koenigderloewen

Hey everyone, I just joined up, but have been a lurker here for a while. I'm a freshman in college, and next year will be getting a full ride scholarship for the rest of my years. So in order to build up my credit instead of student loans my parents are going to co-sign a car loan for me, and I'm going to get my first "real car" that will last longer than a year or two. I do work in summer and through college and can afford a 15,000 dollar loan with about a 5-6,000 down payment and a thousand left in case of repair / maintanence.

I want the car to have an ls engine in it, so that's how I found this place. But I can't decide between a low milage 98-02 trans am (w/ws6), or a GTO. From what I've read and heard the interior is quite a bit nicer and more comfortable in the GTO's, but you can't beat the exterior styling of a Trans Am. The T/A's also come in convertible and T-Top styles, which I would really love to have. Then again the GTO has the perfect fit in, not call the cop's attention appearance.

I know either car will be a great choice, and I have a shadow to drive in the winter, but I'm just looking for some other people's opinions too. Insurance would also be less on a Trans Am, but I'll be able to afford insurance either way.

Thanks guys, and look forward to having a blast here whatever I get!

-Tim-

TApits00

welcome to the site.I have a 2000ta and personally id take that anyday over the GTO,the interior isnt a problem for me.and the transam just looks bad ***.Good luck with your decision,let us know what you come up with!

KEE AUDIO

iTrader: (65)

The Trans Am is a much more aggressive looking car and performs well. The fit and finish on a GTO and the build quality blow the F-bodies away.
IMO the GTO is a much nicer car overall...it just doesn't perform as well stock for stock. The F-bodies are more muscle/performance car oriented and are alot cheaper in some cases.
For the record I own a 98 T/A with all the upgraded goodies...cam, headers, stall ,gears, etc. My next move would probably be a Z06 C5 Vette.

Mindcrime1204

My friend is in the same boat as you...he really likes both cars for the same reason. At first we were all about the F-Body over the Goat, but after a while... the Goat grew on us. The inside of the GTO is ******' awesome! Lots of room up front and way more in back than an F-Body. Do you usually cary a lot of people in your car? Do you have a lot of "big" friends? If so maybe get the GTO. Although with your price range you'd prolly fall in the 04 range, they are pretty much the same... just diff motor with about 40 HP and 35 TQ less. If that doesn't bother you then do it! On the other hand the WS6/SS just looks straight up MEAN-MUGGIN! Might get some moore poonany with the F-Body, too. Don't forget the t-tops! Either one man... I've seen a million and 1 F-Bodys in San Antonio and they all have the same ****. But every time I see a Goat it is just so damn awesome, they are always tastefully done around here cause there's less of them. I saw one the other day with 19's, side exhaust, appearance package, sticky tires, dark tint... plates said GTOWNED.

MUSTANGBRKR02

iTrader: (91)

I think you will be happy with either. If performance wise then i would have to say LS2 GTO those motors are nice and perform well with heads cam packages. But i love my T/A also but i am looking to get a GTO to add to the herd.

TheLS1Kid

iTrader: (12)

I have a H/C Camaro SS so I'm biased.

GTO's are nice but they are huge and heavy. That is their ONLY downside. The LS2 is nice though. I don't think you can get a LS2 GTO for 15k though.

koenigderloewen

Well, I would have about 20,000 thousand, 15K from the loan and 5-6K downpayment, so either way I could find a nice cr with some patience. I think I would actually go for an 04 with the M6 transmission if i went the route of gto. Personally I like the smooth non hoodscoop hood. The power difference dosn't bother me, as its years ahead of both the 81 mustang i had, and the 92 shadow that I drive anyways.

I just want to find a nice low milage (under 30,000 or so) car that hasn't had the living crap beaten ot of it. I'll be driving a few people that are 6'4" every once and a while, and will be using it to commute back and forth to college on breaks and stuff, so I am leaning towards the Goat, but I'vewanted aT/A vert for ages too

In terms of weight, I would switch the GTO / TA either Thanksgiving or Christmas break for the winter beater car, but sometimes we get snow in the kalamazoo area before that, so I ws thinking the extra weight of the GTO may mke it a little less bad (though still not good) in the snow with some sand in back.

But then back to costs a well maintained TA would be cheaper initially and insurance wise, so it's still up in th air. Thanksfor the replies thusfar though!

Artic01SS

I have an 01SS and couldnt be happier

02 Silver SS

iTrader: (5)

I have an 02 SS and its great as my friend has a 06 GTO which is coo too but there are differences
02 SS = Looks good but rides ok (not really a great daily driver)
04-06 GTO = Looks good too but rides better (daily driver) but is a little slower and does have independent rear suspension giving you that better ride.. but it will cost you more than 15gs

Grave

iTrader: (4)

Having owned an '02 Z28 and now a GTO... I'd have say I prefer my GTO over the Camaro. Overall comfort and quality of the GTO is superior to the F-body.

Yes, the GTO weighs a few hundred pounds more... but that wasn't a factor for me. I hardly race this car anyway because the closest drag strips are 100 miles away.

You would also be surprised how much attention a GTO can give you, considering it's not a very aggressively styled car. I get more head-turns and people I don't even know waving to me in my GTO than I ever did in my Z28.

But you could pick up a great F-body for under $20k easy, so getting the T/A would be alot lighter on your wallet, which means more mod money.


Overall, depending on what you want out of your car... I'd say if you want a nice, comfortable street car with plenty of ***** when you need it, get the GTO. If you want a car to race and cost less $$$ to keep, get the T/A.

MM ZXXVIII

I like the way the T/A looks much better. The GTO is going to cost more. The curb weight of a GTO is 3725! The 2002 M6 T/A is 3495, which means you are no longer riding with an extra 230 pounds and running the quarter mile 25/100ths of a second quicker. All pros for the T/A.

98Bird

$20k can buy just about any of the Fbodies in the forsale section...including most of the fastest ones.

but i've seen GTO's going for $16k. i wonder why they lose their values so much. we're talking '04 GTO's for $16k with under 40k miles.

acslam

I don't own either, and wish I could afford them! But after test driving them, here are my impressions as a street car (I can't afford to get into drag racing juuuuuust yet but it's on the horizon!).

The Fbody was definitely a rougher ride, much less "roomy" feeling. I have a Caprice 9c1 SS, and neither of the two cars had the room that mine did. The Fbody was definitely a "performance" car all around, or should i say muscle car. It idles just a tad rough, just enough to say "try me", you can feel the road very well and there's a total "cockpit" feeling, like you're flying a rocketship. That car, from my perspective, had that feeling of "this is alllllllllllllllll about the ENGINE!!"

The GTO was a lot closer to my Caprice, it was a much smoother car. I'm talking an 05 LS2 car here, not the 04, can't speak for those. As far as stomping it from a roll on the street, the GTO had as much if not a tad more torque "right there", it was real close to the fbody. The extra power was countered a bit by the extra weight, however the GTO did what it did a little more smoothly.

The thing that got me though was the ride. That car was *almost* as smooth as my Caprice. Not quite, but damn close. Seats were much comfier, and the back seat passengers liked it a lot more. The GTO is a 4 seater, no question. The Fbody, given the size of me and my friends, is a 2 seater effectively.

Finish of the GTO is better, but all in all, it's still not very "high tech". I'm not sure if something like navigation is optional, but really, other than a nicer feel, you still have the same controls - shift the gears, change the radio station, and turn on the heat/AC. And the position was easy to reach in either car.

If I could afford them both, I'd have them. But from what I saw, if you are gonna live with it every day, and coming from my Caprice, I probably would have gone for the LS2 GTO as a point A to point B car. It had a little bit more cargo space, was MUCH more comfortable all around, and could deliver the gut wrenching torque of an LS1 F-bod. The looks, I dunno about - my 9c1 is decked out the way the cops had it, still got the black grille, tints, rims and statie blue paint. Needless to say, I get attention, and I love it! Out of the three, I think the GTO would definitely be the most inconspicuous.

Plus, you can still, if you're shrewed, find some of the GTO's with the remainder of a warranty on them. I am guessing at this, but I'd think they're also a bit rarer - may be a factor if you decide to keep the car as a long term investment.

Now all this being said, I came away from these tests wanting the Firebird more. My reasons - exterior styling, open air (t-top/ragtop!) and price. I have always had a thing for those last generation LS1 Trans Am's, they are just the meanest looking thing out there.

I'm a loser and won't have much dough anytime soon. But I made that decision thinking "I will keep my big, heavy smooth Caprice while owning the car."

If I had to lose it all, I'd get that GTO and have the dealer find a shop to pop a nice, big sunroof in there. Some 04's had them, i know i've seen it, but I'm not sure the LS2 cars could get it from the factory. And every time I saw some ******* in a BMW yapping away on his cell phone, I'd rest well knowing I could blow his doors off with more comfort at a lower price, while not having every cop in town hunting for me!

Okay, sorry about the length, the beer made me do it!

JHL88

i drive a 98 z28 and like everyone else said.. the only downside in my opinion is the ride itself. bumpy.. can feel every nit and pit on the road (depending on how old the suspension is) other than that i cant say much less about the fbody. one thing is for certain if your looking to mod moderately to extreme i would choose the T/A. if your looking for a decent DD with still some pick up and a better overall finish go with the GOAT. good luck man

koenigderloewen

Hey guys thanks for all the responses, it's really helped me make a decision. From what I've read hre and from the reviews I have found online, I think I am going to go the route via Goat.

The deciding factors was mainly ride quality and comfort. I'll have to be driving this car about 90 miles one way once or twice a week, so I really want to be comfortable while driving around. Als, it seems like the general consensus is that the GTO has better interior build quality, hic also factors in a little bit too.

In terms of mods, I don't plan on modding at all. The power it has stock will be more than enough for me, and I will probably never need all 350 or 400 hp. I will plan however on getting a nice big sunroof in at some point, but that'll come later.

So thanks again everyone! Now that I know what i want, I can start lining stuff up so that when I find the right deal I will be able to jump on it. I'll be hanging around here researching more, meting people, and getting ready for the new car. I'll post pics when I get the new toy!!!

98Bird

the Fbody driver's seat is very comfortable and ergonomic. i drove from DC to CA and back with the car filled with junk up to my ears. 8-9 hours driving per day and at least 2500 miles with the top down.

the passenger and rear seats however are torture chambers.

IZRED

Out of the 2 cars, either way, u won't go wrong. Just ask yourself a few questions, is weight an issue, do I need room for 4, do I like going around corners like if I was on a roller coaster of death, do I want an aggressive look or do I want a sleeper, do I like the basic interior or a more upscale interior. As goes for performance, it's all good, they all can b tweaked n haul like monsters. I noticed the amount of money u said u were able to handle, so it looks more toward a T/A, but that's not a bad thing. I own a 01' Z28 n it's the same as a T/A, they all run great, even stock. With the amount of $ u said u were able to handle, u could get your hands on an excellent condition, low miles T/A with all the options. If u wanna look for some cars, any car that is, go to AUTOTRADER.com, that's where I found my Z28.