Looking for a first car

MadMax61

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Joined
Mar 4, 2008
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23
Location
Southern Ontario
Hey, I am still in school living in Canada currently taking Automotive Engineering and I've been looking around for a car with some personality. Keep in mind I am living in Canada, but currently I have my sites set on a 1988 Pontiac Fiero GT if I can find one. I've always told myself that my first car needed to be one with some kind of personality and would be fun to drive. If anyone can help me out or lead me in a good direction that would be awesome. Oh and btw, my budget is between 5-10k.
 
You are in much the same boat as me!

You should check out craigslist.org
It's the greatest car buying site known to man kind!

What sort of car are you looking for? Import? Domestic? Old? New? Do you care about fuel mileage?

At the moment I can think of a few that apeal to me.
5.0l Mustang (w/ 5sp)
Old Darts/Camaros/Novas etc...
Gen 4 or 5 Camaro
BMW 3 series (late 80s ones)
BMW 2002
Toyota Supra
Nissan Skyline/300zx

It depends on what you like.... buy what you want, don't rush into it, patience is a virtue.
 
I would pass on the Fiero; I owned one and they do not age well, especially the 1988 model which was completely different than the 84-87 models.


Trust me this, please.
 
5-10k in order from the best.

LS1 F-Body
4.6 Mustang Cobra
5.0 Mustang (foxbody)

Those would be the most fun. With gas prices expected to reach all time highs though, here are some other options.

Toyota MR2
Civic Si (I got a STEAL on one)
Mazda Miata

Those are my thoughts at least.

EDIT: i've actually been wanting to do a honda H22 swap into a fiero GT. The stock engine is so pathetic, but it would be a very nice car I think with a screaming vtec in it.
 
I would pass on the Fiero; I owned one and they do not age well, especially the 1988 model which was completely different than the 84-87 models.


Trust me this, please.

Haha, I know the '88 was a complete redesign and got its own suspension finally, but I have been hard pressed to find any real feedback on what the car was like until right now. I'll definitely keep that in mind. Thanks.
 
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Haha, I know the '88 was a complete redesign and got its own suspension finally, but I have been hard pressed to find any real feedback on what the car was like until right now. I'll definitely keep that in mind. Thanks.

They have a habit of spontaneously combusting, at least the I4 models.

One thing I would add. I've driven a 305hp Mach 1, a 500hp Cobra, an alfa romeo 159, and quite a few other mustangs and such. My civic, with its mere 170whp, has been more fun then any of them. Of course it is on coil-overs and only weighs 2300lbs.
 
One thing I would add. I've driven a 305hp Mach 1, a 500hp Cobra, an alfa romeo 159, and quite a few other mustangs and such. My civic, with its mere 170whp, has been more fun then any of them. Of course it is on coil-overs and only weighs 2300lbs.

True, the Civic is chuckable, but V8 torque trumps all. :p
 
jayhawk, can you please explain more about the Fiero. Funnily enough, I am also looking for a Fiero :)
Edit: only the 1984 Fiero I4-s combusted themselves. The problem was solved for the 1985 model.
 
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jayhawk, can you please explain more about the Fiero. Funnily enough, I am also looking for a Fiero :)

Well, I owned a 1984 Fiero, four speed manual. While the engine and transmission were rock solid, you could tell this was made during GM's "time frame" era, when they built cars that would last X amount of mile then completely fall apart, almost on cue.

The 4 cylinder engine was torquey, but gutless over 3,000 rpms. I mean, we are talking about 90 HP from a 2.5 liter. But, the Iron Duke is unkillable. I would go so far as to say it was one of GM's best engines ever.
The transmission was as I said, a manual. A four speed manual. A FUCKING FOUR SPEED FROM THE YEAR 1984! Shifting it was like shifting a truck tranny, or more like rowing a boat, with about the same resistance, too. The clutch pedal was the equivalent of pushing down 200 pounds with your leg. I heard the automatic three speed was much worse, shifting with that long drawn out wheeze GM's are notorious for. I swear the transmission was designed not to be sporty and quick, but unoffensive to senior citizens.
The handling was...weird. It was damned quick and very precise around medium speed corners, terrifying on high speed corners when the rear decided it wanted to look and see what was going on up front, and not great in turns like hairpins ,where the engine would just give up and it would mildly project you out of it. The steering was quick, but that was because it was a manual rack from a Chevette. As was the front suspension. Let me repeat this again to you: it was from a Chevrolet Chevette. I believe the rear suspension was a hybrid from the front of a J body car of that era. Whatever the case, the two usually didn't agree with each other.
Now, the fit and finish of the Fiero was exceptional. GM had a special machine made just for the Fiero frame, and none of the body panels carried any load. Also, the people who built the car actually gave a shit about it, because they were a unique branch of GM. And it showed.
The interior was typical mid 80's GM, nothing too exciting, everything was laid out logically. The seat were very comfortable, and I can attest that for long drives it was a great car; it wasnt bothered going 100 mph on the Interstate, as it was relatively heavy.

Bottom line, it could have been a contender. The original vision of the car was to have a 1.8 turbo with 150 HP and weigh quite a bit less. What we got was the result of a committee of bean counters. Think about it; the only other sports car from GM was the Corvette, this Fiero could have taken the world by storm and broke every bad stereotype about GM. Forever. But no, the designers sadly compromised on many things.

Still...it was, and still is a great looking car. The one element that was virtually left untouched by the bean counter was the exterior design, they really had a winner there, and it showed in the fall of 1983 when they hit the showrooms and rivaled the 1964 Mustang for initial sales.
 
Thank you very much for the info! +1
It is still very appealing to me - cheap, 2 doors, 2 seats, engine and the back and lights that pop up.
(I realize I listed only not practical stuff and stuff to go wrong all the time :D))
 
Basically, if your mind is thinking "Fiero", the thought immediately after that should be "MR2". All of the benefits plus Toyota goodness, none of the drawbacks.
 
An MR2 would be good, just skip the Mark I series*, and avoid like the plague the 1990 model, which had suspension issues...but can be corrected easily.

*reason why is because of the severity of the seasons in your area, they would be quite rusty underneath.
 
But the Fiero looks better IMO.
There's no doubt the Toyota is technically better...and more reliable.
 
my advice. dont go out and get a car real fast if it isnt something you really want. i took my sweet ass time finding the car i really wanted. but i got it with Everything i wanted. 94' Z28 with T-tops, the Lt1 and a 6 speed. i got it for even less then what youd consider getting a car for. only $2800. it needs a little TLC but thats not to bad. and if your in automotive school it should be a walk int he park for you. i love my camaro. havent driven it much but i just go tmy title today and plan on having it on the road by the weekend. its real fast tho and alotta fun. performance parts are off the wall and there not so hard to work on. its entirely up to you tho and what you want. but if you plan on doing anything with performance... please.. just please dont get a FWD car. if anything get AWD like an impreza. there are some in your price range and there awesome too. GL on your desicion.
 
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Damn you, SoxXpupPeT! 2800$ for a 6 speed manual Camaro...I'm so jealous :)
 
my advice. dont go out and get a car real fast if it isnt something you really want. i took my sweet ass time finding the car i really wanted. but i got it with Everything i wanted. 94' Z28 with T-tops, the Lt1 and a 6 speed. i got it for even less then what youd consider getting a car for. only $2800. it needs a little TLC but thats not to bad. and if your in automotive school it should be a walk int he park for you. i love my camaro. havent driven it much but i just go tmy title today and plan on having it on the road by the weekend. its real fast tho and alotta fun. performance parts are off the wall and there not so hard to work on. its entirely up to you tho and what you want. but if you plan on doing anything with performance... please.. just please dont get a FWD car. if anything get AWD like an impreza. there are some in your price range and there awesome too. GL on your desicion.

Actually, the impreza is one of my all time favourite cars. Basically what I am looking for is a car that has a jump in its step, and also something I can put some time into and make it my own. I feel like it would just mean a lot more to me if you spend time to make what you want of it. I appreciate the help a lot, and don't worry, there is no rushing in this decision at all.
 
Still...it was, and still is a great looking car. The one element that was virtually left untouched by the bean counter was the exterior design, they really had a winner there, and it showed in the fall of 1983 when they hit the showrooms and rivaled the 1964 Mustang for initial sales.

:bow: Lots of info there. I recall hearing that the cars front and rear suspension were from the front of the same FWD car but I could be wrong. In 86 or 87, Pontiac engineers were finally allowed to put the rear suspension in they originally wanted, and from what I hear are quite nice vehicles to drive, even if the engine does what it can to spoil it.

I kind of wish GM would build modern one in the spirit of the Fiero, with less of the fail. The Solstice is as close as we'll probably get though.
 
Actually, the impreza is one of my all time favourite cars. Basically what I am looking for is a car that has a jump in its step, and also something I can put some time into and make it my own.

Ahh! Now we are getting somewhere!

What you need, is the 1998-2000 Subaru Impreza 2.5 RS! This is a great little car, that can be constantly upgraded to what you want. I mean, you can drop a engine and tranny from an STi into it easily. It is a great starting point.

https://pic.armedcats.net/2008/03/04/1999471613.jpg
 
^Damnit. I was just going to suggest that. Here's a pic of my pal's for fun. Has a swapped WRX engine too.
DSC00452.jpg
 
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