i know this is a pretty typical question; someone trying to decide what they like by asking everyone else their opinion. but, in about a year or so, im selling my 74 Z-28 and want to go back to a third gen camaro, preferably 89-92 model, or a 90 or 91 corvette. i've always had a soft spot for camaros, but i dont see a point in driving the same model car my whole life, or the majority of it anyways. and now, while im in college, and can afford a corvette(or nicer third gen camaro) on my own, i want to take the chance and get one... all this to say, i know after many many magazines, talking on this message board, and reading various articles, camaros can easily be made to handle very nicely, modded to go very fast and so on. but have any of you driven a corvette of those years? for obvious reasons, i will drive a few(a friend of mine works with a guy who owns a shop that works strictly on corvettes) different ones, both camaros and corvettes. but, for 1, corvettes are all fiberglass. they are quite cool sitting in, with the bucket seats and all, and im sure handle very well. 2) from what i've heard from the mechanics that work on them, they dont really have any typical parts that fail(A/C, interior tearing up, etc) the downside, obviously, is that the price is quite a bit higher. a ? for the elders in here: how do you limit yourself and say enough is enough?

------------------

• 83 Z28--ttops, 200k miles--very ragged out. sold after a year of owning it
• 74 Z28--slightly modded 383, TH400 tranny, 10 bolt rear, not to swift, but a 700R4 and EFI is on the way

 

I drove in a '93 Corvette 6 speed with my friend. VERY impressive. Made me want one. But I cant afford it
I'd say if you can,get one. No shame in it.

------------------
I'm the proud owner of an '89 Camaro RS w/ 70k miles and a 5 spd manual.
"CAMARO:
The only thing close to it is its shadow."

 

Get yourself a 92' z28 convertable or t-tops not only is the car gorgeous but its flawless. From my experience the corvette is my dream car but rattles too much and it feels like your butt is 1 inch from the ground. 92' camaro z28 25th anniversary edition.

------------------
92' camaro
New 305 block TPI conversion, Flat top pistons,Bore over .30 Forged parts all around,Edelbrock intake,ported plennum,ported corvette alluminum heads, accel cam,52mm throttle bodie, SLP runners Home aid cold air induction, Air foil,ford SVO 19lb injectors,fuel regulator,cloys timing chain, comp alluminum roller rocker arms and pushrods MSD 8.5 mm wires, bosch plattinum plugs, hypertech cap & rotor and coil, Edelbrock TES headers, free flowing catalytic converter and a 3 inch force II flowmaster exhaust system, and a 3 inch cutout,Zoom multi friction clutch, T-5 tranny,billenstien shocks&struts.
Soon to come!!!
Procharger system 12lbs o boost.
New paint job(hawaiin orchid purple)Cast alluminum ZR1 rims w/ 275 tires.
Favorite quote: "where ever u go, there u are"

Other car;
1971 plymouth Duster
Mods:340,edelbrock victor jr. intake, 650 4 barrel holley, heddman headers,40 series dual flowmasters, cold air intake,4:10 gears, just got a new paint job and cragar rims with 315 tires in the back.
:Yeah its not a chevy but damn how many 71' dusters have u seen in the streets.

 

which one that you drove rattled? did it rattle like it was made cheaply and was comming apart or what? do you guys think a camaro can measure up to it in handling with some mods.. i know i will find some of these answers when i have more hands on experience with them, but for now, indulge me

 

I saw a burgundy 92 corvette today with chrome wheels... I nearly drooled. That car looked soo nice, I had to get a little closer to check it out. The licence said "KCS VET"

 

my favourite 'vettes are the StingRay's.

Oh man! Ever seen one of those with new paint? They can look brand new. Coolest car, defintley

------------------
'86 Camaro
2.8 MPFI

 

I have an 87 Vette. I know I'm on the wrong board, but this board has a lot of smart TPI, L98, and PROM people.

Drive them both because it is a matter of preference. I don't have enough thirdgen experience to compare cars, but I know about C4s. If you want a manual tranny, get a 89 or newer. They had the ZF 6 speed, which is a lot better than the 4+3. 87+ got the roller L98, 88+ got the bigger wheels and brakes. 90 got the new interior, 91 got the partial new exterior. 85-91 were L98s, 92-96 were LT1s. L98s have typical problems, although the alternators die often in the earlier models. LT1s have the opticrap unit.

It all depends on what you like and what you can afford. Remember to save some of your money for the unexpected problems.

 

Look at my sig. The 'vette rides like a Cadillac (soft ride suspension) compared to the Camaro, but the Camaro is more fun to beat on because all the mods I've done to the Camaro. The vette's the cruiser, the camaro is the toy. The one positive with modding a vette is the heavier duty components such as the ZF6 trans on the '89+ models and the Dana 44 with all manual trans 'vettes; automatics came with the dana 36 . Also, the 'vette is a uniframe car rather than unibody.

Remeber the expense of the maintenance for the ZF transmission and IRS are much greater than that of a Z. If you have the cash go for it.

------------------
Hybrid Black 5.7L 5 Speed
'95 Competition Yellow Corvette Coupe ZF6

 

I have only driven one C4 Vette and wasn't real impressed. It was an '87 though. The newer fourth gens look nicer. It rode hard, wasn't all that comfortable or powerful, and was even harder to get in and out of than our car. Never again can you take more than one friend for a ride like you can now (even though they complain about the back seats), insurance is more, parts are more expensive and you can't slide it around corners as easy with the IRS. CHP did an article on a '92 Camaro. They put 17" wheels and 275 tires all around it and some Hotchkis supension components and it pulled a .95 g on the skidpad. Not too shabby. I worked at the GM Proving Grounds for Corvette and I'll tell you now, drive a C5. You'll never want to drive a C4 again. Buy a thirdgen and save for a C5. Drive one and you'll know.

------------------
1992 Camaro Z28; Engine:383 w/Ported Edelbrock RPM heads. Lunati Solid Roller Cam 224/232 .502/.502, Fluidampr, Comp Cams 1.5 Roller rockers and lifters, Comp Cams Triple Valvesprings, SVO 30 lb injectors. Holley/Walbro 255 lph in-tank pump, Haltech E6GM DFI, SLP 1 3/4" headers, 4" Mufflex, T56, 4.10. Super Ram. 17" X 9.5" Ronal FireHawk Rims w/ 275 40ZR17 Bridgestone RE 730's up front and Nitto Drag NT 555R's out back.

Double-Pump This! EFI Rules!

 

I've never driven a C4, but I smoked a 350 TPI C4 last week

------------------
91 Formula
305 TPI 5speed
1LE/G92/WS6

Paxton SN92, Ford SVO 24#injectors, Crane AFPR,SLP airfoil, ported/polished plenum, March alt. pulley,Crane Gold 1.6rrs,MSD coil,MSD6AL (5400rpm limit),Holley 9mm wires,Ac delco R43ts plugs,stock chip,Bosch O2sensor,SLP 1 5/8" headers,SLP catback,shortened shifter,3:73s w/Auburn posi,180* t-stat,JET 195* fan switch, Macewen white face gauges, Autometer gauges, Zoom hi-performance clutch.

 

well, see, on of my big delimmas is that the camaro was never offered with a 350/manual deal(or it was, but there are very few of them). how hard is it to do a NICE job of putting a manual in one? my brother in law has put manuals in lots of auto cars, some that weren't meant for manuals, but they are always... rigged u might say. i've never had much experience with clutch linkages and whatnot, but how hard is this to do? my problem isnt speed or handling, as either one can be easily modded to perform very well, but simply which body style i like better. corvettes will be much more expensive to own, and that is a concern. the cool thing about buying a camaro, is that you can get a really clean, low mileage one for about 5k less, which is a hellacious amount of money which would prove for some bad@ss suspension/engine/everything mods. in any case, yea, its quite a cheesy problem, but i know im not the only one in here who has been here before.

------------------

• 83 Z28--ttops, 200k miles--very ragged out. sold after a year of owning it
• 74 Z28--slightly modded 383, TH400 tranny, 10 bolt rear, not to swift, but a 700R4 and EFI is on the way

 

My dad autocrosses a 92 Vette. Details on the car can be found at http://www.wormholeracer.com/, then select the 92 SS Vette link.

I have autocrossed this Vette for three runs. I have also autocrossed my mostly stock IROC 350 TPI for a total of 5 runs.

My overall view is this:

1) This specific Vette will hammer my IROC (LT1 versus L98). However, my IROC is mostly stock. The Vette is modified as described at the above site.

2) I paid $5200 for my IROC this past November. It is in decent shape. The Vette cost around $18,000 a few years back. It is in better shape than the IROC.

3) Under power-on hard cornering, the Vette is much more responsive than the IROC. If I kick the tail out on the Vette, I can quickly snap the Vette's rear back in by lifting the throttle - the IROC takes a little more time (doesn't snap back) but is still predictable.

4) Though I haven't checked, the insurance has to be alot more for a Vette.

5) I drive my IROC in the snow. I would personally have a problem doing this to a Vette. Just me, maybe.

6) Both cars rattle. Period.

I think it gets down to cost. I personally believe that you could make a Camaro run with Vettes for not as much money as the Vette would cost you. However, once you're in that far, image may be as important as performance.

 

ive driven corvetted from 58' to 2001. Dont believe me i used to be a valet attendant at many fancy partys. Out of every corvette my favorite is the 96' w/LT1 6 speed ZR1 rims. They dont rattle as much as i meant to say, but theres something about the camaros that i love over corvettes,maybe its just me. Besides w/ my bolt ons i can beat, outhandle, any of those corvettes and my car is probably a couple grand less. Just the joy of owning a 92' camaro.

------------------
92' camaro
New 305 block TPI conversion, Flat top pistons,Bore over .30 Forged parts all around,Edelbrock intake,ported plennum,ported corvette alluminum heads, accel cam,52mm throttle bodie, SLP runners Home aid cold air induction, Air foil,ford SVO 19lb injectors,fuel regulator,cloys timing chain, comp alluminum roller rocker arms and pushrods MSD 8.5 mm wires, bosch plattinum plugs, hypertech cap & rotor and coil, Edelbrock TES headers, free flowing catalytic converter and a 3 inch force II flowmaster exhaust system, and a 3 inch cutout,Zoom multi friction clutch, T-5 tranny,billenstien shocks&struts.
Soon to come!!!
Procharger system 12lbs o boost.
New paint job(hawaiin orchid purple)Cast alluminum ZR1 rims w/ 275 tires.
Favorite quote: "where ever u go, there u are"

Other car;
1971 plymouth Duster
Mods:340,edelbrock victor jr. intake, 650 4 barrel holley, heddman headers,40 series dual flowmasters, cold air intake,4:10 gears, just got a new paint job and cragar rims with 315 tires in the back.
:Yeah its not a chevy but damn how many 71' dusters have u seen in the streets.

 

I've personally installed a T56 six speed into my car and it is not rigged whatsoever. The pedals bolt in, the clutch uses hydraulics instead of linkages and my console looks stock. It makes the car a lot more fun to drive.

On a roadcourse with awesome drivers, a stock new 1LE will beat a new regular suspension Vette (not including Z51 or Z06) by a substantial amount. Obviously, the F-car takes more "driving" than the Corvette, but still beats it.

I say buy what you love and can afford, but the best bang for the buck is definately an F-car.

------------------
1992 Camaro Z28; Engine:383 w/Ported Edelbrock RPM heads. Lunati Solid Roller Cam 224/232 .502/.502, Fluidampr, Comp Cams 1.5 Roller rockers and lifters, Comp Cams Triple Valvesprings, SVO 30 lb injectors. Holley/Walbro 255 lph in-tank pump, Haltech E6GM DFI, SLP 1 3/4" headers, 4" Mufflex, T56, SLP Clutch, Pro-5.0 Shifter, 4.10 Gear, Auburn Offroad Pro Posi. Super Ram. 17" X 9.5" Ronal FireHawk Rims w/ 275 40ZR17 Bridgestone RE 730's up front and Nitto Drag NT 555R's out back.

Double-Pump This! EFI Rules!

 

3rdgenfrank, or anyone else who has swapped in a manual, where did you look for the pedal, slave cyl., and all other included parts for the conversion? i really think im a camaro guy at heart, and it would be really hard to get myself away from one, but i know that corvettes are set up very well(not that camaro's arent by any means). in the end, i know it comes down to personal preference, but GM has made it really tough with two really awesome machines

 

I drove an '87 Vette, not too impressive.
I cant wait to smoke one with the L98 Iroc and the 3.70's

------------------
1980 Camaro, '88 Police 350 engine, Headers, full exhaust, completely redone, my baby!
1988 Iroc-Z L98, MSD 6a, Accel coil, K+N's, Airfoil, Coolant Bypass, Flowmaster, Gears, Late model Bose, I like the 80 better

 

Gm purposley Shortchanged the Rdgen's Suspension and Motor to Keep it slower and sloppier than the Vette. ( except 1LE )

Put a few grand into a 3rdgen, and you Will destroy Any stock C4.


But girls really dig Vettes, They dont seem to like my Camaro, No matter how many Vettes I beat

( wich isnt many with the LG4, hahaha )




------------------
60 Ranchero - Project ( Money Hole )
85 Sport Coupe LG4 - Daily Driver

Just another Hot Rod kid, or thats what they all tell me.
Livin' the Stereotype

 

hmmmm girls here love camaros. Last night my friends 92 camaro RS picked up 4 girls, dropped them off and what do we see at the driveway 1 90' firebird and a 69' camaro. I love ny girls.

------------------
92' camaro
New 305 block TPI conversion, Flat top pistons,Bore over .30 Forged parts all around,Edelbrock intake,ported plennum,ported corvette alluminum heads, accel cam,52mm throttle bodie, SLP runners Home aid cold air induction, Air foil,ford SVO 19lb injectors,fuel regulator,cloys timing chain, comp alluminum roller rocker arms and pushrods MSD 8.5 mm wires, bosch plattinum plugs, hypertech cap & rotor and coil, Edelbrock TES headers, free flowing catalytic converter and a 3 inch force II flowmaster exhaust system, and a 3 inch cutout,Zoom multi friction clutch, T-5 tranny,billenstien shocks&struts.
Soon to come!!!
Procharger system 12lbs o boost.
New paint job(hawaiin orchid purple)Cast alluminum ZR1 rims w/ 275 tires.
Favorite quote: "where ever u go, there u are"

Other car;
1971 plymouth Duster
Mods:340,edelbrock victor jr. intake, 650 4 barrel holley, heddman headers,40 series dual flowmasters, cold air intake,4:10 gears, just got a new paint job and cragar rims with 315 tires in the back.
:Yeah its not a chevy but damn how many 71' dusters have u seen in the streets.

 

When I towed down in CA I did alot of dealer trades and have driven several C4's and 5's along with 3rd and 4th gens. The vettes are like luxury F-bods. All the power you can handle and lots of goodies. I have found some things I don't like. They are too low to the ground. It's hard to get in and out, my wife has been in the 84 I used to drive (for about a week), and said forget about getting out in heels. It's hard to see in traffic. And I personally don't think the interior is the most comfortable I have been in.

The 4th gens still don't look like an F-bod to me so it's a no.

That brings me to the 3rd gens. You had one of them so I don't need to get into details.

Go for the one that will make you happy. If you need to own a vette at some point in your life now is a good time since you can afford it. If your looking for the best toy, then for the same $ you can have a quicker 3rd gen. The only thing a vette can do that a 3rd can't is put you in that mysterious and exclusive club called 'Vette Owners.

 

I drove my mates 90s Corvette and they had always been my dream car til then. For the huge differance in price and added room and differance in performance I'm sticking with Trans Ams. Why not try one?

------------------
84 Trans Am HO L69 WS6
5 Speed manual
Vortech Cherrybomb no cat
Removed A/C A.I.R. Hdflap
H/made cld air induction
K&N
Otherwise STD

 

Id say drive the camaro for a couple more years and save up for a nice C5 vette. I really liked the C4 until I drove a C5. IMHO they are better in every respect.

------------------
1984 Z28 (L69) monochrome tangerine orange with IROC decals and hood
1987 IROC wheels with Goodyear GSC's
305 from 87 IROC with 1994 LT1 cam (203/208 .450/.460")
performer intake with holley 600 (#1850)
Qjet is in the works
dynomax cat-back
non WC T-5 with 0.73 5th
3.27 nine-bolt

 

Are you a grad student over 25? If not unless you got a strong financial backing the insurance will sink you like a rock in college. The extra money you sink into insurance could be reinvested into a F-body to get some serious results againts the stock y-body which you will have barely enough money to change the tires on. I checked it out before I bought my car, for me it would be double the cost of my current insurance to keep and drive a 91 C-4 here on campus. Nearly 4200 a year(stupid accident), that was enough to shatter my dream. So i got the next best thing a race ready 1LE (it is only a two seater, like its Y-body counterpart) which takes a lot more driving skill but will diffinitely outdrive a stock C-4.

 

Definetly save for a C5. The difference between a C5 and C4 is like comparing a Geo metro to a Rolls Royce. C4's ride like ****. They're much nicer than a camaro if all you care about is image though.

 

I'd definitely stick with F-body unless you can really afford a C5. The C4 just isn't worth getting into debt over(to me anyway)...unless of course we are talking LT4,Grandsport,or ZR1. But if you can afford those special models , you can afford a C5.

And I mean REALLY afford, not selling yourself on the streets to make payments each month.

[This message has been edited by theformula (edited March 27, 2001).]

 

yea, agreed i realize, after considering all aspects(the biggest one: that im not going to be able to resist wanting to mod whatever i get next) that a camaro is more for me, but i think corvettes are appealing(to me) because they sit so low to the ground, and are just pretty awesome in general i think..decisions decisions

 

I'm going to have to agree with vortech305.
Camaros are chick magnets here in NY!

------------------
1980 Camaro, '88 Police 350 engine, Headers, full exhaust, completely redone, my baby!
1988 Iroc-Z L98, MSD 6a, Accel coil, K+N's, Airfoil, Coolant Bypass, Flowmaster, Gears, Late model Bose, I like the 80 better

 

i've driven about every version of the c4 and pretty much every version of the c5. i've also driven about every version of the 3rd and forth gen f body. i'm a die hard camaro fan, but if you can afford a corvette and have the weather for it, buy the vette. they are built much stronger and ride better. another advantage with a corvette is that they don't lose value after you buy them like a camaro does. this is a plus. insurance is also normally cheaper on the corvette due to more insurance items. i can't say all vettes are fast, i have beaten a few with the 5.0L iroc i had (although it was far from stock), they are generally faster assuming the correct options to start with. anyway, just my opinion i could be.....nah