How well can Fiero's handle in the snow? Any mods besides snow tires that make a large difference? Anyone still use a Fiero as a snow cruiser?

Welcome to the Forum.
I use my 88 coupe as a daily driver year round, quite a few prefer to garage their Fiero's over winter.
I live in town, so as long as the snow plows have been around, I realy don't have any problems.
With the rear wheels so close to the driver, you get the feeling that the rear wheels are breaking loose in corners. Again this is a seat of the pants thing due to the wheels being right next to your butt.
You can get around on snow OK, but the main problems are the chance of 'High Centering', scraping the front facia, etc. Fiero's don't get good traction on Ice, the tires might benifit from having studded tires, but I've never gone that route. I'm concerned about cracking the doors due to extremely cold weather, so I don't make it a point to slam the doors. Check and or replace your dew wipes if they are old, you can get water inside the door.
I put a light coat of Vasoline around the door's weather strips to prevent the door freezing shut.
Use some good lock lubricant on the driver and passenger doors, and the trunck for that matter. Lube the locks early and you are good for the winter. I hit the windsheild and windows with Rainex, it seems to help get ice off in the winter.
Thats pretty much it, If I think of anything else, I prolly will, I'll edit this post.
Welcome to the addiction.

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Ol' Paint, 88 Base coupe auto.
Turning white on top, like owner.
Leaks a little, like owner.
Doesn't smoke, unlike owner

[This message has been edited by DtheC (edited 10-08-2006).]

When I lived in upstate NY, my GT was awful in snow. The torquey engine and 5 speed made first and second gear useless. The wide tires made driving in snow like driving on skis. The low clearence made the front a snowplow. I ended getiing a winter beater to drive. The Fieros got parked and covered in October, to be uncovered in March for state inspection and a drive to the Daytona show in Florida.

Once roads are plowed the car was ok. Heavy snow on the rear decklid was always a joy to try to clear. The salted roads did much corrosion damage which is hidden under the Endura flex plastic Fiero panels.

my 84 SE back in the 90's saw snow... I live on the lake michigan shoreline in michigan so I get snow levels in winter than make people in minnesota cringe. Getting 2 feet overnight is considered a light snow storm here...


Fieros do well except for two conditions...

1 - deep fluffy snow. it will come over the hood and fill your windshield. found this out at 40mph on a snow covered highway right after a storm. I hit a drift and could not see until I removed the 12 inches of snow I jammed on the hood and windshield.


2 - trying to get down a road that a plow truck did not do yet, the underside of the fiero acts very much like a sled this way. I ended up on the windrow of snow with all four wheels off the ground and a nice hard pack under the center of the car holding it up in the air.

I never ever have used snow tires on any of my vehicles, I use all season tires with the highest traction ratings and simply know how to drive in the stuff.

Remember it's a rear wheel drive car. most people today have never experienced a RWD car (I prefer it over a FWD any day!) and freak out when it does something different than they are used to. you cant pull yourself around a corner in a Fiero like you can in a FWD car in snow.

I've used mine in the snow a few times without any problems. As mentioned above, the snow can only get so deep with these cars before they become snowplows. I've now also lowered the car so I dont think I'll be taking out in the white stuff much anymore, besides in Va where I live, most dont know how to drive in snow and raise the risk of getting hit. We have a lot of good-ole-boys here that think they can just fly along with their high 4x4s without a problem. Maybe so, but they cant stop or turn then in the snow. Hardly snow comes by that you dont see at least one 4x4 laying on is side. I put too much time and money into my GT to get hit by one of them.

quote Originally posted by gladstonefiero: How well can Fiero's handle in the snow? Any mods besides snow tires that make a large difference? Anyone still use a Fiero as a snow cruiser?

After 2 winters in mine, im considering buying a cheap wranger for when it snows. ( we mostly get cold here, not a lot of snow )

I have heard some sand bags up front helps a bit, but you are still going to be plowing snow ( and ice! ) from the center of the lane 1/2 the time, and its not a comforting feeling.

Well, my daily driver is a 91 Camaro (v8 5spd lowered). So I know rwd, but I figure that fiero would be better. I live in Missouri, where for the last few years we only have gotten 2-3" a few times each winter. I used to have a 94 camaro (v6 auto) as a snow driver, which honed my driving, but I'd like some thing easier. I found 84 fiero se with 64k miles cheap locally, so I'm thinking it could do a couple inches of the white stuff.

i used my 86 for a year here in michigan and it worked rather well.. I like it better the the the 90 escort Ive driven in the winter the last 2 years.

You really want some snow tires, or at least some damn good all weather. Performance tires simply won't cut it.
Dropping some sand bags up front is also a very good idea. The Fiero has enough weight in the back to (usually) get moving, at the expense of not being able to steer...
After that, just drive slowly and carefully. You can't go dumping the clutch, braking at the last minute or doing 90+ in the snow unless you want to leave the driving to an ambulance crew.

i have driven the last 6 winters here in MI and thank goodness for bridgestone blizzaks. they are great. the traction improvement is amazing and i think they were about 60 dollars a piece . plus my summer tires last longer .

Winterized my Fiero this weekend
Winter comes early and hard up here in Canada

I wouldn't subject my Fieros to bad weather, so I put them away at the end of September. I can't imagine them being any fun at all in snow. I can imagine them being dangerous on anything slick, especially if you have a big tire patch.

quote Originally posted by Fierotoyboy: I wouldn't subject my Fieros to bad weather, so I put them away at the end of September. I can't imagine them being any fun at all in snow. I can imagine them being dangerous on anything slick, especially if you have a big tire patch.

I like to drive mine too much to put it away for 1/2 the year.. But when the snow comes this year i may leave it in the drive a few days afterwards. That used wrangler down the street is looking mighty tempting

So a Fiero would be better than a compact 2wd truck, but worse than a compact fwd car.

I assume a 2WD truck would be too light on the rear.


What are good dimensions for the winter tires on the stock 15" wheels?

Bizzaks also here. 185/70 is a good size. But check with www.tire.com for more options.

J.

quote Originally posted by swisscheese: I assume a 2WD truck would be too light on the rear. What are good dimensions for the winter tires on the stock 15" wheels?

225/75`s on the rear--215/75--up front....Of course that doesn`t leave much room for built up sludge and ice that form around the wheel wells.

I used a Fiero for a daily driver (winter + snow included) for more than 4 years, and I never had a problem with the Fiero in the snow. With the drivetrain being over the drive wheels, you have plenty of traction to get you where you want to go. (Assuming you have decent tires, and not bald tires).

The only thing I will mention, is if you're used to driving a car with ABS in the winter; you may want to practice braking on an empty road, to get a feel for how long it's going to take to slow down and stop. If you're not used to a car with ABS, then slowing down and stopping is about the same as any other non-ABS equipped vehicle.

I thought you guys might get a kick out of this pic. This was taken one morning after a snowfall that we got one night. On the left of the pic, you can see my silver Fiero buried under the snow. The other vehicle was our neighbor stopping by, to tell us that he would plow us out after work that night. (Notice that he was "plowing" the snow with his bumper). Of course, I had to work that day, and the Fiero had no problem "plowing" it's way out of our drive on it's own.

Here on the fun filled edge of the Catskills (NY) I found the solution for the Fiero & Cobalt in winter......
Jeep Cherokee with snow tires all around.
Red

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Bill

I've never had any problems driving out in the snow. The two most important things are 1) to put on snow tires, and 2) SLOW THE HECK DOWN. There are just too many morons who think the AWD and 4X4 logo on the side of their sport ute means they can blast along the highway like it was July. I've driven through snowstorms like the one pictured above and laughed at the 4X4's in the ditch. The only problem I had was the big wad of snow that would be scooped up in the front spoiler. It choked out the radiator and started to overheat the car.

David

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His Fiero: 1984 2M4 Coupe

Her Fiero: 1984 2M4 Convertible

all cars can be driven in the snow.
but, some cars are better than others
few things are worse than the Fiero - the 2wd mini-truck - yes, one of the few finds thats as bad or worse than a Fiero.
what makes the Fiero especially fun in the lack of braking or steering when the front slides - which is does sooo easily.
something as simple as pulling into a parking space in a icey parking lot is a rare treat. with a normal RWD car, you could could goose it and swing the butt inline with your parking space. not with a Fiero. to much rear traction. rear grabs, pushes the front forward - even tho the wheels are turned to pull into space. and yer already sliding, so brakes dont help. granny style is your only choice. using handbrake helps alot. avoiding the Fiero in the winter helps the most....
but, again - ANY car can be driven in the winter
snow tires & sandbags on spare tire + working handbrake and you will have reasonable chance of not wrecking your nose.
or, a cheap Escort
always a good choice

Those seem a little wide for snow... unless you are snow shoeing it to work

J.

quote Originally posted by 3800superfast: 225/75`s on the rear--215/75--up front....Of course that doesn`t leave much room for built up sludge and ice that form around the wheel wells.

drive smart, and they are fine. I drove my 86 se for 5 years all year round, thru blizzards, all on the same radial t/a's is used in the summer. the only issue I found was depth of hardpack is the limiting factor. I've driven way worse cars in the snow than a fiero, but you have to be smart about it.
I put my present 88 gt on the road in january, and it was fine with the bfg traction /h performance all weather tires. We didn;t have any really deep stuff that I had to drive thru, never topped 6" I think at any one shot.
Smart driving and smooth driving are key in foul weather.
Honestly, most poeple in 4wd's should stay the %$#%$ home in the snow, they are the biggest problem on the road around here.

What would the best size for snow tires be on 14" wheels? Would the stock 215/60/14 be much different than something like 185/65/14?

I've got a set of 14" snow tires that are not much use to me here in Houston. I don't know how cost effective it would be but for the price of shipping they are free to whoever wants them.

i used to drive my fiero in the winter where almost no other cars could.
traction is virtually unbeatable as far as 2wd cars go.
HOWEVER
braking is trickier with abs. on one hand in deep snow you can stop well cause the wheels locking up will "plow" snow and this stops you faster. but on ice, you have to pump the brakes and abs would be better. still, no worse than any other mid 80's non abs car i've ever driven
and turning isn't that great either, although, again, what car CAN turn well in winter?
the only "extra" care i would advise is that the car can have both understeer and oversteer. i have not driven any other car that would demonstrate both. basically if you come into a corner too fast, the front end will just plow straight ahead, just like a fwd car. however, step on the gas while in the turn and the rear end will swing out just like any other rwd car. This "balancing" act can be tricky, and it's best to just take things slow. don't drive like an idiot and you should have no problems. take corners slowly, and do everything else gradual(don't floor the gas or slam on the brakes)

winter tires are the best investment you can make. my fiero with winter tires would DOMINATE my brothers dakota with BFG all terrains. i can think of several occasions when he couldn't get out of the driveway and i could. kinda funny, but he could usually get out after me if he followed my tracks

i have 5yrs experience of driving a fiero in manitoba winters. this will be my first year without one in the winter, and to be honest, i'm a little concerned that i'm going without one


edit, noticed some questions about tire size. 195 is the max i would recommend for winter. 225 is absolutely terrible! you do not want wide tires for snow. i used 195/70R14 and they were awesome. i probably should have gone to a 185/75R14 but i hate skinny looking tires, and the 195's were hard enough for me.

[This message has been edited by fierce_gt (edited 10-09-2006).]

Would changing sway bars have much effect in the snow? I know Jeep guys disconnect to get more articulation, but I'm not sure suspension travel is a big problem. Or would the change be better for the under/ over steer situation? Its starting to sound like this fiero would be fun in the snow.

quote Originally posted by timgray: 2 - trying to get down a road that a plow truck did not do yet, the underside of the fiero acts very much like a sled this way. I ended up on the windrow of snow with all four wheels off the ground and a nice hard pack under the center of the car holding it up in the air.

I did that on the way to work one morning, had to walk back home and call a tow truck to pull me out. My boss was very understanding when I told the story.

if you have to drive it in the snow, find an empty stretch of road and a corner to practice. the rear end comes out WAY too easily, and you have to take it *just* right, not too fast so you don't spin, and fast enough you don't stop and can't get traction to start up again. Also get an idea of how long it takes to stop from certain speeds. I think the lack of ABS actually helps here, since it reduces the stopping distance. But I've spun the car more times than I care to admit. Of course northern Michigan winters seem to be a LOT more severe than most others around the contry. About 3X worse than downstate, too.

As for tire sizes, 195/70R14 is skinnier than stock and has a taller sidewall, which would cut through the snow easier, I had this size on mine the first winter I had the car. The stock 215/60R14 are pretty wide.

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1984 Fiero SE

Well winter is being going on for a while now and I wanted to give a slight update. Fiero's are fun to drive in the snow. I feel incredibly confident behind the wheel even with wide all season 215/60/14 tires. The 3.35 first and 4.10 rear makes a great crawl ratio espically with such small tires. This setup allows for almost perfect donuts. Glad I took a chance and got this car as a snow beater.

Our Fiero with 15's does alright in the snow, I can get anywhere so far with little worries. The Fiero we have with 13's that are super skinny is like a tank in the snow and Ice though. I still cant get over how easy it gets around in the crap.

Had a friend following me in his minivan after the last good snow here, I went through a small snowbank, the car just skied over the top of it. He went to go through it and ended up stuck, all the snow filled his engine compartment. I was proud of the little Fiero.

Brad

I drove one for years in the snow without any problems. I will not drive one on ICE. The back end wants to come around and put the car into a spin.

Sometime this last fall my Fiero lost it's RRear mudflap. I figured no big thing, till I let my Fiero thaw out for a few hours in a heated garage. The side with the mud flap droped the glacier that was hanging off the mud flap, the Passenger Side wheel well had dropped a big chunk off as well. The thing that realy suprised me was that the RR was still draining? It seams that a huge load wet salty stuff gets flung up under the Rear facia if the mud flaps aren't there! With Mud Flaps the stuff that is flung off the wheels is either going to, 1 hit the mud flaps and fall off or, 2 is comming off at too low of an angle to get packed up behind the wheel well.
This might explain how my year round Daily Driver has shown no Rust problems in the trunk or frame rails. Yes I've looked this past year when I replaced my WP.

Stay tuned in for my 'Mud Flap Build' Thread.
Dave

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Ol' Paint, 88 Base coupe auto.
Turning white on top, like owner.
Leaks a little, like owner.
Doesn't smoke, unlike owner

I’ve driven my GT year-round for 20 years, and through Wisconsin winters.

I haven’t found the snow of those winters to be a problem with snow tires, and the best snow tires I’ve tried so far have been Bridgestone Blizzak WS-50s, using the standard GT factory tire sizes on 15” rims. Those tires do feel a bit more “squirmy” to me than do other tires I’ve used and don’t corner as well as other tires do in the dry, but then again, winter lasts a l-o-n-g time here.

I’ve found that yes, the Fiero can get a little tail-happy in the snow because of the rearward weight basis of its mid-engine design. However, I don’t find that a big issue. (I might feel differently if I had the weight of a V-8 in my Fiero. And while I suspect that the high torque of an engine like a V-8 could be problematic with a Fiero in the snow, I don’t actually know that because I’ve never driven a V-8 Fiero in the snow.)

The `84 Fiero you mention will work much, much better in the snow than your front-engine (and therefore front-heavy) Camaro. In fact, I think you’ll find the Fiero works better than many cars in the snow.

Personally, I wouldn’t bother with changing the Fiero's sway bars as you’ve mentioned, or with things like putting bags of sand in the car. You won’t need that. Instead, you’ll find that by far your best investment for driving a Fiero in the snow is a set of (surprise!) snow tires.

So I’d say, “Go in the snow with your Fiero!” (unless maybe you put a V-8 in it later)

quote Originally posted by Old Lar: When I lived in upstate NY, my GT was awful in snow. The torquey engine and 5 speed made first and second gear useless. The wide tires made driving in snow like driving on skis. The low clearence made the front a snowplow. I ended getiing a winter beater to drive. The Fieros got parked and covered in October, to be uncovered in March for state inspection and a drive to the Daytona show in Florida. Once roads are plowed the car was ok. Heavy snow on the rear decklid was always a joy to try to clear. The salted roads did much corrosion damage which is hidden under the Endura flex plastic Fiero panels.

LOL Sorry couldn't help but laugh at "The torquey engine and 5 speed made first and second gear useless." Torquey engine, umm, OK.

First of all, DO NOT use vaseline on your rubber door seals, the petroleum base will eat the rubber.
Use a food grade silicon spray. Secondly, I am building a go anywhere fiero. I haven't thought about
the snow issue until now. I am giving the car 2.5" of lift with anothe 2-3' on demand air lift, so the high
center is taken care of. I'm thinking of fabbing some on demand ski's attached to the lower A-arms.
I'm thinking of using aluminum with 1/4" ribs on the bottom and 4 bearing per ski coming out just below the
ribs for that occasional pavement patch. Do you think this will work? Any ideas to improve this idea?
My fiero is a blank canvas for ideas.

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carpe diem

All I got to say about it is that my 85 did better in the snow than my 96 S10 with 250 pounds of sand in the bed. I also put 150 pounds of sand (3-50 lbs. bags) in the front compartment over the spare tire to plant the front down. And this was with the 215 60 14s on. In central Pa.

My 86 gt gets arround great in the snow. I went through a parking lot that was more than a foot deep and had no problem.