I'm not really sure what you mean, but I agree in most cases never look at a car as a investment - at least for 99.9% of the people that will read this statement. but it is an asset with value that needs to be protected, some more than others of course.

"most will become big dollar collectables"
sorry, just dont EVER see it happening, the internet and WWW have put a ax to it all. They are F-body cars, not a 3 window 32 ford with a ardun flathead or a Yenko with a BB, you get the idea. And fwiw keeping something all original and peroid correct for 4O+ years with the barn dust on it and all with the hopes of someone going bonkers over one day and spending funny money like its going out of style just aint gonna happen. Its called supply and demand. Enjoy them for what they are is all im saying...

There were 93 T/A Firehawks. So, why was there a pilot car in 94?

The T/A body was not a normal production option on the Firehawk until the 1999 year. The 93-97 T/A based Firehawks were "pilot" or special production cars only. Some were made by SLP to investigate including a T/A model. Others were modified when an owner would send their T/A to SLP after it was purchased from a dealer. There numbers are very limited. The regular LT1 Firehawks were Formula based.

(95-97 Comp T/A's and 98 Pilot cars excluded).

Your car is the official 25th car, of which 250 verts and 1750 hard tops (1412 have T-Tops) were produced. A rare find indeed if you have one, especially a vert. Unfortunately no vert M6's were made. But your avy is a respected piece of automotive history. It usually has the "LE" tag accompanied but it is really an anniversary edition.

I was getting confused with the Comp T/A "Tirebird" that a handful were made in 95-97 and the 95 Indy 500 Richmond TA. And there's the 1995 Pro Am also. I do remember reading something about a yellow TA LE a while back but nothing on the internetz is coming up about it.

Dug a little deeper and found this list on LS1tech:

http://ls1tech.com/forums/special-ed...firebirds.html

All valid points

I laughed when I read this...Considering the third gen cars had hp numbers around what a 3.8 v6 f body had factory, which is a joke to me. So given that, I would say a stock car such as the ls1 ws6 or ss camaro, which had about 350 hp and with a good driver could hit high 12's in the 1/4 mile is pretty beastly. Also, no way in hell can anyone doubt the fact that an ls1 ws6 is not an absolutely sexy, mean looking car. No car enthusiast no matter what type of vehicle they are fans of can doubt that! Therefor, yes I can agree the beastly 4th gens got me hooked also considering i always loved the looks of the 3rd gens

You still didn't answer the question

sorry to say, No

i can see some becoming valuable, not comparable to the 60s muscle cars but more then some think. For example look at mint low miles ls1 WS6 cars now... you still see some selling for 18k or more. I feel as if some of the previously mentioned 4th gens will one day be worth quite a bit of money because of their rarity and how popular they are

The farther away the new car designs get from the 4th gen look, the more the 4th gens will rise in value. As far as the Pontiac's go, new birds will never be produced again. There value will rise before Camaros do. Excellent shape trans Ams and formulas will be worth big money in say 20 more years once they are 30-40 years old. They' were the first return of real muscle in 20 years when they were new. They'll be worth some dough for sure. When you can't get em anymore, mint cond ones will be worth some coin.

May might and maybe. This is all speculation

That's the basis of this whole thread--"Do you think..."

I cant get a ford pinto mint anymore, but i certainly dont want one either.

4th gens are crappy plastic cars with no real soul, sell em or drive em like you should

LOL...really? Listen, i'm no diehard 4th gen fan, but a SOM ss or ws6 is a nice looking car when done right. You could say the return of the muscle car was w/the 5th gen being it held a lot of the principles of the 60's cars. Usable trunk, wide open engine bay, no flip up lights, high side beltline etc etc. I see it w/3rd gens more now and eventually 4th gens when folks try to sell them, they think theirs is worth money because there are less around..true and untrue depending on condition and options. As for designs of new cars deviating from the 4th gen looks, increasing their value does that mean the buick renedevious or aztek will increase in value b/c nothing looks like them being built today?...fail. If you plan on driving your 401k be prepared to work till your dead.

Just because a car is listed at $20k, doesn't mean its selling for $20k.

If 4th gens are going to increase in value it better happen after I get mine :)

not that I ll ever sell an 02 ws6 once I get my hands on it ;)

F-bodys are NOT muscle cars, please stop saying that

3rd gen and happy
 

I graduated HS in 88 and I remember some rich kid at our school had an 87 iroc and I loved it. The sound, the look. It was a great car. Two years ago I came by an 87 iroc convertible with a manual trans and under 60k miles and I got it for a good price. I've put decent money in to beefing up the suspension and I have a great weekend fun car for under $10k. I don't know if it'll go up in value, but if I had bought a new 5th gen, the car would have depreciated more than the entire cost of my 3rd gen already and I get far more looks and compliments than a 5th gen owner ever would. Go up in value? Maybe, maybe not, but all the depreciation is definitely out of the car and it isn't going down in value. But it's all about taking the kids out on a warm spring day, taking the top down and letting the engine roar as we cruise around town. To me that's priceless and the relative difference between doing it in an 87 iroc or a 69 isn't worth 4 times the money. I never liked the 4th gens and I'm not all about my 1/4 mile time. Just a style preference and a recollection of one of the only new cars worth owning when I was just getting in to cars.

Yeah, I just fell in love with that Iroc too as a 13 year old kid in 1985. Also loved the G body Grand Nationals and Monte SSs. It's all about what you fell in love with as an influential kid. But once the 4th gens came out w much more of everything, I just knew that was the car I needed to have. Now I have 3 beautiful 4th gens one being ultra rare.