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my mother passed away when i was 16 (2000). i inherited her 1989 Ford minivan. sold it and bought a 1988 Firebird...still own it. it had a 2.8L and that was all i needed to get into trouble then. it has an LT1 now. bought a 1991 firebird a few years ago also. the wife drives it though.
I just got my trans am this christmas, i am a junior and had been looking for one for two weeks and had the cash in hand to buy one. I was about ready to give up for awhile and wait till after christmas to begin my search for one. I was at the point i was going to fly from ohio to NC to look at a camaro. Got home on the night of the first day of christmas break, noticed a new listing on craigslist from a dealer in a tiny town about an hour away. Called them the next morning, sounded like exactly what i wanted, told them to hold it and id be there in an hour. Drove down and it was perfect, a little rough but for 1600 cash out the door i was happy. Ive driven it to school twice this winter when it was nice and dry, and with the exhaust work it turned everyones head pulling out of the lot, and i get compliments all the time at school, and everyone always wants to know the progress im making on it. Not my first car (2003 Grand am) but im in love with it. Once its finished im gonna look for a maro to add.
had a 87 v6 bird 3rd year in highschool then senior year 87 formula 350. my yearbook best memory said. driving my formula firebird to school. but now in present time 89 trans am gta.
My first car was an old 86 Jaguar. Nice car. This drunken fool in his Isuzu Rodeo ran into the back of me on the highway, totalling my car. A week after I got my license. I had been driving the car on my permit for a couple months.
I bought an 87 Formula a week later and have been slowly getting at her since. Had her a year come this July.
She's not the fastest at school, but I have the fastest car of anyone sitting at home anyway. 1995 z28 camaro, bright purple, bored out LT1 Corvette engine. Only thing that's close to me is this guys 350z Nizmo, and my good buddy's 91 Z28.
I was one of the older of my group of friends and they were all pissed at me for taking such a long time to buy a car- I didn't find my Formula until senior year of high school. It's taken most of the money I've made to keep her around, but I still have her. But I still remember my sunburn from driving to the shore with the t-tops off.
I drove a first gen in high school, class of 1975. It was a 67 camaro rs ss. Bought it without an engine and tranny. Paid $350. Bought a totalled 69 chevelle ss with a 396-4spd and swapped it in. Sold the chevelle body to a roundy round racer for 50 bucks more than I paid for it. It was just an old car then. Sold that camaro for the down payment to buy my first house. If I still had it today It would sell for more than I paid for the house. I sold my 55 chevy 2dr hdtp to fix up the camaro. If I only knew! I fixed up my 3rd gen T/A in 87. It was also a total loss. I still have it.
Got my thirdgen at the end of summer before my senior year, and im in the second semester of my senior year, on an off topic note any of u guys do a graduation burnout?
I had(and still own) a 3rd and 2nd-gen in high school. I bought my '84 Trans Am in September 1998, I was just beginning my junior year. I got my '71 Trans Am in March 2000, three months before graduation.
__________________ 1971 Trans Am - 455 HO - Cameo white/blue stripe
1973 Trans Am - 455 - Buccaneer red
1982 Recaro T/A - 305 CFI- Black
1984 Trans Am - 305 - Silver(parts car) - PARTING OUT
1984 Trans Am - 305 - Royal blue
1st Bought it. Little brother posing next to it. Finally Painted & Roadworthy Parked for the Winter. New 2 1/2 Inch Cowl Hood I found used for $200.
I bought my 1st Thirdgen when I was 15 in the summer after my Freshman year for $400. 1986 Firebird S/E 2.8l 5 Speed that ran fine. Previous owner was transforming it into a Trans Am, so I completed that transformation but finding the ground effects he still didnt have. I Replaced the whole interior, transformed it into a Trans Am, and painted it which took about 2 years to do. Since day one the only money that has been dumped into it has been mine. My parents support me, but knew Id appreciate the rewards a lot more if it was my money. I Finally got it ready to be put on the road about 6 months after I got my license. I taught myself how to drive a stick in it, and even tho it had a V6 I got in trouble with it a few times. I parked it this Fall, and ever since September I have been working steadily at not only swapping in a V8, but a built 400 small block at that! Itll be backed by a TH400, and Ill be pushing about 400 RWHP. Hopefully I can get it done by Spring before I graduate from High School, and run high 11s like I plan. Ill never get rid of this car, I have grown to enjoy every minute I spend with it.
Now 2 months ago I bought another Thirdgen. I couldnt beat the price at $300 for a 1985 Trans Am w/ a LG4 (Carbed 305) and 700R4. Car had no title, and didnt run. Interior was stained badly, and in horrible condition. Body was decently solid, but doors need replaced. I have a way I can get Reconstructed title for it since I know a JY owner which isnt what I would want but its better than no title. Back to this car in a minute.
About 2 weeks ago I bought a 1984 Notchback Trans Am L69 (H.O. Carbed 305) 5 Speed for $200. Was missing the front clip, steering column, and tranny. I bought it as a parts car for my other two. It took about 10 hours after getting it home to tear it down to a shell. Since then I have used the rear interior plastics on my 86' to complete the black interior thats in it, and I have redone the whole interior in the 85'. The 85's interior looks and smells ALOT better now lol. I have also pulled the LG4 out of the 85', and I am in the process of swapping in the L69 from the Notchback. I plan to use the Notchback on my 86' Build, and the doors for my 85'. The Notchback was def. worth the $200 I spent.
So I am a Senior in High School, and own 2 Thirdgens not including the shell. I have about 3 months before I graduate, and hopefully I can have both on the road by then if I keep up the progress and keep up making decent money. I work 40+ hours a week as a Tire Tech including going to school, so my time is spent at school, work, and my cars. In that order too lol.
I had both in my sig in highschool looking for another one
yes. It was 1995 and I had the 89 Formula. The only cooler car was a '94 z28 because it was newer and had the borla exause with the right side exaust open all the way.
I fell in love with the third gen when I was in high school. Funny thing is I never bought one while in high school. My best friends in the world are the outcomes of third gens. Back in the day i was working for alittle grocery store in town and a couple of guys i worked with weren't car guys. Alls that I talked about back then were third gens, and one day a guy i worked with pulled up in one. It was me talking about them all the time that got him to buy one, and next week another guy bought one. To this day we have been third gen and car guys. I actually bought my third gen off of my buddy. The car that got us into the car seen, and the car that we always cruised in in is now in peices in my garage. The car has alot of history, so its only fair that I restore it.
Right before my junior year I bought my 83 Z28 (99)and I pulled the crossfire for a 350 carb and had it running low 11's before school started. But I moved up to GA a year later and I couldn't drive it up there for 2 years because of state emissions and I was not going to pass inspection so it sat while I built up a 80 CJ5 jeep, 94 Geo Metro (ecotec swap), 89 S15. The only noteable car I had up in GA was the Geo because that car was all stock looking except the turbo ecotec and this was right before fast and the furious came out. But I moved back to FL and sold all the cars except the camaro and drove that car till 06 till a tragic car fire destroyed her and in 08 I bought a 92 RS and I still drive her everyday.
Sweet....I graduate in 2009 also...I have an 84 trans am recaro with glasspacks on it...lol....the school officer wont get off me *** about the noise...I personally like the attention
I'm in my senior year right now, so I will graduate in 2009 also. I got my 86 Z28 last April, I drove it to school a few times. When this spring comes it will be back out. In the mean time I'm putting a LT1 rear in it with posi, better dashpad, some interior pieces different seats, wonderbar, door hinge kit, and some tune up work on it this spring, and also either a magnaflow or flowmaster 80, so it should be good to go for the last part of my senior year! There is also a few other thirdgens at my school, but mine is the only one with t-tops
Lol....yupyup....but if you think about it, we need some high schoolers with imports....if not, who else would we mess with after school?...lol...I enjoy blowing the doors off all the ricers that go to my school....and they keep comming back too =)
Its not gonna be true duals from the engine back but definately from the muffler back with either one, how do the flowmaster 80's sound on a 305 with tpi? I've heard sound clips on youtube but there not good quality. f***n rent a cops are even bitchn at me when I'm not even in the camaro, but in the 4 banger grand am, this spring should be fun lol
got my car in junior year... one of my classmates brought it in to fix the radiator and it was for sale... saw it and fell in love with her. two weeks later i bought it
two weeks before that my 96 oldsmobile Eighty-eight royal transmission blew out. all it has now is first gear and it can go 52!!!
Lol....hells ya...i think they are jealous because thier cars sound/run/look like crap...idk about Tpi, but flowmaster 44's and 80's sound great on a 305 with a 4 barrel uptop...I've had a magnaflow on my v6 camaro a while back, and it sounded like crap, probably because it was a cheap used one...but anyways, Idk if it would make a difference with the tuned port setup, but flows are definetly the way to go
I got mine senior year in High School. It was a complete and total beater then but it is starting to come along nicely. I've had it for 10 years now. It spent a substantial ammount of time stored because of the emissions laws but soon it will be exempt.
When I first got it, it was pretty much a torn up drive train 2 seats a gauge set and a steering wheel. Been a GREAT project car. Anyways, the rings were shot the transmission needed help it was bone stock. So I pretty much drove it into the ground until the rings gave and rebuilt it. Started hardening up the bottom end. Forged pistons hardened bearings fresh rods had the block all but bored. I liked the way that little 305 drove what could I say lol. I was on a limited budget.
Got it back together found it to be running like crap but wasn't smoking anymore. Got to digging and found the air pump among other things were not agreeing with it. Well at the time we didn't have emissions testing so I scrapped all but the basic components. Cat and egr. Continued replacing the interior fixing it up as I went along. Rebuilt the brakes with carbon metallic pads and vented rotors. Replaced the entire suspension. Just getting the safety stuff out of the way.
Then along came a tree hugger and put me out of commission for a few years. Seems no inspection station wanted to touch it with the new laws and a missing air pump.
Recently I got it out of storage and started workin on it again. Hammered out the body work. Drove it through a pool of paint. Then started focusing on the drive train. Reworked the 700r4 in it, fresh TC, a new rear end (3.42). Drove it to and from work maybe 2 - 3 miles a day.
Then one fatal morning I fired it up got it half a block down the road it clattered and died. Tried restarting it nothing. Opened her up full throttle turned it over smooth as silk let off the gas hit 2000rpm clattered and died. That was all she wrote. Timing gear bit the dust. I hadn't replaced it when I rebuilt the engine. DOH!
So a few weeks ago I got a new cam in it EDL 2301 (.442/.442). Fresh set of ported smogger heads (the price was right and already had my share of warped aluminium heads). Some new springs, hardened valves, lunati pushrods, headman shorties, cloyes double roller timing set. Put it all back together and running strong today. It'll break traction 1st 2nd and with the timing pulled back a few degrees on a wet day even 3rd. Might not be the fastest on the road but it gets me A to B in a hurry and built pretty damn strong.
A few pictures. Dont have any of the engine recently but will get some together soon enough.
This is the most recent picture I have.
Sorry for the long post .
It's been a good car and I think the third gen makes a great car to learn with. And as always a work in progress.
246000miles and counting
Last edited by OldYellr325; 03-01-2009 at 04:49 AM.
I just got my first ever third gen. Im almost 19 now and finishing up my 1st yr of college. Ive had a fair share of cars. My friends always loved how it was hard to tell which car id be driving. My first ever car was a 96 buick skylark(3.1L)...loved that car. It was actually very quick and loved to cruise at like 80. I got hit head on(i wasnt even moving...out of town lady) then i ended up hittin a deer at 3am a couple months later. After the accidents it just all went down hill. Then I had a 89 caprice classic (5.0L). Really good shape...still have it. I wasnt aloud to park at school anymore...i guess the buses couldnt see to get out...and the exhaust was too loud or something another (high flow cats and flowmaster with a cut out). Oh well...a new set of tires later and i just parked it in the faculty parking lot until caught the next year haha. Then my last car was a 95 pontaic bonneville.(3.8L) That car was alot of fun. The k frame got all messed up after hittin a huge pot hole out on the rez. 2xx,xxx miles so i retired her. Leather interior and all. Loved that car. I still have all of these cars and need to sell them. Im a pack rat when it comes to cars and parts. OK! sorry for the story. I just get excited when it comes to cars. I feel like one of those older guys at the car shows that goes on and on about his cars. Im one of those guys in the making i guess. alright ...i wish i had my firebird back in high school. Im kind of glad i didnt have one tho. I got in enough trouble with cars with what I had. I cant imagine what would have happen if I had the firebird back then.
Well right now I'm a senior in HS, and I had a 3rd gen Trans Am GTA basically from the start, it was handed down to me from my dad when he died. Since it only has 24,927 miles on it I refuse to make it a DD. So I bought a 1986 firebird roller in sophmore year and i was going to drop an engine and trans in it. I even made a video of what I wanted to do. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cachu...e=channel_page But I found a deal that I couldn't pass up. I bought my 1st Trans Am ws6 for $1200. I drove it for a year and bought a 350 block for with the intent of building a 383 stroker but I got hund up when I purchased a project 4th gen now for $2600. Its a 1998 formula that is made into a Trans Am clone since the body style looks cooler. So right now its in the shop getting everything looked over. I'm still looking for a good deal on a kit for the 383 build if anyone knows of someone.
Thanks for reading
__________________ Live Every Day Like It's Your Last.
Got my 92 Z28 a couple months before i graduated in 2008. Drove it for 2 months then it was stuck in the shop for 6 months. When it finally got it back i had to leave for college and i have been missing driving it ever since.
Well my life started around the Thirdgen I am about to start driving, does that count? I can't say that I bought my Z but I have definitely worked my butt off to keep it running even though I can't legally drive it yet.
I started to gain real interest in it when I was 11 yrs old. I had begun working for my aunt at the local Farmer's Market making a whopping 20 bucks a day(but that was good enuff for me back then ) I originally began working to save up enough money to buy a 4-wheeler(ooh how foolish I was lol) but then my dad told me that he was going to end up selling the Camaro since it had been sitting in our driveway for about 2 years and it was obstructing the driveway. So I asked him if I could get it running, and he said "Sure, if you get it to run I'll let you have it." And sure enough I gathered enough money to get it back on the road and kept giving it maintanence.
At this point I was about 12 and began to read more about cars in general and engines and all the exciting (and sometimes complicated) things about cars. I changed jobs when I was 13 and began working for a family friend who is a brick mason, there I earned about 50 a day(those where some well earned dollars..and thanks to that job I am as big and fit as I am now lol) At this point I became eager to start wrenching by myself instead of dishing out money to the mechanic, so I bought a tool chest a s jack and a pair of jackstands and have done all the wrenching on the car myself. Thanks to this website Ive been able to figure out problems and how to fix them like re-setting the IAC valve and the TPS sensor and essentially taking apart the top end.
Now I am about to turn 17 (on the 13th of march) and I'm working on getting my license so I can finally fully enjoy my pride and joy. Not many mods have been done to it aside from tint and home-made t-top covers since I am saving up for an LS1/T56 swap(which I dream about however its pretty difficult to get the money for..but o well its llife)..maybe realistically I'll be able to by the end of this next summer, upgrade the brakes and suspension a bit along with SFC's and maybe even swap in a T-5 in order to get more familiar with city traffic and manual transmissions.
Sorry for the long post but I hope someone appreciated the story. Here is a picture of my baby: (BTW it is a true Z28 I just took off the fog lights since they arent really needed here in Houston)
Yeah, I had the T/A in high school 99-02. Those days when you had a nice ride it meant you had a IROC, Firebird, Fox-Body Mustang, Chevelle, Monte Carlo SS or something similar. I really do think its sad domestic cars aren't as popular as they used to be but at the same time I think its great that more people know more about cars now. For example, back in 2000, a lot of the members on here were wondering if 17x9 wheels would look right on our cars or even fit.
just last year! sad part is I had the fastest car in school and all I had was a basically stock 350! best competition was a hopped up civic with 3 grand into his motor
I had one of the best shop teachers though, class project was a 69 chevelle with a built 400 and a 4 speed.
When I graduated, in 95, 3rd gen and F-bosies were the cars to have. Me and my friends all had IROC, 6 in all, and my brother had his GTA. We would all park beside each other taking up 2 spots. My senior year I sold my 90 Beretta and bought a 85 white IROC on 2/15/95, school was closed that day due to snow, so mom and I went and got it after she got off work. 2 week later some lady hit me, then it all began. I did a repaint with Z spoiler and hood scoops. Then in 96, I had a really bad motorcycle wreck, while I was down my friends started working on the engine, Did a very stout 305, it was crazy for a 305, I would beat LS1 ws6's all day long. Now in the project of the 385 with LT1 heads and intake, its being a pain in the *** so haven't messed with it much. In 2007 I bought a 87 black Iroc, sold it a year later for another RR bike. THen in February I just bought a another 87 Red Iroc for $1000, runs great, just needs some body work. Plans include T5 swap with some left over stuff from the previous 305 out of the white one, once summer gets here.
i had a 85 blue and gold 5 speed t top z28 when I was in the 11th grade , but the thing is I got it around christmas time ....... in 1984. Damn I feel old , but that was the first of 7 third gens that I have owned .
I'm a jr now and I still don't have my liscence(hopefully will get it by april). I got a 84olympic edition for $700 my freshman yr. Its a 2.8v6 and I rebuilt the engine and beefed up the suspension. I'm in love with it, even if it is only a 6. I always liked third gens and I almost pissed myself the first time I got to drive one. Now I am in the process of trying to talk other kids into buying third gens and all they wanna look at are dumb ricers, they don't know what they are missing.
Im a senoir now, and got my 84 SC in the begining of the school year. at th time i only had my permit, so i couldnt drive it! and now that I have my licence, its WINTER! so i still cant drive it...but come spring, ill be having fun!
Bought mine my junior year '05. $100. My cousin needed the cash and he had moved to oklahoma from oregon. Door glass was busted, steering column broken, starter burned out and full of feathers (it was sitting in my grandmothers farmyard.) Replaced all of that and had it drivable for my senior year. Tried selling it several times. I have decided now that I never will.
She has had a hard life. Last summer I was helping set up the town rodeo and one of the guys tried to peal her open with a telehandler. Another $100 Camaro saved her.
Funny thing is I grew up a Ford guy and swore I would never own an import. Now I own a Camaro and a Tacoma. Thats what happens when you get a job working for a Toyota dealership your senior year.
i own a 1991 camaro RS 305 TBI, ive had it for a little over a year. i got it my sophomore year in highschool (2008) right at the beginning of the yea about a month or so after my 16th birthday (Jan. 31). i picked it up for $400 in RI after goin and seeing it about 7 times. it wouldnt start up and stay running but i always wanted a camaro and i knew this was the right price for the right car and bought it. ive had it since then and ive cleaned it, fixed it so it runs and drives and it looks great.......i still need my lisence though
...i wish i had my firebird back in high school. Im kind of glad i didnt have one tho. I got in enough trouble with cars with what I had. I cant imagine what would have happen if I had the firebird back then. 
