The Pontiac Fiero is the original Mid-engine American car and may be one of the most forgotten.
The 1988 Pontiac Fiero was a common commuter car with sports car dreams.
It originally contained a 2.5 L I4 engine, making 98 HP for the base models, and a 2.8 L V6 producing 135 HP for the Formula and GT models.
But this specific Fiero has had quite a life. Mike Salish of Rathdrum Bought the car because it was cheap and easy to maintain, but he very quickly fell in love with his 88’ Fiero and had great plans for it.
“In total, I have probably spent about 1800 hours working on this car,” Salish said.
His Fiero has been completely reworked both on the inside and the out. Salish has years of mechanical experience, so he bought a completely totaled 2018 Chevy Impala and spent 2 months ripping the power train out of the Impala, then another four months managing to put it into his stylish Fiero.
By the end, he took the 3.6 L V6 with 300 HP and the transmission out of the Impala and shoved it into the Fiero. The Fiero now goes 0-60 in about 5 sec with 14 second quarter mile at about 100 MPH.
“How would you even fit something like that in there,” Elijah Millard said.
The Fiero originally came with a front bumper that splits the car symmetrically with a seam that travels up the hood and some very prominent headlights after they pop up.
Down the side, it gets some very wide flared-out fenders and pointed mirrors. The doors get low-profile door handles that match the siding, and towards the back, it gets some more flared fenders and a slanted rear bumper. Going up from the bumper, the Fiero has a low but noticeable spoiler on top of the flattened trunk/engine cover.
“I like how the window pops out and the fact that it’s a mid-engine car and pop-up headlights,” Millard said.
Salish’s Fiero has undergone some minor exterior modifications; he took the Front and rear bumper off the Indy Pace Car Fiero, as well as the spoiler from the Pace Car, and added them to the Fiero.
Salish modified his interior to be more modernized, it has a beautiful tan leather interior with a gauge cluster that sticks in your face, a new Sony head unit, and replaced speakers. He took the shift knob out of the 2018 Impala and stuck it in replacement to the stock one; it has also been transferred to be a button start instead of a traditional key start.
Salish has done more than just engine and cosmetic upgrades, Salish made the headlights more low profile, the power steering pump was taken out of an MR2, there is a brand new radiator and the muffler was taken from a Camaro.
His Fiero is truly a beautiful Frankenstein of a car. With parts taken from all others that he could find.
The Fiero is truly a staple in the mid-engine car community, and this one stands out amongst its peers. Unfortunately, the Fiero did not reach its sports car aspirations. Only being in production for 4 years, the Fiero didn’t have the time to make a profound difference in the small sports car world; it did, however, gain a small but prominent following. The enthusiasts of the little commuter car are devoted and passionate about the Pontiac Fiero.
“I love how its classic car, any car from the 60s to the 90s I like,” Raymond Marquez said.
9/10
