Oppo, I want a Fiero

Kinja'd!!! "PlayerWAN" (PlayerWAN)
09/18/2013 at 01:21 • Filed to: ask oppo

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Should I get a Fiero? And how much should I spend for one? Also, are they good rallycross cars? Any other suggestions for a good rallycross car? Am I asking too many questions?


DISCUSSION (30)


Kinja'd!!! GhostZ > PlayerWAN
09/18/2013 at 01:22

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Kinja'd!!! All Motor Is Best Motor > GhostZ
09/18/2013 at 01:29

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What he said. Get an MR2. Better car, better reliability, better looks (minus the final generation). Everything the Fiero does, the MR2 does better. However, I have no idea what these things cost, especially in comparison to a Fiero.


Kinja'd!!! GhostZ > GhostZ
09/18/2013 at 01:38

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Stupid kinda repost


Kinja'd!!! GhostZ > PlayerWAN
09/18/2013 at 01:38

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Stupid Kinja repost


Kinja'd!!! GhostZ > All Motor Is Best Motor
09/18/2013 at 01:39

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A clean, great example goes for 5000-7000. Fiero's are usually 3000-5000 for the same quality. The car is easily $2000 better.


Kinja'd!!! MtrRider Just Wants Doritos > PlayerWAN
09/18/2013 at 01:42

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Get the '88, it has upgraded suspension, brakes and engine.


Kinja'd!!! PlayerWAN > All Motor Is Best Motor
09/18/2013 at 02:05

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I'll be perfectly honest... I actually prefer the look of the fiero. There's just something wrongly perfect about that shape

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especially with big tires.

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Plus, those fiberglass panels will never rust, and that's a big advantage in Kansas.


Kinja'd!!! Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > PlayerWAN
09/18/2013 at 02:19

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Yes get an 88 and LS swap. Don't get an MR2, because fuckem, that's what.


Kinja'd!!! NinetyQ > PlayerWAN
09/18/2013 at 02:57

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I've been considering an '88 Fiero GT for a long time, myself. Don't listen to those telling you to get the MR2. I mean, that car does have its strong points, but the Fiero is not unreliablereliable, and is comparable in speed, and cooler looking. More cylinders too! I prefer the V6 to a Toyota four-cylinder. Because 'Merica.


Kinja'd!!! Sparf > PlayerWAN
09/18/2013 at 03:00

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I cannot stress getting an '88 enough, and if you dislike the GT's bodykit the Formula had the exact same options and upgrades minus the bodykit.


Kinja'd!!! Ignorance of NASCAR is a Jalopnik Trophy > PlayerWAN
09/18/2013 at 03:04

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No. Iron Duke lack of power, heavy for what they are, and no clearance. Add to that the horrible build quality most of those low hanging body parts would come off almost immediately.

I do rallycross, and have seen a 1st Gen MR2 do ok. Lightweight hatches like Civics, Escorts, and Golfs seem to do best in 2 wheel drive (or front wheel drive) categories.


Kinja'd!!! Bytemite > GhostZ
09/18/2013 at 04:16

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You have the wrong MR2.

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If you think you like the Fiero, the MR2 AW11 blows it away in every possible way. Remember, Fiero is a GM product, so it is automatically crap.


Kinja'd!!! Goshen, formerly Darkcode > PlayerWAN
09/18/2013 at 04:53

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It's more original than going MR2 or Miata, but make sure you get an engine swap.


Kinja'd!!! Goshen, formerly Darkcode > Bytemite
09/18/2013 at 04:55

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That's a fantastic reasoning. You must know a lot about automobiles.


Kinja'd!!! Bytemite > NinetyQ
09/18/2013 at 06:42

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But it isn't comparable in speed, it somehow is as heavy as a 4 door sedan, and the comparable base model came with a 4 speed tranny, a much heavier, slow revving 2.5L I4 that produced less HP than the famous MR2's 1.6L. If you wanted to go up to the V6 then you would need to compare it with the Supercharged MR2 which beats the Fiero even harder...in any case, I don't see the Fiero coming out on top. The 4 cylinder in the MR2 loves being revved and it really doesn't matter how fast you're going but how much fun you have.

Small, high-revving engines are much more fun to drive on the street than torquey big engines with a low redline. On the street, it's always slow car fast.

It's simple really, would you really rather get the car that is 300 lbs heavier, less hp, less fun-to-drive, less reliable, no variable intake, likely to catch on fire, and handles like a typical 80's american muscle car?

Or you can get the much lighter, high-revving, reliable, T-VIS, Lotus handling, fun to drive MR2.


Kinja'd!!! timateo81 > PlayerWAN
09/18/2013 at 07:56

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Why not?


Kinja'd!!! Meatcoma > PlayerWAN
09/18/2013 at 08:47

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Just like with a woman. Silence does not mean yes.


Kinja'd!!! hollanddjw 1 > PlayerWAN
09/18/2013 at 09:33

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FYI most of the MR2's body panels are also 'glass.


Kinja'd!!! Bruno Martini > PlayerWAN
09/18/2013 at 11:06

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Get a 88 like other have said, although you can retrofit the parts to an earlier car. 3-5k is the going rate for clean unmolested ones. I have seen buick 3800 supercharged ones going for around the same price. The cheapest engine swap is the 3.4 out of the camaro and with boltons will make around 200hp. The kicker is that you keep the fiero v6 intake as an upgrade to the 3.4 and it will look completly stock. They are mean little machines. Watch for rust behind the drivers seat btw. Other than that great car and extremly reliable. They make aftermarket parts for them as well as reproduction parts. There are still stock parts at your favorite auto store as well.


Kinja'd!!! NinetyQ > Bytemite
09/18/2013 at 13:32

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I specifically chose the '88 GT and you're ignoring facts to make your point.

The Fiero also has improved suspension for that year, and there's debate whether Lotus was involved or not, but the consensus is that it's at least "Lotus-like." The supercharged MR2 had 145hp and 140 lb-ft. The V6 Fiero had 140hp and 170 lb-ft. So for that, I'm giving the power advantage to the Fiero. 300 lbs is not all that much in a road car, particularly for one which was deemed the second-safest car on the road at the time, second only to a Volvo. I don't remember where I read that, but if you can prove it wrong, by all means.

So to answer your question, I currently own two cars. My Audi 90 Quattro 20V which has a revvy 5-cylinder and a '96 Pontiac Grand Prix coupe with a torquey V6. The Audi has 4 more horsepower and is a few hundred pounds lighter than the GP, but for power, they feel pretty much the same. I love the sound of a torquey OHV engine, and I'd rather have that. Not that the sound of the 5-cylinder sucks; on the contrary, it's very good, but you don't feel like you're really going anywhere as it revs. With the GP's V6, you do feel it. And since the 3.1 in my car is a descendant of that 2.8, I'll take the 2.8.


Kinja'd!!! Bytemite > NinetyQ
09/18/2013 at 15:26

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I guess it is different preferences I guess. For me, I don't care for safety at all. I don't even wear seatbelts in cars that don't beep. And if I can take airbags out of my cars, I do. So the Fiero being safer makes no difference but add to the already immense weight.

300 lbs is a HUGE difference. It is 13% heavier than the MR2. That is saying -18 hp out of the 140 hp V6 will make no difference. That is saying 14 hp out of the 110 I4 makes no difference. Plus the fact that weight doesn't just translate into faster acceleration, but better cornering, better braking, and better feel of the car. So yeah, 300 lbs of weight is a hindrance to all aspects of performance, even more so in a car that went from 2300 lb to 2600 lb.


Kinja'd!!! All Motor Is Best Motor > PlayerWAN
09/18/2013 at 15:30

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While I do find some Fieros striking, and they are "unique" as a GM product, I personally much prefer something like this:

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Just look at those beautiful smooth lines with that perfect black finish.


Kinja'd!!! NinetyQ > Bytemite
09/18/2013 at 15:31

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I'm questioning your sanity now. Why bother removing airbags and not wearing seatbelts? I'm not a safety nut either, or else I wouldn't make it far driving our '52 Buick on the highway, but not wearing a seatbelt is just plain stupid these days. Removing airbags possibly even more.

Yes, I get that 300 lbs is a difference, but it's not like "oh, this one is a lightweight sports car and this one is a family car." They're both lightweight. And you kind of just brushed off the points I made that countered the first ones you made. The MR2 and Fiero are quite comparable, end of story.


Kinja'd!!! Bytemite > NinetyQ
09/18/2013 at 15:47

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Sorry I didn't mention the points you made earlier.

You gave the power advantage to the Fiero, but power doesn't translate into performance until it is distributed into the weight. 2800 lb V6/140 hp is 20lb/hp, which is...by any standards, very slow. 2500 lb SC/145 hp is 17.2lb/hp, not fast by any standards but holds up fine. And the extra 30 lb of torque is offset by the extra 300 lb of weight. This translates into the MR2 SC having a whole second faster 0-60 time than the Fiero. So now that we've covered the power, the Fiero has lost the one performance advantage you said it had over the MR2.

As a side note, I'm not crazy but I've ridden in my parents minivan from the age of 6 to 20 without ever wearing a seatbelt. Nothing's happened but kept me more comfortable and able to hop around the back seat to the front seat on road trips to get drinks and snacks. Removing airbags make a big difference in weight, removing seatbelts, even more. The metal parts of the seatbelt are very heavy.


Kinja'd!!! NinetyQ > Bytemite
09/18/2013 at 15:57

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I've done interior work, I know how heavy they are, but I've also seen what happens to people not taking advantage of those things. Perhaps you're not insane, but your parents sure are. If for no other reason than not wanting to get pulled over, you should always wear a seatbelt. I've never found the comfort lacking, and as I mentioned, I drive a seatbelt-less classic regularly. Still would rather have them.

Back to the comparison, you were mentioning just the engines before, which is why I said if anything, the Fiero has the advantage. Add the weight, and perhaps not. Don't care though, would still rather have the Fiero if only for looks alone. The power ends up being a wash in real world comparisons.

We might as well stop arguing though. I've never driven either (though I do at least have experience with the descendant of the 2.8 V6), and it sounds like maybe you haven't either.


Kinja'd!!! PlayerWAN > All Motor Is Best Motor
09/18/2013 at 16:03

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Sorry, but no. If I were to get a MR2, I'd look for an AW11, like so:

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When properly set up, they're absolutely beautiful

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And wheel gap be damned, I'd get one like this, because I'd rallycross the shit out of it:

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Kinja'd!!! NinetyQ > PlayerWAN
09/18/2013 at 16:03

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One more note though: Part of the reason I love the Fiero GT and am simply apathetic toward the MR2 is that the Fiero is the only mid-engine mass-produced American car to date and it came out of GM in the '80s. It has a cool story behind it, and for that, I love it.


Kinja'd!!! All Motor Is Best Motor > PlayerWAN
09/18/2013 at 18:40

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It looks to me like you're really just in the market for one of these...

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Yes, I spent 5 minutes making that in Paint, and yes, I was giggling uncontrollably the entire time.


Kinja'd!!! PlayerWAN > All Motor Is Best Motor
09/18/2013 at 18:45

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8/10 would DD.


Kinja'd!!! StoneCold > PlayerWAN
09/24/2013 at 03:46

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http://www.carsforsale.com/find_a_vehicle…

Anything peak your interest?