Originally conceived in 1978 as a compact two-seat sports coupe, the Pontiac Fiero was originally intended to be a hot mid-engine sports car. It had to be re-imagined as a compact commuter car to get the production green light, as GM execs didn’t want anything challenging their flagship Corvette for performance supremacy. The young engineers from Pontiac had to ditch the notion of stuffing the little wedge with a high-performance aluminum V6, forcing them to settle with the corporate four-cylinder Iron Duke.
The 1984 model year saw the Pontiac Fiero’s first production. The sole engine choice was the 2.5-liter Iron Duke four, pushing 92 horsepower through either a three-speed automatic or four-speed manual transmission. With a curb weight of just 2,460 pounds, the Fiero was rather fuel efficient.
By 1987, the Pontiac Fiero was available with the 2.8-liter L44 V6 producing 135 horsepower, and either a three-speed auto or five-speed manual transmission. With the bump in power and extra cog in the manual trans, performance was much improved. Also available was the GT trim with flying buttress styling, giving the Fiero a fast back appearance, more rounded nose, and a rear spoiler.
Our feature car is a 1987 Pontiac Fiero GT in Light Gold Metallic over a silver base. It appears to be in very good original condition, with just 16,577 miles showing on the odometer. The paint appears to be the original, well-kept finish. There is very little indication of use, lacking the road rash that is so typical of cars that sit low to the ground. All four wheels are free from rash, but the period Goodyear Eagle GT tires are showing ample cracking from dry rot. Taillight lenses present well, with no noticeable cracking.
The Pontiac Fiero GT’s interior is swathed in a light tan cloth trimmed in a medium saddle brown trim. Fiero crests are sewn into the bucket seatbacks. The carpets are clean, and dash gauges are clear. A Delco AM-FM/Cassette stereo is located at the bottom of the center stack, just beneath the climate controls. The gauge pod trim at the top of the center stack looks to be curling slightly at the lower edges.
Under the rear deck can be found the engine and the rear storage area. The engine bay looks neatly detailed and largely original. The cargo area allows more space for luggage or groceries than one might imagine. A word to the wise about the cargo area – don’t carry ice cubes or ice cream in there for any length of time. The engine does transmit a certain level of heat.
This highly original Pontiac Fiero GT is being offered by Duncan Imports and Classics for $19,900.
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Comments
I have always thought that the GT was a great looking car. Had they spent more money on it, it would have been a great car through out. Still, I would own this one in a heart beat. I think this car with the Buick turbo V6 or the SC Pontiac engine from the Gran Prix, what a rocket it would have been.
I think a nice 3.6 HFV6 would be a great swap!
That is 1988 gt t top with no less miles money not 87 GT money.
87 is nothing special as under the skin it is the old suspension not the new.
Correct on the old suspension. I had an ’88 GT.
Do you use different hand controllers with your Carrera cars, or what did you do with the tiny ones that came with the sets? And do you know when they’ll be coming out with a C8.R?
Right now the all aluminum LS swap is the best deal.
It is about the same weight as the Buick and more power depending on the model.
Turbo engines in a Fiero are difficult. The heat kills the electronics. Also inter coolers have to eliminate the trunk.
Do avoid the cast iron small blocks too much weight on the tail.
The ONLY V8 I think that might ever have been squeezed into that tiny engine compartment would have been the old Buick/Olds 215 CI aluminum one.
The Fiero was another of gm’s ‘could-of-been’ cars. To save $$$ (it’s ALWAYS about the $$$), it’s original design shared many suspension components with the Chevette, causing it to handle poorly. It was also underpowered until the ’85 model when it received an optional V6 to augment the 4-cylinder base engine. In 1988, it received a suspension redesign that corrected the handling complaints, but by then, it was too late to save the car, and gm pulled the plug on what potentially would have been a very good-performing vehicle.
Seems like Pontiac, for all of that marque’s innovative engineering, rivaling only Chevrolet, back in the day (remember the ’64 GTO, the car that started the Muscle Car Era, and that was born despite restrictions/objections from gm brass), always managed to do so even while getting the short end of the stick from upper management. In spite of all the roadblocks to innovation, Pontiac made a lot of $$$ for gm.
The true story was not GM cheaped out on the Fiero. The real story was the inter fighting between Chevy and Pontiac.
Chevy made more money than Pontiac and sold more cars so they held more power with GM.
Chevy and the Corvette team never wanted Pontiac to have a two seat car. Pontiac continued to build what they could with money they took from other programs. They even hid the program at Entech engineering from GM.
Pontiac finally sold it to GM as an economy car know full well they wanted a sports car.
Pontiac built the car at plant 5 at Pontiac and once the GM 80 program fell through that was to share the plant Chevy pointed out the plant was way below capacity. GM was hemorrhaging money even then.
The truth was GM mis management of their divisions is what doomed the Fiero. The lack of funds was just a by product of it.
Pontiac never made the money they could have. GM never understood what to do with Pontiac after Delorean left. It was an engineers division not a thing GM understood how to deal with.
There is a lot more to the real story but this is the basis of the issues.
Politics inside GM were the real problem.
As the former owner of two 1988 Fiero GTs, I can tell you that the 1988s are the ones to have. The suspension is totally different from that of previous years and greatly improved. I thoroughly enjoyed those cars and owned one of them for 17 years. This 1987 looks very clean, but almost $20K seems high. I sold my low mileage ‘88 GT in 2014 for $14K and it only had 13,300 miles. The new owner took the car to Arizona and recently advised me that he is thinking of selling it for $18K. It has just over 14,000 miles now and the leather interior.
As the former owner of two 1988 Fieros, one a Mera, and an 1987, “I can tell you that the 1988s are the ones to have”–until you try to find parts. then you’ll wish for an ’87.
No that’s not the “true story”, that BS amounts to nothing more than sewing circle gossip, the fact is the improved suspension that came out in the later models was the one that was originally designed for the Fiero by Pontiac engineers, but GM higher ups forced the Chevette front suspension on the Fiero for money savings, look at the history of GM from the late 70’s to that point, they forced parts compatibility on just about everyone, just because they made the other divisions drop their own V8’s for the Chevy SB people started that stupid rumor that Chevy ran roughshod over all the other divisions, the truth behind that one is that when Ed Cole designed the SB in the 50’s one of his priorities was to make it easy to machine, the other divisions V8’s and even the Chevy BB were notoriously more expensive to machine due to their valve trains.
Just the other day I had to straighten out a Buick fanboy about why the Grand National’s and the GNX were dropped, it wasn’t because Chevy demanded it, if that was the case they’d have never been built in the first place, the simple fact is they dropped the GN and the GNX because THEY QUIT MAKING THAT CHASSIS!!! Not because of some stupid Chevy conspiracy, try reading some credible history about GM instead of drivel like what’s in this article, just because this hack named his website GM Authority doesn’t mean diddly, the author of this article has no clue what he’s talking about with the history of the Fiero and neither do you.
Craig GM did not force Pontiac to the Chevette. The fact the program was never funded by GM and hidden by Pontiac from GM forced Pontiac to used off the shelf parts till they got the funding needed to do the 88 Suspension.
The 88 suspension was intended from the start but since the program was canceled several times and the that it had to developed at Entech to hide it made Pontiac limit the funding since it was taken from other programs.
A true statement would be the GM higher ups forced Pontiac into using the shelf parts. If it were up to GM the car would never have been built.
The Fiero was for much of the time a hidden program at GM. Don’t believe it read up on the history on the car and how many times it was canceled.
I have been involved with and in the Fiero hobby since 1980 when I started collecting all info on the car. I also have met and talked to the people who actually were involved with the development of the car.
None of this is my opinion but the story they relayed to me and others at Fiero meets over the years.
As for the GN I fully agree as the killing of the RWD coupe finished the GN.
What many never realized is the GMC Syclone was originally picked as a Buck GN truck. It was rejected but GMC picked up on the idea and made it their own. The black they used was part of the Buick pitch. They had to change to a Chevy engine since production of the Buick turbo had been closed.
As for the Fiero and the Corvette people everyone in the Fiero program has stated it was the Corvette people that were behind it. The Corvette was at a point sales were dropping on the C4 and they were faced with a difficult business case to approve the C5. The truth is the C5 was killed by GM but the program was finished when the Vette manager ignored the cancel notice. The improved sales saved the car. This too is documented history.
Dave Hill saved the car but paid for it with his future at GM. It was documented in a story by BY GARY WITZENBURG in JUL 2, 2018. It is on the web if you want to read it. Gary also was the official writer for GM on the Fiero program and book.
There is much unpublished on the FIero as GM and those who worked on it did not want to go public with what all that happened. It was not just one issue but a number of issues and problems along with mistakes by GM and Pontiac.
Lead Fiero Designer John Schinella stated clearly that Chevy sells more cars and so Chevy gets more say at GM. This is why Pontiac struggled for decades and often their best products were a result of engineers breaking rules. We all know the GTO story and how Delorean broke major rules.
That is not an original paint Fieros only come in four colors red, black, white and yellow. So that cream color is a repaint a well done repaint but a repaint never the less.
As a former Fiero owner I can attest that they had more than four colors. I was in a 60+ member Fiero club for years. They came in black, white, red, dark red, blue, silver, light gold, dark gold and (only in 1988) yellow.
I had a 86 Fiero Gt identical. That color is original. It was Go!d metallic.
This is not that!
Not what?
There were 20444 Fieros made in 86-87 that were Lt Gold Metalic, Code 56, Fisher# 8962. The Fiero in the picture is not that color.
So enlighten us. My 86 GT was this exact color. I have pictures that match exactly. What is it then?
IMHO, the factory color is darker.
Google pics every gold fiero shown is almost identical, pages of them. After many years in the sun they face to almost silver i know. And every panel fades a different color depending on what it’s made out of. If you haven’t owned one at least attempt some research before you comment. Thank you.
The of this car is correct on this car. All photos are not correct.
The really desirable Fiero is the ’88 GT with auto. Why auto? Because with the manual there was no room for your left foot if it wasn’t on the clutch pedal. In typical GM insanity, they spent millions replacing the horrendous Chevette front suspension finally ( the Fiero was well known as a “parts car” ) in the ’88 car and then cancelled it. Remember having to jack-up the engine to “burp” it and get the air pockets out when you changed coolant ? LOL
Both of my 1988 GTs were 5 speed manual. I’m 6’3” and never had a problem with the clutch pedal. There was a place to the left of the clutch for your foot to rest. Not really a dead pedal but a vinyl pad on the carpet. The ‘88 suspension was excellent. Fun little cars.
I have always felt that if GM would have offered the Fiero as a Convertible that they would sell a boat load of them. Missed opportunity in my opinion. GM still doesn’t have a Roadster for any of their brands.
A couple of convertible prototypes were built. I parked next to one at a Pontiac car show. The problem was stowing the top because of limited space due to the mid engine. The car did look good though.
@Rich
That vehicle would have been a sales success I feel like.
Roger Smith’s GM was great at destroying good things. Not only the Fiero (in which a new body was coming in 1990), but also the Buick Grand National.
Had that car in red 87. I paid 17000 back then wish I kept it. Beautiful looking car.
As a former GM worker, union, I was lucky to get a trip to the old Pontiac complex back around 1990 or so. The old Fiero plant was abandoned, they shut down, walked away. Was told by workers there all they needed was the green light to fire it back up. Everything was left there, ready to re-start. We were not allowed to enter the building. Another GM dream, down in flames from mis-management. Would have, could have been a heck of car for them. But no. Why things were allowed to progress so far is beyond me. About ended the company.
There were some efforts by Pontiac to open the plant but product was really available.
Pontiac had made agreements with the union and when GM came in they crushed all the Pontiac agreements. There were some very hard feelings for years.
I was at an event at the Pontiac head quarters where the 1990 was to be first displayed but GM killed the appearance. John Schenilla showed photos at the dinner that night against GM wishes.
I even visited a Fiero team member who showed me the papers from the meeting that killed the car. It was all on Chevy and Corvette,
What is Ironic is the GM80 was a fwd f body replacement. It was killed. GM needed a new design for the 4th gen F body. The 1990 GT design that was killed was adapted for the F body. It even carried over the Giero dash panel that was to be used.
The truth is Pontiac also made mistakes here, when they forged ahead they over built the car to keep the plant viable. In the first couple years GM sold so many Fieros the market was flooded. But it was a risk they took hoping the GM80 would pick up the rest of the plant volume.
But at the time the Fiero arrived Pontiac was being prepped to be closed. They were in worse shape than Olds.
The Fiero and third gen TA brought people to the show rooms and the Grand Am became a hit and it saved Pontiac and put Olds on the bubble after they lost the RWD Cutlass.
Then Pontiac became watered down and GM had no clue what to do with them. Lutz arrived but there just was no money to save them.
That does appear to be an original color on the Fiero. Always wanted to be an owner, by the time they stopped making them, I could afford one! Of course, I was wise enough to buy a slightly used 2005 GTO. GM should have ditched Buick, kept Olds and Pontiac.
My ‘85 saved my life. Was rear-ended in that thing and that rear engine took the hit. Thank you ,Fiero!
Mine saved me too. Hit a Dodge van at 45 mph. I hit the steering wheel hard enough to bend it over the turn signal.
The body took damage but I drove it none. The van could hardly get back into the drive.
I show the car today at Pontiac events and do well.
We drove our 84 Fiero for 20+ years and while not powerful it was fun, reliable, economical ( and attention getting for the first 10 years). Good transportation.
I had an 86 with the Iron Duke and a 5 speed that I drove through college in the early 2000s. Had no issues zipping around most cars on the road.
Also, as a 6’4, 250lb person, I honestly still haven’t had vehicle with a more comfortable driving position.
6’5″ 200#, agree!
When my daughter was little she was watching TV commercial on fiero and she said that’s the car I want when I grow up and her daddy is a Ford perso person and she broke his heart