I found a car i am planning to go look at and trying to see what it may take to repair and what I should offer. It is a 1988 5 speed with 100k miles on it. The ad says runs great but has "clutch issues" i will assume the worst and say at 100k it needs full clutch work. they have $2500 or best offer on it.
That is a clean car for $2500.00 If the clutch is slipping in gear, you might need to replace it. If it goes into gear while not running, but won't while engine is running, It is just the master cylinder or slave which is very common. About $150.00 total and a couple hours to fix.
The 4-cylinder transmission is not considered as robust as the Muncie or Getrag units from the V6 cars, so if you have swap plans in the future, you'll want to consider also swapping the transmission as well.
There are a lot of great Fiero owners in that area and if you can get help from someone like Shade Tree, go for it. Also, there are a bunch of nice Fieros posted on www.mafoa.com (and we'd love to have you join us at some events!).
My cousin has an 86GT for sale in Westminster, MD asking $3500. Let me know if you decide to pass on this 88 and want his number.
Thank you all for the responses. I chatted with the guy today.He said he was driving it and at a stop light the clutch peddle went to the floor.He got it home by starting the car in 3rd gear and limping it home. I would of prefered a 6cyl GT but this one (at a glance) looks in great condition.He is pretty set on price I might be able to get some wiggle room. Id be interested in any car local to me.I have not had much luck in finding non basket case cars unless I looked out west.I can do many repairs myself but this will be a fun car and I want to have fun with it and not wrenching every weekend to keep it on the road. I have my 79' Yamaha motorcycle for that ..lol
Originally posted by Patrick: Don't be fooled by a purdy face (ie plastic body panels). Check for rust before you buy it.
Yup. Many get burned w/ Fiero body hidden a totally rotten frame. PA NY are especially heavy users of road salt. Others can be depending on area. Even in DE and NJ near the ocean can rot many cars even when their not driven much because of salt spray.
------------------ Dr. Ian Malcolm: Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should. (Jurassic Park)
A complete clutch failure without warning could be a hydraulic issue; easy & cheap to fix. (Not intending to mislead or give false hope...)
My '84 SE clutch wouldn't disengage; the 3/8" diameter rubber seal at the end of the master cylinder had eroded and failed. There are, of course, other failure causes... The clutch disc itself probably doesn't have much life left as it has 279,000 km (173,300 miles) on it since GM replaced the original at 102,000 km (63,300 miles) under warranty.
I know where this Fiero is, saw it for sale already. If you want I can look at it with you as I'm about 45 minutes north of Harrisburg. Hell if you have never driven a Fiero you could give mine(84 manual) a spin.
As others said you absolutely need to check for rust. The rear 'frame' rails are the number one spot to check. You can see them if you crawl under the car but the best way is to take the splash guards off the wheel wells. They're held on with those black two piece push pins that chew up your fingers. If they won't let you check for rust here walk away, you cannot take their word on that topic. There's also frame rails up front as well but they're easier to inspect.
As for the clutch, you'd want to watch the transmission as he pushes the clutch pedal. If the clutch arm doesn't move it's almost certainly a hydraulic failure which is easy to fix. Could cost you under $50 if you go for cheap parts just to get it running. If the arm is still moving then it may be a broken clutch fork although this is less likely. That would require removal of the transmission.
Other usual things to check are the state of the fluids. Check to see if the coolant is full of crud. Make sure the oil doesn't have signs of coolant and thus a head gasket failure. See if there's service records.
Looks good but it can't be driven home and transmission problems scare away buyers so if you're confident you can fix it offer him around $2000. Otherwise continue looking for a GT, this will be there later as a 4 cylinder notchback isn't going to fly off the shelf.
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My advice to ensure you have a Fiero to drive is get three. It's unlikely they'll all break at the same time...
[This message has been edited by AsaBergman (edited 03-22-2019).]
Two Fieros I bought had "clutch issues". Basically air in the clutch fliud lines. One needed a clutch slave cylinder, and the other a slave and master. Not difficult fixes. Not saying it could be other things but this could be likely.
[This message has been edited by 2.5 (edited 03-22-2019).]
Went this morning to check out the car.Nice older guy with to many toys .Said he bought it a 1.5 yrs ago from original owner .He put new tires on it and about a month later the clutch issue happened.Car interior is near perfect except one corner of the dash is broken (looked like it got hit when someone was climbing in ) and the headliner is drooping (i think id get a factory sunroof anyway). The exterior is overall pretty good except a crack on the passenger door and a wrinkling of the rear bumper paint.The door window seals are broken as well. I checked the clutch master cyl and it had almost 0 fluid.I could shift into any gear with the engine off. The cooling pipes have no damage and frame looked solid from where i was looking.I took a couple short videos but my camera work is lacking...
Well, from your video I'd say you weren't looking in the right area. If you had at least looked under the carpet in the ends of the trunk, you might've been able to see if the upper frame rails were rusting through the trunk sheet metal.
The key to buying a good fiero today is to get the lowest mile clean car you can get.
You can spend $2500 here and get nicked and dimed to a much higher investment on a car with 100k miles.
Or you find a really clean low mile car with no needs and spend less.
Take your time and shop around as if you can afford a higher priced lower mile car you will be much happier.
Take down the carpet on each side of the trunk too often there will be a fist size rust hole or larger if it was driven in the winter. Walk away if it is there. Too many more clean cars out there.
Fixer uppers are find if you can not afford $8k at one time. But if you can afford that amount or more spend the money now not on repairs.
Guess I will pass on this and keep looking for a GT.Or perhaps (not sure if it is a curse word around here) a mr2 from the same era. I dont have a ton of money for a weekend/sunny day driver but I have time. Since im 1/2 hour from Carlise the car show season is starting so i can shop there as well.
[This message has been edited by Hjoken (edited 03-24-2019).]
Guess I will pass on this and keep looking for a GT.
This car might've been fine. My concern is that you didn't check it thoroughly enough for rust. However, if it's a GT you prefer... whether it's for the body style, or the added power, or the superior exhaust note (I'm serious)... then there's no point buying a 4-banger base model.
I appreciate all the advice. I do want the GT for all the reasons you described. lol I just have a limited budget and thought I would upgrade it later to a beefier engine. I will just keep combing craigslist and other sites tho it sounds like I have a bit of competition around this area
I will just keep combing craigslist and other sites tho it sounds like I have a bit of competition around this area
You can post a Wanted ad in the mall here on the forum. A lot of times people will not advertise they are selling a Fiero, but chime in when someone is looking for one. Just post that you are looking for a Fastback and your price range. There is a good chance someone will respond. Good luck!