Abandoned Fiero at Silent Auction (Page 1/2)
Wisconsiknight OCT 18, 03:06 PM
Hey all, I need some advice from you Fiero experts.
Theres an 87 SE at an abandoned vehicle auction near me. Its got the 5 speed and the VIN says its a V6. 60k miles on the odometer.

Interior looks to be in good shape, but the cover on the underside of the steering column was removed and some of the wires were fiddled with. There are also two batteries sitting in the passenger side which leads me to guess it has electrical issues.

I could probably purchase it for $500 or less, but I don't know enough about Fieros specifically to have a good sense of the risk. It could be a complete basket case or it could be ready to turn the key and go. Since its abandoned there is no key and I cant really do any kind of detailed inspection.

Worst case scenario, it has a blown motor/trans...how much are these worth? I'd like to get it and get it driveable but theres no telling whats wrong with it and I'm not sure how much money its worth risking for. Any advice is appreciated!
Patrick OCT 18, 03:42 PM

quote
Originally posted by Wisconsiknight:

Worst case scenario...



...is a rotted frame. As we warn everybody, check the rear upper frame rails for rust. Plenty of threads/info on this.
Wisconsiknight OCT 18, 03:47 PM
I have read that, but in this scenario I can't open the trunk to check. What percentage of them suffer from this? Is it something like a 50/50 shot that the frame is bad or worse?
Patrick OCT 18, 03:55 PM

quote
Originally posted by Wisconsiknight:

What percentage of them suffer from this? Is it something like a 50/50 shot that the frame is bad or worse?



Arizona car - .01% chance of rust

Upstate NY car - MUCH MUCH MUCH greater than .01% chance of rust.
USMUCL OCT 18, 04:22 PM
87 SE V6 5-speeds seem to be rare these days. If it is not rusted, it's a good find.
Spadesluck OCT 18, 04:30 PM
Do you own any other Fiero's? Rust was already mentioned but you could turn it into a parts car if it indeed had rust. New York car, chance are it does have rust for sure.
Wisconsiknight OCT 18, 05:45 PM
The auction is for vehicles that were abandoned on a military base, so the car probably did not spend its entire life up here but who knows. I tried to get underneath it but they're so low I couldn't see much. It did look semi-rusty but not rotted. The parts of the frame I could see and feel were not rusted through but did have rust on the surface (which I thought was strange because arent the frames galvanized steel?).
To answer the other question, I am curently Fiero-less. Jist on the hunt for a fun project car when I stumbled accross this one. It seems like the trans has some value on its own, so even if it turns out to be a rust bucket I could possibly sell the trans, scrap the rest and break even, no?
Patrick OCT 18, 06:00 PM

quote
Originally posted by Wisconsiknight:

...so even if it turns out to be a rust bucket I could possibly sell the trans, scrap the rest and break even, no?



Sure, parts cars have some value. It just depends on what your time is worth to you. Not everybody is willing to spend hours/days tearing a car down for maybe a few hundred dollars.
JohnWPB OCT 18, 06:08 PM
Worst case scenario, as stated, is that the frame is rusted bad.

EVEN IF this is the case, if the interior is in good shape as you said, you can make your $500 back pretty easily. Just the 87 headlight motors and wiring harness alone can easily fetch $200 (20 minute job, and fairly easy to remove) or more if it is beyond repair. More work for sure, but the 60,000 mile engine and transmission alone could easily fetch $500. If you do not want to do the work yourself, post the car here in the mall, or on craig's list for $450 for a parts car, and I am pretty sure you could get that back out of it.

The bottom line, if you pay $500 for it you will not lost any money.

If you get a chance, post some pictures and video of the car. That can really help us determine value. You can also turn on the LED light and start recording video on your phone. Start recording and pass the phone up behind the rear tires and aim it at the frame rails all around the axle area. Pay close attention to the passenger side, as this is where the battery can assist in rotting a frame rail.

Good luck, and keep us posted!

EDIT TO ADD: Can the car be titled? Are they giving some sort of release paperwork or something? I know Towing companies can apply for a title to a car they impounded after a certain amount of time passes.

[This message has been edited by JohnWPB (edited 10-18-2018).]

fierofool OCT 18, 06:21 PM
You can check the frame rail by reaching in past the rear wheel. You should be able to determine if there's any appreciable rust on the section you can access behind the wheel well liner. The tray underneath the radiator will usually show early signs of rust. If it's badly rusted, or if there's scaling on the control arms or cradle, chances are you have more severe rust on the frame rails.

If the car has a remote trunk release, remove the cigarette lighter and apply 12 volts to the 2 wires, then hit the trunk release. It's easier than removing the release button to power through it.