quote Originally posted by MarkS: "The brake work sounds daunting and messy to me" It's really not that bad at all. If you try and rebuild the old calipers and such, it could be. Replacing with quality out of the box parts, it isn't. I think your mechanic friend would agree.

Ok cool, glad to hear it's manageable. Yeah it seems to be the consensus that the calipers stick over time. I do remember Ogre talking about some problems with the calipers and how there were TSBs on them for design flaws that were maybe on the verge of a recall and that new parts didn't have some type of vents in them that they needed to have or something.

quote Originally posted by Vintage-Nut: IF to decide to buy this Fiero... ALSO Plan to Replace the Clutch Master Cylinder and Clutch Slave Cylinder.

Sounds like a good idea. That's really what I thought the messy part would be - lots of coagulated junk and disintegration in those cylinders and in the brake lines.

quote Originally posted by Patrick: Everyone's built a bit differently... but I'm 6'3", have owned/driven much larger vehicles in the past, and have never felt the legroom in a Fiero to be restrictive in any manner (and I don't have the seat anywhere near all the way back). Over the years, there has been mention occasionally made in the forum of the floor perhaps being a little narrower on the driver's left side, but it's definitely something that is not even noticeable after driving a Fiero for any length of time.

Glad to hear it's worked well for ya! I'm under 6' so hopefully all will be good. Yeah I don't think I put the seat all the way back either, just back some from where the prior driver had it. Sounds like a few others may have had similar sentiments about the least side but that, like a lot of things, you get used to it and comfortable with it.

quote Originally posted by Mike in Sydney: I replaced the ECM with the distributor. For some reason, the distributor had gone kaput and I figured as long as I was there, I’d replace the ECM. Brakes and rotors area a “must do” if the car’s been sitting for a ny appreciable length of time. After all, it’s your life. I didn’t replace my brake master cylinder or booster but doing so is not a bad idea. Check Rock Auto for rebuilt or new replacement “chinesium” callipers. I’ve heard good things about them but I don’t have personal experience with them. Depending on price, you may want to view the car personally. Being in Australia, that wasn’t an option for me when I bought my SE. (I’ve got a bad habit of buying cars sight unseen. I’ve bought 3 of the 4 Fieros I’ve owned without seeing them in person, first.) Check the rear frame rails by pulling the inner fender liners off to get access. Pulling the carpet out of the rear compartment and looking there is a good indicator. If there’s no holes in the floor, chances are the rails will be okay BUT there’s no replacement for looking. If you can’t do it, consider having a friend or an independent person do it for you. Paint jobs are expensive but because the body is non-metallic, rust through is generally not an issue. If it’s been stored inside, chances are the clear coat is okay. If that is the case, you can change colour with a vinyl wrap. You can do it yourself for the cost of the material or pay a professional to do it for you. (edited for clarity & grammar)

I understand about the ECM. I'm hoping the distributor is still good but who knows. Yeah I'll definitely be on Rock Auto, which I've placed a number of orders on lately for work on the Paseo and now my younger daughter's vehicle. I need to start a parts list with costs on a spreadsheet! Definitely toying with the idea of a plane ticket to see it in person - I'd love to pull those rear wheel well liners down. Actually prefer silver so any wrapping I'd do would be PPF/ clear.

quote Originally posted by 82-T/A [At Work]: I’m the exact same height, and the Fiero has always been the most comfortable car I’ve ever owned. I’ve had maybe 40 cars of varying years and styles. It has as much leg room as my grandfather’s Crown Victoria that I inherited.

Great to hear that! I drove a Lincoln Town Car for a number of years so I hear you about the leg room.

quote Originally posted by cartercarbaficionado: i drive my fieros wearing **** kickers personally lol. never liked driving in tennis shoes and the boots make it a little difficult to clutch in sometimes before i fixed the pedal alignment issues it had. dizzie needs to know that fiero pedals are supposed to be 2 inches apart and not almost touching like the 88 formula was and the pedals bend in all sorts of ways over the years

Thanks for the tip on pedal spacing/ alignment. I think I read that the 87s generally have better luck since their pedals have all-iron shafts rather than some aluminum, but I'm sure they all bend and flex over time.

[This message has been edited by dizzie (edited 06-03-2025).]