The Pontiac Fiero: A Car That Defied Expectations
The Pontiac Fiero was finally released on the market in 1984, after five years of development. Despite being built from parts bin components, critics praised the car's mid-engine balance, stating that it felt like it was on rails. The upgraded Fiero SE model had stiffer springs and shocks, as well as sticky Goodyear Eagle GT tires, which improved its handling capabilities.
However, the Iron Duke engine that powered the Fiero was underpowered, pumping out only 92 horsepower and 134 lb-ft of torque. Despite this, the engine did deliver on the promise of good fuel economy, with an independently confirmed 50 mile per gallon highway rating. This was a remarkable feat, considering most cars today can barely achieve that level of efficiency.
Despite its promising aspects, the Fiero had several fatal flaws. One of the main issues was the tall oil pan, which raised the engine's center of gravity and created a recipe for engine fires. The team at Pontiac engineered a new oil pan to solve this problem, but it created another issue - the engine ran with less oil, leading to increased friction and heat. Combine this with smaller problems like oil and coolant leaks onto the hot exhaust manifold, and you had a car that was prone to engine fires.
AutoWeek magazine reported that roughly 20% of 1984 Fiero owners experienced an engine fire. This number may seem relatively small, but it's still a staggering amount of cars catching on fire. The irony is that a car named after the Italian word for "catching on fire" was plagued by this issue. In 1985, Pontiac released the V6 engine that the Fiero truly deserved, which improved its performance and made it a more desirable commuter.
The next year, Pontiac released the Fiero GT, which had an upgraded Getrag design, Muncie-built five-speed manual transmission, sick diamond-spoke wheels, dual exhaust, revised bodywork, and completely new brakes. This was the car that enthusiasts truly wanted - a sportier version of the Fiero that looked like it belonged on the road to Rome.
But just as things were getting good for the Fiero GT, GM recalled all 1984 models due to the engine fire issue. Pontiac had to repair 125,000 cars to ensure that none of them would catch fire again. The recall cast a shadow over the Fiero's reputation and made it difficult for the car to gain traction.
Despite its troubled past, the Fiero has experienced a rebirth from the ashes. Enthusiasts have taken it upon themselves to restore and modify the car, often with great success. While some people remember the Fiero with engine fire memes and unfair stereotypes, it's essential to acknowledge that the Fiero was one of GM's most groundbreaking cars.
In retrospect, Pontiac gave the Fiero a raw deal by underestimating its potential and cutting corners on its design and engineering. If they had given the car enough money and resources to build it correctly from the beginning, we would likely remember it in a more positive light. As it stands, the Fiero remains an interesting footnote in automotive history - a car that defied expectations and left a lasting impact on enthusiasts around the world.
The 1988 Fiero GT was essentially a reborn car, with a new suspension setup, a balanced crank, and improved brakes. However, this final form of the Fiero ultimately wasn't enough to save it from its reputation as a car prone to engine fires. The last year for Fiero production was in 1988, but since then, the car has experienced a phoenix-like rise from the ashes.
Today, the Pontiac Fiero is remembered as one of GM's most innovative cars, with enthusiasts celebrating its mid-engine balance and underrated performance. While it may have started out as a rough-around-the-edges commuter, the Fiero evolved into something more - a symbol of automotive innovation and a reminder that even the most unlikely car can leave a lasting impact on the world of motorsports.
As we look back on the Pontiac Fiero's troubled history, it's easy to forget its many charms. The car's bold design, impressive handling capabilities, and surprisingly good fuel economy all make it an intriguing footnote in automotive history. Whether you're a die-hard enthusiast or just a curious observer, the Pontiac Fiero is a car that demands attention - a car that refuses to be forgotten.
In conclusion, the Pontiac Fiero is more than just a car with a reputation for engine fires. It's a testament to the power of innovation and design, a reminder that even the most unlikely creations can leave a lasting impact on the world of motorsports. Whether you love it or hate it, the Pontiac Fiero is an automotive icon that deserves our respect - a car that may have started out as a rough-around-the-edges commuter, but ultimately became something more: a symbol of automotive innovation and a reminder that even the most unlikely cars can leave a lasting impression on the world.
WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: en- This is the story ofa car so groundbreakingand unconventional thatGuy Fieri changed his namein its honor.Before that, he was known as Steve Fieri.It's America's only massproduced mid-engine car,until next year.Perhaps the most 80'slooking car ever built.And it might have caughton fire one or two times.Get your plastic bodypanels, blocky GM interiors,and fiberglass body kits readybecause this is everythingyou need to knowto get up to speed on the Pontiac Fiero.Visionaries at General Motorshad been trying to builda sports car like the Fiero for decades.But they were blocked at every turn.Back when Chevy was designingthe Stingray Corvette,lead designer Zora Arkus-Duntov had plansfor the car to be mid-engine,much like the Europeancars that inspired it.But GM squashed that idea.Shortly after that, JohnDeLorean was working onone Pontiac project thatwould take off, the GTO.He was assisted by a youngman named Hulki Aldikacti.This was the dude who wouldlater lead the Fiero team.Guys, I'm really bad at pronouncing names.I'm doing a GM car, and Igot to say a dude's namethat's really hard to pronounce.The young designers whothought up the Fiero conceptwere a new breed.They were scrappy and wanted to build somereally cool stuff.Now this was a problembecause the bigwigs at GMwere a bunch of dinosaur (bleep) squareswho didn't really likebuilding cool stuff.You see, by the late 70's,muscle cars were basically all goneand GM management wascontent with sitting backand selling cars by virtue of beingthe biggest manufacturer in the world.That's called brand recognition.You know how Beats by Drearen't even that good,but everyone buys them anyway?Brand recognition.Coasting on brand recognitionwas going pretty well for GMuntil overseas rivalslike VW, Honda, and Toyotastarted building factories in the USbefore the US automakerswere protected by tariffs.GM management was getting scurred.They were losing salesto foreign competitors,and their old doctrinewasn't gonna change that.It was time to build some new stuff,some cool new stuff.- Maybe those guys down atPontiac have some ideas.- Maybe, are you gonnafinish your applesauce?- No, you can have it.- Where are we?- We're at GM.We're making the cars.- Oh.- The team first pitched the Fieroas an Italian inspired sports carwith blistering performance to match,an American stilettoworthy of sharing a garagewith Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and Porsches.Sounds pretty sweet, right?Well, GM didn't think so.They didn't have the cash for that.GM management told them that they neededsomething fuel-efficient.The gas crisis had taken its toll,and buyers wanted a carthat would get good mileage.To lead the project, GM grabbedour friend Hulki and said.- Here, you do this now.- Hulki's leadership stylewas unconventional within GM.It was typical for car engineersto send over blueprintsonly to have them sent backby the manufacturing guyswith notes like.- This literally cannot bebuilt with today's technology.- And then a project would die.Hulki didn't want that.That would make Hulki angry.And you wouldn't likehim when Hulki's angry.Speaking of Hulki, how aboutHulki smash that like button?For the first time at GM,the Fiero team would bea single group of carand manufacturing engineersworking side by side.Management set thebudget cap for the car'sentire development at 400 million dollars.Now that sounds like a lot,but in the auto manufacturingworld, it's not.This tiny budget would be the sourceof every problem in the Fiero's lifespan.To save money on development,the Fiero would use pieces fromGM's extensive parts catalog.The front suspension wasborrowed from the Chevy Chevette.And the rear suspension wasrepurposed front suspensionfrom the Pontiac Phoenixmounted backwards.Originally, the Fiero wasdevised with an all-aluminum,high compression V6.But because of their budget,that was out of the question.To get an engine, the team had todive back into the partsbin like Scrooge McDuck.What they dragged out was a GM standby,the Iron Duke Inline Four.As the name suggests,the engine block and headwere both made of iron.It had fairly low compression,and it didn't really like to be wrung out.Not exactly what you want in a sports car.But just because Hulki and the Fiero teamhad to borrow a few parts,don't think for a second thatthey weren't gonna try toinnovate a little.The Fiero space framewas a tubular chassismade of 280 separate pieces of steel,weighing in at just 600 pounds.What made the Fiero different thoughis that the body work was unstressedand made of a new material called plastic.Oh, and um, I almost forgot.♪ Pop, pop, pop up upand down headlights. ♪♪ Pop up up and down headlights. ♪♪ Pop up up and down headlights. ♪♪ Pop up up and down headlights. ♪♪ Pop up up and down headlights. ♪♪ Pop up up and down headlights. ♪♪ Pop, pop, pop, pop. ♪♪ Pop up up and down headlights. ♪♪ Pop up up and down headlights. ♪Finally after five years of development,the Pontiac Fiero went onsale for the 1984 model year.Despite the less thanideal parts bin suspension,critics praised theFiero's mid-engine balance,even saying that the carfelt like it was on rails,which is like the best thingthat journalists can think ofto describe a car that handles well.The upgraded Fiero SE hadstiffer springs and shocksas well as sticky Goodyear Eagle GT tires.The Iron Duke engine wasunderpowered, to say the least,pumping out a paltry 92hrsprs and 134 tuercks.However, the Iron Dukedid deliver on the promiseof good fuel economy withan independently confirmed50 mile per gallon highway rating.That's insane.Most cars today can't dothat, including hybrids.But the good mileage couldn't hideone of the Iron Duke's fatal flaws.In its stock configuration,the tall oil pan meantthe engine sat too high in the engine bay,which dramatically raised theFiero's center of gravity.To remedy this, the teamengineered a new oil panthat was about an inch shorter.This solved the engine placement problembut created a new one, theengine ran with less oil.Now I'm no expert,but one thing I know aboutengines, they need oil.Now this wasn't a problemif you kept up on regular maintenance.Every car burns a little bit of oilas you're driving around.But since the Fiero wasalready running at a deficit,once enough oil had burned away,the resulting frictioncreated a ton of heat.Combine this with smallerproblems like oil and coolantleaking onto the super hot exhaust center,and you have a recipe for engine fires.- Burning Fiero.- AutoWeek magazine reportedthat roughly 20% of 1984 Fierosexperienced an engine fire.I'm no mathemagician, but 20%of your cars catching on fireis way too many of yourcars catching on fire.I just want to point outthat a car that kept catchingon fire was named the Fiero,which is Italian for acar that catches on fire.In 1985, 10 years beforePost Malone was born,the Fiero got the V6 engine it deserved,which allowed it to performmore closely to how it looked.No longer was the Fiero just a commuterbut a sportier commuter.The beefier 2.8 liter V6made a decent 140 horsepowersand was bolted and nuttedto a four speed manual transmission.The next year, Pontiacreleased the Fiero GT.It had an upgraded Getrag design,Muncie built five speed power disc brakesat all four corners, sickdiamond spoke wheels,dual exhaust (grunts), andcompletely revised body workthat made the Fiero looklike a little bit Ferrari.If your stepdad's name is Dwayneand his favorite band is Boston,this is his dream car.In 1987, GM finallyrecalled all those 84 Fierosthat were catching fire.Pontiac had to repair 125,000 carsto make sure that none ofthem would catch fire again.Just as it was getting good,the large scale recallcast the Fiero's reputationinto the shadow of flames forever.The recall was just in timefor the release of the revised1988 Fiero GT.Instead of parts bin suspension,the GT finally had the setupthe Fiero team had been fightingfor since the beginning.The front had completelyredesigned control armsthat made it easier to steer,and in the rear was asuper legit tri link setup.The engine also received a balanced crank,which made it more efficientand gave it smoother power delivery.Unfortunately, the GT'sfinal form wasn't enough.1988 was the last yearfor Fiero production.Since then, the Fiero has experienceda rebirth from the ashes,Fiero to phoenix risingfrom the grave, not from the assembly linebut from the blood andsweat of enthusiastsall over the country.While some people remember the Fierowith engine fire memesand unfair stereotypes,it's important toacknowledge that the Fierois easily one of GM'smost groundbreaking cars.If they had given Pontiac enough moneyto build it correctly from the beginning,we would definitelyremember it differently.- Okay that was good.♪ Pop pop pop pop up upand down headlights. ♪♪ Pop up up and down headlights. ♪♪ Pop up up and down headlights. ♪♪ Pop pop up up and down headlights. ♪♪ Pop up up and down headlights. ♪♪ Pop up up and down headlights. ♪♪ Pop pop pop pop. ♪I love you.
