Hey there guys. New to PFF! Bought my first car a few weeks ago, a 1986 Fiero GT, 4 speed manual with 106,000 miles on it. Really love this thing so far. Unfortunately, seeing all of these awesome builds and modifications have me itching to do something to mine. Let me know what you guys think! I've been contemplating side scoops, ground effects, new front bumper and a new paintjob. Throw some ideas at me! Thanks.
The first thing that i'd do is learn how to use SEARCH. You'll find a TON of stuff - since 1999 worth. Then i'd upgrade the headlight system to the 1987-88 system. It's a good project and the new system is smoother, quieter and more reliable. Another good project is changing the cruise control to the digital / electronic system. If you REALLY wanna make the car fun, save your money and get a 3800S/C or V8 engine conversion.
[This message has been edited by PaulJK (edited 01-25-2015).]
Thanks guys! Since I'm only 17 I think I"m going to stick with interior and exterior work. Really need to stay away from getting any tickets! Staying the speed limit is already hard enough
The first thing that i'd do is learn how to use SEARCH. You'll find a TON of stuff - since 1999 worth. Then i'd upgrade the headlight system to the 1987-88 system. It's a good project and the new system is smoother, quieter and more reliable. Another good project is changing the cruise control to the digital / electronic system. If you REALLY wanna make the car fun, save your money and get a 3800S/C or V8 engine conversion.
That conversion to the 3800S/C is my plan! In a few years unfortunately.... I will look into it, thank you very much!
Thanks guys! Since I'm only 17 I think I"m going to stick with interior and exterior work. Really need to stay away from getting any tickets! Staying the speed limit is already hard enough
I feel like I need to remind new young Fiero owners that there are no air bags in these cars....They are very strong and did well in the crash tests of their era, but it's easy to forget that there were cars made without air bags now that so few remain on the roads.
I feel like I need to remind new young Fiero owners that there are no air bags in these cars....They are very strong and did well in the crash tests of their era, but it's easy to forget that there were cars made without air bags now that so few remain on the roads.
Thanks for the reminder! I knew that coming into the purchase (much to my mothers disapproval) I know my limits as a new driver
I remember getting my first fiero at 15. I agree that the interior is an excellent place to start (after all, its where you'll spending all your time while driving). Depending on the shape of the car, I would look into recovering the headliner, replacing the old speakers, and (if you're feeling brave) repairing any warped interior vinyl pieces.
------------------ "The Twins" '87 GT 3.4 pushrod daily driver '88 GT 3.4 DOHC swap in progress
If your looking for body mods, the side scoops from Fiero Fiberglass really change the look. Also, a chin spoiler from Fiero Warehouse gives the front end a lower look.
IMO, switching out the black wheels for aluminum (polished or matte finish) would make the biggest impact on the look, especially with the orange paint.
Here are a couple pics of my GT with the side scoops and chin spoiler:
Like all 17 year old's, having a neat car is a big deal. I am an instructor for a new driver safe driving course in CT and have a different take on the issue. It appears that getting a drivers license now-a-days is an easy thing to get. Minimal on road experiences and not a lot of real world, time behind the wheel. It is not a question as to if you have an accident but when it will happen. Statistics are not your friend. It has been said that kids don't learn to drive until after they get their license. So, the issue is.............. Do you want to sacrifice this car to your first incident? IMO, find something newer with the appropriate safety equipment, listen to your parents and be aware of everything around you at all times, NO DISTRACTIONS. Save the Fiero for a couple of years and while it's snug in the garage plan your strategy and mods. First things should be upgrade the brakes, tires, suspension. Then make it look good. Last...........more power. Take a safe driving course in your area if offered. Tell your kids this stuff in 20 years.
Like all 17 year old's, having a neat car is a big deal. I am an instructor for a new driver safe driving course in CT and have a different take on the issue. It appears that getting a drivers license now-a-days is an easy thing to get. Minimal on road experiences and not a lot of real world, time behind the wheel. It is not a question as to if you have an accident but when it will happen. Statistics are not your friend. It has been said that kids don't learn to drive until after they get their license. So, the issue is.............. Do you want to sacrifice this car to your first incident? IMO, find something newer with the appropriate safety equipment, listen to your parents and be aware of everything around you at all times, NO DISTRACTIONS. Save the Fiero for a couple of years and while it's snug in the garage plan your strategy and mods. First things should be upgrade the brakes, tires, suspension. Then make it look good. Last...........more power. Take a safe driving course in your area if offered. Tell your kids this stuff in 20 years.
This thing sits in my garage for my parents reasoning, same as yours. I drive my dads trailblazer for now!
I just bought my second Fiero - a 84. I bought it from a first time car owner. He said he maintained the car. Changed the oil (I checked the dark oil and it was a quart low) kept it greased (I used a screw driver to try and find some fresh grease under the hard dried dirt) I kept the interior clean (I cleaned off all the arm marks he left). My point is that you have a rare car. You have something else to drive. Take your car apart. It's the best way to learn about it's condition and learn to respect the machine you bought. Before you modify the car make sure everything is mechanically correct. Brake lines rusty - replace them - E- brake not working right - fix it. Steering loose - fix it. By the time you get everything ship shape you will have really bonded with your car. Then after driving your friend, decide what you would like to change. Don't worry about what other have done. You don't want to be in over your head and end up selling an abandoned project. Make one change at a time. Perhaps you might just like to do what many Fiero owners do - restore the car to perfection and enjoy it. It's a pretty cool car just plain stock! I'm the original owner of my 87GT. Take your time and enjoy your car! If you make a mod, do it because you want to do it, not because someone else did.
Wheels would make the biggest difference in appearance, & if you go with "plus" sizes (larger diameter wheels & smaller profile tires) you'll get a performance gain too. ~ Paul aka "Tha Driver"
Originally posted by seajai: IMO, switching out the black wheels for aluminum (polished or matte finish) would make the biggest impact on the look, especially with the orange paint.
I have to agree with seajai on this one. The orange paint looks great, with the black side moldings. The black rims seems to be just a bit much, and the blend right in with the wheel wells and tires. I would personally remove the paint on the wheels, and see what is under them. They have been painted black, but there is no way to know exactly what is under the flat black paint from the previous owner. They could be gray, black or even gold. The best part is this is a very cheap, if not almost free project!
Welcome to the forum, and keep posting pictures of your progress.
EDIT TO ADD:
Here is a quick photo shop of the wheels with the flat black paint removed (Depending on what is underneath again)
[This message has been edited by JohnWPB (edited 01-26-2015).]
Upgrades you should definitely look into first are the audio system and some Fiero Fiberglass side scoops... Id also take those PepBoys Fiero GT off the side, but thats just my opinion!
------------------ "Discord" Red 1988 GT under restoration!
Originally posted by JohnWPB: I have to agree with seajai on this one. The orange paint looks great, with the black side moldings. The black rims seems to be just a bit much, and the blend right in with the wheel wells and tires. I would personally remove the paint on the wheels, and see what is under them. They have been painted black, but there is no way to know exactly what is under the flat black paint from the previous owner. They could be gray, black or even gold. The best part is this is a very cheap, if not almost free project!
Welcome to the forum, and keep posting pictures of your progress.
Should be grey. Gold was 88-only, and it doesn't look like they're 88 wheels. Could have been refinished of course, but likely not, as it wouldn't make much sense to pay for refinishing and then paint them. The black could very well just be plasti-dip though, so could just peel right off.
I don't know what you did exactly with that photo edit, but the wheels look a bit blue in that pic.
In addition to the lack of air bags, the first jolting reminder I had of the Fiero's limitations as an older vehicle when I bought my first one, was no anti-lock brakes. (Agreed on the grand am brake upgrade as well!) Came far too close to hitting someone in front of me while driving it home for the first time on a slick road after a light rain. Definitely keep it in mind, learn to use the brakes correctly and keep plenty of distance between you and the car in front of you especially in wet weather.
Going over the things I first had to repair on mine, make sure the cooling system is in working order, check to make sure the pipes underneath haven't been crushed from Improper jacking, and wouldn't hurt to replace the water pump belt from the get-go. Mine broke when it seemed fine, which caused it to overheat and bust the radiator. Personally I recommend Rodney Dickman's low-temp fan switch, since the factory one lets it get fairly hot, or just not work at all like mine eventually did. Just my two cents.
I second the headlight upgrade to the newer design, the old ones fail easily.
I also second the suggestion to fix the E-brake if it's not working. Not a terribly difficult job.
May want to swap the existing clutch slave cylinder for Rodney's double-seal slave cylinder, it's an amazing improvement. I have the same 4-speed manual, and it is a must, since they seem to be prone to leaking.
Check the front ball joints, that was another discovery I made shortly after I bought mine. They were probably a few miles away from failing and causing an accident. Make sure those aren't worn out!
Probably will want to replace the outer window dew wipes as well?
I would make a list of all the things I could do, total up how much that costs, and put that much money in the bank. Then drive it for many, many months and see what breaks. You won't even have to stress, because you'll already have thousands in the bank ready to go.
I buy a LOT of cars, and my policy is fix what prevents me from driving the car then drive it for six months to be sure nothing unexpected happens before I even think about improvements or updates. Get to know the car before you start sinking money into it.
Like all 17 year old's, having a neat car is a big deal. I am an instructor for a new driver safe driving course in CT and have a different take on the issue. It appears that getting a drivers license now-a-days is an easy thing to get. Minimal on road experiences and not a lot of real world, time behind the wheel. It is not a question as to if you have an accident but when it will happen. Statistics are not your friend. It has been said that kids don't learn to drive until after they get their license. So, the issue is.............. Do you want to sacrifice this car to your first incident? IMO, find something newer with the appropriate safety equipment, listen to your parents and be aware of everything around you at all times, NO DISTRACTIONS. Save the Fiero for a couple of years and while it's snug in the garage plan your strategy and mods. First things should be upgrade the brakes, tires, suspension. Then make it look good. Last...........more power. Take a safe driving course in your area if offered. Tell your kids this stuff in 20 years.
The problem with young drivers is how we teach them and the bad driving they've witnessed their parents doing for fifteen or more years.
The difference between young drivers and safer drivers is physics the hard way. Driver's ed teaches young people to always drive at safe speeds so the car will operate in a linear, predictable manner. Unfortunately stepping on the gas won't give the expected response on a slippery road. The car may continue in the same direction instead of following steering inputs, especially if you're braking too fast. This is where you learn physics.
The courses to take might be the performance driving ones that BMW and others offer, not so you can drive fast, but so you can learn physics a little easier. Driving safely has become awfully difficult now that aggressive driving is the law, pretty much literally. Safe drivers are essentially required to get out of the way of people who drive aggressively.
I wouldn't rush to make major upgrades on the theory that stock brakes, etc. are inadequate. There is risk in having stronger brakes (easier to lock up, for instance) and it's difficult to keep the parking brake if you do a brake upgrade. Even anti-lock brakes sacrifice some stopping distance to maintain control. In other words you can actually stop faster with old fashioned brakes if you do it right.
These upgrades require what I consider major work that the vast majority of drivers would never attempt. There are lots of risks in working on cars, too. Brake dust is hazardous to your health. If you're going to college (good idea) you really don't want to get involved in major work that will temporarily disable your car. There just won't be time.
Don't let people psych you out. Driving is complex. There is no real way to prepare for every possible calamity, but life is like that too. There is no point in staying home doing nothing just because things might go wrong. Strangers think the Fiero is fun to drive. I say it's fun to have. I don't like to drive "fun" because that tends to lead to unpleasant repair work (mostly mechanical). It is mighty nice to have a way to get around that is pretty cheap and reliable. If you drive this car through college it will be great fun.
I just bought my second Fiero - a 84. I bought it from a first time car owner. He said he maintained the car. Changed the oil (I checked the dark oil and it was a quart low) kept it greased (I used a screw driver to try and find some fresh grease under the hard dried dirt) I kept the interior clean (I cleaned off all the arm marks he left). My point is that you have a rare car. You have something else to drive. Take your car apart. It's the best way to learn about it's condition and learn to respect the machine you bought. Before you modify the car make sure everything is mechanically correct. Brake lines rusty - replace them - E- brake not working right - fix it. Steering loose - fix it. By the time you get everything ship shape you will have really bonded with your car. Then after driving your friend, decide what you would like to change. Don't worry about what other have done. You don't want to be in over your head and end up selling an abandoned project. Make one change at a time. Perhaps you might just like to do what many Fiero owners do - restore the car to perfection and enjoy it. It's a pretty cool car just plain stock! I'm the original owner of my 87GT. Take your time and enjoy your car! If you make a mod, do it because you want to do it, not because someone else did.
E-brake doesn't work, will look into it, thanks! I'll definitely take time to work on the smaller things.
Wheels would make the biggest difference in appearance, & if you go with "plus" sizes (larger diameter wheels & smaller profile tires) you'll get a performance gain too. ~ Paul aka "Tha Driver"
Upgrades you should definitely look into first are the audio system and some Fiero Fiberglass side scoops... Id also take those PepBoys Fiero GT off the side, but thats just my opinion!
Already added new speakers and stereo, waiting to see how Alternator holds up with those for a while before adding more. Would love The IMSA scoops, think it might need some more air intake while driving on the highway.
All modifications to appearance are theoretical for a rainy day in the future. Also, noticed it's really hard to check the blind spot with the sails being completely blocked out, any ideas on where to find the ones with glass? Thanks
I would make a list of all the things I could do, total up how much that costs, and put that much money in the bank. Then drive it for many, many months and see what breaks. You won't even have to stress, because you'll already have thousands in the bank ready to go.
I buy a LOT of cars, and my policy is fix what prevents me from driving the car then drive it for six months to be sure nothing unexpected happens before I even think about improvements or updates. Get to know the car before you start sinking money into it.
I agree entirely with this post. Used cars always turn up problems, especially one this old. In addition, young drivers are usually short of money, and that can lead to making compromises with maintenance and repairs. Lack of experience can also lead to not noticing problems as readily, and unsolved small problems can turn into bigger problems later. Mechanical issues should always have priority. Make sure you keep a reserve to pay for unexpected repairs, and be especially careful for the first several months that you drive the car. I have a particular obsession with the cooling system on old cars. It degrades with age, and I think it's the root cause of the ultimate death of many, many cars. Make sure you understand how the cooling system should behave, and if it doesn't behave that way, figure out why.
I normally don't like wheel mods, but blacked out looks good to me. If they look good underneath the paint, then so much the better. I would do something about those quarter windows, as you mentioned, but I don't have any sources to suggest. If you have to, I suppose you could just knock them out. It wouldn't look very good but at least you'd be able to see. Be careful around traffic and in the rain. Remember that no matter how good you are, any time you drive at the edge you can make mistakes. Professional race drivers still get in accidents every third week.
For me when I get a car its all about making sure everything works, next its all about cleaning. For example alot of engine bays are filthy. Interiors can be too.
some one made a post about ABS. I personally prefer not to have ABS. YES I have experienced ABS. I sold new GM vehicles, cars, trucks, Medium Duty trucks for over 36 years. My wife gets a new car every 2 to 3 years so I have driven cars with abs. I can break about as good with out ABS. Some one mentioned up grading the brakes. Yes that is the area I would work on. That to me is a weak point in the Fiero. You have a great Fiero club in your back yard. Reach out to them. They can give you some ideas. Before you do any engine mods get to know your car first. 3800 isnt for a newbie. I drove a 88 base for 12 years now I have a 3800 and IT IS DIFFERENT! I have driven a Fiero just about EVERY day since December 2001. Winter & summer here in Michigan. Oh Welcome to the madness! It is fun to have a car that you hardly ever see on the road!
In addition to the lack of air bags, the first jolting reminder I had of the Fiero's limitations as an older vehicle when I bought my first one, was no anti-lock brakes. (Agreed on the grand am brake upgrade as well!) Came far too close to hitting someone in front of me while driving it home for the first time on a slick road after a light rain. Definitely keep it in mind, learn to use the brakes correctly and keep plenty of distance between you and the car in front of you especially in wet weather.
Going over the things I first had to repair on mine, make sure the cooling system is in working order, check to make sure the pipes underneath haven't been crushed from Improper jacking, and wouldn't hurt to replace the water pump belt from the get-go. Mine broke when it seemed fine, which caused it to overheat and bust the radiator. Personally I recommend Rodney Dickman's low-temp fan switch, since the factory one lets it get fairly hot, or just not work at all like mine eventually did. Just my two cents.
I second the headlight upgrade to the newer design, the old ones fail easily.
I also second the suggestion to fix the E-brake if it's not working. Not a terribly difficult job.
May want to swap the existing clutch slave cylinder for Rodney's double-seal slave cylinder, it's an amazing improvement. I have the same 4-speed manual, and it is a must, since they seem to be prone to leaking.
Check the front ball joints, that was another discovery I made shortly after I bought mine. They were probably a few miles away from failing and causing an accident. Make sure those aren't worn out!
Probably will want to replace the outer window dew wipes as well?
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