Junkyard Treasure: 1985 Pontiac Fiero 2M4
Sold as an economical commuter car, rather than the sports car the original Fiero designers had in mind.
You’ll see a lot of alleged “Ferraris” and “Lamborghinis” with this interior.
That’s some abrasive door-panel fabric. It has held up well for 34 years, though.
A 1985 Pontiac Fiero 2M4 econo-commuter in a San Francisco Bay Area self-service wrecking yard.
A 1985 Pontiac Fiero 2M4 econo-commuter in a San Francisco Bay Area self-service wrecking yard.
A 1985 Pontiac Fiero 2M4 econo-commuter in a San Francisco Bay Area self-service wrecking yard.
A 1985 Pontiac Fiero 2M4 econo-commuter in a San Francisco Bay Area self-service wrecking yard.
A 1985 Pontiac Fiero 2M4 econo-commuter in a San Francisco Bay Area self-service wrecking yard.
A 1985 Pontiac Fiero 2M4 econo-commuter in a San Francisco Bay Area self-service wrecking yard.
A 1985 Pontiac Fiero 2M4 econo-commuter in a San Francisco Bay Area self-service wrecking yard.
A 1985 Pontiac Fiero 2M4 econo-commuter in a San Francisco Bay Area self-service wrecking yard.
Like the Chevrolet Corvair that preceded it by a couple of decades, the Pontiac Fiero became a pretty decent sports car… just before The General killed it off. The 1984-1987 Fieros had Chevy Citation front suspensions in the back, Chevy Chevette front suspensions in the front, weighed 200 pounds more than the Toyota MR2… but looked pretty sharp for cars intended for low-cost penny-pinching commuter duty. You won’t see many Fieros today, but I see the occasional example in junkyards, especially in California. Here’s an ’85 in a Silicon Valley self-service yard.
The rough-running Iron Duke four-cylinder belonged in a 1958 Soviet tractor, but it did hold together pretty well.
The base engine in the Fiero was the 2.5-liter Iron Duke four-cylinder, rated at 98 horsepower in 1985. Starting that year, Fiero buyers could opt for the 140-horsepower 2.8-liter V6… which proved to be less prone to the thrown rods and engine fires of the Iron Duke in the Fiero’s cramped engine compartment.
85 mph speedometers were no longer mandated in the United States in 1985, but it took a while for Detroit to catch up.
You hit the danger zone at 4,500 rpm in the Duked Fiero, which made it a lot less fun to drive than the similarly priced Toyota MR2 and Honda CRX two-seaters. What this car really needed was the screaming Oldsmobile Quad 4 engine, which debuted in 1987.
If you wait for the V6 Fiero, you might be waiting a long time!
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