In May, I crashed my pristine, virgin '83 Firebird. Those crush-zones saved my skin, but way too much crush for 10 m.p.h.
In June, I purchased a n.o.s. '04 Pontiac GTO with 4-year bumper-to-bumper factory warranty. It is bright yellow car with the LS-1 engine. No, it does not look like a taxi.
Sorry, no pics, as the download limit per picture is one meg.
Really nice car, but there seem to be a s**t-load of dumb issues to look foward to.
The GTO is a keeper, but I really, really, really miss the old 'Bird.
If I find a nice body-shell that begs for the old drive train, or a decent complete car, I will probably buy it.
The Firebird was cheap to maintain, cheaper to run, and read my lips- reliable. It also handles fairly well, hauls *** and lots of cargo, including parrot cages.

So guys, thanks for years of advice, and I hope to see you in the future.

 

Well congrats on the GTO. Its nice to have a modern car but i know the feeling you have of not being in a third-gen. Good luck in the search and stay on the boards, your advice will surly help many.

 

I'll trade ya mine straight up... I'd hate to see you go without. :-)

 

Lets see......Give you the 'new' 350 HP GTO in trade for an older 3rd gen........Still thinking........Not quite, but thanks.

I have all winter to look. You don't appreciate an old, solid, daily-driver 3rd-gen until it is one foot shorter and undrivable.

Seth

 

it is nice to have a newer car, my 88 gta most of the time just sits in the garage, it hasnt seen rain in 5 years, I take it out, here and there. but as an everyday car i have a 2008 ford focus.

The one thing i love about the 3rd gens is the seating, sittin low and comfortable, and havin the horsepower. The only thing i like with the focus is the gas milage and features, has all the voice stuff in it. (but i wouldnt buy one again)

The one nice thing in the gta is it has the top end on the highway i can do 90mph and its still as smooth as can be. where the focus feels like its gonna blow up.

 

Darn.. & I really thought you'd go for it.. ;-) It really sucks that Pontiac couldn't sell many of those or at least enough to keep producing them even if they still had to die this year.

Most new little cars are quite numbing.. My girlfriend has an '09 G6 (couldn't quite talk her into paying for the G8 :-( .) Driving that is the ultimate of boring. Plus you have to wait for it to get in the powerband (3.5K+) before it even thinks about accelerating. Instead of turbo lag it just has natural lag..

 

For 20 years, I had a 1980 Triumph TR-7 convertible. The little four-banger, coupled with the best-shifting 5-speed on the planet, had such a smooth power-band, that you could easily forgive the 90 h.p./100 ft.lbs of power.
Why oh why didn't I do the 2-grand in general repairs [blower fan, clutch/pressure plate/throw-out bearing, cylinder honing, new pistons and rings, and water pump], rather than selling it?
Another dumb move by Seth. Just kick me in the butt.

 

I've been driving a 1991 Firebird since 1997 when I started driving. To this day it's the only car I've ever owned. 256 thousand miles and the original trans is just starting to act up. I'm looking for another third gen to drive so I can take the poor bird off the road and start restoring it next year. It deserves it. Can't imagine living without it though.

 

Well, I have belonged to WWW.LS1GTO.com since I put a deposit on the GTO.
Everyone, but I mean everyone [but those who own a garage queen and those in denial] has compiled a fairly large list of component failures. Yet, they all constantly express their love and devotion for this Austrailian bucket of bolts.
Personally, I have a 50,000 mile warranty on the thing, but know not what I will do with it in 50,001 miles.
Admittedly, I posted a fair share of complaints when I first discovered this cars dark secret, but this stopped when several members asked me to shut up and try to just enjoy the car.

But G-d forbid if I now even mention my love for my former 3rd-Gen. I get pelted with insults for daring to compare the cars.

I am telling you straight out, exactly what I have told the GTO group- that I do miss the old 'Bird because it was cheap, pretty, reliable, rust-free, hauled lots of cargo, had zero pricey issues to deal with, and it owed me nothing, as it was only $14,000 new in '83.

No comparison; the Firebird wins in my book. This can be------------------
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