87WS6

iTrader: (1)

Dude your car looks exactly like mine. Mines the same color. Same wheels. Same interior. Mine is a 305 though. But I plan to install a 350 after the first of the year. Your car's pic would almost pass for my car. I'm sure there are differences up close. But they look alot alike.

jcsws6

Got my First F-body when I turned 17 and since then, in order I have had.

94 Z28
96 Trans am
88 Iroc-z (350 tpi)
98 Mustang gt (what was I thinking)
92 Mustang gt vert (had a ford thing for awhile)
94 Formula
96 Formula WS6
97 Z28

I currently own
01 Formula
88 GTA (350 TPI)

The Sad thing is I just turned 23 today, I'm a f-body junky

Zeke3Elevn

I got my car at the kidney foundation lol. It's a place that people donate cars for charity, just bought the car and drove it and thats it

shes never failed me

Matt

cfirebird86

it's a long story.

While engaged in 1999-2000 my ex-bf, mike drove a 77 espirt, until he killed the motor. Bought a 78 trans-am for 800, i think. A while later we decided to do an trade for a 86 firebird. We were going to buy, but the guy said, "lets trade."
So we traded. He killed the transmission a couple months later and had to replace it. 250 for a used one.
Then mike bought a 78 white ta from a friend. then he didn't want to be with me anymore. Of course this is after I help pay his bills off for lawyers fees, and he leaves with the TA.
He had wanted to buy the 86 from me. I told him he didn't have enough,
Then the previous owner called and we started dating and i got the title in mine name.
We broke up, more like he vanished from site for a while.
Then dated him again, got bags for my t-tops, the ta lights for my car, a jack, and another spare tire. then he vanished again.



I didn't ask for any parts. he gave them to me. Except the bags. He was suppose to give them to me before.

i've learned a lot from my car. i tell you that much.

Terry Kennedy

iTrader: (5)

I posted a ad on here wanting a 89 and newer IROC or Z28 and got a e-mail with a guy in Texas wanting to sell his 88 that had several mods for $2500. So I got the cash and drove my 91 RS down there with a buddy and picked it up.

As far as the 91 RS goes I found it at a local used car dealer.

I also had a 82 Z28 that I found in a friends driveway that I bought , and sold.

Terry Kennedy

iTrader: (5)

damn forgot pic

Andy Fanshawe

iTrader: (1)

Were you trying to escape from the cops in the background? LOL!

Andy.

SLOWFIVEOH

iTrader: (2)

My friend bought the car put less then 500 miles on in and ran it into a ditch. I payed him $200 and a go-kart motor and drove it home. I drove it home with no hood, no passenger front fender, no nose and no rear hatch or guage lights. Also no tags insurance inspecation etc. 3 weeks later the body was peiced back together, New Windsheild tags and inspection..Next comes a motor swap and some body accesories...But for now its my daily driver and I love it!

Scania

I found my car in a newspaper add. So i went to Stockholm and picked it up and drove it home to Uppsala about 100km.
It was imported from Fort Lauderdale Florida in 1991.
I only know the history of the car from Sweden idont know much about it when it was in Florida. Except the things i got from Carfax.

hwcoll95

iTrader: (6)

Dec. 2000 on vacation


and after about giving up on another 5spd


just happened to show up for sale,looked at it the first day,bought the next,a mate for my '69

lockdude

I wasn't looking for any particular kind of car, just a toy to relieve the stress of driving my extended-lenght van every day for the past 15 years without a CAR to call my own(wives' cars don't count) I ran into this '83 red Camaro with a good sounding engine at one of my dealership customers just sitting in the junker-trade-in line waiting to be crushed, or auctioned away. I turned the key, it started, I was happy, and dropped down my $400. The next day, people started noticed it sitting there, because I didn't drive it home the first day, and they offered upwards of $3000 for it. turns out the previous owner was fixing it up: put in a performance cam, bored it over, added an Edelbrock intake and 750 carb, headers, an Accel ignition, then didn't even finnish bolting it in all the way before he had TWO sets of twins! He had to dump his car and pickup and buy a van. The more I finnished his work and drove it, the more I fell in love with this car! I have now totally reformed from a Mustang lover to a Camaro nut. Having no ground-effects on it, my car looks more like they originally intended the 3rd gens to look(I feel), and I plan on doing minor aerodynamic touches as hidden as possible to keep the low, wide, fast look it has now, without the nose leaving the ground at 95mph. I will put Corvette wheels from an '86 'vette because the vintage Z28 60's just don't cut it, but my son wants those for his Formula, so they won't be wasted. Any power increases I give it must remain hidden: This is my sleeper I've only lost one street race yet, and that was due to traction: we were a dead match on a rolling start. That was a new turbo mustang, and I'll win next time, I swear it!!!!

85SportCoupeto89RS

I found my car after searching for 3 weeks for any kind of 3rd gen camaro. I found a 90 rs but it was for 3 grand and falling apart and it couldnt pull a hill, then I found my SC bought it for 1900. I drove it to 10th grade for the first 3 months "all my friends were soooo freakin jealous " and then the motor blew So I started to rebuild the motor at a coworkers husbands shop"he's in his 60's and the shop is 40 mi away from my house" So in the extremly slow pace of rebuilding the motor I decided to restore the SC completely and thus what you see now is the fruts of my labor It took almost 2 1/3 years to complete to a road worthy status, and I was able to drive my car to school during the last week of my senior year. I now hope to find a 87 to 90 Iroc Z with t's to restore.

joelsracin

We have a 1989 IROC Z that we bought at a used car lot.My husband and i seen the car,and my husband said he really wanted to get that car so we stopped and test drove it.The car is in really good shape,but when we drove it the tranny was slipping so we went back and told the dealer about it.He told us to call back and he would see what the bottom price he could go on it was.We called back later that day and he went from 4500 down to 2995.So we decided to take the car.We ended up buying a parts car for 300 dollars and took the tranny out of it.We still have the car,and since then we have bought a 1978 Z 28.The Z 28 is in almost mint condition with only 74000 miles on it and we found that for 1500 dollars.The Z 28 was bought brand new for a kid for his graduation,but he didnt like it so his dad parked it in a field were it sat for ten years.Then his dad brought it out and drove it for a little while and put on the 74000 miles and parked it back in the field.A friend of ours traded a car trailer for it but he doesnt like camaros so it sat at his house for about a year.We finally talked him out of it.Now when we talk to him we tell him he was crazy for selling the car so cheap.

jmon92conv

I was looking for a v8 stick convertible in a chevy nameplate. This leads only to a vette or Camaro. Going to work on day a Toyota dealer had it on the lot. Drove the car and loved it. Made an offer, they turned me down. Not worrying to much, I said GM made one, they made another. A week passed, and I called the dealer back, car had been sold. Searhed from July to Jan. for another in the IN, KY OH, TN area. Found one in OH. Went to look at it and it was the same car. It had only about 50 more miles it, the little dealer said he could not get anyone to even look at it. Bought it for 2000 less than I had offered the Toyota dealer. He bought it in the dealer auction the week after I looked at it. Kind of cool, I picked up the same car 150 miles away, 6 months later. Have had it since 98.
Jeremy

llvll4l2c91350

Cruising with my mom in her 2000 Camry, recently having moved to FL, out of the corner of my eye I saw this red car at this used car place. Turned my head and sure enough it was a red Firebird (I had to sell my red 88 Formula 350 prior to moving ). Not only that but it was a 91,,,Formula,,,with a 350,,,with the redesigned nose and spoiler! Not as many Firebirds out there from 91 and 92. I had wanted one of these for a long time. A few days later it had found a new home.

Tom84L69

Got mine back when I was 15 (now 21) on the 4th of july. I had been looking for a project car for me to drive when I turned 16. I found my 84 L69 Z28 in Auto Trader listed for 1500 with no motor. I went and looked at it and offered the guy 1300, he accepted and then he said he had a buddy with all the original motor parts. We got the short block and heads, intake, cam and everything.

Turned out I spent much more time on the car than anticipated (big surprise). I rebuilt the original motor, ported the heads and intake, installed a nice cam. We also found the car had an engine fire and all the wiring under the hood was melted . We found a V6 harness and cut out what we didn't need, no emissions crap.

Repainted it, fixed some under-car rust....I had it going by the time I was 17...enjoyed it for 3 years until the axle and trans broke and now it is parked and covered... oh well, I'll get to it after college.

brent4a

Say an ad in the classifieds in 1992 for a 1990 red firebird,5spd,T-Tops and a V-8. I called the dealership and asked if it was a Formula by chance. I was put on hold for a few minutes and he came back and said yes , with 30K miles on it. I drove an hour away and looked at the car and was very happy. The price was $6999.00. I signed the papers and drove it home. The dealership called me the next morning and said they made a mistake , the car was supposed to cost $9999.00. I told them sorry about their luck!!!!!! I love the car even more today.

Magsls1

iTrader: (1)

I got mine in a local want ad. I got a good deal and it is a great starting point for my new project car.

aaron7

iTrader: (7)

I bought my first one, an 87 2.8 off of some guy right down the street from me, it had been sitting in his backyard under a pine tree! Little to be said there, the car flexed over speed bumps =*(

My 84 Z-28 was bought off a guy in my town who does nothing but buy third gens and Monte Carlos and strip them down to sell as parts. This guy travels everywhere, scanns backyards, you name it! I only got a complete car from him because he's my g/f's uncle

My 88 Iroc that I still have was bought just a few towns over from where I live in Mass, and has been here since. I am the third owner.

Randy82WS7

first one was an 84 z28 l69 700r4 3,.73 t tops i got off a guy eho owed the bank, gave more than i should have for having hole in drivers side floor about 2"x4" and ate through in wheel wells and cxorners of doors, gave over a grand for it, stupidly, sold it for 800 last fall, i guess i got the difference out of it by driving it out of it.. it immediately needed t tops leak help and rear brake backing plates and wheel cylinders and axle lines, and heater systerm was dead and it would always runs wayyyyy too hot around 240.. was pretty fast though at least, i got used to it though and there fore tired of it after about four months of getting it., the first 68 c-10 longfleet pickup i had was stil faster though: even with only the rebuilt 1980 caprice 305 4bbl engine that replaced the original 307 that blew up on me, and stock 350 tranny that i replaced the original sm326 with, and original 3.73 12 bolt rear, was made even funner with the 355 i put in after that, i miss the truck, i need to find or make another like it, so much fun ! the I-beam trailing arm coil spring panhard bar rear setup of those trucks of the '64-72 years were the best ever made

next one was an 84 s/e bird 2.8l 5 speed 3.73 i cut up for a few parts, got the car for trading a rusted but runnign good 74 gmc sprint that i traded a 900 dollar 68 c30 dually dump truck for,,
that was stupid of me to go and do.. should have just kept the c30 !

next one is an 82 t/a lg4 200c 2.73 i got given to me by an aunt in wyoming last summer , engine junk and is car i tossed in dirt floor shed and so is going to waste right now for indefinite period of time, maybe until after the shed roof falls down on it and crunches it therefore saving me from using more time and more $ to make it run and drive again as if i havent learned the lesson a million times in the past,.

oh and a 83 z28 with lg4 700r4 alum hood i traded a extremely rusted and beat up and yet running but barely driveable 350 dollar 79 4x4 longbed pickup for, i ended up trading the z28 off for a 350 engine and headers set for the 81 truck i have now, the 83 had no floor board driver side at all all way from seat to pedals and rocker to floor tranny tunnel, entire floor nonexistent, and had other issues, tranny was slipping and most paint was gone, and holes in panels like the 84 had. saved me the time and $$of gutting entire interior and entire dash and seats and door guts out of and finding a 350 and th350 all to make it a gutted runner, i still lost some on it anyways also, of course..


oh and then there was an 85 trans am ws6 3.08 posi rear disc, l69 700r4 i got for like 150 and i cut it up and the tranny got stolen and engine i got ripped off on cuz magically supposedly started knocking after i sold it to a local dumbass drunk roofer guy as a replacement engine for his van that he blew up engine in and needed another for,. lost a bunch of resources on that also,,,,



so now im officially tired of third gens and other 80s cars, ill sell the 88 brd i have now when i put the fuel tank sender unit in it soon, tired of pos "muscle cars"

need a 68-72 chevelle or nova or maro, something real, something with a real engine and real rear axle and real tranny and real body construction


ive had horrible third gen experiences, always.

its too damn hard to sell or part them, no one wants them or the parts from them, theyre nothing liek the first gens, at all, the 67-87 trucks sell wayyyyyy more and part out tons better than any 80-s cars do or maybe ever will., by extremely FAR ! there some vehicles like the 75-79 novas and phoenix's and such that ppl BEG for parts for and never can find any for and would give anything for and yet ive seen many go to 100% waste and be crunched whole. hard to get a hold of them.

no more wil i buy or trade for any 80s cars, its total waste of time, they are crap really. i like my 83 caprice however, its got alot more potential than these flex body cars have, at least it wont fall apart cuz of any rust and any decent powered engine, and 8.5" axle with 3.42 and larger brakes will bolt right in from a 9c1 and is way easier to install a bbc engine into


just explaining where i stand, not saying ppl with any such cars are wasting their time, just saying i have..

happy motoring

RBob

iTrader: (1)

The wife threw me out'a the house and told me to not come back until I bought my own car. She had gotten tired of me always using her car.

So I drove home in a brand-spanking-new '92 Camaro. Hey, what can I say?!

RBob.

okfoz

How I got my car is kind of interesting...

When I was at college there was this Yellow Formula that I really liked, it had its dents & dings but it looked pretty good. One day I noticed it for sale (he was asking too much at the time) so I just forgot it.

After a few more years of looking at the car I noticed that it never seemed to move from the driveway (for about 3 or 4 years mind you) . It just sat there on the concrete looking lonely. I finally got the courage to ask the owner about the car, his name was Chad, seemed to be pretty nice, and he explained to me that when he got on it hard it had "Rod Knock" and he had started to take apart the engine. Lucily he only took off the Carb. He had mentioned that a guy had offered him $1000 for it but he wanted more (EVEN though it did not run)

A few weeks later I went back with a friend and I had $1200 cash, we pointed out everything wrong with the car, offered him $1000 and when he started to squirm, I knew right then I was loosing him... I then uped it to $1100 for it and he took it. We towed it back to my Dorm parking lot and then towed it home.

NOW $15,000 later... But I love the car and I do not regret the money...

John

85IrocNOH

I had been looking for an Iroc Z for quite some time. (8 or 9 months) I was trying to find an 88-90 hard top iroc w/ a 305 tpi and a 5 speed specifically, but i would've gone for about any iroc. I was heading to a friend's house one night in a different town and the first intersection had a house on the corner with a garage next to an alley and there was a blue iroc z parked back there. I figured there was no way it was for sale so i didn't even stop. About 2 months later i went by again and it was still there. i drove down the alley and there was what looked like a melted for sale sign on the dashboard. I stopped and looked at it but nobody answered the door. I finally did get ahold of the lady a week later and she didn't sound real enthused about selling it. She said her b/f was making her. (probably why it was parked behind a garage in an alley) I test drove it and it ran like complete krap and desperately needed tires and a paint job but i had already decided that i had to have it. It took me 2 more months to finally convince her to sell me the car. (Ever time i went there and when i went w/ the cash to pick it up i had to bang on the door for a minimum of 45 minutes before she would wake up b/c she worked 3rd...) Ironically, i was the only one who had looked at the car the whole 7 months it sat for sale b/c there was a rumor going around town that it was blown up and the tranny was out. I drove it home.

Dante93GTZ

iTrader: (5)

My thirdgen find is/was an interesting one and is one that is still continuing... argh. Welp, here goes:

My first car, a 1990 Beretta GT, died of a cracked #5 cylinder...
At the time, I didn't know what I'd look for next; The world of the 3RD-Gen wasn't even in my scope...

I looked at newer Jettas, GA GT's, and finally found a '92 Purple RS. I didn't know much about 3RD-gens at the time and ultimately figured that my 305 was just doomed to be slow. I was still on the Beretta message boards and was investigating the GTZ models. Being 18 and in need of speed, I put for sale signs on my '92 RS. After being "for sale" for about 2 months, I wasn't really sure if I'd sell my car or not, due to the fact that no one had shown real interest. A few days later, my front brakes started squeaking REALLY bad and I decided it was time for a brake job...

I bought all of the parts on a Friday night and was going to do the brake job the next afternoon, after work.

I was driving down the main drag in town at around 2:45pm on that next Saturday and low and behold, some kid in a red '91 Cavalier RS pulled out RIGHT in front of me. I was afraid that if I just slammed on the brakes, I'd slide into him for sure. Well, traffic in front of us, slowed down so much that both of us had to slow down QUICK. My only move was to get into the middle turn lane and slow down there. Unfortunately, I didn't see the layer of silt in the road and wound up fishtailing down the road, ending up hitting the red 91 Cavalier in the driver side door. Just some scratches on my front bumper. Cops came, issued a "following too closely" ticket to me... ARGH. Then, the kid that I hit told me how he was looking at my car a few days earlier. I said it was still for sale and that I'd make him a deal. I paid the $580 for his car repair - Out of pocket - as to not have to file an insurance claim.

A few days later, he says, I'm at the bank - Meet me here. I met him and wound up leaving my '92 RS there with him... Check in hand, I went to my bank, paid off my loan and then put the rest in the bank.

A day later, I found my '93 Beretta GTZ for sale in Helena, Montana, which was about 5 hours away. Gotta love internet auto selling!!!! $4831 was the asking price - A bit high, but if the car was in good shape, it'd be worth it. I drove down 2 days later, on wednesday, picked it up with 79,808 miles on the clock and drove it home.

After sinking over $11000 into repairs/mods to the GTZ, I'm wondering what kind of '92 RS I'd have now... 383 with........

davyboy04

I got my 88 5.7lit Firebird for FREE! A friend of mine bought from a guy who was a pretty shady mechanic. Converted it to carb and didn't change the fuel pump. Left the old wiring harness in there, and had the fan and fuel pump hooked up to a toggle switch. Anyway my friend bought for 1500 and drove it to the ground(without an air filter). It stated knocking and then wouldn't start anymore. I towed to my house, gave it a full tune up and a new carb and now it runs strong(still knocking). I am putting a new engine in it in the next couple weeks. FREE but still costing me about 1500.

P.S. Did i mention it has the WS6 package on it... yes

kerryismygirl89

Ok, I'll make this quick... as far back as I can remember (I'm 24), I wanted a certain car - a 1989 Firebird, V6, Maui blue, grey interior with t-tops. So I had three cars before I found my Firebird. I checked a few random classified ads over the years and looked at maybe 2 Firebirds. One was close to what I wanted, but was filthy - totally waterlogged and rotting out, with spider webs. The other one I saw was a red Formula (I think), not what I wanted. So a few years after that, I was driving home one day and say the exact car I wanted at a used car dealer. Came home and told my mom about it. We went to look at it the next day or so. Gosh, she was gorgeous. I fell in love that day. I knew I was going to get her. I remember driving her down the street and it felt so wonderful. The guy who owned her before me was the original owner and he had all the options I wanted. The car was immaculate, except for a minor rip on each seat and some faded paint. Nothing to sneeze at. So we bought her. I got her three years ago, on June 17th (one month before my birthday). Technically, I am the *third* owner (if you count the used car dealer, who had the title), but I am the person who was supposed to own this car. I'm so thankful for her - she's just what I wanted.

okfoz

DavyBoy,
If you ahve the WS6 Package thats no base Firebird, that would be a Formula

John

Bill Speed

I like your handle...Floyd fan? Me for sure.

I got my 1989 convert from noticing it for sale in the Auto Trader magazine...on the cover!
At the time the car listed for $10,500 or so. I haggled down to $8,600. People tell me I paid to much, but for a rare 1 in 50 that I found out thanks to this site, I think not. The selling point was a factory sports car with mild custom touches and low miles, not to mention drop tops aren't cheap around here unless your looking at Mustangs and the like (80s ones hehe)
Bill

Bill Speed

Drop a tuned port in there, as a 350 for the real deal!
Bill

Bill Speed

Are you even a fan? hehe
That's sounds like more bad luck then not. I appreciate the cars of old, 60s and 70s but I've only had cars from the 1980s so I am partial I guess. My first two were both 1982 two door Cutlass Supremes and I STILL like these cars for some odd reason. They have alot of potential for custom looks outside the lowrider styles.

I also think the Caddy Eldo Touring coupes and convertibles will have value, and here the drop tops DO.
Buick Turbos and a few others from the 80s have standout potential. I had shopped for various cars when starting out but my folks wanted a gas miser that was cheap and NO sports car!
hehe
My dad co-signed my loan so I had to 'work' for those Olds'!
hehe
Bill

philoldsmobile

i had a toy thirdgen when i was a kid.

since then, i have always wanted one, and had looked at many bad examples.

When i found my car, it had flat paint, but otherwise it was ok, it ran and drove absolutely perfectly though.

a good buffing and detailing later, it was good.

I have done 20 000 miles in it, and honestly enjoyed every single one. I will never sell it.

85YellowIROC

I have an 85 Yellow IROC - my dream car. Was hoping to get one as a graduation present from the folks, but I knew they couldn't afford it (they wanted me to work for it anyway).

Been married for 10 1/2 years. My husband has gotten all the toys he ever wanted (Harley's - he's on his second, Oldsmobiles - a ton of them, Camaros, etc.). He had just sold his Rallye 350 in February when he was surfing on eBay. Spotted my car and told me if I ever wanted one, this was the one to get.

SO, we won her on eBay and had her shipped to NY from Georgia. It's gorgeous - 40,544 original miles, TPI, hardtop. I've had her in two local shows and won first place in my class in both - not too shabby.

I keep telling the hubby to make room on his trophy wall for mine, but he started a new one for me instead - lucky me!!

Firebirdjoe

I had just got my drivers license about two years ago and was driving my fathers 1995 Toyota Camry. He had a 1999 F-250 to drive during the six month period that I was using his car.

Ever since I was really little I loved Firebirds and Camaros. My favorite Matchbox car was a black and silver Firebird. My father wanted me to buy something economical like a 4cyl Toyota or Honda. I couldn't stress to him enough how gay I would look in one of those import POS!! I told him I would only drive GM or I would walk.

The very next day we went to a local car wash that had the owners 1996 Buick Lesabre outside for sale. I test drove the car and loved it. It was big and powerfull, and it looked good in the color black. We got insurance quotes and were ready to go make the transaction the very next day.

I was browsing through the local newspaper classifieds just to make sure nothing else was cheaper when I came across this ad for a black 1991 Pontiac Firebird for $2,500 o/b/o. I asked my dad if he would go with me just to look at it. So we did and I fell in love with the car... I talked the guy down to $2,000 and 3 days later the car was all mine!!

kerryismygirl89

Good for you, Firebirdjoe. It's nice to see people get the car they want. And, it's nice to have some younger people getting hooked up with Third Gens. Good luck with it!

chevy_cowboy

some great stories here guys.. good post!

Well I'm a truck driver, I haul U.S. Mail. Last August I had my girlfriend with me one night, and was telling her how I'd always kinda wanted a black 3rd gen F body with T-tops (explaining that I liked the way the tinted T-tops kind of blended in and disappeared on a black car) and I ended up rambling about this dream 3rd gen for 2 or 3 days. Less than a week later as we pulled into my local post office, I happened to catch sight of one taillight of a black 3rd gen camaro in the parking lot... I pointed it out and said "oh wow, look its the car I told you about" almost as soon as I said that I saw the forsale sign

Well, I assured her I probably wouldnt buy it, we didnt really have the money and I've already got a serious project car (read money pit) but I was just going to ask the owner how much she wanted for it. Sounds like a good plan right? Well to make a long story short, the owners response of "2 grand or best offer" for a unmolested fully optioned 89 IROC kinda took my breath away. The next day I showed up at her house to drive it and kick the tires, 3 days later I came back with a handful of cash and drove it home


Sorry if this is alittle long winded...

Paul J.

Bill Speed

The question left is 'How long were you in the 'doghouse' after that?
hehe

I had to pass on a second gen 1981 Bird...almost Smokey and the Bandit style thanks to my dad not liking the idea.
I'm in my 30s now but it was tough to get them to relate, even to the Cadillac fixation (that I still have).

For those who look for third gens in the press, the sister publication of High Performance Pontiac, the GM High Technology Performance magazine (I forget the exact LONG title off hand) has a story on a late 80s Bird done up with new suspension and wheels from SLP. Pretty cool, and as a funny aside, the author wrote on his early fixation on the Countach much like me.

I'd just communicated with a Countach seller on eBay and he told me the car (an '88) is a complete headache to own and drive and they seem glorious until you have one. I still want one though, but his experience related to me in email was quite amusing. People had asked him to sell tiny parts off the car, and of course he told them no

hehe
BILL

Freeze

Well, I was looking for a car, but wasn't sure what I wanted. So I looked through some ads, but the european cars in my price range weren't really exciting.

By chance I found a Camaro Sport Coupe that was pretty cheap and looked good. It was far from me and when I called it was already sold. Now I started collecting some information on these cars and decided to buy a Firebird because I liked their design better and they were more common here.

The first Firebird I looked at was a white 1992 base model. It had very few options, but only 39000km and the original owner still had all paperwork. The car was dirty and had a dent in the rear quarter panel, but I would have fixed that. When I asked him to see the service records he suddenly couldn't find them. Also he first didn't agree on a buyer's inspection. The car still had the original battery and tires, probably also the original oil and filters.

The second Firebird was a green 1990. Again a low option car, but this time it had 170000km and seven owners. The guy had cleaned it, but the nose was painted with truck bed liner, the passenger side fender had a big dent and the speedo didn't work from time to time. Also, the price was too high for that mileage.

I looked at some other Firebirds listed in the ads, but they were all trashed and had high mileage.

So, let's check the dealers out. I knew of two US-GM dealers in Vienna. One of them didn't have many used cars and none were older than three years. Mostly Cadillac Sevilles and Chevy Blazers. I didn't even visit the used car dealer because his prices were extremely high.

On the way home from dealer #1 I passed a little used car lot that had a red '91 Firebird in the first row. 113000km, nice paint, chrome wheels with white letter tires. I had to check this one out. Three owners, no service records. The hood's paint didn't match, but they told me it was repainted. It was a T/A hood, but I didn't know the difference then. The air bag steering wheel was replaced with a Grant wheel. Buyer's inspection showed that it couldn't pass emissions and was wrecked once. That explained the non-matching hood and steering wheel. The guy was great though. He offered to fix the car, but I didn't want a wrecked vehicle. So returned my deposit and my search continued.

And on to the second GM dealer. Some very nice cars in the showroom. New Camaros, Corvettes and Cadillacs. The used car lot wasn't that nice. Some of the cars were sitting there for more than three years according to the inspection stickers. The guy was well dressed and friendly. He had a red '92 Firebird in the shop that was detailed for sale. One owner, only 36000km. It came with full service records and looked perfect. He said that I had to decide quickly, because another customer would come to see it that week. Probably salesman bs, but I went for it. It cost more than I planned spending on a car, but I borrowed some cash from my father to get it. The dealer gave me one year warranty and new undercoating. Plus the tires were almost new. After seeing and test driving the car he wanted it more than I did so we bought it.

Of course, it wasn't perfect. I noticed two small door dings, some scratches and the lack of a t-top bag at home. No big deal. It's been a year since I've had it and I've changed the ugly export mirrors to us-style ones, I've polished my t-tops, taillights and wheels and nothing but the battery has failed on me. Overall, I'm very happy with the car, but my next one will be a V8!

chevy_cowboy

lol, well she wasn't exactly happy but she went along with it... within 2 months or so she went from not having a clue what a f body (or a t top for that matter) was to pointing out other 3rd gen's she liked, now less than a year after we bought the Iroc she can nail the year of any F body down within 3ish years. Occasionally when walking toward the car in a parking lot she'll go "wow that really is a good lookin car"

she's a hopeless 3rd gen lover now too

Paul J.

phess11

I ordered mine from the factory in March 1983. Just started working and thought I had barely enough money. So my Z28 doesn't have a lot of options. Almost stolen in Houston twice. They tore the steering column to pieces. Had it up to ~115 twice on a couple of low traffic highways. Put 100K miles on it through 1993 and then stored it until this March '03. Needed some work (tune-up, fluids, etc.) It is running great now. Interior is in excellent condition but I do need a paint job. I am trying to find reason to drive it everyday now. Great car!


phil

bigals87z28

werd... im trying to get my gf like that. She is now becoming more and more car girl! But she loves motorcycles. I finaly gave her a ride in the Z the other day and now she wants one of her own. I think shes gunna get a bike soon... but i dont know.. i hope she does so she can stop driving my Z! hehehe. Im also teaching my little brother about the carand what to look for and what to make fun of... like r*ce. He still has trouble telling the difference between a vette and camaros, but he knows they are related. I hope i can give the Z to him one day so he can cruse to school in a classin 87 Z28!! thats weird to say... classic 87...

davyboy04

Im actually putting in an LT4 with the injection on it...

freestylzz

I picked up my '87 Iroc-Z in '96 from a mechanic at a local garage. I was originally looking for a 5.0 mustang but my younger brother has a '89 LX 5.0 and was like "WTF do you want another mustang?" The other option within my budget was a camaro so I found one fully loaded with t's, LB9 5.0, and a 5 speed.

My '91 Trans Am GTA was an accident car. The front end was mangled just past the rad. The windshield was intacked and the engine still started. I picked up the car for under $1000. I found out later the car had over $10 000 in performance ugrades. What a score!

freestylzz

I picked up my '87 IrocZ from a local mechanic in '96. I was originally looking for a 5.0 mustang but my brother already had an '89 LX 5.0.

My '91 GTA I swindled from someone for under $1000. It was in a front end accident. Everything was tore off up till the rad front frame crossmember ( which I had to repair). Unbelievably the car still started. I later found out it had over $10 000 in performance upgrades. What a score!

freestylzz

Neat pic........

bigals87z28

new backdrop for my work computer... also for the home when i get there!!

cc 82Z-28

iTrader: (7)

I bought it on Thanksgiving weekend in 1984 for my first wife, cause she had been telling people she really wanted a Camaro. I saw it sitting on a dealers lot and traded my hot rod in on it for her. She came home and I opened up the garage and she just flipped out. Needless to say she wasn't happy at all, so I ended up with it and 3 years later she went her way and I went mine.
I've still got the car and in 1988 after getting married to my 2nd wife, I put the car up and completely tore it down. In 93 I got it back on the road for the first time in 5 years.
My wife asked me when I will be done with it and I said when I die or sell due health or money problems. She's cool with it though and we enjoy driving it around and getting alot of attention wherever we go.
cc82z-28

omcrider

My mom bought an 84 H.O. when I was a sophmore in highschool. She actually let me drive it all the time. I had a thing for 3rd gens ever since. After my divorce a couple years ago I decided to shop for one. I new I wanted the GTA trans am. I found one about 2 hours away a gunmetal grey GTA with 5.7L. The only thing I wanted that it did not have was the T-tops. It was in great condition. Come to find out it had a salvage title due to previous theft. Bought it anyway nicest I saw at that price range. I think I will keep it for my son who is 5 now, he calls it his race car.

400Z28Racer

iTrader: (4)

I had a Honda Civic and I thought it was fastest car ever. That is 'till I was driving around and I saw guy with a blue car. He asked me if I want to race him and I was like dude I'll beat your car. I did not even know what kind of car it was. Well I raced him and he beat me by at least 6 car lengths. So I went to my cousin and I gave him the discription of the car. I asked him what kind of car it was. He told me it was a thirdgen Camaro. The next day I started looking for 82 TA with 5 speed because I liked the Knight Rider show and Smokey and the Bandit. Well, I lost a good deal on black 84 TA 5 speed T Top with Spcl Performance Pkg for $1200. I kept looking 'till I found my first baby. It was 84 Camaro Z28 5.0 HO 5 speed 4 disk brake. I bought it from a Nascar driver for $990 and it was loaded with every option available in 84. It was my first time discovering posi at the turn with some water. After that I became a Chevy fan and junked my Honda :lala:

Dante93GTZ

iTrader: (5)

I found my car here:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...&category=6161

I asked the seller what he'd want for it outright, and he replied $2400. I told him I'd let him know for sure the next morning - SURE ENOUGH - I came up with the funds and sent him a $500 deposit and he ended the auction.

My parents went with my wife and I to pick up the car. We drove 800 miles from Idaho Falls to Tacoma, WA overnight. We arrived at like 9AM and there it was - MY IROC-Z!

Well, the auction description was close, but not quite 100% accurate. We had to jump start it to get it going, but I was quite amazed that there was _NO_ smoke upon startup. I was really expecting an oil burner. Anyhoo - We drove it to the nearest Les Schwab Tire and got 4 new tires, a battery, and a $500 bill. From there, we went to Grease Monkey and got another $220 bill for an oil change, tranny flush, cooling flush, 2 new air filters, and the differential fluid change.

Everything from there ran fine until we got on the interstate and headed to our hotel in Bellevue, WA. The car started OVERHEATING... I was so fu(king pissed. Anyway - We limped it back to the hotel and there it sat for the rest of the night. The next morning, I checked the coolant level and started the car with the radiator cap off, hoping to expell any possible bubbles.

We hopped on the interstate and sure enough, after a few minutes, the temp was almost in the RED. Again, I was so pissed - Being 750 miles away from home, with no ability to tow the car...

We luckily found a Schucks Auto Parts right off the interstate in North Bend, WA. I talked with the guy inside, who actually happened to have a '92 RS! I decided to change the thermostat, thinking maybe it was stuck. I bought a 180* and put it in. Hopped back on the interstate and it was still overheating... TURNED AROUND and headed back to Schucks... I then tested to see if my cooling fans were working at all. I did the ALDL trick and one came on. I decided that the relay or temp switch was broken. Schucks had neither in stock. We decided to wire in the fan to a switch. Got back on the interstate - - - The temp was hot, but not to the red like it had been....... whew. It was -ok- to drive home.

After a long day of fixing cars, we decided to stay in Spokane, WA for the night. The next morning we drove it home with no other problems - Just had to keep the cooling fan running constant. When I got it home, I looked - NO AIR DEFLECTOR underneath. Boy was I feeling stupid. Argh.

Anyhoo - I've been slowly working on the car, getting it back to good running shape... The car has been abused in some areas, thats for sure. Oh well - There's my "How I got my car" story.

bowtie4ever1986

well i found my car on the way home from the lake in 98 wanted a gta but they cost to much its a 86 iroc t tops 305 a/t black on grey all power 4 wheel disc brake . now has a gta motor. 16 inch pollished iroc rims want 92 style rims, in the progres of installing the interior out of a 92 rs(black of course)I just found out the car came from texas with a salvage title. but hey it only had 95k on it not bad.future mods include 383 holly tunnel ram maybe a vortec super charger. suspention mods and a black and silver two tone paint job. but for now that is all.