I bought my 85 SE V6 new in May, and since I loved to go camping, I slowly figured out the best way to pack my car- at first, I had very little and was really "roughing it" but slowly I found better ways to pack stuff- and better stuff that was smaller or easier to pack.
It is strange to me that most magazine tests back in the 80s stated at first that the Fiero had 6.8 Cubic feet, then later they suddenly started saying 5.9. The higher number is still less than what I measure my Fiero at.
The rear trunk has an upper and lower level- Upper is approx 52" wide by 10"x10" which equals 5200 CI = 3 CF (I will admit that I took out the trunk blower) The lower level is approx 35" wide by 12"x10" which equals 4200 CI = 2.4 CF
Then you have the front compartment- First, I store my jack in the "84" location, rather than sticking out in the middle of the compartment- I also do not have AC so that big pipe and drier(?) are not taking up room- My Father made a wood camping cabinet that fit up there- it was 21" wide by 16"x13" which equals 4300 CI = 1.2 CF
That equals 6.6 CF- But wait! There's more......I have some room behind each seat- I am 5' 8" so shorter than some- but I like having my seat back- even with the stiff steering; I get measurements of 24" high by 20" wide by 6" back of seat to bulkhead- that works out to 2880- but there are two of those spaces so 5760 CI = 3.3 CF
That takes it up to 9.9 CF! I will admit that normally, the stock Fiero would have a little less than this- AC, the stock jack mounting and the trunk blower- but even if you cut the back-of-seat area down by half the total should still be around 7.5 CF
To give you an idea of what I packed on my camping trips; a 3 man tent, a 2 burner propane stove, 2 sleeping bag/cot/pillow combos, 2 overnight bags, a small backpack with my hiking shoes inside, toiletries bag, Coleman flashlight/lantern(PN 5351 (Best damn light EVER! Left of MC), tarp for under the tent, water jug, axe, tool box (Under the seat)...and a rake to clean the campsite of needles and such...But not only that (And yes, the 2 sleeping bags means I was taking a GF with me), I could take either my 6" telescope or my Sevylor inflatable Kayak also.
The only thing that intruded in passenger compartment was the icebox, which went in the passenger footwell- against the door so there was still plenty of room for her legs.
Two incidents with this packing; 1) I pulled into Zion and started setting up my campsite- Tent, cot, sleeping bag (I was alone on this trip) then the stove, etc...While I was doing this, a guy in his RV next to me was watching- first thru the window, then at the front of the RV, and finally I walked over to get a can of chili from the box up front and he was peering into the front compartment- "Where the heck did you pack all of that stuff?" he asked.
2) At work a coworker had a 1st gen RX7- told me, I guess that Fiero is OK- too bad it doesn't have much room....so I told him, "I'm prepping for a camping trip- I'll bring in my gear and at lunch we can transfer it to your car" We transferred approx' 2/3s of the stuff- and it filled his hatch all the way to the roof!
Any of you have "Packing the Fiero" adventure stories?
[This message has been edited by cvxjet (edited 10-10-2019).]
Any of you have "Packing the Fiero" adventure stories?
It's not a lot of stuff... but this is probably my favorite picture of my '86 GT which I used to transport a Fiero dual-outlet exhaust system. Having the passenger seat removed certainly helped. I had picked up the exhaust system at the wreckers an hour out of town, and got many weird looks as I was driving home on the freeway.
A full set of 4 13" wheels and tires (1 in trunk, 3 in passenger seat/area A complete iron duke engine in pieces, engine block in passenger seat 4 toolboxes and a jack and jack stands
College roommate's GMC Jimmy used to break down in snow storms:
Him and his fiance (he sat in her lap) Same roommate and his buddy in full army gear (roommate sitting on the center console)
The same week I "finished" my engine swap (the first time) we loaded it down to go camping with 2 grown men in it. Tent, 2 large tool boxes for repairs, 2 pillows, 2 sleeping bags, snacks, 2 small backpacks of clothes, Use most of the space in the frunk, behind the seats and crammed the trunk full. At the gas station close to the camp sight we picked up a case of water and case of beer and strapped it to the luggage rack that was still on the deck lid at that point. Ultimate camping vehicle.
------------------ "America is all about speed, hot nasty bad-ass speed" - Eleanor Roosevelt
My wife and I went on a weeklong camping trip and packed a 10 x 12 cabin tent, sleeping bags and blankets and pillows, coleman stove and fuel, bug lamp and power cord, coffee pot, a weeks worth of clothing for each, camera gadget bag, and had nothing except the gadget bag in the cockpit. I removed the spare tire to put the pillows and bug light up there.
I believe that the Fiero trunk was designed to carry two full golf bags or 6 pcs of soft luggage. Hence a set of Fiero specific luggage was sold as an option. That luggage is now very rare and hard to find. See here on this thread: Fiero Luggage Thread
------------------ " THE BLACK PARALYZER" -87GT 3800SC Series III engine, custom ZZP /Frozen Boost Intercooler setup, 3.4" Pulley, Northstar TB, LS1 MAF, 3" Spintech/Hedman Exhaust, P-log Manifold, Autolite 104's, MSD wires, Custom CAI, 4T65eHD w. custom axles, Champion Radiator, S10 Brake Booster, HP Tuners VCM Suite. "THE COLUSSUS" 87GT - ALL OUT 3.4L Turbocharged engine, Garrett Hybrid Turbo, MSD ign., modified TH125H " ON THE LOOSE WITHOUT THE JUICE "
[This message has been edited by Dennis LaGrua (edited 10-11-2019).]
I believe that the Fiero trunk was designed to carry two full golf bags or 6 pcs of soft luggage. Hence a set of Fiero specific luggage was sold as an option. That luggage is now very rare and hard to find. See here on this thread: Fiero Luggage Thread
It appears as thought that thread is closed. Although I don't understand why.
It is very rare to find, or even see, the garment bag.
I happen to have every piece, including that garment bag.
not sure i'd take my fiero camping now, i've grown accustom to things like tents i can stand up in, and hard sided coolers, so unless i'm camping alone, that stuff just won't fit.
but in high school, i went camping with my fiero and a buddy and it worked out fine. I don't remember anything odd, other than almost cooking the hot dogs during the drive out (i had put them under the hood)
i've also packed up all my hockey gear(even as a goalie) into a fiero.
the thing is, while i COULD do these things, i wouldn't recommend them. most of the time it means putting 'dirty' items into 'clean' spaces of the car, and 'clean' items into 'dirty' spaces in the car.
It appears as thought that thread is closed. Although I don't understand why.
"Closed"? Not sure what you mean. It's 16 years old, so the thread has been archived... which means nobody can add (or edit/delete existing posts), but it's still accessible to read.
fierce_gt, the cabin tent my wife and I used was a tent we could stand up in. It was just like the one in this link. It says 12 person, but in reality it could seat 12 but only sleep about 6. The secret to packing it was to get all the air out of the tent and roll it up tightly. https://www.fieldandstreams...vZ-Z7wqxDYcSNYgWEvB4 WWr8aAqarEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
"Closed"? Not sure what you mean. It's 16 years old, so the thread has been archived... which means nobody can add (or edit/delete existing posts), but it's still accessible to read.
A "closed" thread is a thread that for one reason or another was locked by a Mod. A closed thread cannot be posted in or commented in but can still be viewed. The term "Closed Thread" is on every forum I know of except this one.
Now, an old thread that is not "closed" can still accept posts regardless of age. Technical or historical threads usually do not get "closed" as information, comments or questions can always turn up. Which is why I asked why the Fiero luggage thread was "closed". My comment on the garment bag would have been more appropriate in that thread over this one.
Some good replies on here- Nice to see that I am not the only one who took his Fiero camping. I grew up boat camping, and though the boat has more room, we took a lot more stuff camping on those trips- That was a good training ground for packing the Fiero- It did take me 3 years or so to perfect my technique!
Where I tend to go camping (CA/OR/UT/ID) there are a lot of windy mountain roads, so driving a sports car was a lot better than being stuck in a (Roomy/practical) van/SUV......My favorite road of all time was highway 299 between Redding and Weaverville- specifically the Buckhorn Summit. Climb from 1300 to 3300 feet while ripping thru Forty 25 mph turns. The road was well maintained because it is a major highway. The turns were banked with several series of switchbacks...Sadly, I talked too much and too publicly of wanting to move up there when I retired so they straightened the road out back 4-5 years ago.....
All-time favorite camping spot is Lassen Volcanic NP (NE CA) I would leave the bay area at 5 am and get to the southwest entrance at 9 am- the Chalet would just be opening and I would get an omelet with all the trimmings, then eat it while sitting on the deck, surrounded by snow covered mountains, the creek gurgling underneath.....Once, when I pulled up (back around 1993) There was a Fiero parked there- so I go up and as I'm ordering, the lady behind the counter tells me it's hers...Then, an hour later, when I go back down, there was ANOTHER Fiero! Three in a row in the middle of nowhere! (Lassen is known as "The one and LONELY National Park") That guy was coming down from Canada to go to a Fiero function in Monterey.
Technical or historical threads usually do not get "closed" as information, comments or questions can always turn up. Which is why I asked why the Fiero luggage thread was "closed".
I don't know Cliff's exact reasons for doing so, but threads at PFF have always been archived/closed if there has been no posting activity in them for two years or so. Considering that the thread we're discussing has been inactive for 16 years(!), I certainly wasn't surprised to find it laid to rest.
To calculate the volume of storage space in the rear and front storage compartments on a Fiero, do the following:
1) Weigh the car on a weighbridge in pounds. Write the number down. 2) Seal all drains and entries into the storage compartments. 3) Fill both compartments with water. 4) Weigh the car again. Write the number down 5) Subtract the first number from the second and divide the result by 62.387. The result will give you the volume in cubit feet.
Obviously, I have too much time on my hands today.
fierce_gt, the cabin tent my wife and I used was a tent we could stand up in. It was just like the one in this link. It says 12 person, but in reality it could seat 12 but only sleep about 6. The secret to packing it was to get all the air out of the tent and roll it up tightly. [URL=https://www.fieldandstreamshop.com/p/field-stream-highlands-lodge-12-person-tent-16fnsufshghlndsldcat/16fnsufshghlndsldcat?camp=CSE:FNS_92700045108832812_pla_pla-768073471122&gclid=Cj0KCQjw84XtBRDWARIsAAU1aM0BspHrjlZwEyIoa-nIqapiWhNt0RevZ-Z7wqxDYcSNYg WEvB4]https://www.fieldandstreams...vZ-Z7wqxDYcSNYgWEvB4[/URL] WWr8aAqarEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
i guess i should have said, i like the tent i currently have, which is about 4x the size of the tent i used 'back in the day'.
if i needed to, then fine, but i'd rather 'compromise' and drive my mazda6 that has two extra seats, is faster, and gets better mileage, while having easily 4 or 5 times as much cargo space
the fiero is a toy. i loved the cars when i was 16, and compared to the other options i could afford at the time, it was pretty sweet. but... i don't HAVE to use the fiero to haul things anymore, so i don't
I ran into a guy yesterday packing stuff into his Miata at Home depot....I joked with him about our "Utility Vehicles"....I have transported a bunch of stuff in my Fiero- although never to the extreme of removing the passenger seat- or strapping a washer on the trunk!
Also brought home a load of lumber in my 99 Formula......Now I have a minivan to carry big stuff (But I do NOT wear a Moo Moo nor have a soccer ball!)
I have put too many big things in or on my Fiero to list. A few common ones... Snow Blowers, lawn mowers, bikes, Big Dogs, etc. But SPACE and how you manage it isn't Only Thing here. Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) is a Total Weight spec including People and Cargo and often matter a lot more but few bothers w/ this number.
More confusing most have no idea where this spec is and/or How the Makers make the Spec. Where is easy, Is on 1 or 2 Labels on the D side front door or door jam in most of them. Problem is many old cars this has faded etc. Note that Can vary by year, options, etc. One 87 L4 w/ auto trans is 3124#/1417Kg on first label w/ second label saying Vehicle Capacity WT = 401#/182Kg but 85 L4 5 speed Fiero Notch GVWR label is 3069#/1392Kg. (Rain and can't get second label today.) (If GVWR number s damaged, If you can read both GAWR, add the numbers to = GVWR)
How is harder. Most Owners Manual for Cars, not just Fiero, basically say 1 Adult per Seat plus 50 to 100# Cargo to fit a Sentences to a Paragraph AKA a Sound Bite of Text. Many readers can't make sense of that because Most of those are written so 1 Adult = ~170# but GM and others never tell you this. What?/Why? Because that weight is the 90 Percentage Male Crash Test Dummy that most still use as a base spec for an Adult. GM et al Marketing Dept and others don't what you to know for many reason...
So? Likely #1 is Many People weigh More then above even in 60's to 80's and even w/ Zero cargo many Cars are Overloaded and Overweight just having People in them. The Big Issue is most cars perform right when ≤ the GVWR. IOW Overloaded and Car launches slower, Brake distances Longer, and more problems. (Some newer vehicle's OM covers GVWR better to explain how to calc people etc to be under the spec.)
In Fiero case... Very Easy to go over limit even w/ a 170# Driver alone because easy to stuff 200+ # Cargo in one. Like a cart full of Groceries, Large bags of pet/farm food, or a few containers of Nail Gun nails or 5gl of paint/oil/etc. Worse if you don't spread the cargo weight can be Back or P-side heavy that can make weird problems.
Example: For 87 above, If you have only 170# driver then have 231# left for cargo. If you have 2 x 170# people then have 61# left for cargo. Both To Be At GVWR Two 200# people? the crap in their pockets/purse likely will be over GVWR before adding whatever filling the Trunk and Front space after shopping etc.
I have little doubt I've loaded the Fiero overweight a little a few times but only to drive a few miles. I get a truck to get anything heavy or big to drive more. More so driving in/thru another state. A few days ago I had scrap in the P-side seat, in the truck, and a few large sheet panels on the lid rack... 200# in scrap steel spread thru the whore car Plus me still under GVWR.
Why should I care? Most times Cops don't bother overweight/overloaded cars but drive bigger vehicles or have a wreck then cops, Insurance and/or Lawyers can be big problems. If you think you can upgrade the suspension brakes and more to raise GVWR... You guess wrong. Cops and others Only go by Data publish by the vehicle manufacturer. Beside Label(s) in the vehicle, data is available from databases from OEM to register most vehicles whether or not shows up on Reg Slip you carry in a car. Like Many fools driving "upgraded" pickup trucks get stop for overweight/overloaded vehicle and other problems then whine to everyone why cops hate them and worse.
------------------ Dr. Ian Malcolm: Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should. (Jurassic Park)
Originally posted by cvxjet: I have transported a bunch of stuff in my Fiero- although never to the extreme of removing the passenger seat- or strapping a washer on the trunk!
...I have transported a bunch of stuff in my Fiero- although never to the extreme of removing the passenger seat-
The only time I recall removing the passenger seat was my trip from Houston to the 20th. I had all the official event t-shirts, and they filled every cubic inch of the interior that I didn't require for my own body. And I had to keep a hand up on the wall of shirts next to me, to keep them from falling down on me! Thankfully, cadero2dmax had room in his trailer when we met up in Tulsa. I've got a photo of it somewhere. . edit to add: Yes, Hulki confirmed that the trunk was designed to hold 2 golf bags. I'm pretty sure it was in his speech or Q&A at the awards banquet.
[This message has been edited by Cheever3000 (edited 12-02-2019).]
Not sure what you mean. It's 16 years old, so the thread has been archived... which means nobody can add (or edit/delete existing posts), but it's still accessible to read.
