I don't hate them. I'm just being realistic. The unique wiring is an added issue. There is just so much extra. Look at the values chart, and that about covers it.
Some people replace the stock 1984 2.5 with a new 2.5, in an otherwise trashed Fiero. Even though the engine was replaced, all the rusty parts were not replaced. To each their own, but it's probably still a $600 Fiero.
Some say that Fiero owners are cheap, but if you buy a $400 part for a $10,000 vehicle--especially if the vehicle appreciates--isn't so bad. If you buy a $400 part for a $400 vehicle, or even a $2,500 vehicle, the vehicle's value will not increase.
Whatever you figure my Fiero is worth, I try to fix everything as I come to it. Mine isn't much to look at, but I'm trying to hold the deterioration at bay.
When someone posts their Fiero for sale, comments are sometimes taken as negative when that may not be accurate. Sometimes, people buy a Fiero that is sold for a high price, and the buyer sees the body and believes the seller about the condition. The buyer ends up hating Fieros, figures that if their high-priced Fiero is this bad, lower-priced Fieros must be worse. The buyer is resentful toward the seller and themselves for falling for such a vehicle. The Fiero gets trashed. The Fiero community not only loses a Fiero and a potential new owner, but gains an embittered, Fiero-hater, who will then go on to bad-mouth Fieros and the Fiero community. The seller, meanwhile, happily goes on their way after pocketing the money, often getting out of Fieros with the high-priced sale. I really don't like seeing sellers taking advantage of buyers. Several times, I've observed people to buy the higher-priced, but worse conditioned Fiero, thinking that the higher-priced Fiero was worth more. Those Fieros are mostly abandoned or junked.
I have a lot of time, effort, and money into maintaining my Fiero. On average, it's probably in slightly better condition than when I purchased it. I'd figure the time and cost to get this Fiero into good condition, then decide if you are both able and willing to expend that time and money on this Fiero in a reasonable time before purchasing. I know some people buy Fieros to prevent them from being junked, and that's fine, as long as the Fiero doesn't end up getting junked after setting and deteriorating more. It really pains me that people just drive their vehicles into the ground, or park them and let them deteriorate.
There is a decent Fiero for sale near here, but not for such a low price. Every time I had almost decided to buy it, I'd encounter something else about the '84 model that would totally turn me off. Before I bought my first Fiero, I did a lot of research. I'm a car guy, but the Fiero is far from what I was used to or familiar with. From my research, I concluded that the '86 and up Fieros were the best choice. Of course, the only way to get an Indy is to get an '84. If you're used to the quirks of the '84s, perhaps it could be a good fit for you.