"The Fiero was the second safest vehicle sold in America from 1984 to 1988, bested by the Volvo 740DL station wagon."

"K-Roll-PorscheTamer" (k-roll390)
06/18/2014 at 15:45 • Filed to: Fiero

Wait a minute.....I tought the Fiero was a death trap and very unsafe.

"The Pontiac Fiero, being popularly known as being "made entirely of fiberglass," is wrongly accused of being unsafe in a collision.

The Fiero, with its unique plastic body-on-spaceframe design, helped the Fiero achieve a NHTSA NCAP frontal crash test rating of five stars, the highest rating available.

According to Hemmings Motor News, the exceedingly sturdy, 600 lb (270 kg) space frame consisted of roughly 280 separate galvanized and high-strength steel stampings joined by 3,800 welds and, when assembled with the Fiero's mechanicals, was fully driveable without its skin. !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! The Fiero's body panels are purely cosmetic and carry no structural load. The Fiero was the second safest vehicle sold in America from 1984 to 1988, bested by the Volvo 740DL station wagon."

Maybe not as safe as modern cars, but even so. It's going back on the possibly want list again.

DISCUSSION (31)

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
06/18/2014 at 15:48

I would love one with a SHO engine, or a TDI swap, read a huge build thread about one.

Jagvar > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
06/18/2014 at 15:48

What metric are they using to designate it the "second safest"? Are they going purely by NHTSA crash test scoring?

Nibbles > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
06/18/2014 at 15:49

I think the Fiero's bad rap comes from its propensity for fiery death

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > Nibbles
06/18/2014 at 15:50

But I hear that's only for '84-85 cars with the 4-cylinder engine.

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > Jagvar
06/18/2014 at 15:51

Not sure.

Nothing > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
06/18/2014 at 15:52

40k miles! 1 owner! http://denver.craigslist.org/ctd/4493143745…

I like Fieros. Go for it!

PS9 > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
06/18/2014 at 15:54

Kinja'd!!!

[pants explode]

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > Nothing
06/18/2014 at 15:54

I'm in Michigan.. -_-

But I found these.

http://toledo.craigslist.org/cto/4514002033…

http://jxn.craigslist.org/cto/4471600879…

http://detroit.craigslist.org/okl/cto/451088…

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > PS9
06/18/2014 at 15:55

My god.....What is that! Sexay!

Nibbles > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
06/18/2014 at 15:55

Fiery. Death

Can't say I dislike the things though; a friend of mine in school had a 2M6 that was so freakin' cool. So much cooler than my Camaro

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > Nibbles
06/18/2014 at 15:57

Oh I see what you did there! :P

They just look weird, and I think it's the first notch I've ever liked. I hate Fox body notches.

PS9 > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
06/18/2014 at 15:58

LS7 Fiero. Turns out the LS series fits just fine back there. This will be mine someday.

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > PS9
06/18/2014 at 16:00

Wait....I could buy a Fiero, drop in a V8, and get Mid-engine 'Murican sports car with That cammed V8 sound I love so much! PS9, you're on to something!

PS9 > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
06/18/2014 at 16:05

Kinja'd!!!

Ahh...but the final form of the almighty Fiero has yet to be achieved. Look at that hood clearance. You know it would fit...

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > PS9
06/18/2014 at 16:08

Oh god.....

PushToStart > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
06/18/2014 at 16:12

I love how eloquently the first ad describes the phenomenon that is a mid engined car:

"The motor is located in the back of the car where the trunk would be and the trunk is located where the motor would go"

The Transporter > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
06/18/2014 at 16:15

Now, if memory serves me correctly, the Fiero was actually designed from the beginning to have a small block V8 in it, but that was cut because of typical GM cost cutting measures. Supposedly, the mounting points for the engine were left in when the vehicle went into production.

If you want something more modern, GM built a whole series of transverse mounted V8s for their FWD cars. The LS4 that you can find in the mid-2000s Monte Carlo SS, Grand Prix GXP, and Impala SS is the most well known, but many of the Cadillac Northstar engines were built for that arrangement, as well. At least one of each kind has been dropped into a Fiero at one point or another and instructions on how to do it are readily available on the Internet.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
06/18/2014 at 16:19

I want one with a supercharged 3800SII. So badly. Hnnng.

tromoly > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
06/18/2014 at 16:20

You're thinking of the Pinto, which even at the slightest bump would explode.

Kinja'd!!!

briannutter1 > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
06/18/2014 at 16:42

yes, the fires occurred mostly in the first two years of the car. they got that fixed mostly by 86.

ranwhenparked > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
06/18/2014 at 18:56

I think part of the reason they got a bad rap was that the fiberglass body would basically shatter on impact. So, even if the actual passenger cell was intact, a crash would still look way worse that it really was.

Also, they caught fire a lot.

Axial > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
06/18/2014 at 23:33

The only safety issue with the Fiero, besides generally being owned and driven by idiots, was that in 1984 there was a problem with the connecting rods that would cause fiery death. Back then, GM still believed in recalls over safety so they recalled it, fixed it, and fixed it on the assembly line. There was no problem with MY1985 and on.

At that, it was only a tiny, tiny, tiny portion of Fieros that had the problem at all.

I really, really want an '88 GT. Preferably, already engine-swapped.

Axial > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
06/18/2014 at 23:37

Might want to stay closer to 300 HP, though. :p

Low-end torque + featherweight car = ohgodwhyamIfacingoncomingtrafficonmysideotheroad.

Personally, I'd probably turbocharge a V6. Just something revy and turbo'd, this car's looks demand it.

jdrgoat - Ponticrack? > tromoly
06/19/2014 at 02:59

People forget about that these days. So much so, that you might say that bit of information is nearly... Top Secret!

Drakkon- Most Glorious and Upright Person of Genius > PS9
06/19/2014 at 07:33

What transverse transmission can possibly handle the torque generated by all that hand polished chrome?

Drakkon- Most Glorious and Upright Person of Genius > tromoly
06/19/2014 at 07:35

Oh the wasted jelly bean wheels.

Drakkon- Most Glorious and Upright Person of Genius > PS9
06/19/2014 at 07:36

I would still prefer an MR2 with a Camry engine in it.

Kinja'd!!!

PS9 > Drakkon- Most Glorious and Upright Person of Genius
06/19/2014 at 11:56

4T65e's have sat behind turbocharged 3800s putting down 870WHP in a high-8 second built drag car. If 800WHP won't kill it, a puny little ~450WHP doesn't stand a chance.

PS9 > Drakkon- Most Glorious and Upright Person of Genius
06/19/2014 at 11:56

Good for you. But for me no V8 = no care.

Drakkon- Most Glorious and Upright Person of Genius > PS9
06/19/2014 at 15:01

People built Nissan SR20DETs with 800whp on the stock block and heads and didn't blow up at the time of dyno or racing. Doesn't mean it's a good idea.

More importantly, who wants a 4 speed slush box in a mid engine car?

PS9 > Drakkon- Most Glorious and Upright Person of Genius
06/19/2014 at 17:44

People built Nissan SR20DETs with 800whp on the stock block and heads and didn't blow up at the time of dyno or racing. Doesn't mean it's a good idea.

Can you explain why that specifically is a bad idea? More power with fewer parts purchased. I'm not seeing the problem there.

More importantly, who wants a 4 speed slush box in a mid engine car?

Use the F35 then. Same story regarding high horsepower, high torque boosted engines, and you can step up to the F40 if you want 6 speeds.