1986 Pontiac Fiero SE from North America - Comments

Exhaust tip on diver's side rusted off.

Rear exhaust gasket blew at 160111 miles.

I love this car. Many people think these cars aren't worth the money thye put into them. The question I have is, Why buy a brand new import and blow around $20,000 on making it look good and go faster when if you had $7,000 to put in a V8 and swap out the stock engine you would have a very very very very very awesomely fast car... made right here in the USA.

Well I just bought a 1986 SE four speed manual, and three days after I bought it the ignition module went out. That cost me forty dollars right off hand, then the relay in the driver side headlight went bad along with the windshield wiper motor going out within the first week. well you said to swap out the v6 with a v8 huh? I had a friend who did that and two weeks after he, but it in the transmission went to shreds. After replacing the transmission the clutch burnt out (by the way the clutch was a brand new stage 2) (it only had 2,000 miles on it). In all this Pontiac is a fun little car to drive, but, IT IS NOT WORTH THE MONEY you, but into it.

Well when you upgrade the engine to a V8 and expect the tranny and clutch tuned to a v6 or inline 4 to handle that engine, you're misguided in your thinking.

They have full kits that give the car a new upgraded tranny, HD clutch, and other misc HD parts needed to run a small block v8.

I own 11 Fieros. Who ever said you can't put a V8 in has no clue what they're talking about. I know lots of people who have put in V8s and don't have problems.

Upgrade tranny and clutch? Excuse me, but what GM manual transaxle do you suggest to handle a V8? The manual transaxles available for the application either cannot handle the torque, as in the Getrag, Isuzu, and Muncie trannies (although the Muncie 4 speed is the strongest option) or if you have a load of cash, you could look at the new 6 speed transmissions which are geared poorly for a V8. Hate to say it, but if you want to put a powerful engine in a Fiero, you'll need to hook it to a slushbox. Not to mention a cast iron V8 adds weight to the tail of the car, you need to hack the frame and you wind up with your water pump in your wheel well. Do the smart thing when doing a motor swap on a Fiero, and let GM do the engineering. Not some overrated hack named Archie.

Put an L67 in. The Series 2 Supercharged 3800 is a fantastic package. A bone stock motor with the proper air, fuel and exhaust modifications is capable of Mitsubishi Evo beating acceleration, and you can get it smogged in California. The 4T65HDe transmission that came attached to the engine out of a 1997 Bonneville is bulletproof, and can handle plenty more. The car has so much torque throughout it's powerband that downshifting is irrelelvant. To the uninitiated, it looks like the General himself put it there.

V8 Fieros suck.