Please forgive a newbie. I'm trying to trade off my '79 Z28 for a 3rd Gen and am trying to educate myself on these cars. What is the difference in these. I know the B4C is police but I thought all Z28s had the best handling packages you could get. But could someone enlighten me on the differences? What can you tell me about collectibility of these cars and the value and future values of them? I've been given a semi heads up on what to look for but what if any mechanical issues should I be looking at as well.

Thanks in advance and i'm looking forward to contributing to the site.

 

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Basically the B4C was an RS Camaro in name only. I would say the major benefit of them was the 1LE (aka Corvette) front brakes. 11.8" instead of 10.5" front discs.

They could also be had with A/C while the 1LE cars couldn't.

I'm guessing that the B4C's were technically RS Camaros so that law enforcement could buy them for the cheaper RS pricing rather than the expensive Z28 pricing. But overall, they're pretty much the same as a Z28. I don't know of any differences other than the better brakes.

 

Lots of info in the B4C thread above this one...

B4C - RS with Z28 equipment, only way to get a 5.7 RS, rare car. 1991 B4C's got the 1LE brakes in mid year, 1992 has them. They also have poly bushings and better shocks. B4C wa the only way to get 1LE with A/C
1LE - Factory SCCA race car. Also very rare. A/C not an option
Z28 - Affordable, does not have the extra 1LE suspension goodies, but has a ton of aftermarket supprt and can probably be upgraded nicely for the cost of a B4C or 1LE car.

B4C - Non 1LE is rare and desirable, but the 1LE cars are prob worth a little more. Hard to put a price on them, I have seen super nice B4C cars for 15K, drivers for $5K. They are so rare that they rarely pop up on E-bay. Honestly, if you want to go fast I'd spend the money on a 4th gen LS1, they'll kill the 3rd gen with minimal mods, handle better, and are getting real affordable.

 

1LE brakes are 11.65 I believe
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I seriously doubt the handling part....they do ride better.

But they don't look as good!

 

I kind of like the 4th gens but the third gen is a better looking car to me. To be honest I dont really car about going fast. I like the torque and the sound of a V8, thats all. This is all about appearance to me anyway. Maybe a little g-machine in the future but for now I just want to finally get to drive one of these cars for a while.

 

The B4C cars used an RS because Police cars do NOT need the Hi-rise spoiler, the Blister Hood etc... the ONLY REASON why they based the police package cars was to strip them down to their minimum to keep prices down.

Without looking into it I believe the difference between the 1LE suspension and the standard Z28 suspension is the Shocks... For some reason I want to think the 1LE cars came with the shocks more similar to the WS6 for a better ride... The Sway bars were the 36mm front and 24mm rear which is the same as the WS6 & I think regular Z28 cars...

From what I have read the 3rd Gen is the best handling generation, simply add tires like they had on the 4th gens (Goodyear GSC's) and a 3rd Gen handles better. The Modified MacPherson {sp?} struts handled better than the 4th gens.

I agree the LS1 will kill any 3rd Gen less the TTA and the Firehawk both will out perform an LS1 car. But I agree they do not look as good...

John

 

Hmm, turning into a thread jack LOL!

I have my B4C cars for collectibility, I have a LS1 third gen, and my 4th gen LS1 and the Grand National are my performance cars. I do realize I am on thirdgen.com, and they are cool cars, but dated design...

- TTA will not outperform a LS1, it's a decent match. My LS1 ran 11.50, all motor, just bolt-ons. It was 12.97 with just drag radials and a lid. TTA pretty much matches it, but go heads/cam on a LS1 and it really picks up. (Or run a power-adder)
- 4th gen was a radical redesign on the suspension. They use a short/long arm (SLA) type front end, and are regarded as much better handling cars in SCCA. From "wikipedia": "1993 was the debut year for the fourth generation Camaro, and production continued until 2002. Production was moved from GM's Van Nuys, California, assembly plant to Sainte-Thérèse, Quebec, Canada in 1993. The new design incorporated lightweight plastic body panels over a steel spaceframe and a much improved suspension design."

Some great 1LE info is here:
http://www.camarowiki.com/index.php/...Generation_1LE

 

Tom compare apples to apples From my understanding you could buy a TTA, and with $400 you could get a Chip and a few "Bolt on's" like a AFPR and something else and be in the Low 11's Stock vs Stock it has been said that the TTA is the Fastest trans Am and its the ONLY one with a V6...

That's the first time I have ever heard that the 4th Gen handles better... Its a Wiki...

John

 

I've never seen numbers to back up the claim that a 4th gen car will outhandle a 3rd gen. The last time I saw skid pad numbers on a late 4th gen (probably around a 2000) the numbers were about the same as new '86 IROCs and the 3rd gen cars got considerably better handling after '86. Also, I've known quite a few people that have had both and I've never found anybody who thought the 4th gen outhandled a 3rd. In fact, I've never known anybody who liked the 4th gen more overall than a 3rd.

 

Can we keep this on track? This isn't a 3rd vs 4th gen thread.

 

So anyway, if you can find a 1LE or a B4C buy it! If not, look for a non-trashed Z28. Clean third gens are getting harder to find, and seem to be coming up in value.

 

Is there a site dedicated to the B4C? I think I saw a site for the 1LE. My uncle drove a B4C for the CHP in northern Cali in the early 90's. I trying to get a picture. He said the car was amazing but his all time favorite was the box caprice. Old people.