I'm trying to get some more info on a car a friend of a friend is interested in selling, and debating if its worth giving up my TA for. I'm looking for some second opinions...

MY CAR:
86 Trans Am 305 TPI - Blue over silver, black/grey upgraded cloth, AT, t-tops, bone stock, 32,000 miles, PW&L, p-seat, new exhaust, brakes, all fluids changed - needs an A/C compressor, steering wheel and paint. The rest of it is in perfect shape, aside from some light surface rust on the front suspension and crossmember from sitting outside for a few years.

OTHER CAR:
86 IROC-Z 305 4 bbl - Yellow, tan cloth, 5 speed, t-tops - supposedly flawless, 50,000 miles, PW&L.

My car needs a paint job, estimated by 2 shops at $4,500. I would have a total of about $9,000 invested in the car upon completion, and it would be needing nothing. The asking price for the IROC is $8,500...I'm sure I could get it down a little from there.

TA Advantages:
1) I already own it I don't have to worry about selling it!
2) I prefer the TPI engine over a carb.
3) Miles are lower.
4) Have full PHS documentation on it.
5) I "know" everything about it, and what it needs...no surprises.

IROC Advantages:
1) I think I prefer an IROC a little bit over a TA, but admittedly the TA is a rarer sight.
2) 5 speed
3) T-tops
4) Supposedly perfect condition

My other option is to sell my RS and keep the TA...but I'd sell the RS for half of what I have in it. Its a beautiful car, but it almost seems silly to sell a 32k mile TPI Trans Am, and keep a 119k mile LO3 RS. Selling the RS would come close to covering the IROC...I hope...

Opinions are appreciated.

 

i would go with the iroc all the way!!! the 5 speed is so much fun to drive and it just makes u feel better!! tpi is better than carb but in the long run i find the tpi to nickle and dime u to death. i know i own one for over 6 years now. but having the 5 speed and t-tops is it for me : ) ive drove a couple of carbed camaros and honestly didnt really feel any difference at all except just a little lower mpg but that 5 speed will make up for that. its all in how the carbed is tuned. and for that price it better be in excellent shape.

 

after reading more of the cars u have now i would actully keep the trans am. u already have a iroc-z auto, and a RS with 5 speed. so i think i would just keep my TA and like u said its TPI and probly worth more after paint.

 

IMO, the yellow/tan IROC was one of the best looking color combos of all the ones available. But it is a matter of taste, and I'm sure there's some people who can't stand it. I agree with you that the 305 TPI is preferable to the carbonated one in the IROC, but with the manual 5 speed it should still be fun to drive. If it's really as described, I would vote for the IROC

 

i pefer the looks of iroc-z over TA any day myself. either way u got a decent collection going for you.

 

Same here.

 

Tough one.

You know that I have a soft spot for yellow IROCs, Jason. Especially with a stick. But I wouldn't want to part with an all original, low miles Trans Am either.....

 

Keep T/A

 

get rid of that ugly TA!! TA looks like its made for a woman to me. atleast ive always seen more women in them?

 

I would take all of them...prefer the iroc

 

Thanks for the thoughts so far, guys. Interesting that right now, the vote is 7/2 in favor of keeping the TA

I also wonder if it even makes sense for me to sell the TA, when the RS is arguably the one that should go. The issue with that one is because of various mods and all the recon I've done to it, I have close to $15,000 in it. With all the mods, the way it sits, it MIGHT be worth $7,500. Soooo..if this guy didn't budge a dime, I could swap from my 119k mile RS to a 50k mile IROC for about a grand.

At the same time, if I did this it means I just bought an IROC slower than my RS If this car was a TPI, I would've bought it when it was first offered to me over 3 years ago.

pate,
I don't think the price is too out of line for it, assuming it needs zero. Its definitely all the money an LG4 could be worth, but at the same point...its a stick IROC with t-tops in yellow. Its the best LG4 you could get

 

Everybody has an Iroc... *thumbs down* - *Raspberry* A Trans Am is a Trans Am... An Iroc is JUST ANOTHER Camaro, especially when it's an LG4 in wolves clothing.

 

Couldn't you swap the TPI sytem from the T/A into the IROC?

 

Sorry bro, but the thought of taking two all original, low miles cars, and hacking them both up is, well.......................never mind.

I can't imagine Jason doing that.

 

It´s an ´86 IROC, so it has the later model year GFX, same as your RS I guess.

With the money in the RS, and the history on the T/A I´d pass on the offer to be very honest.

I would have advised to jump on it if it was a 1985 or earlier camaro, but that is based on persona opinion.

 

You know whats funny? Now that I finally OWN my own IROC (something I never thought I'd actually achieve, considering I owned 4 other third gens before the IROC...), I kinda agree with you...they're all you see now. I don't know if I can get over the LG4 part of this car...like I said, I was offered the car over 3 years ago, and passed on it then.

lonestar,
chaz is right...while I could buy the IROC before I sold the TA, there's no way I'd "hack" 2 nice bone-stock original, low-mileage cars to do that. I guess it goes against my religion, so to speak

chaz,
You know me too well

solitaire,
Actually, '91-'92 have the newer, scooped-style ground effects...they're different from the '85-'90, which are also different from an 82-84. I'm actually not a huge fan of '82-'84 cars, personally. I like the smoother nose and deeper ground effects of later cars.

Again, thanks to everyone for their thoughts. I don't know what the hell to do. Of the 4 cars, I really feel like the RS should be the one on the bubble, not the TA, because its technically the least valuable of the 4 in terms of what it is. The problem is, I have sooo much money tied up in it because of the custom touches I've done (stereo, alarm, wheels, engine mods) that don't add jack to the value. I have over $2,500 in the stereo alone...its gorgeous. I did this car right because I planned to "keep it forever," and honestly thought it would be my only third gen We see how that went.

As my wife put it, "give a man a 2 car garage, and he'll whine he doesn't have enough space. Give him a 4 car garage, and he'll stuff it with cars and still whine about space." Sadly, she was right. Once I got the garage, it all fell into place...first the TA, then the IROC just 3 months later. I'm still shocked she hasn't made me sell the TA...I was supposed to as a contingency on buying the IROC.

But, as ugly as she is (the TA, not my wife ), my wife knows I have a soft spot in my heart for the damn TA. Its like the underprivleged kid that wants the chance to shine. I've put about 1,400 miles on it since I bought it a year ago, and its given me no surprises whatsoever. Its been WAY better to me than the stupid RS. The RS is just now the end of the 5 year project from hell.

Maybe that's why the TA seems like it doesn't deserve the bump, to me

 

I'd keep them all and not buy another one if it was me....I get too attached to things though.

 

I think you will be ahead with the TA..
1) it is all original,
2) it has lower miles.
3) the LB9 will always be an easier sale than an LG4 regardless of 5 sped, all other things being equal
4) you know the car.
5) The Trans Am is Sexier, the IROC is more masculine.


John

 

EXACTLY> WHAT HE SAID!

 

As an owner of an IROC-Z, I say keep the T/A, keep the RS and sell me the gray IROC-Z! I wouldn't go after the yellow IROC-Z because it will need paint soon also. Every yellow car has needed it so look at the $4500 to be spent there also. I'll give you $4k for the T/A. There's a little profit for ya!! Plus, the yellow car has the LG4. I wouldn't bother with it unless the owner was looking to get rid of it at a steal of a price. That steal would involve being able to keep what you have and get the yellow IROC-Z.

 

keep the TA, its superior in every way. its "free", has less miles, a better engine, a nicer interior, probably better factory suspension, ect ect.

if you really want a 5 speed, you can convert your car, but with 32k miles, i would be hesitant to cut into it.

Many peoples idea of "perfect" "clean" and "mint" will vary drastically, you would be be amazed by all the "perfect" "mint" cars and parts i have looked at over the years that IMO were junk. So without seeing the IROC, i wouldn't focus too much on the "perfect" part.

 

1) Over my dead body will anyone get the IROC I'm not kidding when I say I've waited my whole life to find a grey 350 t-top IROC Z. To this day, its the only one I've ever seen in person...10 months later, I still can't believe its mine! Of the 4 cars, its the only 1 that is 100% safe from ever being sold. I would declare bankruptcy before I sold this car...I literally cannot replace it. Thanks for the offer, though

2) If I was to sell the TA, I'd probably take $4k for it...I have around $4,300 in it at this point. All the inside needs is a re-done steering wheel, all it needs mechanically is the AC compressor and an ECM (intermediate code for ECM), and then the paint. Even the wheels look good.

3) Going to 5 cars is possible, with a lift, and may happen eventually...but after buying 2 cars in 12 months, I'm pushing it with the wife

I'm still waiting on pics of the IROC, but I'm leaning more and more towards just keeping the TA. Selling the RS doesn't make much sense, either...I've made it exactly what I always wanted it to be, and my goal is to put 7,500 "fun" miles on it this year. This will be the first year its been registered for a whole season since '06! I've put 13k on it in 5 years...this will be the first season to really enjoy it...

 

The Wife part is easy... If she likes the yellow car... buy it for her, of course you have to let her drive it.

John

 

Very good! Jason, listen to this man, he's obviously been around the block. And if she doesn't like it, promise her you'll sell it. Which.....you know.....could take a while.

 

John,

I'd love to think that would work...but she's not into cars, even a little bit Her thing is horses...and that's how I get my way with cars The only hobby more costly than cars IS horses. Its hard for her to complain about me buying a car when her hobby is pretty costly itself!

The only one of my cars she's driven is the TA...she can't drive a stick, so the '91 and '97 are out...and she's too neurotic to drive the IROC. She owns a supercharged '04 Grand Prix GTP, so she does have an appreciation of a quick car. When she drove the TA, she did enjoy barking the tires off the line

Part of the reason for not wanting to buy 1 without selling 1 at this point is because I do not have a lift yet...so space is an issue. Also, after buying 2 in a year, I'd like to feel like I'm reigning in, at least a little bit

 

My wife figured me for a chump a long time ago. I started buying cars about 12 years ago and she said that every time I bought another car as a toy, I needed to buy her something with diamonds. Unfortunately for me, my car collection was sold off except the IROC-Z and she STILL HAS THE DIAMONDS! I guess she knew how it was going to work from the get go. My wife likes the flashy cars as she now drives a Monte Carlo SS Brickyard 400 Pace Car and she used to have a 1993 Camaro Z28 Indy Pace Car. She doesn't like thirdgens at all. I guess when I buy my next one, I need to save for the diamonds first.

 

Fortunately for me my wife likes yellow... And she can drive a stick... So when I found the Yellow 1987 Formula LB9/M5 Hardtop car for her to just drive, I was all over it... It is by no means perfect, but she just likes driving a stick shift.

John

 

My wife isn't a huge car fan, but she does like my 30th. She really does not like third gens Between the rough ride, constant squeaks and rattles, lack of airbags, etc. she feels uncomfortable and unsafe

Of course, that could also be due to the fact that I drive the RS annoyingly hard when she's in it I drive the TA and IROC like they are babies, by comparison. But in the RS, I feel the need to wind it out and corner hard enough to impale her on the shift ****, or glue her to the door panel.

That MIGHT have something to do with it All in all, though, she's right...my '97 is a lot more comfortable for a long ride. I did a solo 700 mile trip to ME and back last fall, and while I was plenty comfortable in the RS, I can see her point.

 

I always get ripped off on these deals with my wife. For example, several years ago I was bidding on an '89 IROC on ebay. My wife said, if I'm getting another Camaro, she's getting a new wood floor for the living and dining room. Well, I couldn't really argue.

Anyhoo, this ebay IROC was about an hour from my house, thankfully close enough to see it person before payment. Although I had examined the photos carefully and spoke to the seller several times, there is nothing like seeing a car in the flesh. This thing was a COMPLETE POS. It's intake was attached with common and mismatched hardware store bolts, it barely could stay running, it's headliner fell on my head, you know the story.

I told the seller that he had misrepresented this car to me and I wasn't giving payment and the deal was off.


By the time I went home, the floor guys were already working. That damned car cost me 3500 bucks, and I didn't even get it.

 

Try putting 2 horses in your backyard, and all the stuff to take care of them If I hadn't done that, well, I still would've found a way to buy the IROC anyway! She probably wouldn't have let me keep the TA.

Still haven't seen pics of the IROC yet...my dad, who's as much a gearhead as me, thinks I should sell the RS for this one and make this one my "driver," as in 4-6k summer fun miles a year. Not sure how I feel about that. I don't mind putting that many miles on a 119k mile RS...a 50k IROC?

Hmmmm....

 

You have really great cars already, including the RS with the nice options combo. I'd say keep what you have... and get the IROC Although, my opinion is biased since I've had a hankering for a yellow IROC for a while now.

 

Keep the Trans am,I have never like the Camaro's looks as much as the trans am's.

 

I told my wife flat-out before we got married, "I'm a car guy, and you have to deal with that. That means you have to deal with my toys, including my Camaro with a future 10k paint job and being stripped to the shell, and the huge cost of it. And it also means that you have to accept that I WILL own my dream car, a '68 Charger R/T--a Barrett Jackson concourse one, underneath and all, and FYI wife lady, that puts that Charger into the $60k+ bracket."

Her reply? "Fine, as long as I get that $10,000 Hermes bag." Funny thing was, we were at the Hermes store in Kobe one day looking at crap, and I grabbed a bag off the shelf and was looking at it like, "Meh, this one's ok, I guess." The lady in the store looked at me like she was going to have a heart attack the way I was manhandling this lousy bag, which I figured was your usual $1,500 bag.

After we left the store, wife lady told me that was a $15,000 bag, oh well. lol. Funny thing is, she isn't that materialistic but like most women she has a couple nice hand bags...but her go-to bag that she always uses? $10. For a long while there, she was using a super basic one from the 100 yen ($1) shop. Lol, wtf.

On topic, I don't know, do you like tan interior? Personally I couldn't live in an '80s car with tan interior, and like Scott said, it's almost a sure thing it will need paint if it's yellow...just didn't seem to be much pigment in that paint.

Thing about yellow, it's love it or hate it. You might love it now, and get lots of looks for it, but in 2-3 years' time you may find it grows to be a hideous eyesore every time you look at it. I personally hate yellow as a color, but a yellow IROC kind of seems cool...but I don't know how I'd feel once the novelty wore off. I'd be more inclined if it had black interior, and a TPI motor.

Can't wait to see pics.

 

I actually like tan interior on a black trans am,even KITT on Knight Rider had a tan interior.