While craigslist can be a vast desert of bad photos, worse grammar, and laughable prices, every now and again you get a seller who puts the effort in to make a killer ad. The owner of this 1984 Pontiac Fiero Indy Pace Car replica has done the world a favor by explaining its history and how he came into ownership, along with the very minor flaws a car with just 19,000 miles would have. This is also one of a mere handful of Pace Car replicas optioned with the factory four-speed manual, making it a rare bird in more ways than one. The seller is listing it in hopes of getting into another hobby car with room for four. Find the Fiero here on craigslist in Tappan, New York for $13,000.
For those of you that remember the actual Fiero Pace Car, you’ll likely find the replica version offered through Pontiac dealers a large disappointment. The Fiero that paced the field that year came with the Super Duty 4, a seriously stepped-up version of the stock Iron Duke mill, and an engine capable of pushing the Fiero to a top speed of 136 miles per hour. The standard-issue model, like the one you see here, could only dream of numbers like that. The three pace cars built for actual track duty also had a wicked roof-mounted scoop for shoving cool air into the mid-engined setup.
Like most every pace car tribute, the showroom version of the Fiero couldn’t offer the performance that spectators witnessed in person or on TV. Therefore, the 232 b.h.p. pace car was limited to the initial three built for ’84, and the rest of the Pace Car tributes offered for sale made due with the 92 b.h.p. Iron Duke. This car has clearly been treasured since new, even with its anemic powertrain, as the spotless interior goes to show us. The first owner looked after it until 2015, at which point it was sold with just 16,000 miles on the clock. The current owner purchased it in Miami and has added 3,000 miles to the total, ensuring that the one-of-250 four-speed Pace Car tributes stays as close to new condition as possible.
The seller is only parting ways with the Fiero because he can’t take his two sons with him on the way to various practices and events. Despite being the “fun” car in the family, having room for just one passenger means someone’s left at home. That’s why he’s also entertaining trades for a vintage truck with bench seats or a four-seater Jeep, in addition to the cash asking price. The Fiero will come with the full assortment of paperwork and extensive documentation, making this a smart buy if you’re in the business of owning time-capsule pace car replicas, and it’s a smart buy made smarter with the presence of the rare four-speed manual.
I’m going to be real; while I understand why someone might desire this particular spec Fiero, limited numbers and fancy interior and all, if you want a car to actually drive there is no reason in hell to settle for an Iron Duke Fiero. Furthermore, there is no reason to settle for anything less than an 88 model, which is objectively better than the previous years models. And while I am at it, you might as well find one with a fun engine swap in fine shape.
You would look tough and fast but would get beat by a bread truck.
There were only 200 Pace Car replicas built. I previously owned car 200 and it was documented as the last one.
This one is a nice example, but sadly, they don’t bring those numbers.
That’s not the only problem I’ve always had with Craigslist ads. Not enough pics posted is one problem. Most ads post only 5, maybe 10 pics. If you’re going to advertise a car, most people want to see everything on the car, the good, and not so good. The more pics shown, the better.
I suspect that someday Fieros will become expensive collectibles, but not in my lifetime.
There were 2000 pace car replicas built in 1984.
http://www.indypacecars.com/1984.ht
You can get a roached out car for cheap and a decent driver for a couple grand. Nice examples like this are starting to see some higher prices, particularly for manual trans models. Automatics are even starting to sell for the $20k price level.
Oops. Copy and paste error.
http://www.indypacecars.com/1984.html
Corrected link above.
I think that they are attractive looking cars.
The low values mean that you still see them being driven and enjoyed.
There are 2 different ones that I see almost daily. Seeing them with Antique plates kind of freaks me out – I remember a co-worker being the first guy on the block to have one. Man, did that thing eat through the Eagle GT rear tires.
When they were introduced in late 1983, I thought they were beautiful cars. An American version of the Fiat X1/9, one of which I had previously owned and found unsatisfactory; both unreliable and underpowered. So I factory ordered a new 1984 White Fiero with a 2.5 and a 4 speed. I waited 2 months, and it came in and man was I proud to be one of the first in my neighborhood to own one. It attracted a lot of interest and attention in the Spring of 1984! I kept it pristine and drove it for one year and 15,000 miles. I liked it and it was very reliable. Alas, it was underpowered, and while it handled OK, it felt heavy and mine didn’t have power steering. I got an offer to sell mine for $1,800 less than I paid for it the year before and figured I’d never get a better offer. I was lucky, because values plummeted not much later. No regrets in buying it or selling it.