8 pages of good 3rd-gen specific upgrade parts to look for primarily in junkyards, in the May 2008 issue of High Performance Pontiac.

scan and post?

Do you mean 2008 or 2007? You can't scan it if it hasn't come out yet.

I'll definetly be looking for this!

I'll swing by newstand tomorrow...I like how most GM magazines are starting to feature thirdgen related topics and vehicles again...

I did'nt think the article was all that great. Definately not worth buy the mag just for it unless you already have a subscription. It seems as though they've really forgotten third gens. in the Pontiac mags though so maybe its a start.
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'08...and yes its out, atleast for subscribers.

Nice, Realblkbird. So you don't like the article, and you suggest nobody buys the magazine. It's attitudes and posts like that that have killed the medias' interest in publishing 3rd-gen articles. If you have real constructive criticism, lets hear it, but negative posts and discouragement of magazine sales just destroys any reason for the magazine to publish any more 3rd gen stories. Nice work, Thanks, we all appreciate that you tried to save everyone a few bucks...

It's May 2008 issue. It is already printed and gone out to subscribers, so it will be showing up on newsstands any day, but HPP is a smallish magazine, so it's not too easy to find.

I can't scan and post. Someone else can probably do it. I have been told that it will also be put up on the High Performance Pontiac website in a month or so.

If you want to see more 3rd gen coverage, write or email the editor(s) of your favorite magazines. You might not get an answer, but they do read them.

TA

Sounds to me like you're on the HPP payroll.

I understand the copyright copying laws, how about copying some of the things that we should be looking at now that a lot of people are going to junkyards now with better weather.

I'd hoped someone on this board would read the article and find the information useful and maybe share it. I wrote the story for you guys, but if I reprint or reproduce any part of it, I'm in violation of my contract, which specifically includes websites.

If you look at my number of posts, you'll realize I have been an active member of this board for years. I didn't come on here to sell magazines, toot my own horn or rip anyone off, I would like to see the information used, see these cars improve, get more respect and coverage, and hopefully see their popularity rise.

If the editor gets positive feedback from this article, there will be more articles on 3rd gens. If nobody reads it and there is no feedback, then he'll look for stories on other platforms. If he gets negative feedback, he will reject all future 3rd gen story proposals. The editors also talk to each other, so this information gets around to all of them pretty quickly. What is in YOUR best interest?

TA

Well, I personally thank you. I love seeing stories about thirdgens. Even if it's Camaro Performer's "Mu||et Mobile." First and Fourth gens are the most popular. One is the ideal pony car, and the other has this amazing ability to switch from drag racing to carving corners without changing any parts. Plus huge aftermarket.

Second gens are starting to get popular, but our thirdgens are still the red-headed step childs of the F-body world. Glad to see someone fighting for them.

To TheScaryOne



Ideas for future tech articles?
Engine build/dyno test
Computer tuning for TPI
Transmission rebuild

What do you guys want to read about?

TA

Computer tuning! Computer tuning!!

Tranny rebuild is something beyond the scope of a mere article. That'd have to hit a series. I looked into rebuild my own tranny, figured I was in over my head, and paid a shop to do it.

I'd like to see the interior hit on some. Always with the 'Vettes and the older cars with the interior restos. Or "wiring done right." I can't count the number of cars I've seen with hacked through wiring. Maybe an article about doing "The Big Three" (Running heavy gauge wire from battery to ground, engine to chassis, alternator to battery positive) or where to find good supplies, like the special GM weatherpack connectors and the like. I've scrounged the internet, and everyone talks about doing it, but whoever's done it keeps their mouths shut.

I think wiring would be pretty good, as it applies to a large range of cars. Especially how notorious our cars are for bad grounds, simply doing a little rewiring can fix all sorts of gremlins.

Also, the BBK Turtle Ram could make a good article when it hits the market.

And I'd second Kevin's Computer tuning. I'm about to get into it myself, and a good guide with something like that is worth it's printed weight in gold.

I'd like to see the article, maybe a certain someone can e-mail me the scanned article; then I can host and post it


Just curious, is one of the upgrades a LS1 out of a fourth gen Firebird

I would ike to see this too. or a list of what it said

I third computer tuning. It would be nice to see multiple tuning equipment and compare them.

I would like to read about Electrical gremlin's everyone has like rear hatch motor, head light motors... Also 9 bolt rear end shimming... I would also like to read about a well set up true dual system.

I suggest you use my car for future acticles using a wonderfully plump magazine funding level.

@TA:
Thanks for writing that awesome article! Like I stated previously, I do like how magazines are getting a bit back into thirdgens. I read the article and I was glad it wasn't a 1 page sidebar note. Just one question, where the hell is that junkyard the white GTA is at? I would LOVE to see such a treasure in a junkyard around here! I'm lucky to find a FI v-6!

can anyone please state what to find at the junk yard? I went to walmart today to check and the stupid place was out, either that or sum kids moved everything around as usual and they weren't in the car section. I'm going to a couple of junk yards this weekend and this info would be helpful . Thanks!

It has some good notes on what cars had what. As in what to look for in rearends (gearing), disc break setups. How to tell if a block is a 305 or a 350. The differences in wheel offsets and interchangeability with other cars (Camaros and 4th gens). Thats all I can recall from the top of my head. There are a few interior things, like overhead consoles and seats.

I'm working on it. I have TunerCATS, TunerPRO, an Xtronics programmer, and a Moates Ostrich. Unfortunately TA and I havent been able to get together and finish the tuning on his car so he can finish the article.

i bought this mag last week, and have always enjoyed hpp. and i luv seeing more thirdgen stuff in there. it seems that there puting more thirdgen stuff in mags lately, camaro performers, hpp, and gm high tech. i actually did e-mail gmht. about a month ago. what i said in a nutshell is, most of youre core readers drive cars like thirdgens, and thats what they want to read and see in youre mag. putting the thirdgen more in the spotlight would bring in more subscribers without a doubt, imo. i also said not every gmht reader has a lsxxxx motor or a new gto, and we dont really dig cobolts n such. so cater to youre core audience. f-body enthusiasts. i still own a gmht mag from about 9yrs ago titled "tuned port terrors" it had about 5 thirdgen projects going on at that time, also had two really really nice and done right irocs that were featured in that mag.. id love to see them do this again. so good job high performance pontiac, and keep em coming. 1 idea would squezing a 305 to its max potentail with a procharger and other common boltons.. hey u could use my car...thanx, dave....

That's awesome can't wait. You couldn't send me something so I know when you are done could you?

ive got to find this mag. somewhere or someone send me a copy of the pages

hey guys-
i saw the magazine @ barnes and noble last night and all i can say is that most or all of the info in the article i learned on here and seems like it's common knowledge. stuff like the WS6 36/24mm sway bars, brake and axle upgrades, hood replacement, etc. it was a good read but i can't say i learned much. i just thought it was cool to see a thirdgen-related article.

I loose or gain nothing by you buying the magazine, but $4 for a magazine and nobody will buy one to actually take it home and READ the story or scan it so it can be judged on it's own merit?? The information in the rear end chart, for instance, is all on this website, but you have to load 12 different pages to get it, it's mixed in with a bunch of other stuff, and not many of us want to take a laptop to a junkyard, do we? How much did you spend filling your gas tank last week, and $4 is just too much money for you to "blow recklessly"?

Each email or letter to the editor, each purchase of product or even inquiry about a product, each sale of a magazine with content on 3rd-gens is tracked somewhere by someone, so they are ALL votes. What happens when all the votes are tallied? There are pitiful few magazine articles and even less new products coming out, some manufacturers are dropping product for these cars because we, as a market, are too cheap. I admit it, I don't throw money around either, but this is a massive example of why we get what we deserve.

Being frugal is one thing, but this is pathetic.

TA

first of all, i wasn't being frugal. i'm not frugal when it comes to my car or car related stuff. i was @ the bookstore and decided to check it out. i read the article, thought it was good, but not all that helpful to me. i was going to buy it for other reasons, but didn't have the money at the time. it's not about being frugal at all and i wasn't telling people not to buy the article- i was just voicing my opinion.

and YES $4 IS a stretch for me sometimes as i'm a full time college student with a 13 month old at home, a PT job @ an auto parts store, and a car that costs more than average to drive and maintain. don't get me wrong, i'm by no means complaining, but not everybody always has that extra $4, so don't be so quick to judge.

and just so you know, after work today, i AM going to buy the G0D D@MN magazine.

Regarding interiors, we did and interior revamp on an '88 in the April '03 issue of Popular Hot Rodding. PHR does less detail, so it's 3.5 pgs, all B/W. We used primarily product from Year One, and I understand that they have since discontinued a lot of their 3rd-gen product line because of poor sales.

There was 3 pages done in HPP on repairing a sagging headliner for about $30 in Nov. '02, part of the third-gen specific "firebird first aid" series that also covered repair of common maladies like headlight motors & hatch pull-downs (before we knew TDS had inexpensive fixes). Again, most of the information is on this site somewere or is common knowledge or common sense.

I've already talked to Brian at BBK about their new intake, and will follow up when it is ready for market, but it's still probably still half a year off or more.

If we are ever going to see growth in this niche of the Muscle Car world, we need to interest new people in owning these cars. Thus the stories are not written to bring any watershed of information to established hobbyists, but will benefit all of us in the long run by promoting our cars to a wider audience that is not already active on this site, so temper your opinions with that in mind.

TA

Thank you TA for writing an article for your fellow thirdgen people I love and appreciate that there are people like you out there doing it and although I am not a subscriber to any mags right now I do go out and get them when I know there is thirdgen content in them. Please keep writing more stuff about the thirdgens we need the exposure!

TA, please dont get the worng idea by me wanting someone to copy it so I can see, I have looked for it around here with no luck.

Yeah, I would like to see the article, but getting HPP in Australia is almost impossible, and of course there are NO third-gens in junkyards at all here. It's definatly not a case of being cheap, my GTA is worth around 21k here......

if only it were economical to ship 3rd gens to australia.. i'd buy a bunch and sellem for double down there

Well I have just e-mailed HPP and told them we as a third-gen community appreciate any coverage we get. I asked them to please continue third gen articles as we need all the help we can get to help us thrive and grow.I have been a Pontiac fanatic as long as I remember . I have a 1982 TA, 1991 GTA, and a 1969 Grand Prix, nothing like a pontiac to turn heads. I want you all of to you know I am pulling for us (Camaros included) to benefit from positive media coverage and aftermarket support we need all the help we can get!!

Who says that isnt economical? There's a bunch of people + companies doing that to northern europe where I live, and my thirdgen cost me $20 000 here. Prices for thirdgens are usually in the 20-28k us$ range here, when it's in fair condition. But then again, most such cars is here, it's not treated like crap, driven in winthers and such.

Since you work for them.Any idea where i can find this mag at the newstand?

I will look for that as well. I let my Super Chevy subscrption run out because they only ran one small series on a thirdgen and it was only about repainting. I would gladly Subscribe to a mag that had a spot for thirdgens every issue. I can't speak for everyone but thirds are my favorite cars out there. Even over my old 2000 SS and 94 Z.

I found my copy at Wal-Mart. Didn't expect it, but it was there.

Sorry for the rant, this thread was just really frustrating for me. We get people decrying the fact that the 3rd gens get no editorial, but when we do, the same people recommend that nobody buys the magazine. 8 color pages is a MAJOR story in any magazine, so if we have any hope of substantial editorial on these cars, the editor needs to know that SOMEONE wants these stories. So far, he's got precious little feedback on 3rd-gen stuff, despite a handfull of features and tech stories, so the prospect of a 3rd gen in every issue is just not realistic.

All the GTO, Bandit T/A and 4th gen owners write hundreds of emails & letters, subscribe to the magazines, purchase parts from advertisers and send in tech questions, so those cars get the lions share of edit. HPP ran a feature on a 455-powered Fiero, and got far more response than any of the 3rd-gen stories so far. I certainly thank 82taluver for writing the email to the editor, that was cool. That will make a difference.

Since Source Interlink bought Primedia, they have tried to "increase efficiency", so the magazines will all be harder to find. HPP is smallish, so if it was in a store that only sold 3 issues of the 10 that were sent, it will no longer be in that store. I've seen it at B&N's, on magazine racks, Wal-Mart, and Kroger grocery stores, but only in a few.

For you overseas guys or that can't find it, it will be posted on the HPP website, I'm guessing in a few months. I really hoped that someone will post it here, but it's a lot of pages to scan.

82taluver: Thanks for sending the email. That is the kind of thing that will bring results. The editor gets LOTS of emails, so don't expect a reply, but he reads them all.

Thanks everyone, even you cheap rodents, for caring about this subject.

TA

I just wrote the editor as well. I mentioned TGO but forgot to put my handle.
I am trying to find the mag but haven't yet. I will keep looking. If there will be future thirdgen stuff I would love to subscribe. I get so tired of hearing about 1rst gens, mustangs and Chevelle's.

Well there's an explanation. NO DUH A 455 IN A FIERO GOT MORE RESPONSE... Holy crap, I've never heard such a thing but that gets my seed makers all tingly just thinking of the concept... Also, umm I don't know why a pontiac specific mag would expect much out of 3rd (or 4th) gens.. There's not much of anything too pontiac specific about them.
Oh & Car Craft does some pretty good coverage of our cars also...
Not trying to knock this, but after reading your last post it got me thinking a bit, & I do plan on searching for the magazine next time I'm in a store & have my bills paid.

I’m confused I went to barns and noble’s 2-day looking for this article… I dint find it because I forgot wut mag it was in… but in almost every hot rod mag I picked up there was article about a thirdgen in it… or at least a picture of a thirdgen with a caption… so y all the fuss about are cars never making it into the mags??? Unless ur talking strictly about articles that are tect related, in which case there weren’t any…

Im going to go take a look around for this mag tommorow.

Regardless of whether i know about what im reading, i still love reading it over and over again. Not only does it ensure myself that i do infact know the right stuff, but that other hot rodders may read the article and start noticing the thirdgen f-bodies.

Thank you HPP for writing an article on the thirdgen breed!


Edit: On a quick side note, i know camaro performers did a minor article, but it would be cool to see a article on doing motor swap's in these car's. Ive got an LS1 in my car, and i know of many others who also have them. Theres been a few articles ive seen on the Latemodel motor, but most skim over the top when it comes to wiring to make it seem less scary. Would be cool to see a mag go indepth to talk about the wiring aspect to make it seem less scary.

I for one would LOVE to see a seris of articles on swapping an LS1 into a third-gen. It can be hard to sort through all of the conflicting info on the web for a swap like this, but a series of articles would be a very valuable resourse for me.

camaro performers did that about 2 years ago.

I also just sent an email to the editor since I purchased the magazine at WalMart, and I also plan to subscribe when I get paid (Fri)

Yeah, but they sorta skimmed over the top with it. It wasnt really in depth on how to do it. It was basically how to spend your money on every swap part avaliable to make it a bolt in/plug & play.

Id like to see an article for swappers like me, where i had to fabricate my own mounts, use a early 4L60e, make up my own y-pipe, setup my own fuel system etc.

I've got 15 3rd gens worth of parts, shoot me some PMs I can ship anything under 70lbs

What's your location?