Are 3rd/4th gen cars destined to become classics?

We know the answer for the 1st and 2nd gen Fbods, but I wonder if the 3rd and 4th gen Fbods will be looked at as classic muscle cars in 10 years when all cars have morphed into New Beetle look alikes. The mustang is staying RWD and V8, so I guess the next Camaro/Firebird will be too, so it's not like its the end of an era. Does this make the recent fbods insignificant as far as collectable?

I'm picking up an arrest-me-red 97 Formula this weekend and I think its about as classic a muscle car look as you can get - powerful but clean lines without all the boy-racer plastic. I just wonder years from now if it will be considered a POS or "one of the good ones".

Reply to
SNAFU
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My $0.02

3rd Gens: Some will, some won't. 89 Turbo TAs, the Notchback GTAs, the 1LE Camaros, and Convertibes will. The 2.5L 82 Firebirds won't. Overall, the V8's will be going up in value - starting to see that in the late 80's TA's already.

4th Gens: I'll go out on a limb - all the V8's will do decent as far as keeping value go - combo of fast and low production #'s. That said, biggest value will be found in the SS,WS6,Firehawks. Convertibles as well and Firebird Formulas will also keep good value. Also the BFG TA's and the 97 SS Camaros with the LT4.

Are you buying it to drive it or store it for collector car value? :)

Ray

01 TA WS6... with nitrous. (I don't do resale value... I do burnouts.)
Reply to
Ray

I agree with Ray. Even things like a common G body (which you used to see everywhere) are turning up as classics.

Scout Ebay for a couple of years and you'll see what's becoming a classic and what's not :).

Joe--ASE Certified Parts Specialist & 10th Ann.Club Tech Director '80 Carousel Red Turbo T/A, 27k orig. '79 "Y89" 400/4 speed 10th Ann. T/A, 57k orig '84 Olds 88 Royale Bgm 2 dr, 307 "Rocket" (lol), 143k and still going.... '91 S10 Blazer 4.3Z

Reply to
Bigjfig

Obviously yes. Firstly they are pretty good cars, however any performance car will become a classic one day, and most normal cars do as well. Eg. a new Impala will go the same way as it's 40-year predecessors, so will the Fbody. Remember when in the mid-80's-90's the

2nd gens were plentiful?
Reply to
Max

This is a very good thread. This is something I mention to my buddies and they just seem to not understand.......

I consider the mid 80s the second coming of the Muscle Car era........ The Mustang 5.0, IROC Camaro and the Buick Turbo Cars will all be something special in a few more years.

insignificant

insignificant

Reply to
John King

Also from the 80s era, I'd think the 1985 and 86 5.0 Mustangs will be the top collectables among the 79-93 5.0s.....(besides the Saleen, 93 Cobra, 84 GT350, 79 Pace Car, and maybe the Police Coupes)

....on the subject of Police cars, does anyone know what states used Camaro Police cars? I'm pretty sure the Carolinas used them....... and what options did the Police cars have to offer? Better cooling systems? any others?

collectables.

Reply to
John King

I know back home (NE Wisconsin) we had a Corvette and a Camaro as white police cars......

-Geno

1985 Blue Camaro 2.8L w/T-tops (148k and going... getting worried) 1988 Blue Firebird Formula 5.0L w/T-tops (For sale for $2,200) 1985 Brown Firebird 5.7L w/5-Speed (No T-tops though) Still looking for an '82-'84 T/A w/T-tops for parts from one
Reply to
KITT

On Fri, 24 Sep 2004 01:57:32 GMT, "John King" puked:

There's a huge black dude that drives a Florida State Trooper Z-28 in West Fort Lauderdale (Davie, actually). I used to keep a camera in my SS for a chance of a pic (hopefully catching him in a parking lot, not in my rear view mirror...)

-- lab~rat >:-) Do you want polite or do you want sincere?

Reply to
lab~rat

I think CA had them too. Joe--ASE Certified Parts Specialist & 10th Ann.Club Tech Director '80 Carousel Red Turbo T/A, 27k orig. '79 "Y89" 400/4 speed 10th Ann. T/A, 57k orig '84 Olds 88 Royale Bgm 2 dr, 307 "Rocket" (lol), 143k and still going.... '91 S10 Blazer 4.3Z

Reply to
Bigjfig

They still have at LEAST one in the Sacramento area. I see it every so often on my way to work.

Reply to
Cy Welch

I know Oregon has several Camaro interceptors

Reply to
drummerguy

I consider the mid 80s the second coming of the Muscle Car era........ The Mustang 5.0, IROC Camaro and the Buick Turbo Cars will all be something special in a few more years. ====================================== I should have included the H.O. Trans Am, Formula 350 and 5.7 GTA............. I've been looking for a Formula 350 5-speed (they didn't offer the T-top option with the 5.7 5-speed combo) but these bad-boys are getting VERY hard to find. I past one up on eBay about a year or so ago for $2,300 that was less than an hour from me (it had the automatic though) but even that would make me happy. Should have got the damn thing....LOL!!!!!!

collectables.

Reply to
John King

Actually the T-tops could be had with the 350, but the 5 speed was not available as the tranny can't handle the torque. Any 5 speed 350's you find (3rd gen) either had the engine changed, the tranny changed or both. None of them came from the factory that way. BTW, this was hashed out in this newsgroup about 2 years ago. I believe that Bigjfig was around for that discusion.

Reply to
Cy Welch

Reply to
John King

Assume you mean a 4th gen 350/5 speed combination as there was no such thing in the 3rd gen cars. You'd be looking for quite a while :). Joe--ASE Certified Parts Specialist & 10th Ann.Club Tech Director '80 Carousel Red Turbo T/A, 27k orig. '79 "Y89" 400/4 speed 10th Ann. T/A, 57k orig '84 Olds 88 Royale Bgm 2 dr, 307 "Rocket" (lol), 143k and still going.... '91 S10 Blazer 4.3Z

Reply to
Bigjfig

I was. LOL. Because there are none in the 3rd generation. A couple of test mules were built in GM perhaps, but that's it. As you said, it was the torque/strength issue. Joe--ASE Certified Parts Specialist & 10th Ann.Club Tech Director '80 Carousel Red Turbo T/A, 27k orig. '79 "Y89" 400/4 speed 10th Ann. T/A, 57k orig '84 Olds 88 Royale Bgm 2 dr, 307 "Rocket" (lol), 143k and still going.... '91 S10 Blazer 4.3Z

Reply to
Bigjfig

You will need to check your facts on that one. GM never marketed a 3rd gen 350/5 speed combo as the tranny can't handle the torgue of the 350. As a matter of fact, it's the highest failure item on the 5.0 Stangs as they use the same tranny. They just don't have the strength to stand up to more than about 300 FP of torque.

Reply to
Cy Welch

well thats sucks......

Reply to
John King

Joe:

Let me correct you there. There were no GM built units that way. A few people have put 350's in T-5 cars. Just as a few people have converted over to the 93 up 6 speeds in third gens. Charles

Reply to
Charles Bendig

This is correct. And even in those cases unless you baby them they have a distressing tendancy to grenade from the torque. The 6 speed conversion if far more useful as the 6 speed is able to handle the torque.

Reply to
Cy Welch

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