Last article I read the 89 fiero was going to have the 275 hp prototype dohc 3.4 in and it was a drivable one and was quicker and faster than the corvette in everything .
Yeah, like the Pontiac Banshee. When I found out about it, I added one to my dream car list. I'd get a C3 Corvette and swap in a Pontiac 455 and modify the body and tail lights to look like the Banshee. I wouldn't do the pop up headlights though. I've always hated that. @@cameronvandygriff7048
Had Chevy never had that rule Pontiac definitely would have had the best performing cars. When the Corvette first came out it was cheap enough to be accessible to the common working man and then it become the retired mans mid life crisis vehicle that not as many could afford. GM should have let the middle class man continue to have his fun with other models.
I bought a brand new Fiero 2M4 (2.5L "Iron Duke" and a 5 speed) in 1986. Base model, only options were alloy wheels and a luggage rack on the rear deck. I kept it completely stock, and enjoyed the hell out of it for 11 years, when I finally needed a car with a back seat. I wound up replacing it with a 1984 2 door Caprice Classic. I put some mid '70s Corvette rally wheels and RWL 225/70-15 tires on it, along with a cowl induction hood and a nice sounding exhaust system. Never touched the engine. I have had a number of drag race cars, but they didn't work well on the street. I see no reason for more power in a strictly street car.
To each their own, if I had a hardcore commute or did a lot of driving I might actually get a Prius. Don't laugh, the newest generation of Prius actually looks a little bit cool.
I had a Fiero in college, it was a fun car to have. It was like a Go-Kart with air conditioning and a bitchin stereo! Didn't hurt it was a chick magnet either!
@@Toys4LifeLack of a back seat never stopped me! Passenger seat and some creativity, even a heated session on the hood on the side of Hwy 820 in Ft Worth!
a little known fact: Right before GM pulled the plug on the Fiero, the plan was to shoehorn the Grand National 3.8 Turbo V6 into the little sports car. So this vid gives an idea, (though this one is supercharged and hopped up a bit), of what the Fiero could have been had it survived a little longer. Typical GM. They finally build something decent and axe it.
@jameslaidler2152 They were kind of rare, I'm sure they were powerful compared to the 2.8 but I have no idea what their long-term reliability / durability was.
This brings back memories. I had a friend in high school that had a Fiero with a heavily modified GM 5.0 V8 (Fiero was just out of production then). That thing was wicked. There was absolutely NOTHING it couldn’t take down. Exotics couldn’t even touch it.
@@Way2EasyDIY Camaros and Firebirds back in the day had a 5.0. If I remember correctly, it was what the 3800 V6 was later based upon. GM also had a 5.0 on the Cadillac Broughams of the ‘80’s. I believe my buddy’s donor car was an IROC Camaro.
@@Way2EasyDIY I think the L98 or LT1 5.7 replaced the 5.0. Not the most amazing motor, but with a little work and dropped into a Fiero, it was unbelievable.
Always loved the Fiero. They were a perfect example of Pontiac's level of innovation now 40 years ago! A truly unique and iconic sports compact. It's great to see the enthusiasm is still there.
The Fiero's Shape is ICONIC!!! I had a Buick Lesabre T-Type and wanted to Supercharge it so bad. I loved the forward opening of the hood. The 3800 V-6 was an AWESOME Engine!!!!
Like most cars that I like, I like most of the views of the hero but there are a couple that I would perhaps tweak if I had any design aesthetic ability in me.
Great video! Imagine a 3800 SC racing against exotic such as Ferrari, McLaren, Lamborghini, even Porsche and cost at a fraction of the cost from the four. I noticed this had a automatic transmission, which is great. However I've seen better days with even a 5 speed manual gearbox. Not only it's fun to drive with a 3800 SC V6 hooked up but this will unleashed pure power. Overall I love that Fiero SC, one of a kind.
You can build an 10 second Fiero, for between $8k, and $10k, but if you don't include upgraded brakes, and suspension, those exotics will eat it. RU-vid search "Hoonigan Vs. the World, finale" 2000 hp mustang... 10 part series, and the final car he has to beat? You guessed it, a Fiero... for all the reasons this guys talking about. Except one thing. The whole "torque monster" thing? Has nothing to do with it being a Fiero, or a 3800 series engine. That's all in the tuning. You could build the exact same car as this guy has built, and have a higher horsepower number than your torque number. That all depends on how the the engine is tuned, nothing to do with what type of car it is, and very little to do with the engine.
Oh, and even though there are some model Lambos and Ferraris that a worked Fiero CAN compete with. No Fiero on the planet can keep up with McLarens slowest car... and this is coming from someone who HATES McLarens, I just happen to know all of these cars performance stats, and I'm being realistic... and it does happen, Fieros rolling up on these exotics. You know what you'd like? RU-vid search "Hoonigan Vs the World Finale" ... it's a 2000 hp Mustang, Vs an 8 second Fiero. You'll like it...
The C8 weighs 3600lbs, not 3300lbs. otherwise than that, this video is perfect! It's rare to find a video on youtube that is so accurate and insightful, you've got yourself a follower!
This video speaks the truth, I have an '88 fiero with this swap, and it surprises a lot of people at the stoplights. I also love the looks I get when I blip the throttle as I pass someone just enough for them to hear the loud whine.
Appreciate that, glad I'm motivating somebody & the truth is, years ago - there's a video out there that motivated me to do my 3800 super charge and I haven't regretted it for one second!
@@DavidEssex-fe6mx To be fair I knew someone who had one and gave me a ride to 150 MPH and I was shocked at how much torque that car had. I don't even think it redlined much higher than 5K if that.
Putting that 3800 in a Formula was a great choice. I have owned 2 Fiero’s in my life…a black 84 4spd and a 2 white 85 5 spd. I loved those cars and they were stock. I cold not imagine a 3800 with some pulleys and exhaust…. I love it!
Thank you, find out who's got one in your area and see if they'll take you for a spin. It really is quite the experience. I've owned heroes for 30 years and my first one had the 96 horsepower engine,!
Not many left because of the faulty pushrods from factory. Those Dukes are ticking time bombs. That us the only fiero to do it to. I'd be listening to that thing with a stethoscope every 500 km and have ample fire insurance.
@@CanadaBob11 I don't really know anything about the pushrod problem, but it was prone to fires due to a smaller oil pan, which honestly wasn't that big of a deal if you just kept up regular maintenance. Luckily my Fiero was a recall, it has a much bigger oil pan now.
I really wanted one of these when they were popular but somehow never owned one but seeing your video gave me that old special feeling I used to get whenever I saw one.
Back in 1997 I was 17, I seen a red Fiero for sale on my way to work. I did not have a car yet and rode a bicycle 12 miles round trip. I worked at a local grocery store in southern Utah and made like 7-8 bucks an hour. I wanted that Fiero, and I wanted it bad. The seller had it parked in the lot of the air conditioning repair shop he owned, and he only wanted $3200 for it. The car was in good condition, but it needed tires and a few other things to pass the state inspection I was told. I worked as much as I could and picked up hours any chance I could at work. I would stop and look at the car every time I rode to work to see that it had not sold yet and to motivate myself. After about 3 and a half months, the day came when I got the paycheck I needed to get the car. There was a bank in the grocery store I worked in. I cashed the check and quickly rode towards home and was excited to see the beautiful red Fiero shinning in the hot desert sun as I went by the A/C shop. I had to get the rest of the cash I had saved. I rode back to the A/C shop and the car was gone. I went inside to talk to the seller, and he said it had sold about ten minutes before I had arrived. I was so sad. All that hard work. I had just seen the car on my way home. I told myself that it just wasn't meant to be. I ended up buying a 87 Nissan Pulsar with most of the money I saved, and the transmission went bad after only 2 months. Isn't life great.
Those are often overlooked motors by those who have never been in a car with one. I drove one of the first gen Pontiac Grand Prix GTP with a pulley, air intake and chip. It still had stock exhaust and no cam and that thing was shockingly fast. Putting that into the super light Fiero would be a wild ride.
Honestly, if I had any money this is exactly what I'd do. My old man passed earlier this year and I was left with his 86 SE that had been sitting for the last 8 or 9 years. I'd love to put the thing on the road and throw the SC in there but it'll just be way too much money for all the work it needs
Honestly, I'm leaning towards a LSJ Ecotec as a transplant into my '88 Formula - quite a bit lighter being a aluminum-block I4 vs. a cast-iron V6, and they are available with 5- and 6-speed manual transaxles. Doesn't take too much to get them into the high-200hp/low-300hp range, and gives a better weight balance for an autocross car.
Yep, in my experience about 60% prefer the fastback. I think it looks like a Honda CRX. To each their own, they're both mechanically the same! images.app.goo.gl/BeYxQFiFrSZ51r7k6
I have seriously been thinking about doing this. Ideally I feel like I want to get an 87 GT formula or to M6. I just like the body style better than the last year in 88 when they changed it all up. I'm curious which model or which year of 3800 out of which car is the best one to choose. I'm just not sure which Pontiac car was but I know there was a car out there with a 3800 not only have the supercharger on it but had a water-to-air intercooler underneath the supercharger and put up more horsepower than any other version of the 3800. Extinct that was either Grand Prix or a Bonneville sccc. I'm also wondering if there any cars that suspension and brakes can be pulled from for Better handling?
when I turned 18, I bought a 85 Gt from my supervisor. Black w/ Gray, 4 speed manual, american racing rims and bra on the front. A few years after buying it I blew it up trying to show off to my best friend. dumbest thing I ever did. I put split fires in it and was not able to remove one of them. That was the piston that went through the block. biggest mistake of my life upto that point
Thank you sir, I enjoyed my 2.8's for many years, but in all honesty I've seen a lot of them spin rod bearings and I'm not exactly sure why they do but they do.
@@Toys4Life mine did that in high-school, but hey how did you get the engine wiring harness and ecm for the 3.8 sc? I've been wanting to do the swap but I don't know how to get a stand alone ecm or make a wiring harness
I had a 3800SC fiero, an 88gt, I put a small pulley on the series 2, motor and headers and it really came alive. I used the Buick trans that came with it. It was a great well balanced car. It was also I believe the first Legal engine swap done in California!! I now have another 88 gt with a 2006 Pontiac LS-4 and trans in it! It is also legal in California, passing all smog standards. It was the first LS4 Fiero ever done..in 2006. I drive the car regularly and it makes the cool Rump-rump noises I like... I never get gas and an old guy asks me what is in it, because they know it sounds different. All work on both were done by West Coast Fiero in Tehachapi, California. They are the only Fiero shop left..give Chris West a call..
I owned an 86 GT that was converted by ACE that got it's BAR certification in January of 1998. That was the first legal L67 swap in California as far as I've been able to tell. Was yours earlier?
He did not. The funny thing is, ninety-nine percent of the time as long as you're not on water or something really slippery, both Wheels will lay down rubber. I might add a teeny bit of weight to the passenger side because if things are a little slippery, that wheel will spin by itself oh, but it is rare.
I had the stock 5 speed 87 GT also.... Burgundy with the Silver lower. It was sweet. A girl ran a light and hit it right before I was going to put it in storage for the winter.
I love my 3800 supercharged swapped Fiero! I save myself a trip to the chiropractor too frequently with my 3800, I think I’m going to send my manual trans to the scrap pile eventually. 😂
Awesome car man!! Loved em when I was a young boy! That black and grey 2 tone is still the winner!! That white looks sharp too!! Just put crushing MR2 dreams!!
I totally agree that a super charged 3800 is the way to go. It's just sitting at a perfect balance point between power, handling, and durability. It's not a one trick pony you'll only enjoy at the drag strip.
Just like the originated Beetle did pretty good in snow, because all the weight of the engine and transmission was over the drive wheels. My little brother had a couple of 'em when he was younger, and snow was not much of a problem for him either.
for those who want to know. i did exactly this to a 84gr 4apd. all i did was change the blower pulley. i made alot of camaro and mudstain owners hostile😂😂😂
Well, I'm kind'a sitting here wondering what to say. I guess it boils down to something plain and simple. Your Fiero is one cool ride!👍 I think I like it maybe even more than my Yugo.😉 Great upload! Save the Wave👋
What is its performance at the dragstrip and 0-60 times? I've considered this combination for a Fiero build as it looks straightforward to complete. Thanks.
Got my first fiero! 87 GT. Needs a lot of work to get it in decent driving condition. Restoring the suspension now. It has tapping under load which I've gathered is bad gasket or cracked manifold. Wondering if I should even fix it since I know I'll be doing the swap at some point. Thoughts?
Front 2.8 v-6 exhaust manifolds are known for two things. Cracks & broken studs when trying to remove and repair the ex manifold. If that is your issue, I would leave it for sure as is if you are going to swap the engine anyway.
Its great you have why you should 3800sc swap your car but there are like no how to videos out there, could you by chance make one of those for us who want to build one?
ye i wish i could do this myself, or at least have an idea. i don’t know shit about cars, but i am great with computers. i’m still 50/50 on writhed i want to tackle this project
Wait wait! Wait! That fiero weighs almost 2900 lb but has 380 horsepower Why not just buy a Z06 Corvette with the z07 package? Now you actually have a large car that weighs 3,000 lb. So you're talking about 100 lb difference to actually have a car real sports car It also comes with more horsepower so it will have an even better weight ratio and you can very very easily boost the horsepower as it is naturally aspirated
I happen to also have a 600 horse C5 Corvette. They're two totally different cars. The FIERO will destroy me off the line on any public street. I like them both, the f i e r o was fun to build and is a super sleeper.
I had a 2000 gtp coupe back then and it was a fun car. Especially with a pulley. There was no real support for tuning back then like there is today but I always loved that engine.
I've had 7 Fiero's. Two brand new ones. Now I have none and wish I had one so bad. They were my cars working two jobs and going to college. I had two at once. Brand new 88 Formula and a used 88 GT. First was an 84 SE. Your car is damn Awesome!!! I'd like to swap supercharged 3800 to a Formula! Its too bad they gave up on them. I read where the head guys told Pontiac they didn't want another two seater competing with the Corvette. I still love the Fiero's! They bring back so many memories!
I built a deck for one of the engineers on this, he had a different one home every day with manufacturer plates. I swear I heard a V8 in a couple of them.
The Fiero GT came with the Buick V-6. Being a Ford guy, I thought the Fiero GT was gorgeous. But I opted for the 1985 Mustang GT. It was a couple of $1,000 cheaper than the Fiero GT.
I've been swapping my L67 supercharged 3800 around to different vehicles for about 10 years... Started in the GTP then moved to a 97 lumina for almost 8 years till the suspension rotted out and it was gonna be between a fiero or what I ended up putting it in... A 99 Monte Carlo... Only reason I didn't do the fiero was I'm 6'4 and I've ridden in them before....I don't drive a fiero so much as wear it lol
I got to drive a Fiero GT with a Cadillac Northstar swap. Stupid fun. I bet a supercharged 3.8 would be a blast to drive and probably be a little more streatable than a Northstar.
If you also took the transmission from the donor vehicle, I presume it is a 4T60/65-E. Did you take the PCM from the donor, too? Or are you running a stand alone setup, like Holley Terminator?
I loved the Fiero then and I love them now. Minnesota license plate? We don't have any E85 in Texas. But I would be happy with a stock super charged 3800 with maybe modified intake and exhaust. I'm sure a Fiero is fun enough with 275 Horsepower.
I drove a SC 3800 Buick Regal, and even with the worst transmission in the world, you could tell that engine had great potential. Plop it in a mid engine configuration, and yes, please!
It was always the engine. If the car had a better engine back in the day, Quad 4 or 3800 S/C, it would be on sale (and that abysmal 3rd gen Fiero would have been WAY different) at least until GM canned Pontiac... or maybe they wold not have.
1500lb car with a super-charged V6 directly over the rear wheels? Yes, please. I had a '95 Grand Prix with a 3100 in it, had to do an engine swap when the original went bad. The new one I bought only had 76k miles on it, but a couple years later I had to scrap it because the entire rear subframe was gone. It only had 91k on it when I got rid of it. I wish I never got rid of that engine, it would have fit so nice in a Fiero, even without a super charger, it would have given that little car such a boost over the Iron Duke and the 2.8. Not nearly anything close to this, but would still have been nice.
My first car was a 1988 Pontiac fiero formula 5-speed manual gray interior has everything but leather seats even with the car stock I was able to drift the car sideways all the way up the road in second gear at 40 mph very predictable car end in the same night my dad bought a 1988 Pontiac Grand Prix SE 5 speed with digital dash same thing every option except for leather seats two awesome cars
It would be a good idea to get an accurate power reading as there are lots of factors which play into your actual power output. I'm not saying your quoted number is wrong but it's an estimate & making comparisons between actual measured data & estimates is less than ideal. I can see the appeal though! Mine would need to be a manual trans though.
This question and discussion comes up a fair bit. Imo Dynos are fun, but, I don't really believe in an actual measured number. It's been proven that you can go to three different Dino facilities on the same day and get three quite different numbers - depending on the type of dino, the type of maintenance and condition of the dyno, as well as the assumptions that other adjustments/factors entered by the operator into the dyno. The car competes against itself as I go to the track almost yearly. It's run several passes of 11.80 and 114 mph all at the same track. Even there though, the winds are never exactly the same, nor is the humidity or the atmospheric pressure or the traction. I'm not stuck on any particular horsepower number, mainly because slap a turbo on it and have more, but then the transmission would break and I would lose that instantaneous torque at the stoplight that is so much fun.
I was thinking an LH2 version Northstar with turbo myself. I've just ordered an LH2 off eBay the other day and I want to put it in a C4 Corvette. What do you think.
Those were just so small and light it didn't take much.. and this motor here might as well be a Ferrari engine lol. Had a stock one once way back. Just a stock v6 was a blast just out goofing off so couldn't imagine that beast😂
It's funny how GM basically built a platform that was for all practical reasons the "Poor man's Lotus". However the way they brought it to market, it was essentially shelved from the start. Then of course there are crafty people out there (like they guy in this video) that seemed to unlock its real potential.
Agreed, somehow they were successful selling it within GM as a sporty commuter car that gets great mileage and wouldn't take away sales from the Camaro and Corvette...
GM could of made a high performance version easily they did upgrade the suspension as well as other issues....then canceled the program when they got it sorted typical GM
@@Toys4Life They were aiming for female buyers, but the lack of power steering probably turned a lot of them off to the car when they test drove them at the dealership. My wife hates driving mine, thank God.
I got excited and ordered one of the first ones. It was fun but disappointing. Then the wiring harnas melted. Who puts a bundle of wires between the red hot exhaust manifold and the side of the block.’; a space of less than 2”. Then the rear suspension went nutz. The factory service guru said this car was dangerous and they bought the car back. New baby demanded the Volvo 240GL.
Just when Pontiac worked out the bugs from the original Fiero and had the last year GT model that was the best one to date they killed it. I have a feeling sales would have started getting better after the car got better. I think you need a trunk rack loaded with bricks on this one to keep make the tires hook up better, lol. P.S. Thanks for showing us what the car can do. The last video I saw with a V-8 Fiero that guy drove it around about the speed of a shopping cart and when people commented on them wanting to see him push it the guy took the comments personally. My comment was that I watch Jay Leno's Garage because he does show what all these cars can do even with the nervous owner sitting next to him, lol.
I followed a gen.2 Fiero down the road last year trying to figure out what it was . I honestly thought it was a brand new car because it looked quite modern, but what had me puzzled was the Pontiac badge. I was thinking for at least a good minute that GM must have revived the Pontiac name and I'd never heard about it. It took a while but then I realized it was a Fiero that looked to be in brand new condition.
My brother has a 86 feario gt . talking about this swap..we have a 3.0 Honda Accord 6 speed transmission manual. We aren't sure but we are considering it. We know shift cables are going to be backwards.we are probably in for a challenge
I almost bought a new Fiero in 1984. All I could find was 4 cyl automatic , a no go. As a Pontiac fan from the late 60s. I still love the Fiero , cool ass little car. 1973 Firebird 1972 455HO 1990 ZR-1 Corvette , still room for a Fiero. You have a bad ass ride , well done.
VERY informative Video ALL the custom car builder's would love to do a Lookalike vehicle conversion KNOWING they have the Power to back it up *PS* watching this on Christmas Morning so it's like a Present
