Fiero Or A JDM-Swapped Celica Supra: Which Is The Better Winter Beater?

All summer long I’ve gone back and forth about buying some snow tyres and spending the winter with #Project95 – AKA my 1995 Mustang GT convertible for those of you new to Car Throttle, or for those who’ve been blowing your data on Pokemon Go all summer and finally decided to ditch the imaginary creatures for a bit and get your CT fix.

Anyway, I already know the Mustang would be an epic winter beater. A few years ago I had a 1992 Mustang LX convertible, complete with the 5.0-litre V8, automatic transmission, dull paint, rusty fenders, and an original canvas top with more holes than a Fallout 4 shack. But with a set of Nokian Hakkapeliittas and 100 pounds of ballast in the boot, there wasn’t any snow-covered route I couldn’t conquer - usually with some measure of hilarious opposite lock.

But Project95 doesn’t fall into the beater category, and besides, I’m a used car addict. I’ve already done the Mustang-in-the-snow thing, and though I could nab a Subie or Volvo to bust winter’s chops, that’s almost too easy. I still have some time before the white stuff flies in South Dakota, but I’ve recently come across a couple Craigslist finds that have me very, very tempted. They are cheap, they have some serious fun factor potential, and while most people wouldn’t remotely consider them road-worthy for winter driving, the mad scientist in me says they could be.

The first car tugging at my bank account is none other than a 1987 Pontiac Fiero GT. Or at least I think it’s a 1987 model. It’s listed as a 1989 model, which never existed since the Fiero was canned in 1988, and it’s listed as a 1986 model which I believe still had the notchback styling. Help me out here Fiero peeps.

Either way, I’ve never owned a Fiero and in fact have only been inside one a couple times while it was parked. Some might call me lucky, but I think the old Fiero gets way too much grief from people. It’s a small sports car that, even with a mediocre 1980’s GM V6, is respectably quick. And lest ye forget, the Fiero was also mid-engined with rear-wheel drive, so not only is there some fun-factor, there’s already a bit of extra weight on the back for traction in the snow. And the weight distribution should be good for some killer surprise lift-throttle oversteer.

This Fiero is selling for just $1000 in Kansas, and it obviously needs some help. The paint is toast and the interior looks like it’s home to all kinds of neat-o wildlife. But it’s red, and I know a thing or two about reconditioning so getting it looking decent wouldn’t be a problem.

Most importantly, it is listed as running and driving, and I bet I could score it for $800 or possibly even less. I see this Fiero sitting tall with snow tyres, rally lights up front, and possibly even a bit of a homespun suspension lift for a bit more ground clearance. Yeah, that could definitely work for winter.

The next car might hit some of you in the feels, because it hit me there as well. It’s a classic 1984 Toyota Celica Supra, selling right here in my hometown of Rapid City for $1900. That’s actually a bit higher than I want to go for a winter beater, but there are a couple things to consider here. I’m pretty sure I could buy this car for $1500 - it’s been doing the Craigslist rounds for a few weeks now, and while it does run and drive, it’s certainly far from perfect.

The second thing to consider is that this is more than just a Celica Supra. The owner swapped out the stock 160bhp 5M-GE inline-six for a Japan-spec 6M-GE, which is listed in the ad as making 200hp. And whereas the Fiero was an automatic, this A60 Celica Supra shifts cogs by hand.

The power boost from the JDM engine paired with a manual transmission and rear-wheel drive certainly has the fun factor I’m seeking. And I bet with a little extra weight in the back and a set of hardcore snow tyres at all corners, this would be freaking amazeballs in the snow - plenty of traction with easy throttle inputs, obscene oversteer with a heavier foot.

My biggest concern with the Celica Supra is that, despite it being a rough beater all around, I still might want to keep it for a project car. Except I already have a project car, so to get a second one I’d first have to get rid of my wife. Or I suppose I could get rid of the Mustang. No, I can’t do that.

So what say you Car Throttle? Should I pull the trigger on one of these now, well before the snow starts to fall? Or should I be patient and keep looking for the cheap Porsche 944 that I really want? Now that would be a fun winter ride.