Fiero Problems?

[voyager94]

I am considering purchasing a Fiero to put a Lambo body on. I have a friend who had two rebulit Fiero's, but his was breaking down weekly...literaly. He finally used parts from one to fix the other so now he has only one that breaks down about every 4 months. That is not a good track record to me. If i was to purchase one what would be the most likely problems, or should I save my money, cause it would be my only for of transportation. When it breaks.. I'm walking. Thanks for any help.

[Old Lar]

I'd never have a 20 year old car as a daily driver. Any 1980s vintage car will have reliability issues. Today the Fiero is a hobby car (IMHO).

At 20+ years, depending on milage, you can expect all sorts of engine and sensor problems, cooent, brake and suspension problems. Electrical (grounds) can crop up as well as hidden corrosion issues. Although the body panels are "plastic", the space age frame is steel. What is out of site can be a problem.

How the car was maintained originally can also a big problem, if the mechanics weren't kept up.

I have a friend who has an 86 SE with nearly 270K miles on it still on the original engine. Another had over 300K miles before he put in a refreshed 2.8L V6. There is one guy in New England who has over 500K on an 88 (four cylinder) coupe. All these cars have been well maintained.

My two GTs both have over 100K miles on them, one I bought new, the other used. The used one had a "bad" engine (54K miles) and has been a money pit for the 11 years I have owned it. the new one has had lots of oil changes, some batteries, tires, brakes, suspension etc ...maintenance items. It still runs like a top and still gets 30+ mpg over the road, just like it did when it was new.

If you are planning a Lambo kit, you would need to upgrade all the mechanical components to match the "coolness" of the kit car. It can be a very pricey project to do it right.

[XSPEC2]

unless you're savvy concerning electrical and electronic systems; and you have the right diagnostic tools to test with--I would'nt do it. I have done 5 total rebuilds on gt fastbacks. The electrical can be a nightmare depending on the year; I have 20+ years in electrical and electronics.

[MrPbody]

My '88 GT has 175K on all the orignal stuff. It runs great and looks good! My '86 SE was also a very dependable car, until... It took out a Ford Exploder (T-boned him GOOD!). The little P-body sacrificed itself, and I had no real injuries. The Ford was bent to the point the kid had to kick out a window in the rear door to get out of the car. The Fiero's doors still worked fine. (P-body:1, Ford:0)

If you DO "do" a "Lambo" kit, please, don't use a GT. Personally, I think the Fiero looks better, but I LIKE Pontiacs, and I don't particularly like Italian cars.

What others have said about "old cars" is valid. Fieros aren't as bad as many from the era. And they DON'T rust out!

Jim

[George Clark]

Save your money