buying fiero's 2 87's need opinions!!!

[demondfire663]

i am buyibg 2 87 fieros for $700

1 that might have a blown head gasket so i will be using that one a a parts car
this one has 102000 miles on it

2nd car ran when it was parked and seems to need verry little work done to it small problems with interior

paint problems(water based)

pleaze post ur opinions thx!

[Old Lar]

What is the question?

Two 87s for $700 should make one good 87.

Depending on how well the 102,000 mile engine was maintained means that the car had 5000 miles /year put on it and if it had oil changes and maintenance performed, it can be good. There are Fieros out there with more than 200,000 on the original engine.

[demondfire663]

well the one with 102000 miles might have a blown head

we tryed to start the one with 99000 miles and it turned over but it is hard to fing a battery for them that has juice in it

[Old Lar]

Any car that is 20 years old will have issues. Check for "space age frame" rust. Pull the carpet back from inside the trunk along the sides and check for corrosion.

If you have power, you should check for error codes. The car doesn't have to be running for this, just have enough juice to power up the SES lights etc.

Write down the codes, if any that pop up.

You can expect to replace plugs, wires, oil change, filter, fuel filter and quite possibly some sensors.

Get a new battery so you can see if the motor turns over.

Find and grease the suspension components. Three grease fitting around each front wheel and two around each back wheel.

check www.fiero.nl/forum for more support

[fieroboom]

Originally Posted by Old Lar

Any car that is 20 years old will have issues. Check for "space age frame" rust. Pull the carpet back from inside the trunk along the sides and check for corrosion.

If you have power, you should check for error codes. The car doesn't have to be running for this, just have enough juice to power up the SES lights etc.

Write down the codes, if any that pop up.

You can expect to replace plugs, wires, oil change, filter, fuel filter and quite possibly some sensors.

Get a new battery so you can see if the motor turns over.

Find and grease the suspension components. Three grease fitting around each front wheel and two around each back wheel.

check www.fiero.nl/forum for more support

FYI, checking those codes won't do much good unless you can get it to run... They are stored in volatile memory, ie, when the +12v line is pulled, the codes are gone. In fact, if you get your hands on a Haynes manual, it specifically says to discon the battery when/after you replace a sensor in order to clear the old codes. That gives the CMOS & charged caps time to clear, voila, no more codes.
demondfire663, the main things to check for when attempting to start the car:
- turn the ignition to the 'on' position - don't start it. Listen forthe fuel pump. It's just below the console, so you should be able to hear it pressurizing the system. If that works:
- try to start it, and have someone check for spark. Poor man's way is to hold a long screwdriver in the coil wire, and the shaft close to the distributor cap center post. If there's spark:
- check firing order of the plug wires. This is one of the few engines ever made where the firing order is 1-2-3-4-5-6. If you're standing at the rear fascia (bumper), the #1 piston is bottom right, directly across the engine, top right, is #2, bottom middle is #3, etc. The #1 plug wire should go on the cap *somewhere* in the vicinity of the vaccuum nipple right there on the driver's side of the intake manifold, then clockwise from there, 1-2-3-4-5-6. If that's correct:
- listen closely to see if the car sputters at all when turning over. These engines were made in a time where pickup coils were still used, not Hall Effect sensors like most cars today. The pickup coil is a small coil around the distributor shaft, only about $10, but you guessed it, it's one the biggest PITAs to change.
That should be enough to get you started (no pun intended ), let me know if you need more help. Also, check out the Fiero Online Service Guide, here: http://fieros.org/osg/
It's saved my butt several times when I didn't have my Haynes with me.