First off this is all in good fun, i dont want anyone getting upset or anything turning ugly just a friendly comparison, i think this kind of stuff is fun and im sure even though we are a 3rd gen based group we all still have love for our brethren from other generations :-)

Okay so my main comparison is the 79' (or 78' for those who prefer that style) 400/4-speed vs the 87' L98/auto Iroc. Both stock, WS6 and FE2 packages, stock yet loaded to the gills with the performance goodies. We can compare anything, 1/4 mile time, horsepower, torque, handling, weight, looks, convenience, fun factor, lets just talk about it some. We can also compare the two with mild mods, the usual stuff people do like modern brakes, cam swap, some head work, exhaust, nothing too radical just the usual. We can also compare others if you like, such as the 3rd gen Turbo T/A and the 2nd gen 455 Super Duties. Its a completely pointless discussion but i feel like its a lot of fun to compare these cars and see what we think was better or worse in any aspect of the cars. Magazine articles are welcome, personal experiences are welcome, its just a fun comparison so im not too stingy on that kind of stuff, plus i like seeing magazine articles on different cars/motors and hearing peoples stories about them. So lets have it! What do you guys think? ;-)

 

To start things off i'll say after trying out the TPI it will be hard to go back to carbs. Amazing reliability and mileage, a bit harder to work on and more complex but the pros outweigh the cons id say so thats a point for the Iroc. Both cars have amazing styling but i think the T/A just barely snuffs out a lead mainly because of their drop dead gorgeous interiors.

 

the 2nd gen F-bodies were pretty damn slow compared to ANY of the other generations. ( with the exception of the 73' - 74' Trans Am SD-455 372hp and 480ft-lb )

That being said, pretty much any F-Body between 72 or so and probably 85 or so, is painfully slow compared to any other F-body ( especially 4th gens )
The 2nd Gen Trans Ams have some REALLY good looking interiors though. Much better than any other F-body IMO.

Personally, I think Firebirds have always looked better than the Camaro ( with the exception of the LT1 models ) both for exterior, and interior. My favorite two being a 91'-92' Formula/Trans Am and a 98'-02' WS6

 

Thats true, as far as performance goes most of the 2nd gens have it bad. Most of it, i believe, is the weight of the cars. Isnt it somewhere around 3800 for a late 2nd gen and 3300-3500 (options pending) on a mid-run 3rd gen? I agree on the interiors, the 2nd gen interiors are just to die for, one of the best interiors ever put into a car in my opinion. Also my opinion on which looks better year to year flip-flops every time a new generation comes out, i feel like they trade per generation. I prefer the Camaros for 1st gens, Firebirds for 2nd gens, Camaros for 3rd gens, Firebirds for 4th gens, and 5th gen is kinda biased towards Camaro for unknown reasons >_> LOL

I always wonder, performance-wise, what the differences in testing would be on certain cars with modern tune-up or replaceable parts. For example a guy on youtube had a comment on an L98 Iroc video saying "id put my Iroc against any 2nd Gen T/A any day, even the super duties" and he sited magazine test article's quarter mile times as the reason why. But i start to think, yeah the Super Duties were tested at 13.5 or so in the quarter, the 77-79 4-speeds were what? 15.2? The article we have here on the 88' Iroc tests say 14.5. But there were for sure leaps and bounds in the tire and tune-up industry between 78 and 88. I think it would be interesting to suit the 78 4-speed 400 and the 88' 350 auto with the best modern tires that you can get for the stock rims they came with (that way both dont end up riding on crazy Pirellies), give them modern performance spart plugs, wires, synthetic oils, all of that modern stuff that doesnt actually take points off for not being factory correct (a car is still 100% stock if the spark plugs arent the original factory pieces) and see what they both run. I would think the T/A would start to come pretty close to the Iroc in the 1/4 mile tests but the Iroc would destroy the T/A in the handling/braking tests. Also btw as for the poster from youtube, i think that test of the SD-455 at 13.5 sec in 1972 on today's tune-up/tire equipment would be reduced significantly. Id think that alone would bring it down to 13.2-13.0

Away from performance though, the 3rd gens are just way better cars to live with day-to-day. Cold start capability, mileage, ABS (although i call mine "A 'BS' System" LOL), it all starts to add up. The 3rd gen makes for a much friendlier daily-driver these days

 

A 2nd Gen WS6 Trans Am with IROC Wheels doesn't handle all that much worse than an IROC or TA on the same rubber, a buddy of mine had one and it was impressive. Stright line is another story - with 400 or more extra lbs and a lower HP motor, the 400/403/350 of the late 2nd gens is not going to run in a straight line with the L98 cars or even the LB89 5 speed ones. Sure the SD was fast, but it was a 455ci motor and the earlier cars were lighter - they didn't make many and they are so collectible now it would be hard to find one at a track.

Brakes - not like any of the thirdgens had good brakes anyway (except the 1LE)...

 

Does anyone else find it annoying how some people will nit-pick our cars when we call them muscle? As if there was a real difference between a Pony car with a V8 and a muscle car.

 

I ve actually heard ppl call 3rd as well as 4th gens tuners? Lol

 

eh? the ram air IV and 455ho models were fast too. any round port pontiac would beat a 350 tpi.

 

Any car can be made fast, that isn't what I think, that is what I know...

2nd gens are no exeptions...

 

pure stock 71 455 ho trans am

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sffT2FVj1JY

 

Same here,I've always felt the Firebirds were much better looking inside and out than the Camaros.
I've owned several 1977-1978 Trans ams and Firebirds and a 1974 400 and they are fun cars to drive and handle very well for their era,in fact thats one of the reasons James Garner picked Firebirds for The Rockford Files.
After 74 the horsepower really fell off.