When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Auto Detailing and AppearanceShare tips and tricks on how to make your Third Gen shine! Get opinions on products or how something tasteful looks on your Chevrolet Camaro or Pontiac Firebird.
Congratulations, alan91z28, you and your collection of 3rd gens are TGO's December 2020 Car of the Month!
This year might be winding down toward the end, but COTM certainly is not! This month marked the first ever COTM based on an owner's collection of 3rd gens. We got the pleasure of having a glimpse inside the garages of some serious 3rd gen enthusiasts. Their passion for these cars is evident. And I for one really enjoyed seeing such a wide variety of cars from collectibles, to street machines, and the projects in between.
Please be sure to congratulate our winner. But I'd also like to thank everyone that represented to help make this a fun event!
Everyone I know says I fit the definition of a third gen hoarder, to the point that even though I have had opportunities to buy vettes and others I have always passed in favor of another 3rd gen (the Grand National in the pic is my wife's, (my wife is the best) and the '69 vette is my son's). I have loved third gens ever since I was a teenager and worked many summers while in high school and other jobs while in college in the 80's to finally be able to buy a new '88 sport coupe in the spring of 1988 when i was 20. Since then I have bought a couple more, built a third gen garage for my collection, and done many projects.
Also just another sign of my dedication, when I began re-looking for my first 3rd gen that I had traded in 1990 on my '91 Z28 vert, it was our summer rituals to ride around the areas that the carfax stated it had been registered at and ask people if they had seen my car (of course we were riding around in my other '88 that is the spitting imagine of my first so I could use it as a reference.) Finally one Labor's Day weekend when I ran the carfax as I did every year on it, it showed up with a new hit of a salvage title on it. I told my son I know where a salvage yard is in that town and will be there first thing tuesday after Labor Day. Long story short when I got there they didn't think they had it as they didn't have any "red" 3rd gens, but I said I still wanted to look around and they guy remembered a "maroon" one, and I said it was dark red. When we went out and started walking to it, I just knew it was my first one. The guy said how do you know for sure and I told him to look at the VIN and then by memory recited my 17 digit VIN number! When I called my wife she asked in what condition it was in and I said really not that bad, see the link below for what not that bad really was!
I have 9 third gens presently in my collection and my son has one I bought for him as his 16th birthday present. I attached some links to some of my bigger projects and a couple pics of my garage showing all of my third gens together (my son's Formula is not present in these pics). I also have a huge collection of third gen parts as you can imagine!
1982 Camaro Pace Car Silver/Blue T Top - 4 Speed, 38K miles
1988 Camaro Sport Coupe Dark Red Metallic - A twin to my original first Camaro (also only 30 vin numbers apart) that I found and bought when I wasn't sure I would ever find my original first one. RAMJET 350 Swap Project https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/engi...ort-coupe.html
1988 Pontiac Trans AM Red T Top - Original 305 / 5 Speed still only ~30K miles
1989 Camaro IROC Z Convertible White - Original 305 / 5 Speed
1989 Camaro IROC Z Convertible Blue - 5 Speed Conversion
1991 Camaro Z28 Convertible Dark Red Metallic - Bought brand new in 1990. Ordered to my specifications including original 5 Speed. Installed Paxton Supercharger in my parents driveway in 1991. Still has less than 8K miles but I drive it to work and Church a couple times a year (original rims have original tires still on them so I do not use them for driving anymore, HAWKS where are those 17" 91-92s!)
1991 Pontiac Formula Dark Red Metallic T Top - Future LS Swap Project
and some pics of the garage....
Also besides the 3rd gens themselves, I also hoard parts for repair, rebuild, conversion projects... I have enough to keep me busy for a long time, just a small sample
I think you get the point I am "all-in" on third gens!
Wow, I really appreciate all the support and I also want to say everyone's collection that was part of this COTM thread are all special and winners in my book... Also while this thread featured a bunch of us who are fortunate enough to be able to own multiple 3rd gens, this whole forum is really special for all the passion, dedication, and education past and present that all the forum members bring to our community. I certainly would have struggled with my many projects if I wasn't able to get some great advice, help, and motivation over the many years I have been part of this great community.
Thanks to qwktrip for all his passion on keeping the COTM interesting with so many different themes (and also all his detailed education provided in his project threads)
I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving today and we should all remember all the things we have been Blessed with everyday, including all our service members past and present who have sacrificed for our country and our freedom.
Thanks again and looking forward to all the great projects and threads yet to come by all the members of this great community!
Congratulations, great collection with lots to do in your own garage.
Great call on the excellent group of car owners Qwktrip, thanks again for all your work!
Happy Thanksgiving to all.
