The Pontiac Fiero Story
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- Опубликовано: 26 июл 2020
- This is the tragic story of a beloved American icon... the Pontiac Fiero. It was another case of just about the time it was finally just right, it vanished.
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Having owned 3 Fieros, and currently owning 2, thank you for creating such a great video showcasing the true and real Fiero. The one everyone should remember in a positive light and be proud to have a car so innovative and so ahead of its time be designed and built right here in the USA. I find the history of these cars fascinating and often times think about what it would be like to order one new or to walk into a Pontiac dealer, something I've never gotten to do in my life (being 20 years old) and buy a brand new shiny Fiero off the showroom floor. What a feeling that must have been knowing you were buying such a special piece of American automotive history. One of, if not the first, cars to pave the way for modern production techniques and innovation. And suddenly after watching this video, I have a burning desire to own a White Fiero SE 😉
I always wondered about the build quality. The automotive press back in the day spoke highly of the space frame construction.
The Fiero was getting better. Too bad they pulled the plug on it.
@@AirCargoHeavy it's great build quality for the price they cost when new especially compared to other cars in the same price range back then. The budget for the Fiero was very small and it was a great car for it's budget. It does have some common issues now that they are minimum of 33 years old.
I had two. The original and the GT model. Both black with silver trim. I loved my GT so much but it was stolen or I'd still have it today to go along with both my Honda preludes. I still have my first silver prelude original body style and white prelude newer body style. I sold my bronco 67 after I got cancer and needed the extra money to not go on disability while I took a smaller paying job that let me work from bed. That was and will always be my favorite truck. Now that I beat a terminal cancer I decided to order the bronco in the orange to match the one I sold. I just hate I will not have my white leather custom seats with orange stars embroidered in each headrest. I had the old bronco rebuilt with custom orange flake with very fine holographic silver and gold flake. I'll never forget driving to Atlanta to pick up my truck and starting the rebuild. It took over 5 years. I've never bought a new car in my life but I decided since I beat a terminal cancer while fighting another cancer I would treat myself. I had two primary cancers squamous cell carcinoma that spread to my bones and endometrial cancer. My bone cancer ribbon is black and my endometrial cancer is orange so I reserved the cyber orange in the badlands with black marine grade seats, 2.7, Sasquatch package 2 door model. I don't have children or a house payment so I figured I'd splurge. I still feel kinda shakey with the market right now but I decided to sell my condo at the beach that I bought in the housing market crash of 2008 so I got it super cheap for 87K and put it on the market yesterday. They are selling for 165K so I hope it sells fast so I can have my savings account back up. I already had my other home which is smaller than my condo but a house at under 1000sf so that's plenty enough for myself. I donated my Honda CRV when I thought I wouldn't be able to drive again to another family that was fighting cancer because I still had so many other cars and couldn't drive them either. I still can't bring myself to sell or donate my other car's yet especially my original fiero. I did however leave it to my oldest nephew in my will since he's 24 and my other two nephew's are 7 and 4. I'm so glad to find other owners who love this car. I had so much fun driving it when I got my license in 90. I'm just hoping to get my new bronco before I turn 50 in less than 4 years. Lmao. They called yesterday with the bad news it would be 2022 before my truck is ready so now I'm torn with just opting to get a 2022 but it will not be year 1 so I'm torn because I think the 21 year will hold value the best but getting a 21 in 22 seems like a tough call. The businesses woman in me said to buy it and hope since I reserved it the day it released and then built it the day it become available in Jan I would get it in 2021 and then I could drive it for a few weeks and then sell it for more than I bought it for and build another one and wait to help offset the cost since it was sold out and now has roughly a two year waiting period but that backfired 😂
I worked for the Fisher Body Division of GM when the Fiero debuted in the fall of '83. The plant's managers arranged to have a red 2M4 on display that fall day when we celebrated GM's 75th birthday. Among the other vehicles arranged on our front lawn, the 2M4 seemed to get the majority of the attention.
Nice! I just bought my first antique car here in New Brunswick, Canada. I got an 84, and it’s even more rare because it’s the Sport Coupe model and not an SE. which years have you owned?!
Us "Fiero" people are very attached to our cars; THANK YOU for creating such an emotional and stunningly visual representation of how we all feel about these cars.
I'm from a little town called Pontiac! I remember my schoolmates moms and dads working at that assembly plant. We called it the Fiero Plant, a shame its all gone now...
I still have a 1988 metallic red Formula I ordered new. I got every option available and it has 376 miles stored in my garage. The '88 was everything I wanted and I still love it !!! Another great video, Tofer !!!
Wow what a treasure, I'm very jealous! And I'm so thankful and honored to have you on the channel. The Ford Bronco is up next. A little vehicle I believe you're somewhat familiar with. 😉
So sad that GM killed the fiero after 4 years of revisions and upgrades finally got it to a decent sports car. Great job Tofer, really enjoyable trip down memory lane.
I have an 87 GT that I’m gonna fix up with my dad for my first car, thanks for the amazing and informative video. I wasn’t a car guy before I looked into the Fiero and holy moly, I’m gonna treasure this baby. So honored to have such an amazing piece of automotive history sitting my my driveway
When the Honda Accord coupe (R.I.P.) came out in 1989, the tag line in the commercial was. “It’s music to the eyes”. Well, that is how I would describe your videos. Simply stunning. You are a true craftsman. A great tribute to the Pontiac brand as well as the little Fiero.
I was 14 when this car came out. My sister’s boyfriend bought a black 2M4. I thought it looked “Awesome!” my son is 13 now. If he saw one of these today he would describe it as “Sick!” Same adjective in 2020 parlance. Just goes to show how right they got the looks of this car. The interior still looks modern in a way. I never realized how much the original front bumper resembled the Aerovette mid engined concept from the 70’s.
I can tell I’m getting older. I recently was passed on the highway by a mid 90’s Celica convertible, full up with 2 adults in the front and 2 kids in the back. They all looked so happy. The kids were waving their arms skyward as the car slipped by me. It reminded me that there were many funny, funky small cars in bright colors that people bought and enjoyed not so long ago before everyone decided that a cookie cutter CUV in varying shades of greige were the must have transport device. Yes, modern cars are better is many ways, but it other ways....we’ve definitely lost something. Something that like Pontiac, is not coming back.
I have owned three models of Fiero’s since I was 20. My first was the 84 Indy pace car with auto. I traded that in on a 1988 GT with the 5 speed. The difference between the two was night and day. I bought a 1986 SE with the V6 auto for my daily driver. I still have my 88 GT to this day and I love it as much as the day I bought it. This was a great video. I have to say that I got a little choked up near the end.
My first car was a Sunbird. My second car was a gold 1979 Trans Am with the screaming chicken on the hood. I really miss that car. It was totaled in an accident in 1985. Anyhow thanks for this awesome video!
No matter what car it is, as soon as I receive a YT notification for a new Tofer video I jump on it. Thanks for keeping up with great quality content.
Awesome video. I’ve been a die hard Fiero fan since a kid. I own 2 Fieros. Also what a lot of people do know is the Fiero was a very competitive factory race car in IMSA GTU and GTO class.
The visual effects utilized in this video of the Pontiac Fiero bring about the sense of entering a dreamscape
This channel is amazing.
The Fiero was a special car. The 80's often get overlooked by car buffs. However, that decade saw the most innovation the industry had seen in generations. Everything we drive today is descendent of what began in the Eighties. Examples include but are not limited to: the Fiero, the Taurus, the Jeep Cherokee, the Chrysler minivans, the Lexus LS400.
Thanks for this video. Puts into words and images exactly how pontiac fans feel about the car and brand with out focusing on only the negative and overhyped misinformation that has followed the car. Ive owned a fiero or two since 1988 and currently own 2 1988 models. Love the car and will always jave one in my garage.
Another excellent video! It's sad though the General quit making unique cars like this, the Seville, Corvair, Toronado, Riviera. Thank you for reminding us of the great opportunities to own the memorable cars we grew up with.
Well done tribute to a fine automotive model and brand brand I have and always will miss...
I always look forward to your videos! My grandparents use to own an 84 Oldsmobile 98 Regency Brougham. Would love to see a video on those one day! Take care!
The 87 gt that ive been working on is going to be my first car, good to see im getting a good one
What a beautiful tribute. Thank you!
Another slice of automotive perfection! Thanks for all the work & care you put into these ❤️
Suuuuper rad video. Great job once again!
Wow, I think tofer you just hit a home run with this one man! I thoroughly enjoyed this video, man it seemed like we had so much optimism back in those days it was the best of both worlds the best of times and the worse of times.
Incredible video, great work!
Tofer you sir have made me happy and made my day.
Had two GTs. What a dear, little car. My wife and I learned to pack our gear scientifically to go on weekend getaways in these cars.
Well done, again!!!! 🇮🇪
wow, I'm glad I found your channel, that was an excellent documentary about the fiero. Amazing video.
Awesome Tofer! I've been waiting for this one!!!! I really wish that GM had kept some form of performance division with the Pontiac nameplate. So many cool cars!!!
So many nameplates died off with pontiac its not even funny
Cant wait to watch!
I'm only halfway into this video, and I'm truly enjoying it! Brings back pleasant memories of the exciting Eighties! And I loved seeing those Pontiac commercials at that time.
A suggestion for a future video: the history of Saturn.
I currently have 2 Fieros, my silver 85 GT (auto) that I've owned for 4 years, and a Red 86 GT (manual) that was recently entrusted to me by an older friend. I adore the Fiero and everything about it, the whole story and it all. It's one of those cars that was a "noble failure"...an car that was innovative in many ways but killed by bean counters being cheap, but nonetheless touched the souls of many ppl and developed a loyal following. It's handdown one of the most unique and iconic cars produced by Pontiac, and GM in general.
Neighbor had a gold 86 2m6 4 speed manual. 1st Fiero I'd ever ridden in. Neat car!
The Pontiac Fiero has always been my favorite car of all time. Even though I have never owned one, I am actively looking for one. I would love a 1987 5-speed Formula version with T-tops. Rare, I know.
There is no 1987 Formula. Jeez! It shows how little you know.
The GM wind tunnel was operational in 1980, so the Fiero may have been the first project to utilize the tunnel, but it wasn’t the the first GM car to make use of aerodynamic testing. There are photographs of a prototype C2 Corvette in miniature being tested.
Even though by production, the C2 had adopted a bit of front end lift, aero testing was definitely part of its development.
Another grest video man. I love the 80's stuff. My childhood neighor had one and i thought it looks awesome. Do u think u could do a video of the 1980 ford truck design process and series as they went thru to 1986 ? That would be amazeing. Keep up the great work !! Thank you.
The 1980s was the beginning of trouble for GM even though they had plenty of money. That decade was also the beginning of the end for Pontiac. Rebadging was much more common with the Big 3 by that time too.
Engineering was one of, or if not, the biggest, issue with the Fiero. Even though Pontiac was considered GM's performance brand back in the 1960s, as time evolved and new leaders took over, Pontiac was becoming totally different. GM leaders were focusing more on the Corvette and Camaro.
I practically never see a Fiero all year, and Pontiacs have become uncommon on the roadways.
There is something so mesmerizing about these videos. I'm not even really a car guy but I love it when there is a new post on this channel. Some kind of voodoo hypnosis I think.
I really like pontiac's I had quite a few good ones. I only had one that was really horrible I bought it from a police auction it was a 74 Bonneville what did I expect.
Your video sure to bring back some Divine memories, thanks a lot for sharing your talent with the world.
This car screams that Pontiac builds excitement.
Neverending Story AND Spy Hunter! Good stuff once again, Tofer!
Your style in these videos is so totally unique. Delivering the relevant info wrapped in nostalgia and visually stunning. Thanks as always.
Being developed on a shoestring meant having to use many off the shelf components including the Chevette front suspension, Citation rear subframe and the unsuitable iron Duke engine which compromised the car a bit too much, GM redeemed itself with the final model year but decided to kill it just as it become world class
I had a new first year performance axle coup, not the economy ratio axle , that many didn't even know were available. Then I had a new Fiero Formula, only available in '88. The V6 was a much better vehicle, than any 4 cylinder model. The '88 were superb, & with a Lotus type front end suspension, & a revised rear end suspension, they were by far the best of the models. The V6 should have been a little bigger , like a 3.1 or a 3.4 , of that same engine family, but it was a pronounced upgrade from the Iron Duke or the TechIV , 4 cylinder engines.
I suppose the Fiero which was supposed to continue , in '89 , with a slightly new body style , was killed because of the introduction of the Buick Reatta. & then GMs Chevy division complained that the Fiero was cutting into the flagship GM performance Icon, the other 2 seater they made until '89, the Chevy Corvette.
My Formula was on par , IMHO, with the 50th anniversary Corvette I bought brand new, ordered to my specs. Adjusting for the era of course , both cars were manufactured in.
The sales dip every year for the Fiero also played into its demise. It sold extremely well in its first year, then the bad rap of the engine fires lead to its drastic sales drops throughout the years, proportionately. It really wasn't a true sports car until the final production year, of 1988. I'm sure the lact of real performance handling , until 1988 & the anemic performance of the 4 Cylinder models had customers loose interest in the vehicle too?
Its design, though, is timeless & it still looks good, to this day. In 1988 , I compared it to the rather odd looking Toyota MR 2 , & the Fiero was a much better value.
IMO it was much better looking than all the Japanese 2 door vehicles , like the Honda Del Sol or the Mazda Miatta , too, that even were newer , but designs that weren't as good looking & flowing as the GM Fiero. It should have been & could a winner for many years , but GMs frugalness, & Chevys disdain for competition for the Corvette ended up ruining the concept of this car , that should've have been Iconic vehicle.
Classic GM from the 1980s through today... By the time they get the car right, they cancel it... Firebird... Fiero... G6... G8... even the Monaro based GTO... And the creation of Saturn sucked money away from new car development for both Chevy and Pontiac... And now that GM is pulled out of all world markets except China (Buick) and the Americas (Chevy) it's really living on barrowed time.
@@ryanwolff4058 GM would rather sell out its own brand to the chinese than have a cool performance brand
@@misterbuklau4053 sadly the GM i knew and loved is dead. i still have a prestine 1997 grand prix SE 3800 (38K miles on it), a 2001 GTP, and a 2003 bonneville SSEi. i love GM cars from this era (particularly pontiac), but there is little GM produces today that interests me. MY GM died in 2008
I just LOVE the way you put these together. I do not know of another channel that puts the content together in this way. Will try to send some love as it becomes available..............
Love this.Thank you
Love those background clips from James Bond Live and Let Die film. Sad that since Pontiac had such a good design team they did not try to create more sporty cars. The "Badge Engineering" was the start of the end for GM divisions.
Another excellent offering. It was very unfortunate that those little cars never recieved a V-8, just imagine what that would have been like. Thanks again Tofer.
Another knockout! Tofer! Keep this going man. My favorite channel on RUclips.
Keep the content coming .
I own a 1986 GT. When I was younger I had a 1984 and a 1985. They were all good cars. Now, a Fiero in good condition fetches a much higher price. The usual price around the Midwest for a GT in great condition is about 7K.
Great job Tofer. You come up with very professional videos. Thanks!
Thank YOU John for you wonderful contributions to the car industry. It's an honor to have you viewing these videos... some of which you had a part in. Truly amazing. Thank you sir.
Another AWESOME video. I love your work!!!
Outstanding job on this!
I own a 88 GT. I absolutley love my car 😀
Big fan of fiero nice video loved
I had a chance to drive an iron duke several times, and it was the best handling car I ever drove! I wish it succeeded.
Mr. Tofer, I see all of these many positive comments about the Feiro and I remember when the car was brought out, and I remember the downfall. The engine was garbage, as per usual for G.M. and by the way it would catch on FIRE a lot and over heat. You were often lucky to get only 50 to 60 thousand miles on its life.G.M. had to offer an extended warranty to gain back sales. It was made at the Fisherbody part of the Pontiac assembly plant in Pontiac Mich. I lived in Pontiac at the time. The other thing is the market filled the demand for a two seater along with all the other offerings out there in that price piont and that made them also harder to sell. When they finally got a great offering in the final V6 car they had destroyed the reputation of the car. When will G M. ever allow the time needed by the engineers to get a car right, before bringing it to market? The public buying G.M. cars and trucks is without knowing it part of vehicle testing., and there not even being paid for it. I enjoy your videos very much, they are very professional in there presentation. Keep up the great work.
Great video I can remember into one as a kid at the Toronto car show and thought it was pretty cool but small, and also thought that it was going to replace the firebird trans AM, my dad did buy a '81 lemans Coupe with the small block v8 the 305 engine. Great car overall
Never owned or even driven one, but still love the look of these cars .
📺 I watched the commercials in its entirety because I knew the video would be archive quality.
Very nicely done!!! Great as and what a beautiful tribute to the Pontiac brand at the end 😀
Tofer I love your videos great stuff
This was an awesome video. Very good job
Isn't it amazing how the brand that pretty much started the pony war no longer exists . You can't help but wonder what would they have came up with now or what car would have been made to completed with the Feiro if it still existed from other auto makers .
I love my Fiero’s!
Very well put together. Bravo!
Also, thanks for the great work you do, Tofer. I love your videos!
I’ve had several Pontiac Fiero‘s. I currently on 86 1/2 GT automatic in a 1984 Indianapolis edition number 413. Fiero was an affordable mid engine sports car. But I will say the 1990 probably would’ve decimated the Corvette. After this suspension was redone in 1988 the Corvette had a competition and it was the Fiero and don’t forget the TwinTurbo 3.4 L V6 that was on the platform. The engine lived lighter in the Chevy lumina Grand Prix GTP but was never turbo 3.4 L dual overhead cam. Only the McLaren 3.1 L Grand Prix
I loved my GT but it got stolen but I still have the 1984 2M4 model with less than 50K miles. It's black. My oldest nephew is wanting this car so badly but I don't think he's responsible enough just yet but it will go to him and it's in my will. I'm hoping one day the car's value as a collector will rise but I know it will be the GT more than mine which is fine. It was my first car. I worked and saved all my monies to buy these cars. It was not easy working on a tabacco farm making 20 bucks a day but that's what I did from age 5 to 16. Then I moved up to being a waitress. I saved all my money to buy a car and to buy a small apt when I was able to go to college. That's exactly what I did. I would do it all over again today.
Tofer this was AWESOME! Your videos are superb!
Great channel with some super content. Hope more people discover it soon. Keep up the great work!
Amazing and informative as usual. 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻
Love it!
wow, always have been and will be owner.
1:18 other sources say it was meant to be a sports car but the only way to gwt it approved was to market it as a commuter car.
I was fascinated by this car, so i bought one in 2022
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Gonna have to save this one for after work, gonna make for a long night waiting!!!!!!
looking forward to it. I hope you included some footage of the triplets at the lake from the promo videos haaa
When we getting a video like for cars like the Pontiac 6000 Chevrolet celebrity Buick century and Oldsmobile cutlass ciera so basically the whole 1982 to 1996 GM A-BODY line up because this was amazing
Amazing video!! Please continue to make more. Perhaps a review of the 1997-2003 Ford F 150?
How do you have less than 10k subs?!
I would love to see a video on the J-car. Back in the day I had wished that Pontiac would have ditched the Low-Tech 4 in favor of the V6 as standard and the Sunbird's 1.8 turbo as an option. Granted it was killed off before I was able to get my license so kinda moot.
A mechanic`s point of view. I worked on the Fiero in a dealership . I did not see very many of them . The brakes had issues the engine had issues the steering I was not real fond of. My Mom actually owned and drove it a lot she loved it. The car had a brake issue malfunction and caught on fire. The brake line hose was to blame . They were recalled for them and something else . I liked the Sun bird looked like the j 2000 but not the same .
Thanks for making these videos. I love 80s cars and have always felt that they have been overlooked and ignored by too many people. If you ever get the chance, you should make a video on the Oldsmobile Troféo. It featured a touch screen dash computer and full digital array as far back as 1987
the 80's when everyone tried to make their own 944
One word. Perfection
SO so glad you enjoyed this my friend.
your videos has best music and i love cars you show , you sold do the DMC delaren next :)
I remember when the 86/87 GT came out, I contacted my insurance company to see how much more it would cost than '85 Escort GT Turbo. They laughed at me. Seems that all of my tickets that I racked up at the age of 22 caught up with me and somehow the 86 Fiero GT wasn't covered. Oh well, two years after that, with some additional speeding tickets my insurance agent finally dropped me but by then it was too late because the Fiero was already dead.
I was never a big fan of the Fiero, but I was saddened to see Pontiac die.
I low key want one of these
You should do an episode on the Chrysler R body.
Quite an interesting story that one.
East Coast Classics had a Plymouth Gran Fury that he made a few videos about. He went into some history, but his style is nothing like Topher, but also interesting. ruclips.net/user/hullinger
@@bradlemmond I'm pretty sure that was an M body the one that effectively replaced the R body.
Shame the final incarnation of the Fiero was a nice looking and competent car. It deserved a better fate.
When I was a lille kid I had a Fiero baseball hat that I wore everywhere.
If you get a chance you should do one of these on the AMC Eagle line.
If AMC had been netter managed they could've created the crossover market 35 years before it existed and become an industry giant again.
The Screaming Chicken became nuggets.
Found this on google news
I've owned 4. And, I want a 5th.
Where can I buy one - in Australia?
There are a few people down there who have them! Look up we.build.excitement on instagram. Maybe you can hook up with the Fiero community there.
@@NotAnybodyElse Thanks, I will have a look.
I saw a couple of early ones for sale on-line in Australia just now, they have my interest.
4:29
When the 80's acid hits, and you get high
Good video I have a 1986 with a turbo powered 3.8 series 2....I love these cars, I’m gonna read the comments.....and I can bet there will be some mustang, corvette, and civic owner hating.
I dispatched many mustangs and corvettes....with my 3000 turbo powered fiero..shut them the hell up” many complained their ac was running” yeah right Air condition disengages at full throttle” many claimed I jumped the line....I have a 3000 stall torc converter, I have to lay on the brake to build almost 3000rpm to spool up my turbo....due to my shitty launches, many get the jump on me....before being revealed in.
Mustang owner: Your car is a death trap.....those things will burn up...Pontiac made unreadable shit, I’d drive any ford over a fiero.
Me: including the pinto?
Mustang owner: yes they fixed that issue, and many more ppl died in a fiero anyway.
ME: so did Pontiac...they recalled the 1984” due to them catching on fire and there were never a fatality.
ME: let’s stop the shit talk and race.
Mustang owner....haha mines a 10.9 second car, you sure you want to race? My V8 is supercharged ...haha you have a automatic transmission.
Me: you wanna talk or race....wheres your time slip BTW.
Mustang diver: it’s not in the car.
Me: let me look at your engine, I don’t believe it’s a supercharged v8, well he did have a supercharged v8” he wasn’t lying about that”
Me: wanna see mine
Mustang drive: no need those 2.8s are shit and they blow up with boost” he wasn’t lying about that” but he neglected to see it was not a boosted 2.8 it was a turbo powered 3800.
Race starts...mustang pulls a car and a half forward, the fiero reales him in and beats him by 2m1/2 car lengths
Me: what do you say now? You were beat my a 34 year old relic.
Mustang driver: fuck you, there still shit”and gives me the middle finger, and takes off.
At that point I never bothered to tell him he wasn’t beat by a 2.8....so now the asshole can go around....thinking he was dusted by a 2.8...the dumb ass didn’t bother to look at my engine.....oh well, I wish we raced for money.
A 3800 belongs in a fiero.
Im looking into getting an 86 GT, I was really wanting an 88 but having trouble finding the right one. Needs to be standard, but juat curious, does the 88 GT handle well? Thanks in advance.
I haved like 12eoeo 2:34 fieros and replika in mi live nice vid
Those seats were a thief's heaven.