I'm new to the forum and I'm looking to get my first Fiero!! Now I know this has been asked before, and I apologize for asking again...But.. What should I look for when buying a Fiero? I've done some searches and I now know to look for rust under the carpet, rear frame rails and in the trunk. What other things should I look for when buying a Fiero? Are there any common problems to be on the lookout for?
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10:59 AM
PFF
System Bot
Toddster Member
Posts: 20871 From: Roswell, Georgia Registered: May 2001
Seriously, Buying a Fiero for the newbie is a bit of a gamble. In order to ensure you are getting something that won't cause you to pull your hair out you should:
1) Look for lowest miles you can afford 2) consider buying South West cars, the California and Arizona climate means ZERO rust. 3) Buy from a "Fiero Person". You willl usually get plenty of freebies tossed in, the car will be well maintained and the list of problems will usually be complete.
I am selling a show winner soon. Keep an eye open in the Mall Section.
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11:41 AM
Old Lar Member
Posts: 13798 From: Palm Bay, Florida Registered: Nov 1999
Pull the carpet back in the trunk along the sides to check for frame rail rust. Look at the underside for rust. Drive the car. If it is an automatic, drive it a while to insure the TCC works. A stock Fiero with the T125 transmission should be a three speed with a lock up. Once the car is warm, it should idle around 1000 rpm and be fairly constant, NOT jumping up +/- 500 rpm.
Check the dip stick for the oil..it should be dark, not burnt nor should it look like chocolate milk.. Check the coolant overflow tank and the condition of the coolant. Good coolant should be dark green with no oily residue.
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12:34 PM
jetman Member
Posts: 7799 From: Sterling Heights Mich Registered: Dec 2002
If you're not totally familar with Fiero's, have the car inspected by a certified mechanic. I guess that goes without saying but nevertheless it it always good advice.
Look for rust under truck carpet, under battery, under seats and look over the front suspension for rust. Look under the car, does the engine leak oil, trans leaking, coolant tubes along the sides not crushed? Take a trouble mirror and look over the exhaust manifolds carefully for cracks and look and the exhaust manifold bolts too, people snap those off and then try to unload car.
Look under car at transmission cooling lines, brake lines and/or clutch line, make sure you don't have leaks or patch jobs or excessive rust.
Turn on all the accessories, see if the charging system is up to snuff. Let the car warm up fully and see if the radiator cooling fan comes on, the fan will turn on with A/C. I'd be suspicious of a possible overheating issues if fan doesn't come on.
The check engine light should come on at initial key on. Pull the cigarette cover off, ground out the ADL and pull the engine trouble codes. The forum link is here,,,, https://www.fiero.nl/cgi-bin/main.cgi?ECMCodes
Welcome the forum, welcome to the madness.
------------------ jetman Silver 86 SE 2M6 4-speed, with "check wallet light" Now fortified with 8 essential slices of bacon goodness
What are you actually looking for? I am thinking about selling my 88 T-Top Formula as I only put about 100 miles on it a year and hate to just have it sitting there when someone else may be able to enjoy it more.
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02:08 PM
SpecterXP Member
Posts: 16 From: Baltimore, MD, USA Registered: Aug 2008
WOW, thank you all!! I post this and 4 hours later I get 5 responses!! You guys, and gals (if there were any, ) are awesome! I will keep all of that in mind! I see myself as pretty car savy. I installed cams, exhaust, suspension, etc on my last car but every car has it's quirks so thank you for giving me the things to look out for!! I'm printing it out on a little notepad now so I can take it to the next car I go to look at!
Here's the thread: https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum4/HTML/043637.html I'm selling it outright too and I might be able to add some cash to it as well. I know I'm not going to get much for my bike, but I would like a running Fiero at least to replace me current ride. I've done a lot to the bike and it's just given me too many issues to keep it and I can't really ride in the rain or take my son anywhere on it. A sports car isn't much better when it comes to a kid, but it's something, right?
Spiff: I'm looking to trade my bike for just about any running Fiero, as long as it's a manual.I'm pretty sure that what your looking to get rid of is out of my price range, but I'll gladly take a gander!
Again, thank you all for the warm welcome!
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04:29 PM
Xanth Member
Posts: 6886 From: Massachusetts Registered: May 2006
If you've never owned a Fiero then I highly suggest you take somebody with you that can spot problems that look like easy fixes but are actually harder. Get to know your local club members and see who you can buy lunch for... I wrote most of this for a local member. Sorry if I missed deleting some of the stuff relevant only to his situation.
Here are some common issues:
Quarter windows - Easy to replace but I think they cost around $150 for decent aftermarket ones. They aren't contoured like the originals but they still look good. There is a guy who is close to producing quarter windows that are exact replacements though. We just don't know how long it will be.
Fuel system - Cars that have been sitting for a while can be prone to fuel system issues. Low fuel pressure can be a pain to fix but pulling the tank is a good idea with any Fiero that hasn't had the fuel lines changed in a while. You don't want a leak there. It only takes a couple hours but it's not easy to get the fuel lines back in. Plus if this car hasn't been driven in a while the tank might be full of rust. That could be clogging the filter, lowering the fuel pressure at the engine and causing it to not run well.
Fuel guage - Very commonly shows 1/4 to 1/2 tank when empty. Sending unit is inside the tank and goes bad but can be repared or replaced.
Stock radio - This can be a sign that an older driver has owned the car and the wiring isn't going to be chopped up inside the dash from a botched stereo install.
Exhaust leak - This is very common due to water dripping on the hot manifolds. If it has an exaust leak it shouldn't be so bad that you can't get used to it. It's a PITA. Plus the studs that extend from the heads and hold the manifolds on like to snap when you remove the nuts to fix the (most likely) cracked exhaust manifold that's on the front side of the engine against the firewall. Then you get to pull the engine apart to fix the broken studs too. It can very easily become a nightmare.
Headlights - These are easily fixed with readily available parts that are better than the originals. I think you have to replace the gears and bushings. I have never hed to do it.
Wipers - Fantom wipe is pretty common. Turn on the blinkers and see if the wipers come on. Many people try to fix it by replacing the stalk on the side of the steering column only to find that the problem remains. I think that the problem is usually on a circuit board that is either attached to the motor or part of it. Do a search to find the fix.
Brakes - If you suspect any brake system issues, pull a wheel off and see if the pads are thin. If they are and there aren't any scarey things happening when you test drive it, then it's probably nothing too bad. If the pads aren't thin and it's pulling to one side, pulsating or just not stopping well, it will need more than just pads.
Rust - Commonly found in trunk corners under carpet caused by leaky trunk lid seals and also common around battery too from leaky battery acid. If rusty around battery check frame below car.
Check the oil. Dark and sludgy? If so look inside the oil filler cap on the valve cover. Smell the dipstick. Smell like gas? There could be an injector problem (remember the fuel system being mentioned?) and raw fuel leaking into the cylinder and running down into the oil. Is the oil milky? Could be coolant in the oil from a blown head gasket.
Sunroof - Dried seals commonly allow the sunroof to leak.
Dash - Most common ares of damage are at bottom corners and on top around the speaker area.
Seats - Pull the seat covers off the seats. They might be preserving the seats but they might be hiding a bunch of holes too.
Start it up and let it run for a while (idling and not moving) to make sure it doesn't overheat. Some owners also have problems with a surging idle that can be difficult to diagnose. It will idle higher than normal for the first minute or two. That is normal. Once the engine reaches operating temp, it idles down. That's when the idle can get unsteady. Watch the battery meter and the oil pressure. If the oil pressure stays around 30 or 40 when the engine gets hot, that's good. If it drops to 20 or below the engine has some wear, most likely in the camshaft or crank bearings.
I fit was me, I would check everything out as much as the seller will allow. If you can agree on a selling price, see if he'll let you disconnect a fuel line from before the filter and pull some unfiltered gas from the tank (that you'll pour right back in of course). All you have to do is jump a paper clip into the car's diagnostic port to hot-wire the fuel pump. Pump about a gallon into a clean 5 gallon bucket and check for rust. If it's rusty, knock a couple hundred off for replacing the tank and fuel pump, pay the man and tow it home.
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10:30 PM
SpecterXP Member
Posts: 16 From: Baltimore, MD, USA Registered: Aug 2008
This is a frined of Josh. His computer has crashed and he is unable to access the forum or his emails. I've read all the posts that were posted on this topic to him and he says thank you very much for the posts and the help. He'll be back as soon as he can.
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11:07 PM
Aug 15th, 2008
SpecterXP Member
Posts: 16 From: Baltimore, MD, USA Registered: Aug 2008
Hey, sorry everyone. My computer died the other day and I won't be on very much, I want to thank all of you for helping me out on what to look for and I'm going to print all of this so I have it available when I go look at a Fiero. Please, by all means keep any info coming, I'll check it as much as I can.
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07:31 PM
hookdonspeed Member
Posts: 7980 From: baltimore, md Registered: May 2008
u realy should look for me "barrowing" parts when i need them muwhahaha... btw, if u get an 88, im soo taking your cradle... its ok tho, ill give you mine with the poly installed :X
Buy a car that RUNs good ,,buy a fiero that does not need the transmission or engine pulled ,nothing wrong with buying a fiero that has issues,, any 88 is a good buy they are far superior to others ,,The 88 fiero duke with auto is the most reliable (Im ducking for incomming ) Never start out with a car that may need the engine or transmission pulled or a car that has cutch problems,,You want a drivable car ,,buying from a forum member will probably get you a better deal ,,if a forum member has had a car for a while many issues have probably been dealt with. .. head light motors ,1/4 windows ,seats,paint .,even brakes can be repaired easily Pulling engines ,,removing transmissions and clutches is not the play boy mansion beer bust and date with a bunny.. as described by many of the gear heads here ,,who can pull a transmission, replace it, and have the car running in 6 hours while drinking a 12 pack ,,
) are awesome! I will keep all of that in mind! I see myself as pretty car savy. I installed cams, exhaust, suspension, etc on my last car but every car has it's quirks so thank you for giving me the things to look out for!! I'm printing it out on a little notepad now so I can take it to the next car I go to look at! 
