First time Fiero owner- my thoughts (Page 2/3)
cliffw SEP 11, 11:20 AM

quote
Originally posted by markopolo:

Hello everybody! As the title suggests I just purchased my first fiero. I have wanted a fiero since I was a teenager and life has finally brought me to owning one. I got it for a good price from a guy who is also a fiero enthusiast, having owned multiple himself. He gave me a good crash course on fiero ownership knowing I was a greenhorn. lol

No cup holders. It’s 1984. Bottled water and Stanley cups had yet to be invented. This is a “hold my beer” kinda car anyway.

Oh and the gas tank is laughably small. lol I’m giggling now thinking about it.

I’m looking forward to the fiero ownership experience.



Congrats on your Fiero purchase. Welcome to the asylum.

You might laugh at how small the gas tank is but you will not be laughing when you run out of gas. The gas guage is notoriously wrong when you are almost empty. I trust my trip odometer.

Know this. The 84 Fiero is the only Fiero which has glass sail panels (just behind the doors). Protect them as they are sure to be hard to replace.

Correct, no cup holders ... but I have heard that we can set a water bottle behind the instrument panel.
Kitskaboodle SEP 11, 05:13 PM
As a new Fiero owner, you would be wise to heed the following advice grasshopper:
1) Never jack a Fiero up by the sides
2) Do start looking for a gas station when you get to a 1/3 tank. (or suffer the consequences)
3) Never buy / install a plastic impeller water pump. (unless you like diabolical overheating issues)
4. If you drive into a shop and the mechanic asks which end of the car has the engine, promptly drive away, never to return.
5) Always make sure your dogbone has fresh rubber. (or poly if you so choose)
6) Don’t let Fiero haters get the best of you. (just tell them to “bugger off”)
Kit

[This message has been edited by Kitskaboodle (edited 09-11-2025).]

Kitskaboodle SEP 11, 05:16 PM
As a new Fiero owner, you would be wise to heed the following advice grasshopper:
1) Never jack a Fiero up by the sides
2) Do start looking for a gas station when you get to a 1/3 tank. (or suffer the consequences)
3) Never buy / install a plastic impeller water pump. (unless you like diabolical overheating issues)
4. I’d you drive into a shop and the mechanic asks which end of the car has the engine, promptly drive away, never to return.
5) Always make sure your dogbone has fresh rubber. (or poly if you so choose)
6) Don’t let Fiero haters get the best of you. (just tell them to “bugger off”)
Kit
Patrick SEP 11, 05:41 PM

By posting it twice, Kit really wants his advice to sink in!
hyperv6 SEP 11, 06:19 PM

quote
Originally posted by cliffw:


Congrats on your Fiero purchase. Welcome to the asylum.

You might laugh at how small the gas tank is but you will not be laughing when you run out of gas. The gas guage is notoriously wrong when you are almost empty. I trust my trip odometer.

Know this. The 84 Fiero is the only Fiero which has glass sail panels (just behind the doors). Protect them as they are sure to be hard to replace.

Correct, no cup holders ... but I have heard that we can set a water bottle behind the instrument panel.



Might add the quarter glass is not extremely rare but it is popular. Since it is glass it will stay in good condition. If you have an 85 or later they will crack and most replacements are not right, I added 84 panels to my 85.
Patrick SEP 11, 07:02 PM

quote
Originally posted by hyperv6:

Since it is glass it will stay in good condition.



Ummmm... I'm going to have to disagree. I don't know if it happens to all of them... but on a lot of them, an impression of the foam donut located behind the panel starts to show through the black (and back) of the glass.

I quickly found a couple images online. The mark isn't too apparent in these shots, but if my '84 was here, I'd be able to give a much better example.



[This message has been edited by Patrick (edited 09-11-2025).]

Kitskaboodle SEP 11, 07:21 PM
I have pulled a few sets of 84 glass and I can tell you that they often suffer from a white cloudiness that shows through the glass. I have passed on quite a few because of this. Kit
Patrick SEP 11, 07:59 PM

quote
Originally posted by Kitskaboodle:

I have pulled a few sets of 84 glass and I can tell you that they often suffer from a white cloudiness that shows through the glass.



Exactly! It's due to some sort of reaction between the black coating on the backside of the glass and the foam pad support that pushes against the back of the glass panel.
hyperv6 SEP 11, 09:49 PM
There are still. Good ones out there and if needed the back side can be painted to present like new. It is not that difficult and no drama. You can even strip them and put your own emblem for GT or remove it if you like. It is like a RC car body.

Just use care removing most people shatter them as they have no clue how to remove.

They can be just a shade smaller than the plastic so a stip of rubber works well to cover any paint wear from the plastic ones,.

The plastic one’s all crack and it is rare to find a good one even garaged,

[This message has been edited by hyperv6 (edited 09-11-2025).]

Patrick SEP 11, 10:01 PM

quote
Originally posted by hyperv6:

...if needed the back side can be painted to present like new. It is not that difficult and no drama. You can even strip them and put your own emblem for GT or remove it if you like.



That's not what I recall from researching this here years ago. It appeared next to impossible for a decent job to be done. Do you have any links to where a successful refinishing process is presented/explained?