i figured it would be best to ask you ls1 guys:

im getting burned out on my 3rd gens right now being as mine has been torn apart for a couple years now and i havent been able to actually drive an f-body for years now, im considering offing the project and just buying a 4th gen so i have something to drive even if it does mean ill have a payment. but heres what im asking: 2?'s

(1)i had a buddy a while back who had a 98 ram air and i always felt that the 98and up ramairs where really kind of a joke, and not because of performance or looks but rather because every midlife crisis old person has one and also every punk who is not a true car enthusiast, by any means, drives one. they really have no personality anymore, atleast thats my opinion. do you guys agree or disagree, is it just because of this one kid that i feel that way?

(2)im thinking of going for something with a little better personality for a total of 10k or less including any mods. i have to have a transam because im not crazy about the 4th gen camaros. so ideally id get a firehawk but thats out of my price range and the insurance would kill me because im only 23, maybe in few years when im in the 25 and up ins. bracket. and i have to have some form of ram air because it looks nice, and serves a purpose. i was thinking anything from slp is safe but that again goes back to price. maybe a 96-97 ws6 with cam and such? then do the hawk in a few years? ( i know this isnt ls1 stuff but most of you guys started out with lt1s)

ill get more specific with the guys on the lt1 board on how to go about building it to suit my needs with my budget.

this is more just a ? about the personality of 4th gens and what ur opinions are.

t.i.a.
later,
Nick J

 

LS1 cars are great cars...but for 10gs you'll probably be better off going with an LT1 car...you can get a great LT1 car with low miles from 6-9g's if you get an LS1 it'll have tons of miles on it for less than 10 g's...at least around here thats the case...LS1 is a better motor though...

 

True.

Also, as far as insurance, a Firehawk will be the same as a Ram-Air. Firehawks aren't even in the database because of their collector status.

As far as the "image", there aren't many mid-life crisis people with Fbody's. Most of the older guys go for Vettes. As far as kids that don't understand cars, you'll find them with any car, although the majority are ricers

So yeah, if you want a 4th gen Bird, don't be afraid to get one. The LT1's are starting to die out, so sooner or later they'll be like the 3rd gens... the majority of people with them are gear heads. Or at least the nicer ones.

But yeah, hope this all helps...

 

Well I am 45 so I guess 99 taws6 is my midlife crisis car..
except that I have been into firebirds since my twenties..had a 77 bandit back in 78 and lots of fieros,firebirds and other interesting muscle cars since.
I had a 96 ta,97taws6 and three second gens total..never had a third gen or a first. I still remember the first time I saw a black ws6 ls1 ram air..it just looked so evil,so mean so just awesome.It made me feel my 97taws6 was just plain jane.So I traded up the 97 for a 99ls1 taws6 in arrest me red.I live in a city of couple hundred thousand.We might have ten or so ram air ls1 cars in town..two or three black ones.One or two red ones like mine..couple of silver ones,white one ,white 30th anniversay,one or two yellow ones but still thats not a lot.There are lots of lt1 bird and camaros..not that many ws6 lt1 cars though and a trillion mustangs,talons,and hondas,toyotas,datsuns,neons.
I am in fbody car club and most of the guys in there are either quite young..early twenties or thirty to mabye forties.not many 50 year old guys in there ,like was said most 50 year old guys buy vettes since kids are long gone out of the house hopefully and bmw,porche boxters,mercedes..suvs..
But I like fbodies and don't have any plans to sell my 99 or my 80 either.
I get quite a few looks with the red 99ta ram air and sometimes people shout out nice car..girls,kids..not usually older people..real old people like 60 plus dont notice cars usually although did see an 70 year old lady compliment a guy with a viper once..
So the real deal is if you can't have a super uncommon car for your budget then an ls1 might be a good choice.although like we said doubt you can buy a decent even 98 ram air ta for 10,000 US without high miles or prior bad accidents/total loss.
Still the main reasons I went with ls1 ta ram air..front is super mean looking ,love the side air extractors..love the honeycomb
tailights..its got better brakes by far than the lt1 and way better than the early gen cars..the fourth gens don't rattle and are way better built than the third,second gens..not sure how the first were built..never had one. They have no POS optispark design to screw up all the time..they don't get the annoying intake manifold leak my lt1 car did.They are much easier to change spark plugs and wires and to install a cam.They are easier to work on period than lt1s.The ls1 engine is pretty wicked stock..dynoing on average about 350 at the engine versus the lt1 rated power of about 285 and dynoing about 285.The ls1 are underrated.
The ls1 has great top end pull..buddy with 95 ta when we both raced nearly stock thought my car had nos..had to lift the hood I walked away so bad on him from 60 to 120 mph or so.
As for the lt1 I like them too..they have great torque lower down..better than the ls1 stock but not as good as the l98 and they usually run around 14.0 at 100 out of the box.The ls1 are usually mid 13 at 106 or so...about sixty hp more than the lt1.
So thats about it...if you like a cool looking car and can afford a ls1 ram air car I am sure you will like it..if you can't sure you will like a nice lt1 ta or formula too.Either is more advanced and better in several ways than the earlier cars..Stock at any rate..
Any car can be made much better with mods and the right aftermarket parts..And don't judge times from my times in sig.I am at 1900 ft above sea level and running on street tires with mediocre 60fts.

 

i had a feeling someone might be offended by that but that really wasnt the purpose. for the most part i was trying to shorten saying that my state atleast for the most part is absolutely flooded with 98+ ram airs and i see atleast 20 per day and id say i will maybe see one actual guy that knows his stuff about these cars. most are older ladys (not guys!) or kids that just buy it because they look cool in it and theyre parents would by one for them. i hardly find one that i can respect, and i dont want to lumped in with those people, so i guess im concerned with image too just in the reverse sense. i not concerned with looking cool, id rather have a car that car guys would say, wow nice car, not oh another one of them driving daddys car. and id have to agree that the ram air hoods look tough from the front and the fender vents look nice too but the hood looks out of place from the side unlike the hawks hood (i know people may disagree with me on that too). but im just asking how people see the stereotyping of the car itself, and i know the performance is awesome just as the hawks and the ss/z28's.

later,
Nick J

 

if you want to be different in Michigan buy an S2000...your stuck in a state where the big 3 live what do you expect? Youve already narrowed your options to a TA or firehawk so buy one its not what others think anywayz...midlife crisis cars consist usually of cars over $40K which few fbody cars have ever been. Like stated youll have a hard time finding even a 98 TA for less than 10 grand unless its got 80K+ miles on it but whatever yer little heart desires go fer it I've owned 2 3rd gens a formula lt1 car and now my 98 ls1 Z out of them all I like this one by far. Mods are pretty easy to do and they are already very fast out of the box what is not to love...in most cases you can bolt on a set of slicks and skinnies and put a 6 speed car into the 12's for me its a set of slicks and a converter

lata
Bill