1984 Fiero pace car

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I had a '86 fiero GT. There was a Trans Am GTA that I wanted, owner had died and his mom would only sell the TA if I bought the fiero also. Drug it home and replaced the battery, fuel pump, Egr delete, etc. It sat in my driveway for months before it finally sold. Ended up selling it for $1600.
 
because the engine cradle is simply a gm FWD cradle turned around, you can put almost any gm engine and FWD trans in

3.8 buick and cad northstar v8 are popular and well documented

the grails of fieros are the 87 gt, blue cars, yellow cars and t top cars

...and the "merra" which had a factory Ferrari 308 body kit that gm got sued over

unless it's a factory v6 5 speed which can be had for only a few hundred more (and I believe all 84 cars are 4 cyl auto) it's real low on the desire scale

pace car makes up some
 
The Fiero seems like a real testament to how screwed up GM was, and really, still is. I read an interesting book many years ago titled "Comeback. The Fall and Rise of the American Automobile Industry". There was an entire chapter dedicated to the Fiero, which was reprinted in Autoweek. I was able to find it here: Article on the Fiero, it's failures, and more importantly GM - Pontiac Solstice Forum

I'm not trying to be negative though. I know from experience that little two seater mid-engine cars are really fun to drive. I had a second generation MR2 that while not straight line fast, was an absolute blast to drive on twisty roads. But unlike the GM product it was well thought out, easy to work on (you didn't even have to jack it up to do oil changes) and rock solid reliable. That was one of maybe two cars I've had over the last twenty years that I wish I would have kept. And ironically it was a great fit for someone who's tall. I have a 36" inseam and I've never driven a car with more legroom, at least as it came from the factory.

So if you really like them, go for it. I almost never see any on the road anymore, so they definitely have a "unique" factor. But at the same time I don't see any value in paying extra for a special edition one.
 
RAT ROD AL said:
people do collect pace cars.
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But not enough to cause a bidding war on any particular example.

A Fiero purchase has to be a labour of love as they just have not caught on in the collector market. Personally, I've always been a fan and once owned an '86 GT fastback. It was a fun car to drive (with the optional 5-speed manual) but always needed something done to it. Not GM's finest hour in quality control and intelligent design.

The Pace Car was visually attractive but was let down by its entry-level "Iron Duke" 4 cylinder engine.

As mentioned above, the smart (?) money is spent on 1988 model year cars with the Formula being the most rare. I'd be looking at a low mileage, full load GT with a manual transmission if I were considering a Fiero as an investment, and even then it's a crap shoot whether I'd make a dime on it in the long-run.
 
I have a friend that put a Cadillac Northstar in his. The thing is wicked!
 
I have owned a few Fieros and they were fun cars. The Pace car was available as a 4 cylinder only and with a red and white interior. Look for frame rot issues especially where the battery sits and that the coolant lines under the car aren't bent from improper jacking. Four speeds in these are worth much more than autos IMO and the iron duke was a good engine but slow. If you are buying it to fix and have fun, it's worth it. Buying it to flip, don't bother as there is a small niche of people into them and they are a hard sell.
 
I meant 88 in my post.

gm totally redesigned the frame for 1988 and the stopped production after that model year.

It's "better" but harder to find parts for.

My cousin bought a new 84 2m4 and a friend had an 86 2m4.

They were super fun to drive, but would have been MUCH better with v6 and 5 on the floor

I agree on leg room, but...I'm 6'3" with along spine and I had to slouch.

That's what has kept me from buying one.

If I pop open the sunroof, I get an extra inch and can sit up straight.

I did locate a factory yellow 86 formula with t tops, and a conversion convertible that was done right with a partial cage.

One of those would make a GREAT 308 body targa project.

The good 308 body kits are really well done and you have to know your Ferrari's (or fiero's) to tell they aren't real.

A couple tips-

Since it's an FWD cradle, it has rear tie rods!

Don't run it hot. No direct to rad fill, and the radiator coolant lines go almost the length of the car.
It takes forever to fill one cup at a time....and the 151's are famous for cracking heads.

Don't hold the cigarette lighter in. The computer can short
 
...and don't hit trash cans by the curb- I've seen one totaled by 3 steel cans at 50 MPH.
 
Buddy of mine autocrossed one back in the 80s. He had two, one with the Iron Duke 4 cylinder which was warmed over and the other he stuffed a 215 aluminum V8. The V8 car handledpretty good.
 
If you get bored with it you can always slap one of those ferrari body kits, get some linen suites and a partner, and go bust drug smugglers.
 
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