The 87 Fiero Restoration Project

[ColtonAndrew]

Recently I purchased an 87 Fiero from Craigslist for $750. When I bought it, the wheels rubbed when turning sharply which was fixed by balancing new tires from Walmart for $321. Then I noticed the car didn't preform at the speculated 105hp. Opening the engine compartment I noticed the Intake hose was gone and the oil was just tipping the dipstick. After the oil had been serviced with the dealer recommended 5w 30, I noticed an increase in power, acceleration and lower idle speed. Getting only 15.88 to the gallon compared to the 28 it should be, I figured the spark plugs and intake hose could be to blame. While changing the spark plugs to Bosch +4 plats at .060, the old plugs were in decent shape, the plug wires were melted to the plugs which caused me to tear 1 boot, I bought a new cluster at o'reiliys for under $14. Now the car is at briggs auto while they remove the rounded spark plug I stripped do to an over eager mech working late at night.. Don't work on a mid mount when its 40 degrees and all you have is a flashlight! After the car gets out with the new wires and plugs, Ill report on that. My question lays at why is my 87 Pontiac Fiero v4 3-speed automatic getting only 15 to the gallon with a moderate driving style? Will the new air filter and intake hose help? What hose would be recommended?

[RoadWarrior222]

Hi,

Intake hose could be part of the problem. Also all the rubber and plastic under the hood tends to rot at this age, so check PCV and vacuum hoses also.

I must confess I'm a little curious as to why you just joined us here, when you got a Fiero, planning on putting a Chrysler turbo motor in it???


RW222

---------- Post added at 04:33 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:29 PM ----------

Haynes manual suggests ignition timing might be off for both high fuel consumption and lack of power, so that might be something to look at too.

[MNmopar]

Wouldn't this be a better question to ask on a fiero forum?

[ColtonAndrew]

I appritiate the idea's and conformation. I originally wanted to write a review of what Ive done to the car seeing as the information Ive found took way too many sites. Google directed me here, and I honestly really like this community. I plan to drop a small block in it once I get the funds, but that won't be for some time. Im leaning towards perfomance, and stumbled upon this sight that seemed to have extensive knowledge in that field. All the Fiero forms Ive found consist of the GT v6 5 speed, the v4 3 speed being vastly over looked.

[ColtonAndrew]

Just got her out of the shop with new spark plug wires and Bosch platinum +4 spark plugs, Briggs auto charged me $64 to change the stripped plug and other plugs as well as replace the wires. I can already tell the acceleration is up by roughly from the old OEM plugs, I feel like Im ripping around now instead of just zipping! Also bought a car charger for my droid just to find the male end doesnt fit in the car.. And I dont feel like tearing apart the antique dash for an aftermarket head unit so Ill do with out.

Im also going through all the pipes and hoses to check for rot and corrosion as RoadWarrior222 recomended. I hope to have her purring like rabid mountain lion this time next year!

[turbovanman²]

If its a inline 4, its peppy but against an auto, not soo much.

Make sure the exhaust manifold doesn't leak, extremely common, if it does, it wigs out the ox sensor and will ruin the MPG and on that note, put a new one in, use OE, Bosch, NTK, Denso.

The intake boot won't do much as there isn't a MAF sensor, it will keep out dirt but won't help in the MPG department.

Make sure the cat isn't plugged or loose, another common item.

V8's are heavy, put a 3.8 SC in, much better choice I think, and upgrade all the suspension to the newer specs,

[ColtonAndrew]

If its a inline 4, its peppy but against an auto, not soo much.

Make sure the exhaust manifold doesn't leak, extremely common, if it does, it wigs out the ox sensor and will ruin the MPG and on that note, put a new one in, use OE, Bosch, NTK, Denso.

The intake boot won't do much as there isn't a MAF sensor, it will keep out dirt but won't help in the MPG department.

Make sure the cat isn't plugged or loose, another common item.

V8's are heavy, put a 3.8 SC in, much better choice I think, and upgrade all the suspension to the newer specs,

That's awesome info! But are you talking about the catalytic converter or the cat-back? Ill check both but it seems if one is abbriviated, its a common foul. Thank you, I'll be sure to keep digging around and updating for new Fiero owners and other restorers who lack in knowledge such as myself! All the help I can get from the community is greatly appritiated

[turbovanman²]

Cat converter, its lies in the front of the cradle, and sits left to right. If you bang it and it rattles, its done or if the exhaust is really quiet, that's another sign. You can hook up a vacuum gauge and go for a drive, if you see 4+ psi, most likely its plugged or the muffler is full of crap.

[ColtonAndrew]

I just installed a dryer pipe as a temporary air intake hose, 4in in diameter. The hose was recomended as a WAI (warm air intake) by gassavers.com. Cold air intakes are certainly more productive in power at red line because of the richer O2 content in the air when they are really needed. WAI systems use the standard box and what ever temperature they suck in to use to mix with the fuel, causing the thinner air to use less gas and sacrafices power. Ive noticed a 1.3mpg raise in FE (fuel economy) with an aggressive driving style both in city at 45mph and highway at 75mph in 2 consecutive runs with and without the hose. I didn't notice a lack in power however, but the Fiero isnt up to its best operation just yet. Hoping to dig through the Cat cov tomorrow.

[Aries_Turbo]

dont bother trying to turbocharge the 4 banger in that car. the block and crank arent able to handle the added stress.

now the 2.2L pushrod motor in the cavalier of that era... its handles boost fairly well and should bolt to the trans in that car just fine. i think they both used the TH125C 3-speed.

any pics of the project?

brian

---------- Post added at 09:33 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:29 PM ----------

you should put a turbo chrysler drivetrain in the fiero.

[ColtonAndrew]

Ill do pics when its bright out tomorrow Between the Bosch plat +4 plugs, new wires and make-shift intake hose, my over all mpg have risen by ~4 from the 15.88mpg to 19.11mpg. No sacrafice to power, if anything these cold nights are boosting torque

[Aries_Turbo]

check the EGR valve. it may be hanging open which will mess things up. i blocked mine off when i had a fiero.

new o2 would help too.

Brian

[turbovanman²]

You want to leave the EGR otherwise it will rattle at part throttle cruise.

[Aries_Turbo]

You want to leave the EGR otherwise it will rattle at part throttle cruise.

like knock?

mine didnt...

Brian

[ColtonAndrew]

Alright, the airfilter was horid, I banged out the dust and am awaiting my card to order the K&N high flow filter. 112.3 highway miles ran me 3.82 gallons of gas. that puts me at 29mpg highway! and maxed out the sad 85mph speedometer at 3600rpm's, but got it up to roughly 93 at 4200rpm's once i cleaned out the airfilter, red stripes start at 5k, redlines at 6.

Merry Christmas everyone! Thanks for the help again, I need all of it and more I can get!

[cordes]

Great to hear that it's coming along. There are quite a few guys on here who have owned Fieros so keep us updated and don't hesitate to ask any questions!

[ColtonAndrew]

Great to hear that it's coming along. There are quite a few guys on here who have owned Fieros so keep us updated and don't hesitate to ask any questions!

Aye aye cap'n

[Reaper1]

I like Fiero's...neat little cars. It's just difficult to find a nice one that the person doesn't want an arm and a leg for.

[ColtonAndrew]

So far to get it up to the original working order and purchase of the vehicle, it's ran me about $1,128 all together.
I was handed only a signed title so I was able to put the purchase price at $50.00, making registery taxes and tags with the state super cheap (For new car owners, the cheaper the purchase price on the title, the less taxes you have to pay when registering, you can literally pay the person $750, but the title can say $50. If you put free, they appraise your vehicle and make you pay taxes on the appraised price). Tags and insurance werent in the money equasion because its standard on any vehicle. Im paying less for this Fiero than I was my Geo Tracker on insuance.

---------- Post added at 11:56 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:53 AM ----------

And I did some research on my EGR, seeing as it bogs out and dies at hard stops unless stopping in neutral. A faulty EGR, EGR Valve or EGR gasket can cause that. Im pretty sure this car has the backpressure egr, but Im not so certain.

[Aries_Turbo]

yeah it has the backpressure egr iirc.

just block it off to test to see if it was the problem.

then look for a reasonably priced replacement.

brian