would include photos of what you looked like before you left the house in the morning. It was my first though before I even opened the thread.

So, were you thinking "OK I better take photos of myself in case anything happens and then when I make a thread about it I can show the folks at CD.com..."

[linnea]

This is an interesting story; thanks for sharing it. I'm not very knowledgeable about cars, but I have been stopped by the Washington State Patrol while I was dressed en femme. I was driving a state car too. The stop happened because of a tail-light that was out.
The officer asked for my license, commented that if he had noticed that I was driving a state car he probably would not have pulled me over, and let me go. He looked at my ID and didn't make any comment (I'm not sure how to take that since I was wearing a wig, make-up, earrings, etc.).
Anyway, it was an easy stop. He didn't linger, however, but then I don't look as hot as Tammi.

[Melinda G]

Ever wonder how many cops might be closet crossdressers?:D

[kimberly ann487]

Tami,
Great story ! Looks like we have something else in common, our love of the Pontiac. Drove a Formula 400 Firebird back in the day. Have you heard that GM is dropping the Pontiac ? It's a sad day indeed.
Love KIM

[oliviarub]

i don't know who's hotter. you or the brakes on your fiero?
you look great.:love:

[darla_g]

A car story! I love car stories. thanks Tami

[erickka]

I always hated the base 2m4 fieros. I suppose that a v-8 Fiero is as much of a blast to drive as was my 1974 Vega with a 375 h.p 327 c.i v-8. Am I correct Tamara?

[stephgoth]

i had a run in with the seattle PD. Female officer was nosing around my VW van parked next to REI. 10 times out of 10 that means they want to search me. But she wanted to ask what year it was, see the camping setup and tell me about her van. Best police stop ever :)