IrocManiac

Just curious guys I'm looking at selling my 4th gen and picking up a 3rd gen. However, my 4th gen has been EXTREMELY reliable. I've put 32,000 miles on it in 30 months. I've replaced the water pump, a wheels peed sensor and a pinion seal and thats it. The car is rock solid. What can I expect from a 5.0 TPI car with a 5 speed manual? It will hopefully be a 91/92 Z28.

ChevyTuffD.A.

As long as the 3rd then is in good running condition then u should be alright. I would think the 4th gen would get better gas mileage tho. Why are u considering getting rid of the 4th gen and buying the 3rd then?? Of couse I am sure u know the power differance is dramatic. Peace, Dustin.

Zepher

I've put about 35K miles on my 88 Formula in the 2.5 years I've had it. had 103K when I bought it.
Only things I've changed that broke are the alternator and heater core.

My 86 Trans Am I used to own ran great, put 40K miles on that in 2 years, had 103K also when I bought it in late 99. Alternator and heater core went in that car as well at about 120K miles.

350TPI

I answered in your other thread but i will do so again.First of all i will never understand what 4th gen owners have against 3rd gens.i have never seen anything like the 3rd gen bashing on this site.Anyway,i have owned at least 8.Most were IROCs but my last 2 have been T/As.Once i owned my 86 i decided i liked the pontiacs alot more.All of these cars were incredibly reliable.Almost as much as the 5 civics i have owned.I dont need to tell you powerwise they are down but that can always be fixed with a lil moolah .My GF has a 6 speed 93 formula and its pretty fun to drive but honestly it doesnt come close to the feeling i get when i drive my GTA.It feels like i am driving something special when i am behind the wheel.When i am in the formula it feels too modern.Sort of like my 95 corolla (if that makes any sense).Anyway,just my opinion.

91-Z28-L98

My 91 Z28 was ragged on before I bought it, but it still only breaks down as much as my 94 pathfinder does. The only difference is that the Z28 takes 1/3 the time to repair and cost 1/4 the money for parts.

quickchicken

think about this the last third gen is about 14 years old and if they were maintained to reasonable levels you should be ok as long as you do the same. they are gonna have an issue frome time to time but that goes with any car. the nice thing is if it DOES have an issue they are relitivly easy to fix vs a 4th gen.
i generally wont think twice about heading out on a 4+ hr trip in my 89.

87DJP2001

About as reliable as a 23/13 yr old car can be. Most 3rd Gen Camaro/Firebirds have been beat upon if you read some of these Post. Also depends on the car and how many previous owners it had. Since I am a orignal owner of my car its reliable to a certain extent. However; it is 18yrs old and anything mechanical we wear out.

V8 Slayer

mine is very reliable. Owned 91 firebird for about 2 years and only problems were alternator and starter....

Blu91Z28

I can't complain about mine! I bought it with just over 130,000 miles and I just hit 205,000. I've replaced the injectors, starter, alternator, passenger window motor, water pump, fuel pump, blower motor and just about all the wear items like suspension, brakes. Also added some things from Summit. All the big things like engine, transmission and diff are still original. Not too bad when you consider it's made almost 200 passes at the track! A big thumbs up to GM for putting roller cams in these cars.

2000GTP

The reliability will be no different then any 13-23 year old car you buy.It depends on how the previous owner took care of it and how you take care of it. My old third-gen was pretty reliable, the only thing that broke was the heater core, and after reading the above posts, it seems to be a common ailment. Nonetheless, it was a nice car, very sporty, and pretty quick with the 305TPI, T-5 tranny, and 3.42 posi rear. Good luck with your future decision.

KnightRider350

I've regularly driven six of these cars over the years, and drove them all as they were "meant to be driven"... the ones that were properly maintained were extremely reliable. The ones that were abused hard and rarely given proper maintenance had problems. However, like the previous posters have stated, it's extremely easy and inexpensive to fix these cars (and "fix" them better than stock). I'd get the car, change all the fluids, check the typical wear items and see how it goes.

ChevyTuffD.A.

In no way was a meaning to bash on 3rd Gen's. Stock for stock the 4th gen is just more powerful and I would think more comfortable to ride in only due to it being newer technology, maybe I am wrong. I bought my 4th gen bc I got it at a good price and it was pretty much a spur of the moment thing and it was the first one I looked at. Had the first car I looked at been a 3rd Gen then who knows, I may have bought it. Its still a muscle car and I would still take one none the less (the 3rd Gen that is). Peace, Dustin.

IrocManiac

Thanks for the replies guys...here's my reasoning...

I have a 4th gen TA, FABULOUS car! but in 2 years I'm getting the wife a G35. Which means I'll trade in the Trans am (two sports cars and nothing for winter driving is bad) and keeping the Rav4 for a daily driver. I figured I'd get 5k trade in for my TA in a few years (actually I'll get about 3500 and they'll probably back the rest out of the price of the G35, so really 3500 is more appropriate). I can sell my TA now and pickup a great 3rd gen for probably 4 to 5k. Then stick the rest of the money in the bank for the G35 and only have about a 1500 dollar difference but I still get a toy and the rav4 for backup . I want something thats easier for me to work on, and that I can have fun with in the years to come. I graduated from OU in May I'm making a decent living so spending a little on my hobby is a reality now. I can spend a few hundred bucks in upgrades every six months or so. Slowly build the 305 up and when the bottom end wears out or when I feel its time for a change swap in a 327 ideally or maybe a 350. And eventually do a 6 speed swap. All of this would take years, but I think I could still have a reasonably powerful vehicle with some good low end grunt. For true high speed bursts the wifes G35 would do just fine.


I know its a BIG step down in power from an LT1 and a bit of a factory freak at that to a 305 TPI car with a 5 speed, but in the long run I may be happier having a toy. I also have time and money on my side, I can scope for 3rd gens and just buy one when I find one buy it and then sell my car. My car is mint, and I mean mint, as any 10 year old car has, it has a few issues, a couple nicks in the paint, but its been meticulously maintained, mobile 1 synthetic and I'm the second owner. I had an offer for 9k in april but I couldnt' sell it at the time. So i figure I can ask 8 and take as little as 6500 for it if need be after buying the 3rd gen.

Keep the replies coming guys Let me know honestly if I'm making a mistake...btw the other car on my list is a 5.0 stang because they're freakin bulletproof. Problem is good ones are 6k or 7k, NOT worth it.

quickchicken

your correct on the HP thing but the one main reason a 4th rides better than a 3rd is suspinsion, a third gen has more spring rate and sway bar rate than the highest level 4th gen. but for where the 4th gen has the HP the third gen has the handeling.
an old joke from one of my friends thru a friend says that "you can run over a dime in a third gen and tell if it is heads or tails!!"
just making a statement tuff, not a stab at ya.

ChevyTuffD.A.

No offense takin . My only main concern with buying the 305 is that u have less to start with. The 350 might cost a bit more but can still be bought at a good price. By the time u put the money into the 305 to bring it up to the power level of the 350 u might have been able to buy the 350 for the money put into buying the 305 and then modding it. That is just my opinion. I understand people have differant opinions and I strongly recommend doing what u think will make u happiest. Peace, Dustin.