Burn just as easy as other cars.. poor maintenance, people not up keeping them just keep them up kept (example making sure oil leaks don't occur) and your good to go I've owned 2 and no prob's here great little dependable car for me and now I'm seeking more HP!
That was only a "problem" in 1984. There was a recall and the situation was corrected. Trouble is, this sort of cursed the Fiero reputation from then on, regardless how unfounded it truly was.
if I remember correctly.. there were about 400 fires in 84 that prompted a recall.. and even then, you had to beat on the car or not take care of it properly to have a problem..
now, compare this to the tens of thousands of ford aerostars that burned to the ground due to faulty ignitions? wouldn't matter how you took care of it, it was caused by a defective part
yet how many people say aerostars were firetraps? none that I've heard.. they're sh*tboxes.. (we used to have one, I know how crappy they are...) but they don't have a reputation for catching fire.
SPecifically, some '84 engines had connecting rods manufactured with poor grade metal, they would snap (i dont think you had to abuse them) and the rod would go through the crankcase, splattering oil onto the exhaust, which would catch fire.
One thing about Fieros, with the plasitc body panels, if one does catch fire, the body panels all burn right off the car, so it looks pretty bad afterwards.
The connecting rod thing was fixed after '84, and some other heat sheilds were added to which prevent a leaky oil cover gasket from dripping oil onto the exhaust manifold - but that is usually not a problem - a leaky valve cover wont loose enough oil to burn the whole car up.
BTW - I keep a dry chem household style fire extinquisher in ALL the cars i drive, mounted in the trunk (front trunk in the fiero) I have put out three car fires in the last 25 years, none of them were my cars BTW, and none of them were Fieros either :c)
IP: Logged
09:33 AM
fieroman84 Member
Posts: 485 From: meriden,ct,usa Registered: Mar 2002
People have told me that they "catch fire" ever since I've owned them. Heh, one guy even told me they catch fire because they have an "aluminum block". I was only 17 so I just nodded and went on my way.. hahaha.
Oh, and all 3 of my cars were 120k+ miles.
IP: Logged
11:39 AM
Toddster Member
Posts: 20871 From: Roswell, Georgia Registered: May 2001
The reason for the engine fires was Pontiac's attempt to save money by eliminating expensive cast iron exhaust mainfold for a cheaper alternative: stainless steel.
They never actually solved the problem which was a design flaw. All 5 years the Fiero was made had a recall for the xhaust manifolds. but instead of fixing the desing the recall just added heat shields and removed the dew strip from the decklid.
The manifolds have extra flashing in the runners which cause heat build-up that inevitably leads to cracks in the manifolds. The result is escaping exhaust gases setting your engine on fire.
The solution is to remove the manifolds and either grind out the flashing in the runners or replace them with a set of case iron manifolds from a buick skylark or other mid 80s car (some replumming for the EGR and exhaust is needed), or a set of headers.
IP: Logged
12:03 PM
hellfish87gt Member
Posts: 616 From: winnipeg manitoba canada Registered: Jan 2002
yes they burn all the time, infact, mine has burnt 3 times this week. they installed an injector in the cabin to aide in complete burn.
------------------ blue 87gt, loaded, mr mikes interior,OZ f1 plus rims, and a wee bit of TLC within that bad a$$ v-6, and now RCC coil overs wheeeeeee
IP: Logged
12:49 PM
avengador1 Member
Posts: 35468 From: Orlando, Florida Registered: Oct 2001
I don't know. Let me check, which end should I try to light up first? As pointed out above, the myth of the Fiero's burning is attributed to the first year of production problems with low oil capacity and bad connecting rods.
------------------
IP: Logged
12:54 PM
PFF
System Bot
rogergarrison Member
Posts: 49601 From: A Western Caribbean Island/ Columbus, Ohio Registered: Apr 99
I also have a theory that lots of careless people started fires themselves by throwing stuff in the rear trunk and not making sure that it wastt laying out on the engine, ie/ papers, coat sleeves, etc, then closing the lid.
IP: Logged
01:05 PM
sentinel_76ca Member
Posts: 540 From: Ottawa, ON, Canada Registered: Jan 2002
Originally posted by batboy: That was only a "problem" in 1984. There was a recall and the situation was corrected. Trouble is, this sort of cursed the Fiero reputation from then on, regardless how unfounded it truly was.
Plus the 84's had Magnesium, when you try to put a mag fiero out with water it gets worse, they fixed the problem by 85
My Fiero caught fire. But it wasn't the engine and it didn't do any body damage either. One of the brake calipers partially seized on me while driving on the highway and brake pads like to burn once they get really hot.
I didn't have a fire extinguisher, so I pulled into a parking lot of a store and ran around screaming for a water hose. I had to run around the building to the back (because the fire burnt through my brake line) and luckily there was a bucket by the hose. I doused the fire and had the car trailered back to the house. Then I replaced the entire brake system except the booster.
I was extremely lucky I didn't warp the rim when I doused the fire.
Now I have a fire extinguisher in the trunk. I worked with a fireman a while back and he said that while in training, they were told not to try to put out a burning fiero because the material the panels are made of burns so hot that it is almost impossible to put out. They were told to let it burn to the ground and let the insurance handle it.
Ive never heard that one. Almost all cars are mostly or partly plastic now, same as Fiero bodies. Lincoln, Cadillac hoods, fenders, bumpers, lower sides. Firebirds and Camaros all but qtr panels, saturns, TranSport and Lumina minivans, just to name a few. Id think that would mean they would just let any car burn to the ground except a metal Escort
IP: Logged
03:18 PM
recluse Member
Posts: 443 From: Rochester NY Registered: Aug 2001
I've owned 3 Fieros and my first one did catch on fire BUT only because of my own stupidity. It had a leak in the fuel line and I drove it anyways. Any car with a fuel leak is likely to catch on fire. Just carry an extinguisher.... or two.
Wow! There are certainly some entertaining ideas in here!
This is correct:
quote
Originally posted by Ken Wittlief: SPecifically, some '84 engines had connecting rods manufactured with poor grade metal, they would snap (i dont think you had to abuse them) and the rod would go through the crankcase, splattering oil onto the exhaust, which would catch fire.
The connecting rod thing was fixed after '84, and some other heat sheilds were added to which prevent a leaky oil cover gasket from dripping oil onto the exhaust manifold - but that is usually not a problem - a leaky valve cover wont loose enough oil to burn the whole car up.
The thing about the exhaust flanging... not quite. Your exhaust gasses will not cause an engine fire. Many people drive beater cars (Fieros and non-Fieros alike) everyday with broken exhaust manifolds- and they don't catch fire. I'm pretty sure this is the 1st time I've heard this rendition!
The "Magnesuim Theory" I've heard before. But again, not correct (strange how the '84 recall didn't affect the Magnesium grill at all). Pure magnesuim is extremely flammable- once it's ignited. But the Center Decklid Grill on the 84's is actually made of a Magnesuim Alloy- meaning that other metals have been mixed in before the part was cast. An alloy acts with properties of all the elements used... therefore the Magnesuim alloy used has a higher ignition temperature, as well as a higher strength (pure magnesuim is not extremely hard). So again... a fun theory- but not it.
Most of the Fiero fires I've seen or heard of had nothing to do with the recalled issues, but rather "bad luck" or "driver/owner error". Like not parking your car with it't hot exhaust over anything likely to burn (this is something that you should think about in every car).
The above photos are 100% real, I shot them myself, in my side yard. The only salvagable parts of the car was the lower trim on the passenger side- which is now installed on my GreenGT!
Ok try to remember what was going on in 1984. The hippies are grown and selling dope to anyone with money. Any car will burn to the ground if you smoke a big splif and forget to check your oil.
just keep them up kept (example making sure oil leaks don't occur) and your good to go 
As pointed out above, the myth of the Fiero's burning is attributed to the first year of production problems with low oil capacity and bad connecting rods.
