tpi or lt1?
 

Ok .. here we go..i need some opinions..and please no flamers.. i have a chance to pick up a 1986 trans am or a 1995 trans am..i know the draw backs of the tpi cars but ive never really heard anything on the lt1 one cars other than the typical bashing because they are a pain in the *** to work on and if the optispark goes you might as well scrap the car lol..both cars have about the same mileage around 160k so i know to expect a rebuild soon..alltho both cars do run very well..what are some of the pros and cons with both cars..this makes for an interesting debate..and no i cant afford an LS1 car with the new baby and all..and i know the 86 is only a 305 but that would change when i replaced the motor..so like i requested..some good opinions? thanks

LT1 hands down:nod: faster stock (better technology), newer look (if thats important to you), Lt1 responds better to mods, w/ the Lt1 you wont have to swap out the engine just build it up, and this is just an opinion but I cant stand 3rd gen :lol: . Id start w/ the better base and thats definately LT1.

i'd go with the tuned port car...like you said, pain to work on/optispark with the lt1 cars...i think the thirdgen is a better looking car, handles better, and you know someone who tunes them...however, an lt1 in a thirdgen is always cool.

having both, I would go with the LT1 car.

The 3rd gen might be easier to work on, and some parts can be cheaper. The 86 is only a few years off historic plates if this is not a daily driver. You could always drop an LS1 in that car. :wink:

But the LT1 cars come with better brakes and better manual transmissions. They also appear to have nicer interiors. But that is subjective. At 160k miles, you are rebuliding the damn car anyway. LOL

Neither of those cars should be much over $1000. All those miles, plan on eventually redoing a lot of things (suspension, etc).

I never owned a 4th gen car (past the one I am stripping).

you already have a really nice third gen with tpi....

The LT1 t/a by a long shot... an MSD Opti runs like $425, i just replaced mine, no need to scrap a motor over that. The 95 is better in every aspect, plus the LT4 package is quite cheap now a days. And the 95 looks way better than an 80s bird.

I'd say LT1 for the simple fact of more base HP and a newer car to work with, newer technology etc. I'm biased to 3rd gens but if I were to buy a car now it would be LT1.

opti is easy...everyone who says its amazingly hard to do has never done one

werd to that ....

Yup....a few hours at most and not hard at all. Get the LT1 they are quick right out of the box.

lt1 problems are so overexaggerated, get it...youll be so much more satisfied than if you got the 3rd gen... would you rather walk out of your house and get into a very ugly car (3rd gen) or a gorgeous car(anything but a 3rd gen, but in this case, a 4th gen)?...

they are.... even though its been 3 months and i still can't solve the hesitation in mine LOL

Glad to see someone else shares my opinion of 3rd gens :rofl: . If I was president I would gather em all up and have a big bonfire in the grand canyon :mrgreen:

ok, bashing a car that the site is made for ...... :?:

I like my LT1 but theres stuff about my 3rd gen I like a whole lot better...

tim stop talking you make wayy too much sense.

oops ...sorry about that. Me shut up nows ... :)

Don't worry Tim, there are members who don't think the 4th gen firebird is the prettiest car either...

:werd:

- Justin

we all know the sexiest car ever is the 3rd gen berlinetta camaro

Yeah, and this car is ugly...
http://www.thirdgen.org/tech/images/...rboTransAM.jpg

Go with the TPI and convert it to a 383 with Holley Stealth Ram! No opti to worry about! The LT1 is just a short ram intake with reverse flow cooling and you can accomplish almost the same thing on a standard small block pretty cheap nowadays.

:stupid: Though I'd like to make the statement a little more broad and stop at 4th gen. lol

If you are going to screw with it get the LT1, if the htird gen is stock and you just want to drive it go with the 86. Third Gen's are coming into their own and getting harder and harder to find in good condition, I'd hate to see another one get hacked up. Also IMO the third Gen's, though slower, handle quite a bit better then the 4th Gen's and certainly give you a better driving experience. 4th Gen steering is so overboosted it is like driving a video game.

I say forget engines, since your planning to yank the 305. Decide which body style you like better and what your goals are.

If you plan to mod the car the LT1 "might" be the better deal. More solid frame/body, and I think more tuning options. Plus the plastic bodies don't rust!

Without seeing the cars, I'll just make a general statement:

The TPI car might be less cumbersome and cheaper to work on, but with 21 years of use and 160K you're probably looking at sagging doors, body flexing and god knows what else? The car may not be a bargin once you start ripping into it and you don't want a money pit.

And as already said; Opti's aren't bad to chance once you've done it once.