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From: rosen@siemens.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.auto
Subject: Re: fiero: +/- recommendations, anyone?
Message-ID: <25300026@siemens.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 6-May-85 09:28:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: siemens.25300026
Posted: Mon May  6 09:28:00 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 8-May-85 01:17:51 EDT
References: <1156@phoenix.UUCP>
Lines: 44
Nf-ID: #R:phoenix:-115600:siemens:25300026:000:2286
Nf-From: siemens!rosen    May  6 09:28:00 1985


[]

I don't own a Fiero, but from what I have been reading about it I have to
laugh.  It seems that GM is pulling the technical wool over the eyes of the
auto-buying public.  A couple of years ago, before GM was convinced that the
public was hungry for little zippy sports cars, a couple of engineers
thought that GM should be selling a fast little car.  Unfortunately the
engineers knew that they could not go off and build the car that they really
wanted to because it would not be approved by management.

What these guys did was to 'fake' a sports car by passing it off as a
2-seater commuter car.  They borrowed parts from current GM cars so that it
would not look suspicious.  The american public, upon first seeing this new
car exclaimed, "WOW a new sports, how sleek!"  GM didn't intend the car to
be a sports car, but they figured that if the automobile public thinks that
they are buying a sports car then as far as we're concerned, they're buying
a sports car.  Boy were people fooled (and are still fooled).  The
technical aspects of this car are testimony to this fact.  Do you really
think the Fiero is a sports car?  Sure it looks pretty, but beauty is only
skin deep.  Let's take a look under that plastic...

Front Suspension:   Borrowed from a Chevy Chevette!
Rear  Suspension:   Borrowed from a Chevy Citation! (X-body suspension)
Hi-Tech Interior:   Seats are from a Pontiac J2000 (Chevette Twin)
Engine:             2.5L "Iron Duke" - modified version of
                    an old Chevy Vega Engine

People complain about weak handling and an underpowered engine... Gee, I
wonder why they say that?  The new GT version has a 6-cylinder in it but
Pontiac isn't going to upgrade the suspension until next year when the
Chevette goes bye-bye.  These cars are in such demand that the factory can't
turn them out quick enough.  It's hard to get spare parts because every
extra part goes into making a new car.

All this alone was enough to make me stop and wonder about the car, but
after a recent visit to a Pontiac dealer with a friend to get his Grand Prix
fixed I saw an array of Fieros in the garage all with their engines
partially disassembled, I really had to stop and think.  You can draw your
own conclusions.

Steve Rosen
Siemens RTL
princeton!siemens!rosen