So, you want to a buy a high-powered, light-weight car that will smoke most anything it pulls up next to at the stop light. Second, you want it to cost safely under $10,000. Third, it can’t be exotic or otherwise expensive to maintain; parts availability must be good and plentiful. Fourth, you’d like to find something a little more interesting than your typical front-engined, rear wheel drive setup – mid-engined, perhaps? Well, you’ve ruled out a fair chunk of possibilities, but if fast, cheap, and unusual are essential qualities in your next project car, a Pontiac Fiero with a V8 swap like this one here on craigslist may be your best bet.
It’s odd, but lately, there’s been a spate of these Fiero conversions coming out of the woodwork. Not just on sites like craigslist but also on major auction platforms and enthusiast message boards. It wasn’t a conversion I considered particularly commonplace, so it’s been an education to see that many Fiero diehards have been working on improving this conversion for years and also finding a variety of engine swap candidates that work. The seller of this Fiero has chosen the Cadillac 4.9L V8, which is one of the more popular options for quickly increasing horsepower and torque without significant structural alterations.
Other engines like the later Northstar V8 require modifications to the firewall along with significantly beefing up the transmission to handle the increased power. The 4.9L V8 may also demand a more stout manual transmission behind it, but overall, aside from custom engine mounts, the swap is perceived as being fairly straightforward. There are opinions about the 4,9L and its merits compared to the Northstar, but that’s on a general basis; overall, it seems most members of the Fiero community would advocate for the 4.9 given how nicely it seems to nestle in the engine bay. With this engine, the Fiero should now be producing around 200 horsepower and 275 lb.-ft. of torque.
The seller admits there are some loose ends to tie up, and the most disconcerting among them is a reference to flakes in the coolant, an issue he has supposedly remedied by not running a thermostat. While more information is needed, he doesn’t seem particularly worried. The idle is “choppy”, in his words, likely due to timing needing an adjustment, and he also suspects it will need an alignment due to some uneasy handling qualities at highway speeds. The interior looks fine, if not slightly tired, and the cosmetics are said to be solidly in the “5-footer” category. Overall, this looks like the most fun you can have for $6,500 at the moment – what say you? Thanks to Barn Finds reader Tony Primo for the find.
If you buy this you better have a lot of self control.
lots of power & a short wheelbase and no brains don’t mix well.
This thing looks spintastic. This is likely a hoot to drive and doesn’t scream “I’m a hot rod.”
The wildest Fiero swap I’ve ever seen was done with a 455 Toronado engine/tranny. It’s been done a few times, but the local guy who did it didn’t narrow the axles – he just made up some VERY wide fender flares for the rear wheels. I last saw the car when it was about 95% finished. It disappeared during Covid and I lost track of the guy building it, so I didn’t get to see it run. It HAD to be a handful!
I saw my first Fiero 4.9 conversion at our local Father’s Day car show about 7 years ago. I wonder how a regular 3.8 or 3.8 supercharged conversion would be….more reliable than a Northstar is a given.
That was my first thought as well, but a V8 sounds a lot better, as you go through the gears.
This could be fun for the price, plus shipping.
Twenty years ago at The Steel Valley Nationals in Canfield Ohio there were two V8 Fiero’s, one with a tunnel ram 2 four 350 and one with a blown 2 four 350. Both were red like this one, could have been triplets. They were running stock transaxles and said if you rolled into the throttle they held up extremely well as did the clutches. They said they were a ball to drive and to suprise “real” hot rods
Red like this one?
Nice swap and the owner has done a lot of sorting which is nice. Most of the 4.9 swaps I’ve seen are automatics so kudos for keeping the 5-speed. The Caddy engine is “only” 200hp which is just 60 over the stock v6’s 140. I think I would prefer a Series 2 supercharged 3.8 V6 @ 240hp. More beans, same work to swap, and IMHO makes a better looking engine compartment.
I’ve ‘put my hands in’ some of the ‘mid-engines’ ie RMR cars (this, MR2, 914 & X 1/9) and have trouble seeing how I’d work ona bent8 conversion. Bent4s were hard, i4 best (X-flow motor). I lub ‘em to death (to run/drive) but might B done on wrenchin them (neck, back, etc). Cant hire a mechanic. Might B able to arrange a barter (“U can use it at SCCA if U maintain it for both us.”) as I often do…
Yeah, dats da ticket ! (Now? can I fit in comfortably, how often would I drive it?, etc)
I was talking to a GM employee who was doing a similar swap at home. I’m not sure of the correct year (and it may have been the last year of Fiero oroduction) But the factory 5 speed transaxle he sourced would handle 400 horsepower. And he was quite confident in his selection. He used the supercharged 3.8 in his swap. This would be a blast to drive after sorting it out. (part of the fun is the sorting)
Now that’s a hooptie!
No, a hooptie is a classic car in rough, but driveable shape. Okay to ride in with your buddies, but embarrassing to drive in front of the ladies.
For reference, look up “my hooptie” on YouTube.
Hooptie.
They made a 300hp race kit for the fiero! It was meant for off road use. But in a state that doesn’t check emissions? What the heck ?