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| Thoughts on this potential purchase? (Page 2/5) |
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cartercarbaficionado
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MAY 28, 03:51 PM
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| quote | Originally posted by dizzie:
Thanks for the vote of confidence. I don't want to be overconfident, but I agree that it would be great to get this car back on the road, even if I'm not the one to do it! Great points about the mileage and the "why" of not being driven for 15 years. Mileage is around 60K which I probably should've mentioned. While I'm of the understanding it was "running when parked" from past conversations, I need to confirm that out for sure. I actually do trust the seller to give me an honest account of the vehicle's history to the best of their recollection. That doesn't mean that they could be legitimately forgetting something from that long ago - which is a risk. I appreciate the offer of being a parts resource! Sometimes with Fieros that seems to be half the battle.
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i try my best. ive had a hell of a time getting the 88 formula functional and the new owner is a bit of a car nut and wants 300 hp. well the darn thing is currently getting outrun by a duke and theres a whole spare v6 sitting around for it. reason i got that spare v6 is i got told "its got a 50k mile motor swapped in" and it was low oil pressure and overheating problems from the start. so just make sure you set aside the necessary budget for a shitty truck and trailer(or have triple a) o get it home when it breaks down and take your time when working on it and enjoy it thats what 80s cars are all about other than being a mechanical nightmare 
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82-T/A [At Work]
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MAY 29, 05:15 PM
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| quote | Originally posted by dizzie:
I'm considering the purchse of a project that was parked in a garage 15 years ago and hasn't been driven since due to health issues. I'd love to hear what you all are seeing when taking a look through this folder of photos in Google Drive. I'm trying to get the seller to also provide a photo showing underneath the trunk carpet as well as under the hood.
I'm not a very skilled mechanic at all, but I have a pal who has helped me to do some jobs on my current cars like timing chain, engine mounts, belts, thermostat, etc. I'd hope to take it slowly, put the magic miracle penetrating oil (or whatever it's called) in the valves for a few days, drain and replace gas and fluids, try to move crankshaft by hand, replace belts and hoses, and clean out the heater box at a minimum before trying to fire it up. Then it would be on to exhaust, breaks, tires, cosmetics, and probably loads of other stuff I'm not even thinking about yet lol.
This is all part of my never ending quest for my first reasonably priced Fiero now that I've learned to drive a manual. Thanks for taking a look and sharing any thoughts!
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My thoughts...
This is a 1987 Fiero SE / V6 5-Speed... which is a fairly rare option / combination. 87 SEs were rare anyway, and it's a V6, plus it has the 5-Speed getrag, so that's pretty great... it has the two things you want. It's also an 87, so parts will be a bit more affordable than 88-specific parts. The paint also doesn't look bad... it just looks dirty, so it's possible that other than needing to repaint the aluminum black parts (grills / mirrors), it's probably still pretty decent.
So, in my opinion, most of the cost of restoring a car comes from all the different pieces you need to source because you're starting with a bad car. I have no idea the condition of the engine or transmission, but everything else seems to be there... so you don't need an interior. I mean... the seats aren't even worn out... you literally don't need to do anything to the interior except maybe vacuum it and use an ArmorAll cleaning wipe.
Just going to be honest... and I know most here will disagree with me. You're not going to find a Fiero with that body and interior condition for less than $6-7k... at least. You're not a mechanic, but as long as you're willing to do everything yourself and learn, this is a fantastic candidate.
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dizzie
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MAY 29, 09:43 PM
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Thanks very much for sending those my way. You know, if I were closer to that car, I wouldn't mind checking it out! Seems like it's mostly down to cosmetics at this point. While that is certainly an example of how daunting of a task this can be (even when going in with your eyes open) I'm hoping that there is a significant difference between an example that sat out in a field exposed to the elements for 20 years and one that lived its life in garages, though it hasn't been fired up in the last 15. I'm sure that the degree of difference depends on a lot of unknown factors, though!
| quote | Originally posted by Patrick:
You demonstrate good insight by picking up on that. The "pain in my past" wasn't me being taken advantage of, it was my mother. She spent her entire life going out of her way for the betterment of others... only to be taken for granted by the vast majority of people that she had assisted over the decades. I could see the disappointment and pain it caused her, and I swore never to be taken advantage of in that manner. That doesn't mean I refuse to help others... heck, I've spent 25 years here helping others when I can (and volunteering with various organizations)... but I have no problem deciding when enough is enough.
Good luck with the Fiero. Hope it works out for you if you (and your friends!) decide to take on this project. |
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Damn, very sorry to hear about how Mom was treated after devoting so much of herself to others. She sounds like a saint! I like to think that her reward is far greater than any she could receive here in this dimension, but that doesn't make it any less abhorrent of an experience or make the pain any less gut-wrenching. I can tell that you've taken after her example in your life and yet learned to set boundaries and protect yourself from the ungrateful and worse. I've been told that gratitude is unfortunately one of the weakest human emotions. That's no excuse, but it rings true. Goodness knows I should be more grateful myself.
| quote | Originally posted by cartercarbaficionado:
i try my best. ive had a hell of a time getting the 88 formula functional and the new owner is a bit of a car nut and wants 300 hp. well the darn thing is currently getting outrun by a duke and theres a whole spare v6 sitting around for it. reason i got that spare v6 is i got told "its got a 50k mile motor swapped in" and it was low oil pressure and overheating problems from the start. so just make sure you set aside the necessary budget for a shitty truck and trailer(or have triple a) o get it home when it breaks down and take your time when working on it and enjoy it thats what 80s cars are all about other than being a mechanical nightmare |
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Haha, good luck on that 300hp. I bet you'll make it! Yeah I ended up getting AAA after my timing belt busted just a few miles from home on my little Toyota Paseo that I bought last fall so I could finally learn to drive stick (see below photo). And yes - it seems like you're never really know what you're getting until you spend some time with it.
| quote | Originally posted by 82-T/A [At Work]:
My thoughts...
This is a 1987 Fiero SE / V6 5-Speed... which is a fairly rare option / combination. 87 SEs were rare anyway, and it's a V6, plus it has the 5-Speed getrag, so that's pretty great... it has the two things you want. It's also an 87, so parts will be a bit more affordable than 88-specific parts. The paint also doesn't look bad... it just looks dirty, so it's possible that other than needing to repaint the aluminum black parts (grills / mirrors), it's probably still pretty decent.
So, in my opinion, most of the cost of restoring a car comes from all the different pieces you need to source because you're starting with a bad car. I have no idea the condition of the engine or transmission, but everything else seems to be there... so you don't need an interior. I mean... the seats aren't even worn out... you literally don't need to do anything to the interior except maybe vacuum it and use an ArmorAll cleaning wipe.
Just going to be honest... and I know most here will disagree with me. You're not going to find a Fiero with that body and interior condition for less than $6-7k... at least. You're not a mechanic, but as long as you're willing to do everything yourself and learn, this is a fantastic candidate. |
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I saw those scarce 87 SE numbers and was surprised! And yes - even with all it's wonderful suspension stuff, I definitely don't have the stomach for the scarcity of 88 parts that are still available. I agree fully on the cosmetics. Both inside and out are some of the best I've seen for an example that hasn't been restored and has more than, say, 20K miles on the clock. Your thoughts on value echo mine, too - if we can get it running and driving well and reliably, it should be worth at least 6K as it sits. However, that's a big "if"!
My current whip mentioned above:
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dizzie
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MAY 29, 10:08 PM
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One other update here. As it turns out, I'm going to have an unexpected opportunity to test a running and driving GT this weekend if all goes to plan.
As compared to the 87 SE this thread is about, the cons of the GT are:
- the miles are higher
- the interior and exterior are rough
- a/c isn't working (so common, right?)
- it has been in a couple of minor bump-ups over the course of its life and there is a bit of evidence of them in the panels
The pros are:
- it's close enough that I can go see it and don't have to worry about shipping it (auto transport brokers are an expensive nightmare in my opinion)
- total out the door cost should be the same or less than the non-running SE once transport is factored in
- it has even had the 3.4 Camaro swap done to it!
There is a very good chance that I could be driving it home this weekend. It's a case of the devil you know v/s the devil you don't. Even though I would regret not having the very nice cosmetics of the SE, it will be a comfort and a bonus to 1) know pretty much what I'm dealing with, 2) be able to drive it as I work on it bit-by-bit, 3) have the 3.4 for a bump in power (and better oil handling from what I have read), and 4) have the fastback styling of the GT which I actually prefer a bit over the notchie look.
I didn't see this coming, but hopefully it will be a little of the best of both worlds! If it does work out, I'll hope to ask permission from the seller of the garaged 87 SE to post contact details here in the forum in case others are interested in what is arguably a very promising project! But, one step at a time...[This message has been edited by dizzie (edited 05-29-2025).]
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cliffw
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MAY 30, 03:34 PM
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You would be better off if you let (pay) a professional mechanic shop do an inspection on it before you buy it. Perhaps you have much faith in your mechanic buddies. A professional shop will every diagnostic tool or equipment necessary. Should cost about $150.00. Money well spent.
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olejoedad
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MAY 30, 04:50 PM
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If I had to choose, I would buy the one with the immaculate interior and good paint.
Having a car painted is VERY expensive.
More expensive than mechanical problems.
For all you know, the first car you posted may not be a big problem, but a car with some body damage and poor paint, you know it's gonna cost.
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dizzie
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MAY 30, 06:06 PM
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Great points about the mechanic inspection and the cost of paint and body work! I'd love to get it up on a lift (using the correct lift points so as not to crush the coolant tubes). And I'm dumb enough to think I could do some prep and painting on my own, bit by bit, as well as using some bondo and/ or replacing a panel myself. I'm not looking to make it a show piece. It may be a fool's errand. Then again, my trying to do mechanical work could be just as foolish. There's a big bonus to having a driving vehicle - my board of directors (wife) doesn't have to put up with it sitting around in pieces while I try to get it running. And I can go ahead and sell my existing vehicle in the meantime to clear up space in the already crowded driveway been my car, hers, my older daughter, and the new driver in my household. You know how it is lol š
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82-T/A [At Work]
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MAY 30, 07:25 PM
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| quote | Originally posted by olejoedad:
If I had to choose, I would buy the one with the immaculate interior and good paint.
Having a car painted is VERY expensive.
More expensive than mechanical problems.
For all you know, the first car you posted may not be a big problem, but a car with some body damage and poor paint, you know it's gonna cost. |
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I echo this too Dizzie... Old Joe is right. I've just gone through the restoration of a 1985 Fiero 2m4 SE 5-Speed with my daughter. I pay for it, she restores it. Financial responsibility wasn't the goal here, it was teaching her how to work on a car. We've spent in excess of $23k on the car. A big portion of that was on restoring and replacing parts that were missing and / or damaged.
That silver 87 SE... for all you know... it just needs all the fluids changed, with a new battery, and it might literally start right up.
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Stingray92
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MAY 30, 09:08 PM
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I'll just put my 2 cents in on this,
My restoration project ballooned quickly from a busted transmission, the bad cam, to iron issues, poor paint, and a bunch of other things. It was however drivable and I put 30k on it before taking on my endeavor.
I've come a long way in getting my car where I want it. Time, money, and personal satisfaction are just some of the things to consider.
The choice is yours, hope you have a good outcome.
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Mike in Sydney
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MAY 31, 03:07 AM
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| quote | Originally posted by dizzie:
I'm considering the purchse of a project that was parked in a garage 15 years ago and hasn't been driven since due to health issues. I'd love to hear what you all are seeing when taking a look through this folder of photos in Google Drive. I'm trying to get the seller to also provide a photo showing underneath the trunk carpet as well as under the hood.
I'm not a very skilled mechanic at all, but I have a pal who has helped me to do some jobs on my current cars like timing chain, engine mounts, belts, thermostat, etc. I'd hope to take it slowly, put the magic miracle penetrating oil (or whatever it's called) in the valves for a few days, drain and replace gas and fluids, try to move crankshaft by hand, replace belts and hoses, and clean out the heater box at a minimum before trying to fire it up. Then it would be on to exhaust, breaks, tires, cosmetics, and probably loads of other stuff I'm not even thinking about yet lol.
This is all part of my never ending quest for my first reasonably priced Fiero now that I've learned to drive a manual. Thanks for taking a look and sharing any thoughts!
Diz |
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2 years ago, I purchased an 86SE, sight unseen from The Mall. It had been sitting in a carport in Mobile, AL for almost 10 years. I paid $1000 for it, figuring that if worse came to worse, I could strip it for parts and get my money back. I had the car shipped to my property in NC and then began work on it when I visited the U.S. I installed new brakes all around including disks and wheel bearings, new rubber lines, plugs wires, new distributor & ECM, fuel tank, filter, & pump, air filter, battery and tyres. All up, got ~$3,000 in the car. High cost for and '86 SE auto? Maybe, but it purrs like a kitten and feels better by the seat of the pants dyno than my 2 '86GT's. So, I think it was worth it. So much so that Iām shipping it home to Australia in July.
Plan on new brakes all around, tyres, a battery, wires and plugs and a good tune up. Flush and refill the cooling system. Change the oil and filter a couple of times. I changed mine every 500 miles for the first three times and I'm back to every 6,200 miles (10,000 km.) now. Change the air and fuel filters, too.
If you've not done it, check for rust in the engine cradle and the rear frame rails. Surface rust if not too bad is O.K. Just clean it or convert it with POR-15. It the rust has penetrated the frame, depending on how bad it is, you may want to reconsider.
Check compression in the cylinders. About 125PSI is what you would see at 8.5:1 when new. If you see ~110PSI in all cylinder, sweet. You may see lower but the real check is that the compression should be the same or close to the same in all cylinders. A really low compression reading in one or more cylinders could mean you have a blown head gasket or ring problem. Oh, when checking the compression make sure all of the plugs are out and the accelerator is wide open. Also, since the car has been sitting for a while, the rings may be stuck. This will affect the compression ratio. I used marvel mystery oil in the cylinders before staring my SE. Added a bit to the cylinders and let it sit overnight. It smoked like a chimney but then it stopped.
Good luck if you decide to purchase. Fiero's have a few quirks but they are a hoot to drive and you don't see many on the road anymore so expect attention.
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