Money No Object: The 1988 Pontiac Fiero GT, As It Should Have Been!


Money No Object: The 1988 Pontiac Fiero GT, As It Should Have Been!

You can quit laughing now. I mean it, the money spent on this 1988 Pontiac Fiero GT is worth it. The story of the Fiero is one of growth, maturity…and then, a quick and glamour-less death. A mix of a designer’s dreams coupled with General Motors’ bean-counters wrecking all of the good stuff, the Fiero did at least show up as a mid-engined, two seat sports car…one with the suspension from the Chevrolet Citation, mind you, but it appeared nonetheless, and it managed to last five years before being cut from the team. And in traditional GM fashion, that happened right as things were getting good…the suspension was redesigned and was radically improved being the biggest note.

As of writing, the Fiero is still the only mass-produced mid-engined two-seater made or sold by an American manufacturer, and as such, the car has a cult following, While we might joke about the little Pontiac being nothing more than kit-car fodder, the truth is that these things could handle well and only needed some power to really be something worth lusting after. We’ve seen Northstars and LS4s shoved into them, and even the occasional small-block V8, but it’s the supercharged 3800 V6 found in Pontiacs and Buicks at the beginning of the ’00s that offer up a nice balance. A blown six, hooked to a five-speed manual, makes this hunkered-down little red rocket something special.

It’s not perfect…the tachometer needs to be worked on to read right and the air conditioning system leaks out a bit, but overall? It’s low-slung, mid-engined and sporting a third pedal. If corners are your bag, you could do a lot worse than a Sunset Red Fiero. Parts are cheap and available, the 3800 makes a good amount of power, and the car should corner like a slot-car. Just please, don’t turn this into another Fauxrarri.

eBay Link: 1988 Pontiac Fiero GT


  • Share This
  • Pinterest
  • 0

10 thoughts on “Money No Object: The 1988 Pontiac Fiero GT, As It Should Have Been!

  1. Gary Smrtic

    There’s a guy in Tulsa that has one with a Northstar V8 in it. Done very well. Drives the hell out of it!

  2. Matt Cramer

    As someone who daily drives a Buick with the 3800 SC, I’d love to drive a much lighter car with the same motor.

  3. Chevy Hatin' Mad Geordie

    Thank God we didn’t have the chance to buy this boring piece of shit in the UK!

  4. TheCapeCodKid

    Yup….Geordie….You already have plenty of pieces of shit to choose from in the U.K. I think the car was planned out and executed very well !!!!

    1. Andy Pizer

      The 3800 conversions can add up but completed correctly is well worth it. I owned an \’85, \’86 & \’87. Two sizes an one four. The \’87 was the 3800 conversion, ran like a rocket. The best parts list from http://www.3800performance.com runs about $3200. Then a cable conversation from Wisconsin for about $750 is a must. 3\” exhaust and brackets http://westcoastfiero.com about $3000, (go with the most quiet muffler- really). 3800 performance will help with the SC port n polish on the east coast for $750, very worth it. By the way, if you do this, it is not worth it without the Super Charger. One last strong word of advice, buy a new crated motor. If you rebuild an old warn out motor you will pay five fold. Hope this helps.

  5. Robert Cumpson

    I have a1987 Fiero Gt that will make this one look unfinished. If you are interested in some pictures, email me at ([email protected]) We Canadians have cool cars too. This September I will have had the car 31 years and it is a multiple show winner.

  6. Lori

    I had a 1988 GT, bought with 6 miles on it and LOVED it! Ex got it in divorce and I will miss that car til\’ the day I die!

  7. Decurion

    Ive said it before, but Im waiting to see a turbo’d 2.0L powertrain from a Cobalt in one of these. Theyre small, light, strong, and run pretty good. Factory rated at 260 hp, theyll easily make 300 with little more than a tune. The best part is you get a modern, durable manual trans with it!

Comments are closed.