Reliability?

[YodaGeek]

Hi,

I'm possibly thinking of getting a Fiero for my first car as a daily driver and a car that I can use to race my friends from street light to street light (Nothing very serious) and I was wondering how reliable are they as I'm not the most car savy person in the world?

Thank you!

[84fiero123]

as reliable as a 20 year old car can be. just have it checked out by a mechanic you can trust, pay him his hourly rate and you will get an honest ans. to what is really wrong with it.

[MrPbody]

Avoid '84 models. '85 4-cyl. models are also suspect. 6-cyl. models are pretty tough. Manual transmissions are also a bit tougher than autos, but TH125 (the only automatic available) is a pretty good one.
Know that anything serious, mechanically speaking, is not trivial to repair on Fiero. If you're not mechanically inclined, you'll need to know where you can get reliable service. This is another sore spot, as today's technicians are rarely versed in older cars. Expertise with Fiero is usually found among the Fiero club guys. There's a Fiero club in most larger cities.
"Cool" factor is high with Fiero. Even 20 years out, they don't look TOO out of place in a parking lot full of modern cars. 15 years ago, you would have thought you were looking at the future...
Another seldom mentioned advantage of Fiero s the safety. Regardless of its' size, it is a TANK. Tough stuff in a wreck. At the time of production, P-body was the only American car ever built to Swedish safety standards (the most stringent in the world). It can hold 10 times it's own weight on the roof. US DOT standards were 3 times the weight at the time. The "space frame" was new technology with Fiero. Today, it's the way a lot of cars are made. Saturn is a direct result of the Fiero experiment. Hard to argue with the quality of Saturn...

[YodaGeek]

Okay, thanks. Well, I was thinking about getting the 4 Cylinder version as they get better gas mileage and this will be a daily driver. Would you recommend against getting the 4 Cylinder?

Thanks!

[MagicRat]

The 4 cyl version (especially the auto) is pretty slow..........good enough for daily use if you are just commuting.
IMHO they have no extra power for merging on to a highway.........if traffic is normal and you plan ahead, you are okay, but passing at highway speed or merging where the off ramps are short is a bit too hazardous for my liking.

However, the 4 cyl version will cost you much less than a comparable 6 cyl.

[Old Lar]

Originally Posted by YodaGeek

Hi,

I'm possibly thinking of getting a Fiero for my first car as a daily driver and a car that I can use to race my friends from street light to street light (Nothing very serious) and I was wondering how reliable are they as I'm not the most car savy person in the world?

Thank you!

No stock 4 cylinder Fiero would make a street racer light to light. The 2.5 four or 2.8 V6 make good road course cars. But any 20+/- 2 year old car may not be a reliable daily driver unless you put some money into repairs or replacement parts. Unless you are lucky to find a low milage car, most Fieros of that age will have 120-180,000 miles on them. I know several high milage Fieros 200,000 + that are still running strong, but have been owned by people who have over maintaned them to keep them running.

Fieros are nice cars, but may be too old as a reliable daily driver. They are more fun as a weekend hobby car. A car that can sit a while if it needs repairs, or fun to fix as a past time.

[ctesla]

the Fiero is a much better choice for a road rally, CART/IMSA vehicle choice than "light-to-light."
would love to see another P egasus out on the street; all the previous posts are correct-
-the good, and the bad.
'88 was the final year, and the stops were pulled out, so they did have the best of everything, and the 2.5l Iron Duke, while not street built for speed, will hold out in the long run if properly maintained(I have two '88s: one with 186,000+, and the other has 328,000+ and only one clutch changed, motors never opened!). And they get 7-10mpg better than the 2.8l (I average about 33-35mpg regardless of lead-footing and with or without A/C).
If you find a good one with decent miles, or have it checked out; whether carfax.com (or equal), or a reliable shop (or both), it still has to be your decision.
And, if you have the diligence and cash flow, many kit car body and engine swaps are out there for this one. From a 305GTi to a 917, to a concept Banshee, a mid-engine Fiero is one of the safest built, with engine parts that carried from the early 80s up through the late 90s (even though the car didn't last).

hope this helps,
-and if you need more info

chris
nrt racing
713.933.5773 (7A-10P central)
[email protected]