Almost got my first car back...

Doll

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Hi everyone!

My first car was a gold 1987 Fiero GT. I thought I was the coolest thang in school thanks to that hott little car. My dad bought it for me. I think it was sort of a mourning gift, as I had lost my mother shortly before my 16th birthday. I got the car in 1992.

Anyhow, long story short, my dad and I had a falling out when I was 17. He kicked me out and I went to stay with my grandmother. He came in the middle of the night and took the car back. He went about 15 years without speaking to me. In that 15 years, I heard that he had sold the car.

We made up a few years ago. I found out he actually still had the car. He told me last week that he would let me have it back, but that a mechanic had told him it could cost up to 5G to get her going again.

Apparently it has been sitting in a lot behind his mechanic's shop for the last 17 years. There was nothing wrong with it when he took it there. He just basically wanted to store it somewhere. So, wow, I don't know where to start once I get it back! First of all, I have to haul it 2000 miles back to CO, where I live. But I also have NO idea where to start.

Do you have any recommendations? I've never tried to start a car that has sat for 17 years. I'm sure you are supposed to do some things to it just to get it to a place where it's safe to even try turning the ignition.

Am I getting in over my head? I loved the car. But am I being unrealistic? I'm not a rich woman, in any sense. I wish I were a gear head, but I'm not. So, is this going to be really expensive, you think?

Any suggestions are appreciated. Even if you tell me I should TOTALLY not even go through the trouble of hauling a dead car 2000 miles.
 
Depends on what has happened to the car in all those years. Did rodents get into it and cause damage? What condition is the exterior? Any frame rust? To start it again you have to change all fluids. You have to see if the engine has seized. How much can you afford to throw into it to get it going versus what the value of the car is. Does it have value to you beyond just the financial investment. Without seeing pictures of the car it will be difficult for someone on the internet to advise in any detail.
 
Well, the "value" of a Fiero isn't very much, monetarily. I'm sure most Fiero lovers have put way more into their Fieros than they could ever get back by selling it. It's value to me is more of the heart. But I have gone 17 years without it, so, I imagine I could pass it up too.

I guess I just wondered if anyone has had experience with getting cars running again that have been sitting for many years. What kinds of things go wrong with a car that has gone untouched for that long?

The car has been covered, no rodents tore up the interior. There is no major rusting. It looks exactly like this one on the exterior. It's not been garage kept, but I reckon the cover helped keep it pretty.

Additionally, there are no Pontiac dealerships nearby. I guess there are probably mechanics around that could work on it.

Tires are dry rotted. But that's going to be the easiest part, I'm sure.
1987_pontiac_fiero_gt_17094925.jpg


I want to get it painted pearl white.
 
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