Hey all,

This is going to be long, so hang in there. As the title says, I'm having trouble deciding whether or not to get a 3rd gen. I've been mulling this over for years, literally, and I never decide to get one... but, I also never decide that I won't.

Currently, I have an '02 T/A with stock displacement but forged internals putting out about 400RWHP. When I built the motor, I put dished pistons in it with the intention of eventually putting a Procharger in it. The drivetrain is built to handle the job, and the funds for the Procharger are available.

So why not get the Procharger and some heads and slam 650RWHP to the ground? Well, there's a few things about that idea that aren't as appealing to me as they used to be. In fact, there are some things about the car in general that make me wonder if it's really what I want to consider pursuing. I'll get into those later.

This is where the potential third gen comes in. I've always been a huge third gen Camaro fan. In fact, I'm just a Camaro guy and always have been. I just didn't like the LS1 Camaros as much as the T/As. There are a lot of things about the third gen Camaro that are so much nicer than the T/A, too. However, I am very torn on the decision to get a Camaro for a bunch of reasons, too.


Reasons to get the Procharger:
1) Cheap (relatively), easy, reliable horsepower. The car should definitely be in the 625+RWHP range, and it should definitely get into the 10's (it's a stick, or else it would probably get into the 9's).
2) The T/A is a nice, relatively new car that is in very good condition, and I love the way it looks.
3) I think I will love the fact that the Procharger pulls so hard on the top end. I find that cars that favor low-end torque seem to leave me wanting on the top end more than top-end cars leave me wanting in low-end grunt.
4) There is a GREAT deal of support for Prochargers on ls1tech, so I can expect to be able to find a solution to almost any problem I could run into.
5) There's not a lot of effort involved here. I swap some heads, throw on the Procharger kit, install a fuel system, take her to get a tune, and have a nice day.
6) The Procharger responds pretty well to a big-ish cam, so my 230/236 would probably work well and still sound mean at an idle. I love that sound.



Reasons NOT to get the Procharger:

1) Due to space constraints, the kit replaces the OEM fans with a low-profile fan that is a lot less effective. I live in Texas, and this is known to cause overheating problems. There are ways to fix it, but I don't care to deal with them.
2) I'm not too terribly fond of the sound of centrifugal blowers at idle. It sounds like your alternator or AC compressor has a bad bearing or something!
3) Even though the top end will be killer, I'll still want some low-end torque that just isn't there.
4) I'll definitely need a front mount intercooler, and the T/A front end is not conducive to this. If I want to keep the fogs (which I would), then I'll have to fab up a custom kit so I can get a small enough intercooler to fit between them. I'll then have to cut the front plate section out to expose the intercooler. I'm okay with this, but it's a pain, and it's not too terribly clean.



Reasons to get the Camaro
1) Third gen Camaros rule. That's just a fact.
2) The T/A would look really dumb with true duals dumped before the axle because it has cutouts for exhaust tips, and they would be empty. The Camaro, on the other hand, would look totally natural, and that's what I'd like to do.
3) I could put my LS1 in the Camaro and eventually get a twin screw blower (Kenne Bell, Whipple, etc), and I love twin screws. All the torque in the world, WONDERFUL sound, and mean-looking as hell. The twin screw will NOT fit on the T/A. All I would need is a cowl hood for the third gen, I'm guessing.
4) According to what I read, the third gens are much, much lighter, and that is very enticing as I do hit the track a good bit.
5) A full cage in the Camaro would be much more tolerable than it would be in the T/A. In the T/A I couldn't deal with the bar going past my head and down the A-pillar because it would be too close to my head.
6) The engine bay in the Camaro is so much larger and less restrictive, so it would be nicer to work on.
7) Third gens are much more unique no matter what's done to them (if anything).
8) I might actually be able to get a third gen for free from a friend of my dad's.



Reasons NOT to get the Camaro:
1) There's going to be a lot of expenses getting it up and running. The money that could buy me a Procharger will most likely go into putting this same LS1 in the Camaro.
2) The Camaro would need a lot of cleaning up. I love working on cars, so that's fine, but it's still time-consuming effort.
3) I get discouraged pretty easily, and there are a lot of things about the engine swap that probably won't end up clean, fully functional, cheap, or easy. I'm sure I'll cuss, bloody my knuckles on the garage wall, embed some tools in the garage wall, etc.
4) While I would prefer a third gen Camaro with an LS1 and twin screw blower as a final product, I still have a lot of sentimental attachment to the Trans Am. It would be heartbreaking to sell it, and even more painful to gut it for parts. I don't think I'd like to keep both cars.
5) As nice as the third gen could possibly be made to look, the interior is extremely dated-looking, and that would definitely be a concession in my mind.


So, there you have it. This dilemma has been on my mind on and off for years now, and I just can't come to a decision. I could get the blower now and get the third gen after it gets boring. Or, I could bite the bullet, strip the T/A and build the third gen. Or, I could get the Procharger and die wishing that one day I had built the third gen. Or, maybe I could build a drag car out of the Camaro and use the T/A as a street car... but that's not likely.


UGH. I could go on forever (and when I drink, I DO!). What do you guys think or recommend?

 

Since you don't really know what you want and no matter what we say, you'll eventually make you own decision, buy a Prius.

Welcome to TGO. This isn't a 4th gen, Procharger web site so what do you need to know about a third gen? I'm not going to comment right or wrong on any of your points.

 

Well, I respect that. I don't normally let people make decisions for me, but after as long as I've pondered this, I was hoping someone might have some insight for me. I realize that this isn't a 4th gen board, but I posted this on ls1tech, too, and you know what they'll all say... "Procharger!" I kinda wanted to temper their replies with those of TGO.

 

Get a Chevy.

 

What is your gut telling you? Always go with your gut. You should have posted this on a psychological self-help site rather than TGO. Nobody on here is going to NOT tell you to get the third gen. LOL. Good luck!

 

My gut says "Both!" ROFL. I know no one on here is NOT going to say to go with a third gen... That's why I posted this on LS1Tech, too.

 

If it were me I'd get a no-rust, straight body third gen 'maro. Then swap in the LS1, the T56, the differential from the T/A, the 4th gen seats and console, and maybe the exhaust. Get a more modern gauge cluster, redo the headliner and voila you now have the best of the 3rd and 4th generation. Then pimp out whats left of the T/A to offset the cost of your swap. Keep the 3rd gen looking stock on the outside, so the '08 ponies won't know what hit them!

All this talk of LS1s in 3rd gens is giving me wood...

 

There are a few third gens with fourth gen interior.

 

i have a procharger IN my 3rd gen
and I own a daily driver 4th gen

 

I thought the exact same thing as you when i was looking at 3rd gen's with respect to the interior looking all 80's and ugly. but the camaro's interior grew on me fast. there's something about its simplicity. it also sort of still has the classic car feel, sort of like a 70's f-body, especially since theres no air bag in the steering wheel. besides, if you don't like the interior, just swap out the 4th gen one. you can fit the seats and dash in it. as for the camaro being lighter, its true. i believe the 4th gens ar about 3800+ lbs. the 3rd gens are like 3100-3300. I like them because they're more Raw.

 

Dude, your in texas. Home of cheap rust free cars. Go buy a 3rd gen roller, pull your drivetrain from the t/a, mount the battery in the trunk, put an air/water intercooler where the battery used to sit, and rock it with 600+ Hp.
You could easily sell the t/a as a roller and make a little money on the conversion as long as your title is paid off on your car.