I’m old and a first gen guy. I am looking for a car to work on with my son (30). He thinks a 3rd Gen would be a decent platform.

I have a couple questions;

are any years preferred over other?
we have engines and stuff around here so power is not a big deal. We could drop a 383 in it pretty easy.

Manual transmission is a must have. is a manual swap easy? Most cars are auto. I am sure used T5s are cheap and a TKX is not out of the question. More concerned about computer I terrain and keeping the gauges working correctly.

I found a decent non t top 91 for reasonable price. I know the later model cars have airbags.

thanks. Hope I become an active member here.

 

Last i was looking at thirdgens the year was 1990 and lots to chose from-i found what i wanted and still driving it I have had 1st gen too,early build '69,8-68 built. I like early thirds just because i like early and mid 1980s. Earlier cars can have odd brake line fittings and the like.Good T5s may be hard to find anymore- tranny a little undersized and aluminum case was too soft,distorts and gear mesh is affected. T56 way better,but might be scarce in 2026. Manual swap is easy. Gauges do not run through ECM, but speedo is electric for post-89 camaro and most post '85 firebirds. If i had late thirdgen with airbag i would swap for non-airbag wheel since early airbags are violent deployment and ugly as sin....Good luck on the search

 

Good info.

I have owned three third gens, but was in a phase of my life when I wasnt keeping cars very long, and never had one over a year or so.
I figured the computer control is pretty weak anyway, knowing what I know today, any stock fuel injection will get removed anyway..

I know some early cars had digital gauges, that seems like something to stay away from.

The 91 I found is a base RS car, no t-tops, 305 700r trans, no power windows! I dont think I have ever seen a third gen without power windows. I am guessing it would have the power hatch setup.

Any issues to look for?
Obvious crash damage, especially in the engine bay. Is there any hiding places for rust I should be aware of?

Owner said there is an issue with "fuel smell". Do I remember right the fuel tank is above the rear end in these cars, and the rear end needs to be dropped to access the fuel tank (fuel pump, etc)

And is Spohn Performance still the 3rd Gen people? Any other houses to know about?

 

Look for rust around the toe boards. They hide rust where the front wheel well meets the toe board/kick panels. Also the rockers behind the front fenders. Spohn/umi make good stuff. So does founders. The older cars are a little lighter cause they have less stuff. They all need numerous braces. I have every piece of bracing in the front end i could get and inner and outer SFCs. The rears are so-so. The dash harness and ecm harness are mostly separate. I have a standalone efi and used stock gauges for years.

Drivetrains ate simple. I have a magnum f w a sbc. But anything fits.

 

Good deal. Yeah I am on board with a third gen now. I remember saying many times “these are not the best cars Chevy ever made”. But appears they have held up well and the aftermarket support is here.

 

Every car chevy made has some kind of issues. Hell, what doesn't have issues! These cars totally twist up w/o proper support and high HP. All the creaking and rattling is easily fixed(kind of!). I have an a 82 trans am. There is probably the least support for 82-84 firebirds. Some of the body and interior parts don't have the best support. The Camaros are easier for body and interior parts/upgrades. Hood clearance is another issue but better on camaros. The good thing is, all the issues were figured out 20 yrs ago and there's great fixes now.

 

Be careful in just yanking things out for no reason. They did that during the first gen era and the original cars with stock parts were the ones most sought after. Of course, these days everything, no matter what the condition, is high dollar on the first gens.

I don’t remember reading about too many problems compared to the early C4 Corvettes. However, it is something that could be very expensive to fix, or not at all, if it has that option. The only Camaros that had digital gauges were the ‘84-‘86 Berlinetta and the ‘85-‘88 Trans Am/GTA.

I think they all had the power hatch feature by that point.

Rocker panels near the wheel well openings, inside the engine bay under the battery tray and under the coolant/washer tanks.

The fuel smell could be cracked or damaged fuel lines. If someone has already cut a trap door in the hatch to replace the fuel pump, that could be a source of the fuel smell as well. The fuel tank is right under the hatch floor behind the rear seats.

 

Since you plan on an engine/trans swap anyway, the shell will be the main decision. ‘91 & ‘92 cars received more welds and adhesive when built than the previous years to address the rattles and creaks common to third gen’s. My friends ‘92 hardtop is night & day better than my ‘86 t-top car WITH sub frame connectors. His car is now running a 450hp stroked LS1/T56 combo, still without sfc’s. Not a track car tho, only street driven. Good luck and keep us posted!