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| Thoughts on this potential purchase? (Page 1/5) |
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dizzie
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MAY 27, 06:52 AM
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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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olejoedad
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MAY 27, 08:56 AM
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An old Fiero adage states that a used Fiero will make you a mechanic or bankrupt ....
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Matthew_Fiero
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MAY 27, 09:13 AM
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It looks decent and complete! Hopefully there are no surprises. Not many silver ones around anymore.
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Vintage-Nut
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MAY 27, 10:19 AM
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| quote | | 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'm not a very skilled mechanic at all, but I have a pal who has helped me to... |
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IMHO
Don't to it...as olejoedad said, rejuvenating classic vehicles is an expensive hobby for skilled mechanics.
One member brought a 'dead' Fiero and poured $7,000 into it which he finally quitted; the last time I saw his ad - he was asking $3,000 of the 'ugly' and unfinished project...
To Me, learn the basics on a 'newer' and working vehicle which the parts are widely available and more reasonable than a neglected Fiero.
IF you have substantial financial resources, then "Go For It!"------------------
Original Owner of a Silver '88 GT
Under 'Production Refurbishment' @ 136k Miles
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1985 Fiero GT
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MAY 27, 10:50 AM
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| quote | Originally posted by Vintage-Nut:
IMHO
Don't to it...as olejoedad said, rejuvenating classic vehicles is an expensive hobby for skilled mechanics.
One member brought a 'dead' Fiero and poured $7,000 into it which he finally quitted; the last time I saw his ad - he was asking $3,000 of the 'ugly' and unfinished project...
To Me, learn the basics on a 'newer' and working vehicle which the parts are widely available and more reasonable than a neglected Fiero.
IF you have substantial financial resources, then "Go For It!"
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Or get a "good" Fiero and plan to spend money and learn a lot over time, but you'll have more time on the road for the money spent than trying to resurrect a Fiero that doesn't run to start with.
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Patrick
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MAY 27, 03:47 PM
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| quote | Originally posted by dizzie:
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...
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Have you asked your friend for his opinion on buying this car? If push comes to shove, your friend may tire of using his talents on your project, especially if it becomes long and involved.
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cartercarbaficionado
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MAY 27, 04:05 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!
Diz |
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this looks pretty good actually dizzie. if you need any v6 stuff please message me since i have quite a few parts especially grey interior bits im willing to part with though it looks imacculate.
consider the mileage and why it got parked. its probably engine or transmission related along with the health issues or its gonna be like doggos and have every brake problem known to man or like my basket case and be a never ending wiring nightmare (i have stuff to fix that if it comes to it. ive accumulated a few harnesses to fix the trash that didnt work on mine since the harnesses werent the issue)
honestly i think you got this and at the very least youll learn alot and save it from sitting indefinitely and can get it into better hands if nothing else. but again you got this as long as your learning with your buddy and having fun
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dizzie
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MAY 28, 09:21 AM
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Wow, thanks for all the thoughtful responses and viewpoints as usual, everybody! That gives me a lot to consider. I'd like to respond to each individually below. My main takeaways from all this so far are to:
1) Verify that the car really was "running when parked" and that it was running and driving well
2) Be ready to work, learn, spend time, and spend money with no guarantees of success or even condition
3) Keep my eyes open for running and driving alternatives that would be worth spending more on before going with this example
4) Make sure any pals who would be helping are truly on board with this first
In addition, I'll be looking to verify what's under the trunk carpet as mentioned before. I'm really spooked about the rear upper frame rails on these cars - almost enough to buy a plane ticket and go out to the car and try to jack it up and pull the wheels off and pull the wheel well liners down a bit to inspect. But in reality, I probably won't And if the trunk does look ok, I also need to get a look at the title!
Direct responses:
| quote | Originally posted by olejoedad:
An old Fiero adage states that a used Fiero will make you a mechanic or bankrupt .... |
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This rings very true from all the accounts I read here and elsewhere. While I'd like to avoid the second outcome, I wouldn't mind the first! I'd also like to avoid what happened to someone down the road the other day - I saw in the news where their jack stands failed on Memorial Day and the poor guy was killed working under his vehicle (not a Fiero to my knowledge, though). Knew of another young lady whose sister lifted a BMW off her father who she found unconscious underneath a number of years ago, too. I test drove a really nice 2m4 that someone locally was selling. They had purchased it as a fully restored vehicle. Unfortunately, it had only been cosmetically restored. They showed me all the repair bills where they had spent over $7K in two years. It was easy to see that the "classic car specialty shop" had been throwing parts at it until finally finding things like a grounding issue. This isn't to say that I couldn't be guilty of the same, but at least it would be my time spent rather than paying for labor on top of parts costs.
| quote | Originally posted by Matthew_Fiero:
It looks decent and complete! Hopefully there are no surprises. Not many silver ones around anymore. |
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I thought the same! Looks to be all there and it was "running when parked" as they say. While I've grown to like many different color, body, and engine combinations, silver remains my first love - so this is especially enticing to me (wouldn't mind seeing one in light blue or teal, though!) It does seem disproportionately difficult to find silver manual Fieros compared to other colors - maybe many silver ones have been repainted? The chart in this forum post shows that combining silver and light gray metallic puts it as the fourth most common color behind red, black, and white. I do find that I gravitate towards stock setups rather than cosmetic or mechanical customizations.
| quote | Originally posted by Vintage-Nut:
IMHO
Don't to it...as olejoedad said, rejuvenating classic vehicles is an expensive hobby for skilled mechanics.
One member brought a 'dead' Fiero and poured $7,000 into it which he finally quitted; the last time I saw his ad - he was asking $3,000 of the 'ugly' and unfinished project...
To Me, learn the basics on a 'newer' and working vehicle which the parts are widely available and more reasonable than a neglected Fiero.
IF you have substantial financial resources, then "Go For It!"
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Thanks for being the voice of reason. Could you or someone please direct me to the saga of the dead Fiero you mentioned? Sounds pretty sad, but I'd like to read about it as a cautionary tale. Your comments really has made me think twice and then think some more! It's so true - just look at my anecdote about the 2m4 above. And money spent is no guarantee that the car will actually be drivable and reliable. I don't drive daily, but I would like to be able to get around town and even take it on trips of 200-300 miles every now and then. Any "substantial financial resources" would probably amount to running up debt which I'm trying to avoid. The only things that still have me considering this one are 1) the price would be right about 1/3 of a running model in the same configuration, even after transport. 2) I have a really good feeling about the seller who is a senior, slow to move, and just looking to clear some things out of the garage that have been sitting around. 3) This combo of an 87 SE V6 5 speed in silver is really attractive to me and difficult to find.
| quote | Originally posted by 1985 Fiero GT:
Or get a "good" Fiero and plan to spend money and learn a lot over time, but you'll have more time on the road for the money spent than trying to resurrect a Fiero that doesn't run to start with. |
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This would actually be my preferred way to go! While I don't want to be "penny wise and pound foolish", I think the price difference in this case could make it worth buying to get back in running condition. And, admittedly, there's the thrill of getting a car that's been sitting for over a decade fired back up. It strikes me as one of these vehicles that, were I foolish enough to try cranking it with no preparation, it just might fire up. I wouldn't risk the possible consequences, though! However, I continue to be open to really good deals on a running, driving Fiero, but they are very hard to find in the mid-atlantic area (especially a manual, which is what I want). I probably wouldn't want to buy a running Fiero far away enough that I had to transport. If it's running, I want to thorougly check it out in person first. And then transport adds even more to the cost. There was a four speed 86 GT not too far away with about 190K on the clock that seemed to be in decent working order that a guy was selling for about $4,500 that I passed on because I didn't care for the brown interior. That's about the best I've seen for a manual within 300 or so miles over the year or more I've been looking. Well, there was another GT for two or three thousand that needed paint badly. If it were available now, I'd buy it. But it came up so early in my search, I didn't move on it quickly enough and it was sold within days.
| quote | Originally posted by Patrick:
Have you asked your friend for his opinion on buying this car? If push comes to shove, your friend may tire of using his talents on your project, especially if it becomes long and involved. |
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This is absolutely a valid point. The guy is a friend like no other. I'm always concerned about "wearing out my welcome" and will continue to try and be careful not to. He genuinely seems to get so much out of helping not just me but everyone in the neighborhood with odds and ends. I've tried to return the favor when it's something in my wheelhouse like technology, or by lending items (which he has done too), and even giving him a gift card when he'll accept it. He says that helping out substantiates his tool buying habit lol. He's offered in the past to help me rehab a Fiero and he was the one that introduced me to the Ronald Finger abandoned Fiero restoration videos. I would absolutely talk it over with him before pulling the trigger. I have another friend who works on cars who has offered to help too - I should let him know about it in advance first, too. And if there is any pain in your past where friends have abused your mechanical skills, I'm sorry for that and hope you get the appreciation you deserve if/ when you pull a wrench for someone!
| quote | Originally posted by cartercarbaficionado:
this looks pretty good actually dizzie. if you need any v6 stuff please message me since i have quite a few parts especially grey interior bits im willing to part with though it looks imacculate.
consider the mileage and why it got parked. its probably engine or transmission related along with the health issues or its gonna be like doggos and have every brake problem known to man or like my basket case and be a never ending wiring nightmare (i have stuff to fix that if it comes to it. ive accumulated a few harnesses to fix the trash that didnt work on mine since the harnesses werent the issue)
honestly i think you got this and at the very least youll learn alot and save it from sitting indefinitely and can get it into better hands if nothing else. but again you got this as long as your learning with your buddy and having fun |
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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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Vintage-Nut
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MAY 28, 11:11 AM
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Patrick
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MAY 28, 03:51 PM
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| quote | Originally posted by dizzie:
And if there is any pain in your past where friends have abused your mechanical skills, I'm sorry for that and hope you get the appreciation you deserve if/ when you pull a wrench for someone!
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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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