My neighbor owns a stock 4 cylinder fiero and claims that his fiero can take out my 914/4 2.0 and that I need to get a good old fasion american car, what do you think.

What exactly does he mean by "take out"?

Off hand I would say you need a new neighbor

Tell him to get a Ferrari body kit, that'll make his F... even faster


cheers,

Jeroen

back into it?

find a windy backroad and show him some dust ...
Andy

from the numbers I found it could actually be a good drag race! I didn't think there were any cars as slow as a 914 but...

1984 pontiac fiero SE

0-60:
10.9

1/4 Mile:
17.8

I thought long and hard about the Fiat x1/9, Fiero, and 914 before I settled on the 914. As a result, I did much research on the performance and handling of all three. I think that the stock Fiero 4 cyl is probably a very close match for the 914. It was reported to hold .82g on the skidpad, 0-60 in about 11 seconds, and 1/4 mile in roughly 18 seconds. remember that these are only numbers and that driving ability plays a very large part as well. the course layout will likely favor one car or another as well. Good luck and make us proud. If he had the 88 Formula, you would get destroyed.

tell him that he needs to get one 1st

The Fiero was a piss-poor attempt at building a sportscar (3 qrts of motor oil, what kind of piss-poor engineering is that???)....the last year of the V6's are okay (unless you have to give it a tune up), the 4 banger cars are a joke

Funny, my neighbor does have a fiero with the Ferrari body kit, his is a six that is all show no go, theres quite a few of them running around with V8's and grand national engines in them.
The 914 will out handle it, as far as acceleration I dont know.

There are a lot of cars out there that might be faster than my 914, but there are very few that can out class my 914!

Let's see, Hmmmm, fiero or PORSCHE. I know my choice.

Robert

Interesting story on how the car came to be. Some Google research would probably get a better version for you, but...

One of the execs at GM wanted to build a lightweight good-handling mid-engine sports car. The word from the rest of GM management was, "no way, no how." So he sold it to them as a commuter car with good fuel economy, and left out all mentions of any kind of performance. He was given the go-ahead, but told that he had to use as many existing off-the-shelf parts as possible. Hence you get the suspension from a Chevy Citation (I think they used the front suspension on all four corners), crappy brakes, the miserable "Iron Duke" engine... And a zoomy plastic body that had lots of unrealized potential.

A number of years back, the local (Zone 7) PCA showed their Driver's Ed Ground School an in-car video from a car driving the "classic" line at Sears Point. The car was turning laps significantly faster than every then-current Porsche Club record at SP. The car? A full-on race-prepped Fiero. (Yeah, probably about as much "Fiero" in there as "914" in Brad's tube-frame car. But still....)

It's yet another story of a good idea being turned into excrement by a large committee. Which Detroit has historically been so very good at!!

--DD

Take him out ...

Chances are, his 4-banger is in such sorry state (by now, most of them are) that you'll wave him by rather than see him throw a rod.

I've run into the occasional POS Fiero who thought he "had the time" ("You gonna clean MY clock? Yeah, right ..."); even gave a Fiero 6er a run for his money. Pissed his pants thinking he could stay with me down a curving off-ramp; saw his ass-end comin' around and lifted off, almost grazing the guardrail.

Doubt he'll make THAT mistake again.

My dad had a Fiero when they were new. I had my first 914 at the same time. They were pretty similar performance-wise. He threw a rod and replaced the -4 with the GT's -6. Wow, it woke the car up nicely. Not as cool as a 914-6, but much better than the -4.

DD has the story right, they weren't to be sports cars, just nice looking affordable transpo.

I tried to convince my brother to get one a couple years ago when we were going out to Willow and BW frequently. I'm sure there are plenty of go-fast parts available now-adays for them.

Actually never even considered these cars as being in the same class. Hell even my 70 with a 1.7L would not have a problem whipping one of them ratted out POS.

The white dots alone are enough to scare em.

Hmmm... Porsche 911 type front suspension vs Chevy Chevette... rip off Triumph TR7 only ugly and slow.

Think about it. Would you race your grandmother in her Chevette if you know she was 3 quarts low on oil? I think your nieghbor is a few quarts low.

Now if they would have used Corvette parts, that would have been apples to apples.


We have a saying around here when insulting someones car or actions.

It's like riding in a Fiero, there ain't no way to do it and cool at the same time.

Tell him to come around when he gets a real car.

About 11 years ago my dads buddy had a "Ferrari" with a turbo charged six. It was pretty fast i'll have to admit. I could never get him to admit though that it was a Fiero. To this day he still refers to it as his "Ferrari".

You mean there is an actual running Fiero?

PK

What does "Fiero" mean anyway? Like a flame? As in going down in? If a Fiero is so great.. why did they stop making them? (Nevermind)

Challenge your neighbor to attend the next SCCA autoX with you!

I remember when the Fiero first came out, they were really new and interesting looking. People would compare them to Ferarris. Kinda like the "in car" back then. Anyway, just ask your neighbor when the next Fiero club meeting is, that you would like to attend. Chances are, there isn't one. No interest in that car.

A Fiero was the first car I bought brand new, in 1985. It had the V 6 and it was pretty fast. Fun to drive. The engine blew up one day, putting a 4" hole in the block. The dealer said I was my falt 'cuz there was no oil in it. Hard to keep oil in an engine with a 4" hole in it. In order to make the engine fit in the space they had, the designers shaved off about an inch of the depth of the oil pan. When it was FULL of oil it was 2 quarts low!!! Also, whenever it rained, water would pool in the rim of the sunroof and when you hit the brakes you got a little shower.

I remember when the Fiero's came out.... I was 14 I believe and I loved them!! (keep in mind that I was 14). I remember getting my dad to go take a test drive so I could ride in one. I really liked the GT or -6. I became fascinated with the mid-engined layout and started looking at the 914. 6 years later I bought a 914.

I have to thank GM for sparking my interest in the 914. Thanks Dudes!

Here is a good camparison for both the 914-4 and Fiero-4:

My First Porsche was a 74 2.0 914, black, really nice car. I would up wrecking it. Before you start bashing me for wrecking the 914 though, understand I was taking my Mom to a doctors appt. early in the morning. It was a bad situation. Anyway, we were fine and my insurance company cut me a check. With money buring a hole in my pocket, I went out and bought a 1988 4cyl Fiero. It had 11k miles on it was seemed like a brand new car to me. I figured (hey I was 17) it was like a new 914? Anyway, I almost put the car in the ditch a few times because it basically handeled like an old 911 or type 1 VW. Lift off in a corner and you were toast. I would up trading it in on my first 911 (1968 911L) only a month later. The car was problematic as well, but I won't go into it.

My thought is drive what you want to. If someone has to say "I bet my car is faster than yours", they might as well say "My pennis is bigger than yours" and we all know when someone has to "one up" everone else, it is usually because they have pencil for a pennis and a POS car. Tell him to go take his High School mentallity down the street to the local high school. Oh and make sure he turns his hat sideways. That seems to ad some "stealth horse power" to just about any car.

OT reply:

soooo... if i turn my hat sideways i dont' need dual carbs? sweeeet...

Root, is was good to meet you saturday. too bad you and your friend couldn't join dino and me for wings at the wingdome. if you had ordered some, then dino and i could have foraged from two platters!

hope the doors worked out ok. i was sooper happy to not bring them home. and dino was happy i didn't leave them at his house!

Fiero's are pretty much junk, I used to like the way the loaded v6's looked with the body kits from the factory, but then i realized that they pretty much just look cheap.

btw, I am assuming that most of use change our own oil and if so, the comments about the fiero only using 4 quarts of oil are a little hollow....IE-that's a bit more than the 914 takes.....

They guy wants to take out your teener with the transmission that he will drop in front of you with his POS Fiero.

Tell him to race a Hyundai. He may have competition there.

I used to auto-x my 914-4 2.0L against a V8 Fiero locally here in Detroit. We were both on street tires (I had tall and skinny 195-60s) and actually in the same class (weird auto-x classes here). We weren't nearly as equal as he wanted. Only if there was a decent straight stretch could he beat my times. Lots are generally small lots here.

I'm not saying this is typical, just interesting.

Likewise! The Friend was my wife Michelle. I am a dork and should have introduced her. Sorry, I was just so caught up in parts!

The doors will work out great, I passed along the great deal to him. His drivers door has some pretty large rust holes, so these will make some of the repairs a little easier.

Wings! No-body mentioned wings! Oh man! I will have to stick around next time!

More OT reply:

yes, Root, stick around next time. and order a big platter of wings, and then look away frequently!

it was only a morning of Porsche parts, but i thoroughly enjoyed it! on topic, why would anyone even consider a fiero? certain mr2s i can understand being tempted by, but a fiero? maybe it is me...

The 88 yellow Formula is still VERY tempting to me.

Nah, steer clear of those things, litterally. I have also owned an 85 MR2, handles like a supper light 911. Very tight little car and I liked it, but the 914 is far superior to either one of the two. At least with the MR2, you got Toyota quality. Those engines would last a long time. The 2.5's and 2.8's used in Feiros were junk producing little hp for thier displacemnt in a small heavy car. 914's rule!

OK, but just for fun..

Fiero was another GM Cluster F$%k on the 80's. Just when they were on track of getting it right, car was discontinued. The cast iron V6 was an anchor, but the GT did have a very sweet Getrag 5speed transaxle. With the right engine and a bit more development, could have been a killer car.

But they only sold 370,000. Nice number (less than 119,000 914's were built, and it was Porsche's best seller ever) but not for GM, so the project was scrapped.

Check the #'s on the on the 6cyl. Surprisingly similar to a boxster in most dimensions. With an updated engine and today's wheel/tire combo, bet it would perform about the same. No Porsche, of course, but half the price. IMHO it looks nicer.

Pontiac Fiero GT

PRICE:
LIST/AS TESTED $13,999/
$15,874

ENGINE/
DISPLACEMENT V6, OHV
(ci/cc) 173.1/2837

ENGINE HP, NET/ 135@4500rpm/
TORQUE (lb.-ft.) 165@3600rpm

ENGINE DRIVE mid/rear
LAYOUT

TRANSMISSION 5-speed manual
TYPE

WHEELBASE (in./mm) 93.4/2372

LENGTH OVERALL 165.1/4190
(in./mm)

WIDTH OVERALL 68.9/1751
(in./mm)

TRACK FRONT/ F: 59.7/1517
REAR (in./mm) R: 60.1/1527

CURB WEIGHT (lb.) 2790

STEERING TYPE/ rack-and-pinion/3.3
TURNS LOCK-TO-
LOCK

BRAKE SYSTEM F: 10.2-in. vented disc/
FRONT/REAR R: 10.2-in. vented disc

FUEL ECONOMY 17/16.15
(EPA city/PM test)

ACCELERATION 9.64
0-60 MPH (sec.) 16.36@83.56
1/4 mile (sec @ MPH)

BRAKING 151
60-0 MPH (ft.)

700-FT.
SLALOM (MPH) 59.84

SKIDPAD 200-FT
CIRCLE (G) .81

CARGO VOLUME 10.97
(cu. ft.)

INTERIOR SPACE 87.12
INDEX

I still remember several years ago, on the way to Florida, we were going through Cincinnati in the middle of a snowstorm. The wife was driving and I was sleeping, to be woken up by wife shouting "OH SHIT-OH SHIT-OH SHIT!!!!". There was a Fiero spinning several times in front of us, just feet from our front bumper. The wife didn't panic as the Fiero spun 3 lanes across the hwy and down though an on-ramp. He never touched a thing, even though it was rush-hour traffic.

Pretty sure the dOOd needed a change of underwear though.

I took a Fiero 4 out for a test drive and nearly crapped my pants on an on ramp. It just could not handle like my 914.

I remember seeing a GTU class 914/6 at Sebring about 1986. It was running Fiero uprights in each corner, so I guess the race parts were not too bad.

it's 3 qrts for the Fiero

check out the "buy now" price on eBay....it's good to know the 914's hold thier values way more

I remember there was a little while when Fieros became known for spontaneous combustion -- while parked alone in parking lots.

About that time or a little after, I saw a French racing blue one in a BART station parking lot with the best (Fiero) license plate ever:

ON FIER



pete

One of the funniest things I ever saw was, and I swear I am not making this up, a guy who was selling plans to make your Fiero into a barbeque grill. His reasoning was that since it was gonna start on fire anyway, you might as well get a good burger out of the deal.