when did people start regarding third gens a crappy cars. i know so many people at work that bash my car. its so unfair. they are a very well built car. keep it out of the salt and that little 305 will run long after alot of cars have hung it up, called it quits, and became a tin can. i think the third gens have some issue, examples being cardboard interior pieces, screws that thread into slots, etc. but structurally they are a great car. dependable, great handling, overall outrageous fun. not to mention a performance car bargain, there arent to many cars you can buy for the same price that have the same level of build-ability for the money. spend some money you can build a very sick very fast car. people often regard these cars as crap, and its very undesirved. when did people go from regarding these cars as cool to begin crap. who cares if they car 20 years old, that makes them even more cool. at 164K miles and still very solid, my car might have its rattles and noises but its a survivor, which i find really cool.

 

I think it's the general opinion of American built cars of the '80s.And the anticipation on the release of the 3rd Gens to be real performers and people were disappointed.They look beautiful but didn't live up to expectations.When new they had several problems with the 700R4,T-top issues among other things.And they also got lumped in with the problems the Fiero was having.And Ford put a huge damper on them with they reintroduced the 302 in the '82 Mustang and then GM was playing catch up for several years(no matter the F-Bodys could out handle the Mustang GT/Capri RS).

 

As soon as they hit the dealerships in 1982. Many people were disappointed with the performance and the amount of plastics used. A brand new car was a rattle trap the day you drove it off the lot. The Computer Command Control engine management system had its share of problems in the beginning too.

My dad is friends with the owner of the now defunct Redmann Design that made Firebird and Camaro spoiler kits and accessories back then. He would rent brand new '82 F-bodies from Avis over the weekend and take them apart to do design work and then put them back together. Him and my dad were amazed by the lack of quality control back then. There were MANY missing fasteners and misaligned parts. The cars usually went back to Avis in better condition than they did from GM! The bottom line is that the Roger Smith era of GM wasn't the greatest. He's the one that took all the brand identity(and eventually loyalty) away from all the divisions and gave the control to the bean counters.

That being said, my '84 Trans Am has been great! In the nine years I've had it the only problems I've had was a choke break and fuel pump. I must have gotten one of the good ones.

 

I beg to differ with the rattle trap comment. I have a 20 year old car with 14k miles and the car is still solid and rattle free.

 

I think the opinion comes, due to there being more "Hooptie" 3rd Gens on the roads than nice ones.

I see lots of run down, beat up, rusted, multi color, smashed and "Teenage" tackily modified 3rd Gens than nice ones on the roads.

Therefore most people see a 3rd Gen and automatically see the bad ones, without really taking a good look at the nice one.

Myself I could care less what someone else thinks of my car (Including you bastards ), I Love it and that is all that matters

 

I had a couple 20 and 30k mile cars, they tend to squeak and make odd noises after little time. Drove more than a few new or very low mileage ones and they're usually pretty squeak and rattle free at young age. Give em time. I have a 160k mile '00 Malibu at home that makes no weird noises at all. Cant say the same for my 160k mile 86 TA, there isnt a noise it doesnt make.

GM made their own bed. I had a few relatively new ones in the 80's and my parents had a brand new one and two of them were junk, to put it politely. My used 84 with 28k was a pretty solid car. Not a very good % there.

 

The 82 Camaro and Firebirds are now CLASSIC CARS ! They were made before many current thirdgen owners were even born !!

Anyone that drives a car for a few years has a "horror" story. Since their were so many of these cars made - and so many people have owned one - there are a lot of horror stories !!

Today - Thier age is a big part of the reason.

 

Yeah there were a lot of thirdgens produced. Almost everyone I talk to about my car has owned one. And then they start talking about how they had to get rid of it because of this that and the other thing. So even if they were'nt that cool when they came out its people like us that make them cool today by keeping them on the roads for many years to come.

 

Scott i think the rattle trap comment comes from those of us in the north with the harsh winters that make horrible pot holes left and right. I don't know how the roads are in Florida but here in MA they are not very good. I have owned my Trans am since it was new and it rattled and sweeked more the day i drove it off the lot than my 125000mile Explorer does.My Trans am is a VERY FUN car but build and or design quality was horrible. Granted it is a t-top car not sure if that would make any difference.

 

If I drive on a super smooth road, my car is quiet and feels tight and strong.

That illusion vanishes over less then perfect roads. But then I have the winow down, the radio going and with my engine/exhaust noise--it's bearable.

Stong structure? Ha. I have subframes, strut tower brace and wonder bar. They help but in reality the foundation is pretty weak.

All people don't have the same opinions. Some peeple like third gens...some don't. You can't change that.

 

But that's the thing, they were very cool when they came out. In fact, they were some of the coolest cars on the road... real attention-getters and head-turners! I had two new ones during their first years on the scene, an '82 and an '83, and I was treated like I was driving something exotic everywhere I went. But like the original poster mentioned, somewhere through the years the image changed. And I think that change actually occurred while thirdgens were still being produced.

The '80s were a time of radical change in every industry, especially for the auto industry, and for people, too. The 'nouveau' crowd developed, and the world's markets began catering to the preppies and yuppies with their argyle sweaters and matching socks. And their spoiled egos wanted technology, luxury, leather, comfort, image and prestige, and they found all that mainly in the form of European cars like BMWs. So as early as the mid-'80s, the thirdgen was suddenly an outdated car struggling to keep-up.

Even by 1987 when I got my Formula(also new), it wasn't looked upon like my '82 and '83 were. By then the thirdgen was a technologically and luxury-deprived car, and it was "American." It was no longer a car for adults, young or old, like it was when it came out, and it became a car for teens(even though teens couldn't afford it).

 

I think that some of those who rag on the 3rd gens are a little ignorant of the facts and base their opinion on some trailer park trash stereotype.

Here are some of the 3rd gen facts . . .
- The debut of the 1982 Camaro received many accolades. Motor Trend even picked it as Car Of The Year!!!
- The areodynamics of only 0.374 made it really slippery for the day.
- Selected by law enforcement in 1991 for it's highspeed pursuit capabilities.
- The 3rd gen camaro saw the return of the convertible for the first time since '69.
- A "Showroom Stock" factory racing model could be purchased right from the dealer. The 1LE package. Very sought after!!!
- 3rd gen's were also the first Camaros to receive a fuel injection system.
- The hatchback glass was the most complicated automotive glass engineering design ever, at the time.
- In '84, Road & Track picked the Camaro as one of the 12 best cars in the world!!!!
- Car & Driver also picked the '84 Camaro Z28 as the best handling car built in the United States.
- The '85 IrocZ made Car and Driver magazine's Ten Best list.
- An IrocZ with the 350 could do 149mph, 0-60 in 6.2 secs and lateral g's of 0.89! These are all specs that were great back then, outperformed most of it's classic 1st gen counterparts (especially in handling winning hands down) and are still better than the vast majority of cars made even today.

That's pretty darn good for a crappy car!!!!!!!!!!
I wonder how your friends rides at work stack-up against that? Especially for a design now 24 years old!!! I'd say you definitly have the last laugh.

 

Ok, well time to make a comment. I have a 87 and a 02 formula. When I pull up the "trailer park" people will stick there nose in the air and snicker. The six figure crowd(numerous were I work) will flock my car. You be they judge on that one.

 

I guess the 6 figure crowd got to be that way by making wise decisions . . . and they still are!

It's funny when I tell people I have an '89 Camaro. They say, "Uh, all right. That's kind'a neat, I guess.".
Then I don't tell them any more about it. I wait until they see it. Then it's like, "Holy! I didn't know they could look that that! That's a nice car!".

 

I think it also has alot to do with the age of the car. Right now they are between that collector status and the just a car status. About 10-20 years ago 2nd gens were nothing but junk to most people. Most of them were rusted out, they looked horid, and no one wanted one. Now they are going for more that what they were new if in really good condition.

The Third gen did start on a low note, and there were some squeeks and groans which can be easily remodied with some creativity. They may laugh now, but give it 5 or 10 years and you will be laughing when you have a really nice clean car and its worth more than it was new.

Actually in the mid 80's GM made a huge push to improve the quality of the cars in general. Around 1987 from what I have read they implemented some improvements in the assembly process to aid in the quality realm.

If you want to talk about crappy quality, look at the cars before the 70's & 80's The panels did not line up they were not straight by any means, most cars made prior to the 70's were very shoddy when it came to the quality of manufacture. In many ways the fit and finish of the 3rd gen is much better than a 1st gen by FAR, but most people who have taken a 1st gen apart and reassembled it and worked with the panels and body to get it perfect are what you see any more. Another example is there was an all original 64 GTO brought in by a museum to the North American Auto Show in Detroit a few years ago, the car looked lousy, but it was all original and untouched.

John

 

Good answer okfoz, working with hot rods, I've seen my fill of "originals" Let me tell you there is no bigger piece of C@*p than the old fiberglass corvettes, these cars are worshipped, but if you see a really nice restored one you'll know that your looking at a car that has 100's of hours of glass work done by a competent body man.

 

I hate being in the "Teenage" crowd when it comes to cars. I don't know to many teenagers that are trying to restore their car to original and doing it on their own dime. I'am one of those teens and I believe my car gives Third Gens a good name. You don't see me putting neon on my car when it needs headlight motors, not that I would put neon on.

 

Way to go kuulkatdadieo!

 

my 91 RS has 115K miles on it and no squeaks, knock on wood (crap this desk is not real wood.. the walls are sheet rocked!!! CRAP someone gimme a piece of wood!!! Quick!!!, crap now tomorrow it will start squeaking)

 

I don't lose sleep over squeeks or rattles. It is just my cars personality. Anyone with a not so fond opinion of a thirdgen has probably never been in one much less driven one. They don't understand the fun of owning, driving, modifying one and "seeing if this part from a (insert car model here) will work and look good" or appreciate the possibilities.

 

My car has 113k miles on it, and to be honest, its a pretty bad rattle trap. I don't know how anyone can claim the '91-'92 structural improvements made any difference, as my car has more rattles than both my '89s had, one with 96k and one with 105k, both from MA as well. The one thing I HATE about the car (the only thing, for sure...) are the rattles. When I have the Alstons welded on next spring, I'm gutting and Dynamatting the interior, and will have the body shop tighten every bolt they can find while the interior is out.

As for people's opinions? I've had 80-something year old ladies in Buicks tell me how much they loved my car!! There's something about fresh paint and polished TT2s on a 16 year old car

 

I know another one, me! My effort is mostly put into keeping it in nice shape though.

I feel that my car gives thirdgens a good name as well. I've never heard anyone rag on my car and all the opinions I've ever gotten were good ones. (Aside from a few Mustang guys) and everyone whos ever ridden in my car loves it. I don't care who you are, a nice looking flame red GTA is going to get some positive attention.

I think that the the bad image comes from the early third gens. Their performance was rather lousy and from what I've read in this thread, it seems like their build quality was pretty crappy too. But by 1987 when the 5.7 TPI was availible, these cars were pretty potent performers. I think that people fail to realize this and they lump all the later and way better performing thirdgens together with their earlier, less powerful counterparts.

 

From someone who lived through the 60's, 70's, and 80's, people were getting repeatedly dispointed by the consistant reduction in performance, downsizing, and an overall feeling of cheapness in all of the cars built in the late 70's and early 80's. Fans of f-bodies were comparing thirdgen's to the Z-28's of 69 through 74, and the 70's Super Duty's, Formula's and T/A's The cars just kept getting slower, and the quality kept decreasing.

When the 82 models came out, it was like the F-body had been turned into an faint shadow of the eariler cars, and many regarded it as just an economy car, with a performance name. Granted the cars proved themselves through the test of time, but at the time the 82's hit the road, people would say, "You can't get anything bigger then a 305." Many of the day had a mental picture of the 305 as just another 307, which was widely considered a piece of junk! "No big block?, Not even a 350?"

To understand why there is a poor preception of these cars, consider the context of the day. The cool thing about the cars at this age, is that as they age, they will begin to become collectable. Due to the shear numbers on the road it may take a while, because rarity creates collectability, but then so does age. As the numbers decrease due to lack of care, accidents, and misuse, the surivors will certainly increase in status and value. Charles

 

I believe the third gens get the short end of the stick.

Just look at all the reproduction items being made for the first gens. Realize that there wer 250,00 MORE third gens made than first. Still cannot get a lot of parts for our cars. This is a market that remains untapped.

It seems that we still seems to be overlooked as a group. Just look at all the performance parts for a 4th gen.

Hopefully our time will come as they get more and more rare. Also what was bad today seems to get less bad over time. Funny how that happens.

On a brighter note....with a few bolt on parts our cars will out perform a corvette or viper in handling.

 

You are right! Look at the available models in diecast and build models of first, 2nd, and 4th gens. Models of thirdgens are sparse in comparison. But on the bright side, thirdgen's are available in greater varity, and usually in better condition, and a cheaper price then most other pony cars. More people can afford a decient thirdgen, that otherwise might never own a specialty car. I would love to have a 66/67 Goat, 389 tri-power, or a 74 Formula 400, but who's got 30K to 50K for a nice one? And of course, I would still keep my thirdgen. Charles

 

Everyone has touched on some great points as to the general opinion of 3rd gen F-Bodys.They did come out at a low point in the American automotive history.They were highly anticipated to replace the aging 2nd Gens that were enjoying a resurgence due mostly to the T/A's association with "Smokey and the Bandit".But in typical GM fashion they introduce a product that is not up to the hype(Fiero is another prime example).They do deliver in the handling department besting most anything else on the road at the time.They are head and shoulders above the 2nd Gens and better than most of the racing versions of the 1st & 2nd Gen.But in the power and build quality they are a disapointment.they are quick by the standards of the day but Ford counters by making a somewhat revamped 302 available in the '82 Mustang/Capri.And Ford had it's share of problems in the handling department with the Fox platform.As the '80s got going it was shown performance,economy and emissions could exsist in the same platforms.And the 4th Gen F-Body benefited from all this(with a few mistakes in them).

Today most American cars built during the '70s & '80s are looked down on because of all the problems.The 3rd Gen F-body gets lumped into this as the 2nd Gens did during the '80s.And when I was in high school during the late '70s I had friends driving 1st Gens because they were cheap(along with most other '60/early '70s era Muscle cars.my first car was a '70 Ranchero GT with a 351C I bought with 72K original miles in '80 for $750.Today that same car goes for $7K-$10K.I have my Dad's '73 C10CST that is an original factory BB truck that's worth a good bit more than my '83 Z28,or '95 Jimmy for that matter.But she is worth even more to me because she was my Dad's.Many that grew up in those times has similar stories.The only cars that really had a following were early Vettes,Tri-5 Chevys,Cobras and early Mustangs(the pre 50 cars I don't include).Given time our cars will follow simiar lines but it will take time.It really wasn't until the late '80s early '90s that reproduction parts for the 2nd gens started becoming easier to come by(granted a lot of NORS parts were still available from dealers).

Just take care of your baby and be proud when you see a smile from someone.And just keep in mind some of the reasons you don't get a smile-they just don't know or care.And to the younger members it is really great to see you having interest to recognize the potential of American cars in general and 3rd Gens in particular.And yes I do live in a mobile home but that's another stereotype discussion that doesn't belong here.Now I'm off my soap box.

 

It's cool to hear from another '89 GTA owner, let alone a teenager with a GTA. Keep it looking cool and she will keep you looking cool I also have a flame red '89 GTA, and I've had it since '05. I have had to replace the engine in June, and most recently the headlight motors. Its a ongoing project, but when I give, the car gives back x10 fold. This is going to be my show car and I'll never get rid of it. The only reason I would see it leaving me is if some Awhole rear ends me or something to the effect of. If you ask anyone who knows me, they will tell you that I'am easy on the car, and have only floored it a couple of times since the new engine. I can barely afford this car anyways, let alone flooring it everywhere and paying for that expensive gas. Post some pics. of your car. I'll try to dig one up from this computer.

Edit: This pic. was taking at my buddy's house with his camera phone so be easy on the quality. Also, disregard the driver side headlight door has it has been fixed.

 

Here's some recent pics of mine. It's nice to hear from someone with the same mindset as me regarding their car. Not to mention someone with a nearly identical car. I've had mine for exactly one year today. I know the words ongoing project all to well. The car's a money pit, but it's something I don't mind spending my money on. And the results are totally worth it.

 

Nice cars I bought my bright red 89 GTA back in 1997 when I was 18 years old, I'm 28 now still have it and a few more

As for people opinions, I think they have been getting better and I get alot more attention than I used to any time I take a TTA out. Lots of thumbs up, comments about how it's nice to see one in good shape, and stories from people about their memories of these cars.

 

My '85 camaro has it's fair share of squeaks and rattles at 200k miles, although not nearly as many as when I got it. Usually I'm the only one that notices them though, most people expect musclecars (if that's what you can call them) to be rough and loud. I get thumbs up and stares everywhere I go, and everyone says how great it is to see one in such great condition. The only aftermarket parts on my car (so far) are the american racing wheels and the stereo. People love my vynil 'leather' interior, oem fiberglass hood and midget decklid spoiler. And when I show them it's a v6 they marvel at my cavernous engine bay.

 

Yea, that pic. of my car does not do it justice at all. It looks just like yours, except you have tan interior and I have grey. Your spoiler is nicer than mine too, mine is cracked and faded. I cannot afford to buy the fiberglass one at the moment. I also noticed that your antenna stays up like mine too. Hey, go to www.gtasourcepage.com/forums and register there for an acount. It's very informative and friendly people to.

 

In my personal experience.... My low mileage 89 Turbo Trans Am is rattle free.

My 1987 IROC LB9 rattles...but has 290,000 original miles on the odometer and is my daily driver (beater). Mechanically..the engine is original and has never had a valve cover off... I can right now take all 8 spark plugs off and each and every one of them will be clean... The only rattle body component that exists is my rear spoiler with 2 of the mounting bolts needing to be replaced. The clearcoat on the IROC wheels has also deteriorated. . Either then that the car runs very well and I still get 20 miles/gal on hwy.

Things replaced (up to 290,000 miles)
Torque Convert
Fuel Injectors
Water Pump
Fuel Pump
MAF
Brake Rotors

Amazingly my window motors are still working like a charm...as is my original rear hatch motor... BOTH never being replaced. I know how to work on cars..thus it makes it easier and cheaper...but I have to admit..if I had a newer car...I probably would have had to invest $$$ when crap went south.... On the IROC...it's amazingly reliable. My GF's 95 LT1 T/A has a head gasket issue with 90,000 miles as well as my buddies 99 Z-28 LS-1 had a oil pump issue at 50,000. The paint is in good condition (BRIGHT RED) and it really stands out in the crowd as a 20yr + relic.... the car get's a lot of looks and is a great bang for the buck. I was thinking of buying a used S197 in the future if the ROC goes south....but I am not soo sure at this point since I am pretty "comfortable" with the car... With the mustang... I'd probably have to invest in tons of scan tools... $$$$$$

 

Ha, well, the 1982 Iron duke is on the "50 worst cars ever" list:
http://www.time.com/time/specials/20...658527,00.html

And consumer reports gives all 3rd gen cars bad marks, listing them as cars to avoid.

In the 80's, 1st gen camaros were nothing special...just old Chevy's, I I saw more than one 6cyl car or even a base V-8's sent to the crusher. Right now 3rd gen cars are in that "old Chevy" status, but clean cars are getting real hard to find, and they are going up in value. GN's have always been collector cars, but they are going up too...I think give it 10 years for them to come into a bit more classic status, and they'll get a little more respect at the car shows, etc.

 

I'd like to point out, that 4th Gen Camaros and Firebirds have fallen into the "Trash Bin" with the rest of the F-Bodies. I see so many beat up 4th gen 6 cylinders and z28s out there these days...

Ever heard of a "throw away sports car"? Thats what our cars were (and still are but that is dwindling). They were sold as daily drivers with an extra kick to them... but still just a daily driver out of the normal. So people treated them as such... and into the trash bins they go. Along with every other car.

Do you ever see post on here with people putting 20 inch rims or outrageous paintjobs on their cars? Or hell even spoilers? Or here is one, guys spray painting their interior yellow or white or something ugly haha... We (The majority of the community) Normally rag their asses about it... We value our cars. Most people don't value their vehicles in this country. Wether it be a Kia Spectra or a 2002 Trans AM... They more often then not, end up in the same place.

So the idiots that rag your car... they don't value vehicles. They are objects in their lives that will be replaced in the near future at some point. Just like a bottle of shampoo or the next razor...

Blah blah blaah. Let them laugh it up.

 

Many true points in the above post...I know people who NEVER wash their car or change the oil...they trade every two years and don't care.

I disagree a bit on the 4th gen part...V-6 and LT1 cars are dropping fast, and much like the TPI cars, LT1 performance R&D has plummeted, but clean LS1's are really doing well in value, I tried to find one recently with no luck, seems like they have actually gone up in the past 1.5 years. Especially in Hawaii...the LS1 is somewhat legendary already, and since they are not being made...supply and demand. I cam keeping mine!

 

One thing to consider is that the cars are not old enough yet to be recognized as classics. I clearly remember back in the late 70's and early 80's when the 1st gen cars were just old Camaros. There were plenty jacked up, air shocked, glass packed, rusty, rottern, crusty, multi colored cars crawling around with my generation's long haired, hippy freak type of owners. MANY of the early cars were hot rodded, beat on, dwi'd into the grave--just as the 3rd gens are now. I don't think that our 3rd gen cars will ever fill the 1st gen's shoes in terms of desirability, but they were/are still good platforms. I would advise anyone with a nice one to hang onto it and take care of it. It will be a long time, but they will find a place. Do not forget that the current performance age has its origins in the epic 1982 intro of the 3rd gen cars and Ford's answer with its improved 5.0 Fox cars. I came of age back then, and watched eagerly year to year to see who was doing what year to year to top the next manufacturer. The 3rd gen, despite its many shortcomings, was a far more significant car for the market place than the 4th gen cars ever were. They were capable, pretty, and sold in the hundreds of thousands of units, and made money for GM, and held GM's position in the market place for more than a decade. That can't be all bad. Thanks, Oldtimer.

 

Good points. I've enjoyed reading this topic.

There's still one of these just a few miles from where I grew up (Neche, ND). I took this pic last summer . . .

The owner won't sell it. He's afflicted with Barret-Jackson syndrome and think's it's worth millions. If that's the case (hypothetically of coarse), would you treat a million dollar car like THIS!!!!!!!!

 

I seem to get a lot of compliments on my car. I've owned it for almost 5 years now and the only things that broke on it were aftermarket parts that I put on.

 

And here's another one . . .
Nice ride!!!!!!!!

 

I tend to get a lot of compliments on my '92. Most people know what it is and have either owned one or rode in one at some point in their life. My '86 which has a few more rattles tends to get the racer compliment from those that want to trash a car or have taken one apart and not put it back together. Personally I will never sell unless times get really hard. Time cures all and the better your third gen looks the more people respect it I think. In 10 years let's see who is left with a clean thirdgen and watch the respect come in. By that time the 5th gen will be out and peoples opinion will change again. But i do wish I still had my '69 Pace car. Boy would my bank account look a lot better if I did.

 

Those are some great looking thirdgen's. Glad to see poeple taking pride in these cars! I know what you mean about wishing you kept the pace car. I once owned a 1970 Shelby GT 350... My dad says the same thing about his 66 GTO 389, 3 duces, and his 66 Bonnie 421, 3 duces... Charles

 

you guys all bring up some good points. i always tell people, look i know my car isnt perfect. but she's not a beater. my car is in much better shape (rust free, paint has scratches and chips, car is well maintained however) than the vast majority of cars around here that are 10 years newer. the one guy that bashes on my car regularly drives a 2000 something honda civic. he says my car is slow. look i never said my car was really fast. he keeps trying to race me, i tell him he's not worth it. i dont do street racing, i value my low insurance rates. i also told him he would never keep up with me in a corner, he tried telling me the third gen suspension setup is inferior, i laughed at him. i told him honda civics are made for economy, not performance. he has spent several thousand in engine modifications, has a cracked aftermarket body kit, non matching wheels, and a horrible fart can. he says my car sounds like an old man fart, i have a 305 TBI edlebrock header and 3" exhuast, i think it sounds alot better than any honda 4 cylinder. another guys has a newer pickup truck, he bashes on my car because its "old". thats really a stupid reason to bash on a car. he drives a truck for 5 years and gets rid of it. and yes my car is a daily driver, summer only. i keep up on the maintance. it has 164K and counting. i have no plans on ever parting with it. people have no/little respect for my car. they can kiss my ***. the car is staying and people need to keep there negative comments to themselves. yes my car does have some rattles, but alot of that is in the door hinges, and i just havent had the time to replace them. rattles are character however, its the cars way of saying im happy to still be alive. these people can have there newer cars, their payments, complicated maintance/repairs. i only want a car that will get me to work not space shuttle complexity. alot of people say newer cars are built better. i dont believe it. the chassis might be quieter, it might ride smoother, not rust as bad in winter conditions, but these vehicles are so complex that i don't think any/very few of them will still be running in 20 years. alot of our members still have the original drivetrains and they still perform to their design specifications. that says something about quality. alot of the rattles, yes annoying at times but give the car personallity; and most of that is very petty for a car that is 20 years old. give-em a break. my 96 corsica 3.1 is a very quite, smooth driving car(very little rattles). however the suspension is soft i feel like im ridding on a pillow, i dont like it much. car handles like crap, cant take a corner, transmission shifts terrible from a performance standpoint. difficult car to work on as well. i hate driving it, and miss my camaro all winter everyday. point is it has no character, i hate FWD. but sacrifices have to be made to keep my pride in joy solid. i love my third gen and will never trade it for anything, enough ranting and raving, i rest my case.

 

3rd gen camaro = last of the old school muscle cars...IMO

 

Our cars are 16-26 years old. In 10 years people will be looking at our cars the same way we look at first gen Camaors today.

Didn't a third gen sell for 20K at Barret this year?

OUR TIME WILL COME!!!!

I don't believe a 30 year old honda will gather as much attention as our cars will. American muscle will always be more desireable than Jananese....


Just have to be patient.......AND enjoy our cars........

 

bout 3 years ago i was talking to a friend who works at classic industries...and he told me that 3rd gen parts are selling more then 1st gens... E.I more people were restoring 3rd gens then 1st...

again..that was 3 years ago.

 

that is because the third gen is still the "poor man's corvette". meaning if i can buy one anyone can, lol. actually im not kidding, if i can buy one making 26-27K a year they are quite affordable. there is simply more of a demand for 2nd and 3rd gen parts because there is a greater supply of them. thats also one of the reasons why a third gen is so cool. there is a very wide diversity of owners, people that are poor people that near rich. its still brings us all together. the 67-69 while they are an original, the are a rich mans sport now. a restored 1st gen will cost 30-50K+, and one that needs to be restored(number of these is dwindling fast) will require 15-20K in restoration parts. most people cant afford them anymore. not to mention a third gen is a good investment. they might be worth quite a bit more in the future. you aren't going to a loss in value at any rate. right now they have gone as low as they can, value of clean cars should only go up. a honda civic a good investment and a low deprecation? i dont think so, a third gen at this point is a much better investment.

 

Ha, the C4 is the "poor man's vette" The 1984's go for dirt cheap...saw one here for $650 I could've driven home, several in the $2500 range. They are also in that era of just an old clapped out Chevy...but they'll come up as our cars do.

As far as the 3rd gens being the last muscle car...can't agree with that one, the 4th gen came right behind them and out muscled the 3rd gens all the way until the best Camaro ever built...the 2002. Hopefully the 5th gen will be even better. Heck, the Mustang is still for sale, V-8 RWD, sure looks like a Muscle Car to me LOL!

But yeah, as pointed out a few times, these cars are still in the "Old Chevy" window...give them a few years to catch on...2nd gen cars, especially Firebirds are coming on strong now.

 

yes, sometime you can lucky and can get a C4 for cheap. but they are also much more expensive to repair and rebuild. have you ever priced out bodywork on a fiberglass bodied corvette, im sure it isnt cheap. everything else for a corvette is expensive simply because its a corvette. also the 3rd gen wasnt the last muscle car, its just the last generation that was easy enough to work on. i know the TBI system on my 89 is much much simpler and easier to understand and a LS series engine. i can work on it myself without becoming broke on expensive repairs.

 

I have to agree. There are a number of reasons for this but the main one IMO is the end on the carb engine during the ThirdGen years. Sure; the carb motors produced in the eighties barely made 170HP..... but it was still a very simple carb engine that was easy to diagnose and anyone with any common sense and mechanical ability could work on in thier garage with a box of old tools ahnded down from his grandfather.

Compare an 86 Z28 with a carb to a 4th gen Z....... you can perform a complete motor swap on the third Gen in your driveway. With the newer Camaros the body has to get lifted off the engine. Then there's the technology,....... Rev limiters, Traction control, ABS, Air bags, Key Chips and the like. If you make any modifications to your newer camaro you better "re-program" it or you will not see the gains and may even cause a problem.

IMO the last of the Camaro / Firebird muscule cars was made in 87. They year the Carb motor was discontinued and before technology took over. Hit the brakes to hard and they lock-up, Floor the gas pedal and smoke the tires, Over rev the motor and it blows up, Cup-holder - what cup holder !

P.S. The time for the ThirdGens value to increase is already here. Nice Third Gens are getting as much if not more than Camaro's that are 10 years younger. That's even true for the V6 thirdGens compared to the V6 fourth gens. If you guys notice many of the people using this site these days are younger guys that recently bought thier 1st Camaro / Firebird and are looking to restore thier first " Muscule car " ! When people buy a 4th gen F-Body it's usualy to get back and forth to work everyday !

 

well i think im looking to make my car 1/2muscle-1/2daily driver. im looking for the mix of about 270 hp 350 with hopefully 20MPG. i do drive my car as a daily driver. its reliable everyday(summer only),fun to drive, and gets about 25 mpg highway. im going to do an engine swap, i want a little more power than the 305 can produce, but im not looking for 400+ hp 383, its simply too much for me to afford to fuel. i find my car quite simple and very servicable. i find the TBI system simplier than a carb. most of the earlier 3rd gen fuel systems were actually rodcester quadrajet electronic carbs. my experiance has been that the TBI in itself was quite an improvement. i think just because it was a fuel injection system doesnt mean it isnt a good system for a muscle car. TBI is an early electronic(simple) fuel injection system. when i look under the hood i can identify all of the senors at first glance. all of there functions are easily explained and understood. it generally doesnt have the added gizmos that you would find in a 4th gen. simple, efficient, and reliable. i think its just an excellent system. i think the easy to work on camaro died in 1992 with the death of the third gen RS 305 camaro. yes it wasnt the most powerful third gen built. but you can easily build a very quick very fast car out of this setup. it can be done easier and cheap than a TPI system. the fact that this model camaro is a quick factory floor car isnt the fault of the fuel system, rather the way the rest of the engine was built. a very restrictive exhuast, weak cam, poor flowing manifold, restrictive air cleaner, low compression, and very steep highway gears all combined to make this car a modest performer. im not saying its the slowest car on the street, but its not the fastest camaro ever built either.