[Shotimes] Re: OT: Pontiac Fiero or is it Firero? :)
ianf@eden.rutgers.edu
ianf@eden.rutgers.edu
Fri, 4 Apr 2003 15:07:44 -0500 (EST)
There is a switch under the flux capacitor in the dash board. It's
labeled 220/300
Just switch it up to 300.
Ian
> Bah, what do you know old man! I heard there was a conspiracy
involving
> the original SHO! Damn Yamaha V6 originally had 300hp, and would've
> torn the 'Stang a new one! That's why FoMoCo de-tuned it to the
220hp.
>
> Just wish we could figure out how to unleash those extra 80hp.
>
> Puzzled.
>
> Steve Tatro
> Red/Black '93 with 166k miles
> Cincinnati, Ohio
>
> P.S. Anybody who believes any of this crap I just wrote should
> immediately unsubscribe from the mailing list.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: shotimes-admin@autox.team.net
> [mailto:shotimes-admin@autox.team.net] On Behalf Of Ron Porter
> Sent: Friday, April 04, 2003 2:36 PM
> To: SHOtimes Mailing List
> Subject: RE: [Shotimes] Re: OT: Pontiac Fiero or is it Firero? :)
>
>
> Ron, Ron, Ron.........you are spending too much time sniffing whatever
> the Fiero "conspiracy detectives" on the Fiero lists are sniffing!!!
> ;-)
>
> None of this "conspiracy" crap was ever true. Fieros weren't
> selling........they cost GM too much to build.....therefore car gets
> axed.....PERIOD.
>
> Chevy never really cared whether cars were quicker than the
> Vette.....the Corvette buyers will buy the damn thing anyway. In the
> late '70s, the new Z28 was as quick, if not quicker than the same-year
> Corvette. And, during that time, the 400ci T/A Trans Am was quicker
than
> both of them. The 455 Super Duty T/As of the mid-70s were quicker than
> the same-year Corvettes, also. The mfrs want to sell what makes money.
> One of the biggest secrets in the auto world is whether the Corvette
> EVER made money for GM.
>
> Ron Porter
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: shotimes-admin@autox.team.net
> [mailto:shotimes-admin@autox.team.net]On Behalf Of Ron Nottingham
> Sent: Friday, April 04, 2003 8:52 AM
> To: SHOtimes Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [Shotimes] Re: OT: Pontiac Fiero or is it Firero? :)
>
>
> First off, no stock Fiero was ever faster/quicker/better handling than
> the same year stock Corvette.
>
> Second, yes, Chevrolet, in a way, did kill the Fiero. There were
> several engines that were planned to go into the Fiero, but never made
> it due to the fact that the Fiero's performance would have equaled,
> bettered, or come close to the Corvette for WAY less money. One
engine
> that was considered was an all-aluminum 2.9L V6 (no relation to the
> 60-degree Chevy V6) with twin turbos. The Fiero with this powerplant
> was considerably faster and handled much better than the Corvette.
> Remember, this was 1984, and the C4 was all new, Chevy couldn't have
> it's 30 year old sportscar nameplate humiliated by a new upstart.
Twin
> turbos were canned, but even the normally aspirated version was just
as
> quick as the 'Vette, and still handled much better. This engine was
> sadly scrapped. The next engine scheduled for the Fiero was the 1.8L
> SOHC I4 Turbo (as seen in the Sunbird GT, Olds Firenza, and I think
> Buick's iteration of the J-body). This engine gave the Fiero
> performance very close to the Corvette, for WAY less money. The last
> engine was the 2.8L Chevy 60-degree V6 with cast iron block and
aluminum
> heads. This engine made the Fiero slow enough that it wouldn't
embarass
> the 'Vette, and with the extra weight, it wouldn't out-handle
the 'Vette
> either. The 2.5L I4 "Tech-IV" or "Iron Duke" was always going to be
the
> base engine.
>
> Since the HO version of the 2.8L V6 wouldn't be ready for full
> production until the '85 model year, the only version of the Fiero for
> it's debut year would be the 4-cylinder. This really did more to hurt
> the Fiero's sales than anything. Extreme sporty looks, but econocar
> performance. Then the fire fiasco (which only affected the 4-
cylinders
> and not the V6 models) gave the Fiero a bad name. The original Fiero
> suspension wasn't the best sounding on paper, and was used to get the
> car to market quickly and at a cheap price. The Fiero used a modified
> Chevette front suspension up front, and a modified Citation X-11 in
the
> rear.
>
> As far as horsepower, the 85 V6 model had 135hp, where as other GM's
> used a 125hp version. 86, 87 and 88 used a 140hp version of the
engine,
> but the most hp other GM cars got was 135hp in 88, most were still the
> 125hp or 130hp version. The 5-speed wasn't available with the V6
until
> '87, 85 and 86 got by with 4-speeds.
>
> By the time the 88 Fiero came around with it's much improved
suspension,
> GM decided that there was not enough profit in a 30k-40k a year
vehicle
> (first year sales were above 100,000, but kept getting lower every
> year). Even though "Chevy Brass" didn't kill the car after the 88
model
> year, they did have a big hand in the whole deal. Who knows, if the
> Fiero would have had one of the original scheduled V6's or even the
> turbo-4 it's first year, maybe we would still have a Fiero, or maybe
it
> would have lasted a little longer than it did. It's all speculation,
> though.
>
> OK, the 350Z hasn't died... It's sales are better than Nissan had
> hoped. Now, what killed the RX7, MR2, and 300ZX (Supra, Stealth, and
> 3000GT came
> later) in the 95/96 model years were several things. One was a weak
> dollar and a strong yen. Another was OBD-II and stronger emissions
regs
> in 96 (the RX7 could not meet emissions). The 300ZX could not meet
> Federal side impact standards for the 97 model year. The Supra stayed
> until '98 and the 3000GT until '99 (I think the Stealth died around
> 96/97). The redesigned Eclipse was supposed to be a replacement for
> both the turbo Eclipse and the 3000GT (hence the V6 in the new
Eclipse).
> The Supra was killed by higher prices each year.
>
> DOH! didn't mean to write a book :-)
>
> Ron N. - Dalton, GA
> 90 SHO
> 89 325i
> "It takes a man to suffer ignorance and smile"
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Donald Mallinson" <dmall@mwonline.net>
>
>
> > I don't think there is much truth to the rumor that the
> > Fiero got "too close" to the vette, and was killed by Chevy
lobbying.
> > The last year Fiero, WAS the best one ever, much better suspension
> > (earlier ones had CHEVETTE suspension for God's sake) and more HP,
> > better styling and it was finally the car it really should have
been
> > from year one.
> >
> > If that is the case (Killed by Chevy brass), then the Chevy guys
also
> > killed the RX7, MR2, 350Z and the Supra. All specialty cars that
died
>
> > about the same time. It was just a horrible time for expensive (or
> > even affordable) toys.
> >
> > Yes, GM wants to keep the Vette the top dog, that is why you
> > didn't see the new GTO get the 400 hp motor that Bob Lutz kicked
> > around. I am sure he got the "word". But awful sales killed the
> > Fiero, not Chevy.
> >
> > I believe Ron Porter can back me up on this, he owns or has
> > owned a Fiero, and knows more about them than me. How
> > about it Ron?
> >
> > Ian Macoomb wrote:
> > > Any truth to these quotes:
> > >
> > >
> > > "The 1988's had superior suspension, superior engines, brakes, and
> wiring,
> > > so much so that they killed the line. Rumours are because it
> outpreformed
> > > the corvette of the same year in everything but top speed. Hmm
13G
> > > or
> 53G
> > > (I'm guessing, I have no idea what corvettes went for back
then). "
> > >
> > > "Yes this is accurate.
> > >
> > > I have this article in Road and Track Magazine. The car didn't
> outhandle
> > > the vette, but was more nimble because of its size.
Additionally,
> > > they reduced the output of the engine, and put a governer becasue
it
>
> > > had a
> higher
> > > top speed - bahaha - and also used half of the gas. Out
accelerated
>
> > > the
> car
> > > in 1/4 times. Not rocket science, car weighs almost nothing, RWD
> > > with R-engine setup = good weight distribution. Becasue of this
> > > many people
> have
> > > opted to go with an engine conversion, which makes these cars
> dengerously
> > > quick.
> > >
> > > THis same issue happened with the Grand National, Cyclone and
> > > Typhoon,
> and
> > > Camaro All detuned to not beat the flagship car - Corvette. "
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