Rare Indy Edition: 1984 Pontiac Fiero
It’s almost more exciting to see a rough version of a Pace Car special edition considering how many end up as time capsules or locked in an air bubble somewhere. This 1984 Pontiac Fiero is one of 2,000 Indy Fiero tributes made, and it’s looking a bit tired. More disappointing is that it’s an automatic-equipped example, and not one of the 250 manual cars made. Find it here on craigslist with an asking price of $1,200. Thanks to Barn Finds reader Dean for the find.
The authentic Indianapolis Pace Car is one of the few bright spots in Pace Car history. It was a very trick edition of the Fiero, with a unique air induction system and bored out 2.7L under the engine lid. It yielded a huge jump in power over the showroom example and could pull down some impressive speeds on the track. However, the civilian version was a far cry from this hotted-up Pace Car – and this one has its share of mechanical issues noted in the ad.
It was more of the same from GM, with some window dressing stickers and special paint and color-coded wheels. Still, some owners have put them away, sitting in climate-controlled garages with under 1,000 miles on the tires. This one has not been preserved in that fashion, listed as being in fair condition with the mileage unmentioned. The Fiero does have a clear title and new tires, so it has that going for it. It’s hard to get a complete view o the interior, but what we can see looks fairly tired.
The nose panel shows some damage as well, and the paint overall looks quite tired. The interior did feature a unique two-tone design, but we can’t see here what sort of condition it’s in. Engine-wise, you got 92 roaring horsepower, really the ultimate insult when compared to the actual Pace Car. If this Fiero were a manual, I’d say it’s a chance worth taking on restoring and hoping not to lose your shirt on it; as an automatic, I’m not sure how much of a gamble I’d be willing to take.
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Comments
Nice. You can carry this one in the trunk of the Cadillac in case of a breakdown.
https://barnfinds.com/1-of-138-1973-cadillac-eldorado-convertible/
And the Doodlebug in the trunk of the Fiero. I think there’s a bit of storage space behind the engine
Right up there with the Aztec as the worst Pontiac ever…
too bad you speak without knowledge
Is the model year that you had to drop the engine to change the plugs??
Al,
4 cylinder. Room to work around the engine. If this is an actual Pace Car and not a tribute car, the 2.7 ltr displacement was achieved by a larger displacement 4 cyl engine from the factory. My concern would be as follows:
From Wikipedia about the Indy Pace Car editions:
“Only the underpowered four-cylinder engine was available, though a few prototypes could be seen driving around the Greater Detroit area with a unique periscope-style inlet sprouting from the engine compartment and curving up and over the roof. This “periscope” style inlet was used on the three actual Indy Pace Car Fieros that appeared at the 1984 Indianapolis 500. This inlet scoop, and the 2.7 L (160 cu in) Super Duty engine that they fed, were not available on the production model pace car replicas. The Super Duty engine produced 232 bhp (173 kW) at 6500 rpm and 210 lb⋅ft (280 N⋅m) of torque at 5500 rpm.”
Based on the above (no periscope intake?), I’m questioning whether this Fiero actually has the 2.7 engine.
No 2.7 was sold to the public, all were 2.5 Iron Duke fours.
Perfect candidate for a V8 swap!
May I ask what automatic was used in these?
th125
I drove my Indy Fiero to work today, yes the 4 cylinder ones are under powered, but still a lot of fun to drive. They are also trouble free and dependable when maintened. We drove two from NC to Illinois and back for the Fiero 35th Anniversary this summer with no issues.
Also, the automatics and the manuals were about a 50/50 mix on the Indy edition.
ls3
GM had a genius in the marketing group in charge of selecting model names.
Ummmmmmmmm once again the fire is not coming from the engine compartment………keep hating though……LOL!
Likely an owner that didn’t keep the heater box clear… I think that’s a greater fire risk in these, given the engine issue was corrected under recall prior to a design correction for ’85.
fake news
I’ve seen more Fiero Pace Cars for sale that have been driven and enjoyed, than most other Pace Cars…they seem to make a compelling case to be driven, despite the Iron Duke. Nice project car if it hasn’t seen road salt.
Someone liked it, it’s been removed!
It’s really too bad GM did not approve Pontiac’s 300HP Fiero GT which skid-pad tested right there with the Corvette of that era. Ooops, sorry GM, we didn’t intend to build a car that would outperform your Corvette.
Sad what they and Chevrolet did to Pontiac, but I believe I’d love to have been a fly-on-the-wall in some of those meetings! :)
Always have liked Fieros even with the hate. Flawed cars yes, but something about them appeals to me. I’d rather an older 2M4 one though, not in red.
I remember the Pontiac Fiero. I found it more attractive than Toyota’s MR2. It’s a damn shame that the Fiero was discontinued when it was.
Lot of guys know a lot about Fieros on here.
Makes me scared to make a joke about them…..😁
Indy fieros are no joke. Everything in the mid 80s was underpowered. My 84 Indy has 44k original miles and is driven regularly but only on nice days. Interestingly 1984 was the 68th indy 500 and my car is vin 000068. Keep hating all you want. The problem wasnt gm engineers, bit rather gm accountants.