Queries

Ok here's the deal. I needed a car. I found a cheap 86 2m4. Did little work here and there but overall happy to have a vehicle that I don't freeze my arse off every time I go anywhere. (Like the bike) I have babied this thing SO much. I never rev it past 3000rpm and have gone over 110km/h once or twice as I passed some one. Lately every time I start up the car she puffs out a little white/greyish smoke. (It's not white enough to just be valves, I don't think) When I smell the exhaust it smells a little oily and rich. Then it warms up and it goes away except for a tiny little puff if it idles for a couple minutes and then the throttle is snapped to 2500ish. The oil is clean and the anti-freeze is clean. I drove it to Vancouver and back the other day and got stuck in traffic for 3 hours and when I got home and checked my oil it was on ADD! It was on full when I started. (I check my oil usually before and after every long drive) My brother drove his 2.8 w/o oil and toasted that engine. It still runs of course but drinks oil like it's going out of style. My car does not smoke like his did.

I am VERY much a preventative maintenance individual as I hate an unreliable vehicle. So I have a couple options and I'd like the best guess for prices anyone can give me.

1. How much would it be to buy a used Iron Duke and pop it in. (cost and labor?)
2. How much would it cost to rebuild my Iron Duke. (Just a bare minimum rebuild reusing everything we could?)
3. Should I sell the car for maybe $800-$900 and buy a different car?

I really like the fiero and was hoping to keep it for a long time, but I'm a graduating student and ALL my tools are back home with my Dad in Saskatchewan. Which leads me to option four.

I've found a different fiero with a v6 5speed combo that's been sitting for a number years. I went to go look at the car, the intake and upper motor mount are pretty rusted and the oxygen sensor is completely rusted but I pulled a plug and it looked pretty good. We hooked up some juice to the car and all the electrical worked. The owner doesn't want me to start it unless I buy it as he believes I might wreck the motor if it's turned over. The owner told me that he'd recommend taking the engine apart and polishing everything to ensure there is no rust as he believes condensation may have taken it's toll on the engine.  Also I tried to run the gears and the tranny is VERY stiff. After some movement I finally managed to get it into every gear, but the stiffness worries me. Also the clutch seems like it had next to no resistance, which I figure means that it might need a new clutch. The owner wants somewhere around $1100 for it.

I need a vehicle that I can drive. I can't really justify buying a project car right now, unless I can get it going within a month and then use it as my daily driver.

Here are my questions regarding this option

5. Would I really have to rip the engine apart if it's been sitting for 5-6 years?
6. Would or should I rebuild the tranny if it's stiff or do you guys figure it'd be fine and it would loosen up after the car was running a bit?
7. Does it make sense that the clutch would have no resistance after sitting for that long and therefore could the clutch still be fine?
7a. How much would it cost to buy/install a new clutch?
8. If any of you guys were buying this car what do you figure would need to be done, just because of lack of use and how much do you figure it would total?

I'm so sorry for such a long post, but I've just put myself through 4 years of college and university and my girlfriend and I are looking at rings. So needless to say I don't really have allot of money to play with so I need some good solid advice. I'm looking for the most viable option to have a nice, reliable Fiero. I'd also be willing to take a risk on the v6 fiero if you guys think I could get it going pretty quick with minimal investment.

Please, any help on prices and/or advice is GREATLY appreciated.


Edited by Matt

Not really an answer to your question(s), but...

What you have now: It runs right?  Has yet to let you down?  All it's done is consumed a liter of oil?

Drive it.
Watch the oil.
If that's the least of it's worries - you can buy a LOT of oil for the several grand a new project car is going to cost, or the rebuild on that one will be.

Well an 88 Formula will be worth 5x any base coupe. However its also 5x the cost to repair things. Stuff like exhaust is unique to 88's suspension and brakes are unique to 88's, alternator is unique to 88. I have seen many Fiero's sit for 5 years and fire up just fine. I would be worried that the guy is an idiot or trying to cover up a major engine problem. In either case, if he is an idiot, I would be worried about how he maintained it, and if he is trying to cover up a major problem?   Buying a formula would be very rewarding in the long run if you can put cash into it, but in the short term it could leave you without wheels waiting to repair things. It will out accelerate, out brake, and out corner your current Fiero with ease and probably even get better gas mileage.


As for current condition of your motor, if it has an oil leak, then that would explain where your oil is going. As for moisture in the tailpipe, that is pretty normal for the high levels of humidity in the air right now. As long as it goes away once the motor is warmed up you are pretty much good to go.   

I just open the front rad cap, and start filling the system from the rear of the car, as soon as fluid starts coming out the front, I have someone else put the front cap on. Then I continue filling from the rear. Sometimes I will put the rear cap on without the thermostat run the motor for 2 or 3 mins, then carefully remove the rear cap, top it up again, put the thermostat in, and fill up the reservoir in the front. I have never had a problem doing it that way.