Why The Pontiac Fiero GT Is So Terrible, Yet So Great!
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- Опубліковано 7 вер 2024
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Sometimes car companies make some great decisions...and sometimes really dumb ones. The Pontiac Fiero was such a cool idea on paper- an affordable American mid engine sports car for the masses with the body lines of the first gen Toyota MR2. However when your car catches fire it's not a very good idea anymore in hindsight. It doesn't ride like a Lexus, and doesn't have the howl of a Ferrari. So is the Pontiac Fiero as bad as it's reputation holds? Let's find out this review. Thanks for watching!
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Thanks for watching guys!
Have you ever been in one these? Have a great day.
ThatDudeinBlue ive been and one and it feels like im in a box
ThatDudeinBlue unfortunately yes lol
ThatDudeinBlue I don't care what you say that is a nice car and it takes me back.
I used to have a white 1985 fiero gt. 5speed. Miss that car!
ThatDudeinBlue my cousin had a 2m4 in high school. He was a freakishly large young man. His knees would touch the extruding dash panel. I remember the headrest having speakers in them, so the radio seemed really loud. We had a lot of fun riding around in the car, but we saved the racing for my SVO.
I purchased a new Fiero in December of 1983. It was a great car for its time. Drove it 270K miles then sold it still looking like new. I then got an '88 Formula Fiero which was even better.. absolutely no complaints, and I drove it 280K miles. This review is from a 2017 perspective: no car built in the 80's measures up in comparison to newer technologies. At the time they were ground breaking, economical and a lot of fun. The stories I could tell...
Depending on what options you had on the 88, I would have killed for that car. So what happened to it?
Yeah was thinking same... review isn't fair or realistic.
you drove 270k miles in 5 years? cap af
I had to stop watching after complaining about manual steering, and tossing around the 'catching on fire' bull that was a very small percentage in the first year, pre-recall.
It's like seeing any samsung phone and acting like you're hand is going to be burned off.
The first Gen Fiero is like the note 7
It barely works and the moment it’s not working is when it catches on fire
I normally like his vids but really he doesn't know crap about a fiero I have a 87 gt and it kinda makes me mad to hear some of that
yea screw this guy. no respect for historical cars.
He’s talking like it can’t handle good?!! Tf took mine out to the dragon in Tennessee handles great
15keegan this road sounds awesome not a fiero guy but I do have an mr2 so now you know why I’m here
Idk what’s wrong with this fiero but mine is the best handling car that I’ve ever driven
hes a moron 88 gt is one of the best fieros out there he should learn more about it first
That custom clutch thing he said wasnt true at all. You can still by clutches for this car no problem. Interior is much bigger than Miatas and other similar small cars. 5 speeds introduced later in 86. Car is about handling not speed. This car drives like a dream.
And the interior is much bigger than Pontiac's later two-seater, too, the Solstice. The Fiero is cavernous inside by comparison.
MrDaniel62 That's true. I got a Centerforce for mine.
Aha
@@peoriavideosltd6822 yeah, I've never felt the interior was tiny
Congrats on getting just about everything wrong.
I know. And the worst part is people watching the video are gonna eat that shit up and spread the misinformation.
Thank god I thought was the only one that thinks this review is shit
Any suggestions for a better video on this topic?
aB Prototype Music you’ve just learned of the crux of the small, toxic Fiero community. They all had 2 cents to say, but no tangible information for those that need it. However despite the people it seems to attract, it is a beautiful car, and with a 3800 swap, it’s a better, American MR2 for cheap. I suggest you look into forums man. Fiero Forums.
aB Prototype Music oh and to understand the vehicle in context but without much “stats” per se, look up Regular Car Review’s video on it.
The iron Duke was the bad engine, the v6 was good.
And the only reason it never got a production V8 is because it would faster than the prize child Corvette.
marc james the Iron Duke was a great engine for its intended purpose. It was a very reliable engine which is why it was used for so long in marine applications.
The issue with it in this car was they shrunk the oil pan which caused many malfunctions in the engine.
There was actually a 4 seater v8 powered concept fiero made for 89. But gm killed the line in 88 and it was never produced.
The fact that David didn't mention this commonly known fact indicates that his review of the Fiero is shallow. It looks like he didn't bother to learn much about the car other than what he happened to recall during filming. It's dawned on me that I basically ignore him and just watch the videos for the cars. Theres not much here besides the cool cars so I might unsubscribe or continue to ignore most of his content.
ua-cam.com/video/TNdn7ODCkTc/v-deo.html
Somebody loan this guy an 88 fiero way better handling and a 5 speed
I'll lend him drive mine after I get a turbo 3.8 in. Cause Pontiac should have put the grand national engine in the Fiero.
This guy doesn't deserve to drive one. He is so biased, and doesn't know his shit about these cars. But his audience is so big, that people believe him.
88 fiero's are for us that love our cars, and know what they are about.
Even my 86 with some sticky tires and some lowering springs and poly bushings handled great
zzzhuh Who are you taking about?
The five speed has crap ratios compared to the close ratio four speed.
I couldn't make it all the way through. This guy knows little about cars, and nothing about Fieros.
James Bradford that's true 85 they put in a 5 speed. That car hes driving should have a 5 speed and power steering unless it's a 85 with a 86/ 88 body
LIKE I SAID !! THIS GUY LOOKS LIKE HE IS TALKING OUT OF HIS MOUTH. BUTT HE IS A REALLY GOOD VENTRILOQUIST LIAR. B CAUSE HE I.S.S.S TALKING OUT HIS ASSSSSS (WHATTA DICK) GO BACK TO WANNA BE SCHOOL BLUE-RUDE-DUDE !
GM didn't have a five speed for the V6 until mid 1986. I've owned a few Fieros and have really enjoyed them. I installed a 350 small block into an 88 back in 2003. It was fun and very fast.
@@danawick9817 worth noting, they actually didnt introduce the 5spd until half way through the 86 model year. The 86 GT 4spd is rare, but out there. No 85 had a factory 5spd.
@@danawick9817 they did not put power steering in one ...the 5 speed was used on the iron duke not the 2.8 in 85 .. The Muncie/Getrag 5-speed transaxle, which did not arrive until June 1986, became the standard transaxle in V6 models. Models equipped with the four-cylinder engine remained largely unchanged. Red and Light Gray Metallic were dropped as colors with Light Gold Metallic (M56), Silver Metallic (M16) and Bright Red (M81) being added. The clutch hydraulic systems were redesigned with new master and slave cylinders.[2]
Its hard to watch someone review a car that they obviously know nothing about.
I think he hit it on the head. Car was recalled to death,...every single one of them, had fire issues, motor connecting rods could go thru the motor causing fires, brakes recall, engine coolant recalls...crappy paint on styrofoam ...geeze.
@@captinbeyond are you stupid? Only the first few months of the 84 fiero caught fire from oil hitting the exhaust, this was fixed by putting a heat shield there the cars haven't caught fire since then
@@Blue-ov6qs Go do some research on the recalls related to this car. I did. And turns out they were even a bigger POS auto than I remember back when they came out. They are the poster car for recalls. Comedians used to put them in their monologue for the jokes they were. They were under powered, caught fire, and the engine could catch fire from the connecting rods going thru the motor, . Go look up the recalls and get educated. It was more than the item you mentioned.
@@captinbeyond only 84s had recalls
@@k00lkidz4 my cousin had a fiero GT back when it was new back in the day they had the ground effects in the big wing it was a straight shift that thing would absolutely fly, and as far as I know he never had any problems out of it. These kids just don't realize how advanced we are today, but back when the car was new it was actually a really good car. So not a very good comparison to car's now
He got a lot of things wrong in this video...
The weight distribution is 47/53, and these cars can handle really well if you do a couple things. Put the battery in the front, and put an oem fiero front sway bar on the rear (It also helps to get tires with a smaller diameter, to lower it and reduce unsprung mass). GM made them understeer on purpose, so people who didnt know how to drive a mid engine car wouldnt snap oversteer into trees. The rear sway bar fixes that. Mine has those mods done, and its an absolute ball to drive, especially on the dirt. Its so well balanced that even with blown ass shocks on all four corners, you just go into the corner too fast, turn the wheel too late, give it a flick, and it four wheel drifts like butter.
Even a 4 cylinder 4 speed, with those mods and some smaller diameter tires, will put down some pretty serious hurt on the autocross. It might only have 90hp, but thats because its a 2.5L that redlines at 4500. Which means it makes a ton more torque, like 130ftlbs at low rpm.
And Ive put 17,000 miles on my car in the last year and a half, and its perfectly comfortable. The seat is nice, you're sitting with your legs almost straight, and youve got this panoramic view of the road in front of you. Its nice. Ive never noticed any of that stuff he was talking about, how it pulled and whatever. Thats probably just that particular car, because I even deleted my steering stabilizer and it still cruises smooth and straight.
Im kinda disappointed in you, man. These are great cars, they dont deserve all this negative proaganda.
preach
Exactly. Most of what he said is from people that never drove a Fiero, let alone worked on one.
He gets a lot of things wrong in most videos. Dude doesn't know shit about cars.
Everyone has no idea the awesome potential of these cars. With a 3800 series supercharged swap, and a few small bolt on's, these things can keep up with exotics, on a track.
Yup! Personally have driven one with that exact set it it was a hoot I regret not buying it, actually the guy who did saw him a little over a year later and he said in his ownership he never ever had a issue
I just took delivery of a 2005 Grand Prix GTP, and an 03 SSEI Bonneville for my 86 Fiero GT engine upgrade ;) Best way to do the swap is to use the cable throttle instead of the electronic throttle. Brake upgrade is on the way too!
Was trying to sell it, some douche spun a bearing test-driving it at 80k miles. Original 2.8 still runs, but knocks like hell with any throttle.
I'm aiming for 300 hp range.
The PONTIAC in the taillights doesn't light up when you hit the brakes, 😂
It is always on when the car is started, get it right!
John Smith comes on with the running lights actually
Phantom Fiero, wrong, the PONTIAC is supposed to light up any time the key is in the ON position.
Zach McDonald oh yea huh. friends gt is actually a rebodied formula apparently (not something he did) so his was wired to the running lights. I own notchbacks so I figured that's how they all were
Comes on with the running lights, unless it has a bad ground like mine and comes on with the brakes too XD
Nope, wrong. As a long time owner I can tell you, as John Smith said, it lights up as the car is started.
Still love my 88 with a swapped 3800 L67. Just drove it 125 miles this morning. I can drive it daily and have no issues. Its stupid quick and handles very well. Seems to be a bit of misinformation in the video.
Deezildennis My '88 GT has the original engine bored out to 3.1L and a sweet little turbo one it. I love how forcefully it pushes.
Where can I find a decent one?
@@mr.2cents.846 I could seriously daily drive my stroked 3.1 with cam and ported heads daily. I dont even have a turbo and the shit is fun to drive
what did it take to fit a 3800 in that thing? is it the series 1,2, or 3 ?
Wow, lots of bad information and incorrect statements. Clutch set (clutch, pressure plate, throw-out bearing), $101 from Autozone, $110 from NAPA. Body panel-on-chassis was proofed on Fiero that was later used on the Saturn cars. 4-speed and low-horsepower? Because Corvette was calling the shots and Fiero was sold to corporate as a 'commuter' car, not a 'sports' car. The moment it was offered with the V6, Corvette had the WHOLE MODEL shut down! FYI, you really should watch a few documentaries on Fieros before trying to summarize a GM model you don't know that much about.
Skeeter Saurus I read once that Pontiac made a V8 mule of the Fiero and ran it on the Corvette's test track and broke the Vette's record. Which sealed the Fiero's fate.
all so note that the corvet from 1985 made 190HP...
The guy's a douche, what do you expect?
5:16 "They don't make parts for this car anymore" hahaha
Imagine that V-6 with a 5 speed manual at the time.
custom made clutch wat? this thing uses the same clutch as any FWD 2.8 / 3.1 Chevy!
Oh no, according to him "They don't make parts for this car anymore"... Guess thefierstore, Rodney Dickman, and any local parts store doesn't count X'D
The only thing I can think of is referring to is the arm that goes on the slave cylinder. Some of them are made out of aluminum which would bend Therefore ruining the clutch.
i dont think David knows much about Fiero's. they have a huge following. also, i've never heard about them being that dangerous
That's because they are safe cars. A 10 second google search would have told him that
Right. They were the second safest car in America in the 80s, only beaten by the Volvo wagon….. they get such a bad rap for no reason
I don't mind people bashing the fiero, even if the criticism is vague and somewhat limited in scope. This guy is giving us his impression of this particular car. I think it's cool that there is no Jay Leno fiero, no Chip Foose fiero makeover. The Fiero story is an interesting one to say the least. Dude missed a golden opportunity to make a great video. That's ok too. The haters make the story even better and keep the prices down. I think history would be kinder to this car if it were named something else. We'll see what the future has to say about this car as they continue to dwindle. The "Lotion" ?
These car weren't rushed by any means. Pontiac brought the idea to GM in 1978 and they had to present it as a 2-seater commuter car so they could get it accepted (cause you know no one can take the 2 seater away from the corvette). So since it was a commuter car it had to be cheap. They only had a budget of like 400 million. So with this budget they couldn't design a new engine. So they had to use the "Iron Duke" 4 cyl which only made 90hp. After the first year of snap oversteer and catching on fire, it still made car and drivers best top 10 car of the year. After the first year and till the end of the Fiero run it just kept getting better and better. The 1988 Fiero GT was the best one yet and everyone considers them to be a true sports car and they were the best ones yet. But GM shut them down too early, because they didn't want it to be as good as the corvette and that's where it was going.
Another thing that killed the Fiero and other marginally profitable 80s cars, was the driver airbag requirement for 1990. Ford's Merkur XR4Ti and Scorpio for instance. The redesign would have made them unprofitable.
Also, the car insurance industry sharks$$$ went on a rampage against 2 seaters, be the Fiero, MR2, RX7 all. Premiums went crazy high. People got shy. Dark times.
The Iron Duke 4 has a NASCAR style restrictor plate with small hole under the throttle body to limit it's horsepower!
88 fiero with the revised suspension is a much better car
Same thing that I'm putting a 3800 SC into
ua-cam.com/video/TNdn7ODCkTc/v-deo.html
Not hard to upgrade the earlier models. The "wandering" he is describing is most likely warn suspension and/or warn cradle mounts. I have an 86 with 1 inch lower Eibach springs, Koni adjustable shocks/struts, upgraded front sway bar and added rear sway with Poly bushing throughout and wide 20's all around. It handles as good as anything I've ever driven. I was going to swap out the 4 speed but after driving it for awhile I decided to leave it in place. Engine was swapped with a 92 3.8 with a custom ECM pushing about 225 HP. We swapped the pistons and boosted the compression. SC was removed but may go back to is someday. The only thing this guy said that was true (at least in my area in the middle of the country) was you don't see any Fiero's. Every time I take it out and stop somewhere I always draw a curious crowd.
i totally agree. Love my 88GT and people are constantly stopping to ask about it. It really is a fun unique car that was affordable new and easy to get parts for. This reviewer is just not even funny, he seemed like he was on meth and with bad ADD does not need to be doing reviews. Immature and inaccurate so i totally think he needs to get a real career having nothing to do with cars or trying to impart any minimal knowledge to anyone.
Dude! I literally bought one of these today, no joke! 1987 Pontiac Fiero V6 SE for $2800 with 56,000 miles and no rust! It runs a little rough but I plan on giving it a tune up; I love this little car even though I can barely fit in it!
Spencer Poulos you must be one big dude because there's lots of room in a Fiero. I know a guy that's probably 6'6" and he owns a Fiero with the roof chopped 3". You think the fiero is small inside try an F-body, I smash my head on the roof every time I tried getting in my dad's transam.
Check out my channrl for some fiero content... garageless
Yeah I'm about 6 feet tall so it's hard getting in but I have enough room inside. I'm saving up for an LS1 or LS4 swap in a year or so. Also considered the GM 3800SC V6 or the Cadillac 4.9L V8 but prob going with the LS.
To easily get in back up to the open door, lean forward a bit and sit in the seat then rotate your legs forward. There is plenty of leg room.
I felt like watching the laziest car review I could find, one where no research or fact checking was done, I've found what I was looking for.
3800 v6 swap
Steuen Wonton 3800 series II supercharged and G6 manual swap 😜
L67 swaps in these make them the car they should have been
Robert Terhune or series 3 turbo
3800 V6 with a supercharger would make it scoot!
CJ
My dad's 97 Firebird has the 3800 and the Y87 performance suspension package that was stock on the TA. It makes 200 hp stock and he can throw the car around a corner from a standstill... it's badass.
This guy is clueless
Hill Billy then explain?
Mikey D less than 1 precent caught fire. The new Ford police car beat that in a couple months. He said the steering is sketchy, then there's a problem with the one he's driving, mine handles like a go kart, and the ride is rather smooth also. As with any 80's model car they are all underpowered. Said it was rushed into production, well no 4 years isn't rushing. Due to EPA the v8 was removed and instead got the Iron Duke. The Fiero actually beat the Corvette through the corners even though it was underpowered. Yes the 86 Fiero handles better than an 86 Corvette. The end of production was actually because Ferrari sued Pontiac over the Fiero Mera. It looks almost exactly like a 308 gtb, even had Ferrari badges. The Fiero also has some of the best crash test ratings of any car the same year model. That's why it's frame was still used in the Saturn S series until Saturn shut down. I could keep going but you get the idea. He should've done a little more research.
Edit: Forgot to mention him saying they didn't make clutches for the Fiero anymore, check out FieroStore.com they have all kinds of parts for the Fiero they are even remanufacturing a lot of things.
V8 pre-production fiero?
@@HillBilly-1 you are right. The 1985 Fiero GT 140hp, the 1985 Corvette 195hp. This guy is simply reviewing one guy's 30 year old car that we have no idea how was maintained or restored.
@@mcqueenfanman I'm not so sure about the V8, but they did purposely underpower the car in 1984 to sell it to GM as a commuter car. Then in 1985 got the V6 version GT made. Yes, the car was purposely down throttled by GM because you can not have a car half the price of a corvette making the corvette smoke dicks. By 1988 the fiero was fully hitting its stride with it's own suspension and concepts that included a turbo.
Thumbnail makes it seem like the Escalade is on fire.
Dude what R U Smok’n ?? I have owned a 1986 Fiero Gt since then Bought it NEW!
Great car FACTS GT’S all looked like that one u r IN they IN FACT DO HAVE A FIVE (5) SPEED MUNCIE, CAN GET ALL KINDS OF PARTS FOR THIS CAR HANDLES LIKE A GO CART !
GET OFF THE CRACK PIPE DUDE ! REstoring MINE RIGHT NOW ! AWESOME CAR !
Dafq you talkin bout?
He doesn't understand the beauty of the Fiero. He's dogging it from the beginning. That makes me sad.
Car reviewers like you are perplexing to me. You want to review unique, quirky cars but then when you talk about the quirks that make them unique, you can't believe it doesn't act like a 2018 Camry. You're the kind of guy who would break up with a girl because she liked a different part of the same movie you both liked, than the part you liked. I drive an 84 SE (four cylinder) and your crap about the acceleration doesn't even make sense for MY tiny engine. Anyone who compares anything from the 80's, performance wise, to things from now, doesn't have an appreciation of cars as much as they just want everything to be the same, perform the same... I may not be as tall as you but the cabin is cramped? Literally everyone who gets in my Fiero remarks how for the tiny outside of the car, the inside is surprisingly big. Everyone says it. Sure the roofline is low but what do you want? And to say you 'guess' it has good body lines? It's a matter of taste of course but, damn dude! The Fiero, both the SE and GT, have super clean body lines. You never see them with good paint? Sure, because people have dogged them for so long that barely anyone will buy and maintain them . There's no reason an Iron Duke and a halfway decent suspension shouldn't last. And zero reason why a plastic body should fall apart!! Reminds me of the Top Gear episode, years ago, when they ragged on the Ferrari Dino. To NO end. And now Dinos have skyrocketed in value. I'm glad we have critics in music, movies, cars, whatever. Gives people with itchy asses and loud mouths something to make money at.
1989 - 1990 Nissan 240sx made 140hp and it was made 3-4 years later
I bought a gold Fiero 4-cylinder new back in 1986, and managed to get 264,000 miles out of it before giving it up in 2002. In the winter I would put four studded snow tires on it, and that thing could climb an ice wall no problem. Great car, great memories.
I have a few friends with Fieros, also I have an 84 2M4. Drives perfect, the engine fires happened in a fraction of a percentage of the vehicles. It truly is every kids dream. A go kart car, completely functional and easy to do work on.
You got soooo much info wrong about the Fiero...
My girlfriend's neighbor has a white V6 Fiero that he's constantly trying to fix and he is always swearing at the damn thing. It's the funniest thing ever!!!!
Alex Mil if they don't swear at least 600 times a day he ain't a real mechanic
I swear 50 times Everytime I open the hood of my 3000gt vr4 but I get a smile at the smooth as glass acceleration
Sounds like he doesn’t know what he is doing. These are incredibly basic, reliable cars.
personally, I have always seen these as swappers...put the 3800 II SC (L67) sway bars, and weighting the front. and they become monsters
Alex Mil lol. Old cars do that
"wow bro I can't believe it doesn't accelerate as fast as a quad turbo Supra. It literally is on fire!!!"
The fires in the fiero was SOOO overblow. That only affected around 150 so fieros. That happened because they made the oil pans in the 4cyl too small. I think thatDudeinBlue opinion wouldn't be so bad if he drove an 88 fiero with a drivetrain that was swapped in, like a N*, or supercharged 3800 v6, or maybe a LS engine drivetrain.
it was 112. the fiero has a reputation that makes people think that they just spontaneously combust and are the most dangerous cars in history. there were hundreds of thousands of these sold. ONE HUNDRED AND TWELVE of them caught fire.
if that's not bs idk what is.
You have got to realize, it was the 1980s. Every car was underpowered. The Trans Am, Camaro, Mustang, even Corvette were very underpowered. But they looked cool and that is what mattered. This car was a product of its time. If you were around 20 in the year 1988 you would have loved one. Take your favorite car today, whatever it might be. 30 something years from now you will see a video of someone reviewing it talking about how underpowered it was, how horrible it handles and asking what were those people in 2018 thinking?
This is what happens when you let a millennial who knows nothing about the 80s, nothing about cars, and doesn’t know how to drive review a car he doesn’t understand.
The 80s for American companies seemed to be gumpshiet, just bowers doen to the better japanese brands.
I mean a 1969 Datsun 240z has more power than this thing and it’s way older.
@@tony_5156 facts
As a proud owner of both an 86 and 88 GT i can say that the difference between the 2 is night and day. The 88 is one of the best handling cars iv ever driven (a hell of a lot better then the mr2 in my opinion). Parts are cheap and repair time is half what you'll be spending on a 1st or second gen MR2. They were offered with a 5speed getrag trans as is the case with both of mine. The 86 even had an available from factory short-shifter..... and as a bonus if you got the time and 2000$ you can make some pretty respectable numbers with a 3800II SC swap. Not saying the cars are perfect by any stretch just wanted to add some truth and first hand experience in these comments.
You're right on ! As for the short shifter, I got mine from Rodney Dickman. Life changing swap. HUGE difference over the loooong travel OEM. Love it, I recommend it healthfully.
“Don’t make parts for this car anymore”😂
First the fires were primarily the 1984 4cyl models and represented .036% of all Fieros sold. So ridiculous that this issue plagues an otherwise good car. You cannot compare any 1980s vehicle to a modern day car. So much has changed in 30 years. The Mustang of that era only had 175 in 1984 and wasn't until the EFI in 1986 the GT had 200. So 140hp with a V6 of that time frame was on point.
The 1989 Second Gen Fiero would have been a much better design with the Quad 4 being the base engine with the GT sporting the 3.4 DOHC V6. The 1986.5 fastback design was not a second gen car. It was a mid model face lift. If anything the 1988 could be argued to be a second generation due to the model receiving a suspension upgrade that was supposed to be the original suspension. The only reason the Fiero was built is due to using parts from other current production cars to make it cost effective.
Plus that the Pontiac guys sold it to the Big Guys at the H.O. as a "commuter car". Whining Corvette guys went mad when the 1988 upgrades made it a genuine Sports Car. GM policy was and still is that there's only ONE sports car, the bloody Corvette. Still has my '88 and love it.
Wow!! Very bias going into it there Dude. You also spouted a lot of incorrect info. Some true statements but you should really research your facts before you open your mouth. Take a moment and think about what you are reviewing. Its a 30 plus year old car with 1980's technology and style. Yes it has flaws and they had issues but what car didn't.
*This was totally ignorant. I am 6'5" 300lbs and i've owned 3 of those cars (the 4 cyl) and never had a problem with any of them. If that front end on that car is floating all over the road there are major parts that need replaced on the front end of that car. They either have the wrong shocks on the front or they've taken springs off of something else and crammed them in this one. I NEVER had an issue with the way either of mine steered and i drove one of them back from Oklahoma City OK with 4" of ice on the road and no issues at all. the thing handled like a very planted go cart. Mine never caught fire, i was run off the road in our 85 on a wet day at 78 miles an hour and recovered it without any issues and continued on my way to work. the ONLY problem i ever had out of mine was the 85 when we picked it up it was overheating. because the previous owner did not know how to bleed all of the air out of the system. once i elevated the rear of the car 45 Degrees and topped off the coolant from the filler neck the car ran fine from that point and had no more issues. the only other issue i had was since the car sat as low as it does and me being as tall as i am i had to pretty much fold up to get into the car to begin with but once i was in i was completely comfortable driving the thing for long periods of time. no problem! The difference in what i drove and what your friend pieced together is that I replaced the parts that wore out on mine with GENUINE GM parts. Unlike what you said in your review, they do actually still make them and they can be bought through any major dealership or even genuine parts dealers online if you don't like paying the dealership prices. I had Bilstein replacement shocks on my 85. factory springs Iron Duke motor that didn't leak a drop of anything and ran STRONG. My 87 i had fuel pump issues with and the radio of course was crap in that car and had to be replaced. i replaced the brakes on all of them with after market Ceramic pads on the 4 wheel disk breaks and never had any issues with those either. Yes a lot of different parts from a lot of other GM vehicles do fit on those cars but that just makes them easier to keep on the road, which is the only reason you still see so many of them on the road today. They can be upgraded but they don't HAVE to be. if you just want a good REALLY economical way to get around the regular Iron Duke 2.5 L inline 4 moves the car just fine as fast as 120 mph. of course if you really want to turn heads with the fiero there are kits that allow you to shoehorn as big as a 400 small block in the frame rails but then you have the fun of trying to keep the car planted on the ground and not in the ditches. Northern people have kept these cars up that way because they handle really well in the snow and ice being mid engine like they are. because of that fact there are few good examples of them left any more. there is a place in Huntsville AL that specializes in converting these cars to faster v8's. there is also several people 3 in TN and several in multiple other surrounding states that are very passionate about putting those cars back to factory specs and they are VERY good at what they do. so if you really had as bad of an experience as you say you did in this car then maybe someone who knows what they are doing with them needs to get their hands on that thing. BTW that 4 speed trans you were bitching about is a "Muncie" transmission and is highly sought after but you only see the performance as long as you don't cheap out and get the standard clutch to pair it up with. Most of the manual cars came with a 5 speed with the V6 in them in the true GT cars. the 2M4's are the ones that came with the 4 cyl and i do agree the 2.8 V6 was rather anemic in those cars they should have put a 3.4 or 3.8 L v6 in those things and they would have been AWESOME as hell and you wouldn't have had ANYTHING bad to say about the handling or performance any more at that point* long & short this was unfair, uninformed, and a really shit review of some really awesome cars that just happen to be a really cool part of a niche group of general motors history.
DaddytechEnt absolutely agree my family and I owned over 14 fieros my favorite was an 86 base coup best dang car I have and we see them every were here in Northwest Arkansas.
Rich kid in a poor man's 80's sports car. Of course he has issues.
Did you see the c8 bro I want this car and the c8 corvette and a 2008 Mercedes Benz slk
I hardly ever disagree with you David but on this car you should dig deeper in your research.. Or try to find my Article in Cars and coffee RVA-august issue.. Instead of complaining about it.. Why not mention all the good potential of it?..why not mention the Fierostore. Com. TRANSMISSION Getrag 5 speed they were sold with? . LOADS of support there.. Nice review just not a lot of good info..I still rock with tho.
👍
If you refresh the suspension and modify it a bit, Fiero GTs are super capable. I have a friend with one and his car is faster through the Malibu canyons than my rsx type s and another friends 2011 wrx
Thank you for having some sense. I love how I saw one person defending the Fiero and saying they should drive a 3800SC swapped one. If people want to defend it, they should defend what the Fiero actually is. As you said, almost any car ever made has solid potential if you have enough money. Of course, at a certain point you can't really call it that car anymore.
David was reviewing a stock Fiero so if people are going to defend it, they should defend the stock Fiero. It's great that you can modify to be a great car, but that doesn't make the review bad if he wasn't driving a modified one.
However, I do agree that he should do more research. It takes a short amount of time to find out that if that Fiero he drove was made half a year later, it would have a 5-speed. And the I4s already had the 5-speed at that point actually. And even though I agree with tankd0g, it's very odd that David didn't mention the potential. I mean, wtf, he usually drives modified cars and talks about how great they are when you modify them, so why didn't he talk about it with the Fiero?
The 88 gt was a great car. Some head work with a hotter cam with roller rockers and lifters and it was pretty quick.
This was the dark ages for car enthusiasts. We didn't have the internet yet. No one knew shit about anything and a mustang gt with 225 hp and a 5 speed manual were considered the hottest shit around.
We were still a good 5 years away from getting great cars and another 10 years away from people actually knowing shit and 15 away from having the tools handy to use the information.
Tankdog, not that much cash actually. Just grab a 3800 from most any impala, grandprix. Or the supercharged version of either and swap it with any one of a billion swap kits out there for it. Refresh the suspension and it's golden. From the 3500 price to a great car could be done well under 8k maybe even 5k if you get the parts cheap enough.
100% agree - you can get a muncie 4 speed clutch anywhere. Especially the Fiero Store. 1+
So much false information about these cars out there its sad...
This guy should of done more research before he did a review. He got a lot wrong on this. The Fiero was ahead of its time.
I have owned the same car (actually the 86.5 version with rare manual 5 speed) for 14 years now and nearly everything you said about the Fiero is Bullshit, you obviously have no clue... None left?. The car is super wide inside and has plenty of room to seat two 6 foot adults comfortably. The first 250 cars off the line had the tendency to catch on fire, but after the factory recall added heat reflector, it fixed the problem. The car you tested must have issues that it doesn't drive well. It is true the car was under powered, but that was because GM originally designed that car as a commuter car, not a Firebird or Corvette. For a 34 year old car, the technology was very futuristic for it's time, GM spent billions creating the machinery and custom plant just to build the Fiero, so I wouldn't say that they didn't think it all the way through. The Fiero is is super fun to drive, it communicates through the steering wheel directly to the drive, it truely f and there is virtually no blind spots. I hope you retract all the inaccuracy about this car.
Fiero GT has the most passenger foot room of any car I've been in
The Fiero is one of the safest cars ever made, and you make it sound like a death trap! Do a little research on the car before trashing it.
Shane Mayfield i don’t know much about the car but it did catch on fire.
@@whatswiththissassylostchilld The pre-recall 4 cylinder model in 1984 was the only one I knew of that had a potential problem.
Do your research? It had some compromises and problems due to GM executives having no balls and brains. Pontiac did pretty dam good under the circumstances. .The '84 fire riskdisappeared with the changes in '85. They got the suspension right in '88 it's last year when it got canceled for BS reasons. In it's last year more Fieros were sold than the combined total of RX7, MR2, and CRX and yet they went for several years. The V6 was faster than the Corvette V8. Politics was what killed it. It was one of the most creative designs GM has ever done. With some tweaks it can be quite a nice and capable car. The car was a great looker and it had great success in both IMSA and GTP.
A 1987 base model Fiero in gold color was my first brand new car, and I loved it. It had the 2.5L four and 5 speed manual. I had the factory luggage rack installed and later installed the STOCK gold and aluminum alloy wheels. It was not a sports car, but it wasn't designed to be. It was designed to be a commuter car that LOOKED like a sports car. Anybody who judges the Fiero as a sports car is not going ton be happy, but that is not Pontiac's fault. You don't get a new sports car for under $9,000, even in 1987. I never had a single mechanical problem with it in over 100,000 miles, I finally sold it to buy an almost like new 1977 Corvette, which I kept for over 15 years. I now have a 2008 Corvette, and am looking for a Fiero as a project. This car was light
years ahead of it's time in design and construction. It was a great car, abandoned by GM's Roger B. Smith.
This review is complete garbage. ThatDudeInBlue should learn that computers can be used for more than just uploading UA-cam videos. Computers are handly for other things like actually researching the car you are reviewing so you can get your facts straight. Computers are also good for checking the weather BEFORE you take a car out for a review. You are also not driving the best that Fiero offered to give a generalized opinion of the model as a whole. At least drive an 87 or 88 when the 5 speed was offered. Your review should be based on the 86 Fiero and not all Fiero’s. By the way, there are quite a bit of parts available for this car if you look online. Another handy feature of a computer.
A quote by you “Your average commuter Honda Civic of today in this car that looks like a fast Corvette or something.” You realize you’re comparing apples to oranges. Cars, regulations and technology was WAY different 30 years ago. Yes the Fiero had 140hp V6 but the V8 Camaro Z28 of the same era had 190hp so in retrospect the Fiero wasn’t all that bad for the times. Bigger engine options were in the works had they continued production. There are a lot of engine swap options available now. I’m sure if you checked other UA-cam videos you would have no trouble finding Fiero’s that can outperform other performance based cars in drag races (such as GTR’s, Corvette’s etc), track races, and autocrossing. Matt Ferah from DRIVE does a better review of TWO Fiero’s on a track…and you’re just driving some back roads in the rain. Come one man, I have several Fiero’s that would give you a different option and more respect to the car. I’d trade for better performance over a pretty paint job any day. I guess that’s the difference between someone who actually knows how to build and race cars and someone who bought a windshield mount for their camera and asks to borrow other people’s cars. UNSUBSCRIBED.
Agree. Strange off-putting review. Auto-journalism has a higher bar for details and keeping things in perspective, even if you hate the car you're reviewing.
Exactly! Well put and I think it's especially true if you are reviewing a car that someone was generous enough to let you borrow. There is some obvious love and care put into their car. If it were mine I'd be pissed after this guy drove my car. A review doesn't have to be all sunshine and praises but nobody wants a bashfest either.
I have to agree and I actually like most of his other content. He really dropped the ball on this one. I knew more about this automobile from when I shopped years ago.
While many of his statements in this particular review may have been inaccurate/misunderstood; i do like his way of getting into a car and reviewing it from what he already knows (whether true or not) and what he can learn from behind the wheel. We viewers can use this "computer" contraption to do OUR OWN research if we feel the need to. In no way is David claiming to know everything about the cars that he reviews, nor is he trying to sway you in any one opinion on the vehicle. On top of all that, someone reached out to him saying they had this car and he agreed to drive it... Not to represent all Fieros, but because he has yet to drive one!
STILL SUBSCRIBED.
But it is awesome to see that you track a Fiero. There's a Fiero at the AutoX events i frequently watch and that thing is a great contender
Dad bought a new 84. Was my driver in 86 when I was a senior in high school. One of the best years of my life. Loved it.
I'd be curious to know the condition of the suspension components and cradle bushings on this car. I'm assuming from what you had to say that it needs an overhaul. These feel like a go-kart when the suspension is fresh. It shouldn't feel scary at 60mph. I've owned 4 of these cars, currently still own 2 of them. One of them having a supercharged 3800 putting down about 300hp to the wheels.
Zach McDonald agree must be something wrong with this one. I currently own an 86GT 58k miles and it handles like a go kart.
BINGO!!!!
Honestly David doesn’t understand nostalgic cars. we love them because they aren’t perfect
My 86 3-speed is a great daily. My 88 5-speed t-top is a gem.
Great taste in cars ! Kudos.
I've owned an 88 fiero, 84 vette, and a 2012 vette. On back roads the Pontiac was the most fun and most trusted. It also has a very unique look. I miss that car.
I owned over 10 of these fieros. They can be pretty cool older cars. I had one with a 4.9 northstar swap. Thing was sick. And btw they wont catch on fire if people left the heatshields on them. Never had one caught on fire. And as far as the 4 speed. The interstate speed limits were 55. No reason to have 5 gears. And they also did come with 5 speeds done by getrag. The 4 speed versions were a Muncie. Oh and mine had nice paint lol.
FinerThingsInLife the 4.9 was pre Northstar.
" I had one with a 4.9 northstar swap. " Hmm, really? Then one would think that you would know, that the 4.9 and the Northstar are two VERY different engines. There was no 4.9 Northstar.
Also: If you look at the 1st and 4th gears on the muncie and compare it to the 1st and 5th gears on the GeTrag, you will find that they are exactly the same, so 5th doesn't add anything except the necessity to shift again.
With all due respect...ur being wayyyy way too hard on the Fiero...it was way ahead of its time in some regards. First of all, you really have to understand the 80s and the cars of then. This car had plastic body panels which was RADICAL, let me say it again way high tech and radical for its time! It also was the 84 indy 500 pace car. It also had head rest speakers in the 86 model years and beyond...for its time handled quite well...was a lot more dependable than your making them sound like they were. The 84 model year (1st year) was really the ONLY years with the fires, all cars were recalled and total was 135 I believe. Also in 88 they did come with 5 speeds, which you failed to mention. Also by the end of there production they had actually turned them into decent little cars. Yes they were a bitch to work on, but the earlier model years were the ones with the issues, towards the end they got a lot of quarks out of them. The Fiero gets such a bad wrap, and I have no clue why! I own an IROC-Z and I love those...but the 2.6 was the same engine that was also in the Camaros, and I'v been told by other IROC-Z owners that the Fieros 2.6 can outrun the Camaros 305s. U have to realize that the 305s autos barely had 190...and were twice as heavy as the Fiero...u do the math. I personally think America was just not quite ready for the Fiero, I'm sure Pontiac could have marketed it better....but it gets a really really unfair bashing. Just like the 81-82 Trans am Turbo...for its day and considering all the emissions restrictions etc, it had quite a lot of HP but is heavily frowned apon by Pontiac guys. I just feel like cars like the IROC-Z and stuff and this car get a stigmatism around them that's a real shame. I drive my mint IROC-Z to work and ppl think its a redneck car, and that its a joe dirt car....hey news flash, I got it appraised by haggerty and its worth 16K-17K...and I'v had offers for that too...with collector car insurance as well...those cars were very pricey back then and most ppl could not afford them...but yet the stigmatism still exist....smh....the thirdgen 80s car get no respect, and its a shame. There actually very realizable cars if gone thru and the quarks fixed. And the forums and message boards are packed with rich history and true car guys that can always be helpful with any issues you can possibly think of!
There's a couple guys around the Pittsburgh area that do autocross with Fieros. If done right, they're actually not that bad of a track car.
Okay... Lemme splain somthing to you, David. In the 80's, the national speed limit was 55 mph, thanks to democrat president Jimma Carter then Ronald Reagan. Get it? You didn't need 6 gears or amazing handling... YOU WERE DOING 55!
Shout out to rob dyrdek and lizard king
Cody Dean Rob Dyrdek’s was clean af
Lizard king wrecked it like an hour after he got it though 😂😂
The fiero has suchhhhh a deep rich history that not a lot of people really know about or understand, and being the owner of one (86 gt, my first car) I got to studying i suggest others do the same and you will understand just how much there is to this little guyz short 5 year history. Its honestly beautiful and tragic all at the same time. Basically, pontiac wantex to make a great car, v8, good suspension, even forced induction but gm didnt like that it was gunna out perform the vette. It was not "half assed" as david said. GM did not allow them to make the vehicle that the fiero was meant to be, which almost makes it the perfect project car because you are filling the gap in history that was never suplosed to be there 👏 super popular engine swap is the 3800sc which has about 220hp but in this car can put the 0-60 to under 6 seconds. Obviously, itll need more suspension work and tires and other stuff to properly handle it, but it can definitely be done. Anyway, thats my two cents, hope ya see this so ya understand a little more about the fiero and why it is the way it is 👍
This video really some kind of way inspired me to go fix my Fiero GT which also happens to be an 86
"This car that was made in the 80's, has parts on it that scream 80s and I don't understand why" ... sounds good. Stupid. but good. Oh, btw, that dangerous car received the highest crash test rating during it's production minus some Volvos. Real dangerous. On to that, "They don't make parts for this car anymore"... parts for the engine/tranny is pretty easy to find.
one last edit: They were not made in Detroit, btw. They were produced in Pontiac.
You're wrong on the size how you been inside of mr2, miata, eclipse....the fiero has more room and if you compare 80 Hondas and Toyota the horse power and handling was better on the fiero.
In 1988 the front suspension was re done entirely with help from lotus and it changed the car into an actual car that can kind of go around corners. Its just a shame 1988 was the last year because the reputation of the fiero ruined it. They got better every year to the point that they didn't suck
Yeah this guy is clueless. I loved my 88 fiero.
The 1988 fiero was actually decent, they ironed out a lot of the suspension bugs, but as many failed GM projects go as soon as they got it right they dropped it.
There's 2 really sweet ones in my town one is v8 swapped and grabber blue with quad exhaust its beautiful. The 2nd is the 6 cylinder with a chameleon paint job. Both in great condition.
JustDrive4Life You better get that V8 Swapped IF its done right
I love my fiero like drivin a gokart
Only 0.014% of fieros caught fire. Their reputation is mildy undeserved but understandable. I own a turbo 88' Formula mildy modified and I wouldn't trade it for the world. Fun for pennies not dollars 😋.
calling worst 80bhp?
lol bro mine makes a solid 36bhp
Good ole iron duke I'm assuming? Those engines are shit!
i tubocharged an iron duck to almost 250hp on stock bottom end.. on a 85 2m4 that i payed $200 for..
warmfreeze Sure you did.
Why would i lie? i didnt say the car lasted... i had 6 fieros at the time.. the 2m4 was just a donor for the body panels and transmission.. :P
I'm doing a 3800sc swap on my 87 gt. This car is not for picky people the oversteer isn't even bad but this guy is probably used to driving a lot of newer car's so off course an 80s car with no power steering and mid engine is going to be unusual for him
good lord that was hard to watch. guy clearly loves to hear himself talk!
In all, it was a pretty fair review of the EARLY (4-speed) 1986 Fiero. But you have to remember, there is no ONE Fiero. It was a work in process for all 5 years of its production. If you had reviewed a 1988 Formula, for example, you would be a Fiero addict overnight. Completely redesigned front and rear suspension, upgraded vented brakes, 5-speed Getrag (Porsche) transmission, etc. It is worth doing a comparison piece.
Not my best wall of text but most of it was written as individual comments as I was watching and pausing the video.
The oh so terrible fires only effected 0.35% of all Fieros, only 135 cars, all in the first year of production and the issues were fixed before the next year. Also nobody was killed in the fires unlike the Pinto fires that just happened in the years before.
The Getrag 5 speed was available in '86 as my '85's rear suspension and 5-speed are from a '86 (they were not available until June of '86).
The Firebirds that came later were inspired by the '90 Fiero prototype.
Complaining about the 140hp is kinda dumb, its an 80s car, nothing American had HP back then because of all the emissions crap except the '86 Regal GN and '87 Regal GNX with 235hp and 245hp respectively, the '86 V8 Camaro only had 190hp and the '86 Corvette only had 230hp, both weighing several hundred more pounds than the Fiero. To put those HP numbers in perspective the L48 350 that was in the '69 Camaro SS had 300hp, when that same L48 350 was used in the '75-'80 Corvette is had 165hp-195hp. The '88 Fiero which uses the same 5 speed and engine as mine ran 0-60 in 7.5secs and the 1/4 in 15.7secs at 87mph according to MotorWeek. A 7.5sec 0-60 was not bad for the time considering the Fiero was not a high performance car like the Camaro SS or Corvette. The 2016 Camaro V6 is 500lbs heavier but with more than twice (165 more) the HP and has a 0-60 of 5.3secs
That particular Fiero has got to have alignment issues because mine has no issues at all and mine is not restored. I ran mine though the county roads a lot and down the highway at 80mph and never had any handling issues and Missouri's roads are shit. Its handling is quirky yes, because it has under steer and snap over steer according to MotorWeek 'but I have never been on a track with mine so I've never seen either. Only time mine has been sideways is when I power slid it from a stand still in a bit of road rage though a T-junction.
Some people think it is small but I'm 6'0" and I have zero issues with head room.
A lot of people like them, and you don't see them because there was only 370,168 of them made, and seeing as the youngest of the Fieros is 29 years old there is way less than 370,168 left, and some of them you might see but not know because some people use them for a base of a Lambo or Ferrari kit car sadly. Also some people don't care about the I4 models because they don't look as good as the GT and Formula and only had 90hp. I have had so many people stop and talk to me about the car, everybody loves it, I even had a 16 year old somewhat freaked out when he saw me in a parking lot which surprised me that he knew what it was at his age as everybody else that as stopped me was 40+ and loved the car. The only people who have talked shit on it is two of my friends because they like to make fun of the fires even though they know the facts just to bug me.
The Fiero is known for being a great platform to modify/upgrade. The 2.5 I4 4tech (Iron Duke) engine maybe a turd but it was a bullet proof turd so people loved it as a never dying economy engine (I had a S-10 with one) which is why it was in the Fiero because it was labeled as a sporty economy commuter car (its also how Pontiac got it past the GM board), the 2.8 V6 is regarded as one of GM's worst engines so most people want to get rid of it, but many want to keep the red "Fiero" intake so they swap to a 3.4 push rod engine and transplant the intake even though this kills some of the HP gains from the newer engine. Most popular swaps being the 3.4 push rod V6 (160hp) out of a Camaro as it bolts in after you drill two holes to relocate the starter, then the Buick 3800 series II (200hp) and the series II S/C (240hp) version both out of a lot of GM cars, and after that you have LS and Northstars also out of a lot of GM cars (both 300+hp normally), some people have also done ecotec swaps (140hp-260hp). Never heard of anybody putting a Mitsubishi engine in it. Despite the 2.8 V6 being a shit engine in general the Fiero GT and Formula were standing on the Corvette's door step stat wise, one of the contributing factors to the Fiero's death along with the media blowing the fires out of proportion as they do with everything. I honestly think you got all of your info from a hate site.
They do make parts for it including the clutch they needed, www.fierostore.com/Product/Browse.aspx?d=79&p=1.
The weight distribution was 44:56, so it was fairly balanced, Pontiac was just given a tight budget so they had to use parts from other economy cars that were not meant handle at all. Having said that my brother has owned many Chevettes (Fiero uses Chevette front suspension) and still owns a few and having owned one myself they do handle good for what they are mainly because of there light weight and low speeds, but they are fun to through around a county road.
After all the hate against the car you gave, you didn't even mention the one thing Fiero owners hate about them (except '88 owners), the turning radius is horrid in the '84, '85, '86, and '87.
I personally would like to have Fiero 2M4 (notchback) swapped with a I4 out of a Chevy Sonic for mpg/commuting, a '87 or '88 restored Fiero GT (either body), and a '88 Fiero GT (fastback) with a LFX 3.6 V6 swap and fully modernized and upgraded brakes and suspension as my main Fiero to also be used for autocross and track days.
Im geussing you own, used to own, or aspire to own a Fiero. If not then I suggest you just get a MR2.
I said I own one, but I would like to have a 1st gen MR2 also.
Danny Hampton forgive me it was tldr.
NP, it was in the 3rd sentence of the wall though lol so not that far in. Didn't say it directly though so people might miss it.
I love my Fiero because it will never be made again, for good reasons with out safety and driver aids it would wind up in crashes everywhere but, it's not for mainstream it's for those who don't follow, it's for leaders
Still more reliable than my Oldsmobile Diesel. Ever heard of one? Well its even more unreliable than the FIero
I owned a new 87 GT model in silver with rear spoiler delete, BBS style rims, 5 speed manual, leather seats and sun roof. I choose this over comparably priced RX7 and Toyota Celica. Had it for 2 years and 50k trouble free miles. It was quick, always mistaken for an exotic, fun to drive, and many young ladies loved being 'driven' in it...only great memories from my perspective, a great '80's car!
Put sand bags in the front to keep weght on the front tires
Adam gagne it'd be like the original lowriders
Adam gagne I think he said there's no trunk in the front
there is. usually where the spare goes.
YOU MUST REVIEW a 1988 Formula or GT model (in good condition). It was radically different from the previous years, especially the suspension. I think it also had more power. If I remember correctly, GM consulted with Lotus to improve it. It also came with a 5-speed transmission. In addition, they addressed the self-combustion problem. It was more like what the car was originally meant to be... and unfortunately, it was the last year of production. My girlfriend had an 84 4-cylinder model. It was okay (when it ran), but it did eventually burst into flames--after she sold it. My 1988 Formula Fiero was A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT CAR. I loved mine--it was one of the best handling cars I've ever driven. It really was a sports car at that point. Unfortunately, the updates didn't improve sales. It couldn't recover from the bad reputation of the 84-87 models, and it was discontinued. I always wished that Pontiac would bring it back as a retro model... but alas, Pontiac is no more.
ApexVGear I agree, a retro version would be cool but I hope they don't consider the Saturn sky or Pontiac solstice as an effort to do that. I had a 4 cylinder 85 that I restored as my first car and although it had no power it was a fun little car. Still dream about tracking down an 88 gt to do an ls swap. How was the power of the 6 in your 88?
The damn whining Corvette guys wouldn't let it happen. It's them who had GM brass axe the Fiero program...
You hear this? Try again. But with an '88. Cost Pontiac 30 million dollars to engineer the suspension that was designed for it from the get go.
the other day i saw an aw11 mr2 that wasn’t rusted through the body and i was like “Thats pretty cool to see a not too rusty aw11”
My dad DESPISES fieros so i am going to send this video to him nonstop
I ordered mine in 84. I got the WS6 suspension package, power windows & locks, and the Bose radio. It had a 4 speed and 2.5L. Brand new it was $10,500. I had it for 2 years, put 30,000 miles on it. Sold it for $4800.00. It ran hot from day one, but never had a problem with it. I met my wife because of it. Married 33 years.
Did that loose seatbelt bother anyone else lol 😂
XPred71 GM engineering man
2 fun facts. 1. Only 240 Fieros were ever confirmed to have caught fire, and they were all 1984 cars, due to an issue with exhaust manifold sheilding. 2. The Iron Duke 2.4l was a great engine. It had more aftermarket upgrades available to it than the 2.8, and it was used by GM in all their small cars from 1977 to 1993.
You’re reviewing a car that is almost 31 years old and also has manual steering. Could it be that your not acclimated to a car without power steering? Also the last year, the fiero with the V6 was available with a getrag 5 speed manual transmission and improved suspension that made vast improvements in handling and drivability. The car was never intended to be a sports car but a 2 seater for commuting.
Sorry but I drive mine - '88 GT 5 speed - as the sports car it really is. 4 Cyl models ARE commuter cars.
I bought my 86GT about 8 years ago. Any time you buy a used car, especially an old one, you have to expect to have some problems and growing pains in the first ~6mo-1yr or so of ownership. That's when you learn about the workings of the car, start troubleshooting, and get it straightened out.
My car is now ~220K miles, driven daily, and totally reliable. The only reliability problems I had were at the start of ownership. Once I resolved those issues, it became a reliable car and has stayed that way.
The biggest initial problem was a leaking radiator, which had caused loss of coolant and overheating. Not gonna blame the car for that, radiators don't last forever. On the contrary, I give credit to the iron-head 2.8L engine for being so durable that it survived this. Most aluminum headed engines would have warped or cracked.
It also had electrical problems which led to intermittent breakdowns:
A) broken screw on the distributor cap, which led to both cap and rotor being beat up.
B) lots of broken plastic clips on harness connectors, including some that were critical to the ignition system
C) a fusible link that burned out one evening. Not sure why it burned out, but it hasn't repeated, so B could have been to blame.
D) the alternator died (noticed it without any drama)
That's all simple stuff and nothing that I find damning against the car. After fixing these things, the sensors were all checked using readily available diagnostic information and a multimeter. I found one that was giving bad readings. Later I built a serial cable to hook the ECM up to a laptop. It wasn't hard, it just took a little research.
It had the wrong fuel injectors in it, not the ones that came with the car when new. This threw off the tune and screwed with the idle. I was able to resolve that. Again, not the car's fault.
Later the original muffler finally split open and the (aftermarket) catalytic converter had belched it's innards. So I replaced both. Can't fault the car for those either.
The car has had no significant issues since then. Engine and trans are still in great shape. I'm now on year 8 of ownership at 220K miles. I couldn't ask for a more reliable car, and one that is so cheap and enjoyable to own and maintain. The negligence of prior owners does not in any way make it a bad car, but it did make it cheap. :)
The car still needs suspension work, including replacement of the bushings in the engine cradle. Those bushings mess with the car's handling and are usually in very bad condition unless somebody has replaced them. Those bushings were a design mistake IMO and that's one thing I will criticize the car for. But they can be replaced with polyurethane or aluminum.
Fieros are much simpler to troubleshoot and service than most newer cars. That's one of the biggest reasons I like them. It's a relief from the tons of sparsely documented black-box crap that modern cars are infested with. The Fiero has just enough electronics to be practical and reliable, without being unduly complicated. The ECM is simple 1980s technology that has been thoroughly reverse engineered, and it is quite accessible to diagnostics. IMO the OBD-1 era is a peak of practicality, before the complexity of cars jumped the shark.
The Fiero's mechanical parts are common to tons of GM models from the 1980s. They were built using standard GM parts. That may have hindered their potential, but it's a good thing today for how easy they are to keep running. Parts are common and cheap.
I remember Rob Dyrdek gave one away in a game of SKATE.
Wagon Attack and then the winner gave it to a competitor who didn't have a car
I just got my 88 GT back on the road again today. I bought it brand new in late 87. It has a five speed. I forgot how much fun it is to drive. I owned a 84 Indy and a 86 SE V6. The 88 is much more refined than previous models. It has a completely redesigned suspension and brakes. The 88 handles like a dream. GM finally got it right and then killed it. Pontiac wanted to release the 84 with the 88 refinements but the GM bean counters wouldn't give them the money to do it right. It's a miracle that this car was ever built to begin with. Most people don't even know what it is today.
so whats the doug scor........wait wrong channel
Less than 300 Fieros ever caught on fire... and even then it was the 1984 model only... people not doing any research is the reason the car died off in the first place! If people had seen the numbers, and GM had let pontiac pursue it further, the Fiero would still be around today destroying corvettes
the fire is in need of an LS swap! new project???
Ryan Intrieri no, sounds fun.
Putting a v8 actually weights down the car alot, you would want to go for a v6 swap of some sort
Ferrari Sam lol no. Ls or 4g63.
Ferrari Sam the LS is one of the lightest motors.
JKintzle02 what 😂😂😂😂
I had a 1984 Pontiac Fiero in 1992. I loved the speaker in the seats and still remember hydroplaning around the highway when it started raining really hard.
Saw you in the 1320 vid!
Thanks dude!
I own a 86 gt but it has the 3800sc swap in it. Its my first and have been driving it for about 7 months and I love it. The 3800sc gives it a perfect amount of power.
I never really liked this guy since he started getting noticed on you tube. I subscribe to many different car channels. He RARELY does any in depth research unless it's a crazy JDM weebo build. I think he's built up a sense of false credit because he's driven a bunch of crazy fast modded cars/mostly import. It's easy to overlook the faults of those cars when they are blindingly fast in a straight line but no more safe to drive, handle or practical. The Fiero is actually notorious for off throttle oversteer like most mid engine/RWD cars. Fiero were "tuned" to understeer because it's safer (when considering the average driver). Yes! The Fiero (like Camero/Firebird) has a parts bin look but show me a Nissan/Toyota/Honda/Mazda/Ford or Dodge that hasn't done that ESPECIALLY in the 80's. Taking that into consideration the Fiero (notably the 88) is a bespoke car I.e. It shares its platform with no other corporate partner. The esteemed Corvette can't even say that since it shared itself with the Cadillac XLR. I think this guy read the Wikipedia article once and used that as his review source.
Exactly. A dumb self-esteemed, know-nothing young twirp. And a Ricer.
brilliant design, if half baked execution. The frame is composite, and they machine the suspension pickup points after it's assembled so that they're in the same place every time (for consistent handling). Corvette C6 Z06 did the same thing.
They put the suspension they wanted in the 1988 Fiero. Those do very well in autocross; especially modified. The engine subframe basically fits any GM engine made to date. Ecotec 2.4 is a good swap; light weight and efficient.
One youtuber actually put a 2009 Malibu instrument panel in his Fiero and covered it in microfiber. Many Fieros are disguised as Lamborghini Countash and Ferrari 360...
AAAAaand i would walk 500 miles and III would walk 500 more!! How I met your mother forever
Checking in from Connecticut, I love the Fiero, was so upset when my dad told me I couldn't buy my neighbors for my first car
Needs ls swap asap
David Avalos k24
4g63
The Fiero was actually supposed to have an LS, but it was decided against at the last minute because it was faster than the Corvette.
OhKey! I'm 99% sure you just made that up.
OhKey! Ls didnt come out until 1997 soooo
The last speeding ticket I ever got was in my 1987 Fiero. The car was 12 years old and I still managed to get a ticket for going 89 mph in a 65 mph zone AND I was 8.5 months pregnant which makes you really popular in the mandatory driving safety course when they go around the room asking what your traffic crime was. The disdain only deepens when the class concludes and you climb into a Fiero. In my defense, my father worked for GM my whole life and I have been driving since I was old enough to reach the pedals. I drive "way too fast", but I have never wrecked a car. I got rid of the Fiero after my daughter was born because there is no backseat and I was not THAT irresponsible. It was a great little car and I drove it until it just wasn't practical anymore but it never gave me a bit of trouble (which is a lot more than I can say for the brand new Grand Am I replaced it with)
I like the looks