I'll have my fiero in hand in less than an hour, say Hi and fill me in a bit :)

[Fiero Newbie]

Hey everybody! Great lil' forum you got going here, I'm glad I found it.
Anyhow, this morning I handed over 400 smackers and got the title to a 88 Fiero I've test driven it for about 5 minutes, it runs strong but unfortunately it doesn't pull strong too It's not my daily driver so it may have some garage time infront of it. All in all it felt pretty solid, I'll know for sure tonight but I won't be able to push it because of all the slush/ice in the east coast.

I'm really amped and will hopefully be able to track down a buddy with a camera to take pictures of the lil' thing. Let's just say I've never seen a car more worthy of a maaco special paintjob, 15 years have sure put a beating on it's black paint.

Few questions I could think of, i'm sure I'll have more once I get a chance to go through the thing in the light tomorrow.

1. I just read in the "why are the fieros so heavy" post a few below mine that the doors on a fiero weigh 100+ lbs. each. Let me tell you the driver door felt like it was about to fall off. Did the hinges/supports handle the weight of the doors stock, or were they always a little iffy? I'll see if anything can be tightened/greased tomorrow, but 15 year old doors that weigh 100 lbs are gonna take their toll on the hinges.

ALso, if I was going to swap a new engine into the car in the future as y'all seem so fond of doing, how tough is a clean 5 speed conversion into the already tiny cabin? I'm like 6'2" and just fit, I dunno if I could deal with a mucked up cabin and uncomfortable shifter location

Thanks y'all, I'm sure i'll have plenty of questions for you guys tomorrow
-Sam

[Old Lar]

Fiero hinges do begin to sag from worn bushings www.rodneydickman.com has replacements in stock. I think the S-10 pickup has the same hinge design.The doors are heavy from the steel crash beam behind the door skin.

Getrag 5 speed conversions get pricey if you want the Fiero Getrag transmission. Not many around and a "good" rebuilt one may be $1000 or more. Other 5 speed transmissions (ie Beretta) need some fabrication to work.

You shouldn't be cramped in the Fiero cabin if you adjust the seat correctly. There are lots of large people who manage quite well in their Fieros.

[Fiero Newbie]

Thanks for the post. I'm gonna try to grease up whatever I can get to in the door, it might not make things smoother but maybe it'll make it sound nicer til I get around to doing the job right

both myself and my father can't seem to get 100% comfortable in the cabin, we're both around 6'2". I actually don't have a problem anymore, but I don't think I'd want to worry about having to work a clutch with my left foot since it's most comfortable sideways with my knee up against the door. Hrmmm, we'lll figure something out

Thanks for the post, i've got plenty of things to learn about this thing just poking my head around it.

[Jehu]

Have any fun with it yet, or are you saving that all for after the garage time?

[Idaho Fiero]

I sit like you do newbie...it isn't that hard to use the side of yer foot...just straighten it a little, or you'll get used to shifting it a different way...

sorry to post on this thread but I was wiondering if it would be a good idea to switch the 4 speed I have in my 85 GT with a 5-speed...isuzu or getrag...I do quite a bit of highway driving to my job, and I have to take slow roads to it cause highway takes quite a bit of gas for the 4 speed... Also how hard would it be to switch the tranny's or what not..Thanx in advance...please excuse the interruption..

Wes

[Indy-1]

Very cool!
What model '88 Fiero is it?
Changing the trannie to say a 5 speed Getrag won't change anything inside the cabin, nor would any of the many engine swaps that have been done over the years. The Fieros are a bit heavier than some of the new cars, but with the enduraflex plastic body panels it makes up for all that extra metal (that makes the Fiero one of the safest and highest rated cars still in crash tests BTW) and is still considered a pretty light car overall. Adding mods to a current engine or putting in a bigger HP engine only magnifies the HP to weight ratio that the Fiero enjoys.
If you like to "hang out" with lots of other Fiero lovers, I would also recommend visiting this Fiero forum:
http://www.fiero.nl/cgi-bin/fiero/Ul...i?action=intro
With over 7000 (yes thats thousands) of Fiero owners/lovers registered maiking it the largest by far on the net, you can get to see and talk to a lot of Fiero fanatics

Steve

[Indy-1]

Idaho Fiero, the Fiero 4 speed trannie is 4:10 geared, so it has a lot of low end but in most cases will top out a lot quicker than a 5 speed usually will. I feel that you can also cruise at lower speeds easier in a 5 speed with the extra gear at top the lower ones give you more cruising range.
With any of the 5 speeds we have I can cruise in 2nd at around 25 to 30 mph with no problems, but in one of the 4 speeds it seems that I have to shift up and then down quite often at lower speeds which can get a bit annoying. I find that kinda irritating at times when I am crawling along in traffic which may be where you are coming from as well?
I have a few Fieros that have the 4 speed including my Indy 500 Fiero pace car and I like the feel of the shift in the 4 speeds. They feel strong and quick, especially off the line. But in the 5 speed if you want to play and have some "fun", the 5 speeds are a blast

To see some of our Fieros check out our cardomain web site:
http://www.cardomain.com/id/fiero5

Steve

[Idaho Fiero]

I do like the 4 speed, but in traffic as you said, Indy, it does get agitating unless I'm in the front. I just usually end up keeping it in 3rd, cause I feel there really isn't any use shifting from 3-4-3 etc. all the time. I do love the low-end that the 4.10 gear in the 4-speed...Isn't the 5-speed 3.85 or somewhere around there? I don't think there would be that much difference but I could be wrong...I just figure that the 5-speed would be a little more efficient in the gas mileage department cause gas prices aren't going to come down for a while...And most of what I do would be highway driving..I drive around town too, but maybe the 5-speed would make where I wont have to shift as much in town...i dunno though...my 2 cents...
Wes

[Ragtop_Renegade]

auto to 5 speed conversions aren't that hard I've done them on Chevy and Chrysler FWD's, and helped with a honda. Just need a $100 wreck to get the console and that from. 4 Speed to 5 speed is even easier, pretty much a bolt in job with a slight shift linkage change.
to get off topic, but speaking of trannies, I've never owned a iron duke powered car before, but it appears I will soon. Does the 60 degree v6 family share a bellhousing pattern with the duke? If so, will the trans (5 Speed) hold up to the abuse of a V6?

[Jehu]

You could just get the 5 speed that comes stock with the duke. I'm not a tranny guy, so I don't know if there's a diff. For a couple years I ran that system and I miss it now.

[Indy-1]

One of the most common and easiest engine swaps to do in a Fiero is going from a 4 to a 6.
The trannies handle it fine as the V6 really isn't much of a jump HP power wise. I don't remember ever hearing where the factory had different transmissions for different engines. I believe they were all the same so they should bolt right up with no problems. We haven't tried that ourselves yet, which is amazing to think about considering we now own 19 of these things