Fiero engine in a real 308 (Page 1/1)
cvxjet FEB 20, 10:51 PM
I was just going around the web....and came across several articles.....One of which is on a guy who swapped in a 2.8 Fiero engine into a Ferrari 308....."More dependable"....

My father's neighbor had a 308 in the mid 80s.....Had it tuned up for only $1700- and wasn't happy with it. Do people really buy the hype about these cars? They are simply a money pit.....Why would you want the poor reliability/ergonomics/rust proofing of a ferrari when you could get more performance with the original Fiero chassis?

I also read an article that compared a 1981 308 to an 86 Fiero(Stock for stock).......the Fiero came out on top (Not completely surprising when comparing two cars across 5 years- a lot of improvements- especially in tire tech)..

One of the statements at the bottom of the 308 vs Fiero article was; Most foreign auto magazines raved about the Fiero's superior handling, its nimble response and excellent road feel. Most American auto magazines criticized the Fiero's handling as being numb, heavy and not responsive.

I have read a bunch of tests of the Fiero and I am always left speechless by the contrary statements; "Handling and steering is great!" vs "Steering numb as a stump!" "Handling is ponderous"......I think the funniest slap at the Fiero was in a foreign test....The guy stated that the parking brake lever formed a "...obstacle to getting in and out of the car..." Always wondered how that "Automotive" journalist would have scored on an IQ test......
Will FEB 21, 04:09 PM
I actually worked on that 2.8 V6 308. It was a hack job. The original swapper had left it with <1" of jounce travel in the suspension. The then owner (who was NOT the one who had the swap done) had me fix that, so I added some extra structure to extend the tops of the struts up to where they would be in the Fiero body. It ended up handling/riding/driving much better, then he sold it.

In the US market the 308's were pretty terrible thanks to emerging emissions regulations. The K-jet US market cars were only about 210 horsepower, while the prior carb'd Euro market cars had been 255. Also, the powertrain design the put the engine up on top of the gearbox was just strange and put the car's CG higher than you'd expect the CG of a car that low to be.

But when you pull up in a Fiero, you're driving an old P.O.N.T.I.A.C.

When you pull up in a 308, you're definitely driving a Ferrari.

[This message has been edited by Will (edited 02-21-2019).]