Mildly Blown Up: 1986 Pontiac Fiero V6 Turbo
This next Pontiac Fiero had an optimistic build — the GM L44 2.8 liter V6 had been boosted with a turbocharger of undisclosed size…but if the diameter of the intake tubes were any indicator…it has a huge snail. The little pushrod V6 didn’t have a chance and it is blowing smoke and running rough…but that is an opportunity. An opportunity to rebuild with forged low compression pistons and an fire-ringed headgasket so that this Fiero can be fierce again. Find this 1986 Pontiac Fiero V6 Turbo offered for $2,500 in Naples, MN via craigslist.
From the seller:
1986 pontiac fiero
condition: good
cylinders: 6 cylinders
drive: rwd
fuel: gas
odometer: 112165
paint color: silver
title status: clean
transmission: automatic
type: coupe
1986 Fiero 2.8 v6 Turbocharged. Runs and drives though 50 psi in cylinders 1&6 causing noticeable loss in acceleration power and smoke.
Has a lot of new parts installed- new stainless steel brakes lines with rear line lock toggle switch, drilled and slotted rotors, new calipers and pads. new transmission lines and braided fuel lines. replaced gas tank, with new fuel pump. New sub frame, oil pan, window seals and a lot of little things are done. Engine work and this will be a really fun car again. $2,500
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Back in 1987, the Fiero engineers were flogging their latest (’88) car around the test track.
For giggles, they put a STOCK GM V6 turbo in the engine bay.
Everyone was a bit surprised at what happened. The Turbo V6 Fiero clocked a faster lap time than the production Corvette.
For that reason alone, it was never offered as an option.
And GM quietly phased out the Fiero, 1 year later.
-Stan (who grew up in Detroit… even owned a set of Recarro’s taken out of a Ford Mo Co test vehicle… used those seats in 3 of my cars over 20 years before they plumb wore out).
Small nit to pick, Maine is ME, Minnesota is MN. This car is in Naples, Maine.
My first near death vehicular experience happened in a Fiero, in Maine no less. One of my friends & I were in his ’84 V6 4 spd Fiero. We were blasting down this hill, passing a line of slower-moving cars and we hit a bridge with a bumpy transition. Before I knew it, we were facing 180 degrees the wrong way and going ~35-45 mph in reverse.
It must have been a split second later that my buddy jammed on the brakes and as we hit the transition on the other side of the bridge, it spun us back around so we were facing the right way, in the right lane, at around 20mph, like nothing ever happened.
I almost greased my shorts visualizing that. Yikes!
FWIW my buddy still has that Fiero. It’s currently a mouse condo in a field next to his house (in Maine) that he swears one day he’ll get running again. I sent him the link to this. All he came up with as a response was “its an automatic”.
Wouldn’t be a Mainer without at least one dead car on the property. Speaking of which, anyone want a rust bucket 1995 Toyota T100?
I wonder what you could build this thing to do in the 1/4 mile, considering it’s a slushbox tranny? Hmm…