deep thought

[+throw back+]

for all the camaro owners:
what made you choose your CAMARO over the FIREBIRD?

i've hade 2 v6 camaro's and a LS1 camaro but never really chose them, i bought 1 v6 for $800.00 (1997) the other for $1,200.00 (1998) and the LS1 for $3,800.00 (1999) so it was clearly a matter of cost for me, because i do love the firebirds too, and my wife will only allow me to have one f-body since i have a vette(98), mustang(94), and a honda cbr(01). i think the 4th gen firebirds may be the overall nicest, but my loyalty is kinda with the camaro. but let me add that i have inherited a 1983 firebird w/a 350 in it. but this doesn't count as it still remains with my father, since he hasn't died. she really just wants more room at the house. i would like to pass this car down to my son, like my dad passed his down to me.

let me know how you made the decision. :brick:

[FantaZGuy28]

There are not as many birds for the right price in my area so I went with Camaro.

[ss~zoso~ss]

Price

[ss~zoso~ss]

plus my father had like 4 camaros, and we found a sweet deal on a SS vert , we never really looked for a firebird.

[A~NICE~CAR~IS~A~NICE~CAR]

Yep price! my first car was a 1990 V6 Firebird All black! it was gorgeous as hell! IMO the best looking 3rd gen ive ever seen! i dont know if thats just becuz it was mine or what but it was nice! it was 1800, so i was hooked on the Bird and bird only! I wanted a 98+ Trans Am, but never found a decent price, so i went with tha Camaro, never liked the front end of the 98+ but it grew on me. My next car will be a Trans Am for sure!

[sgt0704]

i prefered camaros over birds as long as i could remember. i was never too keen on the interior of the third gen birds. my first camaro was a 91 rs 305tbi. i had that thing for about 3-4 yrs or so. then i got the 98. i love the 98 up TA's, but it's gotta have the ws6 look. the hood, etc. etc.. i was pretty paticular with the 98 as well. but it still needs some cosmetic touchups.

[ss~zoso~ss]

Yep price! my first car was a 1990 V6 Firebird All black! it was gorgeous as hell! IMO the best looking 3rd gen ive ever seen! i dont know if thats just becuz it was mine or what but it was nice! it was 1800, so i was hooked on the Bird and bird only! I wanted a 98+ Trans Am, but never found a decent price, so i went with tha Camaro, never liked the front end of the 98+ but it grew on me. My next car will be a Trans Am for sure!

you are the first person i've heard that didnt like the front ends on these things, everyone always hates the LT1 front end

[A~NICE~CAR~IS~A~NICE~CAR]

you are the first person i've heard that didnt like the front ends on these things, everyone always hates the LT1 front end

I think you mis understood me i ment i didint like the Camaro front end from 98+
but like i said it grew on me, even b4 i got my first Camaro which was an 01 V6 vert. shit ive always loved the Trans Ams! lol

[SSmoky01]

I just like the Camaro look myself. The WS-6 does look wicked bad though.

[+throw back+]

i like that there are more options for it's appearance (or so it seems) camaro's can be made to fit what someone wants to do with it. i love the way the firebirds look, but for the most part they all look the same. (ws6 hood and spoiler) this may not actually be true.

[+throw back+]

i like that chevy gives me a performance car then lets me customize it's exterior. kinda like a toy or something. the only thing that really bothers me is that its interior is kinda blah...t/a's are the better car stock, but camaro's can be made to compete with it...imo

[Y2KPewterSS]

plus my father had like 4 camaros, and we found a sweet deal on a SS vert , we never really looked for a firebird.

Similar for me too, always been a Vette/Camaro fan and found a steal of a deal on a 2000 Pewter SS vert few years back. On my second LS1 now and never looked back :yup:

Good thread btw :)

[Hot Black Trans-Am]

I always prefered the Camaro until the 4th gen T/A came out. Especially the 98+ when the camaro got the ugly headlights.

[JwMonE99]

I was just looking for the best deal, camaro or firebird but i prefered the 98+ for the looks and engine. the lt1 version i didnt like the bird becasue of the front end/hood. I ended up picking out a nice looking camaro and im dropping an ls1 around feburary time

[Allen Wood]

The Camaro front end has a better & cleaner look vs. the Firebird, IMO. I also had a 69 Z-28 back in the day. Because of these couple of things I chose the 99 Z-28 vert. and have no regrets. Have a good day!

[mystic-z]

Got a mint 70000mi 98 z with $2000 worth of mods + 2 sets of wheels for $6000 delivered to my door.
But I was really looking for the chevy anyway,
Chevy always had its own motor + pontiac its own
I.E. gto,firebird, had 400 + 455
camaro + chevelle had 350,396,427,454
Totally diff motors, I think they should have done something similar on the f bodies,to differentiate the brands,I know it was done for costs, but something could have been done to give pontiac its own Identity.
The ls1 started in the vette,(actually so did the lt1)
+ pontiac is like a sidekick of chevy, I look at The ls1
as a CHEVY motor.
Seems alittle weird to have a chevy motor in my pontiac.
Wouldnt prevent me from buying one, but i felt that way when they first came out, + iguess it has stuck some what, probably a throw back from the "Old School" way of thinking from the muscle car days.
I also like the look of the chevys better.
Although I do like the look of the ws6 hood.But didnt like the dash on them, but its been awhile since ive looked in one, are the dash lights orange?

[A~NICE~CAR~IS~A~NICE~CAR]

Sounds like you got a hell of a deal Mystic!!!!!:yay:
It's starting to sound like most of us got our Camaro's due to good deals.
can you say smart shoppers or cheap skate's! lol :jk:

[JonB]

I wanted a WS6 but they were to pricey. Every one I found was a good 3-4 grand more than a z28 or trans am.

[Tyler_LS1]

The good price and i just never really looked at any Trans Am's. I really like the look of the SS and WS6's though, they just look mean. Im very happy with my choice:)

[Phantompooper]

I never really dug on the Firebird rear. Their spoiler looks a little goofy and thin. I do like the WS6 front though.

[99Ztwenty8]

I have always been a camaro fan, ever since my dad had a 68 camaro. I would have just as happily bought the ws6 but its pretty tough to find an american muscle car in europe as it is. when i came across the Z I was more than delighted to buy it.

[killerinparadise]

price

[killerinparadise]

and there are not that many birds in my area, easier to find a camaro

[Frankthetank]

Granddad sold chevies for a living....
Bowtie till death :D!

[A~NICE~CAR~IS~A~NICE~CAR]

:yup: Granddad sold chevies for a living....
Bowtie till death :D!


So its in the blood!!! NICE!!!!

[SPECOPS94]

I have owned only Chevrolet's, Novas and Camaros. I actually never really liked Camaros in school because everyone had one. However, my latest purchase, 2002 Camaro SS LE, was made because I wanted the Limited Edition since it was the last year the Camaro would be made. I don't count the 97/99 Camaro because it will be on a Zeta platform and not truely an "Fbody". That's just my outlook you understand. At any rate, my decision was not based upon price but on the limited production of the LE and the Pontiac versions have never really sparked my attention although I did like the Formula's hood in the 70's and now found on the TAs.
Mike

[mystic-z]

Didn't know there was a diff between the 97-99 camaro's
+ the later ones.
What is a Zeta platform?
And what is different?
I thought they were all f bodies.

[Zboner]

Granddad sold chevies for a living....
Bowtie till death :D!


same here man, grandad sold em.

[mystic-z]

I don't want this to sound like a rude reply,because its really not meant to be.
But what school did you go to where every one had camaro's ?
In my area of twin cities of about 90000 people + surounding towns, you could probably count the amount of
z's + ss's on your fingers + toes.
I may cross paths with one once every few days or sometimes much longer.
but never were they so numerous, as to be common, even in the 6 cyl version ( which is actually a whole other animal) are pretty scarce.Thats actually why they are no longer being built because so few were sold.
I'm the type who goes out of his way to have rarity or drive something diff then the next guy, so if they were at all common, I definetly wouldn't be driving one.
I also have to ask what you mean by you dont count the 97/99 camaro's, It sounds as though they should be just discounted as not being worthy.
Anybody else feel this way? Its the 1st i've heard of this diff. Please fill me in.

[Hot Black Trans-Am]

When I was in school if people had sports cars it was about 75% split of Camaro's & Mustangs and only about 25% of everything else like T/A's, Nova's, GTO's, Cutlass ect.. I don't think he was meaning everyone that drives in the school.

[Chevypowr]

My father always tells me stories of his late teens early 20's and what the car scene was like back then. I must have heard 30 different stories about him street racing and it was all straight line back then, noone on the street even though about ya know going touring on some back roads or whatever. Out of the 30 stories he told me and out of the 6 different cars he had in his pre 30's 24 of them were when he had his 68' RS/SS camaro that he special ordered from the dealer with the 396, and a bunch of other extras that he learned about from a buddy that worked at the dealer and had access to all the special order codes. So after a short while like 3 months tops, he was pulling the 396 and dropping in a 427. He tells me these hair raising stories about the awesome races he got into and how he only lost 1 time to a Gto judge and the reason was he cracked a connecting rod an 1/8 mile down the quarter mile. The cars that he mentioned racing and that were mildly intimidating were: GTO judges, wheely pulling Chevy II novas, and one time a 442. I never heard ny stories about firebirds except that he built one up for his younger brother as a bait car. He would send his brother out in the firebird to bet on races, my dad would ride along and when his brother lost (which I guess was most of the time, 350 small block mind you) he would say how about I race you for my brothers money times 2 in my camaro. Before you know it they got the money back and some.

-In my opinion the Camaro was the Muscle car of the 2 GM pony cars, and the firebird was the ritzy, saturday night cruisin show car. I always liked how the 4th gen T/A's looked, real flashy and mean curves to them, but then I look at a 4th Gen camaro and see a Mucsle car, no extra body work, no huge wrap around rear spoiler or fancy graphics. Just bare bones, lets smoke this Mustang and do donuts, Muscle car.:worship:

[A~NICE~CAR~IS~A~NICE~CAR]

then I look at a 4th Gen camaro and see a Mucsle car, no extra body work, no huge wrap around rear spoiler or fancy graphics. Just bare bones, lets smoke this Mustang and do donuts, Muscle car.:worship:[/QUOTE]



dam you put that in such a good way! 'a fuckin men' to that!:yup:

[SPECOPS94]

I grew up in Texas (Wichita Falls) and although you may not have had the experience, EVERYONE had Camaros! If there had been many fewer of them then I probably would have owned a few, hence my NOVA phase of life. Most of the ones around when I grew up had been worked on and were always racing on the strip or the street. Trucks were popular back then as well.

When I said that I don't count the 97/99 (depending upon when it is released) Camaro it is NOT because I don't think they will be worthy. I know they will be killers and an excellent vehicle. Did I forget to mention FAST?! What I meant by the comment was that they will not be F-Body cars. From everything I've been hearing from some very reliable sources the new Camaro will be on a Zeta frame, which will be shared with the GTO. The car itself should NOT be discounted! That is not what I meant!!!!

I'm just stating that after a 35 year production run the Camaro has always been an F-Body. Now, although the name will come back and it will no doubt be a monster, in my opinion I would not sell my 02 SS LE because it will be the last true "F-Body" Camaro.........It's a matter of opinion and I am not speaking for anyone other than myself. Besides, after the dealers mark up the prices it will be very difficult for a large majority of people to afford one of the more performance oriented models.


I don't want this to sound like a rude reply,because its really not meant to be.
But what school did you go to where every one had camaro's ?
In my area of twin cities of about 90000 people + surounding towns, you could probably count the amount of
z's + ss's on your fingers + toes.
I may cross paths with one once every few days or sometimes much longer.
but never were they so numerous, as to be common, even in the 6 cyl version ( which is actually a whole other animal) are pretty scarce.Thats actually why they are no longer being built because so few were sold.
I'm the type who goes out of his way to have rarity or drive something diff then the next guy, so if they were at all common, I definetly wouldn't be driving one.
I also have to ask what you mean by you dont count the 97/99 camaro's, It sounds as though they should be just discounted as not being worthy.
Anybody else feel this way? Its the 1st i've heard of this diff. Please fill me in.

[SPECOPS94]

"My" days were back in the late 60s and 70s on the car scene. The term "street racing' isn't what it used to be. We would buy two clunkers and "wreck" them at an intersection to keep the traffic from coming down our straight way. Usually speaking, the cars were Camaros, a few Novas, GTOs, Chevelles, Malibus, Chargers, an occassional Road Runner, Cudas, etc....

You could get the cars back then and they were pretty cheap. That was where the old phrase "There's no substitute for cubic inches" came from. Even today, back at home (WF,TX) you can find a complete - everything- non-smoking 454 for under $200.... Yes, there are lots of farm/ranch trucks so that is mostly what you find in the bone yards. Here in NC on the other hand, a seized, partially complete (minus intake,exhaust, and all pulleys or block attachments, etc..) will cost you nearly $1000 depending on where you buy it. Anything less than $1500, at least what I've found over the past 9 years, will absolutely require a rebuild. Anyway, now I feel old.... I know...I am.... That's why the guys on the team call me "Crusty"....

[Chevypowr]

"My" days were back in the late 60s and 70s on the car scene. The term "street racing' isn't what it used to be. We would buy two clunkers and "wreck" them at an intersection to keep the traffic from coming down our straight way. Usually speaking, the cars were Camaros, a few Novas, GTOs, Chevelles, Malibus, Chargers, an occassional Road Runner, Cudas, etc....

You could get the cars back then and they were pretty cheap. That was where the old phrase "There's no substitute for cubic inches" came from. Even today, back at home (WF,TX) you can find a complete - everything- non-smoking 454 for under $200.... Yes, there are lots of farm/ranch trucks so that is mostly what you find in the bone yards. Here in NC on the other hand, a seized, partially complete (minus intake,exhaust, and all pulleys or block attachments, etc..) will cost you nearly $1000 depending on where you buy it. Anything less than $1500, at least what I've found over the past 9 years, will absolutely require a rebuild. Anyway, now I feel old.... I know...I am.... That's why the guys on the team call me "Crusty"....

"there's no replacement for displacement" is another phrase

[mystic-z]

I grew up in Texas (Wichita Falls) and although you may not have had the experience, EVERYONE had Camaros! If there had been many fewer of them then I probably would have owned a few, hence my NOVA phase of life. Most of the ones around when I grew up had been worked on and were always racing on the strip or the street. Trucks were popular back then as well.

When I said that I don't count the 97/99 (depending upon when it is released) Camaro it is NOT because I don't think they will be worthy. I know they will be killers and an excellent vehicle. Did I forget to mention FAST?! What I meant by the comment was that they will not be F-Body cars. From everything I've been hearing from some very reliable sources the new Camaro will be on a Zeta frame, which will be shared with the GTO. The car itself should NOT be discounted! That is not what I meant!!!!

I'm just stating that after a 35 year production run the Camaro has always been an F-Body. Now, although the name will come back and it will no doubt be a monster, in my opinion I would not sell my 02 SS LE because it will be the last true "F-Body" Camaro.........It's a matter of opinion and I am not speaking for anyone other than myself. Besides, after the dealers mark up the prices it will be very difficult for a large majority of people to afford one of the more performance oriented models.

I think there is a bit of confusion here,you keep saying the 97/99 camaro's, I think you mean the 07/09
camaro's,I thought you were saying the 97/99 camaro's didn't count because they were not f bodies, + I was scratching my head, going, Huh! Whaaa, wud'd he say.
Whatchu talkinbout willis.
Now I get it, I havn,t heard the term zeta yet for the
soon to be camaro, or i'd have put 2+2 together.

[Dskeet6]

uhh well from a technical standpoint........... the trans ams make good for drive in movie theaters.......... you already got a bench for two on the trunk..........


so yea i prefer the more distinct bodylines on the camaros.......

[Frankthetank]

I always prefered the Camaro until the 4th gen T/A came out. Especially the 98+ when the camaro got the ugly headlights.

Lol i hear that...I love camaros....but i hate the headlights they put in in 98....I wish they kept the 98 front end and put 93-97 headlights in it

[SSTODD]

Insurance was also cheaper on my SS than a TRANS AM. I was looking at both but had pontiacs that the interiors rattled more and the dealers were not as good imo.

[ErikElvis]

I def prefer the 98 up Z28's over the trans ams. Its a toss up between the SS/WS6. All depends on what color. I love black WS6's.

[bwh11271981]

i love the camaro because you cant tell if its a v-6 or a z-28, but i also like the looks of the formula. the t/a has way too many damn plastic parts on it thats just my opinion

[Chevypowr]

i love the camaro because you cant tell if its a v-6 or a z-28, but i also like the looks of the formula. the t/a has way too many damn plastic parts on it thats just my opinion


That's why I went with the SS, there's no mistaking that!

[ccusum]

When I first got my license, my first car was a 1976 Camaro Type LT. Crashed it and vowed to get another some day. 18 yrs later, I finally got it. Reason: My first true love.