1988 Fiero GT – the last year of production when they finally used the custom designed suspension making these fairly rare cars (less than 7000 built) the best handing Fieros ever made.  This car is original medium red metallic with gold alloy wheels and a sun roof and air conditioning, power windows and power door locks. The suspension has been tuned with 1 1/8” front and 1” rear sway bars and adjustable Koni shocks (red/orange, not the yellow touring grade) all around. The 1988s had ventilated discs all around.

Interior is gray fabric. It has the rare high performance sound system (which means an adjustable gain factory subwoofer with control above the rear view mirror) and a CD player, not the after market kind inviting thieves, but an early 1990s original Delco made for a Firebird, in exactly the same appearance and colours as the Fiero tape deck. It has a special short sport shifter – one of the prototypes made by Rodney Dickman.

The most special part of this car is the engine. It is a stroked 3.2 litre engine, fully balanced with custom made 8.5:1 Ross Racing forged pistons, a custom cam from Comp Cams made specifically for this application, along with their Magnum chromemoly tubular pushrods, Magnum high ratio roller rockers, and valve springs. It has a high volume oil pump, and a windage tray.  The engine has been balanced. The heads have been reworked, ported and polished, as have the intake manifolds. The stainless steel exhaust headers have been ported and relieved, and a special low restriction exhaust system fitted.  It has a  Centerforce Dual Friction clutch with carbon fibre pucks on the flywheel side for positive engagement and higher torque capacity.  The engine control ECM is a special one with custom chip to suit this build.  Sensors have been modified, including a 2 BAR MAP sensor.

The engine runs an IHI turbo with water cooled centre bearing and a ‘turbo saver’ oil reservoir that feeds oil through the bearing for several minutes after shut down to prevent oil ashing under extreme heat.  The waste gate is set for 13.5 psi, and there is also a safety cut out which cuts the fuel if that figure is exceeded (possible on long straights using full throttle).  The kit was originally a Miller Woods kit fitted by me to the stock 2.8 engine, giving ~ 210 BHP.  The special built engine now puts out 290 – 300 BHP, but has been dead reliable for many years. It still has the original (and now collectible) Miller Woods boost gauge on the instrument pod.  I bought this car in 1990 when it was 2 years out of the showroom and it now has around 210,000 km, of which 140,000 have been boosted.

I can’t say that this is the fastest Fiero around because people keep stuffing bigger V8s into them, but I expect it is the fastest V6 powered Fiero about. Shortly after the original build with improved 3.2 engine we timed it at 0 – 60 in 4.7 secs. and ¼ in a hair over 13 secs.  It will see off any non-turbo Porsche and has handily pulled away from such exotics as Acura NSX and the odd embarrassed Corvette.  I must admit that it can stay with but not beat a Toyota Supra  with the twin turbo 320 BHP.

This one has been babied, not abused, with frequent maintenance and oil changes. It has a recent paint job, but a couple of small spots needing touch up, a tear in the driver’s seat easily fixable.  The wheels have some marking on the outer silver rim but could be easily refinished.  The car will come with a GM print out with all original option codes, a factory 1988 workshop manual and bills for the over $7,000.00 that went into the car in parts and machining (not including engine building, which I do myself).  It is the most stock looking, best handling, fastest Fiero I have come across.

Price is $8,000.00 firm. After 20 years with this car, the only reason I am selling is because I bought a new Pontiac Solstice GXP Coupe.  Well, that and a bit of encouragement from my wife to reduce the fleet.  Viewing can be arranged for seriously interested people by appointment.  604-926-8681 days only.

Romeo wrote: Will outrun a Corvette (0-60 in 4.5) but not a Supra (0-60 in 4.6)? Confused boy is confused!

Not what I said   Although I could see why you would think so given that I cited the standard acceleration measurements.  I don't drag race (too hard on drivelines that I have to maintain, as I build my own cars - I've been a road racer - at tracks like Westwood and SIR - since 1973 when I got my first national license).  

When I say that it is faster than many Corvettes and most 90s or earlier non-turbo Porsches, I mean that if you have one beside you at anything from walking pace up and you both mat it, the Fiero scoots out faster.

You aren't going to see many 20 year + old cars that are faster than anything made in the last 5 - 10 years as the stuff we are now putting out is miles ahead of what we are all used to.  My Solstice gets 350 BHP out of 2 litres and a 1/4 in 12.9 odd (time slips from a guy I know with identical set up to mine).

First time you see a Corvette that has better times than the turbo Fiero is 2001 - after that, forget about it, they got really fast really quickly!

Figures I've seen on the Supra turbos (late 90s model) are actually slower than the Fiero, but that doesn't take into account the tremendous torque they have in midrange.  Their acceleration times from 50 mph to 100 mph are excellent and like I say, about equal to my Fiero.  Too bad they look like a jelly bean with a handle on the back.....