Pontiac Fiero Alignment Specifications Caster Angle Camber Angle Limits Desired Toe Year Model Limits Desired Left Right Left Right Angle

May 2019 May

www.gafiero.org

“We Drive Excitement”

Some drive theirs year ‘round; some only seasonally What we’re missing is some red, so here it is. Because it’s RED. Actual- ly, roses are blooming (more red), and other flowers, and...it’s RED. Red is like chocolate: everyone likes it—except for those who...don’t.

Use something like this to escape the GREEN sprouting out of your yard. Official Monthly Newsletter Volume 4, Issue 5 Issue 4, Volume Newsletter Monthly Official

be Aramis, and Fierofool (RFTH maniac) would be Athos.

Of course, you May Meeting m a y f a n c y them different- ly. Our May club meeting will be held at the Galaxy Diner on May 11th. Do you have ideas for club events/activities? Voice your idea at the meeting. While you’re at it, come hear about our latest es- capade.

See the web site for details.

Don Hulse Memorial Cruised Well, if you missed it, you missed it. You’ll have to wait a whole ’nother year. The weather, cruise, food, and Fiero-ship were all great. Photo courtesy of TopNotch In case you missed the info from the last few months, we opted to forego the monthly meeting in favor of a cruise in memory of long-term GFC member Don Hulse.

After the cruise, participants wolfed down some victuals at the Smith House. That image to the right is not a sinkhole—it’s the gold mine shaft. This was the site of the second gold rush in the United States.

Since there were only 3 attendees this year, they were dubbed the 3 Fiero-teers. That posed a hu- morous mental picture I thought I’d share.

Raydar (the connoisseur) would obviously be Porthos, TopNotch (the soft, studious one) would Gold mine shaft. Photo courtesy of TopNotch Upcoming Events: Monthly Club Meeting May 11th @ 1:30pm: Galaxy Diner 3320 Henderson Mill Rd Atlanta, GA 30341

Club Picnic October TBD in the park

25 Years of Fieros at Carlisle Show June 20th-23rd The longest-running Fiero Car Show in history. Carlisle Fairgrounds, Carlisle, PA Register at www.mafoa.com Photo courtesy of TopNotch

Georgia Fiero Club Store If you haven’t purchased your Club Membership yet, please head over to the Club Merchandise page on our web site.

This newsletter is the second of the Spring We are the only retail source Series. As always, we’ll serve up some things of digital EGR adapters, you can do to get your Fiero in tip-top shape. made by club member Scott Throughout the Spring Series, we are sharing Brown. This adapter is nec- details from those who know to help you get essary when converting to a the most enjoyment from your Fiero. digital EGR.

In this month’s issue, we’ll explore pro’s and We now offer club T-Shirts, directly from the web con’s of the Fiero as a first car. Also, we’ll site, in the Club Merchandise have the second installment in the Taking a section. As of now, the Gander series. This installment explores shirts are available in white, things you should check about the wheels, light grey, and dark grey. the windows, the interior, the exhaust, the Please specify your choice engine bay, and the fluids. Fear not, we also when ordering. Each shirt have the correct/updated alignment specs, as has the Fiero logo in the well as information about towing a Fiero with- right front pocket area. Get out damaging the Fiero. In the interests of involved. Be recognized! Show your club spirit. safety, we included some safety tips. For fun, we did a coolant test and cleaned a We accept PayPal, so ordering today is fast and throttle body. easy. These shirts are available from the Club Merchandise section of the web site. See the web We’re continuing with our Fiero appreciation site to make a purchase. articles. Note: Shirt sells without occupant. In other In the newsletters, you’ll find tips for preven- words, the shirt is only complete when you wear tive maintenance, as well as general mainte- it; otherwise, it’s just an empty shell made of nance, small improvements, and show prep. 100% cotton fabric, with a colorful logo embla- Our product reviews will help you choose the zoned on the back. right product for your Fiero. Notes From The Secretary... Whether you drive your Fiero throughout the During April: year, or just occasionally, we’ve compiled the • We ran the Don Hulse Memorial Cruise, and tips you’ll need to keep your Fiero on the enjoyed excellent country-style cookin’ road. In regard to that, the easiest and best • We made plans for celebrating Melanie’s me- way is to keep your Fiero between the lines. morial birthday at Cracker Barrel (75 Celebra- tion Drive, Suwanee, GA 30024) on May 4th Board of Directors • We have been working with Donster, across the Mike MacDonell (MikeMac), Chair pond, to slowly get his “new” Fiero to behave Pat Swayne (TopNotch) • NoMad is ironing out some kinks on the Fast- Scott Brown (scottb) back Formula Charles Sewell (fierofool) • Northlake Automotive sold. Since MikeMac of- Ron Robinson (ron768) ten hosted club tech sessions there, we’ll no Club Officers longer have the convenience of a full shop Mike MacDonell, President Newsletter Subscription Pat Swayne, Vice-President We appreciate your feedback. Like it? Want Charles Sewell, Secretary/Treasurer something changed? Not getting it? Don’t want it anymore? Let us know. You can reach our club officers and board members through the club email address: To unsubscribe, use the subject Opt-out. [email protected] [email protected]

dew wipes have been successfully adapted to the Taking A Gander pt 2 ‘84 Fieros. A special tool for dew wipe removal is available from Rodney Dickman. Checking for Issues Spring is the time to purchase a vehicle, so let’s Look at the sail panels, or quarter windows. delve into things for which to look when consider- These are the windows behind the doors. Are ing such a purchase. This is for the V6. they cracked or broken? Do they have small cracks that you can’t feel (“crazing”)? These win- Wheels/Tires check: The wheels should be slightly inboard of the outermost part of the body, equally from one side to the other. If not, there could be issues with the cradle and/or mounting. While on the subject of wheels, look at their condition. Wheels are expensive and time-consuming to polish (detailed in a previous newsletter). Some Fieros are equipped with a locking lug nut on each wheel. You’ll want to make sure that the lug nut key is with the Fiero. The wheels on the ‘88 Fiero are staggered; all other Fieros used the same wheels/tires front and rear. Verify that all the lug nuts are in place and secure. Each lug nut should have a plastic lug nut cover. These are easy to get from TFS. dows are available from TFS, but they aren’t cheap. Be aware that these windows on the ‘84 The tires should all fit the wheels and match each were made of glass, and are different from later other, meaning not just random tires. Whatever years. Make sure that the quarter windows are is on one side should be on the other side, for securely in place. brand, size, tread, and wear. If the tires have un- usual wear patterns, there could be problems with Look for cracks on the rear window. The rear win- the air pressure in the tires, the wheel alignment, dow is somewhat difficult to obtain, and can be or the suspension. Wear on the inner or outer difficult to replace. Check that the defogger (if edges is typically due to toe out or in, respective- equipped) is intact. ly. Look for bald spots, cords showing, or une- venness. If the center or outer edges of a tire are Check the sunroof (applicable Fieros). It should worn, that is usually due to over-inflation or under not be cracked. Equipped Fieros came with a sun- -inflation, respectively. roof storage bag, and a wind deflector. Sun- shades are available from TFS, if needed. The Windows check: sunroof mounting hardware is available from TFS, Look at the windshield. Check for cracks or leaks. if needed. All stock sunroofs flip up and are re- You can get replacement windshields, but not all moveable, but are a pain to get back in. Look at are created equal, so do some research on the the seal on the sunroof. It should be flat, pliable, company’s products and services before using and fit evenly against the sunroof glass. them. Check for separation of the seal from the windshield or the frame. There should not be any The sunroof seal is available from TFS, but there gaps. The windshield seal should be fairly hard, have been fitment issues. Look for debris result- but not cracked or broken. A replacement is ing from the sunroof having been left open. Any available from TFS, but this is difficult to replace. such debris could result in damage to the sunroof seal, the tracks, or the surrounding body, as well Check the door windows. These are somewhat as leakage. Worse yet, it could result in the difficult to obtain, so be sure these are in good drainage tubes being clogged. All sunroofs leak, condition. There should not be chips, cracks, or but there are drainage tubes that collect the wa- scrapes. Check the dew wipes/window seals. ter, and usually run down the A-pillars. Sunroof They should be pliable and rest against the win- tracks are available from silver 85 sc, in the ven- dows evenly. Replacements can be obtained from dor list. Get the stainless steel variety—not the TFS, but the guide felts (also available from TFS) mild steel variety. should be replaced at the same time. The ‘84 (Continued on page 5) dew wipes are no longer available, but the later

(Continued from page 4) Look at the back panel. Frizzy is fine (usually meaning that someone drove with the windows If your sunroof does not have the down), but check for cracks in the panel. Look for drainage holes, you can add drain- evidence of leakage. This panel is one piece, and age holes by following the TSB available at the is a pain to replace. TFS carries a 3-piece re- following link: placement panel, but it has speaker holes. http://gafiero.org/bbs/index.php?topic=371 Look at the seats. Usually, the side bolster on the Some Fieros came equipped with T-Tops from driver’s seat is torn or C&C. Genuine T-Top Fieros had a CJB RPO code. worn. Look for holes or T-Top parts are difficult to obtain, although there burn marks. Replace- are vendors in our vendors list. Check the seals ment seat covers are and the windows. T-Tops consisted of the over- available from Mr. Mike’s head console, the latch cover, the roof weather- in the vendor list, but seals, the center bar, two drip edges, the rear start around $400 for a molding, four trim caps (two front, two rear), the set. front molding, the glass weather strips, two P- seals, two glass assemblies, and two storage Look at the dash corners, below the vents. These bags. There should also be straps in the trunk. are often torn, due to being hit on ingress and

Interior checks: Look at the gear indicator (automatics). In the case of the Fiero, this is immediately to the left of the shift knob (both the knob and clip are available from TFS, or the handle can be recovered by vendors in our list). The gear indicator should be orange, but it usually fades to a pale orange. The Left vent, courtesy of Right vent, courtesy of restoration process was covered in a prior news- Fierofool Fierofool letter. egress. It starts with the paint rubbing off or For manual Fieros, there should be a shift pattern some cracking. If the abuse continues, the vinyl imprinted on the shift console, between the shift wears through, and things just go downhill from boot and the power adapter, in that little square there. Vents are occasionally available, or un- on the left side. If worn away, shift pattern decals sightly covers can be used. Some people have are available from Rodney Dickman. He offers 4-, successfully used a vinyl repair. Recovering may 5-, and 6-speed stickers. be an option. TFS also offers end caps.

Shift boots for either automatic or manual are Look at the trim panels by the carpet, and by the available from vendors in our list. A- and B-pillars. Are any of these trim pieces cracked or broken? Are they secure? Finding Visor replacements can be obtained from vendors these pieces in good condition is difficult. Sun in our list. The screw on top on one and bottom and time make these pieces brittle. on the other is normal. Failing visor brackets tend to cause the visors tend to suddenly fall down. Look at the carpet and floor mats. The carpet Replacement brackets can be obtained from TFS. should not be torn or look rusty. The floor mats should not have heel holes. Replacements for Check the headliner. You’re looking for evidence both floor mats and carpet are available from TFS, of leaks or separation/sagging. If there is evi- and add a modern touch, but do not quite match dence of leaks, the sunroof is leaking. TFS carries each other. replacement headliners and cloth, but fix the There should be three sill inserts on each side. leaks, first. The headlin- The image below shows the center sill insert on er board is usually very the driver’s side. ‘84 Fieros had gold or grey on brittle, and breaks easily. all three pieces. Later Fieros just had solid black You can get replacement inserts. These are no longer available new, but sunshades from either Saggy headliner occasionally come up on ebay. TFS or RW Upholstery. (Continued on page 6)

(Continued from page 5) keyless entry, although this feature can be adapted to the Fiero.

Test both mirrors in Fieros with manual mirrors, to be sure that the controls operate. Be sure to test all 4 directions on each mirror. The mirror glass is available from TFS and locally. Be sure that the lettering on the glass is level, when mounted.

Look at the vinyl throughout the interior. The vi-

Look at the steering wheel. It should not be saggy or wrinkled, and there shouldn’t be brown goo oozing out of it. The stitching should be intact and tight. Russ88TTop in our vendor list re- covers steering wheels, or there is Dallas Steering Wheels. nyl should be straight, smooth, and almost glossy. If the vinyl is cracked or torn, this can only be Fieros came with one of five possible 3– or 4- fixed with replacement or re-upholstery. Both are spoke steering wheels, which will be covered in a expensive. Another thing for which to look is future article. warping, where the vinyl separates from the pad- ding and glue that holds the vinyl in place. Warp- The HVAC on AC-equipped Fieros should have a ing can be fixed, but is time-consuming. Sun- slider on the bottom, while the non-AC Fieros will fading (discoloration) can be fixed with a color- have push buttons on the top and bottom. matching paint spray, usually available from TFS, but the damage has usually already been done. If Move the levers for the HVAC vents. The HVAC the vinyl has reached the point of deterioration vents may have louvers that no longer move to- (rough to the touch, and dull in appearance), re- gether. This unfortunate situation is best rectified upholstery is your option. RW Upholstery in the by replacement. vendor list offers products to help with this.

Look at the power window, door, and mirror Look at the HVAC/radio, AUX and instrument clus- switches (as equipped). Also check the defrost, ter bezels for cracks or missing pieces. There are trunk release, and headlight switches (as smoked replacement bezels available from Tom’s equipped). If they are broken or faded, or have a Digital Elec- rough texture, they will need to be replaced. All tronics (in of these switches are available new from TFS. For our vendors Fieros with crank windows, the handles should be list). Stock present and secure. Power mirror motors are dif- b e z e l s , ficult to find new, but show up used on ebay. Re- came in ‘84 pairing the motors is difficult, because the cases b l a c k , are welded together. b r u s h e d aluminum, Check the door locks. There should be orange and the ‘88 dot matrix pattern. Obviously, the strips on the manual locks, which should slide dot matrix is more rare. The HVAC, AUX, shift back and forth when the power locks are activat- console, and instrument cluster bezels should ed. Note that Fieros did not come with remote (Continued on page 7)

(Continued from page 6) speaker covers are difficult to replace, because they are thermally match. glued to the B-pillar trim.

Check the glove box in the center console. If it is Check the interior door handles. chipped or broken, repair/replacement can be dif- Both handles should work smoothly. ficult. RW Upholstery does offer some options, or There shouldn’t need to be any jos- TXGOOD (in the vendor list) offers a replacement. tling to get either door to open. The door handle/release assembly is The analog gauges are no longer available new, available from TFS. although Tom’s Digital Electronics (in our vendors list) does offer a digital version. Unfortunately, The fuel door releases with a latch behind the the analog gauges often get out of adjustment. driver’s seat headrest, on the B-pillar. If the re- There are ways to recalibrate the gauges, but the lease doesn’t work, latch assemblies and cables recalibration process is difficult—especially as the can still be found, if broken, but the assembly at gauges never were terribly accurate. J Gunsett the fuel door is usually disconnected or out of ad- (in the vendor list) offers a recalibration service. justment.

Some people install white faces on their gauges. Check the arm rests. They should not be broken If you do this, do not pull the needles off the or torn. There are 2 screws in the bottom, and 1 gauges; rather, use a small, flat-head screw driv- in the top of the hand pull. These screws and the er to pry the black cover off the needle and shaft, arm rest should all be secure. Some ‘84 Fieros then apply the overlay around the needle, and put had covers for these screws. the black cover back over the needle and shaft. Look at the carpet on the doors. It may be frizzy, Look at the pedals. The clutch pedal (manual but should not be separating from the door pan- transmission Fieros) should sit about an inch els. TFS offers replacement door panels, or RW higher than the brake pedal. The brake pedal Upholstery (in our vendor list) can recover door should sit about an inch higher than the gas pe- panels. Fieros equipped with power windows dal. The covers on the rubber pedals should be should have a map pocket on each door: cloth securely in place, without tears or rips. No metal with sewn emblem for pre-’88, and vinyl with no should be showing. TFS carries replacements for emblem for the ‘88. all 3 pedals. Check the safety belts. Both should retract by The emergency brake is set by pulling the lever themselves, and up until tight, then lowering the lever; the e-brake both should latch is released by squeezing the release button while and release easily. pulling the lever up until the catch releases, then Be sure that the lowering the lever. buckle cover isn’t broken. There Check the speaker grill covers in the dash. These should be a plastic should be dark. The charcoal cloth tends to fade button in the belt to prevent the belt from retracting too far (see image to right). While it is possible to get the to blue. Recovery was detailed in a prior newslet- belt material from ter. If these are falling apart or torn, the rest of JC Whitney, the re- the interior has probably been subjected to the tractors are not same elements. available, and were only made for the Check the speaker grills on the B-pillars. If the Fiero. Some people cloth looks dirty or feels rough, it is about to start have reported suc- falling apart. The rear set is more difficult to re- cess with the ‘87- place, as they’re thermally bonded. Cloth is avail- ’92 Firebird seat able from Rodney Dickman. Note that the B-pillar (Continued on page 8)

(Continued from page 7) Check to be sure that the O2 sensor is present, clean, and secured in the exhaust. If not, there belts. Be aware that, if you re- could be blockage in the exhaust. place the seat belt material, it must be sewn to the retractor mechanism, which Engine check: is a risky endeavor. Many upholstery shops will Start the engine. Check for white smoke not handle this, due to liability issues. (coolant), blue smoke (oil), or white powder( catalytic converter) out of the exhaust. With your Wiring check: foot on the brake, put the transmission in gear, Look under the dash at the wiring. You don’t and put a forward load on the wheels. The engine want a hack job. If the wiring looks badly, it’s should not thrash around in the bay. Shift to re- worse than it looks. If there were any issues verse. Again, the engine should not thrash in the when going through the electrical checklist, they bay. Any such thrashing is a sign of bad mounts. should show up here, but sometimes things get by. Look for wiring sticking out of the center con- The engine should run below 1,500 RPM when sole, or behind the seats. cold, then settle down to about 900 RPM when it warms up. The idle should not vary more than Similarly, look for oddball wiring in the engine about 200 RPM. If the idle is very high, will not bay. Specifically, look for rusty, burned, melted, settle down, or will not hold an idle, there may be or exposed wiring. Check the battery cables, the vacuum or sensor issues. power junction block (later-year Fieros) by the battery, and the ground straps. While the engine is running, listen for vacuum leaks, and feel with your hand around the trunk- Check the wiring harnesses visible in the engine side exhaust manifold and the EGR mount plate compartment. Check the connector at the temp for exhaust leaks. Check for the smell of fuel, gauge sensor. This connector is often melted. which could indicate a dangerous leak. Shut off Check the condition of the insulation and loom on the engine. the wiring. Most of what you see in the engine bay is availa- On automatics, check that the TCC is connected. ble, parts-wise, with the exception of some rubber This is down by the O2 sensor. Verify that the O2 boots on the vacuum lines, and a few bolts. The sensor wire is not laying on the exhaust. stock plastic vacuum lines frequently crack and leak. The vacu- Exhaust check: um lines them- Check that the EGR valve and solenoid are pre- selves are avail- sent, and haven’t been blocked off. Check the able from Rod- bolts holding the crossover pipe to the manifolds. ney Dickman or These bolts should be present and secure. Check TFS. that the catalytic converter hasn’t been replaced with a straight-pipe, and that the cat is in good On the V6, there condition (external appearance). Check that the should be a heat muffler is present and in good condition, meaning shield between not rusted away. All exhaust hangers and heat- the distributor shield(s) should be present, and the exhaust and the EGR should be secure if you grab it and shake. valve/exhaust. This is a 2-piece The exhaust tips should be intact, and not look as assembly that if they’re about to rust off. There were several bolts together different types of exhaust tips used. Some used and extends be- the “trumpet” style exhaust, while others used the low the ignition straight exhaust with the restriction on the end. coil. The “trumpet” tips seemed to rust more quickly, partly because of their 2-piece design that seems Check to be sure to collect water and salt/chemicals. Most 4- that all the valve cylinder Fieros only had exhaust tips on the driv- cover bolts are er’s side, although later-year Fieros usually had present. These cutouts for the exhaust on both sides. (Continued on page 9)

(Continued from page 8) stay up on its own. If the deck lid does not stay up on its own, these springs may be missing or are special bolts, and are difficult broken. These are VERY STRONG springs. If care to locate. is not exercised when dealing with these springs, damage can occur to your person or the Fiero, The exhaust manifolds often crack and leak. such as breaking out the rear window. These These can be difficult to obtain. The crossover springs are set to handle varying weights, de- pipe is also difficult to obtain for ‘88 Fieros, alt- pending on whether or not the decklid has a spoil- hough the earlier crossover pipe can be adapted, er. Basically, the ends of the springs are fitted and is available from TFS. into different notches to increase or decrease the tension on the springs. Check the CV boots on the axles for dry rot or tears. There is a boot at each end of each shaft. There were actually 3 different torsion springs There are two shafts, one for each rear wheel. made for the Fiero: 1 for a plain deck lid, 1 for the Check for grease having been slung from either decklid with the luggage rack, and 1 for the deck shaft, which would necessitate an axle replace- lid with the spoiler. It would seem that the fast- ment. back and notchback deck lids would have different weights—particularly from the 84, but apparently On the V6, look at the rubber intake tube coming not that different. from the air filter housing, behind the driver’s seat. Typically, if the torsion springs need to be re- There should be a metal placed, a single– or dual-strut solution from Rod- tube from the intake tube ney Dickman is used. to the valve cover by the rear window. Check the There should be 3 screw caps above each tail air filter housing itself, to be sure that there isn’t a hole over by the driver’s side quarter window. This was covered in a prior newsletter.

Check the air filter housing for rust. On the V6, be sure to remove the screw, pull the top, remove the filter, and actually look for rust. The air filter hous- ings like to rust, and rust spreads. Since this is near the frame, any rust in this light. There should be a screw below each cap. area is of concern for fu- The caps are the same on all Fieros; the screws, ture issues, if not current issues. however, are different lengths for the fastback (longer) and notchback (shorter) body styles. Re- The deck lid should be held up by torsion springs. placement caps are available 3D printed from Shapeways (in our vendor list), but will need some work to make them look nice. The tail light screws are only available used.

Fluid checks: Check the coolant at the thermostat housing cap, and in the coolant reservoir. DO NOT OPEN the radiator cap, as this will cause air pockets to form in the coolant system, and ultimately overheating. The coolant should not be clear or bright in color. Clear would indicate water only, and bright would indicate coolant only. Either is bad, as you want These connect to the deck lid, but are against the about a 50/50 mix. The coolant shouldn’t be firewall, and appear to be rods that twist against dark, which would indicate contaminants, such as each other. They make the deck lid appear to (Continued on page 10)

(Continued from page 9) Fluid replacements were covered in a prior newsletter. oil. If the coolant is full of crud, you have bigger issues. Look for the jack and spare tire, both of which should be in place in the front compartment. Note Check the plastic tanks on the sides of the radiator for crimping issues or leaking. Check the rubber hose connections at the metal tubes.

Check the oil for bubbles or white froth, either of which would indicate that coolant is getting into the oil—especially if the oil has a brown color. Coolant in the oil could indicate a head gasket fail- ure. Oil also shouldn’t be black (worn cylinders or bad rings) or have the fine metal flakes (internal component wear). that early Fiero jacks differed from later Fiero Check the transmission fluid (automatic). It jacks. Both jacks are unique to the Fiero, and are should not be bright red (replaced recently), or not interchangeable. Jacks were covered in a pri- brown (burned, meaning that the transmission is or newsletter. slipping). Smell the transmission fluid. It should not smell burned. Fiero Safety Tips Check in the passenger area for coolant leakage. First of all, avoid parking under trees. Trees drop With the engine running and the heat on, sniff for these flammable things called leaves, which get coolant smell. Either of these things could indi- into the vents. Since your Fiero is hot after driv- cate that the heater core is leaking, and needs to ing, these vents are releasing engine heat. The be replaced. Heater cores are readily available; engine heat is often hot enough to ignite the unfortunately, they are the wrong size. The after- leaves, and your Fiero will burn to the ground. market heater cores can be made to work, but the challenge is to prevent outside air from passing by Unfortunately, your Fiero has blind spots. The around the heater core. decorative mirrors are not adequate for seeing if there is indeed a vehicle beside and slightly be- Check the brake manual fluid from the reservoir in hind you. This can be rectified by checking twice front. It should be clear, and filled to the line, in before changing lanes, and by adding a blind spot both the front and rear chambers. If the fluid is mirror. It is not worth getting the more expensive dark in color, it should be replaced. Check the adjustable version—as long as your side mirror is clutch master and slave cylinder fluid (manual). adjusted correctly, the blind spot mirror will be The fluid should be clear. adjusted correctly.

Check under the Fiero for fluid leaks. Check the The Fiero is small, and unfortunately fits into the valve covers for leaks. Look at the base of the blind spots of other vehicles. Part of the blind distributor for oil leaks. Check the accessory side spot may be in their mind, much as what happens of the engine for oil leaks. Also check the driver’s with motorcycles. Regardless, larger vehicles side of the engine for oil leaks. cannot see you behind them, or beside them. Drive defensively. Do not follow closely, or let Check if there is a smell of fuel around the fuel other people follow your Fiero closely. rail, which could mean that the fuel pressure reg- ulator or cold start injector is leaking. Briefly re- For some reason, many people who own a Fiero move the fuel cap, and check how the fuel smells. also own an Avalanche. Maybe this happens with It should not smell like varnish, which would indi- pickup trucks and other similar vehicles, but it cate bad fuel. Bad fuel is bad for the fuel pump, gets mentioned a lot more with Avalanches. Own- fuel filter, the injectors, and—ultimately—the en- ing an Avalanche myself, I can attest to the fact gine. Bad fuel can even foul the O2 sensor, clog that the Fiero can be behind my Avalanche, and I your catalytic converter, make your engine run cannot see the Fiero. In any case, people fre- poorly, and hurt your gas mileage. Of course, quently back up into their own Fiero—usually in leaving you stranded is also a possibility. their own driveway or when parallel parking.

Fiero Alignment by Charles Sewell (fierofool)

Most of us who've owned our Fieros for a while have discovered that they can be pretty persnickety about some things, especially alignment. An often-used description of the Fiero is "Corners like a go- kart on rails", but let it get a little out of alignment and it will travel down the road wig-wagging it's tail to rival any hooker on International Boulevard.

Almost all of today's alignment machines have the ability to print out the alignment settings before and after adjustment. I suggest you call your favorite shop and ask if their printer is working before scheduling an appointment. If they say their printer isn't working, you are at the mercy of the Auto- mobile Chiropractor for the manipulation and adjustment of your baby. You have no way of knowing if it's been done right until you drive it. Most of the alignment techs weren't even around when these cars were produced; they just follow some standard procedures.

Now, you can compare the alignment shop's numbers with the numbers recommended by General Motors Pontiac Division. Something unlikely to be known by an alignment tech is that the alignment specs for the ‘88 model year in their computer are incorrect, and the ’88 model year requires that each end of the Fiero be 'jounced' 3 times before alignment to eliminate false geometry readings. Pontiac Fiero Alignment Specifications Caster Angle Camber Angle Limits Desired Toe Year Model Limits Desired Left Right Left Right Angle

All [1] +3° to +7° [2] +5° -0.3° to +1.3° -0.3° to +1.3° +0.5° +0.5° +0.15° 84-86 All [3] ***** ***** -1.5° to +0.5° -1.5° to +0.5° -1° -1° [9]

All [1] +3° to +7° [2] +5° -0.3° to +1.3° -0.3° to +1.3° +0.5° +0.5° [4] 87 All [3] ***** ***** -0.6° to +0.4° -0.6° to +0.4° -0.1° -0.1° [9]

[1] [5] +2.5° to +3.5° +3° -0.5° to +0.5° -0.5° to +0.5° 0° 0° [6]

88 [1] [7] +4.5° to +5.5° +5° -0.6° to +0.2° -0.6° to +0.2° -0.2° -0.2° [6]

All [3] ***** ***** -1.5° to –0.5° -1.5° to –0.5° -1° -1° [8]

Notes: [1] — Front wheel alignment [2] — Left and right side should be equal within 2° [3] — Rear wheel alignment [4] — Total toe, -0.2° to +0.2° [5] — Excluding GT and Formula [6] — Per wheel +0.1 ° +/- 0.05° [7] — GT and Formula [8] — Per wheel, +0.1° +/- 0.05° [9] — Per wheel, 0° +/- 0.1°

Print these specifications, take them with you and compare—or better still, hand them to the people at the alignment shop and tell them these are the settings you want them to achieve. To simplify things, you may want to use a yellow highlighter to indicate the values for your Fiero.

Contributions were made to this article by Ray Paulk.

Fiero Jack and Lift Points Sooner or later, your Fiero will need to be lifted, whether by you or by someone else. Any time a vehicle is being lifted, there are safety concerns, not only for you but also for the vehicle. The important thing is knowing how to lift properly.

The Fiero jack should ALWAYS be used with jack stands. NEVER get under the vehicle while using the vehicle jack, without using jack stands. This applies to floor jacks, also. The vehicle jack is the stock one that came in the front compartment. Be sure to chock the wheels on the opposite side, then simply place the jack in the notch, as indicated, and lift.

For the service station people, there are lifts that go under the sides of the vehicle, the length of the rocker panels, between the wheels on each side. AVOID THESE, as they can crush the coolant tubes (in the orange areas).

Pre-’88 Fieros can use a lift point in the center of the front crossmember, and on the rear control arms. Well, ‘88’s have coolant tubes in the center of the front crossmember, and no rear control arms, so nix that.

Service stations also have arm lifts that place go between the wheels on each side. Two arms on each side. These arms are the most common cause of crushed coolant tubes. These lift arms can be used, but in the yellow squares.

Like loading your Fiero onto a trailer, the wheel lift (often used for alignments) is a danger to your front fascia. Be sure the wheel lift has been lowered all the way, and that your nose clip does clear.

Wheel lift

Jack stands

Floor jack

Vehicle jack

Frame contact hoist

Fiero As First Car Towing a Fiero Fieros are exciting to drive, but The question about how to tow a Fiero comes up perhaps not the ideal first car. Al- often. We’ll leave most of the issues with towing so, a fun car should not be the primary car, alt- on all four wheels (flat tow) for the car dolly, but hough the Fiero makes a great second car. Usual- using a tow strap is difficult. Usually, the only ly, a Fiero shouldn’t be driven year-round. safe thing to which to connect is the front crossmember (the tow hooks are behind the fascia), Things to consider for a new Fiero owner: although the control arms are usually used. A • No back seat, so no room for lots of people manual transmission Fiero can be towed—with the • Looks sporty, but is not fast by today’s stand- transmission in neutral, but for auto Fieros, even ards in neutral, the transmission will overheat. If you • Can get antique/historical plates will be staying under 35 MPH, GM says an auto • Lower personal property taxes than on newer Fiero can be towed up to 50 miles. vehicles • Lower insurance than on newer vehicles When towing with the rear end up, lock the front • Available for reasonable prices wheels straight (with something other than the • Fieros can be fuel efficient, if running well column lock), and move the column down (for tilt- • The plastic body of the Fiero does not rust equipped Fieros). The aero front fascia tends to • Easy to work on hit the pavement, so watch for that. Be sure that • For beginning drivers, the Fiero offers a good the alignment is correct, the suspension is in good way to learn how to work on cars condition, and the tires are aired properly. Set • The only contemporary vehicle with a higher the e-brake, and put the transmission in Park/1st. safety rating was the Volvo 740 station wagon • Any vehicle that is 30+ years old has an in- Alternatively, you can use a high-speed tow dolly creased chance of breakdown, compared to under the drive wheels. newer vehicles • Many auto shops do not have the knowledge/ Ideally, you should use a car trailer. Usually, the experience/tools/willingness to work on Fieros weight is supposed to be at the front of the trailer, • Every used car will need work; you will need which means that the Fiero should be backed onto cash and patience to repair the inevitable the trailer; however, most people put the nose on problems first. Aero Fieros tend to hit the nose on the trailer. To avoid this, place 2”x8”s as shown. Be sure The keys to happiness with your Fiero purchase: to use the wheel straps on the forward wheels, as • Joining a Fiero club, and attending meetings/ events • Waiting for the right Fiero to be available • Going the distance to get a good Fiero • Buying the best condition Fiero you can afford • Buying a Fiero that has been taken care of by a capable Fiero enthusiast • Making no modifications for at least 2 years • Starting with an automatic well as the chain(s) and hook(s) on the trailing • Getting an ‘86-’88, rather than an ‘84-’85 end of the Fiero. • Driving the Fiero gently, to avoid walking • Joining a Fiero forum for support and Flat-bedding presents the same issue of the lack knowledge, but remembering that help on the of something with which to pull the Fiero, as well forum is volunteer as the angle of the flat bed issue. Extend the ramps on the flat bed to reduce the angle of the The Fiero is not an ideal starter car. Start with a ramps. cheap beater. After the inevitable first wreck, once the driver has learned from their mistake, ALWAYS be sure to secure the decklid, hood, sun- then you can consider what to get. Ideally, help roof, and doors BEFORE towing! ALWAYS tow someone else work on their Fiero, before you get with the axles in, but never with a car cover on. your first Fiero. This will help the new driver ap- Be sure to use rear reflectors/lights. Verify that preciate the value of a working vehicle in good the front wheel brakes aren’t locked up, and peri- condition. odically stop to check on your towed vehicle.

Mixing Coolants Here I’m going to pretend to be scientific, and use some highfalutin’ terms.

The posit: Will DEX-COOL successfully mix with green coolant? The premise: Yes, chemically they will mix. The query: Will mixing said coolants have adverse af- fects?

To answer this question, the following were purchased: 1 Gallon concentrated GM DEX-COOL by Prestone 1 Gallon concentrated Prestone green coolant 1 Gallon nice distilled water 4 1-Quart Mason jars 1 Aluminum 2-cup measuring cup 1 Aluminum 1-cup measuring cup

Note that neither coolant was the compatible kind, so this was a worst-case scenario.

That’s a lot of scientific stuff!

Coolant and water were measured (more scientific stuff) as follows: 1 Quart green coolant mixed 50/50 with distilled water 1 Quart DEX-COOL mixed 50/50 with distilled water 1 Quart 50% water, 25% green coolant, and 25% DEX-COOL, at ambient temperature (72 degrees F) 1 Quart 50% water, 25% green coolant, and 25% DEX-COOL, heated to 212 degrees F

Left to right: Green coolant mixed with water; DEX-COOL mixed with water; DEX-COOL, green coolant, and water- cold; DEX-COOL, green coolant, and water-hot

The distilled water (for accurate comparison) mixed with the green coolant (the scientific term) to (Continued on page 15)

(Continued from page 14)

make what I’d call a phosphorescent green color (yep, that’s scientific).

The distilled water mixed 50/50 with DEX-COOL to be a darkish orange color.

The 50% distilled water mixed with 25% green coolant and 25% DEX-COOL at ambient temperature to be a light-ish orange color.

See? Dark-ish, light-ish? Precision!

The 50% distilled water mixed with 25% green coolant and 25% DEX-COOL was heated. After a pro- longed period (4 hours on the stove timer), the two samples were compared (meaning that I scientifi- cally eyeballed them). No change was apparent to my eye. See? I told you I was going to be scientific. This coolant mix was run through several heat cycles (it could have been like 9 or 10 cycles, varying in length from 25 minutes at a rolling boil of the water in the pot with the coolant jar), to 4 hours. After 3 weeks of testing, no change was found, nor any separation, nor any deposits.

Left to right: Green coolant mixed with water; DEX-COOL mixed with water; DEX-COOL, green coolant, and water- cold; DEX-COOL, green coolant, and water-hot. Obviously, the hot mix (right) is currently hot.

After week 1, a thermal coupling and a steel nail were placed in each jar. No deposits formed on either one.

Note that the paper towel was used to prevent the jar from cracking under pressure. I understand that exposure to air is bad for DEX-COOL, in particular. Since this was not a long-term experiment, this was deemed acceptable, as far as contamination of the experiment. The other jars all remained sealed. Humidity was not measured, but would have been the same as what my engine would have experienced.

The ambient temp coolant mix was placed in the ‘fridge, where the temp was 40 degrees F. After a week, no change could be detected. No deposits, no separation, and no jelling. (Continued on page 16)

(Continued from page 15)

Comparison of the cold DEX-COOL mix (left) and hot (right)

The other 3 coolant mixes were all allowed to sit for the remaining week.

The result: DEX-COOL and AFB can be mixed. But why?

This was only done for fun, because people kept saying that it couldn’t be done.

Cleaning A Throttle Body Since I had a throttle body in poor condition,

(Continued on page 17)

(Continued from page 16)

I decided to give it a cleaning. First, the throttle body got a good spray with Purple Power. I don’t know if that was good or bad—it was just what I used. I did not let it sit—I just washed it off with water. It did get rid of a LOT of nastiness. The throttle body then got a good spray clean with throttle body cleaner. I used about half of the can. I was unable to get everything else to come

off with just the spray, so I used some paper tow- els to scrub off what I could. I then went back to the Purple Power, and the results aren’t terrible. I think I need to buff it a bit.

Obviously, it still needs a lot of cleaning, but seems to be much better than it was.

In all honesty, the result has not been tested on a running engine, but it should work.

Fiero Appreciation: Fiero vs Isuzu Joe by Paul Ackerman (pgackerman)

Sometimes cars are not remembered for their performance, looks, or value. Instead, events around the vehicle are what the public recalls. Such is the case this month as our Fieros take on the Isuzu Impulse.

The Impulse was not an incredible performance car. Its rear-wheel-drive platform carried an attrac- tive body styled by Giorgetto Giugiaro of Italdesign1, plenty of cool interior gimmicks, rear seats, and not much else. The hatchback’s wedge-like appearance was reinforced by retractable headlight co- vers2, whereas interior features included adjustable pods to keep controls within finger reach of the steering wheel. Neat, but not enough to justify an ‘88 Impulse Turbo’s $15,529 MSRP, or $1,500 greater than the cost of an ‘88 Fiero GT.

Notice how performance details were not mentioned? Base Impulses required 12.8 seconds to hit 60 MPH and 18.9 to finish a ¼ mile. In comparison, our 90 HP Fieros would be waiting at the finish line for close to two seconds before 90 HP Impulses completed their run. By 1985 Isuzu realized their sport coupe didn’t match its looks—sound familiar?—and decided to force extra air into the engine via a turbocharger. Armed with 140 HP—and a Turbo-sticker—top-of-the-line Impulse’s completed their runs with respectable times of 8.4 and 16.2 seconds3, or still half a second behind a V6-powered Fiero. Isn’t it interesting these cars have the same horsepower ratings as our Fieros for correspond- ing model years?

In 1988, just as Fieros received modified suspensions, a new Lotus-designed suspension was added to the Impulse—along with an additional sticker advertis- ing “Handling by Lotus”. This is probably the Lotus design folks think went into the Fiero. Every other major change corresponded with the Fiero’s, so getting the cars mixed up would be easy.

It’s almost as if the Impulse is a distant relative of the Fiero. Could this be cousin Eddie by way of our Corvette step-brother4? GM owned Isuzu at the time and both the Impulse and Corvette were benefi- ciaries of input from Lotus5. This is highly ironic, since Fieros—which lack Lotus inspiration—are the ones accused of implementing modifications from across the pond.

According to Automobile-catalog.com, results with the Impulses’ new suspension were disappointing— 0-60 MPH and ¼ mile times increased to 8.7 and 16.6 seconds6, although handling improved. As stated earlier, the Impulse was not a performance vehicle, even though Isuzu advertised a top speed of 950 MPH.

These advertisements are why we’re discussing the Im- pulse; Isuzu has never been an automotive giant with resources like Toyota or General Motors. To make their products known they needed to find a way to make their advertisements memorable. So Isuzu decided to embrace the slimy salesman concept…

Enter Joe Isuzu, the most stereotypical lying, smiling, self-centered, condescending, leisure-suit-clad car

1https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isuzu_Piazza Notice the link doesn’t say Isuzu Impulse? 2Until 1988. 3https://www.zeroto60times.com/vehicle-make/isuzu-0-60-mph-times/ 4GFC March 2018 Newsletter 5 https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/g6659/lotus-engineering-cars/?slide=6 (Continued on page 19) 6ZEROto60times.com and Automobile-catalog.com were always within a few tenths of a second.

(Continued from page 18)

salesman to ever be broadcast on network TV. Joe made outrageous claims while dis- claimers such as “He’s lying” appeared on screen. His tagline was, “Faster than a speeding, well you know”, as he caught a bullet—which he’d been racing with an Impulse—in his teeth: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FE-XurEfQo. Of course, he had to check his hair and run a slalom first just to keep the race close. Perhaps a bit tacky, but can anyone recall a Fiero commercial without going to YouTube?

Joe would occasionally swear on his mother’s grave, then answer a phone and say, “Hi Mom”, or in- form viewers the monthly payment was only “$10.80” while the disclaimer pointed out he moved the decimal point. This made for memorable commercials, but how did this work out for Isuzu?

Not so well, in the Impulse’s case. From 1983-1989, about 66,800 were sold in the U.S. market7. That’s fewer cars than the number of Fieros sold in each of its first three model years. This makes one wonder how Isuzu stayed in business selling well under 15,000 Impulses per year—or why Fieros didn’t stay in production while selling over 26,000 Fieros per year. Of course, there are those who would say cancelling the Fiero was not Pontiac’s decision.

Have Impulse’s been appreciated since 1988? It seems they’re either priceless gems with collectors preserving them in guarded, temperature-controlled garages, or there aren’t any available worth selling. The only example I could find was like last month’s Starion, with the steering wheel on the wrong side. In reality, this wasn’t even an Impulse, but a Piazza, which is what Impulses were called everywhere else in the world. So, zero, zilch, nada Impulse’s are available for sale in the United States. Probably because their owners cherish them. Or not.

NADA extinguishes the possible pricelessness of Impulses by providing a High Retail value of $3,600 for that top-of-the-line ‘88 Impulse Turbo mentioned earlier. That’s less than half the value of any High Retail 1988 Fiero—and that’s without “Turbo” or “Handling by Lotus” stickers slapped on the Pon- tiacs.

Obviously, Fiero owners didn’t succumb to Joe’s charm—but many of us still remember him, if not the Impulse. However, I can’t recall one Fiero commercial. Only two printed ads come to mind: the creepy one I’d like to forget with Hall & Oates draped over the car, and the appealing one stating, “ITS REAL BEAUTY LIES IN THE LOGIC OF ITS DESIGN”. Pontiac’s advertisers didn’t do a very good job if that’s all Fiero fanatics such as ourselves can recall from their efforts. May this even partly ex- plain the Fiero’s demise? It’s a pity they didn’t stress the car’s advantages.

Our Fieros have better performance, looks, value, and longevity than Impulses—and most other “sport coupes” from the 1980’s. The best part of our legacy is plastic body panels, mid-engine design, and cool-again pop-up headlights8. What’s not to like?

Today’s Fiero owners might not be able to advertise as memorably as Joe, but we can keep our cars looking good and show them off during our daily drives and at weekend shows. Maybe some collectors will appreciate them and put them in temperature-controlled garages next to their Impulse. After all, Pontiac built Excitement.

Yeah, I remember our slogan. 7http://carsalesbase.com/us-car-sales-data/isuzu/isuzu-impulse/ 8Engine fires are the worst part we have to deal with, and all we have to tell naysayers is our cars are still running fine over thir- ty years later. 9Pictures from http://blog.autoshopper.com/articles/4088/a-look-back-at-the-isuzu-impulse/ and https:// www.historyfactory.com/insights/authentic-brand-voice-saga-joe-isuzu/

TXGOOD Cup holders, glove boxes, glove box doors

Fiero Vendors Have you ever wanted to know where to find those hard-to-find parts? Perhaps something you saw that someone else had. If you’re looking for a vendor of a particular part or service, Pisa Fiero HQ check the list below. Many of these vendors Body panels, radiators, in- work from home and do not have a dedicated teriors, lighting, cowl web site, so you just have to search for them www.pisafierohq.com online. Tom’s Digital Electronics Disclaimer: Georgia Fieros does not endorse any vendor or Digital gauges, smoked dash service listed in this section. We offer this free listing as a trim panels service to connect Fiero owners with Fiero products and services. Fierosails (email only) OEM and custom Fiero decals [email protected] www.tomsdigitalelectronics.com Snapperhead Performance Fiero Fiberglass—business for sale Custom LED back-up lights, hidden trailer hitch, Scoops, fascias, dashes, evaporator cores mirror panels, door sill mirrors, corvette brake www.fierofiberglass.com swap, concentric rings Paul Angel Mr Fiero Custom fiberglass, parts, and body work/painting New and used Fiero parts, remaining new T-Top www.angelonearth.net/customfiberglass parts Shapeways mrfieroparts.com Engraved 3D printed tail light screw covers, ash Rodney Dickman’s Auto Acc’s. tray inserts, door lock screw covers Suspension parts, hoses, tools, bushings, bear- www.shapeways.com ings, mounts The Fiero Store www.rodneydickman.com The premier Fiero parts source RW Upholstery Upholstery inside and out

www.rwupholstery.com fierointeriors.com www.fierostore.com Mr. Mike’s Seat covers, upholstery IwannaIRM 3800 mounts Danyel mrmikes.com LED side markers; 60mm, Dodgerunner’s Garage 90mm & 4 x 6 headlights, LED Automatic belt tensioner for V6's taillights, LED 3rd brake light, LED rear emblems

http://home.windstream.net/dodgerunner/ Georgia Fiero Club Amida Digital EGR Adapter Kit F355 front fascia, interiors

mmeyer86gt/gtp Keyless entry, recovered shift knobs! http://gafiero.org/shop.shtml

SFX performance Rear window louvers www.sfxperformance.com Fiero Thomas SageGlassWorks Spare tire covers, Fiberglass body parts shifter boots, e-brake [email protected] boots FieroGuru ‘88 Lateral link relocation kit, ‘88 13" brake upgrade, custom performance hardware Fiero Concepts www.fieroguruperformance.com Silkscreen spare tire covers Seajai fieroconcepts.mysite.com Front marker covers, automatic Stock Interiors headlights Carpet Silver 85 sc www.stockinteriors.com Personalized aluminum parts, Fiero TTop decklid vents, sunroof tracks T-Top parts www.fierottop.com/suppliers

Red Devil River ALDL to USB cable and software http://www.reddevilriver.com/aldl.html gtoformula J Gunsett Tail light restoration service Gauge calibration [email protected] Sardonyx247 Fiero Farm S10 Brake booster upgrade Used Fiero parts [email protected] Emblem Pros Stainless steel emblems http://www.emblempros.com Milzy Motor Sports 3800 EGR delete, F40 6-speed transmission www.milzymotorsports.com BV Motorsports F23 shift levers Sinister Performance Performance mods, ECU programming www.gmtuners.com Russ88TTop Paint & Body Inc. Steering wheel restoration service

Chief

Phantom wiper fix 3320 HENDERSON MILL RD Fiero Tom ATLANTA, GA 30341 Monsoon radio upgrade with Phone: (770) 723-9555 AUX input http://www.galaxydiner.com/