1987 Pontiac Fiero GT 2.8 V6 from North America
Summary:
A sweet little car that performs as good as it looks!
Faults:
At 145,000 miles the crank shaft broke, locking up the motor. Bought re-manufactured motor for $1200 and installed it. The new motor would start backfire and die. Turned out that the coil wasn't sending a powerful enough spark, but it cost less than $30 for a new one. Bad problems with the paint fading.
General Comments:
I would give my Fiero the award for best bang for the buck. It has enough power to be fun just don't race a Mustang GT and expect to win. It handles better than you would expect, but can get you in trouble in a hurry if you aren't careful. Zipping around 90 degree bends in the road at about 35mph is pretty fun, but if you try and change lanes to quick at 55mph you will end up in the ditch like I did. I love that it's a 2 seater and has power everything and its actually quite rare to see one that's in good shape inside and out. Don't be afraid of working on them because there is actually more room in the engine compartment than appears. Parts are dirt cheap in comparison to any newer car and there is very large aftermarket following. The inside is close and comfy, not unlike a Corvette. A larger person may feel cramped, but I'm 6'1" and the closeness of everything gives me a feeling of control. It does sit very low, but that's part of the fun. All in all it's a cheap, reliable, and slightly rare little sports car that is a world of fun to drive.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 11th January, 2003
13th Feb 2003, 16:27
Original author responds to above comment:
I DID NOT buy the car knowing of it's short-comings. I bought it new, lived with it quite a while, then tried to figure out why it was so unsatisfying. (I had been hoping to recapture the magical relationship I had had years ago with a 1965 Corvair Corsa: lowered, quick steering arms, 4-speed: an absolute blast). The Fiero came up way short in the grin-on-your-face department, and had other weird downsides that were totally unanticipated. (Like not being able to comfortably stick your elbow out the window because the glass doesn't go down all the way. What were they thinking ?) It's not without it's good points, but others on this site have covered those. I just thought that potential owners needed to know some of the negatives before making a buying decision.
I hope you enjoy your '87. If you haven't already, try removing the steering dampener. This will vastly improve low speed steering effort and road feel.
I drove a friend's 4-cylinder '88 and it was kinda puny power-wise, but my 2.8 V6 wasn't much better. If you're considering an engine transplant, I'd go with the 3.4 4-cam motor myself, but think long and hard before you start: probably 50% of any engine transplants never actually get running. Good luck.