Why are there so many trashed out third gens? Third gens aren't that old. Do people just treat them like junk? Everytime I see a third gen on the road it usually has a three-tone color paint job.

This goes for pretty much all cars that are used but people tend to beat on muscle/sportscars most of the time, especially the lower/cheap models which is what there is mostly out there.

Fine with me. For those of us with good "specimens", it only means that there are fewer and fewer good examples as each day passes.

Trash 'em out, boys!

I had mine out about year and half ago and it sure makes you feel good not seeing many 3rd gen cars out there and when you do it seems like there clapped out and jacked up in the rear.

Chet

Its easy to see why most out there are crappy:

1) Kids get them, and either crash them or don't take care of them properly. They do stupid things with them adults would not do. Sorry kids...hell, at 22 maybe I fall in your category.

2) These cars are run hard and put away wet, at least many are that way. Beat cars will not run or look as good as normal cars.

3) They ARE old cars! Think about it...how many '80s Grand Ams do you see, and how many F bodies? Pay close attention. The Grand Ams aren't out there because, well, who cares about them?? They get used and thrown away. F bodies that don't end up crashed get used, and used, and used some more, then rebuilt, then used...of course they're gonna look well worn.

4) Those who bought them new and did covet them then later sold them, obviously for less. When you pay less, you respect something less. Third gens right now are cheap...see what I mean?

5) People don't consider them to be classics. Thats a matter of opinion.

There are some out there who DO take care of nice ones. My '89 RS was flawless when I sold it. It had 96k on it, so it had been well used...but it didn't show it. The car was meticulously maintained, and not beat...rarities for a third gen thats a daily driver. But 2 months later, now my friends see it all the time. Its not dented, but it is dirty. She smokes in it. She's 16...she doesn't give a crap about this car. I did. To her, like many other owners, its just another old used car.

Thank *** I haven't seen it since I sold it. I hope I never do...as for my new third gen, it was female owned, but after awhile she didn't care as much about it because she knew she was getting rid of it. She let the body rust somewhat. She didn't care about oil changes anymore. These things just happen...

Cars like my Formula need people like me to nurse them back to health But they ain't many people like me, and some of the others on this board...most people my age have Hondas and Jettas. My generation doesn't care about fixing '80s muscle cars...therefore they'll mostly languish.

And as for the above comment about letting them all go to hell, I say thats stupid. I'd love to see a mint third gen on every street corner. True appreciaters of these cars don't care about these cars as investments...they'd rather see more of them out there, with more people enjoying them.

Sorry for the novel...guess you could say I have feelings on this mater Now watch this thread get locked for not being perfectly on topic

girls (really anyone who doesn't know when the body style change took place) always think my car is a 94-96 just because it is in good shape, kinda makes me feel good

There are a few nice camaros at my school, and they treat them well..

I am trying to bring my car back to life. alot of new panels, I dont smoke nor will i let anyone, and the guy that had it before me didnt. They guy used it as a daily driver and didnt rag on it, it had the original clutch and pres plate in it. He maintained the engine well with tuneups but didnt keep the car clean. He used spray paint around the headlights. The under side its disgusting, rust everywhere you look. The car is a pile, but im trying to save it. It has 139,000 on it so i will end up babying it... the engine comp was terrible that hood was probably never opened except when he took it to get the oil changed, he didnt know anything about cars..

Damn dude...yours may look a little better on the outside, but my 305 isn't anywhere near that dirty...or rusty :(

Good luck on the project. '89 Formula 305s are a helluva lot of fun as far as I'm concerned :D

Call me selfish. I don't see my car as an investment, but the waning quality of thirdgen cars makes me proud that mine was saved from being one of the ones trashed by an over-eager 16 year old. I don't fault the 16 year old; at that age, how could you know better? I didn't.

Would I want to see them on every street corner? No. What's the point of owning something special if it's not really special after all?

I'm not trauncing on you, Jason. Just sharing my thoughts.

- Brian

Its about time that people start to come around to third gens. Its funny for me to think that at one time in the early 80s you could pick up a '69 z/28 for about $500 since no one wanted them. Now you can't touch one under $10K. These cars will come around in time but will never match the first gens since they lack the hp.

I got lucky with my third gen. I paid $4500 for it. The body is in great shape but the mechanicals needed work. It was obviously sold because it was going to be needing a lot of work. I've put $1200 into it in less than a year but it becoming a great car. I bought it just before some punk was going to buy it and probably beat on it. The guy I bought my 69SS from would not sell it to kids he felt would beat on it. He said he felt good selling it to me since he could tell I knew a lot about it and was going to fully restore it.

Consider mine another third gen saved.

Cars are not investments. You WILL always lose money on them. Buy them because you love them.

clean that engine!, formula
here is what it should look like

Nope, THIS is how clean it should be


More pics here: http://www.transamgta.com/Webmaster/Engine.html

Jason, I am so with you on this. You are totally Right!!
Because these cars can be viewed as an investment, just like the stock market if you find a $3000 car for $1200 buy it, take car of it enjoy it and sell it if you need the money. It's the same a buying an undervalued stock. If you enjoy working on these cars and are half way decent at doing that work there is no way you can lose money on third gen's. I have owned, driven, and restored 8 cars since I turned 16 (3 of which where 3rd gen's), I am now 19, and I made a good amount of money on them all (Enough to pay for college and most of my '67 Camaro Build up). Making money on cars is just about being a good mechanic and being a good mechanic is about taking your time and not getting frustated.
Ok just my 2 cents. I don't want to make anybody mad just my past experience.

I have to say I don't think you truely respect or love the car. You say you don't see it as an investment then why do you want less of them out there. Any true f-body lover does not want to see more and more of them getting trashed. Hell I am doing a complete ground up restoration on a 83 L69 that was 5 colors. So are you mad that there will be another car that is as good as the day it was driven off the lot? I mean come on!!! There are less and less of them out there but yet you want to see them go away? Please why are you even in the history/ restoration board if you have total disregard for the history and preservation of these cars?

damn i need to do some cleaning and get a better picture i guess

how did you get the reservoirs so white?!

I replace the coolant overflow every year when I do my annual tune-up, it's only $15 new from the dealership. The windshield washer bottle is the original Lot's of cleaning I did there

That's a 2 year old picture too, I replaced that coolant bottle right after that pic because it had the remains of the parts sticker on the side of it. I'm really picky I'm getting an factory alternator next months so it doesn't stand out so much that I have an aftermarket one on there now like in the pic....

I hope there is enough room here for one more engine picture.

Chet

Chet that car makes me sick, but I love it all at the same time. Those pic's are awesome don't stop I want more. I wish half of my stuff was half as clean as your dirtiest part.
:hail: Low mileage IROC's :hail:

Personally, I was not a "Camaro" guy. My dream car has always been a 65 Mustang fastback. Still is, in fact. However, I was "turned on" to Camaro's my my mom's ex-boyfriend. He has an 86? Camaro that is in mint condition with only about 90,000 miles on it. Power everything, and everything still works, including the a/c! He has had it repainted twice, once when he closed the garage door on the trunk, and once when my mom backed it out of the driveway and sideswiped his truck. (curved driveway) We told him that if he ever considers selling it to call us first! Anyway, I have always tried to take care of my cars, as much as time and finances will permit. Sure, my interior gets trashed out every once in awhile, mostly paper and junk mail, but I clean it a least once a month. I just detailed my daily driver (98 Escort) last week, in fact. I don't really clean out my Camaro 'cause I only drive it once a week and it dosen't really get dirty, and I am still trying to get rid of the cigarette/exhaust smell in the interior. My Camaro was given to me as a Christmas present, and right now, it does look like "white trash transportation", right down to the mismatched rims. Will it look like this always? No. I plan on restoring it as soon as I can get the money flowing. Once it is complete, then more effort will be made to take care of it, because no matter what I drive, I want it to be nice looking and soundly running. Anyway, my point is that you do not have to be totally devoted to f-bodies in order to cherish your Camaro/Firebird. Someday (soon, I hope!!!!) my Camaro will be looking sweet and running sweeter, and I do not plan to sell it when I am done.

I can't let you guys have all the fun!!!

i bought my first car last summer at the age of 17. a 84 TA with the carbed 305. the body is in pretty good shape. very little rust on the wheel well which is getting taken care of, and the owner before me (im the 3rd owner) let his wife drive it and she scraped the side of the car on the garage. so that side is spray painted...so my car goes into the "shiity f body" category...BUT im working on it.,, since iv had the car, i have dropped a 350 in it, and re did the brakes. not much, but hey...its a start. i still gotta do the 4th gen seat swap, and body work, and paint, and the list goes on and on and on....But im going to UTI to be a ASE Master certified tech, so i think i can handle all of the stuff i have to do to it. There isnt one GREAT thirdgen in my town,, its sad. they are all beat to shiit. at least i dont have rust holes and black smoke coming from the tail pipes. Our cars are a peice of art, and we are the artist. Some plan on making them bone stock and low mileage cars. some of us wnat to make them faster and change the looks somewhat to our liking. To each his/her own. i would rather see 1 or 2 nice thirdgens then 25 crap ones. but i have to see the 25 crap ones. ohh well at least i have a plan for my car and know the history behind it, and im only 18. i cant wiat till i get certified and have some cash on my hands! ok well this was just a bunch of mumbling that i wanted to get out....sorry ..later!

CamaroFreak406,

Heres a wider shot of the engine compartment when I brought it out on 4/30/02. I am lucky I don't have to clean this area.

Chet

The engine is running if you look at the AC Compressor.

Ok all of you "low" milage guys, my engine has over 96K miles and looks that good! Beat that I drive it almost 10K miles a year......

92GTA,

I can't beat.

Your engine looks great for 96K miles. I need find a 3rd gen Trans Am to drive. I think they look better than the 4th gen.

Chet

Lighten up. You don't know what I think nor do you know how I feel. Don't fool yourself into thinking that you know me because of an "anonymous" post on website in cyberspace. I was driving thirdgens when thirdgens first came out.

well i tip my hat to to you 92 GTA...
after i get those new tanks and use some simple green in there i should be up to snuff. you do have over twice as many miles as me.... this is embarasing :lala:

These cars are cheap, and many of the trashed ones are bought by kids. My camaro would fall in the category of trashed F-bodies. I honestly didnt know how to really take care of the outside, and my reward is a rusted door. It was very hard for me to love this car, the lack of power (2.8) is atrocious and almost everything that could break on the car has done so in the past year and a half Ive owned it. I feel bad that I dont take better care of it, and even offered to paint it and give it to my sister, but she is such a bad driver shed probably smash it up for now. I plan on re doing the body and taking it to college.

As for my Trans Am, I adore the car. This car was used one night as target practive by some kids, and it had bullet holes in the window. Some panels were dented and it was patched. The amount of work i put in the car and the 350 power causes me to baby it. I drive it like an old man (I'm 17) and baby it. As it is now though, I only have enough money to truly take care of one car. Sorry Camaro, but I put my money into the loud one.

Here's another engine shot.

The thing that always amazed me is that you go look at a car with 70-80K on it (low miles for a car this old) the car is trashed and the guy still wants 5,000-6,000 for it.

Just because I'm 16 doesn't mean I can't care for a car as much as someone 10 years, or even 20 years older than me. I bought my car with every penny of my own money, I didn't let mommy and daddy help me ...I even TOLD them that I'm buying my own car and they can't help me with it...I breathe, sleep, and live for this car because it's more than just a car, it's a token of my independence, and a big achievement for myself. And you say you don't blame the 16 year old because they don't know better........I think I know better. Sorry if I was a little "bratty" I just took a small offense to the comment.

Hey hey hey, are there any exceptions? Come on now. How about we park our cars beside each other and see which ones beaten?

I just turned 18 last week by the way.

And I probably have 10 times more respect for cars in general than you, especially with that attitude.

I am 16, and I guess I understand what you mean by the over-eager 16 year old, there is a junior in my parking lot that owns an 91 RS 305, wrecked it 3 times, yet mommy and daddy continue to have it rebuilt, there are many over-eager 16 year olds that will trash their 3rd gens, but there are many still who try and find them, and don't drive them like a beater. You can not view 16 year olds as the only age group that will drive a car as a beater, it does not matter on the age, it matters on the person.

I'm ashamed to admit it but I was one of those teenagers who didn't care / beat on their cars. I got the car for my 19th birthday from my parents. It was my Mom's daily driver for 9 years and was in almost perfect condition (seats were trashed & some rust). I've had 3 minor fender benders; ripping the nose, & denting both front fenders. I let the rust spread (it's still not that bad). Now a few years later I look back on pictures and see what the car used to look like and regret it, I want my car to look as good as the cars on this board, but I have to spend more $ on body work 'cause of the dammage I've caused They say you learn from your mistakes, it's a bad way of learning.

On the plus side, the rust is under control, it has 4th gen seats and the new fenders, nose & rear bumper (as well as some GroundFX) are sitting in the basement waiting to be painted & bolted on

Lesson Learned and never to be repeated

Fine. Fine. I apologize for the comments. I didn't realize some of you guys are so sensitive.

I guess when you hit my age (33) and get a home and a wife, you realize that a car is just that - a car. I have more important things in my life than the worship of plastic, glass, and metal. If you get to 33 and all you have in your life is your car, then I suggest you reevaluate your life.

I like my IROC. I wanted a third car to tinker with and I've always liked thirdgens - since my first car in 1985. So I sold my hunting Jeep and bought an IROC, and I love having it around. I started coming to this site so I could gain knowledge about what's best for our cars in terms of performance and maintenance - not to get into some idealogical debate about what the car means to me.

Since I am obviously a moron, I will simply continue to do on this site as I originally intended.

I'd love to have my car looking new again. I've got an 89 bird with 149,000 miles on the original 2.8 auto. (original to my knowledge anyway) I've had it for 4 yrs now as a weekend driver pretty much( don't drive much during the week) and I still get mad thinking about the 1 or 2 scratches it got while I owned it. Whoever had it before me though put alot more scratches on it. the first wash I gave it I finally noticed the tiny chip marks from not having rear mudflaps. Went straight to the boneyard and fixed that problem. I'd love to repaint the front end piece, but the metalic maroon (9535) is impossible to find.

Yeah even though it's a sixer I do have some cool rims and it does have T-tops at least and it still turns alot of head when it's all polished up, especially over here in Europe.(Trying to park in Luxembourg sucks, but I still look cool) And yes there are a few trashed ones driving around over here which makes me feel even better about mine.

Of course though, I don't have the luxury of crawling through wrecking yards to replace that fender with the tiny, but irritating dent or the cracked center console piece. (Got the mudflaps while back in the states) when I get back there again though i'm gonna be doing some mad diggin' in those wreckingyards.

I bought the V6 while back in Wash. and wanted something that looked cool and got good mileage on the freeway, so I got the 6, but some day I will be looking for another 3rd gen with a V8, low miles, perfect body etc. (and an easier color to touchup)

Actually my only fear is if I get one too nice, I won't be able to have as much fun in it. sure I've taken mine camping and actually gone mudding (not very deep mud) with it, but it all cleans up. I'm already afraid to park in tight spots as it is ( and I really have to watch those curbs with my tire lettering and all.)

ok...my engine pic...its not the cleanest but...what the heck...

well...its pretty clean for a daily driver...unitl i was hit from behind...

DABE

Well
I guess that being 31, I've grown out of being a young reckless ******* with my first car ( 1982 T/A Recaro edition) that was inpretty good shape but with in a year that car was destroyed,
then I got a 79 chev 1/2ton that lasted a few years, then I got the F-body bug again I bought a 1980 T/A Bandit Edition, that thing was a total basket case it ran that was basically it then I sold it.
then in 99 I bought a 87 L98 iroc and baby it all the time, and drive it like a little old lady going to church on Sunday.

So for me I out grew that stage of life.

For me, I never entered that stage in life. I got the most mint third gen out there, and kept it that way for 4 years. And to think its now being smoked in and potentially beat on kills me...People ask why I went from a mint RS as a driver to a weathered (but NOT BEAT) Formula...one only needs to pop the hood to understand

Sorry 92GTA, my 2.8 with 96k was even cleaner and shinier than that

Its been interesting reading all these posts. What's even sadder is that the Formula I just bought will look almost respectable, but won't be perfect for a long time. And that will piss me off...I have NEVER owned a car that didn't look flawless. My Z28 is absolutely flawless...hell, my 118k mile Grand Am even looks great!! But grad school and a $3,500 paint job for my '89 Formula, which is a 3rd car for me, don't mix, you know??

For now I have to be content with making the INSIDE perfect, and the outside ok. But one of these days, I will have the most perfect Formula once I can graduate and do it right...

I used to be able to pride myself on having the nicest third gen in Western Ma that was driven daily. Now I need to settle for having the whitest and orangest 4th gen, with a Formula with a lot of potential to boot

Heres mine

I hafta say that I agree with the statement of how 16 year-olds do get carried away with their cars and beat on em. But I also must disagree.

I'm 16, and I got a 1988 Camaro Sport Coupe with a 1985 IROZ Tuned Port 305 under the hood for Christmas, and I have to admit, that to me, a stock 305 with multi-port fuel injection (basically what TPI is) in a car as small and light as a Camaro is tempting. There are three 30-foot skidmarks in a local aprking lot cuz I got tempted. And I will admit to that.

However, now I don't want to do that stuff no more. I mean, where I live, there ain't many thirdgens. And there sure as hell aint many 88 sport coupes. I think I've only seen like 3 or four, NOT counting mine.

People stare at my car when it goes by. And I enjoy the attention. I enjoy the fact of knowing that these cars STILL hold the same fascination they did when they came out new. Little kids still stare at my car as if it's a g0d or something. And I like that.

Which is why I believe that not all 16 year olds don't appreciate their cars. I swear, if I had to choose between my mom's 1968 Camaro sport coupe with an inline 6 or my car to get crushed, my car goes.

I have an upmost respect for these cars and while it does hurt to see certain ones beat up, just remember: people who do that stuff are the reason why our cars will one day be as rare as a first gen SS.

So to all the young people here, keep rockin in your f body and enjoy the attention!

Kev

hey im 18 and i understand about temtation.... my dad said was worried about me drivin he said that giving that car to a teenager is like givin a coke head 2 kilos..... they will go crazy... i never beat the car...the car will always be in my family.. i dont wana sell it... my dad isnt my mom my brothers my sons grandsons... u get the idea.....i just hope that when im 65 and the car is still in mint... that gasoline will still be around so i can fly down the parkway with the t-tops off whizzin by these electric cars buzzin away at 40mph.... i treat the car will all the car in the world.... hell when the car was down because the alt was dead...i detailed the whole engine and i gotta question for u people my dad has had some bad luck with the car... in 1990 he rear ended a Range Rover and totaly f-ed up the hood... and a new hood was put on and sprayed and also a new front nose was put on....... anyway... they sprayed like a greese or something like tar all over the engine bay... i wish i had pictues but on the fender wells there is(was) like this black think tar my dad said the body shop said it was like undercoating... i was like y isnt it under the car?.....i took some WD-40 and it came off....but so did the paint... so the question is what is that tar stuff? and could engine degreeser take that stuff off and not hurt the paint? sorry for beeing long aight peace

engine degreaser will eat paint right off

im 18 and got a 84 TA.. bought it all beat up and 142000miles on the engine. after a motor swap and some tires, i still drive it like i stole it. i love the car to death, and plan on getting a paint job, and fixxing the interior and making it last me a long time. but im sorry to say,,,,,im not gonna baby it. i put the engine in it to be fast, and im gonna use that to its full potential! dont get me wrong here,, im not one of them jackass kids that is cutting off cars and swirving in and out of traffic at 100 miles an hour in a 50mph zone. i drive it fast where it is safe like the strip. and i wouldnt really consider it "beating" cause its built for what i am doing to it. All these cars are peices of art, you are the creator. You can have a very very mint third gen with next to no miles on it, or you can have a toatly gutted thirdgen with a 502 and a blower sticking up outta the hood. both are beautiful in my mind, but i guess thats just me.

When did the topic switch to engine-pics? I'm trying to read what these guys have to say about being F-body owners, and I gotta scroll through all these engine bays! Honestly guys, the pics look great...wish one of them was mine!

Anyways, on the topic at hand, I restored my first F-body (85 Camaro) at 17, and now i'm 25 and on my 3rd resto (83 T/A)....I like to think that i'm a sort of re-hab for third Gen's...they day these cars stop appearing on the roads, i'm becoming a hermit.

Honestly my Iroc falls into the trashed catagory big time!! The Outside of the car didn't look 2 bad when i got it but i could tell it needed work and love...however i should have looked underneath the car as well...really looked...Why is it that some ppl think that sports cars can go offroad???? Anyway im hoping that my patience holds out while I rebuild this wonderfull car...but man i wish i could find that guy that beat the heck out this thing:P
Later

Not an engine bay, but hey

Dave

Ok mine far from the best looking but Trust me Mine looked 100 X worse than 89Formula305's does in that pic..Everything was missing or thrashed.Now the engine compartment is even cleaner and less cluttered.This pic is from last year.Not to mention the fuel lines are rerouted and ran correctlly!

WHAT ARE YOU GUYS TALKING ABOUT??????

There must have been a lot of those berry bushes that the birds go eat on and then when they were done, that car was in their flight path to get it so purple like that.

Chet

boring reply*:

there are tons of these 82-92 around, more maros than birds of cours,e most all are trashed and rusted, thanks to being here, so much so that the 90s carsa dn trucks are rusting through already. I got my 84 Z28 for 1300 which i thought was decent deal when i got it, is a Van Nuys 305 HO(not HO anymore, i found out that numbers dont match on block...) 700r4 3.73 t tops dark brown exterior(been repainted, needs it again plus driver door shell is rusted trash and hginge wonr out loose dragging on the ground effects. and holes in floor about 6" or so big and wheel arches rusted, busted and loose windwhield, runs drives great however after tunign it up and reconnecting TV cable and installing older HEI dizzy., ppl here are telling me its nice for 1300 but i know wya better than this, its a compelte beater car all the way, and i know if I drove it in the west or south i would be told that it is junker, but ppl here cant help it since thats all there is around here thanks to climate. i wash it and vacuuum it out even though just makes it rust more, especiially around T tops and doors and arches, but oh well... figure Ill drive it until i get at least half what i piad for it out of it in useage and get rid of it before the engine or tranny or suspension gets too tired, its not a restoration cadidate,. maybe it was while it was in Cali still, have no idea why its in IL these days, hmmmm, telling from the rust its been here for most of its life.. dash pad isnt cracked or anything wow! I'll be damned! most of them here are circus wagons, IE are 4 or 5 colors and panels are holey, mines justa driver, im not gonna even attmept to restore it, no one else ever will, paint looks decent when wet(wet everyday anymore) except all the rust,..

kinda wish i hadnt bought it, 1300 dollar car in another state away from here would have gottem me a more solid car, maybe even one with no holes and maybe not busted front glass ?
oh and im cutting up a 84 firebird and friend has a 85 maro that 305 blew up and fender is munched and windhield busted of course, so its next to be cut, rust monster got it too, requires welding and cutting to fix also.,, they all rust out bad,., 84 and 85 are DAMN old for cars, i get 90 model cars free all the time, not F body of course. in fact got a free running driving corsica last night before went to st louis,. 90's are beaters now, trucks too. rust rust rust miles miles miles

good luck with your projects!

blows up soap box now*

well... now im just embarassed for showing the pic of my engine compartment, lol. I am 15 right now and will be 16 in 42 days i believe. I recently put new strut towers in that i removed from another car, and i bought new floor pans, i am bringing this car back and i dont plan on destroying it...

Joel