Real Fiero Tech

Seller description (forgive spelling... strange listing)

"Red 1986 four cyclender ferio. not a speck of rust any were. the car is'int runing at this moment due to the fact it needs a oil pump. 500 obo"

So aside from the obvious (make sure the engine wasn't run with NO oil, there is no rod pushed out the side, the crank hasn't been sitting in water for 6mo etc etc)

what would be wise to check into and test while I'm in town evaluating this car???

Odds are I would engine swap this car ASFP but I might need the stock 4 for a few months, and the swap time to be as short as possible, I'm looking at a TDC or similar bolt in V-6... until I go nuts that is =P!

Moving to Maintenance / Shaun Hammit is the ladies man

Or you can just drop in a 2.5L from almost any other FWD car, except the N-bodies.

befarrer wrote:Or you can just drop in a 2.5L from almost any other FWD car, except the N-bodies.

True, I could fine another Iron Duke in good cond on the cheap and swap that until I have my shit together.

How easy/difficult would that be? And roughly how much would a 2.5 be from a yard?

The local yard who cuts us good deals would probably let one go for $200.
I'd say you shouldn't pay more than $250-300.

Check out www.car-parts.com for yards in your area (where are you?) that have such engines.

Thanks for reminding me of that site Will.

I've phoned the guy, I got his dad, so far I know it's a manual tranny and that's about it. They don't seem to know TONNES about the car from the sound of it, so I may be able to pull it off if I lowball them when I go look at it.

Hopefully it's actually in decent condition...

"Bad oil pump" usually translates to "bottom end damage."

When you think about it, there's not a lot of mechanical stress on an oil-pump, so why would it break before the rest of the motor?

Possible it would be the bypass spring coming apart, but that basically means the car has been running with progressively worse and worse oil pressure.

I'd still buy the car, but buy it with the assumption that the motor's been donkey-punched.

2.5s are a dime-a-dozen anyway, and it's not a huge chore to replace :salute:

86 Notchback with aero fascias and a spoiler is the Fiero that appeals to me aside from actual fastbacks, and considering that it's an auto too... I donno.

I need a manual.

He did lower to 350 though...

It needs new carpets though. And it was in the really mild front end collision so frame is in question.

I'm just trying to be a smart buyer.

If the rad mounts haven't been bent, the the frame's probably still OK.

Like I said, just assume the motor's toast--it'll save you some grief, and it'd be a great morale boost if it DOES just turn out to be an oil pump problem

That said $350 isn't a horrible price... I'd talk him down to 300 and walk away with it. You can find an ugly-but-willing 84+ manual donor to throw all those panels on for dirty-cheap, and it'll likely have a running motor.

Yeah, true, but this car is an hour from my house, towing will be over 100 bucks.

And I wish Fieros being common was the case in my area, but Vancouver Island has INCREDIBLY slim Fiero pickins...

Even scarcer are standards.

I may go look at it stil.

P.S.
In case you havn't already guessed, I am a piss poor HS student who barely makes any chump change.

Otherwise I'd be dropping 3500+ on a 88 GT faster than a bad habit.