I'm not sure where i can post this to get opinions so i'll just go here with it. Right now i have a 92 z28. I love the car to death but i don't feel i can't afford to make the car what i want it to be. So instead of completly ditchin the fbody, i found a 96 ta fully loaded with only 42k on it for 8999. What do you guys think? i'm having a hard time with this. Right now i'm broke starting my second year of school. But anyone give me some advice. O yeah, here's a pic of the camaro i have now.

 

For less than 9 grand you could swap a crate engine with 400-500 hp and also drop in a 6 speed tranny and youd have it to what you want it to be then

 

I guess we need to know what it is that you want your car to be. There are quite of few of us that have spent "too much money" on our rides, but I always felt it was worth it. For 9 grand, you could put a nice motor in and probably have enough left over to redo the interior. To me, it looks like you already have the outside done, so you are already a third of the way done. I say stick with what you have. I'm really liking that camaro.

 

For me that would be a very easy decision, 3rdgen all the way. Im tired of seeing 4thgens. Id take an lt-1/ls-1 6 speed thirdgen over any 4thgen. I feel ya on being broke, which you may be now, but maybe not in the future.

 

Keep the 92. It looks like a really nice car. Just like everyone else is saying, the 9 grand you spend on the T/A would make for a very nice drivetrain in the 92.

 

Are you talking about selling the 92 to get the 96?

If you were wanting soemthing new, I would just hold out for an LS1 car. Or just save up and do the 4th gen drive train swap and have something a bit more unique.

 

I have thought about doing the ls1 swap but that alone is alot of money. The point of selling it and buyin a different car is so that i wouldn't be payin so much for something new. I'd use the money from the z for the TA. The outside of the car could use new paint or at least quite a bit of touch up due to stupid *** people. the front ground effect is completely shot and the front bumper needs new paint for sure. I can't seem to find the oil leaks (seems to be a couple). It burns oil like no other. the seals suck and the few rust spots on it are gettin worse by the day. I've had my bro's 2004 silverado for that past few days and now when i get in my car it feels like the biggest pile of **** ever. I would LOVE to keep the 3rd gen BUT i don't think i can afford to keep fixin it to keep it as a daily driver.

 

well honestly I would go with the 4th gen but like I said if you can wait the prices on ls1 cars are coming down.

The 4th gen however already has the nice interior, probably decent paint...and low miles.

 

I haven't went to look at the car in person but i called the guy and saw some pics of it. from what i understand, the car is pretty much flawless. He bought the car in 99 with 25k miles on it and got extended warranty. Still not sure what to do.

 

i like the current ride looks nice for 9k you could do a lot of nice mods that donl;t have to take weeks to do. a simple zz4 crate engine is about 3k and can be swapped in a weekend with a little help or just little sleep. some nice suspension mods can be had for 2k. wheels for for 2k or so interiors can be had for reasonable prices. its all a matter of your taste.

i would keep the z and keep adding to it a little at a time.

Jeff

 

i can understand the appeal of a 4th gen, less miles, just feels a little nicer sometimes.....but imho the LT1 style 'birds aren't the prettiest cars around, at least in the front end. gotta love 'em for bein f-bodys, but your 'maro is much better looking, and has more potential

 

What are you thinking!!!!!!!!!!!!! Why would you want a crappy LT1 fourth gen???????????? Keep the 92 use your brain man!! How are you gonna come on THIRDgen.org and ask if you should get a fourthgen??????????? Really though keep the 92 man

 

i put in yet another vote for the ThirdGen...i mean, what else do ya think your gonna get on THIRDGEN.ORG? lol, seriously though, i FEEL YOUR PAIN, my 86 Z28 needs paint A LOT WORSE THAN YOURS, and right after i dropped about $500 into it over a weekend putting a new carb, intake, and fixing a lot of little things in it, it drops cylinder #1. i wanted to just cut my losses and run from it, but then what? get another one, have another project? i mean, there is a point with a car that you HAVE to just cut your losses and run, but your car is nowhere near that. heck, i just went out and bought a used (but good, im hoping) 350 to throw in, and hopefully it will be good for a little while now. hell, to be dead serious, you know you, do you REALLY think this T/A will be ALL YOU EVER WANTED to the point that you will honestly just leave it alone? what i am getting at, is that you will have goals and dreams with this one too, and you probably wont have the money to fix it either...and if it screws up, you then have a payment and yet another screwed up car...then you will be at the same crossroads...i say just keep it and make it what you want...hell, you have the makings of an AWESOME car...but in the end, do whatever makes you the happiest because no matter what anyone on here says, at the end of the day, you have to live with it...

Josh

 

I think it all depends on how you feel about the car. My first Camaro was the saddest base-model car imaginable. The interior was ripped and stained, the clearcoat had all but peeled away and there were no less than two dents as large as bloody watermelons in the body. Still, for some inexplicable reason, I miss that car dearly.

Ultimately the choice is up to you, so my only advice is to simply be positive you know precisely what you want before you let your 3rdgen go.

 

I can see where everyone is coming from on every point. The main reason i want the TA is because, in my eyes, will be a more reliable car for me while i'm in school. I love the camaro and would love to use it as a project. Hell, thats the main reason i'm keepin it. I think the third gens look like one of the meanest cars out there. But like i said, it's more less a money situation.

 

Microtek_10,

Trust me on this advice - Get a $ 1000.00 beater car, then
use the other $7900.00 to work out the little problems on
your 3rd Gen. That way you'll have the best of both worlds -
a dependable driver, and you get to keep the 92 ( which will
only go up in value and not down like the 96 ) and save a whole
bunch of money.

Oh and by the way, you will hate working on the LT-1. Plugs
and general tuning is a nightmare, while I won't even go into
the optispark ignition ..... The fact that a 96 is OBD11 in many
States, is not real desirable either because many tuning mods
will not clear emissions.

In the end it's your money and your choice. But I'm sure
you'll do the right thing



John B.

 

A sad fact of life, peolpe just plain have no respect for others property anymore.
A 4thgen isn't going to make anyone go, 'oh, I shouldn't slam my door against this car because I'm a lazy (fat f__k generally) who can't park in the middleof a parking space because turning the wheel that extra 1/8" of a turn would just kill me and possibly burn some fat off my big lazy ***', just because you own a little newer car. Not that fat lazy m'fers **** me off because they've done that while I'm sitting in my car. I'd go on but, I'm sure you get my point.. A newer car won't make the surronding people any less stupid, you'll just have a newer, beat-up car.

I had a 86 Daytone (1st car) that had over 340k on the clock (original motor because I did the majority of the miles) that ran on no true oil, between all the crap mixed in it, it didn't smoke or leak and, lasted long enough to save to get a real car (my 'bird)

Main point of my ramble I guess.. If You like the car enough.. keep it. Dump some crap into the already dead motor to keep it on life support long enough to save for even a low buck crate motor.
Once the general problem (runs like a turd) is overcome and you keep some routine maintenance on it, it should be dependable long enough to fix it the way you wish.

Even if you got the 4th, probably what you'd save in headaches would be spent on extra insurance for having a nicer/newer car. Just my opinion though.. I could be wrong....

 

well..i would starts by not calling it a 9 duece.... ...

 

I think some people are missing one part of his argument.

He doens't have $9,000 to spend on a new car. Its not sitting in a bank where he can just write a check for it. Instead he has to sell his Z, then use that money for a downpayment, and probably finance the rest of the car. So, he really doesn't have $9,000 to spend on a car, he'll be financing it.

I really like the LT1 motor, there are things I don't like about the 4th gen styling, but the interior is nice, and the ride is more comfortable. T-tops have a better a design as well. Plus the transmissions are better able to handle the horsepower the LT1 will make.

If you want a 4th gen, I say go test drive a couple. If you like it, then by all means trade your ride in. You are the one that has to live with it.

Honestly, the 4th gen is a better car all around. But I bought a thirdgen, and I LOVE my thirdgen. I'm not going to sell my GTA for a 4th gen TA. Too much time, effort, and money are in my GTA to get rid of it like that.

 

Thank you fruityone....you nailed it perfectly. I still haven't decided what i want to do for sure. My friend has a 96 TA with a few mods, nothing too major, and i've seen him take LS1's. But like i said before, it's not about performance for me right now, it's the money. How reliable are the LT1's in the 96? From what i have heard they are pretty reliable.

 

what u need to do if figure out how much u end up spending on your 92 each year for repairs, then call up your insurance and see how much it will go up (i'm sure it will). u might end up spending alot more than u want for the 4th gen. u'll have car payments, higher insurance, and then u'll still have to pay for repairs. with your 92, no payments, lower insurance (i would think) and repairs.

do the math b4 u make any decisions when i bought my 04 neon the insurance was 3 times more than my 84 TA. go figure, 4 door sedan Vs V8 2 door sports car

 

Right now i have 2,900 left to pay on the 92. I figure if i get what i want outa my car, i'd have to add a little over a grand to that. I talked to insurance and it will be like 57 bucks more for the TA every 6 months. So it doesn't change a whole lot. For repairs, i'm not sure how much i put into it a year. I try to save myself some money and do things myself. Is it harder to repair a LT1 vs, the TPI cars?

 

so u're gona have to sell the car on your own to pay it off and maybe have some to put on a down payment, i really doubt u'll get the payoff with a trade in, but u might be able to. and i have to ask, is that $1,000 every u'd want to do? if so, u could get a loan from a bank then all u'll have to pay is about 4k instead of 9k. how many miles r on your 92

as far as how it is to work on an LT1...Go HERE they'll help u out. they helped me out alot when i first got my 84, b4 i found TGO

 

8999?? Thats sounds a little steep, I found a nice 94 T/A on www.fbody.com for $5500 fully loaded, bright red with 69,XXX on her

 

Fruityone,

So you think the 4th Gen is better ? Please enlighten us.

After owning 15 4th Gen's, and somewhere around 20 3rd
Gen's, I would beg to differ



John B. ( If speed kills, how come I'm still alive ? )

 

Thunderstruck, the number of thirdgens and fourth gens you've owned really doesn't have much bearing on this discussion. You only need to be familiar with one example of each car. For me, that is my own 1989 GTA w/350TPI, and a 1997 Camaro Z28 6spd. Both my car, and the Z28 have comparable miles on them. My car is a california car and has NO rust anywhere. The Z28 will walk me bad on the highway. Though from a dig I usually got a car lenght or two, and held it till I hit 3rd gear.

I've driven my GTA, which has a rebuilt drivetrain, as well as new bushings everywhere I could afford to do it. The transmission was rebuilt by me, and its in excellent running order.

I never said the thirdgen was a turd, nor did I imply it.

4th gens are newer, have stiffer frames, better cabin isolation than 3rd gens, so the ride is more quiet, as well as more comfortable. The heads flow significantly better than any head to come on a mass produced factory 3rd gen. The intake has a flatter torque curve, and also will flow much more for more power up top.

Conversly, a 3rd gen is about 3" shorter on average. Weighs about 50lbs less with comparable trim options. A 3rd gen also has a lower center of gravity. 3rd gens are cheaper. The engines easier to work on. 3rd gens don't have to deal with OBD 1/2. We have many more choices for heads/intake combo's. The suspension aftermarket for a 3rd gen far outstrips whats available for a 4th gen. 3rd gens are more aerodynamic, and more stable at high speeds; especially the firebirds with a aerowing.

To their ultimate end a 3rd gen has more potential to out handle a 4th gen. Assuming a similar amount of time and money is invested into each car. And in the end a 3rd gen has more options make power with.

The thirdgen is a better race car IMHO. But for a daily driver, the 4th gen is easier to live with. Each generation has their strong points, as well as weak points. Its all matter of what is more important to you.

 

Well put Fruityone ! The only thing that I would say is- how many 3rd-4th gens I've owned does not have a bearing on this discussion, but it does have a direct bearing on my response to your comment about 4th Gen's being better.

Experience is a great teacher. Been there, done that, with all
Gen Camaros so I've learned the hard way

When you have the time, go to the 4th Gen boards and you'll
see for yourself why many 4th Gen owners are seeking therapy
because of their ill mannered " maro's "

I like all of the positive reasons you gave for owning a 3rd Gen !
So in light of that, I'll keep my 3rd gens


Take care,

John B.

 

I think what i have decided to do is keep my camaro, at least for the time being. If it ends up getting worse and costing me alot more money to fix it, then i will get a newer car. But, i don't think i will ever get rid of it and not buy another fbody. Hopfully after school, i will have the time and the money to work on it. It's not too bad i guess but just enought work to give me a project for a while. thanks for all the advice from everyone and thanks for the compliments on my car.

 

COOL