My advise will be more practical !! Fieros are cheap you can buy a duke 4 cylinder for $500 to $1500 ,more for a excellent one , mechanical maintenance,you need to buy the best car you can afford watch for a good one ,be prepared to drive some distance,, you will probably get a better car from a member of this forum,he was familiar with Fiero repair procedure a car that looks good & runs good ,looks like it was maintained is your best bet, ask the selling owner for the repair manual if he is not a fieroaholic. if no jack in trunk or front compartment,ask him if he has it!!
Agreed. The cheaper car you buy at the beginning, the MORE you will likely spend in money, time and labour fixing it up. Lots have bought a $500 car only to spend MANY thousands having to redo everything. After adding it all up, they find they could have bought a low-miler top condition car for less.
On the subject of safety, I'll relate a story. Years ago, a friend of mine who lived in Canada was on the way to NY to visit his fiancee, one winter night. He had worked for two days with no sleep. Fell asleep at the wheel of his Fiero while driving ~ 60 MPH. Ran off the road and "cartwheeled" the car. Flipped about 3 times. Got out of the car and walked about a mile and a half to the border station. They were dumbfounded. He was bruised and sore, but otherwise okay.
[This message has been edited by Raydar (edited 01-03-2014).]
For me, getting my son a fiero for his first vehicle wasn't a hard decision. Granted I bought a $600 86 GT that only had around 60,000 miles. It runs and drives decent, doesn't have rust on the frame, and it has a 4speed (which doesn't bother me). Sure we could have spent more up front for one that "didn't need anything" so to speak, but the stipulation for getting one was that he was going to help me work on it. This is a win win, he gets a fiero for a first car (which he wanted), he learns how to work on cars, and it gives quality father/son time when we work on it together. Granted there are still things to be done, but I look at it as if he doesn't get his learners permit soon, it will be completed and my wife and I will enjoy taking it out for a drive wherever. As for a color - we are thinking of doing a blue color. I have everything for the grand am front brake conversion and seville rear brake conversion, suspensions improvements, etc. So yes by the time we are done with it, I might have more in the cost that buying another one (or not, lol), but it will be setup with what we want to do with it (I keep joking there will be a second fiero in the future that will get an engine conversion, as the stock V6 is enough engine for him).
The only car rated safer than a Fiero when the Fiero was in production was a Volvo 740 Station Wagon.
The only reason it was rated better was because the Volvo had panels that could be swapped out when they needed to be replaced. The Fiero's space frame was more costly to realign and there wasn't replacement frame rails like most other cars.
I agree with everyone about the age of the car. That is one of the biggest issues. Can't help that.
Other ideas I have also have been stated, but I just toss them out. - The community: You are not going to find a more helpful and supportive community than the Fiero group. Period. I have met many people in person that I first first met on PFF or knew about from seeing their cars on-line and I have been impressed 95% of the time. I cannot say that for other vehicle communities. Show me a die hard Fiero owner, and I'll show you a person who knows cars and at least some mechanical skills. - As was pointed out, you live near a fantastic Fiero Resource. - Modifications and upgrades are unlimited. UNLIMITED. - I would go so far as to say that there is also a "plus" to driving an older car that may have "issues". You will learn to fix them. That is a valuable skill and in today's world more important than people know. You will get to the point that you will know just from the way the car drives and sounds what is wrong. This is a stepping stone to your other vehicles including your proposed business. BTW.... My current major project is dealing with fuel efficient vehicles, so I have tiny idea where your are coming from.
I agree that pointing out drift cars in the parking lot is not really helping your cause (although I am guilty of that too ). If you can, get them to go to a Fiero car show with you in the spring and meet some other Fiero owners. I think that will impress them and show that this is a good group and not a "trendy" group. To own and drive a Fiero is to be a part of a family. It probably sounds stupid to the average person and a bit far fetched for a car group, but it is true.
Example: Tyler's Toy - If you have not seen this story, take a moment to look it up. I can say that I know of countless times stranded owners have been helped by other Fiero owners out of the blue and total strangers. The on-line support is just the tip of the iceberg.
Good luck. I believe that your efforts to convince your parents are more worthwhile that you OR they know at this time.
The only reason it was rated better was because the Volvo had panels that could be swapped out when they needed to be replaced. The Fiero's space frame was more costly to realign and there wasn't replacement frame rails like most other cars.
Cost or ease of repair, has nothing to do with the crash test safety ratings. The Volvo wasn't rated "better" than the Fiero. They were both 5-star ratings.
This may not be popular (and I didn't read the entire thread) but I think a Fiero is a terrible choice for a first car. They are old, no driver aids and have questionable reliability (age, wear & tear, lack of shops that will actually understand how to work on them correctly). I understand the appeal, I do as I have owned 25 of them. However, this may be a case of thinking with your heart & not your head.
My oldest has been around Fieros his entire life. He wanted nothing but a Fiero for his first car. He lives in WVa with his mom. I tried to talk them into finding him a Subaru because of the nasty winters. What did they buy? A stupid neon. Yep, its always broken but hey, it has a boomin' stereo.
[This message has been edited by BV MotorSports (edited 01-05-2014).]
Originally posted by BV MotorSports: This may not be popular (and I didn't read the entire thread) but I think a Fiero is a terrible choice for a first car. They are old, no driver aids and have questionable reliability
"No driver aids?" If you mean ABS, traction control, etc… then that's great. These are actually both reasons a Fiero is a great first car.
The lack of high tech features that do the work for you, will help you actually learn how to drive a car, and pay attention to the road and what's going on around you. The Fiero will teach you how to feel the road, how to deal with understeer and oversteer, and how to brake.
And questionable reliability is also great. It'll help teach you how to properly maintain a car better, understand how to fix things, and not get ripped off horribly when you do take it somewhere for work. It'll also teach you that stuff happens, and how to better deal with it, than completely losing it and taking out your frustration on the people around you. And it'll teach you to be prepared for when things break unexpectedly; like the ICM on the 2.8.
I can see everyone's point in saying that it is old, nothing that i can do to help that, but age makes a car afordable, which is what I want in my first car. I don't know much about fixing anything, but i am close to resources and experts (TFF). I usually run simulators with no driving aids at all, and a fully manual gearbox, so I've spun, stalled and locked my brakes enough to have a decent idea on what to look out for, but tere is no excuse for good practice in a real car. I really don't give a care about "swag" or speed (not like I need to when the max speed I'll be doing is 50) or whether or not my car looks good in a school parking lot. All i really need in my car is to have the feeling of safety, and the knowledge to make sure it'll start in the morning.
"No driver aids?" If you mean ABS, traction control, etc… then that's great. These are actually both reasons a Fiero is a great first car.
The lack of high tech features that do the work for you, will help you actually learn how to drive a car, and pay attention to the road and what's going on around you. The Fiero will teach you how to feel the road, how to deal with understeer and oversteer, and how to brake.
And questionable reliability is also great. It'll help teach you how to properly maintain a car better, understand how to fix things, and not get ripped off horribly when you do take it somewhere for work. It'll also teach you that stuff happens, and how to better deal with it, than completely losing it and taking out your frustration on the people around you. And it'll teach you to be prepared for when things break unexpectedly; like the ICM on the 2.8.
Well thats one way to see it. I completely disagree though. Fiero is a fun car AFTER you have learned how to drive and gain a basic knowledge of auto mechanics. I wouldn't let my kids go off to college in one or use a Fiero as a DD in adverse weather. Again, its my opinion, what works for me, may not work for you.
ABS and traction control along with some other crap are just useless dead weight to me. Ive driven millions of miles in 50 years of driving. The only hi tech stuff I DO like on Fieros are disc brakes all around, pointless ignition and an alternator. I dont even like AC. I do like power windows because I like driving in the summer with windows down and saves crawling over console to roll passenger one down. You wont need a $100,000 computer to find any problems that you can fix yourself instead of $120 @ hour garages.
Cost or ease of repair, has nothing to do with the crash test safety ratings. The Volvo wasn't rated "better" than the Fiero. They were both 5-star ratings.
According to a Consumer’s Report magazine article entitled "Which Cars Protect You Best?" from pages 186-188, April, 1984, the Fiero tied for first place in the small car class. In this test, the cars were run into a solid barrier at 35 miles an hour. From the article, "No car made today can survive a head-on collision into a fixed barrier at 35 miles an hour. After such a crash, the car is reduced to scrap metal" (p.186). After this crash test, the Fiero received a rating by Consumer’s Report of: minor injury to driver, minor injury to passenger, and moderate rating for structural integrity (p.187). The standard scale ranged from : 1). No injury or minor injury (best), to 2). Moderate injury; to 3). Certain injury, possibly severe; to 4). Severe or fatal injury; to 5). Severe or fatal injury was virtually certain (worse) (p.188). The only car that had a better rating, in fact the highest rating, was the Volvo DL. The Volvo’s ratings were: minor injury to driver, minor injury to passenger, and a minor rating for structural integrity (p.187). So, the only difference was that the Volvo had a step higher rating for structural integrity. Although this may not be highly scientific, very detailed data, on an overall basis, the Fiero scored extremely well.
ABS and traction control along with some other crap are just useless dead weight to me. Ive driven millions of miles in 50 years of driving. The only hi tech stuff I DO like on Fieros are disc brakes all around, pointless ignition and an alternator. I dont even like AC. I do like power windows because I like driving in the summer with windows down and saves crawling over console to roll passenger one down. You wont need a $100,000 computer to find any problems that you can fix yourself instead of $120 @ hour garages.
If you need a 100k computer to diag your car, you are doing it all wrong. Also, its a proven fact that that "useless dead weight" save lives. Maybe even your own someday.
Originally posted by BV MotorSports: If you need a 100k computer to diag your car, you are doing it all wrong. Also, its a proven fact that that "useless dead weight" save lives. Maybe even your own someday.
This is why I drive an A1 Abrams. 10 star crash rating at 35 MPH!
I had a fiero a fiero as my first car, it was terrific. if anything it teaches you how to work on cars. i had replaced half my car by the time i lost it.
So far what i have on why I should get one my 10 reasons why a Fiero is a great starting car.
3. Safety! Even if they do crash they have a strong steel frame. The Fiero is also falsely called "unsafe" because it is a small, fiberglass car, this is 100% untrue (they have been mangled by everything from bridges, to semis, to trains and the drivers have survived).
This is just a nit but there is NO fiberglass in a stock Fiero. The hood and decklid are made of a sheet molded compound that is similar to fiberglass but it's not fiberglass. The majority of the car's body panels are what can best be described as rubber and plastic.
In the Father's words, The Daughters are fine. A little sore, a bit of abrasion from the seat belts, but fine. And he's not out of the market for another Fiero for them.
My previous car started running shitty and I was happy and used it as an excuse to get rid of it and get a fiero lol. My parents r fine with the fiero they just didn't want me buying junk wich most are now with the age lol. Had the chance to buy numerous different fieros but they didn't allow me to and I'm glad they didn't because instead they helped me find a mint condition fiero instead wel worth the wait. Managed to pick up a 85 2m4 with 130000km on it, mint running condition , exterior, interior. Has a manual 5 SPd power windows and a sunroof I picked it up in September at age 16 and I'm still 16 with it today and in the short amount of time I've owned it I bought some nice hid halo headlights., tlgs center console sub a new cd deck, some led floor lights... And in the little time owning it now after finding and reading this forum guess what's sitting in my garage lol. A 3800 sc out of a 99 gtp with 100000km on it ha. Love my fiero can't wait til I drop it in over the next few months
So far their deal is when I'm 18 they will pay y for half of whatever car i can afford (with money that i earn). Any suggestions on how I could get one sooner? Also, I'm having trouble finding Fieros for sale locally, TFF wants way too much money, all of the ones on Craigslist are crap, and all of the other Internet sites either don't have any or have none locally.
I almost wish i live up North, because there are a lot more Fieros (at least ones for sale) in Michigan and Ohio, but i bet driving them in winter is pretty hard especially with no ABS. This is my first post in a while, so i really want to thank everyone who has posted so far, this was far more support than I expected to get, sadly m parents are still firm and don't seem to be easing up anytime soon. Anyone adopting?
Not me. I saw them in a past thread about the safety of these cars and I really liked these pics. They say alot about the Fiero.Maybe someone else knows more about the details.
Find yourself a Honda or some other econobox FWD. They are more reliable and forgiving to drive, more economical to operate and maintain, and easier to insure with a young driver. I have driven Fieros for decades, my kids have them, but they were experienced adult drivers when they started to drive the Fiero.
I would NEVER give a child a Fiero as a first car!!!!
[This message has been edited by olejoedad (edited 01-27-2014).]
Originally posted by olejoedad: Find yourself a Honda or some other econobox FWD. They are more reliable and forgiving to drive, more economical to operate and maintain, and easier to insure with a young driver.
There's a million more Civics on the road, but it doesn't necessarily make them cheaper to maintain. It's easier to find some parts for them, but they are far from cheap to maintain. There's certainly a lot more cheap junk available for them, but cheap junk that fails often just means you buy parts and labor more often, and it adds up quick. And even used parts that are rare are very expensive. I could buy 10 2.8s for what the average price of the engine that's in my Honda goes for. Sure, you might get better MPG (my Honda gets the same MPG around town, that my 87 GT gets full highway), but it's going to be far from enough to compensate for the cost of repair on a car that needs plenty of them.
And it's not going to be easier (or necessarily cheaper) to insure a Honda than a Fiero, with a young driver. Insurance is going to be ridiculous no matter what you drive, if you're under 25. Hondas hold their value much better than a Fiero, so likely will have a higher insurance premium as well.
[This message has been edited by dobey (edited 01-27-2014).]
So your parents say that a Fiero cannot be your first car. The big question here is, Who will be paying for this first car of yours? Sorry if I missed it posted somewhere. If Mom and Dad are buying, they get to choose. If they ask for your input "other than a Fiero", ask for a Buick Park Avenue. They come with the L36 or L67 engines which are the preferred engines to swap into Fieros. With the Park Avenue, at least you will be collecting "Fiero parts" for future use!
Also, Park Avenues will be $3-5K which should buy you a safe, reliable, non-flashy car.
Now, what about your SECOND car? What is to stop you from saving your money and buying a Fiero as a second car/educational project? My parents said I couldn't have a motorcycle but I brought one home one day and that was pretty much the end of that argument. Bring your Fiero home and ask your father to help you fix it up. He will like the compliment of you respecting his ability, knowledge, and opinion. This will also create a bonding experience between you two. Memories like that can't be bought. Those will be times you will both remember till you leave this world.
If bringing home a Fiero causes a panic at your house, ask for the help like above but agree to sell the car if dad doesn't think it is safe after the work is done. That will buy you some time and allow the thought of keeping the car to sink in for your parents.
Also, its a proven fact that that "useless dead weight" save lives. Maybe even your own someday.
