I too had a Fiero as a first car. Mine was an '84, red with a luggage rack (yuck). I put a nice Clarion stereo in it and remember loving the headrest speakers. 10 gallon tank, back when RUG was about 85 cents. Awesome handling, very very fun to drive. Mine had a 4 speed. But power? Not so much. I had the I4 which, as stated previously, had only 100 horse. The plastic panels were the experimental precursor for the plastic used by modern GM vehicles like the Saturn. There really weren't any safety issues with the Fiero, but somehow the buying public at that time was not ready for a "plastic" car, so this feature hurt the Fiero's reputation somewhat. Go figure; nowadays people buy Saturns left and right and actually LIKE the plastic because it is marketed as ding and dent free... I was rear-ended by a 3/4 ton GMC conversion van at about 45 mph sitting at a light. Because the Fiero was so low, the van actually got somewhat up the trunk and rode the rear driver side quarter, clipping up to the pillar just behind and to the left of my head. But I came out fine, and the car was fine too. Drove it for another couple of months with no problems until I got rid of it. I'd buy one again if it was in good condition and the price was right. Then again, no, I don't think I would. I've owned a Miata for a few months now and, while it has nearly the same handling as the Fiero, its mechanicals are bulletproof and it has the added bonus of being a convertible.

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