“Neo-classical” seems to be a term that can be used to describe any number of kit-cars and re-bodied conversions from the 1980s. There was a fascination, it seems, with harkening back to designs that had long been out of fashion, but clearly not to some folks. It’s likely the same reason why the Avanti lived on in so many iterations, and why we had multiple manufacturers attempting to re-create the Mercedes-Benz SSK, as if to signal that the world shouldn’t move on (yet) from an era of Great Gatsby-like flamboyance. The car shown here is part of this class of vehicles but seen far less frequently: enter the Zimmer QuickSilver.
This was certainly a bold experiment, but for what purpose? That, it seems, remains a mystery, as the creation of a QuickSilver was a far from simple affair. A complete Pontiac Fiero formed the basis of the car, with the donor vehicle going to – where else? – Pompano Beach, Florida to Zimmer’s production facility where a fairly extensive reimagination of the Fiero chassis would occur. Thick paint, huge chrome bumpers, and dense carpeting inside were all calling cards of the Zimmer, which left very little of the original Fiero shell recognizable from the outside.
The combination of the Fiero 2.8L V6 with a 3-speed automatic transmission was far from desirable, but the intent behind the Zimmer was not to create a fire-breathing sports car. No, it was solely to build a luxury car to a higher standard than the Big 3 could at the time, and the opulence of the exterior cosmetics combined with the materials selection on the inside helped the company clear this benchmark. Road test editors would later comment how modern BMWs leave the factory with orange peel in the paint but that years after its introduction, the Zinner’s exterior is still quite beautiful.
Those appear to be standard Fiero seats wrapped in attractive red leather with black piping. While the carpeting and leather surfaces may fool some of the people some of the time, we can all see quite clearly that this is a Fiero cockpit with some added glamour. Regardless, the conversion of a Fiero to a Zimmer was by no means just a nip and tuck job, with a full 16 inches being added to the chassis after arriving in Pompano Beach, along with the revised front and rear fascias. The question is, does the rarity and condition support the seller’s asking price of $21,000? Check out the Zimmer QuickSilver here on Facebook Marketplace.
I’d like to see the front end opened up. I’m wondering if all that is trunk space.
You can see the trunk space in the facebook ad.
I personally believe its really cool to own a car nobody else owns. And I think this would make a great party car especially in South Florida! But in reality its a under-powered although quality build with no real market value. One could argue a perfectly preserved Fiero could fetch the same money. The interior looks really nice, the wild front and rear gets wild looks. 21K might be fair for the collector that has everything. jv smashpalace
HI OH SILVER! Always one for OTT excessive chromed luxury, this has my dreams Zimmering with enthusiasm. Wish it had been built on a grandeur 😉 scale, but one of a few Bold and Beautiful attempts to return to visions of the Gatsby era! 🏰 👍 🏆
I’m sure I’m in the minority in that I have always liked the looks of these. I didn’t realize how few were made and for some reason I thought they were based off a Ford chassis with a 5.0. Yes I’m sure I wouldn’t be happy at all with the performance and if I was going to scratch that luxury car itch I’d probably look at a 70’s Lincoln (like my Grandfather had) and at least I could take my whole family for a cruise to get ice cream. Nice car GLWTA
Seen random photos of these over the years, skipped right past ’em as fake luxury wannabees … but did not know until today that underneath all that was a Fiero.
You’re thinking of a different Zimmer model for that Ford basis. Their Golden Spirit was a heavily modified Fox-body Mustang with the 5.0L V8.
The worst ‘fake’ cars were the VW powered MG TD knock-offs. I remember seeing them and getting all excited, only to realize it was a fiberglass body on a VW pan. The Manx buggies were different to me (I still love them) because they were not trying to be something else, they actually were something else. I guess the same could be said about this car, but really it’s just a Fierro trying to look exotic. This car’s leather interior does look inviting though.
These weren’t the worst looking kit cars. That goes to the Firebird knock off Ferraris. But I too, thought these had V-8 power.
The design looks totally inspired by Eldorado’s, Toronado’s and Mark 4’s. The interior looks like a leather clad Fiero. Who would buy this with a straight face?
This hurts my eyes.
I lived in the land of make believe (Fort Lauderdale) when these wanna-be abominations were belched out of the factory in pompano. the first time I saw one I immediately knew it was a fiero in disguise. when one lives in South Florida with all the faux Porsches, and various other make believe ‘fake’ cars such as this, usually one develops a disdain for the cars, and the ‘wanna-bes’ that drive them. pass on the make believe.
Another current Barn Find is a 77 Cordoba. 😉 I do not look for DE PLAIN! Mr. New YORK er welcomes you to Fantasy Island 🏝 😎 ✈ 😁 🤣 👍
Seller states the car is in excellent condition. Paint is sun faded something terrible. And considering what a nice paint job would cost along with the sellers asking price this one is way out of the ballpark.
Somehow, Zimmer managed to get the Quicksilver on the cover of the April, 1987 Car and Driver magazine, along with an attractive woman with big, blonde hair, a little black dress, and a fur coat. I guess that’s appropriate, considering the Quicksliver’s $48,000 price tag was over three times that of the Fiero underneath.
I find these cars to be intriguing, with a long and very low profile that makes it unique among luxury coupes of the day. Not saying I want one, but the concept was interesting and deserving of more than the limited production run it had.
Horsepower and weight would tell me if it would be at least livable
The look’s haven’t improved with time.
Oh, the humanity.
Who ever thought this was a good idea?
Let’s see: Take a Fiero and destroy its most redeeming quality, the beautiful exterior design.
Keep the rest of it, including the cramped, uncomfortable interior, the subpar powertrain, and the underwhelming steering/suspension.
And then tack on these awful body panels to create this hideous beast.
At least the Fiero was good looking, despite its shortcomings. This has no redeeming quality at all.
Just because you CAN, doesn’t mean you SHOULD.
I’m in agreement with Rick W, had these cars been made on a grander scale, say a full size 18 foot long coupe, I think they would be viable.
Those chrome bumpers are massive and rechroming them would exceed the asking price, not that they need it now but probably someday.
These kit cars always fall short in the interior department and this one didn’t disappoint.
I’d offer $8000 non-negotiable.
As with Ft. La-de-da, it would look right a home in Vegas, too.
👍 Angel. Great minds usually Drive the SAME roads in luxury, class, and panache! LOL! 🏆
@ Rick W.
Could you imagine this the size of a ’76 Fleetwood? With the engine of a 1969 Eldorado?
Angel, THAT would be another Cadillac DIVA! 👍 Of course, still not the CLASS of the one and only Angel Cadillac DIVA. 💐 But just the thought is truly DIVAlicious!
I’ve often wondered how these might look given an ’80s Buick T-type cosmetic treatment — paint the chrome bumpers and lower door/sill cladding in a dark metallic gray, blackout the grille inserts and most of the rest of the chrome, swap to machined-face alloy wheels.
…oh, and swap the powertrain to a supercharged 3800 to go with that T-type treatment, which I gather is a fairly popular and straightforward swap for Fieros.
Round up all the “Neo-classical” cars you can find and have the greatest demolition derby ever.
Entertaining, and no great loss.
NO! NO! NO! No way, Jose ! 👎 R E S P E C T !
I would’ve never guessed this car came with a six under the hood. How why ? I know this car had to weigh close to 5,000 lbs.new.
Plug ugly! Take a well styled car, throw lots of money at it, and end up with your very own abomination!
When I first saw this car, I thought someone had used a 66 Tornado as the starting point. Then I read the story and found that this started life as a Fiero!!! No thanks as I have tried to fit into a Fiero and it is too cramped!
ONLY 170? Well, that’s a relief. It’s ONLY 170, TOO many!!
What a waste of a Fiero.
IMO, a Fiero WAS a waste! LOL. Fortunately, we can STILL voice our own opinions! One ride in a Fiero was one too many for me!
Why do people feel they must “update” classic cars? Paint the bumpers body color or black them out. Black out all the chrome.
Ever since Mercedes started in the 80s with the no chrome around the windshield or rear window, then the taillights, then the side windows, wheelwells, etc.
For the last 35 years American cars have been blah! Dark colors, except for white and silver, no chrome, everything is blacked out or body colored. I personally hate it.
General Motors 1958, chrome everywhere. My brother’s and sisters always said if it were up to me my car would be all chrome. The entire body. LOL
Will chrome ever make a comeback? Will whitewall tires? I hope so. I’m sick and tired of all black cars including wheels.
Rant over.
Well, Angel, once again our Great Automotive Minds meet! For me the 58 GM cars (especially Buick and Cadillac Sixty Special) were the apex of the OTT chrome laden beauties. It was often questioned as to whether they displayed more body color (and there were many choices) or CHROME! 👍. I believe that the cost of chrome and the desire to emulate the Plain Jane Pond Hoppers 🤮 (due to their invasion of the luxury market) were major factors. Then we have the conversion to plastic bumpers, which could not effectively be chromed. Add to that, many people, who don’t think like us gravitated to sports cars. Many of which had the black out look. All of these factors (and probably more) contributed to the sad demise of OUR beloved CHROME. Even my current Town Car has a plastic grille and trim strips made of plastic coated with a chrome like substanpce. As I understand chromium is very expensive, so as usual the auto manufacturers are looking to save $$ for bigger profits. I recently read that there is a pending law suit alleging workers exposed to chromium experienced severe health issues. So,my comrad in glorious LAND YACHTS, it looks like CHROME as well as OUR taste in automobiles, Is sadly Gone With the Wind! And, Frankly My Dear, I DO Give a Damn! Oh, please go back to see my response to our previous Zimmer posts! LOL 💐
You know Rick stainless steel can be buffed and polished to a brilliant mirror like shine like chrome and clearcoated to preserve the finish but as you said earlier manufacturers don’t want to invest the time or money that’s going to chip away at profit. I’ve been drawn towards Bentleys as of late. Everything on that car is metal wood glass and leather. No plastic lenses on the gauges. True pride in workmanship.
You aren’t alone Angel. Call it trend fads or whatever. People feel they need to be seen or heard by making a statement and sometimes not well thought out. I think it may be in part of people being lazy and not wanting to clean polish and shine their cars. The wash and wear mentality. I’m going to a fathers day car show today. And I expect to see some young people showing off their flat finished primer looking cars. Earthquake stereo sound systems more lights than a Christmas tree and sitting lower than a snakes belly. Im sure the old car designers would turn over in their graves.
Amen and Hallelujah to that, Brother Frog! Guess we were posting simultaneously! It’s a whole new world and NOT one I want to live in. Even driving with windows up, frequently another car pulls along side and I can hear and even feel vibrations from the pounding base!
@Frog and Rick,
I started my rant because someone (didn’t want to mention name) made a comment about painting over chrome bumpers.
I get chrome is really expensive and frankly, working with Chrome is dangerous healthwise, but as Frog pointed out, stainless can look like chrome. And as Rick pointed out, chrome is slowly reappearing on plastic grills, mirrors and side windows.
Many parts stores have aftermarket plastic body side moulding that looks like chrome.
Manufacturers………. please, we know you can do it. Please bring back at least the chrome look, if not real chrome.
Now for the black out……… black or dark gray car or SUV. Not even shiny black, egg shell or flat. Black grill, black around the
headlights, black door handles, black around the windows, black around the taillights, black exhaust tips, blackwall tires with black rims, black make or model emblems. 🤮🤮🤮 Makes me want to puke!
Hate it, hate it, hate it!
JMHO
Rick, 1958 Cadillac Sixty Special, one of my all time chrome laden beauty. And speaking of stainless steel, that big chrome piece and the skirts are stainless, polished to look like chrome. Same with the 1954 Cadillac Eldorado. The 1958 Buick Roadmaster Riviera with its 15 chrome slashes on the rear quarters, the taillight lenses COVERED in chrome strips, 158 chrome square disc’s in the grill, chrome completely surrounding the greenhouse. OMG! Those were cars! Stainless steel hubcaps, whitewall tires to finish the look. Harley Earl was a master and Bill Mitchell was no slouch either.
Angel and Frog…Mr.RICK. regrets to say that IMO (not necessarily humble) opinion, current younger buyers have been led down the Yellow Brick Road by the not so wonderful Corporate Wizard of ODDS! They have few if any recollections of the variety, style, comfort and panache of the GREAT AMERICAN LAND YACHTS we admire. This thinking goes beyond automobiles. They have become minimalists. 😔 😟. Resale and Antique shops are full of treasured family heirlooms that no one wants. The 60s motto Less is more is the rule of the day. I remain firm in my belief that Too Much Is NEVER enough! Unfortunately, we are the last who favorite the Devine Decadence of OTT excessive chromed luxury. Yes, these peasants ARE revolting! 😉 They’d rather have pretzels and beer than champagne and caviar. Now that’s my opinion, I’m sticking to it, and everyone IS entitled to it! 😉
Angel and Rick,
Went to our local fathers day car show and to my surprise saw quite an array of vehicles mostly from elders that wanted to keep the dream alive. But as I was ear hustling listening to comments from some of the younger visitors commenting in their tasteless disdain, it was all I could do to refrain myself within the limits of my medication from intervening.
Why is it critics can improve things already existing, but can’t create something on their own? There was a song out in 1971 called Look what they done to my song ma by Melanie Safka that keeps popping up in my head every time I see someones idea of customized improvement.
We few are the gatekeepers of the past in preserving what was the ingenious designs. Viva la car museums.
I owned and operated a vending business in SoCal many years ago. And shortly after being in it i discovered in my machines closest to the border the machines had a lot of silver coins in them. Why one would wonder? The older immigrants would come over and work as housekeepers, landscape and various jobs long ago and got paid in coins they had collected and saved over the years.
The younger generations would end up acquiring the belongs and cross over to spend it frivolously and to my delight in my machines.
So I started meticulously hand sorting the old silver dimes quarters and nickels. Salt and sugar might look the same but I’m here to tell you that it’s not face value. People fall into 3 categories. Those that make things happen, those that watch things happen and those that don’t know what’s happening.
🎵 Look what they’ve done to our cars, ma!🎶 They’ve dropped the best 🎵and screwed up the rest! 🎶 Caus I’ve got a melted jelly bean, 🎵 you’ve got an SUV! 🎶 Gee our old LaSalle ran great! 🎵 Those 🎶 WERE the 🎵
DAYS! 🎶 👍 Like Sands Through the Hourglass, So Are the CARS of OUR Lives! 😉 🏆
@ Rick W
Lovely Rick, now I think your medication is due. 😆
Gee Thanks Angel! It’s been a while since anyone called me LOVELY! But you should have seen me when I was MR. SUBWAY 💪of 1972!😁 🤣 .
Good morning, Angel! Someone mentioned three kinds of people. I’m the kind who likes to make things happen! 😉. Just look at how much conversation we have inspired??? In this BARN! 😅 🤣 😂! Stay DIVAlightful! 👍 💐. Must go, breakfast needs to get Zimmering 😋 Apre la Medicacion!
So Many Comments! 😮. PROS and CONS! Has anyone even placed a bid? Or is it just Zimmering? 😉 😜
@ Rick W
1972! Now there’s a year I’ll never forget. Graduated high school (yeah, hated school, repeated the 5th grade)
Got a job and bought my first brand new car off the showroom floor. A 1972 MG Midget convertible. I know, I know! What’s a land yacht lover like myself doing with such a tiny car that could fit inside the trunk of my first car a 1956 Cadillac Fleetwood?
I’ve had brain farts since I was 12. 😆
Thought it would be fun, and as a second car I’m sure it would have been, but as a daily driver, not so much. About the only thing I could take with me was a tube of lipstick. Yeah, that lasted 18 months and I sold it. Replaced it with a 1971 Imperial coupe bought from a friend who got scared of the first gas crisis.
Anyway, besides all that, 1972 was a great year.
@ Angel Wow I got jokes. I got shoes bigger than those. I had a work colleague (4’11”) that was going to give me a ride home after work one day. She had the top down at work and it started raining before we got off so she had to put the top up and i couldn’t fit in the car. She said she felt bad but I know she was laughing all the way home. True story . It’s the only car I know of you can read the tire size on the car next to you or pick up a coin on the ground without getting out.
YES, 72 was a great year! Years later I bought a previously owned 😉 72 LTD convert in great condition except roof and driver seat. Black over yellow. A glass and trim shop (try to find one now) found matching vinyl for seat and installed new top with glass rear window. Stored winters. After three years, I sold it. And that was ONE of my frequent Brain Farts!
@Frog & Rick W
You’re right about that, Frog. I was living in New Jersey at the time, lived in Somerset County worked in Woodbrige. Traffic was horrendence then I can imagine it now on route 1 and on 287. I’d sit behind a car of any size, stopped in traffic, getting whoosie from the exhaust right in my face from the car in front of me.
Another time I was driving in the rain on a back road. Had to slam on the brakes and stop for deer crossing the road.. out of nowhere this giant buck leaps over the hood of the MG. Two inches further back he would have taken off the convertible top AND my head!
Ah, growing up in the country.
I wouldn’t have thought that this would be worth 21K, but it is listed as SOLD.