Do you have an opinion on the Pontiac Fiero?

[DalesCarpentry]

Do you have an opinion on the Pontiac Fiero? I am building a 12'x16' shed for a customer. Where they want to put it is where they have a Pontiac Fiero. The wife says it has been sitting for 12 years and the husband just will not get rid of it, being his favorite car. I always liked these little cars. I myself almost bought a new one in the 80'S. I talked to her today and a friend of hers (ANOTHER CUSTOMER) said she new someone that would take it away for free for the scrap. I also told her if she wants to just get rid of it I will take it. I said I will not pay any money for it but if they just want rid of it I will take it. Acording to her it ran when it was parked. They now have 4 kids now under the age of 5 and she see's no use for this car. I asked my wife about it tonight and she happens to like this type of car. We only have a daughter and I would be willing to share this car with her. I think if it would cost up to $1,000.00 to put it on the road and make it safe it would be a good deal seeing as we both like this car. You never know I could put a new battery and fuel in and it might start. I am sure ther will be other isues. Like belts brakes and ETC. Do you think I could be making a mistake for a free car? Dale

[bubba]

not sure about the car itself as far as the pontiac, but any vehicle that has set that long I would be checking the frame as I would expect it to be rotted out and ready to fall apart after 12 years.  That is the worst thing you can do to a vehicle is let it sit like that especially that long

[torpedoman]

real sweet car when it is right you may want to rethink turning daughter loose in it.really moves and drives like it's on rails. some fire problema due to gas leaks just use good braided steel gas lines.

[tn_junk]

Guy that worked for me had one and put 250,000 miles on it. Would probably still be driving it if he hadn't let his son borrow, and total, it.

alan

[DalesCarpentry]

I don't plan on sharing the car with my daughter. She is only 12 years now. I was not clear in my post. I would be sharing it with my wife. Dale

[muskeg13]

I bought a new one in 1984, the first year they came out.  It proved to be the most impractical vehicle I've ever owned.  While it looked good, with its bright red plastic body, it was a dog on the road.  No power in the 4cylinder.  Maybe the 6 cylinder that came out in '86 was better.  It held the road well in curves, on dry pavement, but had an awful turning radius and would hydroplane if it even looked like it would rain.  I also had problems with the emissions control components going out on a regular basis, and they were expensive to replace.

It's only a 2 seater, and and cramped for two at that.  There is almost no trunk.  The area up front is mostly taken by the spare tire, and the rear space, behind the engine, was quite narrow.  There was also the problem with this space getting very hot, so you couldn't put groceries there.

After a few years, I bought a pick-up and let my ex drive it almost exclusively.  We eventually sold it cheap to her brother in law a few years later, and his 16 year old daughter promptly totaled it within a week.

[DDelle338]

  I think you could get it on the road for $1000. Just make sure you go over all the rubber components in the engine and braking system. (Critters like to chew!) It would make a good local daily driver.

[Hairtrigger]

It has been sitting for 12 years??
Sounds like a money pit. It would be fine if you did not use it as a vehicle you counted on... just a fun ride to go get ice cream.

[myronman3]

they are death traps.  forget the "free car", it is going to bleed you dry if you take it. 

[Moss88hunter]

I have a 95 F-150 that I got from a man that was in bad health. It had less than 30,000 miles and had sat for two years. I was driving it one day and it stopped pulling...long story short the torque converter came apart and ruined the transmission. Be very careful buying cars that have been sitting.

Evan

[PartsMan]

Take it home look it over.
Try to get it started.

If it starts looking like a money pit advertise it as a parts car.
Fieros have quite a following. It will sell for something.

[rex6666]

Dale
do you have a problem sleeping at nite, do you pace the floor at nite, does the neighbors dog
keep you awake, does your upper lip just start twitching?
where do you come up with these topics.
JUST PULLING YOUR CHAIN
If it is free what could it hurt, if it doesn't look good get rid of it.

[Old Syko]

Every time you come across what you believe to be a great deal just take a step back, determine the most money, time and effort you think it can possibly cost in the long run.  Then multiply that by 10 to get a more realistic figure and if you like that figure, go for it!  If not then just smile, say no thanks and walk away. 

If you need parts there is a local yard that has a dozen or more here they can't even run through the crusher until all the plastic and other scrap are stripped from them which leaves nothing worth while.  Not worth the trouble!  That's why they're still here.

[Sourdough]

Dale:  Know several people that own them.  The little cars have quite a following.  They are also used as donor cars for many of the kit cars.  Take it home, see if it will start.  If it starts with out too much being done then replace all the rubber, tires, heater hoses, radiator hoses, rubber brake lines, fuel lines, check the brakes, then it would be trust-able for local driving.

My hunting partner got a little Subaru, the sporty one with air suspension, and V-6 engine, 4-wheel drive.  It had been sitting for many years in a back yard.  Tires were so rotten they would not hold air.  Got it home, flushed the fuel system, put a new battery in, and fired it up.  Replaced all the rubber, hoses, fuel lines.  Replaced rubber brake lines, wheel cylinders, and replaced the brake fluid.  New coolant, and new tires.  he's been driving that little 85 now for 13 years.  Drives it back and forth to work, and for errands around town.  It's his daily driver, leaves his pick-up parked.  I hate it, he loves it.  It's too hard for me to get into, I'm tall and don't bend to good.  He's short.  No room for anything, tiny trunk.  But it suites his purpose.     

[DalesCarpentry]

I figure what could it hurt to put some new fuel and a battery in it and see if it even starts. Dale

[PartsMan]

I figure what could it hurt to put some new fuel and a battery in it and see if it even starts. Dale

You may want to siphon the fuel out if it doesn't start.

I have been known to borrow a battery from another vehicle or just use cables.

[Hairtrigger]

If your gonna have a car on blocks in the yard at least pick a muscle car   

[DalesCarpentry]

If your gonna have a car on blocks in the yard at least pick a muscle car   

Boy that is funny. I would love to have an old Camero or a Cheville maybe even an old Trans Am. Hell I would even take an old Firebird. I would like to have any of those but this one would be free. Dale

[DalesCarpentry]

I would like to put this on the road again just because I like that type of car. If it would turn into to much money to do so Ebay here I come. I would bet I could get at least $500.00 in parts from it. Dale

[ro]

dale, i like reading your posts, you are a man who says what he thinks, leave that car where it is setting or move it and sell it for scrape metal, it could cost 500.00 for belts, fuel lines, new battery, dropping the gas tank, new fuel pump in tank, etc.? then it may still not start and run, this is if you do all the work yourself, then you have to take it to a shop to put it on a machine and run all the codes, from what i have read the last thing you need is money-pit car. don't be mad at me but i have been there and worked on a few you can have IT if you move it cars and trucks.

[nomosendero]

Fiero, reminds me of an old female polititian, both of which are out of date.

[DalesCarpentry]

dale, i like reading your posts, you are a man who says what he thinks, leave that car where it is setting or move it and sell it for scrape metal, it could cost 500.00 for belts, fuel lines, new battery, dropping the gas tank, new fuel pump in tank, etc.? then it may still not start and run, this is if you do all the work yourself, then you have to take it to a shop to put it on a machine and run all the codes, from what i have read the last thing you need is money-pit car. don't be mad at me but i have been there and worked on a few you can have IT if you move it cars and trucks.

Thank you. I really just speak what is on my mind at the time. I would do this with my best friend in the same room with me at any given point. I pretty much consider you guys friends and I am pretty open with the things I talk about. I figure I can not afford a money pit but if I change the fuel maybe some wires and plugs and it starts the battle is half over. I am not going to sink any more than $1,000.00 into this car to get it going. Even that is high. If I could not get it to run for under a couple hundred dollars. I would put it up for parts. Hey those are my thoughts on this good night. Dale

[ro]

dale, after you move this little cream-puff, put a hot battery on it, turn the key on, get under the gas tank and listen for the inside fuel pump running, if it has one and working it should be a low pitch humming sound, if you hear pumping its trying to prime the fuel line, look up the frame or where the line runs there could a in line gas filter, if so turn the key off, if you have a good tank pump un-hook the fuel line,out of the tank or before the in line filter, get a oil change type pan put it under line or tank to catch gas, get out and turn key back on, if tank pump is working it will pump out all the old gas in the tank, once pan or buckets starts filling up, turn off key pour out start again until tank is empty.

[magooch]

After sitting for 12 years, it's likely that the cylinders will be rusted and the rings might even be stuck.  I think I agree with those who think the whole deal is more trouble and expense than it would be worth--unless you just need something to do and are in love with the little car.

I've got friends who are car nuts and that is their whole life--that's all they do.  Get a good sea kayak and have a life.

[PartsMan]

After sitting for 12 years, it's likely that the cylinders will be rusted and the rings might even be stuck.

That will take about 30 seconds and zero $ to check for.

Don't you guys have any sense of adventure.

[sdb777]

Pontiac Fiero (old Indian word for plastic piece of crap).

Bought one of these things new when they were introduced.  Had the big motor(two squirrels instead of one), and it was constantly in the shop!  Take it if you want it, but get rid of it fast!





Scott (what frame?) B

[Hairtrigger]

After sitting for 12 years, it's likely that the cylinders will be rusted and the rings might even be stuck.

That will take about 30 seconds and zero $ to check for.

Don't you guys have any sense of adventure.

Time is worth nothing to some people but gas is $3 to darn near everyone. Ebay the parts and make sure you get enough to package the parts and drive them to the UPS terminal or post office.
I was thinking cash was an issue here.
It is still a Fiero... not a 55 Chev

[Sourdough]

Dale I have taken several cars that have been sitting for years and started them with no problem, then ran them for several more years with very little investment.  My dune buggy sat for seven years and was not touched.  It sat outside with no cover over the engine.  People said the engine would never run again.  I put fresh gas in it, hooked the tow bar to the back of my truck, put it in third gear, and drove three miles down the highway.  Drove back home put a battery in it and it started right up.  I've been driving it now for the last five years with no problems from that engine.  The only thing I had to do was put in a new set of points, plugs, and condenser, about three month after I started driving it again.

Like I said take it home and get it started.  If it runs OK, then invest the time and effort to fix it up to drive.  If it don't start, sell the parts.  Like I said before those little cars are used as donor cars for many Kit Cars. 

[EVOC ONE]

I had a Fiero GT as a company car for about a year. 

This was the one with the side panel's extending from the roof and large spoiler on the trunk.  It had a V-6 and auto trans.  I liked it for what it was ... a nimble little "slot car".  It had hardly any storage space.  The deep well behind the engine would hold no more than two paper shopping bags of groceries.  It was fun, though. The sort-of-mid-engine design coupled with decent low profile tires could be a bit exciting on curvy roads.  It was by no means a race car or had anything close to a race prepped suspension, but the mid-engine V-6, low center of gravity, and decent tires made it amusing. 

 

[Matt]

Main thing to consider on the car is if the radiator lines are good or not. These cars have a rear engine and front radiator. Lines are both metal and rubber, rubber can be replaced metal can too but not very easily.

All and all I like the little cars.