The Pontiac Fiero has always been on the automotive landscape as a cheap entry point into project car ownership. The earliest examples aren’t particularly sought-after but Pontiac began to get the recipe right as the years wore on. This particular car is in tidy condition overall and with a color scheme we don’t often see; even better, it has the preferred 5-speed manual gearbox. The gold-on-tan combo with the color-coordinated alloy wheels is a nice change of pace from the usual reds and blacks that Fieros come in, and with 42,000 miles and a boatload of recent maintenance, it looks like a smart buy at $8,200.
Thanks to Barn Finds reader Mitchell G. for the find. The Fiero went through a few iterations, with the earliest models being a far cry from what the car would eventually become. The Fiero in 1984 was every bit of an economy car, or a sporty commuter, that didn’t exactly set hearts and minds on fire. The car would mature quickly through the years as it added more performance, along with styling and suspension improvements, to make it into the car it should have been all along. The Fiero SE shown here has the rocker panel extensions and front air dam and rear spoiler to give it a much sportier look.
The Fiero cockpit remained largely unchanged over the years, and that wasn’t a bad thing. The deeply contoured bucket seats and placement of the shifter made you feel as if you were in a much sportier car than you really were, and combined with the low ride height and mid-engine design, the Fiero certainly had the chops of a performance car. However, the original engine configuration left a lot to be desired, as the 4-cylinder “Iron Duke” was clearly meant for high-efficiency operations, at which it thrived. Demand was still high, however, and Pontiac would eventually offer an optional V6 engine like the one found in this car.
The SE trim is interesting, as this looks like a GT but the GT model was transformed for the 1986 model year into a much different car. The SE, in effect, became the GT of the previous year while Pontiac overhauled the styling for that year’s GT model into a fastback-type design. This doesn’t necessarily add to the rarity of the Fiero offered here, but it is an interesting footnote. The seller reports that the tires, front shocks, rear struts, battery, wiper blades, coil, fuel tank, pump, filter, heater core and hoses have all been replaced, and that the only major outstanding items are the parking brake needing repair and the A/C needing a charge. Great colors and nice options make this a Fiero worth checking out, which you can do here on craigslist.
Perhaps it’s been long enough, I can retell my stories, without boring too many. Around the turn of the century( feels odd saying that) I drove a truck for a friend( don’t ever do that) once a week, Sun.-Mon. and I picked up flour in Hastings, Mn. I took the “river route”( to bypass scales) that took me through Red Wing. One Monday morn, on the edge of town, was a Fiero just like this, and a sign saying $3,000. It was in a spot that I couldn’t really stop the semi, and for several weeks, it sat, with the price dropping, $2800, $2600,,$2200, finally, I said, that’s it, I’m stopping this time, well, you guessed it, it was gone.
Going to get both sides with these, from the biggest death trap, to the coolest exotic we could actually buy at the local Pontiac dealer. I prefer the latter, and would love one today. Before the GMC, I looked at one, it needed a clutch, and had no place to do that, $900 just a couple years back, so for me, this is too much, but for a personal cruiser, they were fun cars.
I owned 10 Fiero’s, and yes, they are a very fun car! Had one of each year, two Indy Pace Cars (one was car #2000, the last one made) and a ’88 T-Top Formula (one of only 200 made). They had their flaws, mostly due to the bean counters at GM, but still a well designed and beautiful car.
Jeff, is there a site link for this car?
Here’s the link:
https://jerseyshore.craigslist.org/cto/d/asbury-park-1986-fiero-se/7757548896.html
No link?
Had almost a dozen Fieros at one point. Used to get them from a wrecker service auction. Think a couple were even free since nobody bid on them.
Bought them partially for the seats to go in MGBs. Because of the low seating position usually found several dollars former pocket change. Just one of the phases of my lifelong automotive addiction
Is this your first time writing one of these posts? Very informative and interesting, but no mention of a link to the ad or where the car is!
photo shows the Garden State on the license plate Henry.
I’ve got 6 cars with South Carolina plates that are in Florida!
Lovely car. I remember the Pontiac Fiero. I think it premiered around the same time as the Toyota MR2, back in the 1980s. At the time, I found the Pontiac Fiero more attractive to look at.
Let’s try those links again:
Hint: The New Jersey license plate may help you locate it. Here is a link:
https://jerseyshore.craigslist.org/cto/d/asbury-park-1986-fiero-se/7757548896.html
And if you prefer red:
https://holland.craigslist.org/cto/d/holland-pontiac-fiero/7754313196.html
But if you are thinking you might want a lower priced project:
https://chico.craigslist.org/cto/d/chico-1986-pontiac-fiero-gt/7757041792.html Or, if you are looking for a bargain priced 88 that you can modify:
https://austin.craigslist.org/cto/d/pflugerville-1988-pontiac-fiero/7758378000.html
https://jerseyshore.craigslist.org/cto/d/asbury-park-1986-fiero-se/7757548896.html
Gee! I wonder where I could purchase this car?
Found it.
https://jerseyshore.craigslist.org/cto/d/asbury-park-1986-fiero-se/7757548896.html
I looked at this car about a year ago. Worth, in my opinion, no more than 4000. I may be incorrect but I remember something about an engine replacement, BUT I COULD BE WRONG.
Seller , a used car dealer without a used car lot, is stuck on that price.
I was a service manager at a GM dealership when these were available. Owner sent me to GM school where we completely disassembled one because it was newly engineered. I enjoyed wrenching a brand new car and not getting greasy or dirty in the process. Anyway, they didn’t sell very well and only two were sold at our dealership.. I liked them.
A 1986 V6 Fiero would have had a 4-speed. A 5-speed wasn’t available with the V6 until 1987.
I always thought these were really cool until I heard a lot of them were catching fire so I decided on a Toyota instead, and then Autoweek wrote an article entitled “Fiero Firing Squad” that said in ’87 they were catching fire at the rate of 20 for every 504 cars made.