I've owned a thirdgen for 12 years and a forth gen for 4 years and have a little input....

My Heart is with the Thirdgen cars !

Thirdgen - All show no go
Fourth gen - All go no show
( GENERALLY SPEAKING !!! )

The thirdgen cars have 'eye appeal' that only a select few fourth gens cars posess. The combination of availible interior and exterior options through the 80's makes many thirdgens seem 'unique' compared to the fourth gens cars. It seems like in the 90s you got a Z28 with every option or a V6 with none.

Third gen advantanges:

Better Steering Design
Better feel for the road (with good sway bars)
More external changes from year to year
Drivetrain combinations
More interior choices

Forthgen advantages:
Entire Drivetrain
Better brakes ( but a little unstable at high speed stops )
Better Wheels ( makes a HUGE diffferance !! )
Better technology ( ABS, ASR, RAP, Security, Ec.. )



Just my 2 cents !

P.S. My cars are FAR from stock as I felt the need to improve on both generations "stock" configurations !!

 

Batman said it the best!

 

Thirdgens have a slender, low, wedge shaped profile. 4thgens got round bulbous and fat.

 

There is no car out there that looks like a 3rd gen Camaro. It's all long straight boxy lines, but it still looks sleek and aerodynamic. How the hell did they do that? 4th gen looks like a melted bar of soap.
3rd gen Firebird looks (to me) like a late '70s Ferrari without the cocaine influence. Sleek sexy lines that have rarely been seen on American cars.

 

LMAO '

Batman is a classic lol

 

I like all fbodys! They all have their strong and weak points. But for me, there are more strong points for IROC's. The thing I like a lot is that there arent that many around. I see one IROC for every 1900232983923 4th gens. People tend to pay closer attention to thirdgens.


Within a year though, I don't know if I want to buy another IROC and build it, or get a nice 6 speed LS1.

 

its just the style that draws me into the thirdgen. I love the attention mine brings, from young girls wanting to go for a ride to old guys wanting to buy it LOL. I have a 82 Z28 thats currently being restored and berought up to date with the 91 Z looks, my mom drives a 85 trans am, and my dad drives a 2000 camaro. I love all years of the camaro and TA but being able too see my hood while im driving defintie bonus over driving a fourth gen..

 

i have done my homework..my dad has a 2001 m6 z28...and i have drivin both to there limits on the track..im not some bench racer who gets stats from a common rag...i have on track experiance with both of these cars..and not just casuall driving..im talking taking them to there limits...enducing oversteer by heavy throttle input,..late heal-toe downshifting and quick turn in to get the *** to turn so the car doesnt understeer...both cars are much quicker if you can get them to turn off the rear tires..and the tird..i mean thirdgen does this exponetially better...the thirdgen is far more superior on the track point blank...equip both cars with all the same aftermarket suspension componants you want, stock or both modded the thirdgen will handle better...there are no two ways about it...there are so many more 4th gens out there because...thats right you guessed it..there newer and far more common....the rear suspenion on the 4th gen is identical in everyway as a thirdgen except its an inch longer on each side...

put the same parts on both cars and the thirdgen will be faster and handle better everytime...whe my car had the G92 LB9 i would easily pass 4th gens in corners...then i would be passed on long straits...and pass them again in the corners...

an 85 yes an 85 iroc has won the national championship 5 years in a row in SCCA..untill the original owner sold it..it was actually for sale again not to long ago right here on the classifieds.

 

i am curious where you found that statistic..... LMAO but you know its the truth

around here its like 1 nice looking/condition Iroc for every 135675688990 fourth gens. Even somewhat decent looking thirdgens are hard to find around my area and most are stock mint condition if they are nice.

i choose thirdgen to be different and cuz it was cheaper. i not sure why thirdgens dont hold value really well but oh well, it helped me own one. LOL

 

I'll have to disagree with that. You can only get the 5.7 TPI if you settle for the automatic. That's just downright gay.

I look forward to my LS-1 M6

 

or get a nice 6 speed LS1.


Buy that combo and add it to your IROC! Irocs are lighter then 4th gens

 

I like ThirdGens better then 4th becuase I can actually play with my car. If I had a 4thgen every time I wanted to do something I'd need a degree or a big bank account, but with my car if I want to clean my intake manifold, I CAN take it off, do the work meself, and put it back on successfully without worrying about doing something harmful to my car. On top of that, these cars DO have some VERY sexy lines to them! You get ThirdGen with a good paint-job in the right light on the right angle, and it seems almost angelic...

Bruce (90RS305)

 

..

 

By the time you do that you can just get the 4th Gen with a smoother ride minus the inevitable glitches.

 

you can do the LS1 swap for less than 7 grand depending on where you get your motor and tranny. New, its gonna be more like 10-12 grand with all the parts. dont know of any 4th gen LS1's for that price LOL

For 7 grand you can built a sweet small block chevy, but with LS1 combo you get realiable 340hp and 25+mpg and a 6-speed!! Nice!!

 

3rd gen is always better

 

The title says "why do you think 3rd gens are better than 4th"

Put some effort and thought into your posts man, post count doesn't matter.


Anyway, I like third gens because you don't see clean ones very often (on the road anyway, you see em on here all the time). Everyone has seen a clean 4th gen, because they are newer. They are more common and usually not as in crappy condition as most third gens. So when people see my car, I always get compliments on how clean it is. One guy looked at my odometer and he said to me "I can't believe this thing has 40,000 miles.. it looks like it has half that". I told him, "Actually, its 104,000 miles, the odometer rolls over after 100,000". That was the best compliment

So while 4th gens may have updated technology and be faster (stock anyway), I'd rather have the looks of a third gen and build it to be faster than a 4th gen.

 

Ummm, yeah, I'm guilty. My neighbors already know I'm not right. There's too many cars at my house for just two people living here.


I've always said my '01 T/A has got "back." It's the J Lo of cars. But what a sexy @$$ it has. :hail: But nonetheless, I prefer the more wedged shape of my GTA. It's more business-like than "show."

I remember the GTA coming out in '87. I was in the 8th grade in '88. All I did was daydream about having one, though my age and finances said "it's gonna be a while." High school ended, college came and went, and finally in the summer of '99, I got what I still call today - my "8th grade dream car."

I had always wanted a "new Trans Am," too. After too many rides in friend's LS1s, I figured I better get one before I was too old and was still single. That same summer, I added a garage to the house, and the contractor's framer had seen the '01 daily. One day I put it in storage and drove the GTA for a few days. When he saw the GTA, his eyes bugged out. "That's the one I want, you can keep that new one. THAT one (pointing that the GTA) is what a Trans Am is supposed to look like."

A few months ago, I was on my way to a local f-body club meeting. This guy matched speed with me on the interstate loop. He was yelling that he wanted my car. Thankfully he was throwing cash figures at me and not waving a gun. Yup, it was the GTA.

And I end my ramble with the quote one my local buddies loves the most:

"Third Gens, back in the days when they didn't need fancy hoods to look good."

One thing I'll add, the '85-'90 T/A nose and taillights will always be the love of my life (though I REALLY want a '70-'73), but these days I am falling in love with the '82-'83s. They are seductively "clean." The silver/gray one shown in someone's sig above is gorgeous. :hail:

For the Camaros, nothing will ever look better than a IROC-Z.

I wish it was '88 all over again.

 

amen brotha! 3rd gen dont need a hood with bubbles on it to look good. 4th gens look like they are missing something without a ram-air, dubble bubble hood. i had the conversation with a nurse at my hospital last night. he has an orange 69 vette, and he decided to sell it and is asking $19,500. he said i should buy it and then he will still be able to see it every once in a while. i told him how i liked the car, its really nice and all,but just like a 4th gen f-body, or supra, i dont want one. they are not what i want. if i want an ls1, ill put it in my car. if i want a carbed old tech small block, ill put it in my car. the nurses at the hospital all wonder why i drive an old t/a. why dont you just buy a new one with a/c they say. because i love my car, it was what i wanted, and not dictated by how much money i wanted to spend. i didnt buy it in lue of haveing a 4th gen. but do you notice there are a few types of 3rd gen owners? there are those like myself, who just want a 3rd gen and really dont care that much for anything else, then there are those who wanted a camaro, but they couldnt afford a 4th gen, so they settled for a 3rd gen. thats NOT me! i didnt settle for anything! i have what i want. there are many other types of 3rd gen owner, but these are the types i encounter most often. i love my car. i can understand why people love ther car also, but for me, its all about the 3rd gen f-body, no matter what year, what options, or what motor.

 

Now that is awesome! "That one is what a Trans Am is supposed to look like" :hail:

Are you talking about mine?

 

A few years ago I owned a '94 SC and an '85 Z28. The 4thgen was superior in almost everyway except performance (obviously SC vs Z28 isn't a fair comparison). But I still loved my 3rdgen more. In fact, I gave the 4thgen to my wife!

Here is a crappy pic at a bad angle.

 

Overall, I like thirdgens more. But I have to admit, I really like the 35th anniversary TA. Appearance-wise, that car is the best F-body.

 

Yup!

 

35th T/A? Are you talking about the 30th?

Thanks!

 

The worst 3rd gen owner is the 4th gen owner that wants an "old 3rd gen" for their daily "beater." If you sincerely intend for it to be a "beater" you're no true lover of the breed. If you're just kidding using "beater" as slang that's more tolerable (especially if the 4th gen is modded to so much it is no longer a practical daily car!).

Me? My '01 has been the daily beater since day one with the GTA tucked away in a garage. Though you can imagine which one I love driving the most. The irony... I just got a Jeep so I can park them both. I am too attached to both, and I've had too many close calls in the T/A lately.

Time will tell if the '01 will part company to make room for a early 70s T/A. One thing is for sure: the GTA is my darling. It's going nowhere. Now that I think of it, back in high school, what I wanted the most was a new GTA and a '70-'72 T/A in Lucerne Blue with the white stripe. Hmmm, maybe on a path to that.

Though I find the 3rd gens (both Camaros and Firebirds) more visually appealing than their 4th gen counterparts, I'll give GM credit that they did one heck of a job taking the car to the next generation. I've always said the best generational change in the auto industry was the '92 to '93 Camaro. I can see the cover of Car and Driver with the red '93 Z28 on the cover. I think the american flag is behind it in the pic. What a gorgeous redesign.

 

Here's a 1999 Z28 LS1 car with t tops and the works for less than 7 grand. Trust me, LS1 fourth gens are cheaper than you think. So for 7 grand, I could buy this 4th Gen, or pay 10-12 grand for a swap and hope its reliable... I think we have a no brainer here! :P

edit: would help if i posted the link huh.

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.js...r=&cardist=215

 

dude, there are 17 for sale under 8 grand in the entire country

http://www.autotrader.com/findacar/r...=used&x=43&y=8

i wouldnt buy one with that high miles any way.

i would rather have the LS1 in the thirdgen tho LOL

my estimate of 10-12 grand may be high. I just going by catalog numbers. like 6000 for LS1, 3000 for T56, and 2000 or so for extras to get it into the car. You can do it for cheaper i suppose with used T56 and Ls1. Ebay maybe good place to get some stuff but you never know with that stuff. LOL

 

My fault... I should've said 35th anniversary Firebird, which just happens to be a Trans-Am.

1999 30th Anniversary TA:


2002 35th Anniversary Firebird:

 

hey CAYSE you know the rules

 

10 - 12 for the LS1 6 Speed swap is about right. I called Hawks a while ago and they quoted me 11 with labor.

17 in the whole country, just on one website. I see them go for about that in the local want ads... don't make me break out my scanner.

High mileage doesn't bother me with f bodies. My car has 200+ on it with original trans and motor, and it easily has another 200 in it. If it were a Jap car or a FWD car, then yes, I'd stay away from the high mileage ones.

 

I have to say I'm quite confused... when did they change the name, or why are they using different names... T/A and Firebird?

 

A TA is a type of Firebird; "Firebird" is the blanket model name for Trans-Ams, Formulas, Firehawks, etc. I assume the anniversaries are because 2002 was 35 years after the first Firebird was made, and 1999 was 30 years after the first TA was made. Pontiac simply decided to use a TA for the 35th anniversary Firebird, that's all.

But nick is right... we're way off topic.

 

3rd gens have a good look to them and the right 85-90 TA with ram air hood can match the agressiveness of the 02 TA

this is what i am talkin about
Such a mean stance and look to it. Just screams muscle car, not pony car. LOL

 

opps, a pic would help

 

Damn that looks good. :hail:

 

thats why its very hard to choose thirdgen over 4th gen. both are incredible vehicles that offer their own positives and negatives.

 

did somebody say that he looked at his car for a second as walking away from it ?
I do the same, I dont care if it sounds gay or what . !
but since I repainted my car in black, tint the window and got a Z28 grill I get this feeling everytime I walk away from it

here some before and after pictures

 

after

 

That is a mean looking TA, however, from the side IMHO they look kinda funny. A Thirdgen straight from the side looks just a sweet as the lower 3/4 front shot. Not very many cars have that side appeal, most look really good from a single angle, but start looking not as good from the side. I think Thirdgens look "funny" from the straight back.

There is nothing muscle about that... besides it kinda looks like a flexed muscle. It screams I am gonna rip your head off your Pony, to me.

 

See the thing is, you can't really buy a new LS1 f-body anymore, so most likely you're lookin at a used one. Might as well go w/ a used drivetrain...

 

Anybody.... can fit into a thirdgen.

Im 6'3 and can slip into my thirdgen like a broken in pair of shoes everytime, and not have my knee's touching the dash.

 

for one i like the 4th gens better... their in newer condition. all the plastic is up to date in the interior... rust is not really a thought, they have body kits for them.... its like anything we can do to our cars it has to be custom. all the up to date cars have like their own category of bolt ons, alls u need is money and not great skills. I walk out to my car and just dont kno where to start anymore with performance...drum brakes in the rear.. all rusty.. all shaty looking.. .. on a newer car u just make the good parts better with a bolt on.. wtf... like cake... this is a big reason why i want the 3rd to 4th gen swap.. i like the old car look that the 3rd gen has.. but just being in it makes me feel like i want to strip the whole car down to the body.. take the body off and build the whole car over. its rediculous!!! ahhh!!!

 

The forth gen Imo was the reason gm stopped producing camaro's and firebirds. They were just so ugly most people that bought the third gen's switched to different makes. So sales sucked and most of the one's I see on the road are the 6 cyd camaro's which are the most ugly of all. Besides people on a buget started buying rustangs and ricers cheaper to buy and just as easy to improve.
Third gen had lines like the sport cars of the past. Yes they have there issue's but what car doesn't. Its to bad they don't hold value very well because it makes it hard to dump alot of money into them because even if you insure the veh with comp and coll Your only going to get book value so if you dump a ls1 into them you realy dont have any way to get that money back if the veh is totaled. Unless you ins the veh for a aprased value. But by far the third gen is a better looking car over the total production time. It don't look like a bubble mobile (camaro). Yes I too park and have to take a second glance at my car. Only a few other cars make me take a second look my fathers 68 corvette is another. Is it just me or have cars lost the heart and sole of the past.

 

I love my 92 rs. My dad had a 93 z28. I liked it but...

There are a lot of nice thirdgens here on TGO and we have a higher standard than most everyday drivers. How many times have you pulled up next to a 3rd gen that was driven by someone that really hasnt took a shower in about a month, rust everywhere on the car, and smoke coming out the back? Doesnt it make you feel good that you have kept your car up for 12+ years ( mine, a 92, being the latest year). Im proud gosh darnit !!!

It seems to me that you just cant feel that pride in a newer car.


But the thing that probably makes me lean towards a 3rd gen the most....

A BIG NASTY cam just doesnt go with the looks of a 4th gen. But in a third gen it feels right at home.

Just one guys humble opinion.

 

i love it....

 

i have mixed opinions on this one,i think that the iroc z was the best looking camaro ever made,but the third gen 'birds look almost ugly on the front end,while the 4th gen maros look silliy(the 93-97 cars)to downright ugly(the chrysler wannabes)i cant avoid loving the 4th gen birds(they look f***ing awesome)anyways,f bodies are very special no matter the gen they belong to,just my .02

 

Too bad there NEVER was a 35th T/A.

You might want to recheck your math.

The Collector's Edition T/A as pictured was produced in the 33rd model year of the firebird.

 

they arent better than 4th gens.

 

They didn't. It's misinformation.

 

I've always felt that a big, nasty cam goes with everything ! I've had several vehicles with a good lope, but got the most reaction from my stock appearing black 1997 Camaro SS. Nobody ever expected a "new car" to sound like it did...I was constantly getting asked what was in it. Most assumed it had a carb'd big block or something.