Can some knowledgable person fill me in on their opinion of 3rd gens. Is there a specific year that is better than others. My wife is showing interest in them, and i figured it would be nice to get her, her own. Do they also run LT1 engines? Thanks for any advice.

 

Find one with and LT1 someone else put in it. Otherwise your gonna have to try to find an L98. All are auto i dunno if she wants a stick or not. Sticks only came with tpi 305s... But all 3rd gens are still Gen1 sbcs. Great cars in my opinion. i love everything about them except the drivetrain that came with them. Im dropping LSx in my 85.

 

I personally own 3 third gens and love them great beginner cars and they are becoming more popular on the camaro side buy one and love it I know she will

 

My baby brother is looking for a 3rd gen trans am to buy and fix up. (dad dont want him in an LT1 car because hes scared he'll kill himself). I didnt realise they are so hard to find now. I have found lots of camaros and a few firebirds but no Trans ams.

 

Try posting this in the racers, you might get more responses.

 

Thanks for the responses, from the threads ive seen, it seems their engine bays have quite a bit more room than the 4th gen LT1's do, now i just need to do some research and see what they are worth. Thanks everyone

 

I love the 88-90 Iroc-z myself and the 91-92 1le z28. This is my 91 1LE i built about 5 yrs ago. There great cars when fixed up right and can be real eye catchers as well

 

Thanks for the motivation, and also the info, i thought only 3rd gens were 1980 years, i didnt know they ran into 1990's.

 

82-92
irocs 85-90 hood louvers and the small lip spoiler, 2 styles rims, single stripe and double stripe irocs 85-87 single stripe 88-90 double stripe

z28s 91-92 new ground effects, high rise spoiler, hood blisters, new rims

there were early year z28s as well.. im just going with popular cars above

 

I would personally find a 91 or 92 z28. The "scooped" ground effects look muh cooler IMO. If you were considering dropping in the lye, think about what trans you'll be using and but the car accordingly. Regardless, I would look for the cleanest four wheel disc car you could find at the very least. I've had 4 third gens' andto be honest I'd rather own and drive a 305/5-speed car over the l98/auto z28 if you plan on just driving it as is. You can always change engines.

 

Lye=lt1.... Muh=Much... Auto correct lameness

 

i just put a 96 LT1/T56 into my 92 B4C/1LE thirdgen... this is the engine that it should have came with.. i ditched the 305 TPI 5 speed.. its a whole new animal...

 

lol... a 350tpi isnt THAT much slower than an LT1 car in terms of kids killing themselves.

 

I was hoping to find a 305...which Im not even sure if they came in the Trans ams.

 

yes, a thirdgen trans am could come equipped with a 305.

 

I would look for a 91-92 if I were to buy one. They have the updated style interior and look better IMO. I personally think the 91-92 Trans Am's are one of the best looking Fbody cars ever built.

305/5-speed cars are not common but are out there. Keep in mind the 5-speed offered in the 3rd gen car is far cry from a T56 and will break if you beat hard on it. If you don't plan to swap the engine I'd make sure you get a TPI (5.0 or 5.7), some of the base model V8 cars had TBI 305 engines.

If your looking at the Firebird/Trans Am look for one with the WS6 suspension package, they handle really well.

 

Make sure you stay away from any crossfire injected motors. Is there any plans to mod it or just wants a stock cruiser? You'll only find 350s (L98) with 700R4s, T5s only came with 305s and V6s. Autos from 82-84 had TH350 transmissions IIRC.

 

Most of the early 3rd gens came with 305's due to regulations at the time. Ive had @ 4-5 3rd gens and I love them still. But always had to put 350 in them myself. 305 H.O. LOL My favorite was my 91 GTA White with the Gold wheels