Experiences with these? Seems fun, practical, cool, "fast"
Discussion
And they are getting better with age too in my opinion. I have heard the usual criticism about American cars and people dismissing the interior and all that. But they represent an interesting package. Not that easy to find in other cars. This is even before price is considered.
Not deadly fast these days but will still give trouble to the majority of cars on the road. Plus it looks way nicer and more special than a hot hatch. They seem practical too and potentially cheap to run. By all accounts also a lot of fun.
I'm not really worried about reliability, despite the age. Based on what is said they are solid. More worried about parts and that type of thing around here.
But has anybody here owned one and can relay how they are to live with on this side of the world?
This is my favorite look. And it looks good in basically any colour too:
Much prefer over the LS1 later cars. I hate the big vulgar nostrils. I think this sleek design aged much better. I'm aware of the optispark "issues". But seems to be more one of those folk tales and if you take care they seem fine. Or maybe even a V6. But I really prefer the look of the V8 and of course, the extra power.
I wouldn't mind this as a daily driver. If you want to daily drive a classic or modern classic which is fun and drives still modern enough and probably won't throw big bills, I think this could do it nicely.
Not deadly fast these days but will still give trouble to the majority of cars on the road. Plus it looks way nicer and more special than a hot hatch. They seem practical too and potentially cheap to run. By all accounts also a lot of fun.
I'm not really worried about reliability, despite the age. Based on what is said they are solid. More worried about parts and that type of thing around here.
But has anybody here owned one and can relay how they are to live with on this side of the world?
This is my favorite look. And it looks good in basically any colour too:
Much prefer over the LS1 later cars. I hate the big vulgar nostrils. I think this sleek design aged much better. I'm aware of the optispark "issues". But seems to be more one of those folk tales and if you take care they seem fine. Or maybe even a V6. But I really prefer the look of the V8 and of course, the extra power.
I wouldn't mind this as a daily driver. If you want to daily drive a classic or modern classic which is fun and drives still modern enough and probably won't throw big bills, I think this could do it nicely.
Parts aren't an issue but you may find you have to wait for a few bits the opti spark isn't too bad but you need to keep an eye on it any stumbles in rpm are an initial sign.
There are tuning companies that sell upgrade, don't go for the V6 you'll regret it.
Get the car you want
I have a soft spot for the look of these, Legit Street Cars bought one recently take a look on youtube.
There are tuning companies that sell upgrade, don't go for the V6 you'll regret it.
Get the car you want
I have a soft spot for the look of these, Legit Street Cars bought one recently take a look on youtube.
Be aware it's a live rear axle, which was criticised in-period for making a meal of mid-corner bumps. But if that doesn't bother you, then otherwise they're a car that was sold in pretty high volume to a lot of fairly inexperienced North American young drivers, pretty straightforward engineering so should be a decent ownership proposition.
They are indeed a lot of fun! Much more than they have the right to, considering pricing and their make up.
Best to ignore the jokes and anecdotes about U.S. cars around here. Most have never driven one let alone owned. Same about the live rear axle. Lots of generic opinions without experience on that. The misguided notion that IRS is automatically better than live axle, always. A well set up 4th gen F-body will outhandle something like a XKR into humiliation and that is IRS. By the way, you can buy a bolt on IRS system for the 4th gen F-bodies if you really think you need it. Not cheap, but the option is there. But honestly only worth if you will race it full time. For the road a simple suspension refresh/blisteins etc will have it basically following anything on a B-road. It's not bad at all stock either. Depending on the driver you are.
The interior is of course of the simpler kind. More a problem of being a 90s car than American though. But if you really dislike it you can do something about it. Luckily all TAs come with leather here and with the leather seats it's quite a bit nicer. You can have dash, cards etc wrapped in leather if it really bothers you. It all depends. Put it this way, I'm not sure I would rather have the old man pipe and slippers interior of a XKR over the TA with leather. So a matter of what kind of car you want.
The part which is not that simple to solve is rattling. They do like to do that. But so will most any car of that era. I have been in pretty rattly E36s. But if that bothers you it will be your biggest problem really. They are simple to look after and reliable enough, specially considering the age.
Best is to try one if you can. I used to have a different opinion on them till I drove one. Then I had to drive more of them. Easier if you visit the U.S. though.
Best to ignore the jokes and anecdotes about U.S. cars around here. Most have never driven one let alone owned. Same about the live rear axle. Lots of generic opinions without experience on that. The misguided notion that IRS is automatically better than live axle, always. A well set up 4th gen F-body will outhandle something like a XKR into humiliation and that is IRS. By the way, you can buy a bolt on IRS system for the 4th gen F-bodies if you really think you need it. Not cheap, but the option is there. But honestly only worth if you will race it full time. For the road a simple suspension refresh/blisteins etc will have it basically following anything on a B-road. It's not bad at all stock either. Depending on the driver you are.
The interior is of course of the simpler kind. More a problem of being a 90s car than American though. But if you really dislike it you can do something about it. Luckily all TAs come with leather here and with the leather seats it's quite a bit nicer. You can have dash, cards etc wrapped in leather if it really bothers you. It all depends. Put it this way, I'm not sure I would rather have the old man pipe and slippers interior of a XKR over the TA with leather. So a matter of what kind of car you want.
The part which is not that simple to solve is rattling. They do like to do that. But so will most any car of that era. I have been in pretty rattly E36s. But if that bothers you it will be your biggest problem really. They are simple to look after and reliable enough, specially considering the age.
Best is to try one if you can. I used to have a different opinion on them till I drove one. Then I had to drive more of them.
Easier if you visit the U.S. though. ZX10R NIN said:
Parts aren't an issue but you may find you have to wait for a few bits the opti spark isn't too bad but you need to keep an eye on it any stumbles in rpm are an initial sign.
There are tuning companies that sell upgrade, don't go for the V6 you'll regret it.
Get the car you want
I have a soft spot for the look of these, Legit Street Cars bought one recently take a look on youtube.
Good to know. There are tuning companies that sell upgrade, don't go for the V6 you'll regret it.
Get the car you want
I have a soft spot for the look of these, Legit Street Cars bought one recently take a look on youtube.
The V8 is of course more appealing. But they seem to be more difficult to find with a manual. I wonder how the running costs of both compare.
Companies in the UK which sell upgrades?
I will have a look for Legit Street Cars, thanks.
goldar said:
Interesting. I much prefer the looks of the prior cars though. I never got to like the big nostrils cars. I think they ruined the sleek look. The LS1 is nice though.
Shifter1 said:
They are indeed a lot of fun! Much more than they have the right to, considering pricing and their make up.
Best to ignore the jokes and anecdotes about U.S. cars around here. Most have never driven one let alone owned. Same about the live rear axle. Lots of generic opinions without experience on that. The misguided notion that IRS is automatically better than live axle, always. A well set up 4th gen F-body will outhandle something like a XKR into humiliation and that is IRS. By the way, you can buy a bolt on IRS system for the 4th gen F-bodies if you really think you need it. Not cheap, but the option is there. But honestly only worth if you will race it full time. For the road a simple suspension refresh/blisteins etc will have it basically following anything on a B-road. It's not bad at all stock either. Depending on the driver you are.
The interior is of course of the simpler kind. More a problem of being a 90s car than American though. But if you really dislike it you can do something about it. Luckily all TAs come with leather here and with the leather seats it's quite a bit nicer. You can have dash, cards etc wrapped in leather if it really bothers you. It all depends. Put it this way, I'm not sure I would rather have the old man pipe and slippers interior of a XKR over the TA with leather. So a matter of what kind of car you want.
The part which is not that simple to solve is rattling. They do like to do that. But so will most any car of that era. I have been in pretty rattly E36s. But if that bothers you it will be your biggest problem really. They are simple to look after and reliable enough, specially considering the age.
Best is to try one if you can. I used to have a different opinion on them till I drove one. Then I had to drive more of them. Easier if you visit the U.S. though.
By all I read they are fun and handle well enough it seems. So I'm not very worried about that. It will indeed be nice to try one though. But yeah, as you say, easier if it was in the U.S. But they are out there. I'm looking. Best to ignore the jokes and anecdotes about U.S. cars around here. Most have never driven one let alone owned. Same about the live rear axle. Lots of generic opinions without experience on that. The misguided notion that IRS is automatically better than live axle, always. A well set up 4th gen F-body will outhandle something like a XKR into humiliation and that is IRS. By the way, you can buy a bolt on IRS system for the 4th gen F-bodies if you really think you need it. Not cheap, but the option is there. But honestly only worth if you will race it full time. For the road a simple suspension refresh/blisteins etc will have it basically following anything on a B-road. It's not bad at all stock either. Depending on the driver you are.
The interior is of course of the simpler kind. More a problem of being a 90s car than American though. But if you really dislike it you can do something about it. Luckily all TAs come with leather here and with the leather seats it's quite a bit nicer. You can have dash, cards etc wrapped in leather if it really bothers you. It all depends. Put it this way, I'm not sure I would rather have the old man pipe and slippers interior of a XKR over the TA with leather. So a matter of what kind of car you want.
The part which is not that simple to solve is rattling. They do like to do that. But so will most any car of that era. I have been in pretty rattly E36s. But if that bothers you it will be your biggest problem really. They are simple to look after and reliable enough, specially considering the age.
Best is to try one if you can. I used to have a different opinion on them till I drove one. Then I had to drive more of them.
Easier if you visit the U.S. though. Rattling is indeed of concern. Most annoying. Nothing can really be done? Probably cost too much for the car? Maybe I get lucky to find a very low mileage one looking for a good home. But probably not likely.
Downshiftup said:
The V8 is of course more appealing. But they seem to be more difficult to find with a manual. I wonder how the running costs of both compare.
I would guess not a whole lot of difference in running costs. Curiously, although most Trans Am owners would probably not admit, the V6 handles better. Same with the V6 GTV. The Twin-spark cars are the better handlers but most Busso owners don't like to hear it.
The V6 is not only lighter then the LT1 but also shorter. It sits further back and is as close to being a front middle engine without being designed as such as it can be. So lighter and better balance. The thing is the V8 cars not only have more power but also a better suspension. So that skews it a bit. But all things being equal, the V6 is the better B-road machine.
So a V6 with suspension update would outhandle the V8. When you consider it's possible to have the V6 tuned within spitting distance from the V8's power, it could be a very good purposeful machine, if you don't care for the novelty or bragging rights of the V8. This is while staying NA. If you supercharge or turbo the V6 you can make quite a bit more power than the stock V8. Of course you can do the same with the V8. But that's not the point.
As a matter of fact, I think the 1988 Turbo Trans Am is still the fastest F-body ever made. That was a turbo V6.
Downshiftup said:
Good to know.
The V8 is of course more appealing. But they seem to be more difficult to find with a manual. I wonder how the running costs of both compare.
Companies in the UK which sell upgrades?
I will have a look for Legit Street Cars, thanks.
MSD sell an Optispark upgrade.The V8 is of course more appealing. But they seem to be more difficult to find with a manual. I wonder how the running costs of both compare.
Companies in the UK which sell upgrades?
I will have a look for Legit Street Cars, thanks.
ZX10R NIN said:
Downshiftup said:
Good to know.
The V8 is of course more appealing. But they seem to be more difficult to find with a manual. I wonder how the running costs of both compare.
Companies in the UK which sell upgrades?
I will have a look for Legit Street Cars, thanks.
MSD sell an Optispark upgrade.The V8 is of course more appealing. But they seem to be more difficult to find with a manual. I wonder how the running costs of both compare.
Companies in the UK which sell upgrades?
I will have a look for Legit Street Cars, thanks.
By the way, thanks for the tip on the legit street cars YT channel. I had never heard of it and it's great. The trans am segments were very educative as well as entertaining. He bought 2 of them, LT1 and LS1 to make content and then moved them on. But he personally has a LS1 as well, which he has owned for 25 years.
Edited by Downshiftup on Saturday 14th January 11:32
Downshiftup said:
Now you are putting ideas in my head.
One of those things. If you like the car and think it's a keeper, why not? The chances of new cars which will be keepers for petrolheads being released are smaller and smaller with every passing year. Specially cars which are not wrapped in hyperbole or badge clout. We know which ones they are.
I think most of the good petrolhead cars have most likely already been released. Specially if you are fan of RWD with manual gearboxes. The pool to choose from is already out there. Nothing to wait for really. A Firebird is a great option there and the 4th gens will only appreciate in value from now on. Investing in one of them to modify to your taste is a much better investment than paying more for a newer but boring car.
Shifter1 said:
Downshiftup said:
Now you are putting ideas in my head.
One of those things. If you like the car and think it's a keeper, why not? The chances of new cars which will be keepers for petrolheads being released are smaller and smaller with every passing year. Specially cars which are not wrapped in hyperbole or badge clout. We know which ones they are.
I think most of the good petrolhead cars have most likely already been released. Specially if you are fan of RWD with manual gearboxes. The pool to choose from is already out there. Nothing to wait for really. A Firebird is a great option there and the 4th gens will only appreciate in value from now on. Investing in one of them to modify to your taste is a much better investment than paying more for a newer but boring car.
I can’t offer you any specific advice on the Camero / Trans-Am, or GM parts availability, but we get quite a few bits for my Wife’s V8 Jeep from America.
It usually takes around 10-14 days for parts we have ordered to arrive on our doorstep, so if you plan ahead a little with servicing consumables, it’s not a pain at all.
It usually takes around 10-14 days for parts we have ordered to arrive on our doorstep, so if you plan ahead a little with servicing consumables, it’s not a pain at all.
Rockauto.com for pretty much everything. Make sure you include VAT with your shipping options to avoid paying additional courier VAT charges at customs in the UK. Parts are generally stupidly cheap, and there's an inexhaustible wealth of knowledge on the American forums.
I have a thirdgen because I prefer the 80's styling, but the 4th gen is objectively the better car.
Auto to manual swaps are straightforward on these, although importing the parts might get expensive.
Contact Autopontiac or American Technique for specialist F-body servicing.
I have a thirdgen because I prefer the 80's styling, but the 4th gen is objectively the better car.
Auto to manual swaps are straightforward on these, although importing the parts might get expensive.
Contact Autopontiac or American Technique for specialist F-body servicing.
they are GREAT fun - I've had 6 3rd Gen Camaros (similar car, different frock) and 2 4th Gen F-bodies (one a V6 and one a Camaro SS). Best mate has a black '97 WS6 TransAm.
Thoughts...
- don't buy a V6 (particularly the 3.4. Ask me how I know
Sure if you don't want the performance or noise then why not get a 6 - just be aware that the fuel consumption isn't massively different and the insurance is pretty much the same.
- don't be scared by horror tales of excessive fuel-consumption cruising up the motorways you'll see up to mid-30s mpg
- interiors are basic by modern standards and the t-tops can leak (not all do)
- it should be noted that the 4th Gen F-bodies (and IROC Camaros!) are going up in value so the days of them being a dirt-cheap 'starter Yank' are gone. It is actually possible you MAY find a cheaper one in the UK/Europe than the US
- the 4th Gen WS6 or Firehawk (if you can find one over here!) would be the Pontiac path, the SS the Camaro (though in fairness the looks on the Camaro are an acquired taste!)
- mechanically they're pretty solid and (relatively!) cheap to work on, many service parts being cheap than mainstream cars or Japanese stuff. Bodywork on the other-hand can start getting expensive, though Ron Fenton (among others) has a regular container coming over from the US which will help defray some costs
- if you're near London Autopontiac have (had?) a good reputation for servicing
- handling wise they're crude, but safe and fun and unless you really ragging the s
t out of it you should be fine
- modifications are nothing to be afraid of, a lot of (most?) Yanks will have aftermarket parts (exhaust/wheels/brakes/body-parts/engine up-grades). This is all part of the scene
- dare to be different!! You will get people speaking to you at the strangest times/places (honestly!)
- tunnels are fun
Thoughts...
- don't buy a V6 (particularly the 3.4. Ask me how I know
Sure if you don't want the performance or noise then why not get a 6 - just be aware that the fuel consumption isn't massively different and the insurance is pretty much the same. - don't be scared by horror tales of excessive fuel-consumption cruising up the motorways you'll see up to mid-30s mpg
- interiors are basic by modern standards and the t-tops can leak (not all do)
- it should be noted that the 4th Gen F-bodies (and IROC Camaros!) are going up in value so the days of them being a dirt-cheap 'starter Yank' are gone. It is actually possible you MAY find a cheaper one in the UK/Europe than the US
- the 4th Gen WS6 or Firehawk (if you can find one over here!) would be the Pontiac path, the SS the Camaro (though in fairness the looks on the Camaro are an acquired taste!)
- mechanically they're pretty solid and (relatively!) cheap to work on, many service parts being cheap than mainstream cars or Japanese stuff. Bodywork on the other-hand can start getting expensive, though Ron Fenton (among others) has a regular container coming over from the US which will help defray some costs
- if you're near London Autopontiac have (had?) a good reputation for servicing
- handling wise they're crude, but safe and fun and unless you really ragging the s
t out of it you should be fine- modifications are nothing to be afraid of, a lot of (most?) Yanks will have aftermarket parts (exhaust/wheels/brakes/body-parts/engine up-grades). This is all part of the scene
- dare to be different!! You will get people speaking to you at the strangest times/places (honestly!)
- tunnels are fun
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