[Rolls Kinardly]

Okay, so I've been cruizing Craigslist lately. Today, I see a 1984 Fiero, white, that appears to be in excellent condition. The seller says it has always been stored indoors, never driven in the winter. Just under $3,000.

I've been looking for a '94 or newer S-10 or Sonoma, and there's a '95 listed for $1,800. No pictures on that listing.

I'm a bit torn. Fieros are cool, and I like 80's stuff in general. But I already have a sporty 2 seater, and a pickup would have more utility. But I'm not a big pickup fan. The Fiero is probably safer. S-10's aren't known for their safety.

Probably the most important factors, though, are cost and ease of conversion. An S-10 should be cheaper, but most of the sellers in my area are asking too much for them. The Fiero I think is worth $3k, but bluebook on a base '94 manual S-10 with A/C is $1,500 in great condition. I've yet to see one listed that I would consider great condition.

I can work out the cost analysis on my own, but would like advice on ease of conversion. I'm thinking it will be much more difficult to design and build battery boxes or holddowns for a Fiero than an S-10. I have no welding experience, and am still debating how I'm going to accomplish any welding I may need. Also to consider is the fact that I don't have a very good place of my own to do a conversion, so I'll probably be occupying a family member's garage. The shorter the convert time, the better.

What would Brian Boitano do, if he were here right now?

 

[Manntis]

Okay, so I've been cruizing Craigslist lately. Today, I see a 1984 Fiero, white, that appears to be in excellent condition. The seller says it has always been stored indoors, never driven in the winter. Just under $3,000.

I've been looking for a '94 or newer S-10 or Sonoma, and there's a '95 listed for $1,800. No pictures on that listing.

I'm a bit torn. Fieros are cool, and I like 80's stuff in general. But I already have a sporty 2 seater, and a pickup would have more utility. But I'm not a big pickup fan. The Fiero is probably safer. S-10's aren't known for their safety.

Probably the most important factors, though, are cost and ease of conversion. An S-10 should be cheaper, but most of the sellers in my area are asking too much for them. The Fiero I think is worth $3k, but bluebook on a base '94 manual S-10 with A/C is $1,500 in great condition. I've yet to see one listed that I would consider great condition.

I can work out the cost analysis on my own, but would like advice on ease of conversion. I'm thinking it will be much more difficult to design and build battery boxes or holddowns for a Fiero than an S-10. I have no welding experience, and am still debating how I'm going to accomplish any welding I may need. Also to consider is the fact that I don't have a very good place of my own to do a conversion, so I'll probably be occupying a family member's garage. The shorter the convert time, the better.

What would Brian Boitano do, if he were here right now?

Go with the vehicle you can see yourself driving every day, and enjoying.

It sounds like the Fiero costs a few bucks less than the S-10 - perhaps you could use the savings there to pay a fabrication shop to make the battery boxes you'll need. Even with the S-10 you'd need battery boxes, so this isn't a Fiero-specific expense.

If you want utility and haul loads regularly, get the S-10. If you want to get around town daily on low emissions, but usually only bring along a briefcase or a few bags of groceries, get the Fiero.

 

[Rolls Kinardly]

Go with the vehicle you can see yourself driving every day, and enjoying.

It sounds like the Fiero costs a few bucks less than the S-10 - perhaps you could use the savings there to pay a fabrication shop to make the battery boxes you'll need. Even with the S-10 you'd need battery boxes, so this isn't a Fiero-specific expense.

If you want utility and haul loads regularly, get the S-10. If you want to get around town daily on low emissions, but usually only bring along a briefcase or a few bags of groceries, get the Fiero.

The Fiero would cost a little more. I don't need to regularly haul loads, but for the occasional need it would be nice. I can see myself driving an EV pickup. I would be happy with a 4 door sedan as well. (actually I'd be thrilled with ANY highway-capable EV.) I've broadened my search criteria to include any suitable vehicle that is not smaller than my Insight, with priority to price and low rust/damage. The Fiero would be a sweet ride, but would stretch the budget and offer less utility.