As I embark on selling a car that I thought would sell quickly – and have found, it is not – this 1987 Pontiac Fiero serves as a good reminder than price is always the ultimate motivator. I say that because this Fiero appears to be in very nice condition and is listed for a fair price at just $8,500. I suspect it will sell fast, as it has great equipment and the preferred combination of the 2.8L V6 and a manual transmission. Mileage is recorded as being just over 76,000 miles and while gold paint may not work for everyone, it looks handsome with the black trim, Find it here on craigslist for $8,000.
The last time I sold a car, two things happened: one, I apparently priced it for what the market thought was a “deal,” and two, there was some burbling sentiment about this particular model that it was undervalued. I didn’t think I listed it for a bad price, but I was also a bit aggressive because I wanted the car gone; it had become a headache. Needless to say, the desire for the model by local enthusiasts and the perception I was leaving $1,000 on the table led to a very prompt sale and lots of messages. The car I listed last week – well, I really like it and I think it’s worth every penny of what I’m asking, but it’s still here. It’s not a deal. And that slows things down. This Fiero, in my opinion, is priced for a quick sale, especially when you stack the price up against its condition and equipment list.
That interior is absolutely mint and it drives home just how slick these mid-engined runabouts were when new. The Recaro-like sport seats, the two-tone color scheme, and wide center console – all combined, it’s very attractive. Sadly, we usually see Fieros with trashed cabins or the remains of the interior stuffed under some ugly Lamborghini-style kit car. In its purest form, as seen here, it’s downright inviting. The seller notes it came equipped with “….factory air conditioning, upgraded factory stereo, factory aero package with rear deck spoiler, cruise control, sunroof, power door locks, power windows, tilt steering, and cast aluminum wheels.”
When Pontiac introduced the 2.8L V6, it addressed a major grievance with the car’s introductory form. The fuel-injected engine gave the Fiero what it always should have had, which was a respectable output for such a sporty body: 140 horsepower and 170 lb.-ft. of torque. This alone changed the Fiero’s fortunes in the marketplace, but as we all know, it wasn’t enough to save it from an early retirement. Regardless, nice ones are still treasured by a loyal fan base, and perhaps I should take inspiration from this seller’s listing and knock a few hundred dollars off my asking price, as I suspect someone will jump on this Fiero before the end of the weekend. Thanks to Barn Finds reader Jack M. for the tip.
Beautiful interior, and the seats look great. GM did gold paint the best. Always wondered why Pontiac didn’t put the 3.8L motor in these for 87. It was in their stable with the Bonneville. 150hp/200lb-ft. 🏁 Thanks Lavery👍
Stan, could you just imagine a supercharged or even a turbocharged 3.8 in one of these things? Maybe you could only have an automatic in one, but still, take what a Grand National can do and you can easily shave a few seconds off the 0-60 times and 1/4 mile times stock. The motor location where it is you’d have no problems getting the tires to hook up and this thing taking off……
Granted you may have some wheel stand issues however lol.
It would probably take some serious shoe horning though. The 2.8 or 3.1 was a 60 degree design. The 3.8 is a 90 degree, which is wider. Not sure if it would be an issue fitting or not. Never worked on one or been under the hood of one to know.
But then again….. As the saying goes…. Where there’s a will…… Theres a way!!!
The GM 3800 has been swapped into Fieros many times. There was even a kit to swap the Cadillac Northstar V-8 into them.
Hi Pat. I just did some diggin online, and sure enough found where people did it. I never would have thought of a Northstar V8 from Cadillac, but when you stop and think about it, it makes sense, they were transverse mounted in the FWD Cadillacs, so why not? I never knew about either. What a blast they must be to drive.
I had a picture of one at Mecum where they stuffed a large V8 engine in it. Total overkill. Side note, I looked at one late 80’s, I guess, salesman took me off the dealership and taught me how to drive the stick. lol. Ah, the good ole days.
I have an 86 Fiero GT with a supercharged 3800 V6, and a friend has a turbocharged one that is putting down more than 400 hp at the rear wheels. They are FUN little cars, but with those engines, you can get yourself in trouble quickly if you aren’t careful. :D
Mine please! 3.8swap it!
Bought a new red over gray ‘85 also with a V6 and 4-speed. It was a lot of fun to drive and IMO looked better without the big nose and rear spoiler. Very under appreciated car at the time by the market. It was my only car then and being a golfer the trunk didn’t work well with a golf bag or anything much beyond a couple of bags of groceries. Ended up trading it for an ‘86 BMW 325.
Had one in the service bay’s i worked in the late 80’s for minor maintenance. I hoped in to drive it around the block and back in. Now i’m at 6 feet tall, getting in was a small squeeze but to exit was a nightmare. Would i buy one, probably never, do i like and admire the car itself absolutely
There was a company that specialized in Fiero Engine swaps including LS engines, called V8 Archie. He retired from doing conversions but he still sells body kits and engine swap kits. He’s in Los Vegas.
Here’s a link to his web site (see below)!
http://www.v8archie.com/v8Archie/home.htm
The gold is a fairly rare color choice, but it looks good! This one checks all of the boxes. It’s just a shame that GM screwed up so badly with the Fiero, though. Properly executed, with a quality build, it could have been worthy competition for the Toyota MR2 and the Honda del Sol, but it wasn’t, largely due to GM’s legendary incompetence at the time. The rest, as they say, is history! The stillborn 1990 versions are enough to make me cry, as they would have dropped the 2.5L Iron Duke as the base engine for the Olds Quad 4, the engine the car should have had from the start! Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go dry my eyes now. Priced fairly like this, it should sell quickly. It wouldn’t have hurt to give the leather seats a quick cleaning with some saddle soap, though! GLWTS.
Years ago my wife and I were at a festival.
Some one had taken a Fiero and turned it into a grill and was selling hamburgers and hotdogs out of it. We didn’t get one but I thought it was a neat idea.
The last edition of this car was terrific! Great look, driving, handling car. But GM in its ultimate wisdom. Canceled the car just when they got it right. Like the Corvair. And a couple of others that I can’t remember right now. In fact a very close late friend of mine had one of the last Fieros and one of the last Corvairs in his prized collection. He was a high speed driving instructor and hot rodder through and through. Nothing in his collection was slow or ill handling.
I miss you Kern.