How many of you owned a Fiero before you owned your Ferrari cars?

Never even thought about that car to be honest. It can't in any way replicate the Ferrari experience. Not sure how you are "getting your feet wet" in any way. It's not just about "looking" like a Ferrari. A Fiero doesn't compare with any Ferrari model.
I don't think you're gonna get many nice anwers, other than to spare your feelings.

 

Sorry, but to be completely honest, that is not the way to "get your feet wet" with Ferrari. Fieros have nothing similar other than being mid engined...which is about as strong a connnection as having four wheels.

Many Ferrari owners I know came from previous high performance cars, usually Porsche. Me? Never owned a sports car before I bought my 78 308GTS. Worked my way up from there...

 

Never crossed my mind. I had a NSX first (as its more forgiving nature and easier maintenance makes it a great first exotic)

 

Here's what I started with before I got my real Ferrari.
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You have asked for a "beat down".

I recommend that you pretend you didn't start this thread and never look here again.

Some of the responses could be merciless.

Personally I think the Fiero could have been something but that doesn't mean a "fakey-do" Ferrari or Lamborghini.

 

Nope never even considered one...had a '54 chev first..then a CJ-5 jeep..then my era of the whole muscle car thingy... wish I still had the '54 & the '48 chev (floor button starter!) we had... but wouldn't think the same of a Fiero!

 

NSX

 

How many people bought a fake Rolex before getting a real one?

 

I know one FChatter on here who had a Mera before buying a 308 GTB. Funny thing is that the Mera sounded better.

 

I bought a Fiero the first year they came out: 1984. I lived in Chicago at the time, on the near North side so anyone who's been there knows what the parking is like! It was an excellent city car. Small, and no dents with the fiberglass body. I loved the shape too. I didn't buy it as a "Ferrari Wannabe" car; I wanted a small cool looking car that had an element of fun that I could park in a city.

On the minus side, it had 3 recalls, was slow, heavy, bad shifting and after 8 years trim pieces started breaking if you just looked at them. I was happy to unload it in 1994 with 48k miles; it seemed like 148k.

I think the Lotus I have now is a better stepping stone car to something like a Ferrari, which will be more reliable albeit more expensive than my Lotus.

Ken

 

How does owning a Pontiac get your feet wet with owning a Ferrari?

 

I drove a tractor once. Does that mean I got my feet wet with Lamborghini ownership???

 

I had a Seiko that looked like a Rolex, kept better time than my Rolex too.

 

+1

The problem is that a lot of cars - Corvette, NSX, Fiero, MR2 among them - have derived their styling from Ferrari, so people think they're 'kind of like a Ferrari'. Problem is they aren't.

I had a Fiat X1/9 when I was in high school (later became the Bertone X1/9). The power was laughable compared to any Ferrari, but it had a bit of quirky Italian ergonomics, demanded some skill to drive properly and required attentive maintenance.

I'd agree with the others, though, the only way to 'get your feet wet' is to go to sports car events, find an enthusiast who owns a Ferrari and learn as much as you can. You'll probably be offered a ride or a drive at some point.

EDIT: I noticed you're in Georgia. You're in a great area for sports car events. You might consider perusing the FChat board for that region and going to some of their events -- those guys really drive. Next to southern CA, I think you're in the best region in the country to get involved with Ferraris.

 

Yes. And Porsche as well.

 

Wouldnt own one one a bet.

 

Get an 1981 to 1986 Alfa GTV6,,,
best F-Car trainer ever.

 

I agree with you. It was a thing unto itself and brutally murdered by the insurance companies. Nifty little car. I saw a perfect example two weeks ago.
As a prequel to a Ferrari, not so much, however. Wrong parallel IMHO.

 

They might talk about Ferrari's a lot, but that doesn't make it a stepping stone. The cars are light years apart in so many aspects. No "natural progression." Maybe a new Porsche to "get feet wet" with sports cars.
To put it bluntly, people who buy Ferrari's are generally well past the point of considering old random cars like Fiero's.

 

This could get ugly fast.

 

The Fiero was a great little sports car back in the day. I also owned one ('85 model).

It filled my desire for a small, mid-engine, sports car at the time -- and was all I could afford in that category in my late teens / early 20's. I did quite a few modifications to the car to improve performance and handling, and enjoyed the experience of working on it.

That said, I think the Fiero is perhaps more of a collectable these days due to their age. Not sure if I'd recommend one for your primary transportation unless you're handy at turning wrenches or rebuilding engines / trannies.

Personally, it wasn't until the age of 34 before I was able to afford my first Ferrari. Owning the Fiero, along with various other cars, made me appreciate the Ferrari even more.

I think the Fiero was / is a great little sportscar if you keep it in its proper context. It is a good car to own, enjoy, and work on as it does require a bit of mechanical attention -- and there are plenty of part suppliers out there.

 

its not like the man asked how many of you bought a replica before buying an orginal.

 

I know a couple of people who have owned "FIERO BASED" kits before moving on to orginals over on the kitcar forums.

There was a guy that was selling his fiero based diablo roadster and just recently bought a real roadster.