I have always been interested in Fiero's but have never really had enough money to buy one. I entend on buying in the near future and would like some information. I know the 88 models had the better suspension and brakes. But is that it, they seem like they're twice as expensive as an 87, wouldn't it be better to save the money buy an 87 and upgrade the suspension and brakes with aftermarket. Also what are the major differences in the GT and SE besides the V6? Does the V6 and 4cyl have same axles and tranny's making it possible to swap a v6 into a 4cyl easily. What is the deal with these v8 swaps, can the Fiero really handle that much power? I'm sure I'll have more Q's when I think of them.

welcome to the forum! you don't NEED an 88. but it sure would be nice. the 4s and 6s have the same trannys. but don't (sorry guys) get a 4 if your looking at a 6 already. it's a lot of work to retro-fit a 6. if your gunna do that just drop in an 8. YES they can handle 300+hp all DAY LONG! and they are REALLY fun to drive! I'm partial to the 6. but there are just as many go fast goodies for the 4. just takes a bit more work to make fast. you'll be happy with ANY fiero you decide on.. especially since you found this forum.. odds are you'll not run into a problem another member hasn't already run into and fixed!

The reason the 88's cost more is because they are newer and more rare. The combination of low build numbers and the highly desired suspension makes them wanted more. So they are worth a little more. The SE's had the 4 cyl with an optional 6 cyl engine starting in 85. They were notchback bodies with the aero nose starting in either 85 or 86. There were no 88 SE's, but they were replaced by the Formula. It had the coupe body with the V6 and WS6 suspension. The GT's in 85 were notchback and all 86-88's were fastbacks. Hope this helps a little.

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1988 Fiero Formula

Welcome to the forum.

If you have any interest in a v6, by all means buy a v6 from the get go and avoid the hassle of engine swaps. I was able to find a white 86 GT fastback for $1,500 and while it is not perfect it is a beautiful car. Even with my automatic trans the 6 cyl makes it go fast. I've driven the 4cyl and theres a big difference.

Dave

I used to own an 85 GT with a v6 and a 4spd manual, and an 87 formula with a 4cylinder and a automatic. Its like night and day(performance wise).By the time you buy an 87 or so and upgrade the suspension and brakes, you probably could have bought an 88. It just depends on how much money you have now. If you look hard enough you can get an 88 for a good price.

88 Fiero's are popular because of the suspension and brakes, But repair/upgrade cost's of these areas on the 88's is slightly higher due to the differences and low production numbers. 85 thru 87 fiero's are very interchangable. 84 Fiero's had some differences in harness routing which makes swapping to a V-6 a little more difficult than the later years.
As for trans,
84 4spd had 4.11 gearing. 85-86 V-6's had same trans with different gearing.
85-88 4cyl had Izusu 5spd
late 86 thru 88 V-6's had Getreg 5-spd
all automatics are the same. (some difference in gear ratio's do exsist)
All the above transmissions have been used with V-8's. Over 300hp with automatic's requires some heavy duty parts to be installed but all others have worked well.
Differences in body styles are:
84-88 coupe same body style, different nose and bumper on 87 and 88.
84 and 85 SE same body style as coupe, 85 SE had optional V-6.
84 Indy, 85 GT, 86/87 SE all had same body style, areo nose, ground effects, 85GT came with a V-6, 86/87 SE had standard 4 cyl with optional V-6.
86-88 GT had fastback body style, V-6, 15 wheels.
88 Formula coupe body with all the mechanical upgrades of a GT. (V-6,WS6 suspension 15" wheels,etc)

Welcome to the forum!

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