Difference between SS & Trans Am??

I am looking into a 99-02 SS or Trans Am. Besides body, they r pretty much the same car right?? Any differences that make one just a little bit better than the other. Now I am a chevy man all the way, but I do like the aggressive look of the TA. So if the only difference is the body, then it is an easy decision. Thank You for any help you can give me.

Anyone Out There?????

Well you'd have to compare the SS against the WS.6. The Trans Am's "cousin" is the Z28. I hope that makes sense?

That does make sense. I've never really looked at TA before so i didn't know that. Well then lets say an SS & WS6

there is no tangible performance differance between a ws6 and ss just like there is little or no difference performance wise between a z28 and a t/a. ws6 has ram air and ss doesnt but that is mainly a looks deal. Im looking for a ta or z28 and i look for whatever i find the best deal on, i could care less which one i end up buying.

One wears the Pontiac Badge, the other the Chevrolet.

That's really about it. They both have the LS1 motor, which can be equally modded.

... doesnt the TA/WS6 generally have a higher curb weight because it comes with more standard equipment?

also.. i've heard the Ram Air on the WS6 is a bit more effective than the functional scoop on the SS.. because the SS's scoop routes it through ducts in the hood from the back of the hood to the front of the airbox.. and when the hood gets warm, that air gets warm, and thus defeats the purpose of the scoop

by contrast, the WS6's scoop is directly in front of the airbox and get's cool air directly into it

WS6 (and all 4th-gen Firebirds) has popup headlights. Headlight motors fail eventually, guaranteed. Buy an SS. :yes:

If you're buying an M6, try to get an '01 or '02, because they upgraded to the C5 Z06 clutch for those years. They also upgraded the intake manifold in '01, and the horsepower is a touch higher because of it.

"Anyone Out There?????"

wow...you waited a whole 8 mins to post that...patient aren't we?

:blah:

i thinks its gonna be mostly preference......the cars are almost identical performance/ potential-wise like the other guys said you just gotta decide which one you would rather drive, which interior you prefer, etc. also which car you can find out there with the lowest miles, least amount of owners/mods, and for the cheapest amount of money. ask the guys in the drivetrain forum about wear and tear on trannies and clutches on the M6's also.

One wears the Pontiac Badge, the other the Chevrolet.

That's really about it. They both have the LS1 motor, which can be equally modded.

My thoughts. One wears a bowtie the other a dart. :D

Thanks everyone for the info. I guess it will be on which one i like better in person.

When I was looking for an f-body I didn't really have a major preference between a Z28 or T/A, but I did favor the Camaro a little bit more and that is what I bought and got a hell of a deal on it as well. If it was a Formula and a T/A and I was able to get the same deal on it then I would have bought the Formula or T/A as well.

My thoughts. One wears a bowtie the other a dart. :D

Off-topic, but if you're calling the Pontiac logo a "dart", you'd be wrong. (I'd imagine) it's an arrowhead, seeing how the word Pontiac was taken from an Ottawa Indian chief, known as "Pontiac"...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontiac

A Native American Headdress was used as a logo until 1956. The current Pontiac logo represents a Native American arrowhead.

The real differences between 4th-gen Camaros and Firebirds, aside from the obvious visual stuff:

The 500w Monsoon audio system was available sooner on Firebirds than it was on Camaros. Firebirds had a 10-speaker version, Camaros never had more than 8.

Firebirds have adjustable headrests; Camaros are fixed.

Firebirds have popup headlights.

Firebirds have power antennas (optional, I think); Camaros never had them.

I don't have any firsthand experience, but I'd be willing to bet that the Trans Am high-rise wing obstructs rear visibility more than the SS spoiler.

Firebirds have "speed holes" in the sideview mirrors.

That's all I can think of. This thread (http://web.camaross.com/forums/showthread.php?t=475532) has some good info too.

Firebirds have adjustable headrests; Camaros are fixed.


I dont believe the firebirds have adjustable headrests.

I dont believe the firebirds have adjustable headrests.

:Owned: :lol:

I dont believe the firebirds have adjustable headrests.
This is from a '94:
http://mack98107.tripod.com/forsale/thumbnails/400x300/interior.bmp (it won't link in directly)

AFAIK, all 4th-gen Firebirds have it. I could be wrong. Yours doesn't?

My 96 TA has adjustable headrests. I have never heard the holes in the firebird mirrors called "speed holes." The spoiler on the back of my TA does kind of obstruct my view, but these cars have bad blind spots anyway.

I have never heard the holes in the firebird mirrors called "speed holes."
Yeah, I didn't know what to call them, so I made something up. Hence the quotes. :D

I dont believe the firebirds have adjustable headrests.

I decided to see if maybe I was just way off the mark:
http://web.camaross.com/forums/showthread.php?t=484734

:shrug:

If I was looking for an LS1 car at the moment, I would definitely be looking into this one:

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?car_id=208793603&dealer_id=58377373&car_year=2002&model=CAM&num_records=&make2=&start_year=2002&keywordsrep=&keywordsfyc=&engine=8+Cylinder&certified=&body_code=0&fuel=&only_price=1&search_type=both&distance=0&color2=&make=CHEV&color=BLACK&min_price=19000&drive=&default_sort=priceDESC&max_mileage=15000&style_flag=1&sort_type=priceDESC&address=35613&advanced=y&only_photo=1&end_year=2002&doors=&transmission=Manual&max_price=21000&cardist=700

if you're calling the Pontiac logo a "dart", you'd be wrong. (I'd imagine) it's an arrowhead
Not much difference between a dart and an arrow... :)

If I was looking for an LS1 car at the moment, I would definitely be looking into this one:
If he's looking for a car that's going to be stored 350 days a year and only driven to and from shows on sunny days, and wants to blow his money on that sort of thing, then by all means.

But if he's looking for a car to drive all the time, I think that should be one of the last Camaros on his list.

If he's looking for a car that's going to be stored 350 days a year and only driven to and from shows on sunny days, and wants to blow his money on that sort of thing, then by all means.

But if he's looking for a car to drive all the time, I think that should be one of the last Camaros on his list.

What are you talking about? $21k for basically a brand new car. Who said anything about parking it or driving it to shows? That's a damn nice car to start with. It just depends on what he's looking for and his budget. If he wants a cheap car to race... buy a piece of ****, strip it down to bare bones and spray the hell out of it. A badass streetcar... start with something like the SS above, do the basic mods and a H/C package and you've got about $25-26K in a dependable, over 400HP car that's basically brand new with only 6k miles, won't have to be painted anywhere in the near future, interior is flawless, no f'd up window motors, no f'd up stereo, no wierd smell from the last skanky ass owner, etc. etc. Just my opinion.

I'm also thinking about this from a "new car" standpoint... I mean.. when I wanted an 02 SS only 4 years ago... they were what? $31-33K... somewhere in there. Now it's down to $20-21K and I would bet that car is in as good of shape as it was in 02. Only 2 oil changes since it was cranked.

Off-topic, but if you're calling the Pontiac logo a "dart", you'd be wrong. (I'd imagine) it's an arrowhead, seeing how the word Pontiac was taken from an Ottawa Indian chief, known as "Pontiac"...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontiac

Well, thats what it's called. If you want to be technical about it, the "bowtie" is based on the Swiss cross since Mr Chevrolet was Swiss. It has nothing to do with a bowtie either, but thats sure what it gets called. Kind of like the GTO/Goat, SBC/mouse BBC/rat, a large Mopar engine/elephant, etc etc etc... They don't have much to do with each other but thats what they're called.

How can someone be wrong about a nickname, Turbo??? :D

What are you talking about?
I paid $14k for my Z28 with 40,000 miles on it (sticker says it was $29k new). Aside from the number displayed on the odometer, I challenge you to find something that's better about the other car. Mine has been well cared for, and actually driving a car is better than letting it sit for long periods of time. The car is five years old, and it has 6000 miles on it? That's practically a guarantee that it's been started with no oil on the valvetrain at least a handful of times.

A truly new car is one thing, but a barely-used older car is a huge gamble. :no:

Are you just looking for something to type about? :rolleyes:

To answer your challenge... it's an SS for one. Which means the rear spoiler, hood, a few suspension upgrades, hurst shifter, etc... which are all things that a lot people like to clone anyway. Plus it has the notoriety of being an SS... which, admit it or not, is more appealing to most. The wheels... well, I would change those anyway, but they're a far cry from the stockers on a base Z28. As far as performance, you're right... no real difference.

You don't know that that car hasn't been started up every week and maintained perfectly. There is no guarantee that it has been set in a garage and forgotten.

Like I said before... it looks like a good car to check in to.

Are you just looking for something to type about? :rolleyes:
No, I take issue with your suggestion. The original poster didn't say he was looking for a mint low-mileage SS, and that means it'd be silly of him to spend the extra ~$4,000-7,000 on one.
To answer your challenge... it's an SS for one. Which means the rear spoiler, hood, a few suspension upgrades, hurst shifter, etc... which are all things that a lot people like to clone anyway. Plus it has the notoriety of being an SS... which, admit it or not, is more appealing to most. The wheels... well, I would change those anyway, but they're a far cry from the stockers on a base Z28. As far as performance, you're right... no real difference.
Fine, but you can get an '02 SS with 40,000 on it for under 15,000. I wasn't debating Z28 vs. SS -- that much is obvious. I was debating about what advantages there could possibly be to buying a 6,000 mile car vs a 40,000 mile car when both are out of warranty, especially considering the price premium.
You don't know that that car hasn't been started up every week and maintained perfectly. There is no guarantee that it has been set in a garage and forgotten.
Fair enough, that's a possibility, but it's a gamble that you take with the SS, and it's pretty much not a concern for a vehicle with a more typical number on the odometer.
Like I said before... it looks like a good car to check in to.
For someone that's looking for a car to drive, I completely disagree. It's simply not worth that much money! Hence the debate. :)

Yeah I gotta say I'm with Jake on this debate. I would take a 02' car that has 40,000 on it over one that only has 6,000. Just my personal opinion of course. I'm not looking for something that is basically brand new. I don't have the money for something like that. Plus the point of this thread was the differences between SS & TA. Just letting yall know so u can stop arguing over it.

Not much difference between a dart and an arrow... :)

That's like saying, "There's not much difference between a go-kart and a school bus..." :lol:

Besides, I'm 1/4 Cherokee, and I'm offended you would call the weapons of my ancestors as "darts"... :D

That's like saying, "There's not much difference between a go-kart and a school bus..." :lol:
Oh? I didn't know that school busses were just large go-karts that serve essentially the same purpose. Perhaps a Formula 1 car make for a better analogy. :p
Besides, I'm 1/4 Cherokee, and I'm offended you would call the weapons of my ancestors as "darts"... :D
You should sue. :rolleyes: :lol:

FWIW, I've got a bit of Native American blood in me too. 1/128th I think. Not sure which tribe.

That's like saying, "There's not much difference between a go-kart and a school bus..." :lol:

Besides, I'm 1/4 Cherokee, and I'm offended you would call the weapons of my ancestors as "darts"... :D

Since when did our ancestors use Pontiacs emblems as weapons? :D

dont choose between ss and ws6 and then look for that one, look for both and buy the first that u find an amazing deal on.

Oh? I didn't know that school busses were just large go-karts that serve essentially the same purpose. Perhaps a Formula 1 car make for a better analogy. :p

Either way, you get my point. Both are modes of vehicular transportation. The only significant differences are the purpose of the design (go-kart = recreation, bus = transit) and size. Darts and arrows, for example, use the same "mode of transportation" as the other, however, they are both different in size & in the purpose...:D