Which would you get?

I think I've narrowed my next car down to two. Either a pontiac fiero or an e30 bmw. Which would you get? I just found a 1986 bmw 325e for $400. He said it needs a rear main seal. Should I get this or hold out for the fiero?

E30

E30, so long as it's a stick.

Unless the Fiero has a rebuilt Northstar or something equally interesting in it...

All IMO, of course.

I don't know, A nice V6 Fiero coupe can scare the snot out of you.

The e30 is an automatic.

^ Hold out for a 5 spd E30...

MiatarPowar wrote: E30, so long as it's a stick. Unless the Fiero has a rebuilt Northstar or something equally interesting in it... All IMO, of course.

You don't want any rebuilt Northstar. Fresh head gaskets and timeserts might be nice, but the survival rate on Northstars that have been rebuilt is even worse than the survival rate of E30 oil pans that have met a curb.

I'm partial to Fieros, but you should know that you have to really like Fieros to own a Fiero. The E30 is a better car in most respects, technically speaking. The Fiero is unique and has lots of potential if you want a project.

Bryce

John Brown wrote: I don't know, A nice V6 Fiero coupe can scare the snot out of you.

They're all coupes, wise guy.

E30...but hold out for a 5-speed.

Don't forget he's talking about an Eta - 4500 rpm redline and all. Not the most desirable engine.

ponycarman wrote: The e30 is an automatic.

Okay then. Neither.

Or Fiero. Whichever.

jstein77 wrote: Don't forget he's talking about an Eta - 4500 rpm redline and all. Not the most desirable engine.

Eta vs. GM 2.5 (apples to apples), I think the Eta wins...

If these are your only 2 choices then I vote for the E30, even if it is a slushbox. You should easily get $400 use outta it.

Nashco wrote:

John Brown wrote: I don't know, A nice V6 Fiero coupe can scare the snot out of you.

They're all coupes, wise guy.

As opposed to the GT

Yea, but isn't the fastback the same as the coupe structurally other than than the roofline? I thought the difference was aesthetic?

John Brown wrote:

Nashco wrote:

John Brown wrote: I don't know, A nice V6 Fiero coupe can scare the snot out of you.

They're all coupes, wise guy.

As opposed to the GT

I knew what you meant, just giving you a hard time. I don't know why, but it's stuck with some of the Fiero crowd to call the notchbacks "coupes" and the fastbacks fastbacks, I've done it myself from time to time when talking about the 2M4 but try to avoid it because it can be confusing. FWIW, in '85 the GT was a notchback. 86-88 GTs were fastbacks...just to muddy the water a bit.

Bryce

Stargazer wrote: Yea, but isn't the fastback the same as the coupe structurally other than than the roofline? I thought the difference was aesthetic?

Yes, they only thing that's different is the plastic body piece that bolts on. The fastbacks were GTs, so they tended to be loaded with all of the options. The notchbacks could be ordered with a V6 but without AC, cruise, power options, or even a stereo so you could get them a bit lighter. The Formula was essentially that...performance parts that came on the GT in a slightly lighter, stripped down package.

Bryce

So there's no particular fiero in question? An e30 in the hand is worth a 2m4 in the bush.

A 5-speed E30, especially if you have more than 1 friend. Even the eta is entertaining and somewhat torquey, and so long as the suspension is in good shape you'll get the magical BMW ride and handling goodness.

There is no specific fiero yet. I just narrowed my choice down to the two. But today I found a 1986 bmw. It needs a little work but it wouldn't be my only car. So I could work on it. I like both cars alot and they both have alot of potential. I just don't know if I should go ahead with the bimmer or hold out for a fiero.

From what I gather, doesn't it matter which year of the Fiero, in particular? (suspension-wise)

I have read a couple of threads on pennock's fiero forum and from what I can gather, the 1988 had a better rear suspension but you can swap the subframe to an older year of car. There are a bunch of suspension upgrades that you can do to them. Check out http://westshorefabricators.com/. As for engines, almost any gm engine worth swapping will fit. I'm leaning toward fiero because I'm a big pontiac guy. I have a '79 Trans am and a '99 Grand Prix right now.

The bmw isn't out though. I am going to look at it again tomorrow and here is run. I think that will help with the descision.

scardeal wrote: From what I gather, doesn't it matter which year of the Fiero, in particular? (suspension-wise)

I'm sure the Fiero guru's can chime in here, but from what I remember the 88 Fiero Formula is the one to have. They did some fairly significant changes to the front suspension in 88, and really got it right.......then GM killed the car.

Hold out for a 325i or 325is if you are shopping BMW's. They aren't much more $$ but much more fun right out of the box.

The 88 has a different suspension front and rear.

84-87 = parts bin engineered
88 = engineer engineered

I think an eta would make a really fun DD. It has a low redline, but useable torque. The etas seems to be easier to find in unabused condition too.