At $13,500, Does This 1987 Fieroari Feel Like A Real Deal?
While a kit, this fake Ferrari does sport a small block Chevy engine and manual gearbox.
The seller of today's Nice Price or No Dice custom kit Fiero lists it as a "Farrari' in its Craigslist ad. That's not the only thing hinkey about the car. We'll have to decide if the car's specs and price overcome whatever weirdness it exhibits.
While many people tout horsepower as the bellwether of performance, it's really the torque that provides that seat-of-the-pants experience. It's why electric cars are so much fun off the line but not so much at autobahn speeds. The 2002 Mercedes-Benz E55 AMG we considered this past Friday is a car with oodles of torque (and a lot of ponies), and as such, that model is generally a hoot and a half to drive. At $11,500, ours wasn't too dear a ticket to experience that thrill, as evidenced by the 56 percent Nice Price win the car enjoyed.
Speaking of enjoyment, what's your go-to source of fun and amusement? Is it something that you consider a group activity like a team sport or orgy participation? Or is it something more insular, introspective, and individual, like artwork or competitive hermitting?
The creator of today's 1987 Fieroari likely built it as an individual vision quest, and not as part of a well-rounded committee or carefully-assembled team of superheroes. That's just the vibe the car gives off.
This is not the first time we've looked at a faux-ari, but this one is a little more liberal in its interpretation of Pininfarina's audaciousness than our last rodeo. One of the most noticeable elements of this silver car is the substantial gap between the door and the front fender. It's wide enough to wave to passersby through and is most likely sized that way to allow room for the scissor doors to operate. That's right, this Fiero Ferrari has Lambo doors. I mean, shit, this car's got everything.
That includes a Chevy 350 sitting sidesaddle behind the seats and bolted to a five-speed manual gearbox for all our shifting enjoyment. That transmission has been rebuilt, and according to the ad, the car also comes with a new clutch, radiator, and fan.
The aesthetics are a bit all over the place. Aside from the weird door gap, the bodywork does a respectable job of looking like a Ferrari and appearing reasonably well-assembled. The headlights are odd, but based on the front bumper, this kit attempts to ape the fixed-light 512TR, not the earlier pop-up headlight Testarossa.
That's also evident in the cabin where the center armrest has been embroidered with 512TR, and prancing horses adorn the seat backs. Aside from those additions, plus a set of $1.29 hardware store drawer pulls screwed to the doors to make them easier to close, it's all straightforward Fiero in here. A Grant steering wheel does show that some expense was spared. Chrome Chip Foose wheels add some bling to the outside, showing where the money was spent on the car.
A promise of a clean title and the boast that the car "Runs Great," has "Lots Of Power," and is in "Great Condition" close the ad. That brings us to our consideration of the $13,500 price tag the seller has set.
Look, before we get to that, let's just acknowledge that this car isn't for everyone. Heck, there's probably not a single one of us who looks at this Fiero kit car and says, "I gotta get me some of that." Regardless, this is somebody's labor of love and something they were probably very proud of upon its completion. Now, however, they are looking for someone with the same appreciation of that accomplishment and, more importantly, someone with $13,500 burning a hole in their pocket to do so. As we can imagine, that's got to be a significantly small target audience.
Still, there's got to be someone out there who will appreciate this car—an ass for every seat, right? We now need to decide if $13,500 is a reasonable cost for that appreciation.
What do you say? Is that a fair deal for this phony-baloney Ferrari? Or is that too much of a stake for even the biggest of poseurs to possess?
You decide!
Fresno, California, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
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