SonnyCrockett

I'm currently 17. Eversince I saw Knight Rider when I was little I've always had my eye on the Third gen trans am as my first car. Now I have 2 months to decide my car and while I really want the trans am, it is not practical for me as I've learned because I'm a new driver, the car is pretty fast and is unreliable in terms of repairs and break downs. Instead, I panned over to the fourth gen instead, and it looks more better for me. I'm having trouble finding a v6 instead of a v8 just for safety etc. But what do you people recommend? Would the fourth gen be fine as a first car, given I am responsible and respect the power it brings that is under my feet? My neighborhood and city is fairly small so I don't expect to be speeding and racing (forget racing, that's a bad thing to do for a first timer). I know my insurance is going to go up, but the insurance is bound to be high for a first timer, and a v8 only makes it even higher than a v6 would. Still. has anyone here had a similar experience? Or had a Trans Am as a first car?

eseibel67

Start with a fourth gen with a 3.8. Cheap to buy, insure, maintain and feed fuel. And it will have better safety features than a third gen for a new driver. Prove to yourself that you can keep it running for a few years.

ZsTransAm

I bought my first third gen Trans am when I was 18. It was my second car and I was planning to sell my first car but it quickly became clear that my 84 Trans am did not a great daily driver. It was useless in the snow, even moving it from one side of the street to the other to avoid tickets was a huge pain. It broke frequently (though nothing major that I can remember), the t-tops leaked in the rain, the carbed 305 got terrible mpg and it wasn't actually very fast. I loved it anyway, but it was just not very practical for my only car.

My advice is to hold off on buying a 3rd gen or really even a 4th gen, especially if you live in an area with snow. I know its not what you want to hear (and god knows I never would have listened to my own advice at 17) but you'd be best off looking for something slower and more reliable at least for a few years. Best of luck to you!

SonnyCrockett

I totally get it, other people I've asked have said something similar along the lines of the snow thing. Now, I'm not getting a Third Gen trans am at all because of the ridiculous problems it poses for me, but I'm still looking at a Fourth Gen, onky because my area gets little to no snow thanks to global warming. And when there is snow it's usually cleaned up in time for cars to fully be able to drive again in just a say or two, so needless to say the snow isn't going to be a problem for me right now. The only thing I'm having an issue with it finding a V6 instead of a V8, but the V6 that are listed in my area are all automatic, or the V8s are cheaper but are manual. I'm in New Jersey. I'll take the V8 if I have to and take extra precautions when driving it (I'm not gonna race, that's a stupud thing to do) but I'm still trying to find a V6 around me. I'm in New Jersey.

brianlibby791

If anything, get a 4th gen. They are dirt cheap if you get a v6 and very reliable. Craigslist is your friend looking for these cars (I live in New Jersey too). But just as a heads up, i am selling a 2001 dodge 1500 v6, $3000 obo 134k miles

Bob88GTA

iTrader: (2)

Buy a 4th gen if you're set on a Firebird or Camaro. More reliable and safer features. Then down the road a few, look at a 3rd gen to play with.

SonnyCrockett

Thanks for the replies guys. I'll definitely try to find a Fourth Gen with a V6, though it's hard to find the right one with a manual and good mileage, and reasonable price (not to mention there's still my insurance costs) but if anything, will it hurt if I have to settle on a V8?

midias

A V8 might drive up insurance costs and in my case get you pulled over doing 115 in a 35 when I was 17. Although you do sound more mature than I was. Do you live in an area with snow? that is something to consider too.

SonnyCrockett

As for the snow part, no. No snow here at all, and as I mentioned earlier, we barely get any snow since last year due to global warming now.

dmccain

iTrader: (2)

A v8 is only dangerous if you drive it dangerously. A v8 is capable of great gas mileage if you drive it correctly. You only have so 60-80yrs in a lifetime if you are lucky so why waste any of it driving a sports car with a v6? Unless its a 1989 Turbo Trans Am. Just my take.

Bob88GTA

iTrader: (2)

Boy I'd like to have been a fly inside the car and hear THAT conversation between you and the cop!!!!

SonnyCrockett

Just noticed the 115 in a 35 part.

And yeah, makes sense for the V8 to be dangerous if used damgerously. Only difference really is insurance costs, I'm obviously going to play it safe, no way will I abuse a V8 as a new driver. Maybe in a few years though.

-.-

midias

You would have had to be a fly in the cop car but trust me it was a very one sided conversation.

Good deal then RWD and snow is not the best combination. I guess you got the lucky patch of global warming this winter for us was much colder and same with april and may

SonnyCrockett

Anything else I should consider before picking up a Fourth Gen?

brianlibby791

Just don't buy a trashed one, are you looking for a 93-97, 98-02 or both? I personally suggest the 98-02 as the facelift looks better, plus if you get a V8 you get the LS1.

SonnyCrockett

Actually before I say anything, let me just ask, how many of you guys had some sort of Fourth Gen (V6 or V8) as your first car, and how was your experience? Many are telling me that while it's a great car, it might not be suitable for a first time driver, and cops will have reason to pull me over for having a lead foot or something. How's the economy on it? People are discouraging (and for good reason I know) but, still. Being a teenager makes me rebel. And it sucks.

Bob88GTA

iTrader: (2)

Don't rush life Sonny. Enjoy and do all you can while you're young.
I did not have a 3rd or 4th gen as my 1st car. But I will tell you, I've had many of each. My 88 GTA 5.7 230hp gets 20mpg HWY. My 2000 WS6 RamAir 6spd T/A, 325hp gets 28 mpg HWY. Sooooo...go from there.

Vanilla Ice

Firebirds historically have been my most reliable vehicles.
Which is hilarious to me. Maybe it's because I'm hypervigilant with them.

Get a 4th gen nice v6. When you get bored with the power turbo it for cheap.

OrangeBird

iTrader: (1)

Sad to say , but , if your looking to not be noticed by the police , avoid all Sportscars for your first car or two and pick up a nice , few years old Caddy or something similar and get the Sportscar after you've been driving for a while . Cops profile these cars , how do I know ? I am roughly six decades older than you are and just last month as I was driving in my car , going 40 in a 35 zone , a cop going the other way made a BIG show of slamming on his brakes , tearing azz around a not so 3 point turn , and came flying up behind me as though I was some bank robbery suspect . When I pulled over and he came bolting out of his car angrly running up to my window he was in for quite the surprise ; you see he had expected a teenager to be the driver and was all ready to let go with a bunch of cheap lip about "speeding" when he looked in and saw an old man instead . Whoops ! now all of a sudden after I got angry with him and said "I was going 40 in a 35 and you pull a stunt like that tire smoking U turn to come after me ? You PROFILED me because of the car I'm driving and I'll BET you wouldn't have pulled that stunt had I been driving my other car ! (a really minty Lincoln Towncar , as all proper old guys are "supposed" to drive) ... Well , all of a sudden when the word "profiled" came out of an old guy's mouth it was all "oh no sir , I didn't profile you" To which I said "oh yea , how many OTHER cars have you pulled over today at 5 MPH over the speed limit ? His priceless answer ? "well I just started my shift but you've given me something to think about here" . I know if I was 60 years younger it would have been a vastly different outcome and that's why I say for your first car , forget the Sportscar and go with something practical that ain't a "cop magnet" like these cars are .

SonnyCrockett

****! Never took the popo into consideration with this Trans Am to be honest...I mean, the cops in my area are pretty reasonable, but I guess that doesn't exclude me from driving some sort of sports car. But as long as I'm obeying the speed limit, I should be good though, right?

Another question: Several of the Trans Ams in my area are actually automatic, and the ones that are manual are V8s or too expensive. Will a automatic have a greater effect on some 2002 Trans Am on the fuel efficiency versus the manual? Or does it matter a lot? I want a manual but my mom is too scared to let me even drive manual, not to mention hard to find reasonably priced ones here and with good mileages with a v6.

LiveIt!

So you're looking for a Firebird.....What happened to the Testarossa?

I just wanna chime in and say I did exactly as you want to do a few months back, I bought a V6 thirdgen for my first car and I've absolutely loved it! My car is just a 2.8 but during the process of getting it running again I found it so easy and fun to work on. I've learned so much working on it and posting on this site :P

But for your first car you probs do want something reliable, and the safety advances on the fourth gens is nice too. If you go for the V6 you'd probably end up with a 3800, which under the hood looks a lot more complex than my 2.8 but is also virtually bullet proof :P

You could always get a third gen later to rebuild while having your fourth gen as a daily driver. Best of luck

kentuckyKITT

iTrader: (4)

Ahh the first car. I remember wanting a Camaro or Firebird in '95. Old man said no way. I was set on a two-door sports car. My father brings home a two-door sports car one day for $700.00. 79 Caprice Coupe. I hated that car at first. It was huge, handled like a school bus, grandma looking, but, it was a 350. Little did my old man know, a year later and some money, I would end up with more horsepower and torque and upgraded handling in that car than all my friends with their "fast" cars. Cops never looked twice at that car either. Friends would make fun of it until I started stomping them at the track. I couldn't beat everyone, but I was holding my own. After high school I turned it into a slow lowrider with hydraulics and then cops wouldn't stop looking at it.lol

My second car was a 91 Camaro RS. That was a fun little car and got me hooked on thirdgens.

As for reliability, one of the most reliable cars I've ever owned for daily driving is my current 89 Firebird. There's nothing fast about a base V8 Firebird. If you can find a good condition one like mine that has never been messed with, you'd be surprised how reliable they can be if you maintain it regularly.

SonnyCrockett

Castillo took the Testarossa. :P

I have decided to not get the third gen Trans Am right now, simply because

1) no airbags, and as a new driver if anything happens to me, I won't come back to this forum to post anything for eternity.

2) Repair costs and maintenance, don't these things break down all the time? I also hear they're not that smooth of a ride, but that's just a few people's opinions I've heard.

3) The Fourth Gens do seem more safe and have more reliability, thought when I look at listings for them it seems they are slightly higher priced than a Third Gen. Don't know why.

4) I should expect to wreck my first car, so I don't want to pick up a nice looking Third Gen (or maybe even Fourth Gen for that matter) and end up having some bimbo hit me, or me not paying attention to it. But then again, someone told me to expect to wreck my first car, not a guarantee I will, and not a guarantee I won't. Comes down to me, really.

But I guess a Fourth Gen is still more reliable and better than a Third Gen for a first time driver right now, is what I'm saying, no?


About the cops profiling you: How many of you have been profiled by a cop for driving a sporty Trans Am in your early years of learning to drive?

vinny R

Only a few things in life are more exciting than buying your first car! Sonny boy go with your gut! You will be making more of these gut decisions as life goes on and this is a great one to start with. You probably should take advice from a bunch of old guys(like me) with a grain of salt. I think it is really cool that a 17 year old is looking for a car that is older than him. Unlike most kids nowadays that get some 10 tr. old Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla because they are safe or cheap. I can't see the insurance being a big difference on a v6-v8 on a car that old, I could be wrong. Don't overthink this, manual,auto, v6, v8. You know what you can afford, and you should get a car that is in the BEST condition rather than worry about how the car is optioned. There is no difference between 3rd and 4th gen when they fall into the POS category.

Enjoy this experience Sonny it sounds like you got a good head on your shoulders for your age. And definitely let us know what get regardless of the generation of TA. Post some pics also, I know this is a 3rd gen site but we all (at least me ) like to relive our life experiences through young folks like you.

BTW my 1st car a 1967 mustang fastback and yes it fell in the POS catagory but i did not care it was mine and I loved it!

SonnyCrockett

Hey man, I seriously appreciate the inspiring words, everywhere I ask people just tell me to forget about either of the 3rd or 4th gens and get some Honda Civic, and while I know why they're saying it, they just want me to be safe and practical for a first timer, something inside of me just can't seem to accept that. I grew up watchinf Knight Rider with my dad, and immediately became a massive fan of KITT. At some point I sat down one day and told myself I would eventually get myself a Trans Am and convert it to KITT, or just buy one already converted. Now, that day isn't right now or in two months, I know, but I still just absolutely love the Trans Ams no matter what. I even sulk sometimes about the fact that the Pontiac IV generwtion Banshee never really made it as a car, so few were produced I think. Would have made it the Knight 4000 from Knight Rider 2000. Anyway, I think I should make the best decision with my guts and just go with a 3rd or 4th no matter what. I absolutely love cars, I love working on cars (I restored a Chevy Bel Air a few years ago in my highschool as part of a special class they offered on cars!) Love love love old and new cars, and I really think that no matter what POS car I buy, whether it's the leaky T-Tops on the 3rd gen, or problems with the 4th gen, I'm absolutely willing to repair the car abd work on it all day in my garage with my uncle and my dad. So thanks man, I hope I make the best decision, regardless of options that include automatic or manual, v6 or v8 etc. I want to make this experience very memorable for me, so thanks!

QwkTrip

iTrader: (22)

Yes, my '89 Firebird was my first car but it was only a few years old at the time. It was economical, affordable, and barely any more money to insure than a Ford Escort at the time.

That is just not a comparable story today so you have to make decisions based on your situation. These are old, unreliable cars that need maintenance. The 4th gen is getting like that too.

There isn't a right and wrong answer here but I can share one universal truth to help you make a decision: Cars can be the biggest expense in your life if you let it be. So much so that some people stay poor because of their car buying decisions. Sometimes you have to balance fun with money and cars is definitely one of those areas.

LiveIt!

I guess Ferraris don't make good first cars anyhow :P

The 90-92 third gens came with airbags, but I'd second getting a rougher looking car. You're learning, mistakes might happen, I swung too wide the other day and brushed a chain link fence (and then immediately parked in the backyard, got out on my hands and knees and apologized to my beloved Camaro!!), I'd really hate to have done that on a car with nice paint (I plan to get her repainted the better I get at driving, maybe over the summer sometime).

I think it's really cool to see another guy like me giving respect to these cars and wanting one for his first. There's not a single pre-2000 car in my school parking lot, everyone I talk to is either into trucks or rice. Can't wait to get the Camaro on the road and show them what a real car is

I don't see much reliability issues with my car, she fires right up and even for the 2.8 doesn't have much trouble getting up on it's feet (tires?). Of course it does have issues for being 30 years old, but so far nothing major I couldn't fix myself (I'd be out right now working on a brake caliper if it wasn't raining here ). Just one major thing I wanna say: Make sure you buy a car somebody's been driving! Everyone told me to do that and I decided to give this cute (nasty!) junkyard-ready thirdgen a shot at another life. Didn't take much to get her sitting and sounding pretty, but it sat for a few years or so and needed work (new fuel pump and injectors, and that caliper I wanted to fix today is seized )

P.S- if people are telling you to get a Honda Civic you need better friends

SonnyCrockett

Aw shoot. How long do you think the 4th gens are really going to last nowadays? Provided that I maintain it as best I can?

QwkTrip

iTrader: (22)

There is no single answer to that. The cars are old enough that it depends GREATLY on how the previous owners used and cared for the cars. There are junkers and there are gems.

I'm not the right person to guide you how to find a good one so I will defer to somebody else with that.

SonnyCrockett

In other words, if the seller of the car has kept the car in great condition, well maintained etc., it wouldn't hurt for me to then buy and continue the maintenance on it?

Tibo

iTrader: (15)

My cars from 16 through college were a 1986 Firebird, 1994 Mustang and a 1992 Camaro. I was profiled like crazy. I was pulled over and ticketed for everything they could. I remember once there was a stop sign at the top of a gravel incline, I had a manual transmission and the wheels spun. Police saw it and actually wrote me a ticket for reckless driving-- The DA later dropped the ticket.

Don't get me started on the whole driving in snow. My rule of thumb became if there was 2" or more of snow on the ground I wouldn't drive. Wherever my car was parked is where it stayed until the snow cleared. The snow makes it unsafe to drive but it's the salt (or whatever new chemicals they use) that really hurts the car.

Your first car needs to be dependable, comfortable and have good gas mileage. Growing up I always had a job so I could keep gas in the tank but there were times that I was really tired of spending so much on gas.

Don't forget other stuff like insurance premiums. Now-a-days a 6 cylinder four door or a 4 cylinder 2 door make great first cars and are just as fast as a z/28 thirdgen or 6 cylinder fourthgen. Mazda 3, Ford Focus, Chevy Cobalt, Dodge Avenger/Dart are all great handling zippy cars and can be modded easily.

Tibo

iTrader: (15)

Learning to do just routine maintenance like oil changes, brakes and changing transmission fluid can save you a ton in the long run and make the vehicle last. No one is too good, too busy or above doing their own car work--Don't ever believe the people that give you that excuse. My Grandfather retired as head of his Anesthesiology group and my father owns his own welding engineering quality assurance business and neither of them (like they've taught me) would ever have someone else do their car work. I have many friends who never stop paying for cars because they either trade them in soon after their loan is up or they buy used and have to pay mechanics bills every other month.

SonnyCrockett

I am now suddenly very scared.

ottothesilent

Nah, don't be. Just follow the laws, avoid racers/racing and be respectful, and you'll be fine. Will you be profiled? Maybe. But being pulled over for BS doesn't mean you'll get a ticket, and even if you do, we see lots of them get tossed out of court. Get a fun car!

SonnyCrockett

Haha, I know. Be responsible, don't break the law like an idiot, and dont press the limits, no matter how much the car tempts you too. Unless I'm in the desert.

Quick question: So I found a pretty affordable, and very good looking 1986 Trans Am just in New York. I'm suddenly torn between a 4th gen, and this 3rd gen. Erk, as much as the Trans Ams weren't reliable as I know, I'm so tempted to just get a 3rd gen anyway and work on it all day long just cuz I can. But 4th gens you guys say are better. Now I don't know! Confused here lol...here's the car I saw: https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds...m/1949418.html

ottothesilent

I mean, that's a pretty great combo. 5.0/5spd and at 51k miles, that's pretty darn close to mint! I'd say check it out, there's no harm in that. If it runs well and was taken care of, you won't have some of the gremlins that so many of us have!

TylerSteez

iTrader: (3)

this post brings me back to when I was 16 or 17, bought my trans am as my first car and was fixing it up before I even had a license. matter of fact it was the same year and color as the one you just posted. the day I got my license I slapped the plates on it and went out for some spirited driving. gunned the gas around a corner and was pointed straight at a guard rail, cut the wheel the other way and was pointed right at traffic. my tires were smoking and the engine was screaming the whole time. I've never driven that recklessly again.

I see you're worried about not getting a v8 due to the power. the fact is the stock v8's in these cars cant even come close to keeping up with the v6 engines in a good amount of modern sedans and family cars. the real danger is having a somewhat decent amount of torque (by 1980's standards) going to a rear wheel drive posi in a car that doesn't have that much weight over the rear end. I was also paying $260 a month to insure it through geico but part of me thinks my dad was just ripping me off since it was registered on his plan and he could say I had to pay whatever amount he decided.

SonnyCrockett

Thanks for the reassurance Tyler, about the V8 and/or V6 engines. Someone on another forum said that the V6 is more of a gas guzzler than the V8, or that the V8 is better in terms of fuel efficiency or something? Apart from speed etc. others argue the V6 is better if you're a first timer, but I guess I don't need to worry too much about it.

So which is more practical, a 3rd gen for eveyday commute to and fro school or a 4th gen?

thorhallr

Tibo has a good point, start doing repairs yourself. I started doing that at age 16 and now at age 18 I can do any repair myself. I even got a job at a good garage.

Stupid drivers can crash any car, fast or slow. My first year of driving went like this: crashed and sold 3 Corollas and my E46 caught fire when doing burnouts.
I'm happy I bought all those cars dirt cheap.

If I were you I would get the V8 manual thirdgen but only if you are set with a Trans am. The carb'd 350 SBC and 305 is super easy to rebuild or repair and if you get a 4th gen the LS engines can last longer than the car itself.

IF you do want experience before getting a car your REALLY want I suggest you look around and try to score a good deal, have an open mind. If you do get a cheap Honda with a weak inline 4 you will have a decent V8 to look forward to.

SonnyCrockett

Thanks, I'll keep it in mind! This week or next week I'm going to see a few people selling their Trans Ams. What should I ask them, and what should I look for in them to make sure I don't pick up a POS one?

thorhallr

Well I live in Iceland so I mostly check rust lol
It's good if he/she has a maintenance log.
Do you have an car guru friend who can look at the car with you?

SonnyCrockett

Well I do have my dad and my uncle, both of who have even built car engines in the past, so that's that. But I don't want them to do all the talking and inspecting obviously, I want to appear knowledgeable to the owner and I should know what I'm looking for and buying. After all, it's my first car, don't want to jump in their blindly and cost myself down the line!

TylerSteez

iTrader: (3)

In terms of practicality the fourth gen beats the 3rd gen due to them being newer and more updated. The Thirdgen's will all require new suspension parts other wear items due to their age but the fourth gens aren't too far behind them either.

As others have said, start doing repairs yourself and you'll benefit greatly from it. Third gens are fantastic car's to learn on

thorhallr

Seller will be more intimidated if you come with a friend or two, even if you bring your dad and uncle. But if you are only willing to go by yourself I think it's good to check oil, brake pads, underbody, suspension etc. Pretty much every small things like that are not too expensive but it sure as hell can be expensive to change everything.

Check the oil on motor by opening the cap on the valve cover and checking dipstick, check the brake fluid by opening the reservoir in the right far side of the engine. It's also good to check coolant as new radiators or changing head gaskets can be expensive.

On the more expensive cars I've considered buying I always got the car on a lift to check leaks or structure loss. Even cleaned the underbody and let engine run make sure everything was tops.

Also ask when it was last serviced and by what garage.

thorhallr

Yeah and obviously just try driving it. If the brake doesn't feel firm or if it goes really far down I would abstain from buying the car just because it's not a good first task for an unexperienced self taught fixer that wants to learn. And almost every task in fixing a leaky brake system is going to be costly at a good garage

SonnyCrockett

Alright thanks guys, sorry if I'm annoying with these seemingly basic questions, I just want to make sure I know what I'm doing, because as you know this car isn't exactly a fit car for a beginner, but I'm willing to take full responsibility of these beauties and stay within my limits to prevent myself from doing anything stupid at this age, and that I have full knowledge of exactly what I need to look for when looking for 3rd or 4th gens.

thorhallr

No problemo hombre, we've all been there.

Wish you the best of luck with finding a suitable car

Tibo

iTrader: (15)

Look over the entire car for rust. The only place where rust is "ok" is on the A arms, K member, rear end, suspension stuff that is easily replaceable. Rust on the floor pans, underside of doors, wheel wells, body seams is not good. If a car has rust on the car I would pass on it for your first car. Check all of the electronics, if it has electrical gremlins that's also something you should pass on for your first car. Make sure the window motors work because changing out motors is a chore. Check the condition and life left on tires, if he is selling it in good condition the tires should not be rotted/cracking and should have a half life left. Weatherstripping is easy to check to, just look for gaps or weatherstripping that is totally flat or disintegrating. Weather stripping is not a deal killer but it's a way to easily haggle the price. FYI the weatherstripping is $200-1,000+ depending on the brand and how much needs replaced. You can make sure the Urethane bumpers and ground effects are not ripped and the paint has not spiderwebbed.

SonnyCrockett

What are A arms and K members?

Tibo

iTrader: (15)

K member is the large metal structure that is underneath the engine that connects the front left subframe to the front right subframe, it's also what the A arms bolt to. The A arms are what the hub/brake rotors/wheels attach to. I believe that they came uncoated from the factory so it's just a given that they will rust. It's really impressive to see Thirdgens with unrusted rear ends and suspension pieces.