You are absolutely right about many of these cars being in rough shape. I spent years searching for a 98-02 LS TA and couldn't find one that was worth spending good money on. I decided to try my luck on finding a well maintained V6 Firebird. I got pretty lucky. Two years ago just 40 mins from where I live, I found a loaded, bright red, t-top, garage queen, 1998 Firebird, W68 with the Y87 performance package. I didn't even know that was a thing. The guy I bought it from kept it in a climate controlled garage for over 20 years. There's zero rust on the car, the leather seats look and smell new, no door panel not dashboard cracks, and the paint is a 9 out of 10, due to a few small road chips on the hood. There's no swirl marks on the car, as the guy only washed it once the entire time he owned it...and that was the day I bought it from him. I'd love a WS.6 LS TA, but I honestly can't complain about what I got.
@@firebird5288 wow! That sounds like a beautiful firebird...very few people kept them half as nice as yours. The y87 is pretty interesting, very unique and only the f body die hards usually know what it is exactly. The V6 cars don't get enough love, especially the 3800 ones. It's still 200hp, about the same as the sn95 V8s had until 1999! My buddies 5 speed 3800 Camaro was a stripper, no t tops, roll up windows etc and it would routinely beat a 96 mustang GT auto! In today's world, finding any nice F Body is worth it. Especially for t top off cruising, I wouldn't turn my nose at a v6 car especially a garage queen!
@@tommyistommy thank you for your kind words about it being a V6. And you're right again. People don't appreciatethe V6 cars. I know I never did. I never paid them any attention as I was always a TA guy. But being a Y87, it handles as well as my 96 TA did. When I first drove it I was thinking, "Is it normal for a V6 bird to feel and handle like my 96 TA did?" I'm glad I bought it. And I hear that often about V6 fbodies beating Mustang GTs of their time. I really should post a video of my car. I just finished your video. Thanks for sharing your birds with us!
@@firebird5288 I would love to see it! I think the appreciation for these cars is just starting. Especially the Pontiacs, they built far more C5s than 98-02 firebirds and C5s live a similar life to your car. Very few people kept a F Body nice even when new. I continue to be amazed at how well this video is doing, I'm just glad to be part of the F Body "renaissance"!
Thank you for uploading this video of two great machines many don't see much. I see the Camaro F-bodies way more than the Firebirds, but I did recently buy a 1995 Firebird Formula equipped with the LT1 V8. Honestly, I plan to keep it as long as possible and it needs a full body paint job since the original owner had it peeling all on almost every panel, but it drives brand new with no check lights on.
@@CB12345 Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed the video and most importantly found your own Firebird to enjoy. LT1 cars are a lot of fun, the way the torque comes on early and the sound is amazing. The Camaro outsold the Firebird by 2 to 1, it was cheaper and there's a lot more Chevrolet dealerships than Pontiac ever had. I know I greatly prefer the taillights, seats, dash design and pop up headlights of the firechickens
@@brandonhodnett5420 thank you! It's pretty wild how these cars get overlooked especially with handling. I'll have another video up soon with my formula on 200tw tires, its an animal!
$20,000 F-Body Out Accelerated the Mid Race Car engine NSX. Of course the NSX was the better car but as a Teenager when I was reading about F-Bodys it was insane. It was the same price as Turbo Eclipses, Preludes and Integras. Those cars were no contest against F-Bodies in a straight line. I have a 03 Z06 but if Corvettes didn't exist I would have a WS6 with a Gigantic Screaming Chicken Decal on the hood.
Hey man solid video. I appreciate the honest assessment of your ownership experience. I've owned f bodies since the late 90s and remember that first generation of the import craze in the US. I never really understood the draw when these were available and only got more affordable over the years. I think they suffered from lack of mainstream media projection and critical reviews from car magazines that I am now suspicious of their motivations. I've surprised many people in those early years who had preconceived notions or had little thought of what these cars are capable of.
@@expeditionjay thank you, I'll definitely check out your channel now! I agree, these cars never got a fair shake in my eyes. I've owned a lot of the Japanese cars of the era and a 4th gen is better at pretty much everything. GM was protecting the Corvette in many ways vastly underrating horsepower and performance metrics. What's most insane to me is how the Mustang outsold these despite performing horrible in comparison. I feel like the media and GM did a pretty bad job marketing these vehicles
I own a 1998 TA, looks just like yours, except with still the stock rims and not the Corvette rims. It's been my daily for about 9 years now, and is still running great! It has a few typical maintenance things, like the back suspension starting to squeek, and the typical dash cracks, but overall still turns heads everywhere! Just had a guy pull up to me the other day at a stop light and yelled out his window "beautiful car man!" And it made my night. I enjoyed this video and to hear your opinions.. enjoy the drive man!!
@@JustinWh0a that's great to hear you're enjoying it daily! Certain things on these are unavoidable...the dash and most doors will crack. Sail panel will bubble on later cars...but who cares?! They really are a ton of fun to drive and look awesome. I'll have more videos up soon glad you enjoyed this one!
You can't go wrong with any LS GM car really. The CTS V, SSR, GTO, F Body, Vette...hell even the Trailblazer SS is awesome! They all give you a slightly different flavor of the same dish
More connected, cheaper to buy and modify and nothing to go wrong. There will never be another hydraulic steering, throttle cable, solid rear axle V8 car sold after all
Your 💯 % correct! I had a modern challenger rt 6spd a few years ago. It was entirely decent. I was missing a v8 6spd and my old mr2 was becoming very clapped out. So I recently picked up a 96 camaro z28 tee top 6spd red. I absolutely love it. My only regret is not buying one back then instead of the dodge. It's so much more fun and feels faster too.
@@BaseReality8279 that's awesome to hear! I'm not the only one who goes from mr2s to muscle cars in the same day 😂 The 4th gen f bodies always had a bad reputation and I never understood why. Once you drive one it all makes sense. The lt1 cars really are fun to drive, the sound and torque they make from idle is addicting. T Tops alone make the 4th gen worth buying, it's the last car sold with them 🙌
@@tommyistommy no complaints yet with my lt. I looked at so many of these cars hard to find one in decent shape under 10Gs. I paid 7 for mine no rust all original un hacked un molested everything works and typical paint chips ect. Sitting right at 100k miles. Got it in May and put about 3000 trouble free miles on already. Including a 1000 miles family trip to Lake Superior! 26 mpg fully loaded with the air on. I'm not even worried about the opti spark I plan to delete it when it starts acting up.
@@BaseReality8279 you did good! Finding one of these that's one color, hasn't been beat on and runs is hard enough. That's low miles! There's very few cars in that shape under 10k anymore. It's so crazy, you used to be able to get a 40k ls1 6 speed car for 10k all day. The market on these is never going back down in my opinion, there's too few nice ones left. The optispark isn't as bad as people like to think it is, the original non vented ones did have some issues on 93-94 cars. By 96 it's a pretty damn solid system. And when it does go...why not go to coil on plug?!
@@tammyforbes2101 I do know what it means 🤣 I grew up wanting nothing but Japanese cars. I still want a Mk4 supra in the worst way. Life happens though and spending 80k on a weekend car is just not ideal at the moment. The direct driving experience, relatively low weight, power level and ease of modification are very similar to the 90s JDM cars we all idolize. I discuss it in the video also. There's nothing JDM about General Motors though you are correct 🤣
@@tommyistommywe called these “hillbilly Vipers” cause with a few mods and a little work it could run with a viper stock! And it was the closest us hillbilly’s will ever get to a Viper to! 😂
@@tammyforbes2101 they really are a lot like a hillbilly viper, no safety aids to help you and you feel so confident until it lets go and swaps ends 😂 I'm going to remember that saying!
34:43 definitely are awesome cars i have a 97 T/A and also a 01 T/A love them both but in terms of aftermarket support it’s kinda limited especially when you’re comparing it to a 240 or any sorta JDM car that has every part aftermarket under the moon lol i trying to build my 97 into a “stance” car basically just wanna close the wheel gap and there’s only like 2 coilovers brands for these cars and most involve cutting or converting etc i mean other then that these cars are so fun to work on and easy 1st V8 cars definitely love the vid brother hope to see more on your red t/a
@@Aziakkuu interesting! I didn't realize they were that limited when going low. I never really wanted my f bodies any lower, they already scrape the earth stock! Somehow corvettes are even worse! For beating on daily, they really do everything well. I was not expecting them to be such fun daily drivers, especially considering how the earlier f body cars drove. They barely feel related! Appreciate it, there will be more videos up soon on both of them
Cheapy 90s plastic but the interiors do look cool. Love the looks of 90s muscle car interiors. I had a 97 Cobra and it also had cheap plastics. Looked cool though.
Oh yeah the styling is awesome in the 90s. Horrible build quality and materials but strangely enough, the "rough" plastics hold up pretty well and now have a certain charm to them. It's just period correct now, the later 2000s cars were "nicer" when new but look way worse and dated today with 3 inch navigation screens and headliners peeling
I admired Vtec cars from afar and like Amercan muscle when I was younger. My goal is to atleast get a 05 Corolla XRS. Glad I do have a japanese tide now my Tracker.
8k+ rpm, you need a 2zzge Toyota, 90s Honda or GT3 to experience the thrill of high revving. Unless my life significantly changes, I'll stick to my old JDM cars for that rush
@@tommyistommy That Corolla XRS is the most boring car ever with such a cool engine. It's a straight up not cool looking at all Corolla lol. Like every other sleeper some people will know. Does anyone recognize a XRS badge lol
Idk how you do it, I always end up in 4th doing a 125 pull at least once per tank. That and the 80mph speed limits here usually land me in the 26mpg highway bracket.
@@michaelm3381 Thank you! That is one awesome lineup 😎 2002 Formula is insanely rare, nearly all V8s in 2002 were WS6 Trans Ams since people knew it was the end of the era
@@michaelm3381 that is extremely rare indeed. I was not sure they made formulas in the ls1 cars until I bought one and found out after just how few were produced. I prefer the seats and low rise spoiler, I actually wish mine had cloth in the summer!
I always found the c5 seats extremely uncomfortable and unsupportive. They just are flat in the wrong places and the bolsters are the worst. These seats alone were a reason for me to jump ship 🤣 that's how you know you're getting old
@@tommyistommy C5 corvette seats are Cavalier/Sunfire tier - C6 they improved a bit but still bad - C7 are livable - C8 GM finally figured out the seats
@@Motorsportsgeek yeah getting into a c4 seat wasn't fun but once you straddled in, it was a comfortable and supportive seat. The Pontiac f bodies had great seats in the top trim 3rd gen and 4th gens while Camaros had equally awful seats to the c5. How could seats so drastically change on one product year to year or even brand to brand on the same platform? Truly mind boggling.
@@JoeSmith-tu7vi the original WS6 hood is long gone, I sold it for an outrageous price (2k). I have a trufiber WS9 hood also which honestly is much better quality than OEM and actually functional. I'd highly recommend one of you're in the market!
I feel like the 93-97 cars are just much better built, a lot of that carried into the 1998s as well. Better materials, no sail panel issues, less common interior issues.
Actually, both of your cars should have the exact same Monsoon sound system. There was an optional CD changer in the hatch. T-TOP shades were also standard, so I would say a previous owner lost them.
@@michaelm3381 interesting, I have had quite a few f bodies and they usually did not have the t top shades. The formula had the CD changer in trunk. It's strange how it has traction control, that was another first for me on a 4th gen
@@tommyistommytraction control was also an option. And the 2001 and 2002 LS1 cars had the LS6 intake manifold, which was borrowed from the new ZO6 Corvette. Officially it only added 5 horsepower, but unofficially it added about 15 horsepower. That's probably why your Formula seems faster. If you post any more Firebird videos, I will subscribe. I absolutely love these cars.
@@michaelm3381 I will definitely have more videos up on the firebirds, I love the 4th gen platform and feel like there are not a lot of them left in one piece I believe they changed the cam as well, it feels a lot stronger in the low and midrange. It feels like my old lt1s did down low without losing anything up top. The 99 definitely needs to rev to move in comparison
@@tommyistommy That's true as far as door panels, bcms, sail panel paint, etc. The trade off, the interiors are far far worse on the 93-96 cars. And obviously engine is a thing
@@wob6776 while I prefer the ls1, the lt1 is no slouch. It's a bit heavier, a lot harder to work on but still makes great power. What is worse/different about the 93-96 interiors? I had a 95 formula many years ago and do not remember it being much different. The dash and seats were very similar from my memories
@@tommyistommy I will do a update on this. That same Firebird is in the $20K range now. My predictions are coming true. The C8 wasn't out yet when I made that video and even now Corvettes don't have a manual option and the E-Ray is part Electric. Called it.
@@angeldiaz-gv8uk you are correct these are 2.73s, not 3.08s. I was confusing the ratios with trucks, some people would say I have too many cars! There's a reason 6 speed cars all had 3.42s....the gears are SO LONG. I'll get another video up showing how long before I regear it
Yes I do, my point is the 4th gen f body is a very similar performing vehicle as the Japanese legends I grew up idolizing. It's an interesting alternative at current pricing
@@2jzprevia I grew up driving and loving japanese cars, still do. I really wanted a Mk4 supra when I bought one of these instead. They provide a very similar performance level, have similar modifications and do the whole grand touring car thing just as well at 10% the cost. I feel like these cars just never got a fair shake due to their low cost and stereotypical buyers. Think about it, 320hp? Check. 6 speed overbuilt transmission? Check. Legendary motor? Check. 2+2 seating? Check. Removable roof panel? Check. 3300-3500lbs? Check. Lift back for practicality? Check. Reliable? Check. Does a supra have a nicer interior? Of course. Does it look better? Yeah. Is it worth 80k instead of 8k for a f body? That's my question. Most people just use their weekend car for a few pulls, take the top off and maybe go to a cars and coffee or two. Or you build it into something wild. These cars do all that just as well as the outrageously expensive JDM cars while still providing a connected and raw 90s driving experiences
I love my WS6 lol, always was a JDM/Euro guy, but was like you know what, let’s try this, and man is it one of the most fun cars I’ve driven! Mine is setup for handling.
@@2jzprevia that's awesome to hear! These cars are way more fun, connected and handle better than I ever thought they did. I will have another video up soon on my suspension upgrades and re-71rs Bridgestone 200tw tire setup on the formula...I'm also going to set it up to handle! I'd love to hear more about yours
@@tommyistommy it’s a 2002 WS6 same red too lol. I have the rear pretty much setup with a BMR Watts link, UMI front and rear sway bars, UMI tunnel mounted torque arm, UMI relocated roto-joint solid rear control arms. It’s on Bilstein Pro kit shocks and UMI lowering springs, lowered about 1.5” all around, going with coilovers in the near future. For the front so far I have the UMI upgraded bump steer kit with solid roto-joint outer tie rods, just need front upper a-arms and lower control arms to complete the front, as well as frame connectors and maybe a upgraded k-member. Tires I have are Michelin PS4s on BBS CH wheels 19x8.5 +35 (245) in the front and 19x10 +20 (265) in the rear Engine is stock LS1, just bolt-ons BBK 1-3/4” Long Tubes with a 3” Speed Engineering true dual exhaust. Put down about 350whp on the dyno Transmission is the stock T56 upgraded McLeod street extreme clutch and MGW short shifter.
@@iamdale2309 I'm very well aware it's an American car built in Canada 🤣 my point is, people pay 5-10x what the 4th gen sells for and get pretty much the exact same performance and potential. 320hp, removable roof panels, 3200-3400lbs, 6 speed, legendary motor, hatchback design....describes both a 80k mk4 supra and 8k ls1 f body. Even the handling is pretty damn similar, the 4th gen with panhard rear and double wishbone front suspension handles way better than it gets credit for. I've owned supras, 300zxs, 3000gts...the 4th gen is honestly better driving than all of them and I feel like it's overall performance gets overlooked due to the stereotypes and image which is sad as an automotive enthusiast
You are absolutely right about many of these cars being in rough shape. I spent years searching for a 98-02 LS TA and couldn't find one that was worth spending good money on. I decided to try my luck on finding a well maintained V6 Firebird. I got pretty lucky. Two years ago just 40 mins from where I live, I found a loaded, bright red, t-top, garage queen, 1998 Firebird, W68 with the Y87 performance package. I didn't even know that was a thing. The guy I bought it from kept it in a climate controlled garage for over 20 years. There's zero rust on the car, the leather seats look and smell new, no door panel not dashboard cracks, and the paint is a 9 out of 10, due to a few small road chips on the hood. There's no swirl marks on the car, as the guy only washed it once the entire time he owned it...and that was the day I bought it from him. I'd love a WS.6 LS TA, but I honestly can't complain about what I got.
@@firebird5288 wow! That sounds like a beautiful firebird...very few people kept them half as nice as yours. The y87 is pretty interesting, very unique and only the f body die hards usually know what it is exactly.
The V6 cars don't get enough love, especially the 3800 ones. It's still 200hp, about the same as the sn95 V8s had until 1999! My buddies 5 speed 3800 Camaro was a stripper, no t tops, roll up windows etc and it would routinely beat a 96 mustang GT auto! In today's world, finding any nice F Body is worth it. Especially for t top off cruising, I wouldn't turn my nose at a v6 car especially a garage queen!
@@tommyistommy thank you for your kind words about it being a V6. And you're right again. People don't appreciatethe V6 cars. I know I never did. I never paid them any attention as I was always a TA guy. But being a Y87, it handles as well as my 96 TA did. When I first drove it I was thinking, "Is it normal for a V6 bird to feel and handle like my 96 TA did?" I'm glad I bought it. And I hear that often about V6 fbodies beating Mustang GTs of their time.
I really should post a video of my car.
I just finished your video. Thanks for sharing your birds with us!
@@firebird5288 I would love to see it! I think the appreciation for these cars is just starting. Especially the Pontiacs, they built far more C5s than 98-02 firebirds and C5s live a similar life to your car. Very few people kept a F Body nice even when new. I continue to be amazed at how well this video is doing, I'm just glad to be part of the F Body "renaissance"!
Thank you for uploading this video of two great machines many don't see much. I see the Camaro F-bodies way more than the Firebirds, but I did recently buy a 1995 Firebird Formula equipped with the LT1 V8. Honestly, I plan to keep it as long as possible and it needs a full body paint job since the original owner had it peeling all on almost every panel, but it drives brand new with no check lights on.
@@CB12345 Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed the video and most importantly found your own Firebird to enjoy. LT1 cars are a lot of fun, the way the torque comes on early and the sound is amazing. The Camaro outsold the Firebird by 2 to 1, it was cheaper and there's a lot more Chevrolet dealerships than Pontiac ever had. I know I greatly prefer the taillights, seats, dash design and pop up headlights of the firechickens
Well said, late 90’s JDMs got all the love but LS1 F bodies would eat their lunch money in a straight line and are equivalent on a road course.
@@brandonhodnett5420 thank you! It's pretty wild how these cars get overlooked especially with handling. I'll have another video up soon with my formula on 200tw tires, its an animal!
$20,000 F-Body Out Accelerated the Mid Race Car engine NSX. Of course the NSX was the better car but as a Teenager when I was reading about F-Bodys it was insane. It was the same price as Turbo Eclipses, Preludes and Integras. Those cars were no contest against F-Bodies in a straight line. I have a 03 Z06 but if Corvettes didn't exist I would have a WS6 with a Gigantic Screaming Chicken Decal on the hood.
Hey man solid video. I appreciate the honest assessment of your ownership experience. I've owned f bodies since the late 90s and remember that first generation of the import craze in the US. I never really understood the draw when these were available and only got more affordable over the years. I think they suffered from lack of mainstream media projection and critical reviews from car magazines that I am now suspicious of their motivations. I've surprised many people in those early years who had preconceived notions or had little thought of what these cars are capable of.
@@expeditionjay thank you, I'll definitely check out your channel now! I agree, these cars never got a fair shake in my eyes. I've owned a lot of the Japanese cars of the era and a 4th gen is better at pretty much everything. GM was protecting the Corvette in many ways vastly underrating horsepower and performance metrics.
What's most insane to me is how the Mustang outsold these despite performing horrible in comparison. I feel like the media and GM did a pretty bad job marketing these vehicles
I own a 1998 TA, looks just like yours, except with still the stock rims and not the Corvette rims. It's been my daily for about 9 years now, and is still running great! It has a few typical maintenance things, like the back suspension starting to squeek, and the typical dash cracks, but overall still turns heads everywhere! Just had a guy pull up to me the other day at a stop light and yelled out his window "beautiful car man!" And it made my night. I enjoyed this video and to hear your opinions.. enjoy the drive man!!
@@JustinWh0a that's great to hear you're enjoying it daily! Certain things on these are unavoidable...the dash and most doors will crack. Sail panel will bubble on later cars...but who cares?! They really are a ton of fun to drive and look awesome. I'll have more videos up soon glad you enjoyed this one!
@Ballen1182 black with tan leather is the best color combo! It's crazy how that car would sell for 3x what it did in 2016 today
If Corvettes didnt exist I would have a Firebird because they are cartooney good looking cars or I would go understated and drive a 05-06 GTO
You can't go wrong with any LS GM car really. The CTS V, SSR, GTO, F Body, Vette...hell even the Trailblazer SS is awesome! They all give you a slightly different flavor of the same dish
Id take this over a new Camaro/Challenger/Mustang
More connected, cheaper to buy and modify and nothing to go wrong. There will never be another hydraulic steering, throttle cable, solid rear axle V8 car sold after all
Your 💯 % correct! I had a modern challenger rt 6spd a few years ago. It was entirely decent. I was missing a v8 6spd and my old mr2 was becoming very clapped out. So I recently picked up a 96 camaro z28 tee top 6spd red. I absolutely love it. My only regret is not buying one back then instead of the dodge. It's so much more fun and feels faster too.
@@BaseReality8279 that's awesome to hear! I'm not the only one who goes from mr2s to muscle cars in the same day 😂
The 4th gen f bodies always had a bad reputation and I never understood why. Once you drive one it all makes sense. The lt1 cars really are fun to drive, the sound and torque they make from idle is addicting. T Tops alone make the 4th gen worth buying, it's the last car sold with them 🙌
@@tommyistommy no complaints yet with my lt. I looked at so many of these cars hard to find one in decent shape under 10Gs. I paid 7 for mine no rust all original un hacked un molested everything works and typical paint chips ect. Sitting right at 100k miles. Got it in May and put about 3000 trouble free miles on already. Including a 1000 miles family trip to Lake Superior! 26 mpg fully loaded with the air on. I'm not even worried about the opti spark I plan to delete it when it starts acting up.
@@BaseReality8279 you did good! Finding one of these that's one color, hasn't been beat on and runs is hard enough. That's low miles! There's very few cars in that shape under 10k anymore. It's so crazy, you used to be able to get a 40k ls1 6 speed car for 10k all day. The market on these is never going back down in my opinion, there's too few nice ones left.
The optispark isn't as bad as people like to think it is, the original non vented ones did have some issues on 93-94 cars. By 96 it's a pretty damn solid system. And when it does go...why not go to coil on plug?!
I don’t think you know what JDM means! It has nothing to do with trans ams!
@@tammyforbes2101 I do know what it means 🤣 I grew up wanting nothing but Japanese cars. I still want a Mk4 supra in the worst way. Life happens though and spending 80k on a weekend car is just not ideal at the moment. The direct driving experience, relatively low weight, power level and ease of modification are very similar to the 90s JDM cars we all idolize. I discuss it in the video also. There's nothing JDM about General Motors though you are correct 🤣
@@tommyistommywe called these “hillbilly Vipers” cause with a few mods and a little work it could run with a viper stock! And it was the closest us hillbilly’s will ever get to a Viper to! 😂
@@tammyforbes2101 they really are a lot like a hillbilly viper, no safety aids to help you and you feel so confident until it lets go and swaps ends 😂 I'm going to remember that saying!
34:43 definitely are awesome cars i have a 97 T/A and also a 01 T/A love them both but in terms of aftermarket support it’s kinda limited especially when you’re comparing it to a 240 or any sorta JDM car that has every part aftermarket under the moon lol i trying to build my 97 into a “stance” car basically just wanna close the wheel gap and there’s only like 2 coilovers brands for these cars and most involve cutting or converting etc i mean other then that these cars are so fun to work on and easy 1st V8 cars definitely love the vid brother hope to see more on your red t/a
@@Aziakkuu interesting! I didn't realize they were that limited when going low. I never really wanted my f bodies any lower, they already scrape the earth stock! Somehow corvettes are even worse!
For beating on daily, they really do everything well. I was not expecting them to be such fun daily drivers, especially considering how the earlier f body cars drove. They barely feel related!
Appreciate it, there will be more videos up soon on both of them
Cheapy 90s plastic but the interiors do look cool. Love the looks of 90s muscle car interiors. I had a 97 Cobra and it also had cheap plastics. Looked cool though.
Oh yeah the styling is awesome in the 90s. Horrible build quality and materials but strangely enough, the "rough" plastics hold up pretty well and now have a certain charm to them. It's just period correct now, the later 2000s cars were "nicer" when new but look way worse and dated today with 3 inch navigation screens and headliners peeling
@@tommyistommy I'm going to do a topic on that.
that plastic is for weight reduction bro 😂
@@kevinrodriguez9701 man this thing should be lighter than air 🤣🤣🤣
Do you remember Riceboy page? Its still up a relic from the 90s
Man now you're really throwing it back!
I admired Vtec cars from afar and like Amercan muscle when I was younger. My goal is to atleast get a 05 Corolla XRS. Glad I do have a japanese tide now my Tracker.
8k+ rpm, you need a 2zzge Toyota, 90s Honda or GT3 to experience the thrill of high revving. Unless my life significantly changes, I'll stick to my old JDM cars for that rush
@@tommyistommy That Corolla XRS is the most boring car ever with such a cool engine. It's a straight up not cool looking at all Corolla lol. Like every other sleeper some people will know. Does anyone recognize a XRS badge lol
@@JohnDrivesAnythingabout 7 people will know and you and I are included in that 7
30 mpg on the dot in my Corvette all freeway but you're not allowed yo do one nice freeway on ramp run which is hard.
Idk how you do it, I always end up in 4th doing a 125 pull at least once per tank. That and the 80mph speed limits here usually land me in the 26mpg highway bracket.
Beautiful cars! I also have a 2002 Formula and a 1999 TA. I've owned fourth gen Firebirds for over 20 years and still love them.
@@michaelm3381 Thank you! That is one awesome lineup 😎 2002 Formula is insanely rare, nearly all V8s in 2002 were WS6 Trans Ams since people knew it was the end of the era
@@tommyistommy 901 Formulas made in 2002 and I believe just over 1,000 in 2001.
@@michaelm3381 that is extremely rare indeed. I was not sure they made formulas in the ls1 cars until I bought one and found out after just how few were produced. I prefer the seats and low rise spoiler, I actually wish mine had cloth in the summer!
I want recaros in my ZO6 but the seat is still nice and I like the ZO6 logo on the seat. But I don hate how they dont hold you in on turns
I always found the c5 seats extremely uncomfortable and unsupportive. They just are flat in the wrong places and the bolsters are the worst. These seats alone were a reason for me to jump ship 🤣 that's how you know you're getting old
@@tommyistommy C5 corvette seats are Cavalier/Sunfire tier - C6 they improved a bit but still bad - C7 are livable - C8 GM finally figured out the seats
@@Motorsportsgeek the classic GM move - take decades to fix easy issues. It wouldn't be a GM car without puzzling decisions at every corner
@@tommyistommy It's weird because the top trim C4 seats were very nice then GM just pressed the reset button
@@Motorsportsgeek yeah getting into a c4 seat wasn't fun but once you straddled in, it was a comfortable and supportive seat. The Pontiac f bodies had great seats in the top trim 3rd gen and 4th gens while Camaros had equally awful seats to the c5. How could seats so drastically change on one product year to year or even brand to brand on the same platform? Truly mind boggling.
Still have the WS6 hood by chance? I'd be interested in buying it.
@@JoeSmith-tu7vi the original WS6 hood is long gone, I sold it for an outrageous price (2k). I have a trufiber WS9 hood also which honestly is much better quality than OEM and actually functional. I'd highly recommend one of you're in the market!
Uploaded a video in response to this one!
Door cracks
I feel like the 93-97 cars are just much better built, a lot of that carried into the 1998s as well. Better materials, no sail panel issues, less common interior issues.
Actually, both of your cars should have the exact same Monsoon sound system. There was an optional CD changer in the hatch. T-TOP shades were also standard, so I would say a previous owner lost them.
@@michaelm3381 interesting, I have had quite a few f bodies and they usually did not have the t top shades. The formula had the CD changer in trunk. It's strange how it has traction control, that was another first for me on a 4th gen
@@tommyistommytraction control was also an option. And the 2001 and 2002 LS1 cars had the LS6 intake manifold, which was borrowed from the new ZO6 Corvette. Officially it only added 5 horsepower, but unofficially it added about 15 horsepower. That's probably why your Formula seems faster. If you post any more Firebird videos, I will subscribe. I absolutely love these cars.
@@michaelm3381 I will definitely have more videos up on the firebirds, I love the 4th gen platform and feel like there are not a lot of them left in one piece
I believe they changed the cam as well, it feels a lot stronger in the low and midrange. It feels like my old lt1s did down low without losing anything up top. The 99 definitely needs to rev to move in comparison
@@tommyistommy I don't know much about internal engine work, but if you say more Firebird videos, you have earned a new subscriber.
1998 don't have the food cracks, I own one no cracks.
@@angeldiaz-gv8uk that is pretty impressive! Hope you can keep it nice forever 😎😎😎
Yep another 98 owner with no door cracks... 173k. And pre-LS don't have it
@@wob6776 I feel like a lot of the early cars were built significantly better. The 98s seem to have that carry over from LT1 generation!
@@tommyistommy That's true as far as door panels, bcms, sail panel paint, etc. The trade off, the interiors are far far worse on the 93-96 cars. And obviously engine is a thing
@@wob6776 while I prefer the ls1, the lt1 is no slouch. It's a bit heavier, a lot harder to work on but still makes great power. What is worse/different about the 93-96 interiors? I had a 95 formula many years ago and do not remember it being much different. The dash and seats were very similar from my memories
Uploaded 10 years ago ruclips.net/video/OSK1T1-fXxg/видео.html
Doing exactly what I do with cars!
@@tommyistommy I will do a update on this. That same Firebird is in the $20K range now. My predictions are coming true. The C8 wasn't out yet when I made that video and even now Corvettes don't have a manual option and the E-Ray is part Electric. Called it.
323 gears, no 308 just 273 gears on non performance ls1 automatic. 323 on the performance automatic.
@@angeldiaz-gv8uk you are correct these are 2.73s, not 3.08s. I was confusing the ratios with trucks, some people would say I have too many cars! There's a reason 6 speed cars all had 3.42s....the gears are SO LONG. I'll get another video up showing how long before I regear it
Do you know what jdm is?
Yes I do, my point is the 4th gen f body is a very similar performing vehicle as the Japanese legends I grew up idolizing. It's an interesting alternative at current pricing
JDM?
@@2jzprevia I grew up driving and loving japanese cars, still do. I really wanted a Mk4 supra when I bought one of these instead. They provide a very similar performance level, have similar modifications and do the whole grand touring car thing just as well at 10% the cost.
I feel like these cars just never got a fair shake due to their low cost and stereotypical buyers. Think about it, 320hp? Check. 6 speed overbuilt transmission? Check. Legendary motor? Check. 2+2 seating? Check. Removable roof panel? Check. 3300-3500lbs? Check. Lift back for practicality? Check. Reliable? Check.
Does a supra have a nicer interior? Of course. Does it look better? Yeah. Is it worth 80k instead of 8k for a f body? That's my question. Most people just use their weekend car for a few pulls, take the top off and maybe go to a cars and coffee or two. Or you build it into something wild. These cars do all that just as well as the outrageously expensive JDM cars while still providing a connected and raw 90s driving experiences
@@tommyistommy gotcha!
I love my WS6 lol, always was a JDM/Euro guy, but was like you know what, let’s try this, and man is it one of the most fun cars I’ve driven! Mine is setup for handling.
@@2jzprevia that's awesome to hear! These cars are way more fun, connected and handle better than I ever thought they did. I will have another video up soon on my suspension upgrades and re-71rs Bridgestone 200tw tire setup on the formula...I'm also going to set it up to handle! I'd love to hear more about yours
@@tommyistommy it’s a 2002 WS6 same red too lol.
I have the rear pretty much setup with a BMR Watts link, UMI front and rear sway bars, UMI tunnel mounted torque arm, UMI relocated roto-joint solid rear control arms. It’s on Bilstein Pro kit shocks and UMI lowering springs, lowered about 1.5” all around, going with coilovers in the near future. For the front so far I have the UMI upgraded bump steer kit with solid roto-joint outer tie rods, just need front upper a-arms and lower control arms to complete the front, as well as frame connectors and maybe a upgraded k-member.
Tires I have are Michelin PS4s on BBS CH wheels 19x8.5 +35 (245) in the front and 19x10 +20 (265) in the rear
Engine is stock LS1, just bolt-ons BBK 1-3/4” Long Tubes with a 3” Speed Engineering true dual exhaust. Put down about 350whp on the dyno
Transmission is the stock T56 upgraded McLeod street extreme clutch and MGW short shifter.
LoL complete opposite of JDM
@@iamdale2309 I'm very well aware it's an American car built in Canada 🤣 my point is, people pay 5-10x what the 4th gen sells for and get pretty much the exact same performance and potential. 320hp, removable roof panels, 3200-3400lbs, 6 speed, legendary motor, hatchback design....describes both a 80k mk4 supra and 8k ls1 f body. Even the handling is pretty damn similar, the 4th gen with panhard rear and double wishbone front suspension handles way better than it gets credit for.
I've owned supras, 300zxs, 3000gts...the 4th gen is honestly better driving than all of them and I feel like it's overall performance gets overlooked due to the stereotypes and image which is sad as an automotive enthusiast
Duds
@@antz19coyote73 how exactly is the 4th gen a dud? This ought to be good