Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/5/84; site tellab2.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!tellab1!tellab2!thoth From: thoth@tellab2.UUCP (Marcus Hall) Newsgroups: net.auto Subject: Re: Pontiac Fiero Message-ID: <214@tellab2.UUCP> Date: Mon, 4-Feb-85 15:03:01 EST Article-I.D.: tellab2.214 Posted: Mon Feb 4 15:03:01 1985 Date-Received: Wed, 6-Feb-85 05:34:23 EST References: <1929@inmet.UUCP> Reply-To: thoth@tellab2.UUCP (Marcus Hall) Organization: Tellabs, Inc., Lisle, IL Lines: 73 In article <1929@inmet.UUCP> stern@inmet.UUCP writes: >(a) The thing turns very poorly. A Cadillac has a smaller turning radius. > Just *try* to avoid hitting something/someone with a turning radius > that huge (I don't remember the number, but I do remember it was > 1.5 - 2 times the t-r for my Celica) I don't have anything in front of me that states the turning radius, but my complaint with the steering is that it is SLOW. By that I mean that it takes a lot of turning the wheel to turn the car, at least compared to by old Fiat X1/9. Once you get the wheel all the way over, however, the car turns in a reasonable radius, nothing spectacular but nothing difficult to deal with either. >(b) If you are tall (over 5' 8") you are going to be uncomfortable in it. > It looks cool but cramps the slightly larger-sized passenger I'm 5' 10" and fit in it just fine. Actually it's substantially larger on the inside than by departed Fiat, which contributes to (d) below. >(c) You can't see out the back too well. I didn't have any problems. If you strap something large onto the (optional) luggage rack (as a solution for (d) below), it does block the rear view. >(d) There is little or no storage/luggage space True enough. For this reason, the Fiero cannot ever be a very *practical* car, but it all depends on what you're looking for. >(e) The glove box is a poor excuse for a storage area. True again, but this is true of many cars (i.e. Firebird, etc.) >(f) The body construction is *a few* sections of fibreglass. Now 'glass > is great for fast, small sporty cars, but it does have one problem: > hit it and it shatters, splinters and cracks. Metal cars just dent; > fibre cars crack, the cracks fill up with water and freeze, and then > they crack more. When you bust a panel, you have to replace the whole > thing. That's a lot of bucks -- probably in the $600-$1000 range for > a single panel. Driving in Boston one tends to be concerned with > dent protection. The Fiero is NOT fiberglass!! It is a plastic bodied car. There are actually several kinds of plastic used in the body, depending on what kinds of loads it is required to take. It is refered to as "friendly plastic" because it is flexible. Opening a car door into the Fiero does nothing to it. Kick it and your foot will bounce back. Very minor collisions will not hurt it, but if it's enough to bend the metal structure that the plastic skins bolt onto it won't bounce back so well. Replacing a plastic panel is a snap because they all just bolt on, thus repair costs may be kept down if you do your own labor (to say nothing of the aftermarket of body panels due to this feature). >(g) The middie engine probably gives you a nice center of rotation. I > seem to remember somebody saying that it was an easy car to spin out. > No thanks. Mid-engined cars tend to have a better weight distribution because the weight is spread more evenly on all four wheels. The Fiero has a low and long center of gravity which helps keep it pointing straight. The '84 Fieros did have a bad habit of going from understeer unexpectedly into oversteer when braking hard and turning, but this has been fixed on the '85s. > After some closer inspection, I decided to get a Celica. Fair enough. Everyone's surely entitled to their own choices without reproach. I have a V6 Fiero on order. Hopefully it'll get here soon, but Pontiac is having a hard time building Fieros fast enough, let alone stuffing the V6 in them. marcus hall ..!ihnp4!tellab1!tellab2!thoth