Hopeful new member - please educate me on Fieros (Page 1/8)
samxerxesn FEB 06, 01:31 AM
Hello!

I've wanted a Fiero GT for years now. It started when I got a summer job at OfficeMax and would pass a beautiful '88 GT tin-top every day on my way to work. One day it had a for-sale sign on it and I was over the moon! Sadly though, it was just a pretty face, and even at its incredibly low price I couldn't justify it in my position. Without the time to rebuild it I would have to pass on it.
Ronald Finger's Fiero rebuild series on youtube has only emboldened my passion, and I want to search for one again.

Now I think I can afford a Fiero, and I've found some options, but I thought I should get as much info as I could. I have some questions and I'd really appreciate some help.

When was the Fiero Suspension geometry upgraded? I've only heard that the '88 GT and Formula had the proper suspension that the car was always supposed to have, but would an '87 or '86 GT also have upgraded suspension?

What is the handling like? I own an MR2 Spyder, so I know how to handle a mid-engine car, but is there anything special about the Fiero GT? Some say they're fine, but a friend of mine says he was riding in one that just spun out for no reason at an intersection.

What parts can I easily check on a Fiero to make sure it's safe to drive home and not just another pretty face? Last time I had a shop look it over for me because I was still a novice wrencher, but I have more experience now and I probably can't drive it the hours to have my shop check on it. Can I easily check things like the state of the fuel injector, intake, shift linkages, etc? Would it be rude of me to ask to compression check it?

I have to admit, I don't plan to keep my Fiero stock. I'd love to put a supercharger on it, or V8 swap it, or both (maybe electric when the battery tech gets there). How does the community at large feel about these things, and how widely are the parts available (every now and then I see the same CL ad for an M62 supercharger for the fiero V6 pop up, but I don't see it right now)?

Is there any difference other than body panels between the fastback and notchback bodies?

I found an '87 GT for sale with really low miles (60K). I'm worried that's too low for a car from the 80's. What are the chances that it's sat its way into poor health? I'd need to drive it two hours to get home, so I can't risk loosing an axle on the highway because the boots turned to dust.

How hard is it to get a factory spoiler and attach it to the deck lid? I just really love the way the car looks with the factory spoiler regardless of function. I've heard that you can adjust the tensioner on the hood to account for the weight shift caused by the spoiler. Is this true?

Is there anything I should immediately upgrade on the car for the sake of its health?

Lastly, what is the Fiero community like? Every summer I organize the MR2 BBQ for my local MR2 community. Is there a similar event for the fiero?

If I think of anything else I'll add that, and please feel free to offer any other info that I didn't mention but you wish you'd known when you first bought a Fiero. Thank you all for the help!

-Sam X. N.
hyperv6 FEB 06, 08:32 AM
Hi

Suspensions were upgraded in 88 only. They do drive better but some parts are difficult to find.

The 84-87 can be corrected. They have under steer and bump steer. They lack a rear sway bar and need a better front bar. Also you can put stiffer bushings in the rear control arms and sub frame to remove much of the bump steer. Note while noticeable it is not that bad. Just drive one and judge it for your self.

Gripe is good just on uneven roads it can dart a little on the 84-87 and steering is heavier.

Pull the carpet in the trunk corners for rust. You are in CA so you should be good if it is a CA car. Check for interior damage as original interiors are difficult to find.

Check for cracked exhaust manifolds. You will hear it. Check for rear side plugs rusted in. No having a compression test is not rude. Get it up on a lift look under the car.

Fuel system is an easy service. Nothing to check but you can change things like injectors very easy.

Yes if you pull the body off the sub frames are all the same. Just springs and slight tuning are different on a GT or coupe with a WS6 suspension.

As for mileage most low mile cars are great. Keep in mind even with low miles most were driven on weekends and stored well. Mine has 40k likes and runs like new. It is my weekend toy and I take care of it.

I just put one back on the road that sat for 20 years inside. We did replace the fuel system and brake system but today it drives just like the 35k miles it has.

As for losing a CV joint that can happen on any car. They also generally are making noise long before they fail.

Body parts and spoilers are not hard to find.GT tail lamps can be expensive.

Yes you can adjust the deck lit. It is a knuckle buster. Most just add a Rodney Dickman strut he sells on the web.

Upgrades are a matter of condition and need. Nothing critical from factory needs fixed.

Community is strong in the mid west with some pockets in other areas. Most of these were sold in the Midwest hence the stronger clubs.

I know a group used to meet yearly at Mission Bay in San Diego.

My best advice is to get the best condition car you can. Lower the miles the better. There are a good number of good low mile cars that will save you chasing parts and spending more to restore than you would just pay for a good car. Too many bargains end up as money pits. Not just Fieros but many collector cars in general. The market for collector cars is getting soft due to the economy and virus. May be a hood buying time.

Note many people put these cars into good long term storage expecting to make money on them. A number of them come out every year in good shape and at a good price.

As for engine changes don’t get crazy. Just drop a LS v8 in and be done with it. The weight is good on the all aluminum engine also very easy to get parts for it. If you chase some of the other engines you will have to fab up or deal with other issues.

The 3800 SC was a good swap too but they are harder to find in low miles in good condition anymore. They can be found but don’t go for a high mile version.

Turbos have heat issues to deal with. Also don’t SC the stock 2.8. It needs O rings or you will pop head gaskets with much boost.
cvxjet FEB 06, 11:17 AM
I have owned my 1985 SE V6 since new......Over the last 20 years I have done a number of mods to it but still a Fiero. I live in San Leandro 25 miles west of you...If you'd like you could come by and I could show you my car and what to look for. Also, I belong to the Golden Gate Fiero club......

The Fiero was originally set up to be "Safe" handling (For average driver) whereas the MR2s were set up right off for the enthusiast driver....SO a little suspension tuning can really bring the Fiero around.

Let me know if you are interested in coming by.
dremu FEB 06, 02:06 PM
To your point about community, there are a number of us in the Bay Area. I keep meaning to go to the local meetings https://goldengatefieros.org/ but haven't. Two years ago we went on the Vine Run with I think fourteen Fieros (and, oddly enough, an MR2 -- was that you?) which was great fun. On a purely personal level there are several members here who are very helpful (for instance, I saw cvxjet posted; I've met him in person and we had a good time talking shop.)

Speaking of talking, I imagine you get a bit of this with the Spyder, but with a Fiero, you have to allow extra time at the gas station and parking lots. Surprisingly often, you will get accosted by random passerby asking "Is that a *Fiero*?", generally followed by "I used to have one" or "I knew someone who used to have one." =))

One observation is that an older car like the Fiero may not be a good daily driver. Depending on your MR2's age, you may be familiar with the challenges of parts availability and having to wait to fix stuff, so having another car as a parts runner or just a way to get to work can be advantageous. Also, finding a shop that wants to work on the car at all, never mind one that's qualified, can be challenging, so you'll want to consider your mechanical skills, space to work, etc, to work on it yourself.

The Fiero is pretty well understood and documented at this point, so it's a matter of setting your expectations, deciding whether an orphaned conversation piece is the car you want to drive. Don't expect it to run like a brand new car (or even an older Toyota, ahem).

Engine changes in CA can be a challenge due to smog requirements. That can be an expensive rabbit hole of hassles and time, again, especially if it's a daily.

As regarding "upgrades" in general (quotes applied for a reason!), my past vehicle experience has led me to the maxim of "buy what you want from the git-go, don't try and upgrade a turd by polishing it. It's still a turd." I enjoy my Fiero, but if I wanted a Corvette ... I'd have bought a Corvette.

-- A

[This message has been edited by dremu (edited 02-06-2021).]

Boozeman FEB 06, 02:40 PM
Lots of good advice given here. Buy a Fiero - you'll love it. This forum has been indispensible to me in terms of technical advice. The only thing I would add is that you need to be very careful when putting a Fiero on a lift (or letting someone else put it on a lift). There are coolant tubes that run down the outside bottom edges of the car that connect the engine in back with the radiator in the front. One of the most comon preventable sources of damage to a Fiero is some mechanic swinging the arms of a lift under the car and lifting it without looking first, thereby crushing the coolant tubes and completely wrecking the cooling system. PITA finding and replacing coolant tubes!

Good luck!

------------------

hyperv6 FEB 06, 02:44 PM
Yes the owner experience.

I bought mine new and was treated like a celebrity. Then as the car faded in image I was treated as a fool. Today most people are really cool about it. They like above either wanted one, had one or knew someone who had one.

Also I have mine a little modified and some really have no idea what it is.

Note you will have some haters. They are not common but they are still there. There are also a few odd owners too. I have run into some who try to tell you they raced there cars professionally and or the car is the next thing to a La Ferrari but you will have that no matter the make.
skywurz FEB 06, 10:07 PM
The bay area has an ok community. Could just be COVID but the Golden Gate Fiero club has not had as many events as they used to. Ive been on their mailing list for over 10 years and even went to some club meetings in 06-07. They would have a monthly meeting pre covid. Met dremu today i see he chimed in above. Great guy! Also some good guys up in Sac. I doubt you will see any tech sessions anytime soon. Used to be v8 swap tech sessions and so on.

So what about you? Do you have mechanic experience? Willing to get you hands dirty?

Imho that black 87 is overpriced.
Edit:
Also they don't post photos of the tail lights of that GT. Most GT tail light lenses are hosed they use 2 materials that expand at different rates (common on most of the interior parts too) so the tail lights are often delaminated or cracked. Luckily recently Keith Goodyear has brought back replacement lenses but they are not cheap (amazing quality). Keep this in mind when searching. Also keep in mind that a lot of our parts suppliers are getting older and are prime to retire. We have lost lots of great resources over the past few years.

Edit:edit:
In my experience as far as the community stance on mods you will find the purests and the guys who will do just about anything to their car.
Im a practical purest. Mostly because im in CA and don't want to fight about engine swaps. Also I mostly run the 2.5l iron dukes... The 4cyl.. from the mail truck... Im proud of it. Wasn't at first because people would engine shame and say you should just do a v8 swap and such... but you know what. It runs. And it doesn't get half bad gas mileage either. I have vehicles that were designed to go fast and stop fast and turn. I don't need my Fiero to do these things... Oh yeah and if you have not go and look at the performance specs of Fieros. Guessing you have never driven one. Its not fast. If you want fast and sporty you may want to spend your cash elsewhere.

But if you want an interesting looking car that nobody knows WTH they are or know how to work on them.

[This message has been edited by skywurz (edited 02-06-2021).]

samxerxesn FEB 06, 11:44 PM
Wow, some incredible replies here! Thank you so much for all of the advice and help. I'll usethis post to reply to everything I can.

I'm more than happy to get my hands dirty repairing and modifying this car. I've done a couple engine swaps and I replaced the 5 speed transmission in my MR2 with a 6 speed that has a factory helical LSD.

The Fiero wouldn't be a daily, Though I'd drive it more than just on the weekends, probably swapping out between the spyder and fiero. I also own a Subaru outback LL Bean to help pick up parts.

I'm aware of the Fiero's performance statistics and that doesn't bother me. The MR2 isn't fast either, and I made it slower by changing to a transmission with a taller final drive. For me it's just that, well, I really like them. The fiero is this fun blip in American car history and I really want to turn it into something fun and my own, preferably with a V8/Supercharger :P
It's the same way I feel about the MR2, and the profile of the car is just something I can't get over. Not to mention POP-UPUPANDDOWNHEADLIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHTS (sorry but I had to)

I do all of my own work on my MR2 for the most part because it too has issues with being broken just by being lifted incorrectly. With the exception of jobs that require specialized machinery, I can do most things. As far as parts for the MR2 go I'm lucky to be well connected within the community, but it isn't uncommon to have to shop around to find things. I'm sure the Fiero will be a bigger challenge, and I'm up for that. I will probably start off with correcting the handling and changing it to match what I want.

Thank you so much for the offer cvxjet! I don't know if I can take you up on the offer just yet, but I'll keep it in mind.

I don't know how skywurz found exactly the post I was talking about, but impressive! I agree that it's overpriced, but it still looks good to me and the miles are very low. I personally think it's worth going to see the owner and talking to them to see if I can get a better price. If not, then it is not meant to be.

I'm thrilled to find such a great community! If golden gate Fieros goes on another drive I'll be sure to join up! monthly meetings seems a bit sparse, but with that being said you are all more than welcome to join us weekly at MR2sdays when covid dies down! (incredible name, I know) https://www.mr2sday.info

You can also all come along to the MR2 and Friends BBQ. I organize it on facebook and the forums, and I'd be happy to post it up here as well.

I'll keep you all updated on how this Fiero GT works out
dremu FEB 07, 09:53 PM

quote
Originally posted by samxerxesn:
Not to mention POP-UPUPANDDOWNHEADLIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHTS (sorry but I had to)



When I brought mine home, I texted a photo of it to a friend with the caption "The 80's called. They want their popup headlights back."

Instant response: "Is that a Fiero?"

and then two minutes later

"#85 on Edmunds Worst Cars Of All Time" [something like that, this is from memory.]

I laughed. He actually gets it, he had a Fiat Spyder for some years I helped him redo the top end on. He only buys modern cars now

-- A
skywurz FEB 08, 12:33 AM

quote
Originally posted by dremu:


When I brought mine home, I texted a photo of it to a friend with the caption "The 80's called. They want their popup headlights back."

Instant response: "Is that a Fiero?"

and then two minutes later

"#85 on Edmunds Worst Cars Of All Time" [something like that, this is from memory.]

I laughed. He actually gets it, he had a Fiat Spyder for some years I helped him redo the top end on. He only buys modern cars now

-- A



Lol
Pretty sure i have an email to my buddy in 06 saying "the 80s called and it wants its sports car back"