1984 Pontiac Fiero SE review from North America
"Great car, needed better engineers"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Being a rear engined car, the engine bay would get extremely hot. The cause of this was that what little ventilation was in the rear deck lid was not enough. The engine benefited greatly when I built a ram air vent kit for it.
This car was horrible on starters. Due to the high temps in the engine bay, long trips would fry starter motors. The starters were made with plastic gears, which would melt in the extreme heat.
General comments?
With the extreme heat in the engine bay, the car ran extremely cool. This was due to the radiator being in the front, and the coolant being feed to the engine by metal pipes running under the car.
Tune-ups were a breeze in this car. I could change all my plugs and wires in the time it took to change the oil. General upkeep was cheap. The most expensive part was all the starters I had to replace.
I love the car. It really was ahead of its time. The engine, transmission (4sp) was wonderful. While I have fond memories, I am glad it is gone. I owned it when I was in college and commuted over 400 miles a week.
Recommended reviews
| No better sports car for the money |
|
| Affordable 2 seater with upgrade options |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Model year | 1984 |
| Year of manufacture | 1984 |
| First year of ownership | 1992 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 1996 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.5 Manual |
| Performance marks | 5 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 3 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 8 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 4 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 75000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 125000 miles |
| Previous car | Nissan 200SX |
| Date of Entry | 18th March, 2009 |