Sorry....this may not have to do with appearance and detailing, but maybe it does. I did a search on 5th gen camaros. Found an article in Motortrend with a sketched photo and 2 pages about what the author 'felt' the next gen should be. The thing that really got me was when he referred to the third generation cars, "Those were the bad years."

We just get the shaft. Its sad that no one appreciates these cars like we do. I used to drive a 2000 Trans AM and frankly, I like the body style of my 91 Z28 better. Performance speaking, well........but I'm working on that.

I don't know. It seemed like the 2nd gen got alot more attention when the 4th gen was introduced. So maybe the same will work for third gens when the fifth gens arrive. Oh well. By that time, hopefully, all the crappy looking third gens with all the stupid exterior trim pieces from autozone will be in the junkyard.

I just want a little appreciation.


When anybody dogs on my car, I tell them its because they're not man enough to drive it.

Just some thoughts. Happy motoring.

I think the third generations were the best body style aside from the 60's models.

If I had a choice, between a 4th gen Camaro and a 3rd gen Camaro, I'd go for the 3rd generation.

Firebird/Trans AM: I'd go for second or third generation.

How dare they say what they did about our cars...then again I get pissed if someone says my cars front end alignment is off.


Long live the Third Gens.

What a punk, he was probably saying that in part due to the fact, that the 80s was when Camaros/Firebirds were so over produced, and now you mainly see ones on the road that aren't taken care of.

Those worthless bastards...........

I agree with Mark, these cars were overproduced so they became cheap and plentiful and not too many people take care of 10-20 year old cars.........

I'm for 3rd gens all the way. I love them better than any of the other generations.

I bet the reason they dogged the 3rd gen was that is was the plentifulness and the slowness factor. GM really messed up in the 80s. Even the V-8 cars were dog slow stock. I don't know what they were thinking. You have this wonderful sports car body and no go. Thats part of teh reason i was in no big hurry to swap in a V-8. I wanted a real V-8. So that meant I had to wait till I could build it up. I won't settle for less than a low 12 sec/high 11 sec motor. Then add NOS or in a few years a turbo or supercharger... Now that will be a motor!

I'm sure you have also notice how toy makers and model car makers have all these 1st, 2nd & 4th gens, but no 3rds. Really ticks me off when you see a Bird or Camaro collection and they don't even have the 3rd gen turbo TA or IROC. Its so wrong!
Though I have seen a few Camaros in the 1/25 scale ( I think 1/25). No birds though!

redraif

for once, i must disagree...

Cars get faster each year, not slower...

Which is why i raced a 350 4bbl 79 z28, with my 305TBI, and didnt blow him away, but beat him...

Which is also the same reason why my 350 TPI, can be smoked by supra/stuff like that...

Take a look at the Camaro RS for example...

Old School Camaro RS is fast
1992 Camaro RS is slow
4th Gen Camaro RS (v6) is slower......

Klyburn:
Well yes and no. I just think GM could have done alot better. I know it was due to all the new emission standards they had. Heck even the vettes of that era are slower then they should be... I'm not saying they did not improve them, but they could have and should have done so much more! Anyone will tell you they are just too slow stock! There is a reason their nick name is "terdgen".

But I will build mine to hang and pass the big boys (4th gens)!

Flyn: but its faster then my v-6...

Well everyone is entitled to their opinion ... I guess that writer dosnt like 3rd gens. Too bad for him!! More 3rd gens for me!! Nah J/J, but seriously, out of all the f-bodies ever made I think the 91-92 Camaros look the best.

and that V6 is about as fast if not faster than a 305TBI...

Don't listen or pay attention to uninformed morons that don't know anything. Its really that simple. As long as you and people who know what they're talking about know whats what, thats what important. Too many magazine writers try to use their personal opinion as fact, when really BS is all they are printing out.

My point exactly. We deserve V-8s that will have no trouble with the v-6s or 4 cyl today, but somehow HP is getting sqeezed out of those engines even in a stock platform. And the stock 3rd gen motors barely got out of their own way, the cars are so heavy for such low HP numbers.

There is even supposed to be an import v-6 that will do 13s now, stock. I can't remeber the details. Someone was telling me about it a while back. He was car shopping, so he was dropping figures and numbers all over the place.

I think they could have done better with the power problem. But my 305 TBI will beat a 301 4bl. I wouldn't say anything about a V-6, I was beat by a red Z-28 conv, but not as bad as I would have thought. 0-60 was only about 1 car lenght. I still think the 1st gen was about the best looking, but the 3rd is a very strong second.

Next year, the Mitsubishi Evo II, 2.0L 4 banger, 1/4 mile in 13.1...

300+ horse...

In Car N Driver



oh, and all for about, $25,000...here come the bling bling rice boys in full force...

Faster than a 2002 SS...

Slow?? You want slow and heavy?? Check out the later 2nd Gen cars. Third Gens are fast compared to them, and lighter. Cars are gonna be the way they are from the times they are built in. L98's are not slow cars, and neither are the 305 5-Speed G92's. Those cars will take some of the musclecars from way back with bigger engines. Low 14's and a 6 sec. 0-60 will take alot of cars from back then and cars today. And, they are the best handling F-Body/musclecar ever made out of all Gens. Its all a matter of time before Thirds become even bigger in the car/musclecar community, thats just the way it is. These cars definetly have IT like the Gens before it, something the 4th Gens never had no matter how fast they were. They are still viewed by many as the best looking F-Bodies of all time, and I agree with it.

I agree.

when I was buying my car, I could've had a 1997 30th anniversary coupe, t-tops, SS Wheels....call ...but I bought a 1992 V6 RS, and like its feel way more than I would have ever liked the

I think that 1st&3rd gen are the best looking camaros, and 2nd & 4th gen T/A's are the best looking for birds....but the GTA&TTA are cool too.

Scott Settlemire from GM stated once that a general survey was done on all models of the Camaro to the regular people public. Of all the different exterior changes from over the years, the IROC was chosen hands down as the most eye pleasing. The third generation cars as a whole ranked higher than any other generation.

I like thirdgens. Thirdgens were the worst in terms of engine performance because of low engine technology and strict emissions laws. I would love to own a 4th gen Trans Am. The only thing I would change on the body of a 4th gen Trans Am would be the wheels. They look great right out of the factory.

I also like

1st gen Camaros
2nd gen Z28 Camaros with the split bumper
3rd gen Camaros, Formulas, and Trans Ams
4th gen Trans Ams.


I, like other poor people I know can't afford to keep up our cars as much as we would like to. I need a car to get around in so why not it be a thirdgen, a car that I can afford while in college.

Its easy for rich kids to say "you should put heads on that engine and get your car painted." Easier said than done.

one of the guys at my school had his parents shell out like 35,000 on an SUV for him to drive as soon as he got his liscense. it'll be wrecked within a few months i friggin guarantee it. makes me sick when i pull into school, the thousands of dollars these kids had just handed to them when i've been working and saving since i was 14 or so just so i could drive my dream car, (that one from knightrider, lol). sure, her paint is faded and she smokes some when i turn the key, but i earned every piece of it with these two hands i'm typing with. Damn that feels good to think about sorry about the rambling it's late and i need some freakin sleep. BTW, a stock 350 2nd gen camaro 4 speed will not hold a candle to my 88 formula w/ a tpi 305 and a 5 speed, and the stock 3.45 rear end. whats better now?????

I don't mind when rich kids have nice old cars, its when they get new cars, and then wreck them, and thier parents buy them another car that is more expensive and faster. Its not the kids that are rich, it is the parents. Without them, those kids would be in the same boat with me.

Rich Kids??? Try moving to the rich part of South Florida

A 17-year old kid at my school drives a Porshce Boxster........yes 17 with a boxster

Now the worst part.......that boxster is his "daily driver"

He has a Porshce 911 Turbo with a full body kit at home in in garage to take out on the weekends and at night......

Talk about rich parents.........

I have an X-Box
Who needs a Porsche!

I could use a Porsche. I like the Boxster because it is mid engined.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by redraif
[B]I'm for 3rd gens all the way. I love them better than any of the other generations. [QUOTE][i]

I bet the reason they dogged the 3rd gen was that is was the plentifulness and the slowness factor. GM really messed up in the 80s. Even the V-8 cars were dog slow stock. I don't know what they were thinking. You have this wonderful sports car body and no go.

Having no go is because GM did not want the firebird to out do the corvette at the time, because of the much better areoydynamics of the 3rd gen. But if the firebirds and camaros could out do the corvette that would look really bad for gm so they dogged them and the corvette won the big engine while they made sure the camaro and firebird where fast but not as fast. LAAAAAAAMMMMMEEEEEEE

EXACTLY!!! not dissing the older 3rd gens but I just love the restyling of 91 and 92 , but I love all third gens, 2nd gens, and first gens but poo on the 4th lol.

Yeah, thats what I was thinking. Too many are well taken care of and you see very few that are in mint condition.

Look for mine, lol. the not taken care of factor is wayyyyyyyy too huge. I managed to rescue my formula from it's former owner, it was at the point where the car could go either way, good or bad. had i not bought her, she would be getting abused as we speak.

I try to make my car look as good as possible even though I know it will fall apart someday.

Man, yesterday there were like 2 posts on this topic. Good to see the return and that you guys have strong opinions about this.

Redraif: about the toy cars; I found a model kit (Testor?) for an 82 Camaro. I was feeling stupid and searched the entire shelf and found only 1. So they are out there. I should have bought it. I think everyone should by one so they can see what mods will make they're cars look like before they really do it.

Yeah...the TPI is a huge stepping stone between the carbeurated and LT1 engines. I honestly think that if I had the money, I'd rebuild mine for integrity's sake rather than buy an LT1.

This is an off topic and I expect to get some flack, but it bothers me a bit to see people ripping out the third-gen interior and replacing it with 4th gen dashes and doors. I must admit, I have 4th gen leather seats, but it does not drastically change the interior appearance as much as the former.

And I am always coming up with ways to mod my interior/exterior: its my favorite daydream topic. But putting in the 4th gen dash/console/doors never appealed to me. I feel like it would be hurting my cars 'feelings'.

I don't think a whole lot of people are swapping 4th gen door panels, it is mostly the console and seats that get swapped. I remember seeing a 73 Z28 with a complete 98 Trans Am interior. I looked awesome. What's wrong with having the old car look and a new car feel.

The only thing I see wrong is from an integrity standpoint. It would be really neat to see an aftermarket dash that looked like it belonged in a third gen to get that new car feel.

i dunno, i really like my dash! i do need some of those 4th gen seats, but thats as far as i'm willing to go. The whole interior really seems to make my thirdgen what it is, all the gauges are set perfect for me. Just my opinion though of course...

The thirdgen dash is fine for me, but I wish that the doors panels had curves to the dash so that when the doors are closed, it looks like the dash is a one piece design from door panel to door panel, like on most new cars.

i love our cars the best. i especially like the 91-92 trans am(like mine ). i love the way our dash is. i love how they are at the lowest value point of their life and sell for pretty cheap, compared to other generations. they are at the time of their life now where there either get towed away on a flat bed to the dump of rise above the trash in all their glory.

when the 92's become 20 years old or 25 that is when they will become valueable again......they will be looked at the same way we look at 69's right now.

about the model cars. i am always looking for thirdgen cars to buy when i go out, i found a few camaros but i couldn't find any birds. then i checked eebay and got my favorite car....a 1991 trans am GTA with TPI. so i bought it for 20 bucks without s&h. i got the motor finished and i am making it exactly like my car....white...red painted lines on plenum, red TB plate.....red plug wires.....grey leather...borla exhaust with quad tips...you know just detailing it to make it exactly like mine...

Sorta off topic, but my mom saved a "Muscle car" article out of the paper for me. It didn't even mention muscle cars other than the first paragraph. It started talking about beatles and sentras and civics, and then the last paragraph said something about taking an ordinary Asian import and turning it into a "Pavement Melting Rocket" or something like that and how the trend is spreading across the country. I guess I'm just saying people that write stuff like that have no clue what they are talking about.

I dont care what anyone says the third gens were about the best years. the only ones that I think are better are the first gens. if you ask me I think most of the third gen camaros look like an overgorown geo storm and the birds were just ugly unless they had the ram air hood. but hey what do I know Im just a stupid third gen driver that apriciates the ability of Gm to produce some decent performing machines when all the governent did those years is keep coming out with things that tried to hinder emissions which intern ruined performance for all cars.

I'm not sure how anyone could claim that the third gen were the "bad years".......TTA's, GTA's, IROC's, revival of convertibles....sounds like somebody didn't do their homework.

I have a bunch of models I got off ebay, but I want some ready made metal ones like you see a Toys R'US and such. I'm planning to build one to look like mine from all the kits I got. I had to get multiples to get the right options. As it is the interior and engine are going to be a handful. I'm going to have to get a fiero to get a 2.8L engine for my before model. Then I have to decide what to drop in for the after (V-8)

I don't pay much attention to what limp wristed, driving glove wearing magazine writer types like or dislike; they usually knock all F-bodies in general, esp the "live axle"...thank *** GM didn't put an independent in these cars!!! ...and the "pushrod V8".They're "old technology". So is the wheel, and every car still uses it !!!

So what if a push rod engine is old tech, its works doesn't it? How many 500hp pushrod v8's are there out there? And the third gen is not the worst f-body, its probably one of the best, next to the 1st gen (with the 1st gen being kind of a toss up to the early 2 or 3 years of the 2nd gens). The 4th gens are by far the worst (in terms of looks, although the trans am's were some mean looking sombitchs). People always dog the third gen, ya it had some lack lust engines, but i wanna see a honda civic from the 80's keep up, or how about an accord. Oh and on the pushrods are old tech, ya so what, i had to have the valves adjusted on my overhead cam bmw ever 1000 miles or so, so whats some much better about ohc?

Part of the reason that the low tech pushrod 350 is such a great engine because of its size and design even in stock form. The power is usually more raw instead of smooth through out the entire powerband like high tech engines.

i despise smooth power, i want all my power in one punch of the throttle, just untamed raw torque heading an evil path towards the unexpecting pavement. this slow and the curious crap from the media is killing the attraction of American Muscle

Well, when you look at it...Motor Trend isn't gonna write about how all these low production cars from the 3rd generation were fast. They look at the ones that are on the street...and the truth is that 90% of the ThirdGens on the road are ragged to hell with an LG4. When it comes to looking at a generation as a whole, the ThirdGen was the slowest. Sure, the late 70s had their slowpoints, but from 1982-1987, there wasn't really a "fast" stock Camaro/Firebird. If you want to talk about fast "low production" F-bodys, the 1969 COPO Camaro(less than 500 made) with a 427 ran a 11.7 in stock trim. Motor Trend doesn't look at the cars who the people on this board cherish. They look at how the whole population of car lovers look at them.

Just because you don't see eye-to-eye with somebody doesn't mean they are stupid.

That's a good point.

*** designed the ThirdGen F-bodies.
There are the coolest looking cars, and for cheap can be made into supercars. they have drag coef similar to lambourghini's and witha little work can push out 1 G. If you strengthen the chassis, upgrade the brakes, give it a supercharger... you're down $4,000-$5,000 but you have a car than can perform amazingly in every aspect. Period.

stupid indeed, hardly no respect!!

actualy they have a better coefficiency than a lambourghini , or a MClaren.