Another great video. Thanks for the wonderful shoutout. You really did an excellent job putting the Fiero in the positive light it deserves. I bet this one does even better than the video you did on my Continental. Look forward to seeing you in the spring for the convertibles.
I bought a 1987 Fiero GT (Black) when I graduated college in 1991. I have yet to feel that level of excitement and optimism in my life again. That was the high water mark for fun. I absolutely loved it.
ONLY new car I ever owned! Black with a moon roof and spoiler. Didn't matter how fast it went. It was a babe magnet in 1987. If you were on a date that summer and Bon Jovi's 'Never Say Goodbye' came on her paintie's were coming off! 😛
Always loved the later GT's with the buttresses. It's a crying shame we never got the 2nd gen. There's photos out there of a proto and it's pretty sweet.
And it had that explosively powerful Quad-4 engine, too. That's the problem with GM, they make good shit but they cancel it as soon as the *sales* number doesn't make sense - regardless of the model's effect on the lineup's image. The second-gen Fiero could have entirely legitimized Pontiac as "the sporty brand".
Quad 4? No shit. Buddy had an oldsmobile with a 5 speed quad 4. Pretty quick for its time. I saw a comment that people put a supercharged buick 3.8 in fieros and 12 sec range 1/4 mile
@@Koexistence13 I mean, I believe it. Shove a base 240 (and more if pulley'd) hp engine in that little cockroach of a car and you'll get nothing but results. Fieros genuinely get engine-swapped so often it's not even funny. I saw one with a V8 mounted lengthwise at my shady Hispanic mechanic's, once.
The whole prototype is out there as well, although it wasn't a true 2nd gen, same frame, different body pretty sure the prototype itself was just the normal v6, though they were planning other engines, I saw it in person at the Fiero 40th, along with the 3 Indy pace cars with the super duty 4, the first Fiero, last Fiero, and the 4 seater prototype, and some Meras and a Zimmer Quicksilver, they had everything there!
Putting the engine fires🔥 aside .. the fiero was groundbreaking in the aspect it was the first mid engine 2 seater American coupe. Plus composite body panels.
GM would have known something about composite body panels by then, having produced the Corvette. And it would have been a natural decision in lending those sports car shapes to the Fiero while keeping costs down.
@@LateNightCable They were plastic, not fiberglass. The cool part, the body panels weren’t structural at all. You could remove them all and have a sort of sand rail looking car. They took what they learned from this, and applied it to the Saturn line. Anyone who had a first gen CRX 85-87 know how craptastic plastic body panels could be, but Pontiac nailed it.
A friend of mine had an 86 GT, his was a little atypical as it didn't have the rear wing. I had an 86 Z24 at the same time. In our "testing" the two cars were basically parked next to each other during acceleration runs. Good handling, good fuel economy, fun to drive - I thought it was a winner and still do. Thanks for sharing and the memories ~ Chuck
Me and my dad were at a car show, I pointed one of these out, and he said that these things were seen as pieces of junk back in the day, even still. I wanna own one of these lol
Dad and I were shopping around for a low priced used coupe for my first car in 2003... he was and still is a GM guy through and through, but had no issue pissing on the Fiero and the Beretta - All. Day. Long. Ended up in a '94 MX-6 Mystere LS V6. 😂
The 80s were booming, cars were cheap, economy up, prices down , great music, affordable housing, quality education system. Not sure what world you were living in but it wasn’t with the rest of us
Aside from inflation and the crazy hi interest rate that caused the recession from 80 to 82 things perked way up with cheaper gas prices and growing gdp. It may have been bad for you so sorry about yer damn luck
@@bwofficial1776all plastic body panels, great mileage in an affordable sporty 2 seater mid rear engine. This thing could of gone for longer but gm canceled it as it may have become a contender performance wise with the corvette if allowed to develop. Like the grand national. The fire issue was well known and haunted it and sales were not great but not bad going into 87 88, insurance for two seaters was increasing as well. The mr2 took over their spot and did well. People put supercharged buick 3.8 in em and get 12 sec 1/4 mile
I yeah, I honestly always thought they were pieces of crap, but I have kind of warmed up to them in my older age. But yeah, they really weren't the greatest cars
You are mostly correct about the regulations killing the fun and innovative design of the cars in the malaise era, but the restrictions weren't lifted headed into the 80s, rather technology caught up to allow meeting the regulations while making cars more fun.
MY greatest automotive regret is selling my 1988 Fiero GT, I had ordered it with the Getrag 5 speed manual and gray leather interior. I still miss that car.
The 5 speed on the Duke was added in 1985, and was an Isuzu unit, the 5 speed on the v6 was added halfway through 1986, and is a Muncie/Getrag transmission
To add, the Isuzu 5 speed was only wedded to the 4 cylinder. The original transmission for the V6 was a Muncie 4 spd (that was in my 86), Then later in 86 they started putting a Getrag 5 spd in the cars with the V6.
It's a bit frustrating that the fire recall was the lasting memory people kept about these cars. The recall was only for 1984 models though, and it took a chain of events and lack of oil maintenance to cause the fire scenario. Basically if you threw a rod through the block, it might splash oil on the catalytic converter. The recall did a few things to address that. It wasn't common, and it would be very hard to find a car that didn't have the recall work done. Reliability wise - it's really the same as any other mid-80s GM. Some people are afraid of them but if you know how to work on a Duke or 60V6 of that era, you know how to work on the same in a Fiero. The setup is pretty much the same, just translated to the rear. But it's an old car and if somebody is selling one, there's guaranteed to be problems that prior owners didn't address, or didn't understand. So it needs a patient owner who can research and learn about how the car works. There's a ton of documentation out there, especially in discussion forums and in the factory service manual (not Haynes). It's way simpler than modern cars so they are open to troubleshooting, if you learn enough about the car to know how. Mine is in rough shape cosmetically, but it's a reliable daily driver. For me it's a very economical means of transportation, because parts are cheap, and I understand it so the need to maintain it isn't a big issue. After 1-2 years of being needy, it became a very trouble-free car, with only rare issues since then, and I like being able to fix it myself. Newer cars are harder to do that with. The most immediate problems I found on my car were a bad radiator, which had caused the prior owner to overheat (I'm lucky the engine wasn't damaged), and some electrical issues mostly caused by broken connectors and a bad fusible link.
10 місяців тому+2
I drove a few Fieros in the 80s when they came out. They were fun guys to drive!! Wish l had one now;
@@vice4134 I know in the Trans Ams not all of them are real, I assumed that the Fiero wouldn’t be an exception given that there’s likely some parts bin sharing for the IPs
When I drive my Black 1986 Fiero GT, it's a driving experience. It gets a lot of looks, and people 40 and under always ask what it is. I can appreciate becoming engaged with going through the gears of the 4 speed manual transmission while creating the crackle of the exhaust when downshifting. The way the road feels inches below you as you carve the pavement feeling the feedback through the steering wheel. It won't throw you back hard. However, it loves to be thrown around a twisty road. Anyone who owns or owns one knows exactly what I mean. That old saying "don't knock it, till you try it" rings true for the Fiero.
Driving my 86 GT is like therapy. Running through the gears on a twisty road has a certain feeling. If you own one, then you know what I'm talking about. Great upload 👍👍
There is a guy in your neighborhood that owns one of the three Fiero Indy Pace Cars? Or is it one of the commercial versions that just say Indy on the side?
Beautiful Exterior design. Interior is very 80s gm. I bought an 88 brand new and lived with it for 4 years. No issues after 60k miles. LOL now I have a 22 Mazda MX5 GT RF. I have cup holders now.
I love 80’s and 90’s cars, my favorite is still the 1995 Chevy Beretta Z26, that was my moms first brand new car and I remember everything from the smell, the feel, and the sound of that car.
One time I saw a 87 olds cutlass cruiser at a used car lot and it had a 2.8 and I thought aw The 2.8, until I started it and it sounded like it had a magnaflow and it was throaty sounded like a baby v8 really blew me away. Didn't drive it though.
When i was a kid back in the early 2000s there was a black late 80s Fiero gt in my neighborhood. That was the first car that i really loved. I would see it everyday walking home from school. It is the best looking car gm ever made in my opinion.
Fiero in V6 in any guise was always a win. The exhaust note was always great. Pontiac was doing a good job until the 2000s. LOVED the go-cart feeling of the drive and the aggressive cruise control. I'm sooooooo mad i missed out on an 88 about 6 years ago that was under $10k with low miles. Now we're in the GM EV malaise era.
Fieros are cool. If it weren't for the early fire issues and for GM's accountants nerfing the suspension until 1988, the Fiero would have been an even bigger success. The Fiero is one of the prime examples of GM killing something as soon as they finally get it right. The V6 is fairly easy to hop up and V8 swaps are possible. I like these with the GT rear end over the original. I knew a guy with two Fieros. One purple one with a moderately-tuned V6, one red one with a beat-up Ferrari 308 body kit.
It had nothing to do with their accountants. The CEO & its upper management were looking for excuses to ax Fiero program. So, this is what they came up to cover vette people's whining. GM really never liked Pontiac as they viewed it as their rebel stepson.
I've owned a couple of Corvettes, a Camaro a Mustang, three BMW 4-series, a GTO and other sports cars, and still, the most fun to drive car I've ever owned was a 1985 Fiero GT. The previous owner had cut the springs on it, so it sat even lower to the ground, and cut out that pesky catalytic converter and removed the mufflers and replaced them with baffles - so it was slightly souped up - slightly, maybe an extra 15hp. Anywho, the car, without power steering, and being so small and fairly light, was basically a go-kart, and that's exactly how it handled. You could do literally anything in that car without fear of tipover, I once took a hard turn at around 90mph and the car just stayed stuck to the ground - the most that would happen is that it would skip sideways because the tires would lose traction, but with the motor over the rear wheels, it was pretty rare and you had to be driving like an insane person. Anyways, the slightly more powerful version of the car that I had matched the car perfectly since you really couldn't do anything too stupid to get yourself in trouble. People always talk about putting Northstar V8's in it and other nonsense that would make it a deathtrap - nah, just do some minor mods to get the engine to be more punchy and you got a really really fun go-kart on your hands. However, in todays world where everyone drives a huge SUV for no reason, that small Fiero is a death trap - which reminds me, because of the lack of engine up front, this car tested better in a head-on crash than a Lincoln Town Car did at the time.
I grew up driving in this era and almost bought a special edition Fiero that looked like a Ferrari with its side vents lol. Ultimately I bought an 87 CRX that turned out to be the most reliable and fun cars I’ve ever owned 😊
I had 91 CRX before, it is the most fun car i ever owned, and that was after i owned 3000GT VR4. Low weight is the winner every time you want a most fun car.
These were sporty little cars from Pontiac. Adding the V6 definitely helped performance. Last year one time, I was in a parking lot, and a guy with a beat up old Fiero asked me to give him a push so he could get started. His starter wasn't working and that was the only way he could start the car.
The clip of the back of the car was fucking cool! Hearing the engine was so cool! Always kinda like the fiero, now i get it! I really enjoy your reviews, sticking close to the OG Regular car review style, great work!
Back in the day, you could get the Ferrari Testarossa door scalped body kit on the Fiero. State of the art & cutting edge technology that was truely built for driving excitement & engagement. G.m. styling in the 80's was awesome... When auto makers care for what the customer wanted .
Actually, in the 80’s, American manufacturers were mostly still bean counting and selling the customer on what they bothered to spend the money on. It wasn’t until they began to feel the pinch of import competition that the domestics made more of an effort for the customer.
Also the trunk stays surprisingly cool even on long rides, not much worse then your normal GM car with a big muffler beneath the trunk, as is standard.
The Fiero is a fantastic 7/10ths car; that is to say, it's a lot of fun to drive when you're pushing it at about 70% of what you think it can do; the type of driving most people would describe as enthusiastic driving on the streets. But take it to a track and it'll understeer like a FWD car and refuse to dig out of corner exits. The engine also runs out of steam at around 4,000 RPMs despite redlining at 5,500. The stock brakes and cooling also cannot handle track duty. At 10/10ths this car will try to kill you in several ways while making you frustrated knowing you can't get anywhere near what you want out of it.
Im amazed with all the retro cars you've reviewed that you have not done one on the 1993-1997 probe gt 5spd... as cool as the fiero looks, the probe gt is a more solid build, far more refined and powerful engine and great sounding, bone stock..Love to see you review one of them but for the love of God, find a 5 spd, v6 thats Not been pimped out...hard to find but a stock 93 or 94 were some of the best yrs, less emissions,lower ride height,stiffer springs, much better sounding exhausts and lighter in weight than the later models...Definitely worth a review as they still have quite a following and lots of aftermarket...
Always loved these. The GT with the much better looking rounded corners have aged quite gracefully I think. They look more like mid to later 90’s in my eyes. The base model ones never looked good (to me).
2nd gen Fieros GTs are super cool looking inside & out I wish someone would make one into a mini me of K I.T.T. aka Knightrider... GMs parts bin typical R & D slap it together technology... Chevy Chevette front suspension, brakes & steering God awful under powdered engines At least Fieros didn't get the " mandatory " Corvette, Chevette, S10, Astrovan, yaddy yaddy fugly🤮 steering wheel... That traditional 3 spoker wheel was a great improvement & love love the deep low slung body, seats & beautiful BBS style wheels...& of course 80's pop up headlights 👌 As always great content video audio commentary demo editing humbleness & honesty...🙏
I had a friend who bought an 84 Fiero new it was a 4 speed 4 cylinder so that 86 seems like peak Fiero. His had an electrical issue right out of the gate but for the most part it was ok.
is that an old-school car phone 3:00 ish??? i used to have an '85 GT with the rare 4-speed manual, had to let ie go to relocate in '10. Was planning on a sbc swap, had pretty much everything needed, and had to gtfo of the place i was at. Now, i have an '86 GT that will receive a SC 3800 swap; tried to sell it on consignment and some rectal cranium spun a bearing while test-driving on the original 2.8 with 80k miles. Gonna more than double the HP, and those SC 3800's are basically bullet-proof... '05 GTP, and "03 Bonneville SSEI will be the donor cars O.O
My dad had one of these but an auto. It was his moms before but was in a wreck. It never drive the same and had a lot of electrical issues. My dad said it was the most problematic cars he’s owned 😂 My neighbor had one in his yard just sitting for many years
84-87 has a Chevette front suspension and a Chevy Citation rear suspension. Neither of these are sports car material. The 88 has the suspension that it should have had all along. I finally became an actual sports car in 88. I bought my 88 GT brand new in November of 87. I aways enjoy driving it.
The engine fire issue is way overblown. It happened on 84 models where neglectful owners would allow leaves and debris to fall down. On the exhaust manifold. It's not the fault of the car if owners neglect them
These are neat little cars. Would have been more successful and fondly remembered if not for the fire issues and the early Iron Duke/4 spd combo. The later models are a LOT better. In typical GM fashion, just as they had gotten it right, they killed it. I really wish these would have come with a Buick 3.8 from the factory, although pre-3800 3.8s werent as sturdy or powerful as the 1988+ 3800s. One of the most common engine swaps for these is a 3.8 so its obviously doable, GM just got it wrong originally sadly.
good video. if you really want to drive the best of the fieros you have to drive an 88. the car was completely redesigned for the 88 model year as far as the suspension goes and it transformed the car. they just got the car right and then they cancelled it. i own 2 88 fieros and on my channel i explore how different the 88 is in one of my video series. so if you want to really understand how good the car is you owe it to yourself to drive an 88. if you find yourself in northern nj i would love to show you my cars.
If you want to understand the hate thrown at these cars, try driving an '84 with the four speed manual. The spacing on the shift gates was terrible, and the handling left a lot to be desired. Things improved once the four speed was replaced by the 5 speed. Problem was, the first two model years were the best selling ones for the Fiero, so the bad taste was already left in everyone's mouth. By the time they sorted the car out, the damage had been done.
Owner forgot to tell you where the cupholder on a fiero actually is lol. In between the gauge pod and the dash itself is a solid cupholder for a 32oz cup, i think it'd pass the test.
This car is looking hot. All said, even if this isn't a "sports car", this is at least a sport compact which is a segment that could use some bolstering. A bit of flair and sportiness loke there os here would at least fight the blandness on the roads today.
If you want to know how good Fieros really can be, you gotta drive an '88. Maybe ine eith an LS ir a Northstar. And please review an Adrenalin with a V8.
The Fiero was if a Camaro and Ferrari had a baby. It’s cool looking but tame on the body lines. Not fast cuz 80s hp sucks. But still a very cool looking car.
@@vice4134 mmm idk. The front screams 80s Camaro. Rear end says firebird, but considering both were basically the same car different trim level I can see where youre coming from
Had a freind just traded in a 2006 Solstice w/8000 miles ...think she $10,000...barely driven...had a manual with another truck engine...no joy to drive!!
I know these things got better and better, and with the 88 suspension really good. And still reasonably affordable. I've looked over the years for one as a fun car, but I've never been able to get past the interior. Just don't like it - cheap, cheap, cheap.
Why was the Feiro ragged on? Cause we came out of the awesome cars of the 60s and 70s and everything in the 80s was considered 💩 except for the Grand National
Another great video. Thanks for the wonderful shoutout. You really did an excellent job putting the Fiero in the positive light it deserves. I bet this one does even better than the video you did on my Continental. Look forward to seeing you in the spring for the convertibles.
Sweet ride.
@@RIVERSIDEREVIEWS Hey thanks man. For the record, it is as much fun as Zack says in his video. 👍
I bought a 1987 Fiero GT (Black) when I graduated college in 1991. I have yet to feel that level of excitement and optimism in my life again. That was the high water mark for fun. I absolutely loved it.
lol what? The fiero is one of the slowest cars I've ever driven, has horrible ride quality, and isn't even comfortable inside...
I totally get it- it’s just a FUN car to drive!!
@@green_acres_7240 But it's literally not fun to drive.....
@@drunkhusband6257 Your opinion, not mine or the poster’s.My Datsun 240zs and my Fiero were the most fun.
ONLY new car I ever owned! Black with a moon roof and spoiler. Didn't matter how fast it went. It was a babe magnet in 1987. If you were on a date that summer and Bon Jovi's 'Never Say Goodbye' came on her paintie's were coming off! 😛
Always loved the later GT's with the buttresses. It's a crying shame we never got the 2nd gen. There's photos out there of a proto and it's pretty sweet.
And it had that explosively powerful Quad-4 engine, too. That's the problem with GM, they make good shit but they cancel it as soon as the *sales* number doesn't make sense - regardless of the model's effect on the lineup's image. The second-gen Fiero could have entirely legitimized Pontiac as "the sporty brand".
Quad 4? No shit. Buddy had an oldsmobile with a 5 speed quad 4. Pretty quick for its time. I saw a comment that people put a supercharged buick 3.8 in fieros and 12 sec range 1/4 mile
@@Koexistence13 I mean, I believe it. Shove a base 240 (and more if pulley'd) hp engine in that little cockroach of a car and you'll get nothing but results.
Fieros genuinely get engine-swapped so often it's not even funny. I saw one with a V8 mounted lengthwise at my shady Hispanic mechanic's, once.
The whole prototype is out there as well, although it wasn't a true 2nd gen, same frame, different body pretty sure the prototype itself was just the normal v6, though they were planning other engines, I saw it in person at the Fiero 40th, along with the 3 Indy pace cars with the super duty 4, the first Fiero, last Fiero, and the 4 seater prototype, and some Meras and a Zimmer Quicksilver, they had everything there!
@@ImmortanDan
The 3800 is a torquey engine to start with but add the supercharger on top and it’s amazing.
I’m dropping one in my Chevette.
As the owner of an 87 Fiero GT, this review is spot on. Great job! I love seeing the underappreciated Fiero get some attention.
Only going to increase in value in the coming years. Wish I never sold my 88 GT.
Putting the engine fires🔥 aside .. the fiero was groundbreaking in the aspect it was the first mid engine 2 seater American coupe. Plus composite body panels.
GM would have known something about composite body panels by then, having produced the Corvette. And it would have been a natural decision in lending those sports car shapes to the Fiero while keeping costs down.
@@LateNightCable
They were plastic, not fiberglass.
The cool part, the body panels weren’t structural at all. You could remove them all and have a sort of sand rail looking car.
They took what they learned from this, and applied it to the Saturn line.
Anyone who had a first gen CRX 85-87 know how craptastic plastic body panels could be, but Pontiac nailed it.
@@Project_Low_Expectationsyup and the car could be transformed into a Ferrari or Lambo
The best sportscarr pontiac made in the 80s we all forgot about
A friend of mine had an 86 GT, his was a little atypical as it didn't have the rear wing. I had an 86 Z24 at the same time. In our "testing" the two cars were basically parked next to each other during acceleration runs. Good handling, good fuel economy, fun to drive - I thought it was a winner and still do. Thanks for sharing and the memories ~ Chuck
Also have a smooth butt on my '86 GT, almost ready for my 3800 SC swap....
Me and my dad were at a car show, I pointed one of these out, and he said that these things were seen as pieces of junk back in the day, even still. I wanna own one of these lol
Dad and I were shopping around for a low priced used coupe for my first car in 2003... he was and still is a GM guy through and through, but had no issue pissing on the Fiero and the Beretta - All. Day. Long. Ended up in a '94 MX-6 Mystere LS V6. 😂
@@jacquesc3166 yeah it seems the hate didn’t pass on to this generation, these are such unique cars in hindsight and that makes them worth owning.
Fiero was the working man’s Ferrari… everybody looks at the 80s with rose tinted glasses but economically. It was terrible back then for most people.
Ironically, Fieros were a popular chassis for Ferrari bodykits. Pontiac dealers even offered a factory-backed version called the Mera.
The 80s were booming, cars were cheap, economy up, prices down , great music, affordable housing, quality education system. Not sure what world you were living in but it wasn’t with the rest of us
Aside from inflation and the crazy hi interest rate that caused the recession from 80 to 82 things perked way up with cheaper gas prices and growing gdp. It may have been bad for you so sorry about yer damn luck
@@bwofficial1776all plastic body panels, great mileage in an affordable sporty 2 seater mid rear engine. This thing could of gone for longer but gm canceled it as it may have become a contender performance wise with the corvette if allowed to develop. Like the grand national. The fire issue was well known and haunted it and sales were not great but not bad going into 87 88, insurance for two seaters was increasing as well. The mr2 took over their spot and did well. People put supercharged buick 3.8 in em and get 12 sec 1/4 mile
I yeah, I honestly always thought they were pieces of crap, but I have kind of warmed up to them in my older age. But yeah, they really weren't the greatest cars
You are mostly correct about the regulations killing the fun and innovative design of the cars in the malaise era, but the restrictions weren't lifted headed into the 80s, rather technology caught up to allow meeting the regulations while making cars more fun.
True. The only regulation that was lifted was the 5mph bumper rule
That induction sound is pretty damn close to the NSX. Not kidding! I own a NSX. Plus, they used to make lambo shells for these cars.
That’s another thing, the Fiero went on to have a second career as a popular kit car chassis!
MY greatest automotive regret is selling my 1988 Fiero GT, I had ordered it with the Getrag 5 speed manual and gray leather interior. I still miss that car.
I’m not selling mine! 🤣
That is one clean 38 year old economy sports car!
Thanks. I jumped on it when it came to auction a couple years ago. I take it to shows.
The 5 speed on the Duke was added in 1985, and was an Isuzu unit, the 5 speed on the v6 was added halfway through 1986, and is a Muncie/Getrag transmission
I came here to clarify this, as well.
To add, the Isuzu 5 speed was only wedded to the 4 cylinder. The original transmission for the V6 was a Muncie 4 spd (that was in my 86), Then later in 86 they started putting a Getrag 5 spd in the cars with the V6.
The softened edges around the taillights are much nicer than the original taillights.
It's a bit frustrating that the fire recall was the lasting memory people kept about these cars.
The recall was only for 1984 models though, and it took a chain of events and lack of oil maintenance to cause the fire scenario. Basically if you threw a rod through the block, it might splash oil on the catalytic converter. The recall did a few things to address that. It wasn't common, and it would be very hard to find a car that didn't have the recall work done.
Reliability wise - it's really the same as any other mid-80s GM. Some people are afraid of them but if you know how to work on a Duke or 60V6 of that era, you know how to work on the same in a Fiero. The setup is pretty much the same, just translated to the rear. But it's an old car and if somebody is selling one, there's guaranteed to be problems that prior owners didn't address, or didn't understand. So it needs a patient owner who can research and learn about how the car works. There's a ton of documentation out there, especially in discussion forums and in the factory service manual (not Haynes). It's way simpler than modern cars so they are open to troubleshooting, if you learn enough about the car to know how.
Mine is in rough shape cosmetically, but it's a reliable daily driver. For me it's a very economical means of transportation, because parts are cheap, and I understand it so the need to maintain it isn't a big issue. After 1-2 years of being needy, it became a very trouble-free car, with only rare issues since then, and I like being able to fix it myself. Newer cars are harder to do that with.
The most immediate problems I found on my car were a bad radiator, which had caused the prior owner to overheat (I'm lucky the engine wasn't damaged), and some electrical issues mostly caused by broken connectors and a bad fusible link.
I drove a few Fieros in the 80s when they came out. They were fun guys to drive!! Wish l had one now;
4:32 both are correct, some are real and some are fake. The problem is figuring out which ones are real.
Actually, they all are real.
@@vice4134 I know in the Trans Ams not all of them are real, I assumed that the Fiero wouldn’t be an exception given that there’s likely some parts bin sharing for the IPs
The cell phone to the right of the center stack. LOL It's not a factory option, definitely aftermarket.
In the 80s the term cell phone didn’t exist. It was a car phone.
Just a beautiful looking car all around! This thing appeals to me in just about every way shape and form. I need to buy one!
I absolutely love how these 2.8’s burble with the right exhaust on them. My buddy had an 89 Cavalier Z24 and straight piped it. Thing sounded amazing
89? When did they put the 3.1 in it then, later? That ticking 3.1 was in it by 1991, I know that much.
@@jacquesc3166 it was either 90 or 91, I can’t remember exactly but I know any with the closed grill redesign had a 3.1L
these gts are cool. i just bought my 86 fiero gt 5 months again. i luv it
When I drive my Black 1986 Fiero GT, it's a driving experience. It gets a lot of looks, and people 40 and under always ask what it is.
I can appreciate becoming engaged with going through the gears of the 4 speed manual transmission while creating the crackle of the exhaust when downshifting. The way the road feels inches below you as you carve the pavement feeling the feedback through the steering wheel. It won't throw you back hard. However, it loves to be thrown around a twisty road. Anyone who owns or owns one knows exactly what I mean. That old saying "don't knock it, till you try it" rings true for the Fiero.
Driving my 86 GT is like therapy. Running through the gears on a twisty road has a certain feeling. If you own one, then you know what I'm talking about.
Great upload 👍👍
Still looking so good
Thanks, I take it to show. It gets a very positive response.
There is a guy in my area that runs the wheels off a Pontiac Fiero Indy Pace Car. It makes me smile everytime i see it
There is a guy in your neighborhood that owns one of the three Fiero Indy Pace Cars? Or is it one of the commercial versions that just say Indy on the side?
Beautiful Exterior design. Interior is very 80s gm. I bought an 88 brand new and lived with it for 4 years. No issues after 60k miles. LOL now I have a 22 Mazda MX5 GT RF. I have cup holders now.
I love 80’s and 90’s cars, my favorite is still the 1995 Chevy Beretta Z26, that was my moms first brand new car and I remember everything from the smell, the feel, and the sound of that car.
I love all these retro GM reviews. I plan to pick a couple up in the next few years, just to keep them on the road.
One time I saw a 87 olds cutlass cruiser at a used car lot and it had a 2.8 and I thought aw The 2.8, until I started it and it sounded like it had a magnaflow and it was throaty sounded like a baby v8 really blew me away. Didn't drive it though.
When i was a kid back in the early 2000s there was a black late 80s Fiero gt in my neighborhood. That was the first car that i really loved. I would see it everyday walking home from school. It is the best looking car gm ever made in my opinion.
How does a small V6 sounds like that😍🤣🤣🤣
Short pipes. You should have heard my 86 with a 327 dropped in it.
Fiero in V6 in any guise was always a win. The exhaust note was always great. Pontiac was doing a good job until the 2000s. LOVED the go-cart feeling of the drive and the aggressive cruise control. I'm sooooooo mad i missed out on an 88 about 6 years ago that was under $10k with low miles. Now we're in the GM EV malaise era.
If you ever wanted to see a Fiero inside out, Ronald Finger has an amazing restoration series!
Fieros are cool. If it weren't for the early fire issues and for GM's accountants nerfing the suspension until 1988, the Fiero would have been an even bigger success. The Fiero is one of the prime examples of GM killing something as soon as they finally get it right. The V6 is fairly easy to hop up and V8 swaps are possible. I like these with the GT rear end over the original.
I knew a guy with two Fieros. One purple one with a moderately-tuned V6, one red one with a beat-up Ferrari 308 body kit.
Saw a Caddy North Star swapped into one in the late 1990s
It had 4 tailpipes and a Snorkel over the roof, the exhaust sound was great !
It had nothing to do with their accountants. The CEO & its upper management were looking for excuses to ax Fiero program. So, this is what they came up to cover vette people's whining. GM really never liked Pontiac as they viewed it as their rebel stepson.
I've owned a couple of Corvettes, a Camaro a Mustang, three BMW 4-series, a GTO and other sports cars, and still, the most fun to drive car I've ever owned was a 1985 Fiero GT. The previous owner had cut the springs on it, so it sat even lower to the ground, and cut out that pesky catalytic converter and removed the mufflers and replaced them with baffles - so it was slightly souped up - slightly, maybe an extra 15hp. Anywho, the car, without power steering, and being so small and fairly light, was basically a go-kart, and that's exactly how it handled. You could do literally anything in that car without fear of tipover, I once took a hard turn at around 90mph and the car just stayed stuck to the ground - the most that would happen is that it would skip sideways because the tires would lose traction, but with the motor over the rear wheels, it was pretty rare and you had to be driving like an insane person. Anyways, the slightly more powerful version of the car that I had matched the car perfectly since you really couldn't do anything too stupid to get yourself in trouble. People always talk about putting Northstar V8's in it and other nonsense that would make it a deathtrap - nah, just do some minor mods to get the engine to be more punchy and you got a really really fun go-kart on your hands. However, in todays world where everyone drives a huge SUV for no reason, that small Fiero is a death trap - which reminds me, because of the lack of engine up front, this car tested better in a head-on crash than a Lincoln Town Car did at the time.
I grew up driving in this era and almost bought a special edition Fiero that looked like a Ferrari with its side vents lol. Ultimately I bought an 87 CRX that turned out to be the most reliable and fun cars I’ve ever owned 😊
I had 91 CRX before, it is the most fun car i ever owned, and that was after i owned 3000GT VR4. Low weight is the winner every time you want a most fun car.
Did you own the CRX long enough for the front fenders to start falling apart?
Otherwise they were great, especially the fuel injected Si models!
@@Project_Low_Expectations no i had massive rust so i sold the car to another CRX nut who knew them better... but what a fun car though
Keep up the good work Shooting Cars! I always a heart for Fiero, hard to believe it was the only mid engine GM car at one point
Some day, I will own one of these and I will swap it to a Northstar v8. Can't wait
I strongly suggest you put an LS in it. There is a video of an 97 with an LS1 on UA-cam.
These were sporty little cars from Pontiac. Adding the V6 definitely helped performance. Last year one time, I was in a parking lot, and a guy with a beat up old Fiero asked me to give him a push so he could get started. His starter wasn't working and that was the only way he could start the car.
The clip of the back of the car was fucking cool! Hearing the engine was so cool! Always kinda like the fiero, now i get it! I really enjoy your reviews, sticking close to the OG Regular car review style, great work!
The exposed bolts are 100% real, they hold all the faceplates on and make changing stuff easy.
I lived down the street from the Fiero factory in Pontiac, MI. Sad story.
Really enjoyed this video - glad you enjoyed driving the Fiero, its SUCH a unique experience. xoxo
Loved that car I had 4 of them wished I hung on to them since they are worth a lot of money now days!!
Back in the day, you could get the Ferrari Testarossa door scalped body kit on the Fiero. State of the art & cutting edge technology that was truely built for driving excitement & engagement. G.m. styling in the 80's was awesome... When auto makers care for what the customer wanted .
Actually, in the 80’s, American manufacturers were mostly still bean counting and selling the customer on what they bothered to spend the money on. It wasn’t until they began to feel the pinch of import competition that the domestics made more of an effort for the customer.
Also the trunk stays surprisingly cool even on long rides, not much worse then your normal GM car with a big muffler beneath the trunk, as is standard.
The Fiero is a fantastic 7/10ths car; that is to say, it's a lot of fun to drive when you're pushing it at about 70% of what you think it can do; the type of driving most people would describe as enthusiastic driving on the streets. But take it to a track and it'll understeer like a FWD car and refuse to dig out of corner exits. The engine also runs out of steam at around 4,000 RPMs despite redlining at 5,500. The stock brakes and cooling also cannot handle track duty. At 10/10ths this car will try to kill you in several ways while making you frustrated knowing you can't get anywhere near what you want out of it.
Thank you for this video! I loved these cars. So much fun and not terribly expensive.
Great video, that car phone was the cherry on top!
I have an 86 GT in this exact color!!!! It's a very fun car to drive 😊
Im amazed with all the retro cars you've reviewed that you have not done one on the 1993-1997 probe gt 5spd... as cool as the fiero looks, the probe gt is a more solid build, far more refined and powerful engine and great sounding, bone stock..Love to see you review one of them but for the love of God, find a 5 spd, v6 thats Not been pimped out...hard to find but a stock 93 or 94 were some of the best yrs, less emissions,lower ride height,stiffer springs, much better sounding exhausts and lighter in weight than the later models...Definitely worth a review as they still have quite a following and lots of aftermarket...
It’s probably because nobody with a Probe GT has approached him to review the car. I’m sure he’d be open to it.
It's another case of once GM got it right they killed it off
You mean Pontiac got it right and GM killed it because it was a threat to vette program which is their flagship. INSANE!!!
OMG YESSSSSSSS THANK YOU FOR POSTING THIS YOU DID IT! THIS VIDEO IS ON FIRE LOL!
Fire pun intended..
Always loved these. The GT with the much better looking rounded corners have aged quite gracefully I think. They look more like mid to later 90’s in my eyes. The base model ones never looked good (to me).
Very beautyful car.I hope some day not to far could find one,to have it like my favorit car
The cup holder is actually behind the instrument cluster. Between it and the gauge pod
2nd gen Fieros GTs are super cool looking inside & out
I wish someone would make one into a mini me of K I.T.T. aka Knightrider...
GMs parts bin typical R & D slap it together technology...
Chevy Chevette front suspension, brakes & steering
God awful under powdered engines
At least Fieros didn't get the " mandatory " Corvette, Chevette, S10, Astrovan, yaddy yaddy fugly🤮 steering wheel...
That traditional 3 spoker wheel was a great improvement
& love love the deep low slung body, seats & beautiful BBS style wheels...& of course 80's pop up headlights 👌
As always great content video audio commentary demo editing humbleness & honesty...🙏
The fiero was 1 of the coolest Looking american cars out there
That V6 sound of the 80s, good from Pontiac, the 3800 and the modern day 3.6 sounds better lol
Cool. Thanks for the info guys. Hey, I think there was an Indy 500 version too, wasn’t there?
I had one brand new... loved it
A woman I was seing had one of these back then, the car WAS fun if nothing too spirited was expected. A remake would definitely be cool
Nice touch with the reagan bush sticker
I really dove into the 80’s when I bought the car. I even got a baby on board placard for it.
Although the timing doesn't make sense, technically. Those elections were in '80 and '84, and the car's an '86.
Phenomenal content on this channel
I had a friend who bought an 84 Fiero new it was a 4 speed 4 cylinder so that 86 seems like peak Fiero. His had an electrical issue right out of the gate but for the most part it was ok.
Excellent & beautiful condition...
Thank you.
is that an old-school car phone 3:00 ish??? i used to have an '85 GT with the rare 4-speed manual, had to let ie go to relocate in '10. Was planning on a sbc swap, had pretty much everything needed, and had to gtfo of the place i was at. Now, i have an '86 GT that will receive a SC 3800 swap; tried to sell it on consignment and some rectal cranium spun a bearing while test-driving on the original 2.8 with 80k miles. Gonna more than double the HP, and those SC 3800's are basically bullet-proof...
'05 GTP, and "03 Bonneville SSEI will be the donor cars O.O
My dad had one of these but an auto. It was his moms before but was in a wreck. It never drive the same and had a lot of electrical issues. My dad said it was the most problematic cars he’s owned 😂 My neighbor had one in his yard just sitting for many years
BEAUTIFUL!
Thank you.
I think Fieros still look sharp to this day. I especially like the V6 models. 4 cylinder Iron Dukes were junk.
Pontiac Countach, why my sis bought 1 & ❤ it, 2 seat ashtray.
84-87 has a Chevette front suspension and a Chevy Citation rear suspension. Neither of these are sports car material. The 88 has the suspension that it should have had all along. I finally became an actual sports car in 88. I bought my 88 GT brand new in November of 87. I aways enjoy driving it.
I love the bumper sticker!
The engine fire issue is way overblown. It happened on 84 models where neglectful owners would allow leaves and debris to fall down. On the exhaust manifold. It's not the fault of the car if owners neglect them
These are neat little cars. Would have been more successful and fondly remembered if not for the fire issues and the early Iron Duke/4 spd combo. The later models are a LOT better. In typical GM fashion, just as they had gotten it right, they killed it. I really wish these would have come with a Buick 3.8 from the factory, although pre-3800 3.8s werent as sturdy or powerful as the 1988+ 3800s. One of the most common engine swaps for these is a 3.8 so its obviously doable, GM just got it wrong originally sadly.
Great Video and Great looking car!!
Moon roof also detaches and can be stored in the trunk.
The iron puke is not a sporting motor but being a x body rear platform you have this long list of GM's bolt in possibilities...
good video. if you really want to drive the best of the fieros you have to drive an 88. the car was completely redesigned for the 88 model year as far as the suspension goes and it transformed the car. they just got the car right and then they cancelled it. i own 2 88 fieros and on my channel i explore how different the 88 is in one of my video series. so if you want to really understand how good the car is you owe it to yourself to drive an 88. if you find yourself in northern nj i would love to show you my cars.
I’m curious how much more the firebird was compared to the fiero!
If you want to understand the hate thrown at these cars, try driving an '84 with the four speed manual. The spacing on the shift gates was terrible, and the handling left a lot to be desired. Things improved once the four speed was replaced by the 5 speed. Problem was, the first two model years were the best selling ones for the Fiero, so the bad taste was already left in everyone's mouth. By the time they sorted the car out, the damage had been done.
How could you make a video with an 80s car and never pop the headlights once
This is my car and at the time of shooting one of the headlight motors stopped working. It has since been repaired.
Owner forgot to tell you where the cupholder on a fiero actually is lol. In between the gauge pod and the dash itself is a solid cupholder for a 32oz cup, i think it'd pass the test.
Hey good to see I'm not the only one that does that 😂
This car is looking hot.
All said, even if this isn't a "sports car", this is at least a sport compact which is a segment that could use some bolstering. A bit of flair and sportiness loke there os here would at least fight the blandness on the roads today.
By 88, it was a sports car, according to car magazines!!!
So rad
best sounding v6 out there; too bad the performance of that v6 (135 bhp) did not match that wonderful sound!
Great video, thanks
I think the oil shallow front sump on 84 the Fiero caused the engine fires.
I had an 87 G T.Ididn't think the 86 had this body style. The 87 and 88 G T had this body style.
If you want to know how good Fieros really can be, you gotta drive an '88. Maybe ine eith an LS ir a Northstar.
And please review an Adrenalin with a V8.
The Fiero was if a Camaro and Ferrari had a baby. It’s cool looking but tame on the body lines. Not fast cuz 80s hp sucks. But still a very cool looking car.
Not Camaro, Firebird!!!
@@vice4134 mmm idk. The front screams 80s Camaro. Rear end says firebird, but considering both were basically the same car different trim level I can see where youre coming from
Had a freind just traded in a 2006 Solstice w/8000 miles ...think she $10,000...barely driven...had a manual with another truck engine...no joy to drive!!
My friend turned it into a Ferrari Testarossa kit car.
The only thing stored in that center console is a tank full of gasoline
I know these things got better and better, and with the 88 suspension really good. And still reasonably affordable. I've looked over the years for one as a fun car, but I've never been able to get past the interior. Just don't like it - cheap, cheap, cheap.
It’s the same as most domestic interiors of the time, even the Corvette. Just try to overlook the plastic and have fun.
these were cool.
i only discovered this car from breaking bad
Why was the Feiro ragged on? Cause we came out of the awesome cars of the 60s and 70s and everything in the 80s was considered 💩 except for the Grand National
I have a really nice 1994 Sunbird Coupe for you to drive!