Have followed Fiero postings on the Chicago Craigs list and have noticed very few sales. Is there a reason I am missing?. While there is a lot of "junk" listed, there are some outstanding Fiero's at reasonable prices ( forget the unrealistic high prices asked by some). It just seems there is not a market any more for Fiero's. Whats your take on this ???
The unknown secret is that the Fiero is an incredibly hot car, any guy that buys one instantly gets a girl. Next thing you know they're having kids, moving into a house, & she makes him sell. The market is oversaturated from instant availability & no one believes the previous. This is a buyers market!
I think my point is not understood. Yes, there are too many over priced Fiero's that are either " junk" or darn good shape. What I am wondering, is why they are not selling as compared to the "rice burners". Different generation ???...is a Fiero considered outdated ??..is it the economy ?. Can't understand, that for $3-$6 you can still get a hell of a sports car that lends its self to modification of a 3800 or V-8 conversions. My 85 GT usually stops traffic or getting gas, guys walk over and are impressed. Go figure.
Fieros aren't widely respected or desired. They're not even widely known. Young buyers aren't going to buy a car they've never heard of it they want to impress their friends. The only real legacy they have is that they all catch fire all the time. Look at this forum. When I first joined I'd have to look through several pages of threads to find one I was reading a day earlier. Now I'll comment on something and 3 days later I'm still the most recent poster in the thread and the thread is still towards the top of page 1. The club is stagnating. There are a few of us younger guys who love these cars but we aren't that common.
I think OP is asking why so many people buy stuff like small Hondas/Subarus/VWs (hence the "rice burners" comment) to modify instead of a Fiero.
My guess is there's more bolt on modification (of course that depends on mfg/model) and aftermarket support that requires much less fabrication than with a Fiero. Plus they made what, 300 some odd thousand Fieros.....how many Civics or Jettas are around? Lots more pickins at junk yards for parts. Lets not forget that a current trend is "stanced" cars (ie stupid amounts of negative camber) and while I think that looks dumb on any car, it would look especially stupid on a Fiero compared to a small import or big-body sedan.
Fieros aren't widely respected or desired. They're not even widely known. Young buyers aren't going to buy a car they've never heard of it they want to impress their friends. .
Pretty much that. I think one thing I just realized I like about most Fiero owners, they have them because they like them, not because they want to impress someone else.
Have a problem with the coolant pump, thru a neighbor found a retired GM master mechanic that has a 2 1/2 story garage with a lift 5 minutes from my house. He does excellent work, VERY REASONABLE and loves cars. He never saw a Fiero was quite intrigued, asked me many questions and loves the car. Goes to show you..even some " gear heads" love the innovations of the Fiero..as for the rest..who cares.
I find that the popularity of the Honda / Subaru trends from the current generation of car enthusiasts. I myself was an Acura tuner car owner between my Fieros. I myself will be 35 next month, and I find that I am sort of stuck in the middle when it comes to cars. I am too young to have any real interest in older classic or muscle cars and any that I would want to own are not realistically affordable without ending up with a complete basket case, and I feel I am a bit too old to be driving around in a compact tuner car with loud exhaust and neon lights all over the inside and out like I did in my Acura when I was in my 20's. But after owning a Fiero as my first car back when I was 17, it just seems that anything aside from your exotics no matter how nice or how cool is nothing more than a copy of something somebody has seen somewhere before. Now my first Fiero was nothing ultra special, just an 87 base coupe iron duke 5spd, but I would get attention with that car everywhere I went. It seemed I either got 2 reactions, either people didn't know what it was, or they knew exactly what it was and this led to many interesting conversations and random questions. That was the one thing I missed despite all of the fun I had with my 93 Integra, it just did not have the feeling I was part of something special. Most of the younger crowd of today more than likely don't even know the car exists. You don't really ever see them at car meetups, they are few and far between at shows, and unless they have a friend or relative that had one, well you get the idea.
------------------ Fiero's Owned:
1987 Coupe 2.5 5spd May 99 - June 03 1987 GT V6 5spd July 30 2012 - Current
Subarus, Hondas, etc are in far higher demand because they are more common, more reliable, and it is far easier to find someone to work on them. Parts are also more plentiful. I am not quite sure what the OP is asking... Fieros (without an apostrophe ) have been out of production for 28 years and most of them have been scrapped long ago. This should not be a big surprise.
[This message has been edited by cam-a-lot (edited 07-16-2016).]
The Fiero is now a cult classic car for the low budget collector or hot rodder. The reason why younger people no longer buy them is because the brand Pontiac has been retired. The main appeal is to the middle age collectors that remember the car when it first came out. As for price, except for the single year 88 design, you can't give these cars away. If you get $3,000 for one, consider yourself lucky . With a SBC, 4.9L , 3.4DOHC, 3900, 3500 or 3800SC engine swap maybe $4,000-$6,500 and it better have a good paint job, but who really cares. I love my Fiero enjoy driving it to cruise nights, car shows (and overnight trips to Carlisle with my wife) and have no intention of selling it.
------------------ " THE BLACK PARALYZER" -87GT 3800SC Series III engine, custom ZZP /Frozen Boost Intercooler setup, 3.4" Pulley, Northstar TB, LS1 MAF, 3" Spintech/Hedman Exhaust, Autolite 104's, MSD wires, Custom CAI, 4T65eHD w. custom axles, HP Tuners VCM Suite. "THE COLUSSUS" 87GT - ALL OUT 3.4L Turbocharged engine, Garrett Hybrid Turbo, MSD ign., modified TH125H " ON THE LOOSE WITHOUT THE JUICE "
All kids my age all flock to the rice burners because of what happened in Hollywood this past decade... The Fast and the Furious. All we need is a Holllywood insider with the Fiero bug to throw one in a movie or a TV show front and center and our little sports cars will literally EXPLODE, even more so than the 84 Dukes did from oil starvation!
It's ignorance really. No one knows they even exist (how many do you see around now-a-days) what the possibilities are with them (engine swaps galore), and just how well they drive right off the gate if you find one in decent shape.
I introduced several of my *non* car friends to my Fiero. It needs a clutch, so I took the opportunity and taught them how to drive stick in it, and as expected, my best friends all want one now! Only thing holding them back from getting one for themselves is the lack of desire of myself having to be on call when it inevitably breaks down! :P
------------------ "Discord" Red 1988 GT under restoration!
But talk to anyone who ever owned a Fiero and they have stories, say you own a honda to an ex honda owner and they say nothing.
Fieros have entered the classic car market, thus the buyers follow suit. Very low buyers or low price is what sells Fieros now-a-days.
Replace "Fiero" in that with "Pontiac" and you get the same.
Replace "Honda" with "NSX" or other rare and interesting models of Hondas, and you will get plenty of stories from the right people.
Market matters too. Hondas in the 80s weren't too big in the US yet. Sure, there were plenty of them, but at that point they were basically just entering the US and were all boxy commuter cars. Go to Japan and talk about a Fiero, and everyone will just stare at you blankly. Talk about a Honda, and everyone will have a story.
Not everyone has a story about a Fiero in the US, either. You need to talk to more people than old fart muscle car guys.
I notice every time I go out--people wonder what it is (too young) or remember someone who had one (or they had one) seems wherever you go with one you get noticed
just last week I had two kids ride their bikes up in my driveway, they were probably about 7 years old. They said hey what kind of cars are those? I told them "Pontiac Fieros, they were made in the 1980s". They looked kind of starry eyed and said, "cool cars!" I said thanks.
Originally posted by dobey: Replace "Fiero" in that with "Pontiac" and you get the same.
Replace "Honda" with "NSX" or other rare and interesting models of Hondas, and you will get plenty of stories from the right people.
Market matters too. Hondas in the 80s weren't too big in the US yet. Sure, there were plenty of them, but at that point they were basically just entering the US and were all boxy commuter cars. Go to Japan and talk about a Fiero, and everyone will just stare at you blankly. Talk about a Honda, and everyone will have a story.
Not everyone has a story about a Fiero in the US, either. You need to talk to more people than old fart muscle car guys.
I dunno. Most people I've met who buy Hondas buy them either as cheap transportation or for the same reason kids used to buy Adidas jackets: it was the popular thing to do. Many of them know little about their car, and couldn't care less. The rest are ricers into Fast & Furious, as stated above.
I've been to Japan. They have a different attitude about cars. They were vaguely aware of what their vehicle was. I got answers like ”red”, ”fast”, ”cool”, ”expensive”, etc.--from guys.
Hondas in the 80's were beaters. Since they were always broken down, people eventually found out ways to fix and improve them. Out of this grew the ricers. There are rare and interesting models of Honda? Just because someting is rare doesn't mean you'd want it--especially after hearing the stories. The NSX is very similar to the Fiero, and drove sales for the RSX-S. It was supposed to compete with the Corvette and Porsche, but was more in the sport sedan range. Basically a mid-engine Prelude, the performance is poor for the price. It has reliability issues and high maintenance costs, it's hard to work on like most Hondas, and parts availability is poor. There's a thought. The MR2 is from a Corolla (some such), the Fiero is from a Citation, and the NSX from a Prelude. One of these cars is VERY overpriced.
Guys here are often as bad. They can tell you the model of the radio, what kind of speakers, and the tire size, or even what exhaust it has, and that their car is ”just like” so-and-so's car. There was a neighbor arguing with his friends about the car the guy from Fast and Furious died in. Each insisted that their car was the same car their star had. One had an Eclipse. Another had a Genesis. And the third had a del Sol. The substance of the similarity was color, vents, seats, manufacturer, body style, etc. They ”knew” Paul Walker was driving a Jappanese car. Of course, they must've not known that Hynudai is a Korean car, and the Porsche is a German car.
last week in a parking lot, a lady walks beside my car and says "I use to have one of those". Then she walks behind the car and says... "oh this is a Pontiac, that not what I had." Did she confuse Fiero and Fiat? Was she thinking MR2? I have no idea, but its funny that she couldn't pick out a car that she use to own.
Fiero is getting too old to appeal to current teens and 20 somethings. When I was 20, I wanted a Fiero or a Bandit Trans Am, not something built in 1960.
When they came out, I didn't want a Fiero. Even 20 or so years ago. Now that I'm in an area with paved roads, a Fiero makes a bit more sense to have, except it only has 2 seasts, so it's impractical. By the same token, an H1 Hummer is no longer practical to own.
I would like to have a Model T, and certain vehicles from the 1930's, perhaps a 1940 Ford Coupe. It's all about identy and attachment. I had a reverse-colored Fiero bandit.
I only bought a Fiero because I got involved with a Fiero being converted to a Lamborghini kit.
Originally posted by tshark: The NSX is very similar to the Fiero, and drove sales for the RSX-S. It was supposed to compete with the Corvette and Porsche, but was more in the sport sedan range. Basically a mid-engine Prelude, the performance is poor for the price. It has reliability issues and high maintenance costs, it's hard to work on like most Hondas, and parts availability is poor. There's a thought. The MR2 is from a Corolla (some such), the Fiero is from a Citation, and the NSX from a Prelude. One of these cars is VERY overpriced.
Do what now? It did compete with the Corvette and Porsche, and is nowhere near a Sedan.
NSX was the first production aluminum space frame car. NSX had first production engine with titanium rods.
It was priced at $100K when it came out. Of course it was expensive to maintain. The NSX has nothing to do with the Prelude or the RSX.
Underpowered? Hardly. It had 270 HP in the earlier 3.0 models. A little more than 100 HP less than the ZR-1 which came out about the same time, but the ZR-1 was also almost twice the displacement, and the ZR-1 weighed around 400-500 lbs more than the NSX. The standard Vettes had about 240 HP at that time though, until the new LT1 came out bumping it to 300 HP. If you want to talk reliability, ask Corvette guys who bought them new in 92-93 about the Optispark. Really though, Honda's target competitor for the NSX was the Ferrari 328/348. I'd say the NSX was probably more reliable and cheaper to maintain than the Ferraris. But sure, a Corvette could be had at 1/4 of the price.
Anyway, the point still stands. Talk to the wrong group about something and you'll form an incorrect opinion about anything, whether it's a Fiero or a Honda. If you go up to GTO/Firebird guys and tell them about how you had a Pontiac once, if you mention anything after the 70s that isn't a Firebird/GTO/G8, they probably will just look at you funny. And pretty much all teenagers are idiots who do stupid things to cars, because they want everyone else to think their car is cool. Even if it's a Corolla or a Citation.
The NSX really wasn't comparable to the Fiero. Much better fit and finish. More power. Worlds better handling and braking. Sure, it was down on power compared to the Corvettes and other sports cars of the time, but it was anyone's equal in balance, handling, braking, et cetera.
Hmmm. Good Corvettes start about $60K. Not sure where the 1/4 price came from.
I raced Porsches and Corvettes against the NSX. The NSX couldn't keep up. But sure, a specific case could be set up to improive the NSX. I've also driven the NSX. Sluggish and overbearing would be the best way I could describe it. The transmission self-destructs, so that'd be the place to start. Then sort out the handling. Yes, the fit and finish was better than the Fiero. No surprise there. I'd describe the Corvette's handling as blocky, and the Porsche's as touchy. I wasn't driving a POS 944, though. I cleaned the NSX's clock with a 3000GT, with a Cadillac 4-door, and with a a Subaru. Haven't tried a Charger, but probably doable.
The RSX has nothing in common with the NSX, but it was helped in sales, just like the Ford Escort/Mustang. The NSX had a lot in common with the Prelude.
If the NSX's targeted competitor was the Ferrari 328 (or was it the Ferrari 308GTS?) that the Fiero outran, it wasn't much competition for the Corvette. No, the NSX was very expensive to maintain. Perhaps not $9600 per year, but expensive. Honda's counter was that it shouldn't require maintenance.
Originally posted by tshark: Hmmm. Good Corvettes start about $60K. Not sure where the 1/4 price came from.
I raced Porsches and Corvettes against the NSX. The NSX couldn't keep up. But sure, a specific case could be set up to improive the NSX. I've also driven the NSX. Sluggish and overbearing would be the best way I could describe it. The transmission self-destructs, so that'd be the place to start. Then sort out the handling. Yes, the fit and finish was better than the Fiero. No surprise there. I'd describe the Corvette's handling as blocky, and the Porsche's as touchy. I wasn't driving a POS 944, though. I cleaned the NSX's clock with a 3000GT, with a Cadillac 4-door, and with a a Subaru. Haven't tried a Charger, but probably doable.
The RSX has nothing in common with the NSX, but it was helped in sales, just like the Ford Escort/Mustang. The NSX had a lot in common with the Prelude.
If the NSX's targeted competitor was the Ferrari 328 (or was it the Ferrari 308GTS?) that the Fiero outran, it wasn't much competition for the Corvette. No, the NSX was very expensive to maintain. Perhaps not $9600 per year, but expensive. Honda's counter was that it shouldn't require maintenance.
Yes, each group has its own opinion.
In 1991 the MSRP for a Corvette was about $25-30K. The ZR-1 was $60K. Yes, a brand new Vette today is $60K on average, but then again, the brand new NSX is also $200K.
The RSX didn't exist when the NSX came out. Admittedly the RSX/TSX/MDX re-branding on the newer models was to give the Acura models in the US more of a luxury appeal, and that perhaps stemmed from the naming of the NSX, but was more about competing with Lexus, Infinity, etc… than any tighter connection to the NSX the naming might evoke. The NSX and Prelude also had very little in common. Entirely different drivetrains. Entirely different frames. Literally everything was different on the cars. Yes, the fifth gen Prelude took a lot of hints from the NSX, but it's still an entirely different car.
And just like Hondas were commuter beaters, the Fiero shares that same light with most BOP/Chevy enthusiasts. For the younger crowd, they look cool, while for the old farts they're incredible fire hazards, and for the people who own them, a pain to maintain.
Thanks for the input guys, very interesting comments. Again, the Fiero perplexes me. Was at a " Italian sports bar, coffee place" over the weekend, drove the 85GT there and was amazed how many guys that are " gear heads", bikers and older car nuts were very curious about the GT, few ever saw one and Oh'ed and Ah'ed about the rear engine, glass roof etc. Made me feel " special" unlike some cruise nights at the local hamburger joint or mickey mouse local car shows were people snicker and deride Fieros. Guess I one of the Fiero lovers even if its called a " cult".
last week in a parking lot, a lady walks beside my car and says "I use to have one of those". Then she walks behind the car and says... "oh this is a Pontiac, that not what I had." Did she confuse Fiero and Fiat? Was she thinking MR2? I have no idea, but its funny that she couldn't pick out a car that she use to own.
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She probably thought Fiero was a make, not just a model.
