Hi guys Im new to the site so I thought Id introduce myself. Im 17 years old from Sunnybrook Alberta which is just southwest of edmonton. I dont own a fiero but Im looking for one as we speak. Im looking for an 86-88 GT with a 5 speed in good condition preferably not red I dont seem to have much luck with red vehicles lol. Is there any problem areas I should be looking for with these cars? Thanks guys and I look forward to talking with all of you.

Greetings and welcome.

Welcome, As with any car this age, you will run into maintenance issues. Nothing tragic though. The motor isn't that difficult to work on, should be a good learning experience for ya .

Greetings from Calgary!

Like any 20 year old car there are the obvious maintenance issues. One area of concern is rust. While the body can look great the space frame could be suffering from rust. A couple of good areas to look for rust are under the battery tray, in the trunk behind the carpet and in the rear wheel wells on the top frame rail behind the struts.

Head lights can also be troublesome as the motors sometimes need to be repaired/replaced. also the steering column can become wobbly due to 4 screws that do occasionally come loose. But overall if they are well maintained they can be trouble free jus like any other car. Have a look at the CFOG website for some additional information. Here is the link incase you have never been there: Link

Welcome to the obsession!
Nolan

Zuk,

Welcome to the group. Be patient and you'll find the car you're looking for. In my twenty years of being an original owner, I've been blessed with very little maintenance issues.......knock on wood! Maybe 'cause I baby it and drive it like a little old lady.

If you find a car thats been sitting a while and it wont start its very possible that its just the fuel pump. I bought a few fieros for really cheep that only needed a fuel pump and the owner thought the engine was toast. Also chack for rust. Like stated above look under the trunk carpet and at the frame rail.

Welcome from another non-Fiero owner.

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Who is John Galt?

Welcome Zuk. The main problem area for Fieros is rust. Best way to check one is to peek under the trunk carpet, at the corners. If it's rather rusty there, it's rusty all over. As FieroAngel mentioned, some mechanics mis-diagnose problems and people give them away cheap. I remember one guy mentioning that someone gave one to him and all it needed was some gas...

I'll only say this once, don't do it. Just say no and walk away from that Fiero. They're addictive and you can't stop with just one. The next thing you know. you'll wake up with another one in you drive or garage! Stop now while you can. BTW, know anywhere I can get another 88 Formula.

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Ron
Freedom isn't Free, it's paid for with the blood and dreams of those that have gone before us.
My imagination is the only limiting factor to my Fiero. Well, there is that money issue.

[This message has been edited by blackrams (edited 10-11-2006).]

all the problems were on the red fieros... or is it just mine?
i keed, mine has very few problems, nothing a few whacks from a small sledge can't correct.

replace the clutch, from your toes, all the way back to the crankshaft. then replace every part all those parts come into contact with,
and another 20-30 just for good measure.
make sure you replace the chrome exhaust shields, as they're good for 5-10hp each,
if the driver's seat bolster doesn't have a frayed tear in it, make sure to create one, as this helps with cabin airflow,
and the little vinyl gear that drives the speedometer sensor. this fails often, corrupting the telemetry to the transtator.
other than that, she should run forever.
good luck!

Welcome.

Brad

Welcome aboard, keep looking and you'll find what you want. I got my Formula for $300.

Like mentioned above rust is a serious issue, here's some pics of what you can look for:





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www.fierodomain.com
Your guide to the Online Fiero Community

[This message has been edited by Xanth (edited 10-11-2006).]

quote Originally posted by blackrams: I'll only say this once, don't do it. Just say no and walk away from that Fiero. They're addictive and you can't stop with just one. The next thing you know. you'll wake up with another one in you drive or garage! Stop now while you can. BTW, know anywhere I can get another 88 Formula.

Im already obsessed with sleds quads and 67-72 chevy trucks whats one more ridiculously expensive obsession eh.

Again... Welcome to our obsession.
As already mentioned, the main thing to look out for is rust.
Chances are, if the trunk sides are not rusted where the side frame rails are welded on, and the tin plugs in the floor of the passenger compartment are not rusted, that you've probably got a solid car. (Others will correct me if I'm wrong, but that's been my experience.)
The other thing to look out for is frame damage, caused by a collision.

Other than those two things, everything else can be unbolted and replaced.

84s seem to be a bit problematic with their electrical systems (I'll probably catch hell for that one), but if you're looking for a fastback, that won't be an issue.

I know what you mean about red cars. Even though I've never even been stopped, I think red cars are ticket magnets. My first choices for stock Fiero colors would be white and silver. Consequently, mine turned out to be red and black. (The black one has since been repainted.)

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Raydar
88 4.9 Formula IMSA Fasback..........................88 3.4 coupe................................................

Read Nealz Nuze! Praise the Lowered!

quote Originally posted by Xanth: Welcome aboard, keep looking and you'll find what you want. I got my Formula for $300. Like mentioned above rust is a serious issue, here's some pics of what you can look for:

That is serious rust damage! I don't think I've got any rust at all

Even if the frame rails ARE somewhat rusted, the car may still be saveable. A set of replacement rails runs about $150 thru the Triad (if you guys out west get that). Its a healtious lot of work to replace them, but not a terribly expensive job. What gets expensive is all the OTHER stuff you get the idea of doing while the car is apart........like, why put that 2.8 back in--as long as its out, it isnt THAT much harder to swap in a (insert insanley large engine of choice here)

quote Originally posted by Raydar: 84s seem to be a bit problematic with their electrical systems (I'll probably catch hell for that one), but if you're looking for a fastback, that won't be an issue.

I hated my 84 2M4 for its electrical gremlins, its the same car thats in those rust pics. It was the electronics that drove me to strip it, and resulted in me finding all the rot.

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www.fierodomain.com
Your guide to the Online Fiero Community

Welcome to the obsession!

My '86 GT has been the nicest driving, most comfortable, most reliable, best handling car I've ever driven. I got it for $1500 after the prev. owner put in new leather seats, and I've put a few times more than that into it so far. I wish it had a 5 speed, but that might change soon

BTW, when looking for rust, the trunk carpeting can easily be pulled back to look for rust. Some of the interior is easy to remove also

[This message has been edited by FieroGT42 (edited 10-12-2006).]

Welcome Zuk. You are gonna enjoy the Fiero and the Forum.

Welcome to the addiction! The only thing I would worry about is insurance because of your age.

I absolutely love my Formula 5 speed! It is fast enough to get into trouble stock, though I did port the exhaust manifolds and install a ceramic coated crossover,,,,,, because I had to replace these anyway. The car handles GREAT and I actually was very surprised at the amount of people that notice the car and say "wow nice car!" even though the paint isn't great and I have a tear in both bumper covers, mine is rite me a ticket red. I think it gets pretty dam good gas mileage too, about 20 around town and I think maybe up to 30 on the highway

They are allot of car for the buck! seem very under valued in my opinion, but you almost have to have owned one to know/realize what is a good deal. Good luck and enjoy!

Oh by the way, go for the V6, I drove quite a few before buying the formula and the four banger just did nothing for me