I didnt like the tpi. Lost alot of power up top.

I'm not feeling any love for this system myself. Mine crapped out this morning leaving work, second time it's done this. Wait 7 minutes, got lucky, it started. Eliminated the key deal last time, used a resistor. Now looking to build a timer module to bypass the whole deal. Wish there was another way to get rid of the whole deal (available in this area.)

There are multiple ways to do it, burn a prom and delete it, use a remote start module with or without he remote start, buy bypass module on eBay OR do the resistor thing properly. I bypassed vats with resistors in ny car a month after I got it so roughly 5 years ago and I haven't had a single problem.

My complaint is the use of the small Vega 7.5" 10-bolt instead of the 8.5" which is much more reliable

Yup Norwood developed a method of putting a charge into solvent based paints and grounding the material to be painted. This was to reduce the VOC emissions because it would attract more paint to the surface. GM then moved the process out to Ca. and the state still denied them the use of solvent based paints due to VOC emissions. They had to develop a new based paint to meet the states standards. Not until much later did anyone realize that the paint didn't bond with the primer.

My car is an 86 Van Nuys car and the paint on the roof was totally gone. Only way to cure it is to strip the car down and repaint the car.

i can live with all of the squeaks and rattles - upgraded supension helps. i can live without a cup holder or glove box, as it isnt a daily driver. i could care less about the "white trash stereotype." the one thing that is most bothersom to me is an asthetic issue. its an issue common in the eighties and throughout the nineties, but it is very pronounced on our beloved third gens. and you dont see it on cars today or from the 60's & early 70's.

and that would be the excessive overhang of fender and facia past the front wheels. there is just SO MUCH CAR forward of the front wheels. its almost ridiculous-looking from a side-view. sorta like a really hot chick with a really long nose. even causes some drivability issues as it relates to ramps. i wish our cars didnt have that.

The factory dash fixed that with a 96 camaro dash and console. And motor working on solving that with an lsx

Buy a first, second, fourth or fifth gen? Lol I actually like it I just know to avoid certain driveways and such or slow the hell down and take it at an angle if I have to good thing camaros have removable lips I can pop it off and spray it if need be lol

you sound ridiculous.

Ok,
since when was a Thirdgen a Symbol of American Trash?
last I remember it was always a joke when I had my Iroc that I was a guido lol or uncle vinny Italian guy with a beater and gold chains with a firebird I guess some of the older members knew this and not "American Trash" lol.
BTW American made vehicles dont mix with Trash its a oxymoron.

Oh well take it for what it is next time I hear trash and american I hope that person gets stabbed with a big american flag. HOOOORAH!

the pos electronic carb is JUNK!!! ill be switching to a holley soon
the drivers side door clunk when i shut it
and the fact the one of the po took the headliner out? and its hard to find a t-top headliner

thats all i have to complain about the drivers door will be fixed soon.i love my car this is my 2nd 3rd gen.and the th200 is weak i had one in my 85 monte with a 4.3

i take it your not good with q-jets? or ya'd have it running fine

What a shame.


It's pretty hard if you don't look. Everyone needs a headliner, it's very easy to find one.

Here is the headliner by itself.

Here is an entire kit. It gives you sun visors and sail panels in addition to the headliner.


You couldn't get a TH-200 in any '86 F-body. I think the only time they ever came in a third gen at all was in the 20th anniversary Turbo T/A.

A TH-200 could be had in the 82 models. Not sure about the 89 turbo models.

I agree, the Qjet is the best carb, once it's set you rarely have to touch it.

i definitely had less problems with my Q-Jet than the Holley i swapped it out for on my '87. a regretable decision indeed.

Problem with the Q-jet is you have to have a good casting to start with. Many times the parts can be warped plus there have been problems with the metering rods from the start with re-manufactured ECM controlled Q-jets.

I swapped mine out because mine was garbage and I didn't want to have to go through multiple carbs from the part store just to get a good one (past experience). I also didn't want to mess with the PROM as well so I removed all the ECM stuff on my LG4.

The Holley is a good racing carb but for cruising and street performance I would go with an early Q-jet, or Carter/Edlebrock carb.

This one isn't so much a dislike about my T/A, but the more I've driven my black '86 this year the more KITT and Knight Rider references I've gotten. I'm sorry to those who like the show, but it drives me crazy when people constantly mistake my car for KITT. People are always surprised when I tell them I don't like the show, but my love for Trans Am's came from Smokey and the Bandit. haha

Anyway, I guess now I can see why 68-70 Dodge Charger owners get annoyed when people always call their cars the General Lee. lol

I don't have many complaints, but here's my short list:

Squeaks and rattles, but I've learned to live with them.
Window motors are definitely a PIA.
Headlight motors are okay when the bushings don't turn to dust.
T-Top leaks that seem to reappear even after sealing them. Next up: Sikaflex.
Suspension can be way too clunky, especially on these wonderful well-maintained Ontario roads.
That scratch that some a$$hole gouged into my door literally a week after I bought the damn car.
No cup holders. But I'm used to this as my previous daily driver was my '75 Apollo and it doesn't even have a console.
Tiny 7.5" rear end does kind of limit the imagination.

And why so much hate on the 305? My 305 TPI lets me overtake every annoying ***** on the highway I run into who insists on trying to race.
Only thing I'd like different with my car is a 5 speed instead of the 700R4.

And maybe I'll stuff my 400 into it eventually. Maybe.

Are you sure anyone was trying to race?

Lol its usually fox bodies and civics. Their drivers seem to think they've got something to prove.

Me and my friend driving around in his 1980 Camaro with a 350, every idiot in a fox body or civic or any ***** type car for that matter gave us the look and tried to race, we just blew them away.

I was driving home the other night just cruising and minding my business and I can see in my passenger side mirror bright blue lights and I say to myself "It has to be a *****." ***** comes flying by me. Now I am driving and he keeps jumping in front of me. So decide not to signal and just take him, he keeps jumping in front of me. So now I am on his *** but at the same time I don't want to rear end him. I can hear him trying to out run me but he could not. I also can hear his exhaust but mine was drowning him out and he had those stupid euro taillights. so now he moves over I punch it right by him. I punch it and he did and I took off on him and just kept going. I was kinda annoyed that he did that also I really don't like to race around the highway especially when there are a lot of cars. I may have a 305 and I dont mind losing to a car I hate but I respect. Any newer sports car will beat me however I didn't buy my car to race. I will not lose to a ***** and if I do I will sell my car.

Haha, that's a funny story. I don't go around looking for street races. In fact, I try not to whenever I can. But if some douche-bag in a civic comes up and starts acting like a tool there's no way I'm not gonna blow his doors off.

R icers just **** me off, I don't like euro tail lights on bit, my tail lights are tinted on my car but only to a point, I think it looks good on my stock white firebird and it still is highly visible.

I don't like the way it spins the tyres every time I leave the lights.

I don't like how loud my exhaust is when I pass a cop car.

The fly away paint. I really tried to take good care of my car, but the paint cared not. Almost the whole roof, a bunch of the hood now (all in the last year) and the hatch (not the spoiler). It's only paint that was on metal. All the plastic ground effects etc are still excellent. The vertical surfaces faired better, but they're starting to get little spots. It won't be long now. Five years ago it all looked great.

t-tops, I wish I could have found a hard top

Where to start?
Not enough room for me and the 8 kids
Food stamps don't pay for gas
No cup holder for my keystone
The window always catches my Mu**et
Too low to the ground for the fatties (scrapes on the speed bumps in the trailer park)

Oh yeah the white trash BS.... Lol

I have a 1992 Camaro RS; what I don't like about it...

-The lack of power output on the 305 V8
-The 2.73 rear gear ratio
-4 speed automatic transmission
-The stock rims (would prefer 89 IROC rims)
-Stock exhaust set up
-Gauge cluster (I prefer the older gauge cluster)
-The fine scratches and chips on the front bumper caused by rocks from gravel roads
-**** gas mileage, although it never bothers me
-A.I.R smog system

Other then that I love my car, and everything I mentioned above can be customized, fixed, or replaced, so in time, I will have my dream third generation Camaro.

I Love my GTA because it is my kinda like a high school sweetheart, but the ride quality sucks, and it has less performance than my 4 cylinder honda. Doesn't mean I will ever let it go.

you can see your way out, or we can toss you out on your ***. Your choice.

It was too easy

Keeping your smart mouth shut would've been even easier.

I find it harder and harder all the time.
Such a welcoming place

Their are a few things about my car I truely dislike, but all are from the previous owner.
Considering the amont I spent on the car I have no real complaints.

Hardly an issue. Cars with almost no overhang tend to look like they've been over inflated. The fact that there is less and less overhang on new models is really a step in the wrong direction IMO.

Apparently no one can take a joke around here any more!

The exterior door handles. They look fine and fit the look of the car but they just fall apart after some use.

Secondly the fact that gm used those Torx headed screws all over the interior, well not so much as them using them or the fact of how many their are but the fact that some are fake. Learned my lesson the hard way on my first camaro which were real.

No cupholder.
Bad gas mileage 15-18 MPG.
Heavy, rattling doors.
The fact that fourth Gen V-6's are faster than a stock 305 all while getting 27 mpg!

You have the right to complain when your camaro starts to get 8 mpg....as far as I am concerned you're way lucky.

right, i get 9 on a good day on the highway, and all his problems are fixable somethings up with his if he gets that bad mileage from a tpi, the cupholder one is easy the window rattling too, as for making it faster theres a world of things he can do, but if he can port all he needs is some 27 dollar carbide bits and time he'll make it faster

well, its an issue for me. agree to disagree?

squeaks dont bother me xD

the shitty door hinges
the cat conveter hump annoys the hell outta me
interior pulling apart
minimal interior lighting
brakes...those scare me

but i love my car overall

I owned 2 back in the day and I had to rebuild my TAs dash in 87 to fix it with foam and stuff
my current GTA rides better due to softer tires but still ratttles

it's a love hate relationship like everyone here:
leaky t tops
spiderwebbed bumpers
rear tire rub(my fault)
2:73's
have to drive it on boards to fit a jack under it
... but unlike so many others i have cupholders and it's my first car so gotta love it

No cup holders ,the shitty door hinges , the trunk pull down, the dog doo engines they all came with , the dashboard that's more delicate than glass, I could go on for days . But somehow I wouldn't want any other car. It's cheaply made rattle trap. But I love it

Wow, I can't believe it's been a year since I this thread was last active.

I think that's the charm of these cars, it's the cheaply made 80's build quality, but they have so much character because of it. They're not boring and efficient. They're fun and gnarly.

Yep , lets be honest we all secretly love fixing their flaws

I do but my bank account doesn't

I haven't read all the pages so far, but I'll add my gripes with our beloved 3rd gens.

The 3rd Gen F-Body is a symbol of 80's white trash and/or hair metal. Both times when I bought my '84 and '92 Z28s ('99 and now) it was nonstop with jokes about ******s (why is m-u-l-l-e-t-s censored??) flying in the wind and listening to Whitesnake.

What irritates me more than that is the 3rd gens are used as ashtrays in Hollywood movies. Pretty much anytime you see one in a movie, it gets absolutely destroyed.

Just a few quick references off the top of my head:
Gone in 60 Seconds - Kip's firebird in the crusher
Exit Wounds - Stevan Seagal tosses a thug into the back window of a red Camaro
Transformers (1st movie) - ok it was a yellow GTO but right when I saw it I knew it was a setup for it to get pumelled.
Heat - Pretty sure there was a 3rd gen getting tore up in the bank shootout
Final Destination 2 - Firebird drove under the gas tanker. KABLOOEY!

Aside from that, I'll complain that there is no reason to put that paperweight of a starter and an exhaust pipe right next to each other. I also am not a fan of how choked off the engines are from the factory, but it makes it that much more fun to mod them!