One of my favorite expressions tied to tinkering with old vehicles is “You’re buying the seller, not the car.” This has proven itself true time and again, especially as it relates to how a car or truck has been maintained. Pristine cosmetics are nice, but really, it’s the mechanical bits and their overall condition that help a car speak to me. The seller of this clean 1988 Pontiac Fiero GT listed here on craigslist is the kind of individual you want to buy from, with the right maintenance done and up-front disclosures about its (limited) flaws.
I learned the lesson about buying the seller and not the car many years ago with my first project purchase: a 1990 Mazda Miata. The Miata was tired but it was cheap, and it came from a race shop in Ayer, Mass. The seller demonstrated how it was a desirable factory limited-slip car and despite its bumps and bruises, was a solid runner. I was pretty naive, and when I got it home, I realized the damage was far worse than advertised and he had swapped the LSD with an open diff. Talk about disappointing. Fortunately, the seller of this Fiero seems far more interested in the next caretaker of his car treating it as well as he has.
1988 was a good year for the Fiero. GM addressed several major shortcomings with the original design to improve its handling and reliability. The WS6 suspension made the car far more predictable and settled, while the 2.8L V6 benefitted from a redesigned oil filter and cooler system to help address leaks from previous years. 15-inch basketweave-style wheels gave the Fiero a wider contact patch while also contributing to the newfound surefootedness in the suspension. Power-wise, the Fiero produced 135 b.h.p. and 160 lb.-ft. of torque.
The interior is in excellent condition and the seller reports that the 78,000 miles on the clock are original. Recent servicing carried out under his ownership includes rebuilding the brakes, replacing the clutch master, upgrading the plastic fuel lines with stainless steel, and performing a coolant flush and replacing hoses. The cruise control and power locks don’t work, but that’s it for major flaws, and a bunch of spare parts are included with the sale. The asking price of $11,900 is a little on the high side, but hopefully a reasonable offer under $10,000 will get the job done. Thanks to Barn Finds reader Curvette for the find.
1988 was the BEST year for the Fiero, Jeff. Pontiac’s upgrades transformed it from a decent car to what I consider a genuine sports car. Not the fastest thing around, but there was enough power to make the vastly improved suspension enjoyable and, if pushed hard enough, necessary. Having driven both ’87 and ’88 Fieros, I got the impression build quality had improved, too.
The Fiero continued a GM tradition of stopping production just as the car was beginning to peak. The last-year model is the only one to buy, IMO, and this seller appears to be the right person to buy from, as noted. I’d make a lower offer — in part because I’m cheap — but even at $12K it’s tempting.
As a side note, I recall a conversation with a Pontiac engineer. When I complimented him on the ’88’s improvements, he smiled sadly and said “You should have seen the ’89….”
Not only the best year, mechanically, but the body had really started evolving into something to behold. I can just imagine what this could have become. Probably interfered with GM’s plans for transforming the Corvette into a mid-engine design.
I’ve only recently learned that a K24 swap is a thing. It’d be a shame to ruin a well-preserved ’88, but would yield a drivetrain the car deserves.
White sure looks nice on these iterations.
I wish we had seen the ’89! Oh, well.
I remember one of my big decisions in the 80’s was purchasing a Fiero or a 4Runner as a first vehicle. I opted for the latter which got me close bro 400k miles… something I’m sure the Fiero would not have done!
That said this is a solid find and looks to be a great little ride for the right person. They were “quick” little cars but could never compete with the 280ZX and Chevy Camaro of the times but still they had a unique appeal.
Echoing what RayT said, another example of a car company (especially GM) throwing something together and improving it to where it’s somewhat decent then throwing it away.
My wife bought one new upon release in 1983. After a very short time and in desperation she traded it in on an AWD AMC Eagle-it turned out to be a much better car than the Fiero.
Echoing what RayT said, another example of a car company (especially GM) throwing something together and improving it by using the buying public to Beta test so as to improve it at the buyers expense to where it’s somewhat decent then throwing it away.
My wife bought one new upon release in 1983. After a very short time and in desperation she traded it in on an AWD AMC Eagle-it turned out to be a much better car than the trashcan original Fiero.
Lovely car. Although I was too young at the time to drive a car, I remember the Pontiac Fiero and Fiero GT. It’s unforgivable that it was only on the market for a short time before being discontinued. I reckon I would’ve preferred this over the Toyota MR2. You should never offer something to someone and then just take it back, saying “Nope, you can’t have it!” What the?! Why the hell do that?
Because Chevy was fearful that the ’89 Fiero (with possibly a V8) would outperform and outsell the Corvette. That’s why…
“Protecting” the Corvette (meaning protecting mediocrity by making it impossible to put out something better), has been a long standing GM tradition since about 1963.
I do remember — because I asked — being told that some prototype ’89s had V8s, but the engineer I talked to wouldn’t be more specific. Couldn’t pin down which V8 or what transmission was used.
Well, that and the fact that even the major improvements for ’88 — meant to goose dwindling sales and offer a preview of better things to come in the next-gen Fiero then in late development — ultimately failed to improve sales at all, which instead slumped even further.
True, although several adventurous souls have dropped a Northstar V8 into Fieros with some success.
It wouldn’t take much to out perform a 89′ Corvette.
Yep, and the Camaro and Firebird too.
To me, the next gen design concept car looks suspiciously like what the 4th gen firebird became. It was a great looking car, but GM was always afraid of competition from within.
Google 1990 Fiero Prototype.
Here’s a link to a Curbside Classic article about the stillborn ’89 models. Ah, what might have been… I really liked the idea of the Olds Quad 4 as the base engine to replace the 2.5L “Iron Duke”, but the more I learn about the Quad 4’s known reliability issues, that may have been a mixed “blessing”, LOL!
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/forgotten-future/forgotten-future-1990-pontiac-fiero-prototype/
Thanks for the link. Have a feeling if GM would have released that car for 89 model it would have been huge hit. Maybe that is the reason they killed it off over concern of sales of the Corvette and Firebird. A real shame that far in development with a car that checks all the boxes on a sports car,
Owned a low mile (10k) 88 Formula for several years. Replaced a lot, ridiculous things. The fuel gauge never worked. You sat on the floor. The manual steering was a pain. The suspension creaked. The rear cargo area heated up so much, made it useless. Terrible gas mileage with the V6 Auto. Car was zippy and looked nice. Don’t miss it.
My ’88 Fiero has been one of the best cars I’ve ever owned. I wanted one when they were new, but was just too broke. I bought mine in ’99, with less than 12,000 miles on it.
Remember these when they came out. Always thought they were rather cute, sporty little cars. Even though they certainly improved in the later years mechanically I always preferred the harder lines of the earlier models.
True, but the Iron Duke as the sole powerpoint held the car back. The more rounded nose came with the optional V6 that was available later in the model run.
I already stated that fact, “Even though they certainly improved in the later years mechanically I always preferred the harder lines of the earlier models.”