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  • M030

    Sept. 12, 2010 7:37 p.m. M030 HalfDork

    There's a crusty '85 Fiero for $500/bo right up the street from my house, and I'm tempted to buy it as a winter beater. It runs OK and is not an automatic.

    I know the '88 is the one to buy, but I'm not really looking for a Fiero, and I'm only interested in this one for a few reasons.

    1. Better MPG than my full size 90 Bronco

    2. It's cheap

    3. I have a Boxster that I autocross and really want to be able to push to 10/10ths, and I have this crazy notion that driving a mid-engined car - any mid-engined car - in the snow will teach me all sorts of things about the handling dynamics of mid-engine cars, that will (hopefully) result in me being faster in the Boxster next spring.

    What do you guys think? Should I buy the little Pontiac? Any validity to my theory?

  • Sept. 12, 2010 7:47 p.m. Knurled HalfDork

    Fieros are one of those cars that is better off as an automatic. The manual shift linkage sucked horribly, and I recall the manual transmissions having serious issues with the throwout lever's shaft siezing.

    The later V6 models had decent chassis dynamics, but still nowhere near on the same level as a Boxster. Would you drive your Bronco to better learn how to drive a WRX?

    PS - It's my duty to be the lone person not saying "DOOO IIIIITTT"

  • fast_eddie_72

    Sept. 12, 2010 7:49 p.m. fast_eddie_72 Reader

    Yeah, call me crazy, but I kinda want one. I think it would be great.

    Not sure where you live, but my experience driving my '91 MR2 year round with snow in Denver suggests that they're great winter cars. Some decent winter rubber makes all the difference.

  • Lugnut

    Sept. 12, 2010 8:03 p.m. Lugnut HalfDork

    I drove my Fieros year round. Auto or manual, I thought they were a ton of fun. A little sloppy floppy, but still very midengine. Lots of room inside, too. Do it!

  • M030

    Sept. 12, 2010 8:07 p.m. M030 HalfDork

    Knurled wrote:

    The later V6 models had decent chassis dynamics, but still nowhere near on the same level as a Boxster. Would you drive your Bronco to better learn how to drive a WRX?

    Point taken, but my experience as a teenager with air cooled VW Beetles, in the snow, did help me learn to recognize when the back end of my 911 was going to break loose.

  • Grtechguy

    Sept. 12, 2010 8:13 p.m. Grtechguy SuperDork

    Put some good snows on it and drive it!

  • Grtechguy

    Sept. 12, 2010 8:13 p.m. Grtechguy SuperDork

    Put some good snows on it and drive it!

  • Sonic

    Sept. 12, 2010 8:16 p.m. Sonic Dork

    I liked my Fiero, bought for BABE rally 2009 for $400, 86 SE V6 Auto.

    It was decent to drive, handled pretty well at Deals Gap, and was really reliable, until it threw a rod outside New Orleans and we had to leave it behind and hitch a ride home. Made me sad, I liked that car.

    For the direct question, for $500, why the hell not. If it catches on fire tomorrow, no big deal.

    The only pic I have of mine online is this one, at the BABE V LeMons grudge match drag race at No Problem Raceway. Late at night on the way home on this day was when it blew.

  • AngryCorvair

    Sept. 12, 2010 8:33 p.m. AngryCorvair SuperDork

    i'd put some gnarly snows on it and maybe stick some spring spacers in it to raise the ride height, rally style. and then i'd drive it into the earth.

  • Sept. 13, 2010 7:09 a.m. stan SuperDork

    Grtechguy wrote:

    Put some good snows on it and drive it!

    What he said -twice!

    A guy I work with is big into Fieros and drives his all winter and in Ohio, you just never know what you're going to get. I've never heard him say anything about having any issues either, but they're pretty low and most (95%+) of his driving is on the freeway.

  • mtn

    Sept. 13, 2010 7:16 a.m. mtn SuperDork

    You can take the Bronco for the real bad days, right?

    Assuming yes, then the answer is do it.

  • Junkyard_Dog

    Sept. 13, 2010 7:25 a.m. Junkyard_Dog Dork

    Skip the body kit and just lift it for some huge mudder/snows for epic win Info.

  • mad_machine

    Sept. 13, 2010 9:15 a.m. mad_machine SuperDork

    why do I want that ^^^?

    I am looking forwards to seeing what my "new" saab 900 can do in the snow. I got through last years major snowfalls in a lowered BMW with wornout summer tyres.. the saab should not even miss a beat (no, I did not get stuck in the Bimmer either)

  • Strike_Zero

    Sept. 13, 2010 9:18 a.m. Strike_Zero Reader

    ^ That is badass. . . .

  • Vigo

    Sept. 13, 2010 1:01 p.m. Vigo HalfDork

    This sounds like a great idea.. i say do it!

  • belteshazzar

    Sept. 13, 2010 2:05 p.m. belteshazzar SuperDork

    there's something funny about owning a bronco and looking for a good winter car, then considering a fiero.

    my fiero was terrifying in the winter. IIRC I had bfgoodrich radial t/a's, but still. I nick-named it "the hockey puck".

 
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