Bow Chicka Wow Wow: 1988 Pontiac Fiero Northstar Swap

Many engine and body swapped Fiero's have graced the pages of DT.  What is it about the Fiero that gives off the Rodney Dangerfield no respect persona?  For starters, the highest level 2.8 60 HO V6 was fine in the 1980's, but hardly cuts the mustard by 2018 standards.  The final year 1988 cars are most desirable cars as the final year brought a much improved suspension design and cleaner aesthetics.  Today's feature is without a Italian body conversion, is in pristine condition, has a 300hp Cadillac Northstar engine, and is up for sale at less than half of the build cost.  Find this 1988 Pontiac Fiero GT for sale in place, NM for $10,000 via craigslist.  Tip from Fuel Truck.

Out Of Focus: 1987 Pontiac Fiero Northstar Swap

Nearly everyone has some version of a smartphone so you would think it would be relatively simple task to post clear photos of a car for sale.  I am continually amazed at sellers indifference to posting decent photos.  From time to time, you get a seller that thinks just because they are selling a cheap car that it gives them a free pass to post no photos or to get indignant when asked for more.  A Cadillac Northstar V8 swapped Fiero gets people's attention around the pages of DT, but it appears the seller this car applied a coating of Crisco to the lense of his camera before shooting these pics.  Find this 1987 Pontiac Fiero for sale in Rotterdam, NY for $2,900 via craigslist.

Rebuilt, Reenvisioned: 1989 Buick Reatta Northstar V8 Swap

The Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk "Stealth Fighter" was operational as early as 1983 (with maiden demonstrator flights in 1977) but its existence wasn't announced to the public until 1988.  In a strange coincidence, GM's Buick division released its own piece of advanced technology in '88-- a hand-built two seater with 4-corner independent suspension and an advanced touchscreen computer interface...but thankfully no one died when the Reatta bombed.  Find this 1989 Buick Reatta Northstar V8 Swap offered for $2000 in Nutley, NJ via craigslist. From Cory.

The Northern Star: 1987 Pontiac Fiero GT V8

The Pontiac Fiero was so close to greatness.  It had an exotic mid-engine setup, a plastic composite body, and the combined engineering might of the best at Pontiac to make it demolish all takers...but what happened?  Why did it get the same treatment as the Banshee from the 60s...were the guys at GM's Corvette division really that insecure?  Yup.  You bet.  Find this 1987 Pontiac Fiero GT V8 offered for $8,500 in Lake Geneva, WI via craigslist.  Tip from Rock On!

F=ma: 2007 Cadillac STS-V

The Cadillac STS-V was high performance luxury sedan launched by GM around the same time as the CTS-V, but using more in-house Cadillac approach to the engine instead of the Corvette parts pin.  The end result is that the STS-V is perhaps more interesting (with only 2500 examples built), but less exciting than the CTS-V.  Find this 2007 Cadillac STS-V offered for $15,996 in Montour Falls, NY via craigslist.  Tip from Tim C.

15k: Snowbird Sleeper: 1999 Cadillac STS, Turbocharged

At the intersection of dentures and drag radials – where AARP meets ARP head studs – is a beige on beige front-drive Caddy with a 70mm secret. Joining that big turbo is a long list of supporting modifications that wouldn't look out of place on a Pro Street Camaro listing. With the stock 4.6-liter transverse-mounted Northstar V8, it all adds up to a staggering 650 horsepower at 21psi. Who needs head gaskets anyway? Find this custom turbocharged 1999 Cadillac Seville Touring Sedan for sale in Dayton, OH for $14,900 via craigslist. 

15k: Is This The Road To Meranello? 1988 Pontiac Fiero Mera Northstar V8

 The Holy Grail of Pontiac Fiero family has always been the 1987-88 Mera, a car so shamelessly derivative of the Ferrari 308 that it is almost always painted red with embarrassment.  According to Fiero.net, a gentleman by the name of Bob Bracey from Corporate Concepts in Michigan engineered/built the Mera conversion for Pontiac.  The total Mera production is 247 and they do show up for sale occasionally, but this appears to be one that has had its engine upgraded to a Northstar V8.  Find this 1988 Pontiac Fiero Mera offered for $17,000 buy-it-now here on eBay located in Orlando, FL.

5k: Crazy Train: 2001 Cadillac Seville SLS

There was a time when Cadillac built high end luxury cars that were built to give the best driving experience to their owners in their day-to-day lives, and not set lap times on the Nürburgring.  Sometime between the golden era and today Cadillac stopped offering the latest and best luxury features and started offering cars that were just good enough for their elderly buyers and recently have been focused on chasing German cars and their lap times. In the meantime companies like Tesla figured out how to build exclusive and exciting cars and Cadillac only soldiers on with something that people in Nebraska (no offense to any Cornhusker readers) and Nürburg would find exciting, but they lost the Hollywood glamour along the way.  Thankfully on the used car market, a nasty little devil called depreciation levels the playing field and a used Cadillac from the front-drive-era can be a surprising treat for a pittance.  Find this 2001 Cadillac Seville SLS for sale in Hollywood, FL currently bidding for $3,550 with one day to go.

3k: The Best Worst Driver's Car: 1995 Cadillac Eldorado

The Cadillac Eldorado was sold for a remarkable 50 years as a 2-door luxury coupe and was only discontinued in 2002 because GM started to refocus the Cadillac brand on nonsense like Nürburgring lap times and chasing BMW/Mercedes in the sport-luxury rat race.  Sure, the newer Cadillac STS is faster, sportier and meaner, but it lacks the one-finger "was that a speedbump?" ride/handling that made Cadillac a legend.  Instead of running ad campaigns that said "Hey, you're not on the damn Nürburgring, who cares about your lap time" Cadillac turned away from wealthy elderly luxury drivers (who oddly enough ran to the warm wallpaper paste embrace of Lexus) and baited the mid-life crisis seekers and speed demons.  Find this 1995 Cadillac Eldorado for sale in Glen Cove, NY for $3,500 buy-it-now from the original owner's son via eBay.

15k: Caligula's Callisto: 1993 Cadillac Allanté

Caligula (aka Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus) was the 3rd Emperor in the Roman Imperial age and is best known for his extravagance, cruelty and being an insane sexual deviant....an archetypical politician.  If Caligula were alive in the age of Anthony Weiner and Larry Craig he would need a modern car to replace his gold plated chariot and we can think of nothing more fitting for an emporer than a Cadillac Allanté.  Find this 1993 Cadillac Allanté for sale in SF Bay Area, CA for $15,995 via craigslist.  Tip from Kaibeezy.