In an effort to mix things up and feature as many different types of cheap vehicles as possible, we move from yesterday’s land yachts to a couple of tiny two-seaters that were originally marketed as economy cars, but weren’t fooling anyone. One of them is, however, also a Pontiac. Maybe I can make that the theme for the week: every matchup is a Pontiac versus something else.
Yesterday’s Pontiac choice went over like a lead balloon, I’m afraid. Its smog-era carburetor and lack of an overdrive gear counted against it, but I think its main flaw was that its competitor was a woody wagon. I tried to find a Roadmaster Estate or something to put up against that Colony Park, but came up empty-handed in the time I had to look. Maybe I’ll try to make that matchup happen someday soon.
I’m of two minds about this one. I like the Catalina a lot better, but the Mercury wagon would be a lot easier to live with. I guess I’ll take the wagon as well. But in reality, I’d go for a Chrysler Newport, sedan or wagon, over either of them.
For those of you who prefer zippy, good-handling little cars with manual transmissions, yesterday’s vote was a tough one, I know. Maybe you’ll prefer one of these two. Let’s check them out.
1986 Pontiac Fiero SE – $3,000
Engine/drivetrain: 2.8-liter OHV V6, four-speed manual, RWD
Location: Oregon City, OR
Odometer reading: 105,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives well
By now, you know the story: Pontiac sold the Fiero concept to the GM brass as an economy car that just happened to be mid-engined and wedge-shaped. It was cobbled together from GM’s parts bin, sold just well enough, and showed just enough promise to warrant some improvements, then was unceremoniously killed off just as Pontiac finally started to get it right. This SE model, from smack-dab in the middle of the production run, has some noticeable improvements over the original, but doesn’t command the high price of the coveted 1988 models.
The standard Fiero engine was Pontiac’s low-revving Iron Duke four-cylinder, which was a respectable enough engine for a family car, but had no business being in a sports coupe. It seemed to realize that, and had a tendency to protest being shoved into the Fiero’s cramped engine bay by catching fire. The later optional 2.8 liter V6, which this car has, is more powerful and less prone to self-immolation, making it a logical choice. Halfway through the 1986 model year, V6 Fieros switched from a four-speed manual to a five-speed; this one is an earlier car with the four-speed. Hey, at least it’s a stickshift. The seller says it runs great, and has a smattering of new parts.
The interior needs a little help: the upholstery is torn up on both seats, the carpet is a mess, and it looks like the headliner might be falling down. I’ve seen a lot worse, though. The seller is tight-lipped about the condition of things in here, but I would expect a few electrical items not to work, and I’m certain that the dash rattles over bumps. They all do.
1986 was the first year that the Fiero GT received the new rear body style, with the long flying buttresses alongside the engine cover. Base models, and SEs like this one, kept the original rear styling, which personally I like better. This one is in good shape, and if it has been an Oregon car all along, it’s unlikely to have any worrisome rust under the plastic body panels.
1989 Honda CRX Si – $4,000
Engine/drivetrain: 1.8-liter DOHC inline 4 (swapped), five-speed manual, FWD
Location: Oregon City, OR
Odometer reading: 93,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives well
Like the Fiero, the Honda Civic CRX was meant as a commuter car, especially the frugal HF model. But the go-kart handling and easy modifiability of the second generation in particular made it a favorite among enthusiasts. The side effect of that, of course, is that it’s now hard to find a stock CRX for any sort of reasonable price. The price of this one is reasonable, but it is by no means a stock CRX.
The CRX Si originally came with a 1.6-liter engine making 108 horsepower, plenty to toss around such a lightweight car, but this one has something considerably more potent: a 1.8-liter B18C1 from an Integra. The seller says it’s “fully built,” which could mean a lot of things, but hopefully it means it was overhauled by someone who knows what they’re doing. It reportedly runs and drives very well. I’m not against engine swaps in general, but one thing I cannot abide is repainting a car that was originally yellow in primer gray. What were they thinking?
I have to be honest: When I first clicked on this ad, I expected the interior of this car to be a lot worse than it is. I mean, yeah, there’s a huge gaudy subwoofer in the back, and some non-hidden wires running to it, but it’s mostly intact inside. The driver’s seat looks pretty worn, which makes me question the odometer reading; I have a feeling that the gauge cluster may have been changed out at some point and that it has more miles on it than are being reported. Still, for a car like this, it’s pretty nice inside. Clean it up a bit, and you could conceivably take this car on a date, which is a good benchmark for interior condition.
Apart from the fact that it’s no longer that glorious Honda yellow, it looks decent outside. It has been lowered, but that’s no surprise. The seller says it comes with “racing slicks,” by which I hope they don’t just mean bald front tires. Regardless, you should probably count on putting some decent rolling stock on it if you intend to drive it regularly.
So we have a stock Fiero in okay condition and better-than-it-could-be specification, and a CRX that has been, I won’t say ruined, but significantly altered. They both run and drive great, if the sellers are to be believed, and neither one of them seems like an outrageous price. Which way are you leaning?
Well, if the CRX hadn’t been f’d up, then maybe I’d consider it but it has. There’s the stuff we know like the engine, wiring for the stupid subwoofer, suspension, etc. I don’t feel like putting this one right or wondering if it’s been abused. Just not worth it so today I’m voting for a Pontiac over a Honda.
I saw a 60+ year old lady with a grey bouffant driving a CRX yesterday, in Chicago. She was laying on the horn. She may have been holding a cigarette, or did I imagine that part?
I’ll take the CRX.
I like them both. But that Honda has been messed with too much unfortunately. Fiero for me.
Yeah but we also have not been informed if the Fiero has caught on fire yet. Much like a car with a risky timing belt the Fiero has EV risks of internal combustion in the bad way
This is a tough one.
A Fiero that is obviously worn, needs more than a little work, but with almost the correct spec; vs a modded Civic that looks like turn-key fun, but is probably a ticking bomb with a few seconds left.
I would have to go with the Fiero. Clean it up, swap in a 5spd if possible and turn it into the car it could have been.
My exact assessment. Not the perfect Fiero spec, but pretty close. I’m not paying another $1000 to deal with somebody else’s idea of an upgraded CRX.
I do feel that the CRX has been messed with enough to bring the quality and reliability down to the level of the Fiero
Dang! Hondas were so cool looking back in the 80’s!
I went with the Honda, because I once owned this model and it was fun. As for the primer paint, I imagined using it as a canvas to paint murals, cartoons, seascapes — whatever. At this point, it need not be a solid color. Why not have some fun?
Use a sander to create yellow designs from the paint underneath?
The Honda is CRXly compromised, which is too bad.
Fiero. I can use the wagon from yesterday to tow this home.
I saw team IG voting for the Honda, and reading over the description, I considered it. But I do like Fieros, and this is in decent condition. If I really wanted a project Honda, this would be a good start, but there’s going to be a lot of investigation. Exposed wires to a subwoofer is cheesy, but it’s also an easy job; what other corners did they cut?
I clicked on this article thinking it was a no-brainer for the CRX, “the only thing that would make it close is if it was a manual V6 Fiero” I thought, and lo and behold. Then, to make it even easier, it turns out the CRX has been futzed with by a previous owner. It’s a real shame, because right now I have a really bad itch for a late-80’s Honda (specifically an 86 or 87 Integra), but this one just wouldn’t fit the bill; it’s the incredible refinement and quality of Hondas of that era that I’m craving, and a project car just certainly wouldn’t have that anymore.
I watched a Fiero fire on the side of the highway a few decades back. Burned like the sun. I will skip thanks.
I wouldn’t be mad at either of today’s choices.
It’s not the best CRX, but I already have a Fiero (that didn’t cost much more than the one here, but is better in my opinion, since it’s a GT) so I went with it anyway.
wow I expected the CRX to run away with this! but I guess the questionable mods did it in. I am contractually obligated to vote for Ponchos, I want to get a Fiero some day and drop a 3800sc/6speed in.
I want to want the CRX, but the primer ruined it for me. Especially with how great of a shade of yellow the factory color was!
As someone who had an ’86 CRX Si back in the day, I would dearly love to have another one. This one isn’t really that one, but that Fiero looks pretty ratty so I’ll take my chances with the ‘built’ CRX, hope it’s not a rolling disaster and try to wrap it back to the original CRX yellow.
Went back/forth for a minute on this. I always admired the CRX for what it was, but the car I admired is just about impossible to find now – that being a stock one, unmolested. This isn’t that car, and has the look/feel of something that has been part of some sus things. I also lowkey dig fieros, but what fun are pop up headlights that are always up? Combine that with a level of raggedness that was emphasized by the mud caked tires (why take a listing photo like that?). In the end, the Fiero gets the nod because nobody cared enough to mess with it, and that’s a better thing in my very short book.
Assuming they’re authentic, the front wheels of the CR-X are easily worth 25% of the asking price of the car, FYI.
I’m a simple man: I see CRX, I vote CRX. Damn the consequences. I’ll go full M539 on that.
I SOOO wanted a Fiero just like this one for my first car. Today they don’t hold much interest for me but it is cheaper and street legal so gets a vote.
Looking at the CRX – I doubt it is actually currently registered. Cars registered within Lake O require emission testing, With the shoddy work I can’t believe that swap was done in a way that is legal. My suspicions are even greater because the plate has no stickers on it to show that it has actually passed DEQ and has current registration.
I was suspecting street racer on the CRX, I think that’s confirmed it.
For the second day in a row, I’ll have the Pontiac. I’ve wanted a Fiero for rallycross for a long time.
If the CRX checks out mechanically and magnetically, it’s the easy choice. But checking out mechanically and not being a Rust Rocket are awfully big caveats.
If it has lived life in Oregon it should be rust free. We do not purposely destroy our cars by spreading salt all over the roads.
Did the CRX seller paint over the sunroof? It doesn’t look like a filler panel to me. Who paints over a sunroof?
Ham-fisted morons. I love a good CRX, but that is not a good CRX.
USDM/ROW cars have a steel sunroof panel, it’s not a glass roof.
There are so many places these things like to rust: the beltline trim, under the rocker panels, the aforementioned sunroof panel, the rear fender corners… My 1990 Si featured all of that and then some…
And despite being gray now, this CRX certainly carries the Y49 curse.
Both, but if forced to choose, CRX. Higher “want it” factor from back in the day, though a Fiero GT would probably flip the selection.
The CRX strikes me as – if I’m generous – a local no-prep drag car. Mismatched wheels on something like this usually does, or, if not that, something less legal. Likely the owner always carries money rolls at night.
The Fiero, at least, isn’t a local troublemaker machine, so I won’t get pulled over by every police officer in the county trying to get it home. Unless a taillight burns out or something.