Dime a dozen? Not these days. I sure have a good look when an IROC or a GTA goes by! The Fiero was a very cool car and still is, too bad the dropped it after 88. That car would have been great with a 180HP Quad 4. Imagine what it could have been today with a 275hp turbo 4!
Liking Fieros is not weird at all. It was a cool car when new and still is. The GT looks gteat and sounds great with that 2.8. I bet it's a hoot to drive!
Just stumbled on this vid. Had an 85 Fiero GT that I absolutely loved. Surprisingly great in the snow in Colorado and phenomenal to drive in the winding, tight, mountain canyons. Handled like it was on rails. Traded it in on a new 91 Talon TSi AWD--which was also a blast and probably better in almost every way. I miss driving them both . . . but the Fiero was a ball since it was my first actual sports car.
The first car I ever bough for myself was a 1988 Pontiac Fiero GT with the 5sp. I bought it in 2007 when I was 20. I owned it until 2015 when I was driving in Texas and got caught in a tornado...my precious Fiero was thrown into a guard wire that cut through the back of the car all the way to the engine block. I actually drive it for about a week after that while insurance waited to total it. Such a sad day... I loved that car!
I drove an '87 MR2, so I was very aware of the Fiero rivalry at the time. It was definitely not lost on me that the Gen 2 MR2 ended up looking ALOT like the V6 Fieros. I think that if GM had gone all in and continued to develop the Fiero, it would have done very well into the 90's.
The gen 2 MR2's were actually styled after the Ferrari 308 GTB and, until Ferrari sued, there were kits to do this body conversion to a very high level copy. The Fiero had a similar option called the Mera which was sanctioned by GM so the conversion could be made on a new vehicle without loss of the warranty. Ferrari sued them too. They should have done a Lambo, they seems to appreciate the copying of their style as I have never heard of them suing anybody and kits are available to this day. BTW, a stock 86 Fiero will outperform a Ferrari 308 GTB from the same era. Add a few upgrades and the Ferrari is left in the Fiero's dust.
The good people at Corvette fought the Fiero from the onset. When test models outperformed their precious Corvette on the test track, the Corvette folks went appoplectic and was the primary reason why the Fiero was available for the first three years with only the anemic 4-cylinder 2500 cc Iron Duke engine. I've owned and driven a Fiero since '89 as my primary driver and currently drive an 88 V6 5 speed....and, I'm 82. It recently turned the 66K mark. While on a motorcycle trip in 2008, I met the woman who would become my 2nd wife. We have (at this point) retained our original homes, so this Fiero has made many trips across the Golden Gate Bridge. BHE
@@MikeHammer1 I'm confused by your comment. To be clear, Ferrari did NOT sue Toyota over MR2. Nope! Toyota claimed they came out with SW20 first before Ferrari came out with 348. Ferrari sued GM over Mera because it looks so similar to their 308.
@@vice4134 Perhaps it wasn't my clearest example of writing, but Ferrari would sue the makers of KITS that were look-alikes to their vehicles, not Toyota. Other exotic car companies, like Lamborghini did not do that.
@@blackholeentry3489 While the Fiero iron duke engine was available throughout the entire production run from 1984-88, the V6 became available in 1985, only 1 year after the duke, not three as you wrote. I own an 86 model with the V6.
Years ago, a buddy of mine and I installed a turbo charged V6 out of a Buick Grand National into my 1984 Fiero. It was a beast until it lost a rear stabilizer and many bad things happened from there.
You have the best year and best optioned Fiero. Your commentary is conversational and professional. My wife and I were on a vacation in LA back in 85. I was following a Fiero GT but I at first thought it was a Firebird. I thought it was a cool car and still do today. I'm happy that you were able to buy this car and enjoy it.
Thanks for the video. I'm up here in Canada and recently purchased a 1 owner 88 GT 5spd with 30,000 miles. The 88 GT is extremely underrated and carries a bad rap from the early models. The whole thing is a feat of engineering with unstressed body panels etc. I have raced cars and driven many exotics and for the year the car punches way above its weight. The build quality is much better then any of the similar year exotics such as the Lotus and Ferrari. It also makes a beautiful sound once you bring the revs up. It also won't bankrupt you with parts and repairs. For whatever reason we in North America like to beat up on anything that is produced here. Before you laugh at the 88 GT take a look on Bring a Trailer to see what people are paying for clean low mile cars and they are just starting to come into their own.
Thank you so much and I’m glad that you like the video. I completely agree with you about this car that’s why I wanted one for so long and I’m glad I got it and it’s nice to find other people who appreciate it just as much or perhaps even more than I do. These are awesome cars that deserve every bit as much respect or more than the rest of it peers given the story behind its story and how it came to be. Nothing short of extraordinary in my opinion.
Back in 1998 I was looking around car lots just dreaming of getting a car. I did not really have any credit history. I found a 1988 Red Fiero GT, tented rear pop up sunroof, V6, 5 spd, with tan cloth seats, 57,000mi and it was in great shape. No tears in the seats, no cracks in the dash or anything. The car was all still stock with no changes to the interior or motor. I could tell looking at it that it had been maintained reasonably well. I found a windshield sticker showing an oil change, air filter and coolant at 56,600mi. In the glove box/um I mean center compartment were repair receipts for regular oil changes, tune ups, timing chain change, shocks/struts, tires and such. The salesman managed to work out a deal and take my 85 Dodge Aries K car for trade. I drove home in the GT that day. I had it for a week and on the way home one day I was laying into her a bit hard all of the sudden smoke and steam everyplace. She blew a head gasket. I gave a call to the car lot and before I could say anything the salesman said hey I need you to bring the car back in. See I had been looking on a Saturday and banks were closed. They looked at my credit score, my job, my trade and cash down and figured a deal could just be worked out on Monday. It wasn't and the salesman had written my phone number down wrong and for some reason never thought about calling me at work. So I parked the car beside the lot that night. The next day I walked onto the lot. They had my car pulled up already, gave me my keys, title and my check back. Asked where the Fiero was. I pointed it out and handed them the keys. I told them it had been running horrible and something was wrong. The lot kid grabbed the keys went to it. Started it up and preceded to dump the clutch doing a little burn out. Well by the time he pulled onto the lot water and oil were pouring from the bottom. He just hot the final nail and killed the engine. Parts of a piston, rod and crank were on the ground under it and chunks of the oil pan behind it. I got in my car and left as the salesman stood with his head in his hands, lot kid sitting in the drivers seat looking scared and the lot manager just saying " A new day a new dollar!"
The early car was built with a Chevette front suspension. The rear was the front wheel drive unit from the X car (Phoenix, Citation, Etc). The engine was used as a part of the structure and the unit was mounted in the back of the Fiero, using a support bolted to the engine's oil pan. The bolt would stress the oil pan so much, that it would break a hole in the pan, hence the engine fires. It was fixed almost immediately by Pontiac by a recall, but not until several cars burned. The Fiero's reputation for going up in smoke was undeserved. The Pinto was a dangerous car in that if you got bumped in the back, a bolt would puncture the gas tank. Ford's solution was to settle the many lawsuits that resulted, but not to fix the problem. Chevrolet was ticked off that Pontiac was allowed to built a sports car, so they complained to GM and got the Fiero killed. Remember that Chevrolet advertised that they built America's only 2 seat sports car?
Don't know where you got your info from, but the 4 cyl. Iron Duke engines in Fiero's caught fire because of three things. The first was a 3 quart oil pan (due to clearance issues) that people neglected to top up with oil. The second was a bunch of defective connecting rods. The third was the placement of the catalytic converter just under the engine. Low oil led to premature failure of the connecting rods which led to puncture of the oil pan. The oil would ignite when it hit the catalytic unit. About 140-150 Fiero's caught fire this way. The engine is attached to a cradle that is bolted to the frame using bushings at four points, but it is not connected via the oil pan. The 6 cyl. virtually never had any fires. The rest of your info is correct AFAIK. BTW, I own a 1986 1/2 Fiero that I have pulled the engine from and replaced with a 1995 Camaro 3.4 L V6.
Saying the frame was “bolted to the oil pan” is like saying it was bolted to the windshield. The Fiero’s fate is to have stupid rumors spread about it. It’s almost 40yrs & misinformation just keeps coming.
This video continues the stupid rumors.. No Fiero ever had struts on the front suspension. All Fiero’s have front shocks. I’ve owned : an 84 SE, V6 85SE, 86GT ,and now have an 8cylinder ‘88 GT. That’s a “Cadero@, or a Fiero GT with an engine out of a 4.9 liter aluminum block Cadillac.
I bought one of the first 1985 Fiero GTs. I ordered it from my local Pontiac Dealer in Woodland Hills, California the first day they could be ordered. I loved that car. Wish I still had it.
This is one of my favorite Pontiacs ever. I wanted one back in the day but, being 6'4", I couldn't drive it. Same problem with the first gen Miata. I love your enthusiasm for the car and the amount of time you put into this. Thanks for posting this. :-)
@@tailsfromthejunkyard1023 I've driven and loved a Fiero ever since '89....and I'm 5' 7".....give me a couple inches of your height and we'll both be happier!
I have a fully restored 1986 GT 5 speed, love it, only take it out on the weekends to play around but its amazing how many people love these cars. Always turns heads. You did good grabbing that 88, great shape. Enjoy it!
Seems like normally when a car company updates the styling a little (like new front fascia and tweaked rear end) they usually kinda blow it. But GM pulled it off in a big way with these GTs. Just so beautiful. And haha not just “GM beautiful” but like seriously so gorgeous. And love that you’re real thorough. Thanks.
I like that when the gentleman did the restoration he chose to put in the seats from the 86 model year. Always like them better. I would of also included the glove compartment and map holders from the 86 model.
Awesome car man! Congratulations on finding one. The t-tops are especially cool and super rare! Fieros have always been on my list of cars I want in my garage, ever since they were first released. I graduated high school in 84, and remember those sitting on the dealership lots! Some day I will have one. Thanks for sharing yours!
I had an '86 SE with T-tops. They used to fit perfectly behind the seats with the T-top handle on the top side. To this day, it was the best open air experience I've had. Not too much or too little air flow. The '88 had the much better Getrag 5-speed manual paired with the V6.
I love a clean Fiero. Functional air scoop. Functional engine vents. Proper mid engine weight distribution. Super heavy doors. Two large ash trays. No cup holders. Underpowered NA V6 (if you're lucky) Pop-up up and down headlights. Speakers in the headrests What more can you ask for?
I owned 2 Fieros. A 1986 4M2, that is a 2.5 litre 4 cylinder 5 speed, and a 1988 2M4 5 speed. The '86 got totalled but my daughter who was driving it was safe because of the crash worthiness of the vehicle. The '88 handled much better because of the more advanced suspension. Unfortunately the engine on the '86 developed a cracked head because I drove it in -35C( -31 Fahrenheit) weather without allowing it to warm up properly, and I never got it fixed but years later sold it. Both of these Fiero's had sunroofs which we stowed in the front compartment. They were fun to drive and the '88 certainly handled much better. I'm thinking about finding another '88 but a GT this time.
Incidently, the fires in the '84 fieros were caused by an oil leak from the gasket between the PVC and the valve cover. It was a large metal pvc conduit and would tend to move and cause the gasket to leak. The oil would leak down over the hot exhaust manifold and start on fire.
In order to remove the engine which was mounted on a subframe the car had to be hoisted up and the subframe dropped out the bottom of the engine compartment.
this is a cool find, i recently found and bought an ‘86 Fiero GT automatic. Although it’s been sitting in a gentleman’s side yard for 10-15 years. only issues are the headlight motors are fried, and most of the gauge clusters aren’t working. it definitely held up. still runs like a champ tho
Nice vid brotha! I've got an '88 that I've been tinkering with for 8 years. Needs a motor swap bad. Yours is clean AF. My first car was an 86 SE V6 and wish I still had it. Brings back high school memories. You've got a gem!!!
Thank you and yes it seems I made the right choice buying this thing, but that’s really cool that you have had 2 of them. What engine are you thinking of swapping in there?
I had three Fieros - '86 4 speed V6, ''87 5 speed GT and the last one was ideantical to yours, 1988 Fiero GT with leather tee top and the five speed. It was a great car with much better suspension handling than the first two. I understand that lotus had a hand in the design of the suspension. It all came too late for the poor Fiero. The bean counters at GM decided that that would be after 1988.... I had it for about five years and then decided to move on to another vehicle, but honestly, I wish I'd kept it. It was just the right size could've done with more power but that could be easily addressed. Keep yours! Excellent video. Somewhere online I posted a video walk around of my car before I sold it and because it's such an old video it's MORE than a bit blurry - but if I can find it I will send you the link to your comments. Cheers from Toronto
I just recently re discovered my 87 Fiero GT. It was my grandparents who purchased it brand new from a local dealership. It was sent to a local junkyard, long story short I found it 15 years later locally. In the journey of saving up and getting her back
In 1990 I bought a 87 Pontiac vierro 4. Cylinder 5 speed with T tops. I paid $1500 for it because it did not run. It had 70000 miles on it. I put a new fuel pump in a tune up. I used it for traveling back-and-forth for my wrestling shows. So in 2000 four, maybe 2000 five, if finally decide to quit running with 350000 miles on it. I wanted to put a V8 in it but I did not have the money so we sold it.
I was Heavy line/Auto trans for Buick/Pontiac/GMC from 1981 till 2008. I was there when the Fiero came out and left. They got them right the last year. The cars would have been Corvette beaters but GM didn't want that. I made a lot of money working on the 84-87 2.5 cam gears. It would have been legendary except for the corporation. I could have the engine\trans out in 27 minutes. We had to do that many many times.
The 2.8 liter engine was first used in the Citation and it was designed to be equally useful in FWD and RWD vehicles. It's use in the small trucks started a couple years later.
Fantastic car! Got to drive an '87 GT when I worked at a Toyota dealership in '90, would love to take an '88 for a cruise!! Yes, keep it factory original and enjoy the driving experience!!!
The hood and decklid are fiberglass. Saturn didn't just use the concept. when the Fiero project got scrapped they used the whole fiero facility to Build those saturns. in much the same way. The 89 and 90 Fiero concepts had the 3.1 and then 3.4 liter DOHC v6 in them. That engine wound up in the Lumina/Monte Carlo Z34 platforms, the Grand Prix GTP, the Cutlass Supreme all the big sporty cars before the Buick 3.8 with the blower became the hotness. The 3.4 Originally made around 250HP at the wheels (GM was making 300 hp on an engine dyno, and then they started worrying about the 4T60E transmissions they were going to attach it to). So the final output of the engine wound up being about 200-215 hp depending on which year you find. Oh yeah. It 100% bolts right in. You fabricate a topside lil torque/dogbone mount to the frame and it works like it's meant to off of the donor car's ECU. One of the easiest physical swaps out there. Not that I would in that dreamboat. But if you come across one that isn't cherry, but isn't completely rotten, it's a very cool period upgrade.
Oh man, I would love to swap a Ls4 v8 5.3L into one of these. Yank out the GM oem delco stereo, and get a Sony in there. You might want to call Addco and see if they still make bigger sway bars for these 88s.
I have had 3, love the car and this one is al-some. Dont ever crack a sail panel :) Also they made a Formula (Limited Production) with the old body style and V6 that had the best handling.
Love to see this unicorn restored to new condition. Shouldn't take much. Must be hard to resist upgrading the cassette deck lol. Maybe the bluetooth/FM streamer helps.
The only T-top car I've ever owned was an '82 Z-28 that I bought as a shell. That was a fun car to build, and once it was done, it was even more fun to drive. Starting with a shell only, I had a LOT of room to modify anything I felt like modifying, but for the most part, aside from the computer and emissions system which I went out of my way to delete, I didn't change a whole hell of a lot. It looked exactly like a completely stock Z-28. But those T-tops? Aside from when it was parked, they spent more time in their bags and down in the well in the cargo area than they spent actually on the car. I don't remember if mine had locks though, but I'm kind of leaning on the side of no, they didn't have locks. The 1988 was always my favorite year for the Fiero, and if I was to ever be in the market for one, the '88 would be the only model year I would even consider owning. Naturally it would have to be a 2.8L A/T or M/T GT model with all the toys that it would have been possible to order on the car when it was new. It's just too bad GM brought the guillotine down on it right when they finally had all the bugs worked out of it and it was finally possible to outfit the car with the latest gadgets instead of just playing catch-up. I seem to remember GM doing that with another mid engined car about 20 years earlier. What the hell was that again? Oh wait... that's right... I remember now... It was a fun little compact car called the Chevrolet Corvair.
Great car. I bought an '86 GT when they first came out and owned it for 5 years. I would have upgraded to the improved '88 but I bought a house that year instead. Great find and I hope you enjoy it.
Just about the time this car was getting perfected, GM killed it. I'd love to have one of these with a built small V8 with a manual gearbox. Nice car sir.
You might want to join a Fiero Club. Fiero was NHTSA/NCAP rated 5 ☆☆☆☆☆ Stars for every year they were in production, even the 84 Iron Dukes with the shortened oil pan. Pontiac had several vehicles that were bantered about for production. Most constituting the Banshee project. Not until GM directed Aldikacti, Hulki into designing something to compete with the economical foreign market did the specific Fiero design come into play as Hulki's particular management style gave opportunity for engineers to work directly with manufacturing personnel. The T-Top seal can last practically forever if you keep the gutter completely clean and use a cleaning rag with a light dollop of mineral oil. The MR2 design upgrade has been bashed for many years, just as Fiero was in it's day as both presumably attempted to copy Ferrari, and any number of other sports cars. What ever the design. It's design that has stood the test of time. Since you plan on keeping it, I'm pretty certain you will do your due diligence in researching whatever you can to keep it in tip top shape. There are plenty of clubs, associations, web sites and message boards to provide you with all the information you may ever want in regards to Fiero so Cheers!
You have a really nice specimen of an 88 Fiero, enjoy it. Love the T-Tops! I did a restomod of an 86 1/2 Fiero about 10 years ago. The thing is a go kart with 200 HP on tap due to an engine swap and other mods. BTW, the hood, roof and rear decklid are made of FRP - Fiberglass reinforced plastic. The rest is made of what GM calls RIM, basically urethane plastic. The stock 2.8 Fiero is 140 HP and 170 Ft-Lbs of torque. Have you looked to see if you can put the T-Tops in the Frunk? I have the sunroof and it clips in up front. Be real careful with the T-Top rubber seals, I don't think they are available any more. The same with the tail lights. I bought the last right side one from the Fiero store 4 years ago. As stated by other, the 1984-87 suspension used a Chevette front end in the front and the front end from a X-body (Pontiac Phoenix) in the rear. Despite the humble source of these parts, modifications can be made to up the handling (as I did) to better than 88 spec. While the 88 suspension is excellent, parts are becoming unobtainum due to the limited production of the model.
Love the car , I was about to buy an 1986 GT, but it wasn't as quick as my 1995 intrepid... Still want a 1988 GT, but with an Automatic and Gold wheels 😫... Maybe Someday... I ❤ Fieros !
Nice Bro, happy for you. I had a down payment on a new 88, backed out, and got an RX7. Years later a Vette, yadda yadda. Anyway, my girlfriend had a Fiero. I loved that car. Enjoyable to drive! Nice video!
Great video, dude. Im a long time fiero guy and it’s nice to see an accurate, fact filled video on the Fiero. 👍 In the driving part of the video, it looks like you were driving highway 1 around Big Sur. We’ve done a Fiero run every fall on that route for about 15 years, with the exception of course of 2020. I hope we see you on a future run.
@@tailsfromthejunkyard1023 I don't know where in California you live, but there are fiero clubs and other resources. You can email me at airfiero at Gmail dot com for more information
Absolutely GORGEOUS car you have there, sir! I had an 87 GT 5-speed and you just don't get it unless you've owned one. It's the most fun I've ever had with a car. It was quick enough to hand a Thunderbird S/C a respectably sore ass and the thing cornered like it was on rails! And the exhaust note was incredible! I hope to own another one in the near future and do the 3800 swap. Nice car brother.
Thank you so much man! I’m really glad you liked the video. Yes these cars are so awesome, I love every minute I’m driving it and it’s easy on the eyes as well
`Beautiful car. BTW the 84 had front shocks. and rear struts. The front was too low for struts, I know, I had one. A thin six-footer can easily fit in one. There's lots of head and legroom but only moderate ass room.
I know! I didn’t realize how rare these until I got this one. According to the vin tag and the build card this is 1 out of 300 ever made in this configuration. and Thank you so much for liking my video, I really appreciate it!!
Glad you are in love with your Fiero. So do I... with mine. The longer rear line is called Fastback. The earlier version is called Notchback or Notchie. The second generation was supposed to come out with fastback & notchback as well. Speaking of Mera, did you know that Fiero is faster than Ferrari 308? Yep! I noticed your trunk release button is not working right. Did you know you could take it apart & clean it up. That should work better and return to its original position when pressed. If you don't have the patience or time, you could always replace it & be done with it. Enjoy your exotic sports car, man!
I’m really glad you enjoyed the video. I did not know that the second generation was supposed to come out with a notch back as well that would have been pretty cool. And yes I did actually read the article where they compare the Mera to the Ferrari and it was surprising (in a good way) to say the least. It’s impressive how good these cars were/are. Also I have replaced the button shortly after I uploaded the video. I will be taking the old one apart soon to clean it and have as a back up. Thanks so much for the input and I hope you enjoy the rest of my videos.
Very nice! Optioned just right too, with the 5spd and T-tops. Bad that the steering wheel cores shrank allowing the leather cover to slip around. Covering the wheel if left out in the sun helped to keep that from happening. But most people didn't cover them. I had an 85 GT 4spd (5spd wasn't available until later). I'd like to have a nice 88 like yours. Always liked 88 the best of the few years they made these.
My first car was a 87 gt, I loved that car. Idk if it was common but my headlight flaps would start flapping up over 130 mph and I'd have to turn the headlights on.
The MR2, once it received a power upgrade the car basically wanted to kill inexperienced drivers. The Fiero was relatively well balanced in combination with it's handling vs it's horsepower. I've taken a road trip both an MR2 and a '85 Fiero GT and I found that in comparison between the 2 cars from the seats, the general ride and the ability to stow luggage the Fiero was far more accommodating and forgiving. I've yet to ride in a T-Top Fiero, I'm a little jealous. Thank you for sharing your Fiero.
The 2.8 v6 was used almost everywhere GM could install it, including the Cavalier Z24, the Olds Firenza GT (remember those?) and some years of the Sunbird GT. The Pontiac 6000, Chevy Celebrity, the Olds Ciera and the Buick equivalent... You name it, all mid-sized and a lot of compacts could get it.
Very nice Fiero, I also have a nice but very rare car, mine is the 1984 Indy Pace Car version, I sure love it even though it’s the early version, all these cars were underrated and make for a great affordable sports car today.
Always liked the Fiero. My son, who is 15, and I are restoring a 1986 GT fastback. The 86 doesn't have the upgraded suspension like the 88, or the 5 speed transmission, we do have 5speed to go in it tho.
All the wheels are 15x7. The front wheels are just offset differently on the 88 models because of the Lotus designed suspension that the 88s have. You can fit 245 50s on the back and 225 50s on the front They fit without rubbing and look a whole lot better.
Not a pheonix bird. The emblem is a Pegasus, which was what the car was going to be named. At the last minute, the decided on Fiero but kept the pegasus emblem.
Super clean car. Great find. I agree to keep it as is. Have an article somewhere from Car Craft from 80's or early 90's where a Pontiac 455 was installed w/a Olds Toronado T425 FWD trans. Believed the article claimed they fit w/o having to heavily modify the car. Had to use stock exhaust manifolds and if you wanted to change the spark plugs you had to pull out the engine. All Pontiac V8's from 1965-76 had the same outer dimensions so taking weight off the engine might help.
Yeah actually I read that article along time ago and I remember that. Everybody keeps telling me to go with the Cadillac 4.9 L V8 that was in the Front Wheel Drive Allante because his boat up to my transmission. But honestly I’m thinking of going with a 3.4 L V6 with a turbo
@@tailsfromthejunkyard1023 Since you have a hot rod why not just take care of the 2.8. Your car is a rare piece. I know, the 2.8 is boring. Is a 3.4 going to be that much more exciting? Shame Pontiac didn't develop thier own FWD performance engines that I know of. GM was going corporate w/ thier engines in the 80's. I hate cross branding makes of cars and engines. A lot more power isn't great on a unibody car w/ t-tops. Had a couple of Camaro rattletraps w/ them.
@@tailsfromthejunkyard1023 Would a Buick 3.8 bolt in w/ little hassle? Kenne Bell used to make aftermarket turbos and accesories for these long ago. Now they make superchargers for new Mustangs.
RoadKill Doesn't Fly The 3.8 swap is actually common on these but it is a bit of a hassle. What I meant earlier about the 3.4 swap is that I wouldn’t do this until this particular engine that’s already in the car would give out. Otherwise I intended to leave as is, maintain it and enjoy it
@@tailsfromthejunkyard1023 The 3.4 L is a no brainer once the 2.8 dies. Its a super simple swap, until you start adding boost. I don't think you can put much boost to one of those reliably though. But it'd be a bump. You can basically throw any FWD GM platform from 80's-2000's and find a way to bolt it to the 5-speed, or a SB Chevy v8, with an adaptor plate. Lots of LS powered Fieros out there. 3800 SC are very popular too, still with a lot of aftermarket support. But there's extra work in the wiring harness, cuz you're basically mating the car to a swapped comp. There are guys still making conversion harnesses though, if that is'nt your jam. There's a FB page for modded Fieros, if you want to explore options, when the time comes. The guys on there are usually pretty helpful. I have an 86 GT with a ported/polished 3.4 DOHC swap, with some beefed up internals. It's putting over 200 HP (220-30ish) to the ground, and it's a ton of fun. Enjoy yours man! They are fun. Cheers
Duude, nice find I got my 86 fiero a few months ago and have been working on it since. I tried finding an 88 with t tops but decided it was more reasonable in my price range to not go for that
Great video and beautiful car. Missing my '86 Fiero SE. Mine actually came with a custom T-top. Loved that car but the 4-speed (non-Getrag) transmission was weak. Just a quick correction: the torque on the V6 140 BHP is 155 ft/lbs (not the 132 mentioned. That's for the inline 4).
Go to a junkyard and get a block from a 1995 v6 Camaro and everything on top will bolt right up except the starter will need to be relocated to the other side and that should get you to around 190 hp. I miss my 1987 GT.
When I first got this car I had to drive it 250 miles back home in 105 degrees weather, and yes I had heard about the overheating issues other people have had with these so I was quite nervous. Thankfully it made it home with no problems at all with the AC blowing nice and cool. Guess I must have been lucky.
Awesome car. I had a chance to buy an 88 blue t-top one 5 speed. It was hard shifting , no grinding so I passed. Heard that all it might have been is the shift cables. The guy wanted 4k at the time
@@tailsfromthejunkyard1023 was a while ago and don't see many 88s available and 5 speed .. About how much should you pay for a low mileage, good condition if i can ask ? Thanks
My dream car when I was in high school I owned 2 fieros both 4cyl I coul not afford a GT back then Looking for a clean 1988 GT going to make my dream finally come true
Such a beautiful car. I'm happy for you my man. I have always loved these. I love them even more now because you just don't see them anymore really, and especially not in as good a shape as yours is. I grew up around these cars even before I was old enough to drive. I turned 16 in '88. LOL. My next door neighbor had an anniversary edition Fiero, and a couple across the street owned a regular, probably 4 cylinder Fiero. Both cars were black. The neighbor with the anniversary edition would tinker around with his all of the time and drive it quite often. It sounded amazing, and as I remember, the back window was lit up with either the Phoenix or the word "Fiero." I just remember it was different than any other one I had seen. He may of done that himself. Also I had to come back and edit this comment because I wanted to ask you if you have seen Fiero880's restoration videos on his on UA-cam? He did such an in depth and excellent job. Watch all of his videos. I was surprised, disappointed, and in the end happy with what he did at the end of that series. He also bought a previously restored DeLorean and brought it back equipped with a Flux Capacitor and hover board. LOL Good content. I love your sense of humor and enthusiasm regarding your Fiero and its whopping horsepower and torque. The cars look amazing.
Thank you so much I really appreciate it. It’s really cool that you grew up around these cars, sounds like it was awesome. I encountering one around my home town a few times growing up, it was a silver GT fastback with T tops, It must have been the only Fiero in town. I remember falling in love with that car the moment I saw it and looking for the right one ever sense. I am extremely lucky to have found this car and I will do what I can to preserve it and maintain it. Once again thank you so much for your kind words and for enjoying my video.
Thanks man I’m glad you like the review, and believe it or not I actually bought this car thinking I was going to have to restore it given it was covered in dust and ash from the fires. Imagine how surprised I was when I cleaned it up.
I bought my 88 GT in late 87. I love it as much now as I did when I picked it up.
I’ve had an ‘86 GT 4-speed for six years and it still makes me smile when I drive it. These cars are durable, dependable and FUN!
Beautiful Fiero! Cameros and Firebirds of that era are a dime a dozen, that car turns heads !
Agreed!! Thank you so much, I’m glad you like it. And I’m glad you liked the video.
Dime a dozen? Not these days. I sure have a good look when an IROC or a GTA goes by! The Fiero was a very cool car and still is, too bad the dropped it after 88. That car would have been great with a 180HP Quad 4. Imagine what it could have been today with a 275hp turbo 4!
@@robertpoudrette4483 I stand corrected. 👍 Irocs, GTAS and even RS Cameros are getting more rare in good condition these days. Love them all !
Liking Fieros is not weird at all. It was a cool car when new and still is. The GT looks gteat and sounds great with that 2.8. I bet it's a hoot to drive!
Just stumbled on this vid. Had an 85 Fiero GT that I absolutely loved. Surprisingly great in the snow in Colorado and phenomenal to drive in the winding, tight, mountain canyons. Handled like it was on rails. Traded it in on a new 91 Talon TSi AWD--which was also a blast and probably better in almost every way. I miss driving them both . . . but the Fiero was a ball since it was my first actual sports car.
The first car I ever bough for myself was a 1988 Pontiac Fiero GT with the 5sp. I bought it in 2007 when I was 20. I owned it until 2015 when I was driving in Texas and got caught in a tornado...my precious Fiero was thrown into a guard wire that cut through the back of the car all the way to the engine block. I actually drive it for about a week after that while insurance waited to total it. Such a sad day... I loved that car!
That’s incredible
Good choice. 👍👍
I drove an '87 MR2, so I was very aware of the Fiero rivalry at the time. It was definitely not lost on me that the Gen 2 MR2 ended up looking ALOT like the V6 Fieros. I think that if GM had gone all in and continued to develop the Fiero, it would have done very well into the 90's.
The gen 2 MR2's were actually styled after the Ferrari 308 GTB and, until Ferrari sued, there were kits to do this body conversion to a very high level copy. The Fiero had a similar option called the Mera which was sanctioned by GM so the conversion could be made on a new vehicle without loss of the warranty. Ferrari sued them too. They should have done a Lambo, they seems to appreciate the copying of their style as I have never heard of them suing anybody and kits are available to this day. BTW, a stock 86 Fiero will outperform a Ferrari 308 GTB from the same era. Add a few upgrades and the Ferrari is left in the Fiero's dust.
The good people at Corvette fought the Fiero from the onset. When test models outperformed their precious Corvette on the test track, the Corvette folks went appoplectic and was the primary reason why the Fiero was available for the first three years with only the anemic 4-cylinder 2500 cc Iron Duke engine.
I've owned and driven a Fiero since '89 as my primary driver and currently drive an 88 V6 5 speed....and, I'm 82. It recently turned the 66K mark. While on a motorcycle trip in 2008, I met the woman who would become my 2nd wife. We have (at this point) retained our original homes, so this Fiero has made many trips across the Golden Gate Bridge.
BHE
@@MikeHammer1
I'm confused by your comment. To be clear, Ferrari did NOT sue Toyota over MR2. Nope! Toyota claimed they came out with SW20 first before Ferrari came out with 348. Ferrari sued GM over Mera because it looks so similar to their 308.
@@vice4134 Perhaps it wasn't my clearest example of writing, but Ferrari would sue the makers of KITS that were look-alikes to their vehicles, not Toyota. Other exotic car companies, like Lamborghini did not do that.
@@blackholeentry3489 While the Fiero iron duke engine was available throughout the entire production run from 1984-88, the V6 became available in 1985, only 1 year after the duke, not three as you wrote. I own an 86 model with the V6.
Years ago, a buddy of mine and I installed a turbo charged V6 out of a Buick Grand National into my 1984 Fiero. It was a beast until it lost a rear stabilizer and many bad things happened from there.
I owned a 85 white Fiero with a sun roof and a 5 speed transmission. 1988 is the only year with updated suspension, so this was my dream car.
5spd wasn't available until 86.5 model years
You have the best year and best optioned Fiero. Your commentary is conversational and professional. My wife and I were on a vacation in LA back in 85. I was following a Fiero GT but I at first thought it was a Firebird. I thought it was a cool car and still do today. I'm happy that you were able to buy this car and enjoy it.
Thank you so much
Thanks for the video. I'm up here in Canada and recently purchased a 1 owner 88 GT 5spd with 30,000 miles. The 88 GT is extremely underrated and carries a bad rap from the early models. The whole thing is a feat of engineering with unstressed body panels etc. I have raced cars and driven many exotics and for the year the car punches way above its weight. The build quality is much better then any of the similar year exotics such as the Lotus and Ferrari. It also makes a beautiful sound once you bring the revs up. It also won't bankrupt you with parts and repairs. For whatever reason we in North America like to beat up on anything that is produced here. Before you laugh at the 88 GT take a look on Bring a Trailer to see what people are paying for clean low mile cars and they are just starting to come into their own.
Thank you so much and I’m glad that you like the video. I completely agree with you about this car that’s why I wanted one for so long and I’m glad I got it and it’s nice to find other people who appreciate it just as much or perhaps even more than I do. These are awesome cars that deserve every bit as much respect or more than the rest of it peers given the story behind its story and how it came to be. Nothing short of extraordinary in my opinion.
What a rare optioned car indeed. You have the car I would want if I were to own a Fiero
Great you found an 88’ with t-tops!!
Haven’t been fortunate enough to own an 88’
but have owned four 87 GT’s in the past
Back in 1998 I was looking around car lots just dreaming of getting a car. I did not really have any credit history. I found a 1988 Red Fiero GT, tented rear pop up sunroof, V6, 5 spd, with tan cloth seats, 57,000mi and it was in great shape. No tears in the seats, no cracks in the dash or anything. The car was all still stock with no changes to the interior or motor. I could tell looking at it that it had been maintained reasonably well. I found a windshield sticker showing an oil change, air filter and coolant at 56,600mi. In the glove box/um I mean center compartment were repair receipts for regular oil changes, tune ups, timing chain change, shocks/struts, tires and such. The salesman managed to work out a deal and take my 85 Dodge Aries K car for trade. I drove home in the GT that day. I had it for a week and on the way home one day I was laying into her a bit hard all of the sudden smoke and steam everyplace. She blew a head gasket. I gave a call to the car lot and before I could say anything the salesman said hey I need you to bring the car back in. See I had been looking on a Saturday and banks were closed. They looked at my credit score, my job, my trade and cash down and figured a deal could just be worked out on Monday. It wasn't and the salesman had written my phone number down wrong and for some reason never thought about calling me at work. So I parked the car beside the lot that night. The next day I walked onto the lot. They had my car pulled up already, gave me my keys, title and my check back. Asked where the Fiero was. I pointed it out and handed them the keys. I told them it had been running horrible and something was wrong. The lot kid grabbed the keys went to it. Started it up and preceded to dump the clutch doing a little burn out. Well by the time he pulled onto the lot water and oil were pouring from the bottom. He just hot the final nail and killed the engine. Parts of a piston, rod and crank were on the ground under it and chunks of the oil pan behind it. I got in my car and left as the salesman stood with his head in his hands, lot kid sitting in the drivers seat looking scared and the lot manager just saying " A new day a new dollar!"
The early car was built with a Chevette front suspension. The rear was the front wheel drive unit from the X car (Phoenix, Citation, Etc). The engine was used as a part of the structure and the unit was mounted in the back of the Fiero, using a support bolted to the engine's oil pan. The bolt would stress the oil pan so much, that it would break a hole in the pan, hence the engine fires. It was fixed almost immediately by Pontiac by a recall, but not until several cars burned. The Fiero's reputation for going up in smoke was undeserved. The Pinto was a dangerous car in that if you got bumped in the back, a bolt would puncture the gas tank. Ford's solution was to settle the many lawsuits that resulted, but not to fix the problem.
Chevrolet was ticked off that Pontiac was allowed to built a sports car, so they complained to GM and got the Fiero killed. Remember that Chevrolet advertised that they built America's only 2 seat sports car?
Don't know where you got your info from, but the 4 cyl. Iron Duke engines in Fiero's caught fire because of three things. The first was a 3 quart oil pan (due to clearance issues) that people neglected to top up with oil. The second was a bunch of defective connecting rods. The third was the placement of the catalytic converter just under the engine. Low oil led to premature failure of the connecting rods which led to puncture of the oil pan. The oil would ignite when it hit the catalytic unit. About 140-150 Fiero's caught fire this way. The engine is attached to a cradle that is bolted to the frame using bushings at four points, but it is not connected via the oil pan. The 6 cyl. virtually never had any fires. The rest of your info is correct AFAIK. BTW, I own a 1986 1/2 Fiero that I have pulled the engine from and replaced with a 1995 Camaro 3.4 L V6.
Saying the frame was “bolted to the oil pan” is like saying it was bolted to the windshield. The Fiero’s fate is to have stupid rumors spread about it. It’s almost 40yrs & misinformation just keeps coming.
This video continues the stupid rumors..
No Fiero ever had struts on the front suspension. All Fiero’s have front shocks. I’ve owned : an 84 SE, V6 85SE, 86GT ,and now have an 8cylinder ‘88 GT. That’s a “Cadero@, or a Fiero GT with an engine out of a 4.9 liter aluminum block Cadillac.
I bought one of the first 1985 Fiero GTs. I ordered it from my local Pontiac Dealer in Woodland Hills, California the first day they could be ordered. I loved that car. Wish I still had it.
This is one of my favorite Pontiacs ever. I wanted one back in the day but, being 6'4", I couldn't drive it. Same problem with the first gen Miata. I love your enthusiasm for the car and the amount of time you put into this. Thanks for posting this. :-)
Thank you so much
@@tailsfromthejunkyard1023 I've driven and loved a Fiero ever since '89....and I'm 5' 7".....give me a couple inches of your height and we'll both be happier!
Yup, my first car was a 84 SE, Red. i've had maybe 4 since then, and now have an '87 GT Met Blue 5-sp,, 3400 swapped! love em!!
I have a fully restored 1986 GT 5 speed, love it, only take it out on the weekends to play around but its amazing how many people love these cars. Always turns heads. You did good grabbing that 88, great shape. Enjoy it!
Your Fiero sounds awesome! I’m glad you like the video thanks
I NEED THIS CAR IN MY COLLECTION!!!
Seems like normally when a car company updates the styling a little (like new front fascia and tweaked rear end) they usually kinda blow it. But GM pulled it off in a big way with these GTs. Just so beautiful. And haha not just “GM beautiful” but like seriously so gorgeous. And love that you’re real thorough. Thanks.
I like that when the gentleman did the restoration he chose to put in the seats from the 86 model year. Always like them better. I would of also included the glove compartment and map holders from the 86 model.
A real beauty..) guy that restored it is happy you made this video, I bet! Your enthusiasm for it shines through...GREAT, FUN VIDEO! AND GREAT CAR...
Awesome car man! Congratulations on finding one. The t-tops are especially cool and super rare! Fieros have always been on my list of cars I want in my garage, ever since they were first released. I graduated high school in 84, and remember those sitting on the dealership lots! Some day I will have one. Thanks for sharing yours!
That's a keeper. If you ever sell it you will indeed regret it. Thank you for just taking the time to really talk about the car.
Thank you, I don’t ever intend to sell it if I can help it. And I’m really glad you liked my video
Dude, awesome Fiero. Loved mine back in 1990. If you ever want to sell.................
I want one just like that, Always been a big pontiac fan by far the best GM division
Same here and I agree
So dang sweet. I had an 85' GT back in 1986 but the 87-88 GT was way more dope. Congrats on yours bro.
Thanks
I had one of the first 84s when they came out. Now I have an 86 SE and an 86 GT. Great fun to drive!
I had an '86 SE with T-tops. They used to fit perfectly behind the seats with the T-top handle on the top side. To this day, it was the best open air experience I've had. Not too much or too little air flow. The '88 had the much better Getrag 5-speed manual paired with the V6.
I love a clean Fiero.
Functional air scoop.
Functional engine vents.
Proper mid engine weight distribution.
Super heavy doors.
Two large ash trays.
No cup holders.
Underpowered NA V6 (if you're lucky)
Pop-up up and down headlights.
Speakers in the headrests
What more can you ask for?
THIS! This is the car I desire, except with a built up supercharged 3.8 installed.
I owned 2 Fieros. A 1986 4M2, that is a 2.5 litre 4 cylinder 5 speed, and a 1988 2M4 5 speed. The '86 got totalled but my daughter who was driving it was safe because of the crash worthiness of the vehicle. The '88 handled much better because of the more advanced suspension. Unfortunately the engine on the '86 developed a cracked head because I drove it in -35C( -31 Fahrenheit) weather without allowing it to warm up properly, and I never got it fixed but years later sold it. Both of these Fiero's had sunroofs which we stowed in the front compartment. They were fun to drive and the '88 certainly handled much better. I'm thinking about finding another '88 but a GT this time.
Incidently, the fires in the '84 fieros were caused by an oil leak from the gasket between the PVC and the valve cover. It was a large metal pvc conduit and would tend to move and cause the gasket to leak. The oil would leak down over the hot exhaust manifold and start on fire.
In order to remove the engine which was mounted on a subframe the car had to be hoisted up and the subframe dropped out the bottom of the engine compartment.
I have a 87 gt same condition 38000 miles with 5 speed get trans same color everything just bought yesterday and love it
this is a cool find, i recently found and bought an ‘86 Fiero GT automatic. Although it’s been sitting in a gentleman’s side yard for 10-15 years. only issues are the headlight motors are fried, and most of the gauge clusters aren’t working. it definitely held up. still runs like a champ tho
That’s awesome congratulations on your new to you Fiero. They are getting harder and harder to find out in the wild
Nice vid brotha! I've got an '88 that I've been tinkering with for 8 years. Needs a motor swap bad. Yours is clean AF. My first car was an 86 SE V6 and wish I still had it. Brings back high school memories. You've got a gem!!!
Thank you and yes it seems I made the right choice buying this thing, but that’s really cool that you have had 2 of them. What engine are you thinking of swapping in there?
I had a Silver 88 fastback, loved that car.
1988 is not only the last and best year of the Fiero, it is also the only year the color yellow was offered.
Oh memories, I had 2 fiero back in the 80s,great sport car for its time
I had three Fieros - '86 4 speed V6, ''87 5 speed GT and the last one was ideantical to yours, 1988 Fiero GT with leather tee top and the five speed. It was a great car with much better suspension handling than the first two. I understand that lotus had a hand in the design of the suspension. It all came too late for the poor Fiero. The bean counters at GM decided that that would be after 1988.... I had it for about five years and then decided to move on to another vehicle, but honestly, I wish I'd kept it. It was just the right size could've done with more power but that could be easily addressed. Keep yours! Excellent video. Somewhere online I posted a video walk around of my car before I sold it and because it's such an old video it's MORE than a bit blurry - but if I can find it I will send you the link to your comments.
Cheers from Toronto
I just recently re discovered my 87 Fiero GT. It was my grandparents who purchased it brand new from a local dealership. It was sent to a local junkyard, long story short I found it 15 years later locally. In the journey of saving up and getting her back
That’s really cool! I’m glad you found it and are trying to restor it. It’s not often that cars find their way back to their family.
@@tailsfromthejunkyard1023 I subscribed
@@MrSchrum thank you 🙏
In 1990 I bought a 87 Pontiac vierro 4. Cylinder 5 speed with T tops. I paid $1500 for it because it did not run. It had 70000 miles on it. I put a new fuel pump in a tune up.
I used it for traveling back-and-forth for my wrestling shows. So in 2000 four, maybe 2000 five, if finally decide to quit running with 350000 miles on it. I wanted to put a V8 in it but I did not have the money so we sold it.
I love my 88 Fiero GT. I bought it in late 1987. Still runs and drives like new.
Body panels are called sheet molded compound. I bought A white one just like that brand new in 1988. Loved that car and miss it.
I was Heavy line/Auto trans for Buick/Pontiac/GMC from 1981 till 2008. I was there when the Fiero came out and left. They got them right the last year. The cars would have been Corvette beaters but GM didn't want that. I made a lot of money working on the 84-87 2.5 cam gears. It would have been legendary except for the corporation. I could have the engine\trans out in 27 minutes. We had to do that many many times.
The 2.8 liter engine was first used in the Citation and it was designed to be equally useful in FWD and RWD vehicles. It's use in the small trucks started a couple years later.
Cool thanks for the correction!
That's a nice Fiero you have there.
I have a 84 in the yard, fun car.
Hope to get a 88 with t-tops one day.
SAME, looking to get my 88 back.
Fantastic car! Got to drive an '87 GT when I worked at a Toyota dealership in '90, would love to take an '88 for a cruise!!
Yes, keep it factory original and enjoy the driving experience!!!
The hood and decklid are fiberglass.
Saturn didn't just use the concept. when the Fiero project got scrapped they used the whole fiero facility to Build those saturns. in much the same way.
The 89 and 90 Fiero concepts had the 3.1 and then 3.4 liter DOHC v6 in them. That engine wound up in the Lumina/Monte Carlo Z34 platforms, the Grand Prix GTP, the Cutlass Supreme all the big sporty cars before the Buick 3.8 with the blower became the hotness. The 3.4 Originally made around 250HP at the wheels (GM was making 300 hp on an engine dyno, and then they started worrying about the 4T60E transmissions they were going to attach it to). So the final output of the engine wound up being about 200-215 hp depending on which year you find.
Oh yeah. It 100% bolts right in. You fabricate a topside lil torque/dogbone mount to the frame and it works like it's meant to off of the donor car's ECU. One of the easiest physical swaps out there.
Not that I would in that dreamboat. But if you come across one that isn't cherry, but isn't completely rotten, it's a very cool period upgrade.
Oh man, I would love to swap a Ls4 v8 5.3L into one of these. Yank out the GM oem delco stereo, and get a Sony in there. You might want to call Addco and see if they still make bigger sway bars for these 88s.
I have had 3, love the car and this one is al-some. Dont ever crack a sail panel :) Also they made a Formula (Limited Production)
with the old body style and V6 that had the best handling.
Love to see this unicorn restored to new condition. Shouldn't take much. Must be hard to resist upgrading the cassette deck lol. Maybe the bluetooth/FM streamer helps.
The only T-top car I've ever owned was an '82 Z-28 that I bought as a shell. That was a fun car to build, and once it was done, it was even more fun to drive. Starting with a shell only, I had a LOT of room to modify anything I felt like modifying, but for the most part, aside from the computer and emissions system which I went out of my way to delete, I didn't change a whole hell of a lot. It looked exactly like a completely stock Z-28. But those T-tops? Aside from when it was parked, they spent more time in their bags and down in the well in the cargo area than they spent actually on the car. I don't remember if mine had locks though, but I'm kind of leaning on the side of no, they didn't have locks.
The 1988 was always my favorite year for the Fiero, and if I was to ever be in the market for one, the '88 would be the only model year I would even consider owning. Naturally it would have to be a 2.8L A/T or M/T GT model with all the toys that it would have been possible to order on the car when it was new.
It's just too bad GM brought the guillotine down on it right when they finally had all the bugs worked out of it and it was finally possible to outfit the car with the latest gadgets instead of just playing catch-up. I seem to remember GM doing that with another mid engined car about 20 years earlier. What the hell was that again? Oh wait... that's right... I remember now... It was a fun little compact car called the Chevrolet Corvair.
Correction: Corvair was NEVER a mid-engine vehicle. It's a REAR engine vehicle since its location is past the rear axle.
Great car. I bought an '86 GT when they first came out and owned it for 5 years. I would have upgraded to the improved '88 but I bought a house that year instead. Great find and I hope you enjoy it.
88 was the best year!! They started to get it right and then of course killed it the next year
Just about the time this car was getting perfected, GM killed it. I'd love to have one of these with a built small V8 with a manual gearbox.
Nice car sir.
I'd love to have one of these painted purple. Sounds glorious
That would be awesome
@@tailsfromthejunkyard1023 indeed
You might want to join a Fiero Club. Fiero was NHTSA/NCAP rated 5 ☆☆☆☆☆ Stars for every year they were in production, even the 84 Iron Dukes with the shortened oil pan. Pontiac had several vehicles that were bantered about for production. Most constituting the Banshee project. Not until GM directed Aldikacti, Hulki into designing something to compete with the economical foreign market did the specific Fiero design come into play as Hulki's particular management style gave opportunity for engineers to work directly with manufacturing personnel. The T-Top seal can last practically forever if you keep the gutter completely clean and use a cleaning rag with a light dollop of mineral oil. The MR2 design upgrade has been bashed for many years, just as Fiero was in it's day as both presumably attempted to copy Ferrari, and any number of other sports cars. What ever the design. It's design that has stood the test of time. Since you plan on keeping it, I'm pretty certain you will do your due diligence in researching whatever you can to keep it in tip top shape. There are plenty of clubs, associations, web sites and message boards to provide you with all the information you may ever want in regards to Fiero so Cheers!
That’s awesome thank you for the extra info man 👍
You have a really nice specimen of an 88 Fiero, enjoy it. Love the T-Tops! I did a restomod of an 86 1/2 Fiero about 10 years ago. The thing is a go kart with 200 HP on tap due to an engine swap and other mods. BTW, the hood, roof and rear decklid are made of FRP - Fiberglass reinforced plastic. The rest is made of what GM calls RIM, basically urethane plastic. The stock 2.8 Fiero is 140 HP and 170 Ft-Lbs of torque.
Have you looked to see if you can put the T-Tops in the Frunk? I have the sunroof and it clips in up front. Be real careful with the T-Top rubber seals, I don't think they are available any more. The same with the tail lights. I bought the last right side one from the Fiero store 4 years ago.
As stated by other, the 1984-87 suspension used a Chevette front end in the front and the front end from a X-body (Pontiac Phoenix) in the rear. Despite the humble source of these parts, modifications can be made to up the handling (as I did) to better than 88 spec. While the 88 suspension is excellent, parts are becoming unobtainum due to the limited production of the model.
Very nice brother ! Always wanted one back in the day, and they still look awesome!
Thank you very much, and yes they are awesome!
Love the car , I was about to buy an 1986 GT, but it wasn't as quick as my 1995 intrepid... Still want a 1988 GT, but with an Automatic and Gold wheels 😫... Maybe Someday... I ❤ Fieros !
“Too much noise to hear me talk” with the T-tops off”. Well, perfect for when the wife is the passenger, trying to tell you how to drive. 😁
I had one in 1993. I was driving from New Mexico to Arizona and the outside plastic door panel blew off 😆
Nice Bro, happy for you. I had a down payment on a new 88, backed out, and got an RX7. Years later a Vette, yadda yadda. Anyway, my girlfriend had a Fiero. I loved that car. Enjoyable to drive! Nice video!
Great video, dude. Im a long time fiero guy and it’s nice to see an accurate, fact filled video on the Fiero. 👍
In the driving part of the video, it looks like you were driving highway 1 around Big Sur. We’ve done a Fiero run every fall on that route for about 15 years, with the exception of course of 2020. I hope we see you on a future run.
That would be awesome! I hope to participate in that run once it’s up and running again. And l’m really glad you liked the video.
And yes you are correct it is hwy 1
@@tailsfromthejunkyard1023 I don't know where in California you live, but there are fiero clubs and other resources. You can email me at airfiero at Gmail dot com for more information
Absolutely GORGEOUS car you have there, sir! I had an 87 GT 5-speed and you just don't get it unless you've owned one. It's the most fun I've ever had with a car. It was quick enough to hand a Thunderbird S/C a respectably sore ass and the thing cornered like it was on rails! And the exhaust note was incredible! I hope to own another one in the near future and do the 3800 swap. Nice car brother.
Thank you so much man! I’m really glad you liked the video. Yes these cars are so awesome, I love every minute I’m driving it and it’s easy on the eyes as well
Great car i owned two in eighties, wish I still had one,great little sports car!
awesome vid man, brings back memories from my first car 85 Fiero, back in 1994 senior year in hs
`Beautiful car. BTW the 84 had front shocks. and rear struts. The front was too low for struts, I know, I had one. A thin six-footer can easily fit in one. There's lots of head and legroom but only moderate ass room.
The T tops were rare only about 1500 cars in 1988 only. Nice car piece of history 5 speed also very nice. Car like that is 100k today.
I know! I didn’t realize how rare these until I got this one. According to the vin tag and the build card this is 1 out of 300 ever made in this configuration. and Thank you so much for liking my video, I really appreciate it!!
Glad you are in love with your Fiero. So do I... with mine.
The longer rear line is called Fastback. The earlier version is called Notchback or Notchie.
The second generation was supposed to come out with fastback & notchback as well.
Speaking of Mera, did you know that Fiero is faster than Ferrari 308? Yep!
I noticed your trunk release button is not working right. Did you know you could take it apart & clean it up. That should work better and return to its original position when pressed.
If you don't have the patience or time, you could always replace it & be done with it.
Enjoy your exotic sports car, man!
I’m really glad you enjoyed the video. I did not know that the second generation was supposed to come out with a notch back as well that would have been pretty cool. And yes I did actually read the article where they compare the Mera to the Ferrari and it was surprising (in a good way) to say the least. It’s impressive how good these cars were/are. Also I have replaced the button shortly after I uploaded the video. I will be taking the old one apart soon to clean it and have as a back up. Thanks so much for the input and I hope you enjoy the rest of my videos.
I have the 1988 pontiac Fiero now its so fun to
Drive! Love from Oklahoma ❤
Very nice! Optioned just right too, with the 5spd and T-tops.
Bad that the steering wheel cores shrank allowing the leather cover to slip around. Covering the wheel if left out in the sun helped to keep that from happening. But most people didn't cover them.
I had an 85 GT 4spd (5spd wasn't available until later). I'd like to have a nice 88 like yours. Always liked 88 the best of the few years they made these.
Thank you so much I really love this car too
My first car was a 87 gt, I loved that car. Idk if it was common but my headlight flaps would start flapping up over 130 mph and I'd have to turn the headlights on.
I heard that they have a tendency of doing that at speeds over 100
The MR2, once it received a power upgrade the car basically wanted to kill inexperienced drivers. The Fiero was relatively well balanced in combination with it's handling vs it's horsepower. I've taken a road trip both an MR2 and a '85 Fiero GT and I found that in comparison between the 2 cars from the seats, the general ride and the ability to stow luggage the Fiero was far more accommodating and forgiving.
I've yet to ride in a T-Top Fiero, I'm a little jealous. Thank you for sharing your Fiero.
You have a beautiful Fiero! Love it!
The 2.8 v6 was used almost everywhere GM could install it, including the Cavalier Z24, the Olds Firenza GT (remember those?) and some years of the Sunbird GT. The Pontiac 6000, Chevy Celebrity, the Olds Ciera and the Buick equivalent... You name it, all mid-sized and a lot of compacts could get it.
You can do an engine upgrade with a 3.8 Supercharged from a SS Monte Carlo that wake that little car up🤙🏽
I thought they should have put the 2.3 quad four in it.
Very nice Fiero, I also have a nice but very rare car, mine is the 1984 Indy Pace Car version, I sure love it even though it’s the early version, all these cars were underrated and make for a great affordable sports car today.
Thank you! The Indy pace cars always had a really cool paint scheme
Truely a "unicorn" fiero with the T-tops, but add some Pegasus wings.....
I would detail that engine bay, maybe have the S-10 brake booster conversion
Thank you, it was definitely a rare find
Have to admit it's a gorgeous looking car, reminds me of the old Honda NSX weirdly
Always liked the Fiero. My son, who is 15, and I are restoring a 1986 GT fastback. The 86 doesn't have the upgraded suspension like the 88, or the 5 speed transmission, we do have 5speed to go in it tho.
That’s awesome! It’s sounds like a fun project.
The 5-speed came out in 86 and 1/2. You sir, have my first car and it is rare!
... The one non-OEM modification I made was replacing the stock 16 inch wheels with 17 inch alloys. They just filled the wheel wells perfectly.
All the wheels are 15x7. The front wheels are just offset differently on the 88 models because of the Lotus designed suspension that the 88s have. You can fit 245 50s on the back and 225 50s on the front They fit without rubbing and look a whole lot better.
very nice example. I wonder if you could shim the front bumper to improve hood gap.
That’s a good idea, I hadn’t thought of that
Had an 86 and i loved it. The emblem is a Phoenix rising out if fire. Great video and nice car
Thank you
Not a pheonix bird. The emblem is a Pegasus, which was what the car was going to be named. At the last minute, the decided on Fiero but kept the pegasus emblem.
Super clean car. Great find.
I agree to keep it as is.
Have an article somewhere from Car Craft from 80's or early 90's where a Pontiac 455 was installed w/a Olds Toronado T425 FWD trans. Believed the article claimed they fit w/o having to heavily modify the car. Had to use stock exhaust manifolds and if you wanted to change the spark plugs you had to pull out the engine. All Pontiac V8's from 1965-76 had the same outer dimensions so taking weight off the engine might help.
Yeah actually I read that article along time ago and I remember that. Everybody keeps telling me to go with the Cadillac 4.9 L V8 that was in the Front Wheel Drive Allante because his boat up to my transmission. But honestly I’m thinking of going with a 3.4 L V6 with a turbo
@@tailsfromthejunkyard1023 Since you have a hot rod why not just take care of the 2.8. Your car is a rare piece.
I know, the 2.8 is boring.
Is a 3.4 going to be that much more exciting?
Shame Pontiac didn't develop thier own FWD performance engines that I know of. GM was going corporate w/ thier engines in the 80's.
I hate cross branding makes of cars and engines.
A lot more power isn't great on a unibody car w/ t-tops. Had a couple of Camaro rattletraps w/ them.
@@tailsfromthejunkyard1023 Would a Buick 3.8 bolt in w/ little hassle?
Kenne Bell used to make aftermarket turbos and accesories for these long ago. Now they make superchargers for new Mustangs.
RoadKill Doesn't Fly The 3.8 swap is actually common on these but it is a bit of a hassle. What I meant earlier about the 3.4 swap is that I wouldn’t do this until this particular engine that’s already in the car would give out. Otherwise I intended to leave as is, maintain it and enjoy it
@@tailsfromthejunkyard1023 The 3.4 L is a no brainer once the 2.8 dies. Its a super simple swap, until you start adding boost. I don't think you can put much boost to one of those reliably though. But it'd be a bump.
You can basically throw any FWD GM platform from 80's-2000's and find a way to bolt it to the 5-speed, or a SB Chevy v8, with an adaptor plate. Lots of LS powered Fieros out there. 3800 SC are very popular too, still with a lot of aftermarket support. But there's extra work in the wiring harness, cuz you're basically mating the car to a swapped comp. There are guys still making conversion harnesses though, if that is'nt your jam.
There's a FB page for modded Fieros, if you want to explore options, when the time comes. The guys on there are usually pretty helpful.
I have an 86 GT with a ported/polished 3.4 DOHC swap, with some beefed up internals. It's putting over 200 HP (220-30ish) to the ground, and it's a ton of fun.
Enjoy yours man! They are fun.
Cheers
Duude, nice find I got my 86 fiero a few months ago and have been working on it since. I tried finding an 88 with t tops but decided it was more reasonable in my price range to not go for that
Great video and beautiful car. Missing my '86 Fiero SE. Mine actually came with a custom T-top. Loved that car but the 4-speed (non-Getrag) transmission was weak. Just a quick correction: the torque on the V6 140 BHP is 155 ft/lbs (not the 132 mentioned. That's for the inline 4).
Powertrain specs
Engine type V6, 12v
Displacement 2.8 l (173 ci / 2837 cc)
Power 142 ps (140 bhp / 104 kw)
Torque 230 Nm (170 lb-ft)
Power / liter 50 ps (49 hp)
Power / weight 116 ps (114 bhp) / t
Torque / weight 188 Nm (138 lb-ft) / t
Transmission 4M
Layout middle engine, rear wheel drive FYI Engine 2.8 liter L44 was the Fiero there were 2.8 liters in other cars..
The Muncie 4-spd could handle over 400 foot-pounds of torque. It's the same transmission in old GM muscle cars.
Fiero T top is so rare! Nice car!
Thanks
I'm actually getting a red one tomorrow Monday morning from a guy I know, automatic and with the sunroof not T top, I'm excited 😆😊
Wow! Excuse me while I drool! Great review. Enjoy
Go to a junkyard and get a block from a 1995 v6 Camaro and everything on top will bolt right up except the starter will need to be relocated to the other side and that should get you to around 190 hp. I miss my 1987 GT.
Awesome thanks for the tip, definitely will be doing that whenever this 2.8 finally gives out.
I had two of them in my lifetime in the early 90s always had problems with overheating long distance
When I first got this car I had to drive it 250 miles back home in 105 degrees weather, and yes I had heard about the overheating issues other people have had with these so I was quite nervous. Thankfully it made it home with no problems at all with the AC blowing nice and cool. Guess I must have been lucky.
Awesome car. I had a chance to buy an 88 blue t-top one 5 speed. It was hard shifting , no grinding so I passed. Heard that all it might have been is the shift cables. The guy wanted 4k at the time
Sounds like an awesome car, you should get it if you still can
@@tailsfromthejunkyard1023 was a while ago and don't see many 88s available and 5 speed ..
About how much should you pay for a low mileage, good condition if i can ask ? Thanks
@@recyclespinning9839 hard to say really, depending on the options on it and the conditions it’s in, it can go from 6,000 to 20,000 for an 88
My dream car when I was in high school
I owned 2 fieros both 4cyl I coul not afford a GT back then
Looking for a clean 1988 GT going to make my dream finally come true
Nice! I hope you find your dream Fiero, there’s a couple of really good communities on Facebook for them. They always have cars for sale there.
@@tailsfromthejunkyard1023 Thanks for the tip I will have to check facebook ads out
The Mera bro. Great video though. Really appreciated!!!! A few of these are in Guyana, South America and still running around.
That’s awesome
Such a beautiful car. I'm happy for you my man. I have always loved these. I love them even more now because you just don't see them anymore really, and especially not in as good a shape as yours is. I grew up around these cars even before I was old enough to drive. I turned 16 in '88. LOL. My next door neighbor had an anniversary edition Fiero, and a couple across the street owned a regular, probably 4 cylinder Fiero. Both cars were black. The neighbor with the anniversary edition would tinker around with his all of the time and drive it quite often. It sounded amazing, and as I remember, the back window was lit up with either the Phoenix or the word "Fiero." I just remember it was different than any other one I had seen. He may of done that himself. Also I had to come back and edit this comment because I wanted to ask you if you have seen Fiero880's restoration videos on his on UA-cam? He did such an in depth and excellent job. Watch all of his videos. I was surprised, disappointed, and in the end happy with what he did at the end of that series. He also bought a previously restored DeLorean and brought it back equipped with a Flux Capacitor and hover board. LOL Good content. I love your sense of humor and enthusiasm regarding your Fiero and its whopping horsepower and torque. The cars look amazing.
Thank you so much I really appreciate it. It’s really cool that you grew up around these cars, sounds like it was awesome. I encountering one around my home town a few times growing up, it was a silver GT fastback with T tops, It must have been the only Fiero in town. I remember falling in love with that car the moment I saw it and looking for the right one ever sense. I am extremely lucky to have found this car and I will do what I can to preserve it and maintain it. Once again thank you so much for your kind words and for enjoying my video.
Anniversary edition Fiero??? There is no model such as that. Maybe you are referring to Indy Fiero?
@@vice4134 It wasn't a Pace car. It was unlike any Fiero I had seen before or since.
Great example of an 88 GT, and great review! I'm working on resto-modding an 88 coupe, also a white factory T Top. Mine is in terrible shape though 😂
Thanks man I’m glad you like the review, and believe it or not I actually bought this car thinking I was going to have to restore it given it was covered in dust and ash from the fires. Imagine how surprised I was when I cleaned it up.