The 4th gen is now in it's twilight...with production ending in a couple of months.

How will enthusiasts remember them?

Will anyone ever restore them?

Will they ever become cars to covet?

Let's hear it....pros and cons.

 

i think they'll be remembered as dieing dinasaures at the dawn of a new automotive golden age.

for people to restore old cars, they must hold an intangible sentimental value. the 4th gen is completely unremarcable in the grand sceme of things. some collectable versions might survive and the SS may hold its value over the years, but in 30 years, I doubt they'll be remembered fondly enough to drive people to spend money restore them.

 

As the car that killed the line?

 

Actually i think they will be classics because they signalled the dawn of a new era. Think back to 92, both the Mustang and Camaro had between 225 and 245 HP respectivly and were pretty equal in performance. When the 4th gen showed up it was a total revolution in terms of performance and design. Compare a 4 gens interior to a 3rd and you will see what I in how the car is marketed mean. The 93 Camaro was truely the first modern muscle car IMO and in a way helped lead to teh performance era we are in now. Are they dinosuars...I don't think so. If you call them a dinosaur, you would have to call the Mustang on too, after all it has been on pretty much the same platform 23 years. I belive if a few things were changed the F-body changed involving marketing and options the current car would sell well. Everything else combined with teh fact that these cars seem to hold up better than the older models will lead them to be very collectable.

------------------
Branden-Founder www.GMInsidenews.com
The #1 GM News Site on the Net!
1995 Firebird A4
White with red leather
1979 Firebird Formula SOLD!!! 8/2001
Visit my homepage!

 

Yup, I agree with 93formula.

The 1st 3 were great/cooler. (Third especially ) They were liked and sold. The 4th might have been considerably fast for a few years later on, but that was about it. And I agree with what has been said, I do not think they will be as desirable as the other Gens for many reasons, even though they have LS1's. Most just do not like them. I see more and more people wanting to put their drivetrains in the previous Gens than having the actual 4th. IMO that also is how its gonna be for them, ignored, (not by the aftermarket though) like they were when they were still being made. IMO muscle and torque made its actual return (even though the car has always been RWD and V8 but whatever) in 87 with the 350 L98 to compete with the 5.0. Although that was the only thing the F-Body had to compete with because the car was better than the 5.0 in every other category. (their handling is still unrivaled by many today including the 4th) But that was a real competition between musclecars which the L98 ended up usually winning especially as the years went on, when the 4th's came along the M*****g got slower and it was easy for them to just become the performance leader without much thinking since F**ds car was not a competitor performancewise.

------------------
Camaro/Chevrolet crazy F-Body lunatic.

"The new GTO, the Grand Prix/Am of musclecars." http://oz.uc.edu/~padgetjr/compare.jpg



[This message has been edited by IZ28 (edited June 28, 2002).]

 

That's cause you older people grew with 1st, 2nd and 3rd gens.

I grew up with my 4th Gen. I will prefer to have my good old 4th Gen in 20 years than a 3rd, 2nd or 1st Gen Camaro. Just cause it was my first F-Body. If it makes sense...the 4th Gen will be restored by todays 20 year olds...like me.



------------------
South Florida F-Body Association
1994 White Camaro Z28 A4 3.23
Surface-To-Surface Anti-Rice Missile
CAI, MAF Ends, AirFoil, Headers, !CAT, Cutout, Shift Kit, STB, SFC, Tunnel Brace, Enkei Wins and SS LS1 Wing.
Wallpaper 1024x768
"When I start my car, I want the neighbors to think the world is coming to an end" - Homer Simpson

 

I will remember 4th gen cars as the best camaros ever made.

 

4th gens were the best Camaros made to this point.

They ushered in the return of TRUE affordable performance.

Like it or not, the build quality is LIGHT YEARS ahead of 3rd gens... I know I owned an 89 RS 5.0, and I've been in many others.

The 4th gen has gotten a bad rap, but that, IMO, is basically because GM didn't invest in it's own product to keep it fresh... and I still say there was not enough advertising support after the first few years of the 4th gen.

 

Agreed!

 

Unremarkable?! They offered Corvette like performance at a more affordable price. All that was missing was the independent rear suspension. These cars build quality are probably the best among all the generations and look pretty good. The '88 or '89 model refresh, not sure when it happened off the top of the head, added an updated look to the Camaro Motor Trend commented that it bordered on elegant. To bad the interior didn't match it.

As for dinosaur's that died before a new automotive golden age (yeah, right. whatever.), I think time will show these cars, along with the Viper, helped usher in that golden age. After all, what the f*ck did Ford have to offer? Freak 'stangs, even the Cobra, had a hard time keeping up with some V6's. Pathetic.

In the end, I think what someone in another response said was true. It may depend on what you grew up with. I thought at first you were a Ford Fanboy bringing when you responded like that, but maybe you are a part of the older gen? People tend to care more about and think more highly of what they know and grew up with. In 20 to 30 years, people will probably think more of the 4th Gens, and maybe 3rd gens, then the first 2 gens because WE grew up with these cars, not the previous years like everyone else did. C-ya!

 

An overpriced,under advertised,understated looks,great performance car,plain and simple.Ground efx as a standard option would have helped the Camaros looks,3rdgen Berlinetta comes to mind.The Camaro started out as a cheap affordable performance car for the masses,not anymore.

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

1991 Z/28 350TPI red ext. w/gray int.
1973 Z/28(project car)

 

I think the price is pretty good, really. The V6 could have been a touch cheaper, but unless you get a decked out SS, the Camaro comes in under the average cost of a new car today... which I believe to be around $26,500 or so.

I disagree with the ground efx thing, because quite honestly, and this is not a flame, just my opinion, but I think the 4th gen ground effects look horrible . I think the look tacked on, I think the are WAY too expensive ($1600 or $1800 aren't they) Plus top that off with wanting the ground efx standard, but say the car is too expensive.

 

The 4th Gen bashing is getting pretty tiresome. The 4th Gen "killed" the line right? It's funny how 3rd Gen lovers always forget about the V6 FWD GM80. It's almost what the 3rd Gen evolved into...but I digress.

The 4th Gen is far superior to the previous cars in many ways. Besides obvious powertrain improvements, build quality stands out the most. It's still not hardly world-class or anything, but it is vastly improved (and yes, I did own an '86 Z28). Styling is subjective of course, personally I think the current SS is the best looking Camaro since the '69, and that includes the Iroc. (No flame suit on here, I don't really care if people wish to throw fireballs ) Everyone has issues with styling now (ahem GTO) and it's impossible to build a car that every enthusiast of the line will like. I'm sure some would love a 5th Gen that looks exactly like the 3rd but it's time to move on already.

Sorry for the long post, but I guess my point in posting is YES, down the line 4th Gen cars will be very desireable, especially if we never see a new Camaro again. Sometimes the "funky" or "against-the-grain" cars are in fact the most desired among collectors. I believe the missile-shape of the '93-'02 F-bodies will be seen as something far ahead of its time. Perhaps people just weren't ready for it 9 years ago?



------------------
Mark

94 Z28, Red, A4, 3:23
Lone Mods--LPE CAI, !Lapeer Dragway.
(Hey, I'm a college boy I can't afford gobs of bolt-ons!)

Best time: 14.658 @ 95.1
with SES light on and Driver off! (First and only time at track)

The F-body will NEVER die.

[This message has been edited by Z28Wilson (edited June 28, 2002).]

 

The 4th gen f-body will be considered the all time "best bang for the buck".

No car will ever been as fast for under 25 grand as the 4th gen f-body was. In fact 1993 and 1994 Z28's were sold for under 18 grand for a strippy model.

[This message has been edited by johnsocal (edited June 28, 2002).]

 

Undeniably the 4th gen was measurably better than previous gens in many categories.

Was it "better than" enough to carry it through the '90s and millenium..... IMO NO....not by a long shot.

The 4th gen was faster and had marginally better build quality than it's predecessors, but it never stirred my soul.

I've been waiting for the 4th gens' replacement,ever since I saw my first 4th gen in Dec. 1992. It's been a long wait (which apparently is not over).

I've tried hard to warm up to it...but never successfully. It's combination of poor proportions, large size, uninspired styling, ugly wheels, unusual driving position and attempted destruction of the Z/28 image have left me cold.

If it weren't for the LT1/LS1 motors...I would have a hard time saying anything good about the 4th gen.

Will I see things differently in the next 10 years......????

I don't know, but I haven't seen them any differently in the previous ten years.

[This message has been edited by Z284ever (edited June 28, 2002).]