I was working at a GM dealership in 1984 and I remember how excited we were when we got the first one in off the truck. We were amazed at the stereo speakers in the headrest, and everything seemed so futuristic at the time!
@@jonathanmorrisey5771 Ultimate Fiero right there 👍 Some would call that a waste of an SSEi motor but I'd say Fiero is the car that 90° Buicks should have gone into the day those engines debuted! It would have saved Fiero, finally made GM a profit on it, and made Fiero a sales fire when supercharged versions came out (not just catch fire like most shitty irondookies did 😆)
@@Drmcclung they had the L27 series I 3800 by the time the fiero production ended, and the series I L67, both put the 60 degree V6 to shame..... but the 3800 got it's real potential with the series II L67. the fiero was long gone and done before that engine debuted. still GM had the hardware to do more with the car.
A friend of mine used to work at "The Fiero Store" which sells repro parts for these things. When he first took the job I was skeptical about whether or not there was enough interest in these cars for that business to last more than a few years. Well, that was 20 years ago and "The Fiero Store" is still going strong as far as I know. These are cool little cars with loyal enthusiasts.
There's a black one sitting forgotten in someones yard about a mile from my house. I keep passing by wanting to stop and ask about it but... It doesn't have a for sale sign on it, and some people get butthurt about it. So I've been sort of reluctant to do so.
@@lilmike2710 - Yeah, anymore these days you gotta watch doing that. People might think you're the government out to get them, and you may end up close and personal with a Glock.
@@michaelnazaruk4100 😏 right? Or cursed out... "Do you see a for f***ing sale sign anywhere?!?" 😡 But if I see someone outside already, then I feel more comfortable with asking.
Steve, 2M4 stood for 2 seat, MID engine, 4 cylinder. (or 2M6 for the 6 banger). A 6:39 you bring up M for manual for the 2nd time. But at 8:16, you can see through the rear window of the red car that it is in fact an automatic.
I owned my 88 Fiero Formula 5 speed for just under a year. 4/22 to 3/23. 42k original miles. Fun but impractical. Sold it and my 91 Camaro to buy a truck. Had a Camaro Trans Am GTA and Fiero Formula all at the same time (profile pic). At 51, nostalgia is a hell of a drug.
The black Fiero is a 1987. The decklid was replaced with a 1984. We can tell by several features & we're surprised you didn't check the VIN Steve because you are so good & thorough! We love your show, keep up the good work sir!
There's a rumor that the real reason the Fiero was discontinued was that the last year model was run on a road course by GM drivers against the Corvette and the Fiero won hands down. GM then said that the Fiero has to go, the corvette is our flagship sports car and we can't have anything out performing it. It would be interesting to see if there is any truth to it. GM did stop the try-power carbs on the GTO, mandating only on the corvette after 1966. I'm 6'4" and I actually fit into the Fiero, I had a 87 GT and it was so much fun,I drove it hard and got tired of replacing clutches, if you want to have fun try replacing a Fiero clutch sometime.
A clutch replacement had to be a sheer nightmare on the Fiero. One would think you may have learned to take it easy on that car after replacing the clutch one time. Or learned not to use the clutch pedal as a footrest.
That's true. It was interfering with Corvette sales too much. The upcoming 1990 model would've had an aluminum V8. That definitely would've killed Corvette profits.
@michaelnazaruk4100 The first time took me three days to complete because of the learning curve. The second time, I started in the morning and finished that evening. The third time with help, it took half the morning. The clutches for the Fiero at the time were crap, two of them actually exploded, and they still had plenty of material on the plates that were still there. The pressure plate was still in excellent condition. And I did run it hard back in the Ozarks back roads, that's what I bought it for. This was in the early 90s. I think I was 30 at the time, 60 now, and a lot more mellow.
A powerful Fiero vs a C1 - C7 Corvette would be like a C8 vs a C1 - C7... Porsche had same problem with mid engine Boxster/Cayman if it had some HP, it would destroy the flagship 911 WidowMaker!
@BuzzLOLOL Remember this 1988, the only place that the corvette won was straight line acceleration, and the Feiro was no competition. But running corners and curves, the corvette couldn't keep up. I'm not putting down the vett, I have a 1993 C4 Corvette, and I drive it daily almost 71,000 mi on it, and I remember my 87 Feiro V-6 5 speed not fast(120+) but light and quick, I also had 86 vett it handled OK, but the hp wasn't there. I'm sure the Feiro was more than capable of out running it in the backroads of the Ozarks where I'm from.
That black one isn’t a 1984 looks to be a 1987 as the front and rear bumper is a 87-88 style piece, steering wheel is later and missing the black buttons on the hvac controls. In 1985 they went to a black off button and gray buttons for the different functions. Also missing the glass sail panels those are 85+ plexiglass sail panels.
The deck lid has been changed to a 84 model. Steve was explaining the speakers which are clearly not in the headrests even though that is what he was saying. The speakers were never in the center stack.
Also the side mouldings are rounded. Those started on the 1987 model year. And the bumpers on the '84 had large, rectangle, black pads on the bumpers. All & All, the black car is not an '84. Hope you get well soon Steve.
the 5 speed started in 87 4 speed till then they also offered a limited amount with T-TOPS and also the sun roof is removeable the m is for Mid engine ...still a great channel man it a daily for me
Hey, Steve. Actually, the Fiero roof glass was completely removable with quick releases. It would store underneath the front hood in a special area. There was also a little plastic air deflector that would clip in place on the roof.
Not to mention the black car even still has the wind deflector under the hood for use when the sunroof is out. Kind of a rare thing to still find with the car in my experience
I remember my Mitsu Eclipse had a similar sunroof setup - either pop it up, or take it out and store it in a protective sleeve, then clip on the deflector. I guess that was a thing for the '80s and early '90s.
I remember the marketing campaign, particularly the excitement they got in the car magazines. There was a lot of enthusiasm. If they’d kept at it, maybe at least offered the Quad Four banger in later model years as an option with a stick until they could figure out something else, it would have been a marked in performance. I remember driving an 88-89 Grand Am with the Quad Four/ automatic and thought it was surprisingly quick.
@@sombra6153 I was in 10th grade when the Fiero dawned......my best high school friend then was a GM fanatic, who loved it. I was always a Ford and Mopar fan, but I still respected Pontiac and Olds way more than chevy. I agree with all you guys....it seems like the right engine and this Fiero might have become a real collectible.....right?
Not correct, 2M4 meant "2-seat, mid-engine, four cylinder". Yup, just like the Impala SS, once GM gets it right, they drop it. Ditto on the Pontiac G8, Epsilon platform and countless others along the way. Back then, GM was quite myopic, and they figured a 1984 Fiero owner might have gotten rid of theirs by 1988 as people often changed cars like socks back then. Someone else noted the black one might not be a 1984, and I think I agree with that. The VIN is slightly different on a 1984 versus 1985 and up, but not by much, with an '84 VIN if we had it for the VIN: 1G2 for US made Pontiac, A for manual seat belts, E for Fiero coupe, 37 for two door coupe, R for 2.5L four cylinder with TBI, aka Iron Duke, then a check digit, E for the 1984 model year, P for Pontiac, MI assembly and the rest is the production sequence. The Pontiac, MI plant closed in 1988 and last assembled the last of the "G" body RWD cars and the Fiero before closing. The '84 is code 41 Black exterior paint. For 1986, the VIN is slightly changed (but mostly the same) with that VIN if we had it for the win: 1G2 for US made Pontiac, PE for Fiero coupe (note the use of the "P" nomenclature), R for 2.5L four cylinder with TBI, aka Iron Duke, then a check digit, then G for 1986 model year, P for Pontiac, MI assembly and the rest is the production sequence. The red one is code 81 Bright Red exterior paint. I was never a fan of them, especially with the use of lower tier model parts, but at least that makes getting parts easy for them and of course with "parts sharing", makes parts replacement very cheap as well.
Yes I used to change vehicles like my socks and like the proverbial cow the grass is always greener on the other side. Sometimes I would get rid of a good vehicle for a piece of junk. 🙃
I always consider these to be what the Corvair might have evolved into had it survived Ralph Nader. Say what you will about GM, but you have to admire them for taking a chance on cars like this that likely would not have gone beyond “what if’s” for the car show circuit with most other manufacturers……..👍
@ddellwo Yeah your probably right the Corvair went for 9 years. I think they had a good run though. I Had a 1962 Rampside abought 6 years ago. Great little truck. Never let me down.
I think I read in Hot Rod magazine years ago that Pontiac was going to put the Buick 3.8 Litre with a super charger or turbo charger in the car but higher up executives wouldn't let them because it would out perform the Vette. A place called T/A performance have aluminum 3.8 Litre blocks, heads and improved timing case with better oil pump available, would make a great engine to swap!. Always wanted one of those 88 GTs thought those were good looking cars.
Great video Steve. My buddy had one back in '84 and it was surely a better Looker than it was Performer. I believe '2m4' denoted 'two-seat, MID-ENGINE, four-cylinder'.
I remember in 83 my dad who is retired from G.M brought home the first fiero built it was a white 2m4 it was the first pilot car. the neighbors were looking at it and wondering what the hell it was.
Good morning from Cape Cod 🦈 my girlfriend had an 88 with a 4-cylinder automatic. It ran well and handled exceptionally well, I could whip an off-ramp doing 80 and hold the road. Of course it was a nightmare to work on. I'm praying for your speedy recovery Steve, keep up the great work and the awesome content 👍✌️🇺🇲
I loved the idea. I loved the style. Someday I hoped to get one. But in 1984 when it came time to buy a new vehicle, I opted for a Chevy S10, with V6, 4x4, and extended cab. It was a decision made with my head rather than my heart. Still love the Fiero original body style. If I could design one from the GM parts bin, it would have the '84 body, the '88 suspension, a N/A 3.4L, and a 5-spd manual. In '87 when we were getting a Quad 4 for our engine lab (U of Minn), we saw a prototype Quad 4 Fiero. The engineers hosting us said it really ripped.
Loved my Fiero. Super Sporty and great gas mileage. Almost 200K miles before selling, never a problem. All too many people overdrove or just didn't maintain and those are the ones who had problems.
I worked at Pontiac when these were new. Entire shop filled with them everyday. Engines, transmissions, recalls, fires, parking brake cables, clutches, check engine lights, AC problems, overheating, coolant leaks, not one good part on them. Good thing, because I bought my first house with the money made.
Yep, that black one for sure is later than an 84. My friend in high school had an 84, which had headrest speakers, 4 speed, and a different steering wheel. Also his had a volt meter below the tach, and not an oil pressure gauge, which must have been deemed more important than voltage for later model years.
I still have my 86 SE V6, 4 speed manual I bought new. The V6 Was a great engine for the car, a 1000 times better than the god awful iron Duke 4 banger. It was quite quick and punchy with the V6. 270.000 miles on it now, still on the road.
Great video! The mention of the Ford EXP reminds me of when I borrowed a friends EXP to take my bride on our honeymoon to Canada…as I thought it would be more dependable than my 76 Caprice ( which ironically had ice cold A/C)! This EXP was so under-engineered that it overheated for most of the journey requiring us to run the heater in August all the way back from Quebec. The 80’s were generally the “era of shoddy” when it came to the automobile ( with a few exceptions).
I bought a brand new base model Fiero in 1987. It was gold, had the 2.5L Iron Duke engine and 5 speed manual. It came with plastic wheel covers, but I bought the Pontiac alloy wheels for it, and also had the factory luggage rack installed on the rear lid. I absolutely loved that car. It was my first new car. I sold it 4 years later to buy a 1976 Corvette. The Fiero came in many body styles, and with 2 different engines. The first model year in 1984 was only available with the 2.5L engine, and had a pointy front end with 2 black plastic "pads". In 1985 and 1986 that style was still available, but there was a model with a longer rounded front end, which had the 2.8L V6 engine, called the GT. In 1987 and 1988 the front end on the base models changed, and was more rounded. The model with the extended front end and V6 became the SE, and the GT got a completely new body style with the extended front end, a "tunnelback" rear much like a Ferrari 308, and the V6 engine. In 1988 the body styles stayed the same, but all the models got a new upgraded suspension, and the manual transmission models got a new German made Getrag transmission. There was also a Formula model available in 1988, with the base body style, a V6 engine, and T tops. The Fiero was a wonderful car, but Roger B.S. killed it. GM had let it get out of control. It was supposed to be a sporty commuter car with a reasonable price (I think I only paid $9,000 for my new '87) but by then the new tunnelback GT cost more than twice that much. Because it looked like a sports car, all the magazines complained about its lack of engine performance and handling, and it started getting priced into Corvette territory, and GM did not want competition for the Corvette. Had they left the original Fiero alone, and continued to sell it as a sporty, fun, but inexpensive commuter car, it would have been fine. With the exception of the 1968-1977 Corvette coupe, the Fiero remains my favorite GM car.
In the early 2000's, my best friend had an 87 GT Fiero 5 speed. He put in a 4.3 liter ,and that little thing was absolutely a blast. It had the rear wing on it, which I thought it made the car look so much cooler 😎 Honestly, it was like a little bit bigger road course racing Go Kart! This thing would take corners like it was a slot car! My friend was a damn good driver and I will say that he had out run a few police in his day. The cornering, the awesome git up and go of his GT Fiero was almost scary. The only thing that I didn't like about it was trying to get out of the darn thing. Seriously, you were sitting 4½ inches off of the ground. Oh, he did put on a set of road course racing slicks on all 4 corners for a while, and the fun got even more exciting!😮😅😂❤ I really miss him. He fell at home one night 8 years ago, just outside of his sons bedroom door, and his boy never heard a thing. He found him laying there the next morning 😢. I miss him every day😢. He was a great mechanic and a Hoot to be around with, God bless him. Okay, enough about that. YUP, the Fiero was an awesome, amazing, fun car to drive. Chevrolet should kinda re-vamp them. They could call it the "Critter". Make them kinda like a smaller Corvette, yeah, a Critter! Haa Haa!😂 I like it!😅😊❤❤❤ With today's technology, just imagine the fuel mileage and the rear wheel horse power. Holy Moley! WOWSER! Okay Chevrolet, let's get some on the way! WOO-HOO!😂
I've owned my 85 GT since new. It's got the 2.8 V6 and 4 speed manual transmission. The 5 speed became available the next year I believe. From what I remember reading at the time it was insurance cost that drove sales down and resulted in the model being dropped. That being said I'm sure the next model year would have yielded some better performance in the engine bay. The Olds Quad 4 was the hot ticket at the time and I've seen a prototype from the factory that was so equipped. A review of the 88' in car and driver said that it had a new transmission made by Gertag in Germany that was rated for twice the horsepower that the V6 was making. Pontiac surely had something planned. The front suspension was all Chevy Chevette stuff and the rear engine cradle and suspension was pulled from the Chevy Citation. The 88' car had a completely redesigned front suspension. Pontiac spent a pretty penny to change a factory over to the 'mill and drill' body mounting so they told the engineers to use every possible piece from the parts bins. I've got 47k miles on my 85 and I rarely see another when I'm out driving, unless I cruise by the salvage yard!
Mine's white also with the grey interior and the wheels look like small versions of the TransAm wheel. The bolt pattern is different, I checked!@@BuzzLOLOL
Steve - that Fierro model with the 400 is awesome! You ought to finish it. Hopefully some old Pontiac enthusiast’s heart (and back tires) will be warmed today after watching your video. I don’t remember exactly the chronology, but Dodge had a mid engine four banger concept car around that time (Charlie Sheen, “The Wraith.”). Don’t know if the Fierro had them exploring to see if there was a market in America. Toyota brought the MR2 to dealerships across the US right after the Fierro debuted, IIRC.
Ha, so funny I wasn't the only one Frankensteining model cars, back as far as 1st grade show and tell I would show up to class with my presentation and loved the other kids response. Must say your rendition of the Fierhoe would have been the top of the class Steve, 400ci, holy guacamole 🔥💯
Hi Steve, I had a 1984 from new. It was a 4 speed with the removable sunroof. Great car. Drove it cross country, got great gas mileage. Wish I waited until 1988 to get the GT.
I owned an 84 in Guam. Very non-standard to work on. I took it for a new alternator to a shop that advertised "free installation". When they saw my Fiero they said they'd have to charge me an additional $100 for the installation (very counter-intuitive process). I asked if they could lend me a couple of wrenches. Five minutes later I had my alternator out. They were so surprised and asked me how I did it. I told them it would cost them $100 for me to show them. I guess they weren't that curious ... the belt always squealed (see the movie "Mud" for confirmation of that). Fun car!... worth all the tubes of belt dressing.
@@Lazarov_Tweevles Thanks for watching and writing. I'm still recovering from encephalitis but am making progress. It lifts my spirits to get viewer feedback. -Steve Magnante
I had a shop tell me that also. The isaue was they went by what their estimator guide said. The problem with that is the standards and the automatics were two different animals when it came to removing the alternators. In the autos it had to be removed from the top as the transmission was in the way and it included removed the wishbone and other parts. The standards on the other hand could be taken out the bottom and I did it more than once over the many years I owned them. I also helped do a alternatir job on an auto and it truely was an absolute bear getting it out. I told them the same. "Give me a couple wrenches and I'll set it on your counter in under 10 minutes"
These things are great! My friend was running with these, we did an engine rear chassis swap in a new england in February! Five dollars of gas would let us run all over on the weekend!
My attentions went away from Fieros to that blue Cutlass sitting up high behind them. I'd like to see a Steve presentation of the final Oldsmobile Cutlass years.
A friend of mine had previously owned a 65 S Barracuda, bought new! Years later he discovered that his 5 on 4” Mopar A body wheels bolted on to his new Fiero, so he didn’t need to buy new wheels to mount his old snow tires.
Body exteriors are made of 3 things - SMC (sheet molded compound) for the fenders, door skins, panels behind the doors. Fibreglass for the front and rear hoods, roof panel. Urethane for the F&R bumpers.
@@DrFiero SMC Sheet Molded Compound was used for the hood, roof, rear upper quarter, and rear decklid. RRIM Reinforced Reaction Injection Molded urethane was used for fenders, door panels, and lower rear quarters. The rear lowers were later changed to injection molded nylon. RIM Reaction Injected Molded urethane was used for front and rear fascias. TPO Thermoplastic Olefin was used for rocker panels. Bexley Resin Blow-Molded by DuPont This material (not fiberglass) was used for the spoiler or "wing" on all Fieros as far as we know. The supports are made of TPO. Conventional "Bondo" (polyester resin) should not be used to repair any Fiero body panel. Repair products should specifically state they are compatible with the body panel material. I.e.: "Suitable for SMC repairs." Any competent body shop can handle repairs to the Fiero body panels. Shops which specialize in body repair for Saturns would be particularly capable since the Saturn uses similar body materials. Since new body panels rarely turn up on the market, the best source for them is a donor vehicle. Check the "Parts Sources" page for suppliers. Engine Vents: The deck lid vents on the '84 Fiero were made of magnesium and were spectacular when they caught fire! Subsequent years used aluminum. For those interested, the body panels of the Fiero were made in the following locations: Front Fascia - RRIM supplied by GM Canada Hood - SMC supplied by General Tire and Rubber Headlamp Doors - SMC supplied by GTR Front Fenders - RRIM supplied by Oldsmobile Roof - SMC supplied by Premix Door Panel - RRIM supplied by Oldsmobile Rocker Panels - TPO supplied by G.P. Plastics Panel, front of Rear Wheel - R. RIM supplied by Oldsmobile Rear Quarter - SMC supplied by BUDD Rear Deck Lid - SMC supplied by BUDD Rear Fascia - RRIM supplied by Guide Division Wing - Bexley Resin blow-molded by DuPont
@@googleuser6635I have one. I can show you fiberglass where it is scaling near the sunroof. Urethane, SMC, and RIM molded panels. SMC is is a glass fiber reinforced polyester compound and is what the hood roof and rear deck lids were made of
I had a good friend who had one of these, I think it was an 84 model. It was bronze with a tan cloth interior. It was a nice car and definitely different from other cars of the day. I do applaud Pontiac and GM for producing this vehicle even though it could have been better. This was a bold move in the 1980s where everyone was looking for small cars with good gas mileage. Performance was not the first thing on the list.
I was given an impromptu tour of the Fiero assembly line early in the launch before they were released to the public. Interesting that you show a model kit, because that's just how the plastic body panels came into the assembly plant. Just like a giant Monogram kit! LOL! The gas cap was on a sprue inside the sunroof opening of the roof panel.
They weren't far off when they said that the Camaro & Firebird were going to front wheel drive. Back in 88/89, the Beretta was rumored to be the f body replacement. Thank goodness that cooler heads prevailed and the f body lived on in RWD form.
Ford was going to replace the Mustang with the Probe and many folks wrote letters (back when you did that) to Ford corporate in protest and it worked as the Mustang remained rear wheel drive and was sold alongside the Probe. The Probe is gone, but the Mustang obviously made it out.
The 3800 would have been the PERFECT engine for this car. Not too big or too much torque for the size of car that it is like a V8 would be but still enough power and torque to make a small, light weight 2 seater a total blast to drive.
@@redmondjp That's cool but really even that's a little overkill for this car. The 200 hp and 220 lb/ft tq of the base Gen II 3800 from 1998-2003 is just the absolute SWEET spot for a car like this. Enough to make it a blast to drive, but not overkill to where you'll just drive it right into a telephone pole by just touching the gas.
@@joe6096 That makes sense - I hot-rodded one of my former cars to the point that it had way more engine than handling and brakes, resulting in on accident and a few near-misses. I was scared to drive it after that (especially in the rain) and got rid of it. To me, the Fiero is the reincarnation of many early-1960s GM vehicles which were far ahead of their time technology-wise (Corvair & Tempest comes to mind), but the car-buying public really didn't take notice, and then after improvements, were cancelled.
Chris is one of my favorite players. It breaks my heart that he got used up by a certain someone who will remain unnamed. That's a First for me. Also praying for Johnny Neel. Rattlebone was a great concept and a great record. Prayers also for Monte🙏
I have a 88 gt. I wasnt ever a super huge fan of them. Nothing bad just didn't care either way very much. In the mid 2000's I had a Regal gs with the 3800sc and had a few mods done to it. I loved that engine so much I sought out a clean 88gt and Shoehorned a slightly 3800sc into it. It's a very fun car now! Its fun to mess around with and mod. Last year I built a equal length exhaust for it to give it a Little more of a exotic sound.
I am glad you mentioned that those had the coolant pipes mounted inside the sill/rocker panels. When these came out, GoodYear and Firestone got a bulletin on how to lift them for maintenance and tire changes, on a 4 point hoist. Jacking points were critical! My neighbor had an early 86 with the 2.8 V6 and 4 speed. The ratios were all wrong for a sports car and though the engine had 45 more hp, the 5 speed 2.5 was actually more fun to drive with its closer ratios. That would change for 87 when V6 cars got a new 5 speed. I got to drive an 88 that the owner retro fitted a 3.1 vin T engine into from a later model N car, and it moved pretty good with the 5 speed. I agree that GM pulled the plug too early, but I have read that the rep of the car had been tarnished by fires that had turned off repeat buyers. It should be noted that the fires happened on the 4's, not the V6s.
A friend of mine back in the 80s, Scott B. had ine of the first gen models. The thing is, he (his dad) traded his 1968 Mercury Cougar for it.... Or rather, sold the cougar and went and put a down payment on it. Although I thought the little white Fiero was pretty cool, i would have much rather had the Mercury, had it been me.
Thank you and Super Shane as always. I friend of mine bought an 86 GT brand new. The car was quick, fun, and good on fuel. In short, right for the time. As you said, it’s a shame they cancelled it just as it really hit its stride. ~ Chuck. P.S. It was great to catch a glimpse of Pat Ganahl’s by line.
I bought an 85 6 cylinder Fiero new. It wasn't the GT model, but it didn't have the problems the 4 cylinder had. Sold it a few years later. Probably should have kept it!
Please everyone who cares about Steve, watch as many of his videos as possible to support him in his recovery. Thanks
What’s wrong with Steve?
When most college juniors would be studying for finals and partying when able… Steve was in his dorm room building plastic Fieros. I love it
I am so proud to be a owner of a 1986 fiero! Still a daily driver today!
I was working at a GM dealership in 1984 and I remember how excited we were when we got the first one in off the truck. We were amazed at the stereo speakers in the headrest, and everything seemed so futuristic at the time!
I had an 85 with a v8 shoehorned in , it was an absolute beast, if I had to do it all over again I would use a 3800 Buick motor.
This. 100% this! Buick 3800 and Fiero were just meant to be, a totally missed opportunity by GM
@@Drmcclung There's a '88 in my area running a 3800 supercharged.
@@jonathanmorrisey5771 Ultimate Fiero right there 👍 Some would call that a waste of an SSEi motor but I'd say Fiero is the car that 90° Buicks should have gone into the day those engines debuted! It would have saved Fiero, finally made GM a profit on it, and made Fiero a sales fire when supercharged versions came out (not just catch fire like most shitty irondookies did 😆)
I had a friend who put a 3800 in one: he said it was awesome on dry pavement.
@@Drmcclung they had the L27 series I 3800 by the time the fiero production ended, and the series I L67, both put the 60 degree V6 to shame..... but the 3800 got it's real potential with the series II L67. the fiero was long gone and done before that engine debuted.
still GM had the hardware to do more with the car.
12minutes and 29seconds off great car knowledge. Thanks Steve
Lots of mistakes in this one...
A friend of mine used to work at "The Fiero Store" which sells repro parts for these things. When he first took the job I was skeptical about whether or not there was enough interest in these cars for that business to last more than a few years. Well, that was 20 years ago and "The Fiero Store" is still going strong as far as I know. These are cool little cars with loyal enthusiasts.
People swap all sorts of engines into them which is a feat in itself. It's not an easy car to work on, that's for sure.
There's a black one sitting forgotten in someones yard about a mile from my house.
I keep passing by wanting to stop and ask about it but... It doesn't have a for sale sign on it, and some people get butthurt about it. So I've been sort of reluctant to do so.
@@lilmike2710 - Yeah, anymore these days you gotta watch doing that. People might think you're the government out to get them, and you may end up close and personal with a Glock.
@@michaelnazaruk4100 😏 right? Or cursed out... "Do you see a for f***ing sale sign anywhere?!?" 😡 But if I see someone outside already, then I feel more comfortable with asking.
@@lilmike2710 - And if they don't have a holster on.
Steve, 2M4 stood for 2 seat, MID engine, 4 cylinder. (or 2M6 for the 6 banger). A 6:39 you bring up M for manual for the 2nd time. But at 8:16, you can see through the rear window of the red car that it is in fact an automatic.
He gets a lot of things wrong
@@danielknepper6884- I think he's got too much info in his brain & it's easy to mix things up. Hes frequently correcting himself quickly.
Yep. We had some of the Fiero design engineers come to our Society of Automotive Engineers meeting back in '84 and that stood out to me.
@@danielknepper6884 That's OK, we're all human. He does things fast and in one take, so mistakes will happen.
@@umrmech84 You mean "T Body (Chevette)" and "X Body (Citation)" engineers mostly because the early Fieros raided those parts bins heavily. LOL.
I owned my 88 Fiero Formula 5 speed for just under a year. 4/22 to 3/23. 42k original miles. Fun but impractical. Sold it and my 91 Camaro to buy a truck. Had a Camaro Trans Am GTA and Fiero Formula all at the same time (profile pic). At 51, nostalgia is a hell of a drug.
This is an amazing junk yard. Steve has an abundance of vehicles to talk about.
Steve is the man!
The black Fiero is a 1987. The decklid was replaced with a 1984. We can tell by several features & we're surprised you didn't check the VIN Steve because you are so good & thorough! We love your show, keep up the good work sir!
I was wondering about that, actually made a comment, I saw it had like 87 88 headlights and the steering wheel and some other things.
Came to the comment section to point this out. Glad that someone has already beat me to it.
Yes, so many mistakes in this one... if the speakers would have been in the headrests, there would have been little round holes over them...
The front looks like it's from an 88. It doesn't have the two bumper pads of the earlier ones.
Thorough? The moron running his mouth?
No one has mentioned the mono paint scheme on the dark Fiero.
My grandfather had an 85 LTD. That was what he drove when i was born!
My 82 Continental is also a four door fox body, and its so much fun to drive!
“Disco sauce”, my new favorite Steve Mags quote. Thanks for sharing.
There's a rumor that the real reason the Fiero was discontinued was that the last year model was run on a road course by GM drivers against the Corvette and the Fiero won hands down.
GM then said that the Fiero has to go, the corvette is our flagship sports car and we can't have anything out performing it.
It would be interesting to see if there is any truth to it.
GM did stop the try-power carbs on the GTO, mandating only on the corvette after 1966.
I'm 6'4" and I actually fit into the Fiero, I had a 87 GT and it was so much fun,I drove it hard and got tired of replacing clutches, if you want to have fun try replacing a Fiero clutch sometime.
A clutch replacement had to be a sheer nightmare on the Fiero. One would think you may have learned to take it easy on that car after replacing the clutch one time. Or learned not to use the clutch pedal as a footrest.
That's true. It was interfering with Corvette sales too much. The upcoming 1990 model would've had an aluminum V8. That definitely would've killed Corvette profits.
@michaelnazaruk4100
The first time took me three days to complete because of the learning curve.
The second time, I started in the morning and finished that evening.
The third time with help, it took half the morning.
The clutches for the Fiero at the time were crap, two of them actually exploded, and they still had plenty of material on the plates that were still there.
The pressure plate was still in excellent condition.
And I did run it hard back in the Ozarks back roads, that's what I bought it for.
This was in the early 90s. I think I was 30 at the time, 60 now, and a lot more mellow.
A powerful Fiero vs a C1 - C7 Corvette would be like a C8 vs a C1 - C7...
Porsche had same problem with mid engine Boxster/Cayman if it had some HP, it would destroy the flagship 911 WidowMaker!
@BuzzLOLOL
Remember this 1988, the only place that the corvette won was straight line acceleration, and the Feiro was no competition.
But running corners and curves, the corvette couldn't keep up.
I'm not putting down the vett, I have a 1993 C4 Corvette, and I drive it daily almost 71,000 mi on it, and I remember my 87 Feiro V-6 5 speed not fast(120+) but light and quick, I also had 86 vett it handled OK, but the hp wasn't there.
I'm sure the Feiro was more than capable of out running it in the backroads of the Ozarks where I'm from.
Speedy Recovery Steve. The automotive world is pulling for you and your family. 💪💪💪💕
I believe the iron Duke was the power plant in the venerable mail truck for decades.
Yeah i believe thst is correct, for him to say "not a bad little engine" is crazy. That is one of the best little engines just not high HP.
Iron Duke was in tons of vehicles... AMC and Jeep... and industrial/commercial apps... like leaf vacuums...
Still is. A very solid engine.
My brother had a boat with an inboard iron duke engine@@BuzzLOLOL
@@blowupbob1 - Yeah, that marine 4 was available in 2.5L and 3.0L... bigger than the Fiero 2.8L V6...
That black one isn’t a 1984 looks to be a 1987 as the front and rear bumper is a 87-88 style piece, steering wheel is later and missing the black buttons on the hvac controls. In 1985 they went to a black off button and gray buttons for the different functions. Also missing the glass sail panels those are 85+ plexiglass sail panels.
Ok good I wasn't going crazy when I had red flags going up as he described the black front end as an '84!
yep noticed that right way. Def a later base model 87/88 would be my guess as well.
The deck lid has been changed to a 84 model. Steve was explaining the speakers which are clearly not in the headrests even though that is what he was saying. The speakers were never in the center stack.
@@robertcross5794No, headrest speakers was what he never said.
Also the side mouldings are rounded. Those started on the 1987 model year. And the bumpers on the '84 had large, rectangle, black pads on the bumpers. All & All, the black car is not an '84. Hope you get well soon Steve.
the 5 speed started in 87 4 speed till then they also offered a limited amount with T-TOPS and also the sun roof is removeable the m is for Mid engine ...still a great channel man it a daily for me
Godspeed Steve!
My wife & I bought a brand new 1984 black Fiero when they first were offered....a cool little car that we enjoyed
I like that barbecue grille by the back window to heat up a grilled cheese sandwich while driving
Remember when I was a kid in the 80's, finding one parked in the road. Thought it looked so futuristic!!!
Hey, Steve. Actually, the Fiero roof glass was completely removable with quick releases. It would store underneath the front hood in a special area. There was also a little plastic air deflector that would clip in place on the roof.
True, but he was really comparing the removable targa style roof on other cars compared to the "fixed" roof of the Fiero.
Not to mention the black car even still has the wind deflector under the hood for use when the sunroof is out. Kind of a rare thing to still find with the car in my experience
The fancy little black bag that sunroof went in was like 250 bucks😢
The thing about the Fiero roof glass is that it was almost the entire roof... Pillar to pillar. Like Steve says, "Almost as good"
I remember my Mitsu Eclipse had a similar sunroof setup - either pop it up, or take it out and store it in a protective sleeve, then clip on the deflector. I guess that was a thing for the '80s and early '90s.
Steve, great show and amazing info. This time though, you showed the true Steve. You were a nerd in college.😁
It's a shame Pontiac gave up after 4 years......this car should have been huge.
I remember the marketing campaign, particularly the excitement they got in the car magazines. There was a lot of enthusiasm. If they’d kept at it, maybe at least offered the Quad Four banger in later model years as an option with a stick until they could figure out something else, it would have been a marked in performance. I remember driving an 88-89 Grand Am with the Quad Four/ automatic and thought it was surprisingly quick.
Yeah, it could have been huge, but GM wanted the Corvette to be their biggest 2 seater, so they decided to make it smaller than the 'Vette. 🙂
Imagine if it got the Buick grand national 3.8 turbo engine or the cyclone 4.3 turbo
@@sombra6153 I was in 10th grade when the Fiero dawned......my best high school friend then was a GM fanatic, who loved it.
I was always a Ford and Mopar fan, but I still respected Pontiac and Olds way more than chevy.
I agree with all you guys....it seems like the right engine and this Fiero might have become a real collectible.....right?
5 model years
I almost bought one of these in 1984 but ended up purchasing a Mazda 626 2dr coupe. The Mazda was a really nice car and I had no regrets.
Not correct, 2M4 meant "2-seat, mid-engine, four cylinder".
Yup, just like the Impala SS, once GM gets it right, they drop it. Ditto on the Pontiac G8, Epsilon platform and countless others along the way. Back then, GM was quite myopic, and they figured a 1984 Fiero owner might have gotten rid of theirs by 1988 as people often changed cars like socks back then. Someone else noted the black one might not be a 1984, and I think I agree with that.
The VIN is slightly different on a 1984 versus 1985 and up, but not by much, with an '84 VIN if we had it for the VIN: 1G2 for US made Pontiac, A for manual seat belts, E for Fiero coupe, 37 for two door coupe, R for 2.5L four cylinder with TBI, aka Iron Duke, then a check digit, E for the 1984 model year, P for Pontiac, MI assembly and the rest is the production sequence. The Pontiac, MI plant closed in 1988 and last assembled the last of the "G" body RWD cars and the Fiero before closing. The '84 is code 41 Black exterior paint.
For 1986, the VIN is slightly changed (but mostly the same) with that VIN if we had it for the win: 1G2 for US made Pontiac, PE for Fiero coupe (note the use of the "P" nomenclature), R for 2.5L four cylinder with TBI, aka Iron Duke, then a check digit, then G for 1986 model year, P for Pontiac, MI assembly and the rest is the production sequence. The red one is code 81 Bright Red exterior paint.
I was never a fan of them, especially with the use of lower tier model parts, but at least that makes getting parts easy for them and of course with "parts sharing", makes parts replacement very cheap as well.
Yes I used to change vehicles like my socks and like the proverbial cow the grass is always greener on the other side.
Sometimes I would get rid of a good vehicle for a piece of junk. 🙃
@@garymckee8857 That's how some folks were. I kept/keep my vehicles for the long haul, but that's me.
@googleusergp I only had one vehicle that I really liked and it was a 69 Roadrunner but l had to sale it to help my mom out.
@@garymckee8857 It happens. Fortunately, we kept the Trans Am that we bought new.
I always consider these to be what the Corvair might have evolved into had it survived Ralph Nader. Say what you will about GM, but you have to admire them for taking a chance on cars like this that likely would not have gone beyond “what if’s” for the car show circuit with most other manufacturers……..👍
@ddellwo Yeah your probably right the Corvair went for 9 years. I think they had a good run though. I Had a 1962 Rampside abought 6 years ago. Great little truck. Never let me down.
I think I read in Hot Rod magazine years ago that Pontiac was going to put the Buick 3.8 Litre with a super charger or turbo charger in the car but higher up executives wouldn't let them because it would out perform the Vette. A place called T/A performance have aluminum 3.8 Litre blocks, heads and improved timing case with better oil pump available, would make a great engine to swap!. Always wanted one of those 88 GTs thought those were good looking cars.
Great content Steve. Just a note that the 1984 only had a 4 speed Stick. So that dark Fiero is Not a 84.
Yes, an '87... with no speakers in headrests...
Great video Steve. My buddy had one back in '84 and it was surely a better Looker than it was Performer. I believe '2m4' denoted 'two-seat, MID-ENGINE, four-cylinder'.
that is correct and later the 2M6 for the 2.8L V6.
I remember in 83 my dad who is retired from G.M brought home the first fiero built it was a white 2m4 it was the first pilot car. the neighbors were looking at it and wondering what the hell it was.
I had a 1987 SE 2m6 Silver 4 speed back in High School back in 1994, I loved it
God Bless Steve...may he get better... wish they had put a Turbo Quad4 in it.
Always liked that car. Never owned one but always looked for one.
I had seen this one before but it's always good to see them again. Hope you are well enough to bring us new videos soon, Steve.
Good morning from Cape Cod 🦈 my girlfriend had an 88 with a 4-cylinder automatic. It ran well and handled exceptionally well, I could whip an off-ramp doing 80 and hold the road. Of course it was a nightmare to work on. I'm praying for your speedy recovery Steve, keep up the great work and the awesome content 👍✌️🇺🇲
I worked on a few of these when they were new/newer. Very intriguing car when you really get under it and into it.
I loved the idea. I loved the style. Someday I hoped to get one. But in 1984 when it came time to buy a new vehicle, I opted for a Chevy S10, with V6, 4x4, and extended cab. It was a decision made with my head rather than my heart. Still love the Fiero original body style. If I could design one from the GM parts bin, it would have the '84 body, the '88 suspension, a N/A 3.4L, and a 5-spd manual. In '87 when we were getting a Quad 4 for our engine lab (U of Minn), we saw a prototype Quad 4 Fiero. The engineers hosting us said it really ripped.
Nice one again Steve. Bud of mine had an 85. Good stuff here. Prayers for you. God speed Steve.
Loved my Fiero. Super Sporty and great gas mileage.
Almost 200K miles before selling, never a problem.
All too many people overdrove or just didn't maintain and those are the ones who had problems.
I worked at Pontiac when these were new. Entire shop filled with them everyday. Engines, transmissions, recalls, fires, parking brake cables, clutches, check engine lights, AC problems, overheating, coolant leaks, not one good part on them. Good thing, because I bought my first house with the money made.
Yep, that black one for sure is later than an 84. My friend in high school had an 84, which had headrest speakers, 4 speed, and a different steering wheel. Also his had a volt meter below the tach, and not an oil pressure gauge, which must have been deemed more important than voltage for later model years.
Really cool, underappreciated little cars! They just needed an engine. It would be fun to play with one of these. Thanks, Steve! That was fun! ✌️❤️🙂🇨🇦
I still have my 86 SE V6, 4 speed manual I bought new. The V6 Was a great engine for the car, a 1000 times better than the god awful iron Duke 4 banger. It was quite quick and punchy with the V6. 270.000 miles on it now, still on the road.
I had a couple Fieros back in the early 90's. One had the sunroof with the deflector & bag.
My best friends older brother had the last year 1988. And I think it was a 6 speed. Maybe I’m wrong but the designs of that body were sweet.
We're all pulling for you Steve. Hope to see you soon
Not a family car but I really liked them. People who have them are holding onto them and I don’t blame them.
Great video! The mention of the Ford EXP reminds me of when I borrowed a friends EXP to take my bride on our honeymoon to Canada…as I thought it would be more dependable than my 76 Caprice ( which ironically had ice cold A/C)! This EXP was so under-engineered that it overheated for most of the journey requiring us to run the heater in August all the way back from Quebec. The 80’s were generally the “era of shoddy” when it came to the automobile ( with a few exceptions).
Get well Steve!!!
I bought a brand new base model Fiero in 1987. It was gold, had the 2.5L Iron Duke engine and 5 speed manual. It came with plastic wheel covers, but I bought the Pontiac alloy wheels for it, and also had the factory luggage rack installed on the rear lid. I absolutely loved that car. It was my first new car. I sold it 4 years later to buy a 1976 Corvette. The Fiero came in many body styles, and with 2 different engines. The first model year in 1984 was only available with the 2.5L engine, and had a pointy front end with 2 black plastic "pads". In 1985 and 1986 that style was still available, but there was a model with a longer rounded front end, which had the 2.8L V6 engine, called the GT. In 1987 and 1988 the front end on the base models changed, and was more rounded. The model with the extended front end and V6 became the SE, and the GT got a completely new body style with the extended front end, a "tunnelback" rear much like a Ferrari 308, and the V6 engine. In 1988 the body styles stayed the same, but all the models got a new upgraded suspension, and the manual transmission models got a new German made Getrag transmission. There was also a Formula model available in 1988, with the base body style, a V6 engine, and T tops. The Fiero was a wonderful car, but Roger B.S. killed it. GM had let it get out of control. It was supposed to be a sporty commuter car with a reasonable price (I think I only paid $9,000 for my new '87) but by then the new tunnelback GT cost more than twice that much. Because it looked like a sports car, all the magazines complained about its lack of engine performance and handling, and it started getting priced into Corvette territory, and GM did not want competition for the Corvette. Had they left the original Fiero alone, and continued to sell it as a sporty, fun, but inexpensive commuter car, it would have been fine. With the exception of the 1968-1977 Corvette coupe, the Fiero remains my favorite GM car.
Class settle down. Professor Magnante is starting his lecture on auto history. Continued solid work, thanks
Unfortunately, tons of mistakes in this one...
@@BuzzLOLOL I agree, the Fiero had a lot of potential. Starting with a lame 4 cylinder is just one
You mean the moron running his mouth in the video?
@@stevethomas760 The Iron Duke 4 is fantastic for economy, longevity, and cruising... of course, not so much for racing...
Love you katie ! hope your ok today
Prayers to you and your family my friend
I love that fiero model that you built,steve. It's awesome.
In the early 2000's, my best friend had an 87 GT Fiero 5 speed. He put in a 4.3 liter ,and that little thing was absolutely a blast. It had the rear wing on it, which I thought it made the car look so much cooler 😎
Honestly, it was like a little bit bigger road course racing
Go Kart! This thing would take corners like it was a slot car!
My friend was a damn good driver and I will say that he had out run a few police in his day. The cornering, the awesome git up and go of his GT Fiero was almost scary. The only thing that I didn't like about it was trying to get out of the darn thing. Seriously, you were sitting 4½ inches off of the ground. Oh, he did put on a set of road course racing slicks on all 4 corners for a while, and the fun got even more exciting!😮😅😂❤
I really miss him. He fell at home one night 8 years ago, just outside of his sons bedroom door, and his boy never heard a thing. He found him laying there the next morning 😢. I miss him every day😢. He was a great mechanic and a Hoot to be around with, God bless him.
Okay, enough about that.
YUP, the Fiero was an awesome, amazing, fun car to drive.
Chevrolet should kinda re-vamp them. They could call it the "Critter".
Make them kinda like a smaller Corvette, yeah, a Critter! Haa Haa!😂 I like it!😅😊❤❤❤
With today's technology, just imagine the fuel mileage and the rear wheel horse power. Holy Moley!
WOWSER!
Okay Chevrolet, let's get some on the way! WOO-HOO!😂
If you're not aware. Steve is in the hospital. Im re-watching his videos to try to help him pay the bills. Please do the same.
Get well soon Steve!!!
A note on the transaxles, the 5 speed wasn't available until 1985 with the 4 cylinder and 1986 with the V6.
My '85 GT did not have rear speakers in the cab, only in the dashboard and built into the headrests of the seats.
I don't think it's an 84. Nose looks like the later nose and no speaker in the headrest...and no 5; speed
Black one is an '87 with some older body parts...
That Fiero with the "fuel injection" badges is indeed correct. The Iron Duke 4 in the Fiero had throttle body injection.
Still, technically fuel injection, just mechanical, not electronic.
@@davidgalinat4257 It was still electronic fuel injection. Just a single throttle body injector.
GM's mechanical FI disappeared with '58 Pontiac and '65 Corvette... EFI started with '75 Caddy Seville... all Fieros TBI or DPI EFI...
@@BuzzLOLOLThe 6 cyl was multiport injection.
@@vanceogden2482 - Yes, DPI... Direct Port Injection into all 6 ports...
I've owned my 85 GT since new. It's got the 2.8 V6 and 4 speed manual transmission. The 5 speed became available the next year I believe. From what I remember reading at the time it was insurance cost that drove sales down and resulted in the model being dropped. That being said I'm sure the next model year would have yielded some better performance in the engine bay. The Olds Quad 4 was the hot ticket at the time and I've seen a prototype from the factory that was so equipped. A review of the 88' in car and driver said that it had a new transmission made by Gertag in Germany that was rated for twice the horsepower that the V6 was making. Pontiac surely had something planned. The front suspension was all Chevy Chevette stuff and the rear engine cradle and suspension was pulled from the Chevy Citation. The 88' car had a completely redesigned front suspension. Pontiac spent a pretty penny to change a factory over to the 'mill and drill' body mounting so they told the engineers to use every possible piece from the parts bins. I've got 47k miles on my 85 and I rarely see another when I'm out driving, unless I cruise by the salvage yard!
I have a white '85, it has the unusual finned wheels...
Mine's white also with the grey interior and the wheels look like small versions of the TransAm wheel. The bolt pattern is different, I checked!@@BuzzLOLOL
@@markmalm3713 - Fieros prolly have a version of the FWD lug nuts pattern...
The fiero was dropped by GM because it failed the 35 MPH crash test into a concrete wall
@@gregorylyon1004 - Actually, Fieros were top rated at 5 Stars in crash tests...
Steve - that Fierro model with the 400 is awesome! You ought to finish it. Hopefully some old Pontiac enthusiast’s heart (and back tires) will be warmed today after watching your video. I don’t remember exactly the chronology, but Dodge had a mid engine four banger concept car around that time (Charlie Sheen, “The Wraith.”). Don’t know if the Fierro had them exploring to see if there was a market in America. Toyota brought the MR2 to dealerships across the US right after the Fierro debuted, IIRC.
Interesting cars, thanks Steve.
Get well soon!
Ha, so funny I wasn't the only one Frankensteining model cars, back as far as 1st grade show and tell I would show up to class with my presentation and loved the other kids response. Must say your rendition of the Fierhoe would have been the top of the class Steve, 400ci, holy guacamole 🔥💯
Hi Steve, I had a 1984 from new. It was a 4 speed with the removable sunroof. Great car. Drove it cross country, got great gas mileage. Wish I waited until 1988 to get the GT.
2:16 that mountain dew big mouth bottle is such a throwback!
Good observation!🎉
Good pee bottles lol
@@MicroSoftner you know it ;)
That magazine was released in July 83 and i was born in July 83, saludos Steve!
My friend had a 1984 one and he liked it.
I owned an 84 in Guam. Very non-standard to work on. I took it for a new alternator to a shop that advertised "free installation". When they saw my Fiero they said they'd have to charge me an additional $100 for the installation (very counter-intuitive process). I asked if they could lend me a couple of wrenches. Five minutes later I had my alternator out. They were so surprised and asked me how I did it. I told them it would cost them $100 for me to show them. I guess they weren't that curious ... the belt always squealed (see the movie "Mud" for confirmation of that). Fun car!... worth all the tubes of belt dressing.
@@Lazarov_Tweevles Thanks for watching and writing. I'm still recovering from encephalitis but am making progress. It lifts my spirits to get viewer feedback. -Steve Magnante
I had a shop tell me that also. The isaue was they went by what their estimator guide said. The problem with that is the standards and the automatics were two different animals when it came to removing the alternators. In the autos it had to be removed from the top as the transmission was in the way and it included removed the wishbone and other parts. The standards on the other hand could be taken out the bottom and I did it more than once over the many years I owned them. I also helped do a alternatir job on an auto and it truely was an absolute bear getting it out. I told them the same. "Give me a couple wrenches and I'll set it on your counter in under 10 minutes"
These things are great! My friend was running with these, we did an engine rear chassis swap in a new england in February! Five dollars of gas would let us run all over on the weekend!
My attentions went away from Fieros to that blue Cutlass sitting up high behind them. I'd like to see a Steve presentation of the final Oldsmobile Cutlass years.
Oh yeah another discontinued Model. That was huge back in the day. 👍
A friend of mine had previously owned a 65 S Barracuda, bought new! Years later he discovered that his 5 on 4” Mopar A body wheels bolted on to his new Fiero, so he didn’t need to buy new wheels to mount his old snow tires.
Enjoyed watching Steve great video like usual. Keep up the great work man.
I love the Fiero model Steve started with the shaker hood. Hope he gets around to finishing it during or after his recovery.
I caught a glimpse of Sweet Katie the Wonder Yard 🐕 Dog 🐕 a Treat
My friend in college (1988) had a 1986 Black EXP, my 1982 silver Mustang 5.0GT would blow Him away .
Thanks for sharing this video. I really enjoy watching this
Body exteriors are made of 3 things - SMC (sheet molded compound) for the fenders, door skins, panels behind the doors. Fibreglass for the front and rear hoods, roof panel. Urethane for the F&R bumpers.
Um, no. Completely wrong. And no fiberglass was used.
@@googleuser6635 - hahaha.... ok! Only worked exclusively on them full time for 7 years out of my own shop, and have had one since 1986. But ok.
@@DrFiero SMC Sheet Molded Compound was used for the hood, roof, rear upper quarter, and rear decklid.
RRIM Reinforced Reaction Injection Molded urethane was used for fenders, door panels, and lower rear quarters. The rear lowers were later changed to injection molded nylon.
RIM Reaction Injected Molded urethane was used for front and rear fascias.
TPO Thermoplastic Olefin was used for rocker panels.
Bexley Resin Blow-Molded by DuPont This material (not fiberglass) was used for the spoiler or "wing" on all Fieros as far as we know. The supports are made of TPO.
Conventional "Bondo" (polyester resin) should not be used to repair any Fiero body panel. Repair products should specifically state they are compatible with the body panel material. I.e.: "Suitable for SMC repairs."
Any competent body shop can handle repairs to the Fiero body panels. Shops which specialize in body repair for Saturns would be particularly capable since the Saturn uses similar body materials.
Since new body panels rarely turn up on the market, the best source for them is a donor vehicle. Check the "Parts Sources" page for suppliers.
Engine Vents: The deck lid vents on the '84 Fiero were made of magnesium and were spectacular when they caught fire! Subsequent years used aluminum.
For those interested, the body panels of the Fiero were made in the following locations:
Front Fascia - RRIM supplied by GM Canada Hood - SMC supplied by General Tire and Rubber Headlamp Doors - SMC supplied by GTR Front Fenders - RRIM supplied by Oldsmobile Roof - SMC supplied by Premix Door Panel - RRIM supplied by Oldsmobile Rocker Panels - TPO supplied by G.P. Plastics Panel, front of Rear Wheel - R. RIM supplied by Oldsmobile Rear Quarter - SMC supplied by BUDD Rear Deck Lid - SMC supplied by BUDD Rear Fascia - RRIM supplied by Guide Division Wing - Bexley Resin blow-molded by DuPont
@@googleuser6635I have one. I can show you fiberglass where it is scaling near the sunroof. Urethane, SMC, and RIM molded panels. SMC is is a glass fiber reinforced polyester compound and is what the hood roof and rear deck lids were made of
I had a good friend who had one of these, I think it was an 84 model. It was bronze with a tan cloth interior. It was a nice car and definitely different from other cars of the day. I do applaud Pontiac and GM for producing this vehicle even though it could have been better. This was a bold move in the 1980s where everyone was looking for small cars with good gas mileage. Performance was not the first thing on the list.
I think I heard soon after Fiero's came out that Pontiac had to sell it to management by saying it was commuter car, not a sporty car.
Thanks Steve for a very educational and interesting video!
I sure hope you did not take anything he said as fact. His errors far outnumbered any facts he may have had.
Thanks for the video Steve! I always liked Fiero's. So much potential.
I was given an impromptu tour of the Fiero assembly line early in the launch before they were released to the public. Interesting that you show a model kit, because that's just how the plastic body panels came into the assembly plant. Just like a giant Monogram kit! LOL! The gas cap was on a sprue inside the sunroof opening of the roof panel.
They weren't far off when they said that the Camaro & Firebird were going to front wheel drive. Back in 88/89, the Beretta was rumored to be the f body replacement. Thank goodness that cooler heads prevailed and the f body lived on in RWD form.
Ford was going to replace the Mustang with the Probe and many folks wrote letters (back when you did that) to Ford corporate in protest and it worked as the Mustang remained rear wheel drive and was sold alongside the Probe. The Probe is gone, but the Mustang obviously made it out.
@@googleusergpI saw a Mach-E the other day and think they should have let it die.
I have a 2006 Grand prix GXP with the 5.3 LS4 v8 and I have seen a lot of guys swap the LS4 into Fiero's. That would be a fun car for sure!
Thank you Steve
Another great vid!!!
Every episode when I see "Katie" in the background, I get distracted and have to rewind to hear what you said.
The 3800 would have been the PERFECT engine for this car. Not too big or too much torque for the size of car that it is like a V8 would be but still enough power and torque to make a small, light weight 2 seater a total blast to drive.
There have been numerous 3800 swaps into Fieros. You can find plenty of videos on UA-cam of them.
The supercharged one, with a 5-speed manual gearbox . . . mmm mmm mmmm!
@@redmondjp That's cool but really even that's a little overkill for this car. The 200 hp and 220 lb/ft tq of the base Gen II 3800 from 1998-2003 is just the absolute SWEET spot for a car like this. Enough to make it a blast to drive, but not overkill to where you'll just drive it right into a telephone pole by just touching the gas.
@@joe6096 That makes sense - I hot-rodded one of my former cars to the point that it had way more engine than handling and brakes, resulting in on accident and a few near-misses. I was scared to drive it after that (especially in the rain) and got rid of it. To me, the Fiero is the reincarnation of many early-1960s GM vehicles which were far ahead of their time technology-wise (Corvair & Tempest comes to mind), but the car-buying public really didn't take notice, and then after improvements, were cancelled.
Chris is one of my favorite players. It breaks my heart that he got used up by a certain someone who will remain unnamed. That's a First for me. Also praying for Johnny Neel. Rattlebone was a great concept and a great record. Prayers also for Monte🙏
The feiro is nice and all but....the 1st gen saturn sl2 in the background. Thats my jam right there.
I have a 88 gt. I wasnt ever a super huge fan of them. Nothing bad just didn't care either way very much. In the mid 2000's I had a Regal gs with the 3800sc and had a few mods done to it. I loved that engine so much I sought out a clean 88gt and Shoehorned a slightly 3800sc into it. It's a very fun car now! Its fun to mess around with and mod. Last year I built a equal length exhaust for it to give it a Little more of a exotic sound.
I had an '85 Fiero GT, 6cyl 4-speed. It was a remarkable car.
Steve… dude… the M in ‘2M4’ stood for mid-engined, and the black Fiero looked like an ‘88 from the lower front fascia. Love the channel!!
I love the Iron Duke
I am glad you mentioned that those had the coolant pipes mounted inside the sill/rocker panels. When these came out, GoodYear and Firestone got a bulletin on how to lift them for maintenance and tire changes, on a 4 point hoist. Jacking points were critical! My neighbor had an early 86 with the 2.8 V6 and 4 speed. The ratios were all wrong for a sports car and though the engine had 45 more hp, the 5 speed 2.5 was actually more fun to drive with its closer ratios. That would change for 87 when V6 cars got a new 5 speed. I got to drive an 88 that the owner retro fitted a 3.1 vin T engine into from a later model N car, and it moved pretty good with the 5 speed. I agree that GM pulled the plug too early, but I have read that the rep of the car had been tarnished by fires that had turned off repeat buyers. It should be noted that the fires happened on the 4's, not the V6s.
We always said, "Fire In Every Red One."
Really like your take on the Fiero model.😃
A friend of mine back in the 80s, Scott B. had ine of the first gen models. The thing is, he (his dad) traded his 1968 Mercury Cougar for it.... Or rather, sold the cougar and went and put a down payment on it. Although I thought the little white Fiero was pretty cool, i would have much rather had the Mercury, had it been me.
The Fiero always reminded me of a hot wheels car called the jack rabbit
It’s a shame they shrunk the GTO. Great video Steve … as all of yours have been.
11:11 Katie...in Stealth Mode...😅
Thank you and Super Shane as always. I friend of mine bought an 86 GT brand new. The car was quick, fun, and good on fuel. In short, right for the time. As you said, it’s a shame they cancelled it just as it really hit its stride. ~ Chuck. P.S. It was great to catch a glimpse of Pat Ganahl’s by line.
Was sad how he died ....
@@speedfreak8200 Indeed. I try to take some peace from thinking that he died doing what he loved but still…..
Would love to have a 88 with the six and a stick. Way to go GM to kill it off right when it got good.
Pick up a used one...
Love the “disco sauce” comment.
I bought an 85 6 cylinder Fiero new. It wasn't the GT model, but it didn't have the problems the 4 cylinder had. Sold it a few years later. Probably should have kept it!