Car of the Week: 1986 Fiero

1986 Pontiac Fiero

Hello all, i’m beginning a series called “Car of the Week” which will be mostly based on cars commented by the readers. The premise is to educate others on a specific year of a car, including trims, performance, and a statistical comparison against its’ competitors. Enjoy!!

The Pontiac Fiero debuted in 1984 sporting the 92hp 2.5L “Iron Duke” four-cylinder. As one might expect, the Iron Duke-powered Fieros were pretty dismal from a performance standpoint. Zero-to-60 times were in the mid-to-high 11s, and it could not break out of the 18- second quarter-mile range at 74-75 mph. Top speed was a wheezy 105 mph. In 1985 a 2.8l V-6 was offered on the GT. The GT’s new power train was responsible for a substantial performance increase. Zero-to-60 times dropped to a much more respectable 8.1 seconds, and quarter-mile times dropped into the 16.3-second range at about 85 mph. Top speed jumped to 120 mph. Automatics were a hair slower all around.

The majority of the mechanicals were right off the shelf-the engine and transmission were straight out of the X-body cars (Citation, Phoenix, Omega, Skylark), the outside mirrors and many power accessory switches were from the Firebird and Camaro, and the front suspension was modified slightly from the Chevette/1000.

The 1986 Fiero GT received a special version of the 2.8L 60-degree V-6, Dual exhausts, a Muncie-built Getrag five-speed manual transmission, staggered-width 15-inch diamond-spoke alloy wheels hiding four-wheel power disc brakes, an AM/FM/cassette stereo and a leather-wrapped three-spoke steering wheel. Much needed upgrades arrived in 1988 when the Fiero’s front and rear suspensions were substantially upgraded, all brake discs were vented and the GT’s V-6 engine received an internally balanced crankshaft for greater smoothness. Using the short-block from the previous H.O. 660 powerplant installed in the Citation X-11 and Phoenix SJ, the Fiero V-6 was topped off with a new port fuel-injection system, as well as new intake and exhaust manifolds. The horsepower jumped from the old carbureted version’s 135 to 140 at 5,100 rpm. This engine could be ordered with the Muncie four-speed manual or three-speed automatic. A new optional Isuzu-built five-speed transaxle available in the four-cylinder models was not available with the V-6, as it didn’t have sufficient torque capacity.

The main competitors were the Toyota MR2 and Honda CRX Si; according to automotive journalists of the day, five-speed manual-equipped Fiero GTs ran 0-60 in 7.9-8.1 seconds, while automatic versions averaged 9.0 seconds in the same sprint. The quarter mile was dispatched in just over 16 seconds, and top speed was about 120 mph. An average quarter mile of an AW11 MR-2 is 16.527 @ 86.48. The CRX runs mid to low 15’s with a good driver.