Finally gave in and bought my 7 year old self's dream car, an 84' SE with 89K, power windows, tilt but sadly auto. Came with extra hood, rear deck and some side panels. $1200, down from the $1400 asking.
We drove 2.5hrs to Kentucky to retrieve it in Amish country. Gentleman was selling it after procuring it from his father in law who was the second owner, worked at the Bowling Green Vette plant, had sat in storage for 17 years. The seller informed me that he dropped the tank, cleaned, replaced fuel pump, filter, ignition and new tires. He advised to bring a truck as he was unsure how reliable it would be as he'd only driven it around his property. I was unable to secure a truck to haul it back, so we chanced it as I was a bit nervous it would sell quickly having such a decent provenance and complete as well as original.

We spent some time driving it about 8 miles, ran, idled well. Came back, swapped stories, he showed me his amazing farm on the edge of Mammoth Cave National Park. After deciding to seal the deal, we left headed towards home, 150 miles away. We get about 5 miles from his house, climbing the rolling Kentucky holler' and hills, it starts to go in and out of power. It does this about 5 times over another mile before finally dying. It's getting spark, but fuel starved. I immediately suspect a faulty fuel pump or a clog within the fuel system. The seller comes to tow it for me, but we couldn't safely find a place to secure the chain without tearing the spoiler up. I decided to have it towed to a shop for inspection. The gentlemen at the local Autozone were kind with a few suggestions, which each recommended a local guy who had a rollback and was a mechanic. After telling him the model and possible issue, he come to the rescue. What made me feel a bit better about my anxiousness and stupidity was the fact he stated " I will not touch it without calling you first after I determine the issue"

So I left feeling a bit better about the situation and glad I only spent $1200 which it's worth at least in parts. So I'll know more Monday and thus proceed accordingly.

I wanted to get a thread started in hopes the prognosis will be good and proceed with a refurb of the car. Not Concours, but a clean, mechanically sound daily driver.

A few things I noticed during my short time and please feel free to point me in the right direction. Is the shop manual offered by The Fiero Store the Bible for our cars?

1. Temp gauge doesn't work
2. Buzzer/brake light will not shut off even though hand brake is down (switch that TFS offers I assume?)
3. Hand brake doesn't seem to be connected, cable?
4. Wind noise from front of sunroof, gasket?
5. Surface rust on suspension assemblies, (Evapo-Rust and treating?)
6. Gears stripped on lights (aluminum replacements?) in up/open position
7. Power mirrors do not work
8. Outside locks are tough to turn
9. A intermittent squeal from the center dash area when heater was on
10. Steering wheel isn't centered when tires are straight, feels sloppy


Of course the mechanical's will be well sorted before proceeding to any of the above, but another few things I am curious about are there any worthwhile upgrades available that will just help the car breathe better, be more efficient in being a daily driver? I obviously am not looking for a sports car, just a fun 80's classic that's a joy to drive with hopes of being fuel efficient.


Once I know more I will report back for further instructions on how best to proceed in getting the car sorted. Glad to be a part of the community, finger crossed for great news.

[This message has been edited by mckaymotoworks (edited 01-18-2014).]

Welcome to the Forum!

Thanks for the welcome. Glad to be a part and finally dust my Members Only jacket off.

Congratulations on your find. I recently finished a mechanical resto on my 85 2M4. Please be sure and remove the blower motor on yours and check for leaves inside the housing. There is a resistor in there that gets hot at low fan speeds and it has ignited leaves on cars in the past causing a dashboard fire. I just checked mine yesterday and found a bunch of leaves. This forum is the best place I have found for tech advice. If you use the search function you will find answers to anything you could think of.

Um, ouch. A car in that condition, well if you brought the truck like he suggested, you would have been doing him a favor to take this car off his hands. Not that I haven't done similar things. Hopefully twelve hundred is not a whole lot of money to you.

Unfortunately spending money is not a great way of getting these cars running well. My experience is if you pay someone to do it they'll have problems, it will cost a lot of money, and you'll have to do the job over yourself. Today I hope to start on installing a new alternator bracket to replace the original that was broken when a well-recommended shop replaced the harmonic balancer - using a hammer.

I'm sorry I forgot to reread the part about what the previous owner did, but usually a car that has been sitting that long will need a lot of work just on account of the bad gas. Maybe you just need to do some more cleaning, like the injector.

The original '84 was prone to major engine problems that started with a small oil capacity and ended with a blown engine and even a big fire. If this guy is really nice he'll take this thing back and return your money.

The best upgrade would be a new engine, i.e. a swap. Lots of posts about that on this forum.

Other issues: one reason temp gauges don't work is, well, the thermostat is missing. It's possible the engine isn't heating up. Otherwise the sender may not be hooked up. I'm not sure where it is on the Duke, but use the search function above. You're sure to find helpful threads on the subject.

The brake light may just be the switch. Is the pedal hard? Does it stop straight? If no see taking it back above. Also consider renting truck, trailer, dolly, storage, or any other option that doesn't involve driving it.

The squealing from the dash is the heater fan, as in you need a new one, although it will likely last for some time, especially if you find a way to oil it. See using search function above.

Not that you couldn't have fun with this anyway, but I say, be prepared to get your hands dirty and figure things out for yourself. That part is fun and rewarding, unlike paying other people who don't know much more about the Fiero than you. Although parts are readily available you will soon run into clerks who don't even know what a Fiero is. Not surprising given this car was only made for five model years and was discontinued before they were born.

Good luck!

Totally forgot to mention since the father in law was a GM employee he was aware of the engine recall and had them replace the engine some years back. So there's that upside.

I do plan to wrench this myself, having difficulties in getting it transported. Family and friends see a 300 mile trip as a burden. I see it as an adventurer and maybe I should rethink my friends & family.

That's the spirit!

If you don't have AAA, find a friend with it. You can have a free tow up to 200 mile's. Id git it home an do the work my self you'll be better off. Not meny shop's know the strange car we all love called the fiero.. good luck, an injoy the ride!

Usually you can rent a U-Haul truck and trailer, assuming it won't run.

So funny story. Mechanic called, it was out of gas. The damn fuel sending unit is broken and reading incorrectly. (facepalm)
Gees.........

[This message has been edited by mckaymotoworks (edited 01-21-2014).]

Funny. That was going to be my question. You will, for the time being, need to use the *very* common fuel gauge alternate. THere is a trip odometer on all the Fieros I've owned (hope yours does). Always fill it up, reset the trip, and stop every 150 miles for fuel.

I have been lucky many times and almost run out of gas on flat ground. The fuel pickup will start to suck air and it sounds like a dog howling or at least that is as close as I can come to describing the sound that comes from between the seats.

Congratulations on your find. I am of the opinion that *any* vehicle you can drive away is worth $1200.

I have always owned 6 cylinder versions, but a lot of things are identical. 88 is the best year, but 84 will make a nice daily driver once you fix it up. I think you can buy a factory service manual from the Fiero store. I think that is where I got mine. It is about $145 but it is worth every penny.

So, here are some things to look at:
1) temp gauge -- if it pegs when starting but then goes to zero, the gauge is fine and it is either not getting the sensor signal or as someone said the engine just never heats up. Missing thermostat is a possibility. It is on the top of the engine on the V6, not sure on the 4. THis is where the shop manual comes in. Best wiring diagrams available!!!
2) hand brake -- do you know Fieros? You release the hand brake by lifting up until you feel resistance. Then you press the orange button to release the brake and drop the lever slowly. THis is an acquired skill and easy to not get it all the way off the first few times.
I hope you did not drive it those 5 miles with the brake chime going. If so, you need new brakes!!!!!! The chime means the brake is on. The brake handle goes down without resistance so you can get out of the car. You have to pull up the handle as described above to disengage.
3) Surface rust should not be an issue if it is not different from what you see on other 29 year old cars.
4) Are you sure the gears are stripped on the lights? COuld be an electrical problem. It is not unusual for the motors to be bad though. Not sure they can be repaired. may need to be replaced. You can tell if the gears work by twisting the knob on the top of the motor. It lets you raise or lower the lights if something electrical goes bad with the motors. Twist one way to raise lights twist the other way to lower.
5) Power mirrors could very well be electrical too.
6) Locks get a little stiff after a lot of years. Graphite works. May also need to take the doors apart and lubricate mechanism. Note that the electrical actuators are motors.
7) Steering wheel not centered is something I am surprised you have not seen before. It is a common complaint of mine from service shops who do not center the wheel when starting an alignment. When you take it in for alignment, insist that they center the steering wheel. If it is sloppy, it could be any number of items. Check all the way down from under the dash to the rack to be sure that nothing is loose. I had a numbnuts change out a spark plug on my Blazer SUV and did not tighten the bottom bolts on the steering universal when he was finished, so you could have any number of places where someone could have left something loose.

So, have fun fixing up your car. They are a blast to drive.

Thanks for the reply Kevin. Yes a shop manual is in order for this project. Looks like you have to replace the sending unit with a universal as they're NLA, found this thread in search here, looks easy enough.
How to repair fuel sending with universal replacement

Sending Unit Supplier

But after looking through a few more similar threads, it appears the best option is to bite the bullet for the $210 Fiero Store unit. To be expected, the original did sit in a bath of rancid fuel for 17 years.

To address brakes, those definitely need replacing. The rotors are pitted, I assume from the brine mix used during the winter coupled with storage/non use. Brakes work but mushy, so a complete overhaul is in order.

Also forgot to mention the wipers are SLOW/weak. Can the motor be greased or does it require replacing? Obviously less of a worry than the other major components that need addressing first, but want to plan ahead as I'll need them working properly before I put it back on the road fulltime.

[This message has been edited by mckaymotoworks (edited 01-21-2014).]

quote Originally posted by mckaymotoworks: Family and friends see a 300 mile trip as a burden. I see it as an adventurer and maybe I should rethink my friends & family.

This will likely never change. That's been my experience. Almost 20 years after I've bought mine, been through hell & back to keep it, fixed it numerous times, friend & I completely swapped engine & transmission, & dumping crazy amounts of money into it.... was talking about buying winter storage & a family member, shocked that I even still have it, simply suggested selling it for what ever I can get.

The car is currently in great running condition.

Great find, & welcome to the forum. You're gonna need that can-do attitude!

RockAuto still has some close out prices on parts.
Double check before you buy though I have seen some things listed incorrectly such as they say for a 2.8 but are for a 2.5, etc. This list is also for 1985, the link is from an old thread, I'm not sure how to search close out only for a certain year, perhaps someone else is.

http://www.rockauto.com/RSS...&m=wc&l=en&html=true

having just bought my first fiero with a ton of issues I can relate to your situation. my car is manual everything so I can't help you with any of the power stuff but while working through my list here's a couple things that may help. my temp gauge was not working (I thought) opening the thermostat housing revealed there was no thermostat, put in a stant 195 degree thermostat and all of a sudden I have a gauge that works. My lights also wouldn't raise ( mines an 88 so it is a little different but I believe the system works the same ) I took the lights apart and there are little nylon bushings in the gears and mine were just dust. replaced them with a fiero store rebuild kit and everything is bright again. hope that helps. oh and my e-brake doesn't work either but I'm waiting for warmer weather to get under the car. good luck with your project.

quote Originally posted by mckaymotoworks: So funny story. Mechanic called, it was out of gas. The damn fuel sending unit is broken and reading incorrectly. (facepalm) Gees.........

Lol, this happens all too often.

Congrats on your first Fiero! Got mine last year and I know I'll be buying more than a few in the coming years...don't know where I'll park them all, I may have to buy a new house with a bigger garage

There was an earlier comment about taking it back for your money back. Yes, you might have been able to find a cheaper one, or one at the same price in better condition, but in my opinion, the value of the vehicle is really what it is worth to YOU...$1200 isn't a lot of money, so I think you'll be happy with it. Having said that...I also believe Fiero ownership should come with two stipulations...never buy one if you are cash strapped and looking for a daily driver...and even if you aren't completely mechanically inclined, you should be ready to do research, get your hands dirty, and be prepared to do lots of work yourself. After all...that is part of the fun!!! The only real red flags on the Fiero is space-frame damage due to excess rust. If you haven't already, you should consider poking around in some of the hard to reach spaces. Remove the wheel well liners and the pull back the carpet in the trunk, that'll give you a great indication of the condition.

What plans do you have for it? Keeping it stock? Engine swap? How about some pics too!

I am fairly handy with a wrench and do plan to do the work myself. I've considered the idea of possibly converting to a TDI setup to gain reliability and MPG.
But on the other hand, as you noted I did mention flipping it (or did I?). Two very good reasons:

1. being I rebuild vintage Japanese motorcycles, I have a complete custom café racer, my first love and passion.

2. I love restoration projects, I can see this Fiero getting really heavy on the wallet and taking time/money from #1 which I am much more passionate about. I'm too tempted to make it "perfect" and in the end, it's still a 84' Fiero.

I have some decisions to make. But the bike will not be going away, that I can tell you, there's nothing like blowing by a 750cc bike in the curves on a 2 stroke 350cc twin.
Either way, I saved it and will find it a good home. Whether that's now or later, that's undecided.

Said bike, 71' Yamaha R5
[img]https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-kIY8sRTeXJc/UuBdrk8Mo4I/AAAAAAAADWE/3nYAwZM7i7I/w1043-h590-no/R5III.jpg[/img]

Guess HTML is turned off?

[This message has been edited by mckaymotoworks (edited 01-22-2014).]

If you want to play with the blower fan you can oil them. Pull the fan and remove the squirrel and you can oil the front bushing through the vent holes. The rear of the motor you can drill a small hole in the bump where the bushing is and oil there.
I've had some I oil and they last for years but some only last for a few months.
Like I said if you want to play.

quote Originally posted by mckaymotoworks: I can see this Fiero getting really heavy on the wallet

Doesnt have to be. To me they are cheaper to work on than alot of other cars.

[This message has been edited by 2.5 (edited 01-23-2014).]

That is true, but I am the type to refurbish every aspect till it's good as new. Detailed to a fault.

My boys are always seeing something they might want to buy on ebay or Craigslist. They start whining about the distance to pick it up or the cost to ship, I just holler "ROAD TRIP !!". And I'm old.

I spent some time searching here and on Ogre's Cave getting familiar with the various intricacies of various systems.
Is there a checklist on the board to aid me in inspecting the various systems after such a long storage period for the vehicle?

Of course I'll know more next weekend when I have it back in my possession, but I know for sure it needs rotors, pads, possibly calipers, plan to replace lines with FS braided, flush/fill. Does the master cylinder usually need replacing after a long sit?
Drain fluids, replace, though I do see on many threads to not completely flush transmission, radiator etc. Replace the fuel sending unit after the main mechanicals have been inspected/addressed.

Last, I see the 84' shop manual is available on CD from FS, same as the hardcover. I assume this to be the most desired publication for the car?

[This message has been edited by mckaymotoworks (edited 01-24-2014).]

http://www.fieronews.net/fusion/downloads.php

^ excellent resource, thank you.

I looked at this car and even got pictures and corresponded but found a black one-owner 35k 4-spd car and bought it closer to home. I was ready to go get it when mine popped up. Mine had been stored for 10 yrs and took a fuel tank and pump and brake lines to get it up. 1500 miles later it is a lot of fun! Good luck with your car!!!

Small world. I work in Brentwood/Maryland Farms. One reason I pulled the trigger on this was the provenance. From what we understand, this car wasn't sold through the normal dealer network as a GM Bowling Green employee purchased it first, and the second owner, the father in law, was also a GM employee.

It's all there and original, I look at the silver lining. I get to insure it's all done properly and to my satisfaction. I plan to give it to my son when he turns 16 in a few years. Something he can be really proud of that won't get him a reckless driving speeding ticket.

Maybe we can meet up in the spring for Cars & Coffee in Cool Springs.

[This message has been edited by mckaymotoworks (edited 01-24-2014).]

The car I bought was in Mt Juliet and the original owner had everything down to the brochure and order sheet where he ordered it for his wife 30 years ago. I own an 84 Turbo Sunbird convertible as well. I bought it and this car after wanting both when I was 25 and settled for a Turbo Sunbird hard top because I couldn't afford either at the time. The owner was from Indiana and moved here 10 yrs ago and stored it in a barn because the wife's new car pushed it out of the garage. It truly is a time machine and really fun to drive and people just really make over it because either they have never seen one or they owned one years ago. Let me know when you get it up and going. I still have the pictures on my phone he sent me. I talked myself out of it and 2 days later my car came available. I bought it because it was so much less a project.

Got the car home, did well, averaged 30 MPG, not burning/using oil on 150 mile trip. Now for the fun to begin:

1. Brakes are mushy and need bleeding

2. Wipers barely move, I assume I need to inspect motor, try to lubricate as well as wiper transmission? The OEM blade assemblies do not look replaceable, only the rubber insert?

3. Tripometer does not work, coupled with a bad fuel sending unit, things could get interesting until repaired.

4. Headlight motors were unplugged, I cleaned contact, tested. Left will go up/down but sounds on its way out, Right only down so time to replace gears or motors

5. I can see the harness block( see pictures) has melted at some point, evidence of a pre-recall engine fire issue?

6. There was a small pool of oil on the upper transmission case. Looked old, I cleaned/degreased and will watch it. Like I said not using/burning Common?

7. Surface rust all underneath.

8. Temp gauges seems to work when not cranked or under load. which sensor do I need to troubleshoot? h

9. Has a slightly high idle. does not disappear after warmed up.

10. When shifting out of Park, it's a tad bit clunky, you can feel it slip into gear ever so slightly. Not a thud, but noticeable. Flush and fill?

Now for the pictures since I can't figure out why HTML doesn't work on this site: 84 Fiero SE

[This message has been edited by mckaymotoworks (edited 02-01-2014).]

I've gone through the owners manual as well as other publications I've found regarding the wipers. They appear to be the originals with the rubber blade inserts, I cannot tell how they release off the wiper arm, or if they can. A Search on the board just results in wiper motor/board issues. Can someone point me in the right direction?

My 88 is in a wrecker yard so I can't go look or take a picture. The end of the wiper arm is shaped like a shepherd's crook and it has a small hole where the clamp gets retained.. You just find the spring release where the insert clicks into the arm. Then you get a standard universal replacement. It should just slide on and click into place. I can't believe how expensive wiper blades have gotten!!!

I am pretty sure GM has been using this same scheme for a zillion years. I think my 2001 Tahoe has the same setup as the 88 Fiero, but my daughter has the truck.

Thanks Ray. The good news is the motor seems to be ok for now, wipes decently along wit to me Rain-X.
Just trying to get the incidentals working so I can commute, I have a spreadsheet with 3 phases. Wanted to make sure I get the needed things from FS first.

trying to determine the exact cause of the Temp gauge. Oddly it reads when the car is off, hoping it's not the gauge itself.

Re-reading the thread; What's wrong with your temp gauge? The needle will float around when the car is off.....that's normal.

It doesn't read at all with the car running. I assume the sending unit?
I was just adding I thought odd it floated with car off but zeros out when on.

quote Originally posted by mckaymotoworks: Now for the pictures since I can't figure out why HTML doesn't work on this site

Use PIP to post images here.

quote Originally posted by Patrick: Use PIP to post images here.

Thanks, I'll do that on my Win 7 machine, doesn't work for Linux.


First big problem I've encountered. As I stated yesterday, the car did well on it's 150 mile journey. When inspecting it upon arrival, I noticed the overflow reservoir was near empty and the color dark. I want to flush it, but wanted to wait after I order the 160 degree thermostat from FS to do it all at once. So I added almost an entire gallon of DexCool to the reservoir.

While I was replacing bulbs today, I Iet the car run, had the heater on. Heater never got warm at idle unless given throttle. Also noticed the temp gauge working, stayed at a healthy 210-219. Once I turned the car off, I was in the garage a few seconds later and I heard/saw the overflow gushing orange all over the driveway. Is the cooling system clogged or did I overfill?

The car has never given any physical symptoms of overheating until this episode.

EDIT: Ah, so this may be part of my problem and my lack of coolant in the reservoir. I've been working with air cooled motos too much for the past few years and late model Volvo's that barely gave me an issues. Forgive my "rustyness" Coolant Overflow; What's the Cause?

[This message has been edited by mckaymotoworks (edited 02-02-2014).]