NPOCP: Fiero $3k

"yitznewton" (yitznewton)
10/07/2015 at 11:07 • Filed to: fiero, npocp

Help me, Oppo-Wan. I am totally in the dark about Fieros; I remember them from when I was a kid, but all I know now is some murmurings about engineering shortcomings, and the fact that I can’t recall seeing one in years.

I found an apparently clean example on cars.com, although no pics of the engine are included. How much are these things worth? If you’re into Fieros, have at it; I’m asking as much out of curiosity as anything, although I suppose I’ll keep an eye on it. I do have a thing for !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .

http://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/…

https://www.flickr.com/photos/firefly…

DISCUSSION (12)

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > yitznewton
10/07/2015 at 11:13

The Fiero is in many respects an excellent car, marred by having an Iron Duke lump as an engine if it’s not a V6, some fire issues, and most Fieros up until the last few having the suspension dumbed down for cost reasons. This appears to be about the most cherry of the less-great Fieros you could find, but not everybody wants an early four-banger one, and some that would would want to engage in the standard upgrades. This one is priced based on being a good example of a car, but it’s the version fewer people want. A quandary.

TheVancen- In Pursuit of a Greater Payday and Car Parts > yitznewton
10/07/2015 at 11:18

All I know about them is that a guy here in Kingston has one with a built 350 and a Paxton supercharger on it.

CaptDale - is secretly British > yitznewton
10/07/2015 at 11:19

Only the ‘84 models with the 4cyl had the fire issue. Other than that, I would highly suggest getting a V6 with the Getrag 5 speed. That was the best engine and tranny combo. More info just ask me.

Lumpy44, Proprietor Of Fine Gif > yitznewton
10/07/2015 at 11:21

This is one of the cleanest I have seen in a while, it is the worse engine though.

My dad did say the Fiero had a recall book thicker than John Candy’s waist line though.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > yitznewton
10/07/2015 at 11:22

A friend of mine DD’ed and autocrossed a similar one for years. He loved it, but it fell apart a lot and I think it sold for 1000$ in decent running condition. It was worse than this, but 3k is slightly high. 2-2500 is much more reasonable. The car will need a steady stream of cheap parts and a couple hours’ labor. But for a commuter, it does a great job and if you keep it running well, 30mpg average is possible

Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. > yitznewton
10/07/2015 at 11:49

My brother was in a head on collision while driving one of those back in the day. You’d be safer in a car made of paper mâché.

FastIndy > yitznewton
10/07/2015 at 12:04

I’ve got the same year Fiero. Here’s the breakdown: 1984 was the first model year. The chassis and suspension are pretty much the same up until the 1988 model year, when they went to a multi-link suspension. Wiring and engine bay connectors are slightly different from the ‘85-87’s and can cause additional work if you pursue some of the more common engine swaps (3800SC, SBC, LS, Northstar). Overall though, a fine car.

Shour, Aloof and Obnoxious > yitznewton
10/07/2015 at 12:11

I shall skip the obligatory How-I-Met-Your-Mother references, and simply drop this simple tidbit here.

LS swap.

That is all. Good day.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > yitznewton
10/07/2015 at 12:23

The Fiero had and has a ton of potential. It was just neutered from the factory. Personally, I think that an MR2 is a better base, but if you found a clean Fiero, you might not see another one or a clean MR2 at a reasonable price. You might have to do some of your own fabrication and engineering with the Fiero than with an MR2 because it doesn’t have quite the cult following that the Toyota does.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > Lumpy44, Proprietor Of Fine Gif
10/07/2015 at 12:25

Yeah, but the Iron Puke should be purged from the engine bay immediately anyway, so it’s really just a bargaining chip to get the price lower.

scdjng > yitznewton
10/07/2015 at 12:57

As a Fiero Fanatic and owner of three different Fieros (86 GT, 88 Coupe and 88 Formula - my father has owned six himself, so Fieros run in our genes), here is my input and advice. While this car is very clean, if you are truly interested in a Fiero, skip this one and look for a 88 and one without a IronPuke engine. If you buy this Fiero, you will be very disappointed, as the early models do not handle that great and the IronPuke is a very slow reving and unrewarding engine. While on paper this may look like a really good idea, but I think you will be very disappointed after driving this car. I always tell people if they want a Fiero as a “driving car”, they should skip the 84-87’s and seek a 88. If they want a Fiero just to have a cool car, then an 85 GT or SE or and 86-87 GT would be a good choice. You will find that Fieros with the IronPuke should be re-serviced as agricultural equipment, as that engine has zero amount of “fun” in it.

Also, this Fiero is priced about $1,500-$1,000 to high. It does not matter how clean an 84 is, they just are not that great of vehicles.

Baeromez > yitznewton
10/07/2015 at 12:59

I have never met anyone who owned only one Fiero. I’m still not sure if that’s a good or bad thing.