Nightserk

I want to buy a Trans Am GTA, but I was wondering if it's a good car for a daily driver. I live in California so snow is not a problem and there's a drought going so rain does not worry me. I usually drive around 50-75 miles a week in my other car, which will be heading to the junkyard soon. Any problems that I might run into?

PMDJIM

Should be a great commuter car. Hope you have deep pockets for all the money you'll be spending on gas. I wish i lived in a snow free climate. Get more use out of my 91 Formula and 95 Firehawk.

92GTA

iTrader: (11)

My 92 GTA was my daily driver for 9 years and 160,000 miles. I was very proactive about maintenance and replacing sensors, etc. before they ever failed.

In that time I was only stranded 3 times: 1) An aftermarket 140AMP alternator I bought on eBay failed on me after only 300 miles, not the cars fault! 2) The smog pump locked up on me. 3) The AC compressor locked up one me.

Easy fixes I did on the side of the road and only cost me a serpentine belt, no biggie.

Keep in mind I've replaced just about everything, some twice: injectors on 3rd set, IAT, IAC, MAP on 3rd one, starter, radiator, transmission on 3rd rebuild at 237K now, plug wires, ignition module, cap/rotor, brakes half a dozen times, the ECU failed also at one point, it's an absolute endless list. As a result my GTA has always run absolute tops.

Bottom line, stay on top of things. If something breaks, do NOT let it slide into 2 or 3 things broken. Be **** about everything. When you look under my hood the car looks like it has 5K original miles or less, no BS you could eat off it, and it runs better than it did when I bought it at 69K miles.

Now for a discussion that's more relevant to this sub-forum, mileage was never a consideration for me as I drove my GTA. I plan on keeping it another 14 years and it going to one of my sons. BUT I want it kept and maintained so it's like a super low mileage garage queen. Gotta pay to play. No matter what has ever happened to it, I have always fixed it.

87350gtanj

I really don't see a problem with it besides what others have mentioned about gas mileage and just normal basic problems here and there that happen to any 20+ year old car.

paulo57509

These cars are +22 years old. For a daily driver, you're going to need something that you're not going to have to constantly repair every weekend (unless you're into that kind of thing and have the money to support that habit).

Look for as low a mileage, stock, unmodified car as you can afford. Avoid anything that looks neglected, hacked, butchered beyond recognition, poorly modified, has random wires cut and spliced, etc.

ikeepitreelz

I HAD one,but unfortunately living in huge city like NY it has bad roads because of so much volume and usage of its roads. I got caught in a rare huge rainstorm and went over what looked like a puddle and it was a huge dip, car dipped and the bottom of the K frame got caught on the lip of a manhole cover and bent the whole car, it was declared a total loss. but I did have a performance suspension on it so that didn't help. with the money Hagerty gave me, i bought a 73 firebird. good luck. it made an excellent commuting car, gas ? if u have a v8 car then u should be able to afford the gas for it.

blacksunshine'91

iTrader: (10)

My GTA has been my DD for over fifteen years now. As long as you stay in tune with what your car is telling you you'll be alright. Ignore the issues as they pop up and you will regret it.

Veaceonee

iTrader: (1)

My 88 Notchback is my DD. The above statement can't be any truer. Never left me stranded. Don't do all the crazy mods, keep it simple.

AmorgetRS

iTrader: (6)

I've had a Thirdgen DD for most of the past 15 years. You'll save yourself a ton of money if you can do the basics, like replace alternators and basic troubleshooting.

Only a few times they have left me stranded (and only a twice that wasn't my fault). 1989 Firebird has the Ignition Control Module die on me out of no where. Driving along and then tach drops to zero and car just shuts off. Same car had the water pump go out on me on the way to work. Made it to work and replaced it in the parking lot the next day. I think I paid 700 bucks for the car, put on a set of windshield wipers and drove the car 90 miles daily round trip for ~2 years. Clutch did go out on me after about a year but that gave me plenty of warning and was not a shock given I was driving it in stop and go traffic about 1/4 of the time.

Other time was the water pump pulley flew off somewhere in the middle of no where Montana in my 1991 GTA. Had replace the water pump in a rush to get ready for a cross country trip and forgot to tighten the water pump bolts after putting the serpentine belt on. That was 100% my fault, not a fault of the cars. That car had a turbo system slapped onto it that I completed about 2 days before we left on the trip and it made it ~8,000 miles with only the water pump issue and another electrical issue that was caused by the turbo setup (postitive battery cable shorted against the turbo exhaust manifold. Ended up melting the terminal right off the battery when it got nearly cut in half by said manifold).

Anyway, moral is, don't mod the heck out of it and take care of things as they crop up and it will be a dependible DD. After all, it is a Small Block Chevy!

rusty vango

I have a 1986 IROC that is my DD. it gets decent mileage, as its all stock and a TPI car. I love mine. as long as you stay away from Chinese parts, and you buy a un hacked car you will be fine.

Nightserk

Thanks everyone for the replies. I really got some useful info.

okfoz

To be honest, I could use any of my 3 Formulas as a DD if I really wanted. I drove it round trip from Flint, MI to Dayton OH without a hickup... It all depends on how well the car was maintained before you get it and after you get it. I would not be an ideal car for me with a family, but it would be doable

FrankieRider2

As usual, okfoz pretty well nailed it. I drove my red '88 every day...for about 3 months.

Then I bought a truck.

But my black Notchback was a DD in DFW for 10 years, and it's still in one piece. So yeah, it's definitely doable.

okfoz

Thousands of these cars are still used as DD for kids, students, young professionals, etc... Slowly but surely it seems that the use of a third gen, like a first or second Gen the vast majority of the "nice" cars are getting stowed away in barns, garages etc to be preserved at this point.

In reality I think we are stepping over the threshold to where the low to mid miles cars that are in good condition are being saved and no longer driven.

mantaguy

iTrader: (5)

Beater79TA

If you keep on top of maintenance (the same way you should with a new car too), then you won't really have any issues. But the newest of these is 22 years old now so expect it to require more attention and care than a 2015 model. We drove one of ours coast to coast last year on a road trip of almost 6000 miles over a two week period so it can be done if you want to.

bjpotter

I have been driving 3rd gen's as my daily driver for over 15 years and 250,000 miles. I drive 100 miles round trip a day for work. They are Very dependable if you keep up with repairs. Water pumps and fuel pumps every 60 - 80 thousand miles. Refresh the top end of the motor at 150,000 miles (new gaskets,clean intake manifold,clean replace injectors etc) to keep performance up. I would rather drive my 3rd gen then any other car I own.

rb85TA

Put a 6speed in it with 3.92 gears in the rear end, you'll have plenty of get up & go coupled with great fuel economy ( as long as you keep your foot out of the injectors) ;-)

okfoz

ONe thing to consider is if you buy a 2015 and have a 500+ payment...

Imagine what you could do with a third gen and invest $500 per month into it...

John

AmorgetRS

iTrader: (6)

Yeah, you could make it totally unreliable by modding the hell out of it!! ;-)

Birdstheword

that's 6K in one year, oh man,
. new tires

. new suspension components

. chassis upgrades

. shorty headers/cat-back performance exhaust

. poly motor/trans/torque arm mounts

. tubular panhard bar/rear control arms/strut tower brace/wonder bar

the list goes on...

rb85TA

Don't forget to upgrade the brakes too!

devilish1

I bought a 46k mile 88 t/a 7 yrs ago strictly to be my year round daily. I throw snow tires on it in winter and put about 7-8k miles a year on it. I do have to touch up all the small spot every spring but it's still a nice looking car. It's a great car to daily. Normal maint stuff for age. Water pump, radiator, brakes ect. Also did trans rebuild in July. Car just hit 110,000 and still knocks down 19-20mpg, 26+ highway. I love fact that I daily a car that you don't see everyday anymore. That was my goal when I bought this car as I liked them when they were new but never was able to get one for whatever reason.

akanitro

iTrader: (2)

Its a great daily driver and if it is a T-Top car, its perfect for Cali. I have 170,000 miles and after I went through the drive train at 160,000 miles all I do now is maintenance and I am getting as much as 22mpg on the freeway.

okfoz

A good running stock 350 car should get about 25mpg highway (55mph) I actually got 26 highway (@ 65-70mph) in my Formula 350 convertible when I drove it from NC to Michigan in 2006

John

rb85TA

Well, how is it equipped now? (Eng.,trans, rim&tire size, gears in rearend? ) How many miles on it? What shape is the body & paint in?
A lot of people will say these questions are not of importance, of course I disagree. The questions ALL have varying effects on drive ability and fuel mileage ( some more than others) .
If it has a low mileage 350(5.7L), I would pull the factory intake, cam & lifters, get a reground hyd cam ( slight increase in duration & lift) , a little more performance will aid in fuel mileage gains, get a quality timing chain & gears ( just makes sense, your already there) , put a miniram intake & throttle body on it & get a chip programmed for that set up. Rebuild the trans (if equipped with 700r) New converter.
If it has at least 16" rims, then good tires & alignment(front &rear ), and the body and paint( This is important to fuel mileage because , dents & peeling clear coats/ paint can also effect how well the car cuts through the air, which directly effects fuel consumption and handling) .

rb85TA

Oh yeah, almost forgot.. ... shorty headers with a good Y pipe ( headman makes a really nice set up for a factory type setup) , a free flow cat and non-restricting exhaust & muffler.
The better the engine breaths, the more efficient it can be!

okfoz

Only if your commute is over 100mph...

An argument in the opposite direction, more paint means more weight. Rule of Thumb... 10% increase in the weight means an 8% decrease in MPG... Likewise a 10% decrease translates into an 8% increase in MPG

rb85TA

Yeah, go ahead & strip all that paint off & clear coat it. I have seen it done ( it ain't pretty, but it's lighter! )
Or, strip it down and paint it the right way ( not just laying another coat over the old) . Their are easier ways to loose weight off of a third gen. .. & it looks better too: )

rb85TA

Ah, don't forget to quote me on the part that I mentioned about, some effecting fuel mileage more than others!
If fuel mileage is of the utmost importance, then every LITTLE BIT matters, to be honest. ..... if it's really that important, buy a hybrid , smart car or electric car! ( THAT WAY, YOU CAN BUILD YOUR THIRD GEN FOR PERFORMANCE & HANDLING: ) )

jharrison5

I find it easier to work on, and have had less problems, with my 3rd gens then any other vehicle I've owned. I drove f-bodies from high school thru college and never once did any of them let me down or leave me stranded. However all of my newer vehicles (model year 2000+) have given me nothing but problems.

You will be fine with a GTA as a DD.

FrankieRider2

That's good, John. Most I've ever managed out of my red GTA is 28.7 mpg at a steady 65 mph. Car was 10 years old at the time. Hector is a slacker: his personal best is 24.4 mpg @ 65 mph.

If he doesn't get with the program, I may have to ship him out...

okfoz

Just like any car there are things I can do to increase my MPG.
1) drive easy, do not get into the gas to accelerate aggressively, use the full on-ramp to get up to speed, rather than mash the throttle at the beginning or end of the ramp.
2) Use Cruse when practical
3) do not accelerate UP hills, accelerate DOWN hills
4) Regular (87) gas will get better MPG than Premium, also keep in mind I have been told by a GM engineer on how they calculate the Octane in the new fuels is different than it was, the new 87 is actually closer to 91 back in the 1980's.
5) When coming to a known stop, Either a light that I catch every day or a stop sign, coast as long as you can, it will tick off the drivers behind you... Try to drive like you do not have brakes...
6) Drive without the A/C on whenever possible, it is 60°F outside, why have the A/C on?, this will add about 1-1.5 MPG
7) The optimum Fuel milage window for most cars is around 50MPH to 65MPH, find the sweet spot.
8) Keep the junk out of the inside of your car, IE those bowling ***** in the trunk is just eating MPG, This reminds me I need to go on a diet.
9) Believe it or not, The tire rim weight, size and design actually makes a difference, a 15" rim with narrower 215 tires will get better mpg than 17" 275 tires, The 87 Formula Rims and the bowling ball hub cap (knight rider) type were probably the most aerodynamic.

But for me I could care less about my Firebird MPG, If I do not take it on a trip I am lucky to go go far enough to put a tank of gas in them...

bjpotter

I bought my first 3rd Gen (92 Camaro RS 5.0) because I needed a reliable daily driver and wanted a GM V8. I've now owned 3 of them in cars that have cleared 300,000 miles. I drive 50 miles each way 3 - 4 days a week. Although it's all 4 lane hwy, it has lots of curves, hills and straight sections. Its great fun most drives to work only since I've owned a 3rd Gen. I drive mostly off hours at night and normally have little traffic at least half the way. I know where the speed traps are and where they are Not! I looked for 2 months to find my current 91 Firebird Formula 5.0 just because I missed driving the Camaro after it died at 301,000 miles. I tried alot of other cars but it was never the same feeling. I love the way these cars drive.

Bow_Tied

iTrader: (1)

Sometimes others try talk down my rides in reference to poor fuel economy. I just look at them and say, "That's the cost of awesome." They never have a good comeback for that.

bjpotter

I've had similar conversations with people. After I told them of the 25mpg I average, they usually shut up. One guy just looked at me and said "that's only 3 mpg less than mine" standing next to his Asian go cart.

Gritz-n-Gravy

i have been daily driving my 87 trans am 5 speed for about a month and love it, the gas isnt that bad. Before the trans am i had a 84 corvette that i daily driven for 5 years getting 21mpg on the highway 28-32mpg on the highway, the TA gets about 17 city ??? highway

90 GTA Black

I bought all my Third Gens as DDs. My only complaints were excessive rattling and leaking T Roofs.
I never thought to monitor gas mileage. If you are too worried about gas to mash the pedal heading to the on ramp, then I would suggest looking for a more fuel efficient car.

rb85TA

My thoughts exactly!
I bought and am building mine for fun, performance & handling.
It's not that they aren't Good as DD's, they are! But if you only drive a maximum of 75 miles a week. .... and you're worried about fuel mileage, then you probably don't need a V8!

MintWS6FORMULA

Well then something's wrong with yours because mine gets low 30's.

rb85TA

Wow! My first was an 85 TA, 305(5.0)HO W/5SPEED & 3.27 gears. .. that was in 92& it only got 23ish

bjpotter

Nobody buys a 3rd gen for gas mileage. Only those of us who love these cars are crazy enough to buy a 20+ year old car as our daily driver.
That being said, I drive 300 - 400 miles a week and the gas mileage is really not that bad. And yes I love opening it up when the opportunity exists. My next motor will be a newer LS and maybe a 6 speed to go with it. Which should give me more power, speed and better gas mileage.

bjpotter

Wow is right if your getting 30. I drive both Hwy and city streets and 24 - 25 is my average. My camaro got 27 mpg. Both were 5.0, one being a standard block and the other being a LB9. What engine are you using to get the 30?

rb85TA

LOL!
Well, that is what started this thread off, someone asking about using a third gen. for a DD & gas mileage? Hence, all the advice & scrutiny ��

bjpotter

For all the advise, the truth is, we daily drivers don't want to drive anything else. Mileage, performance and reliability are all part of the package. They are becoming rare to see on the road. I've not run into another 91 or 92 Firebird, let alone TA since I bought my car a year ago. A friend did a DMV check in Kansas and I had one of only 3 in the entire state. Missouri 12. I don't even see many Camaros any more. Replacing mine in the future is not going to be easy. If nobody hits this car hard, unlike my Camaro, I'll keep fixing, replacing and repainting. Both crashes that killed my Camaro, were when the car was stopped or parked. If not for the severe damage, I would have rebuilt it and would still be driving it today. I understand those who are trying to preserve low mileage ones, but I would always have one to drive all the time. If you love the cars isn't that the point?

rusty vango

yeah, it is. but I know what you mean. I had a 1970 dodge challenger RT/SE. 440 .6pak. 4 speed. stopped at a light, I got rear ended by a drunk. hit the car so hard it warped the firewall. as well as ME! I drive my Camaro defensively. where I live now, turn signals are a suggestion.no insurance ,no problem. kinda thinking.but I do love to get behind the wheel with no where in particular to go and just roll.

RedLeader289

iTrader: (2)

I'm also curious about the 30 mpg claim.

bjpotter

I too have become Very defensive in my driving. Most of my drive is in little traffic but I watch everyone when I am in traffic. One of the things I am getting use to are the gawkers. In traffic people will speed up or slow down just to look at the car. They will follow in my blind spot for a mile or two just to look at it. I am proud of the way it looks, but it can sometimes be dangerous when they do this. I'll look in my mirrors and not see anyone, hit the signal and hear a horn blow. 15 seconds earlier they were a 50 yards behind me, but now are trailing in the left lane just behind my back bumper and matching my speed. At first it frustrated me but I just decided to accept it and drive accordingly. Since I've owned it, I have had at least 7 people try to buy it off of me. My previous Camaro got lots of looks but this Firebird attracts a lot of attention.

92GTA

iTrader: (11)

My 92 GTA would get 29mpg on I-5 from Bakersfield to the bay area when it had the factory 2.73 gears still. That's with no A/C running (didn't need it the time of year I made those runs) and used cruise whenever possible. I set it to 70mph I believe, which is SLOW for I-5 lol!

Ever since the 3.42 gears went in, I haven't been able to get over 26mpg and I have to set the cruise to 64mph for optimal consumption. That was 14 years ago, now I could give a **** how much gas it uses

alex722607

iTrader: (3)

On a good day I get 10. .highway)

With my LM7 I think I will be getting high 20's