What is the attraction?

[Untamed]

What attracted you to the F-body platform? Regardless of choice: Firebird or Camaro, why did you choose to enjoy the f-body car hobby? With so many other choices out there, many going back to before we were born, why jump into a Camaro or Firebird?

The poll is very simplified, and may prompt longer responses, however I'm curious about the attraction. Is it purely a platform choice for racing? A style choice for street duty? An affordable alternative to the Corvette or some other race-inspired sports car?

[ryanfx]

Definitely the style at first.. you can't say no to a black WS6.

When I was looking into cars I was deciding between an older LS1 vette or a newer TA.. and well.. look what I ended up with.

[79CamaroDiva]

I definitely have to say style. I remember when I was 16, I was at the track on a Friday night, and I saw a car that I HAD to have with a for sale sign on it. At the time, I knew NOTHING about f-bodies.. But that car I had to have was my first car, an 81 Camaro, maui blue with silver interior. I still love that car, but unfortunately, its now a basket case

[88Z-Man]

For me it was the combo. Always liked Camaro's the best and was never a fan of vette's. Plus the Camaro kicked mustangs and looked a million times better. Being a teenager when I got mine I worked many hours just to pay for it.

[Rich189]

I have to go with a combination of style and performance. I've always loved black ws6's to me its the meanest looking f body and i had to have one. Not to mention the performance is awsome. As for the third gen i just picked up i've always been a fan of well done 2nd and third gen's (and of course 1st but they are out of my budget) so naturally i picked up the first good deal that came along and it just happened to be a 350 hard top car like i wanted.

[12secondv6]

I was torn between selecting style and other.

I look back to when I was 18. I knew NOTHING of cars..... but an f body looked agressive as hell and just plain angry..... and most people had exhaust on it so it sounded like a monster.


Fast forward to now..... I still enjoy the exterior look of the car..... interior is lacking.... but I don't care. I still feel like it looks angry/ aggressive.

Power..... eh.... it is a bit lacking

[iamsickofitall]

my car is fast and cheap.

i was an old school mopar and notchback mustang fanboy but could get a much faster car with factory power for the same price. At the time I bought my car, I was relatively poor and wanted immediate "fast" straight line performance. Now, a gazillion dollars later, my car can hang with the rest of them in the twisties and still turn a mid 11 second 1320.

[ChickenLittle]

ever since i was a little boy, i loved the looks of fbods...once i got older and finally scored one of my own, I was hooked. I've owned 2 3rd Gen Camaros and 4 4th Gen Birds...hopefully soon, I'm gonna have another black 4th Gen Bird. Ya can't beat the combo of looks, price and performance....

[BigAls87Z28]

I grew up with one in the family. My father purchased a red 87 Z28, and that was the fun car. But I didnt get into cars till I was 16. I had never driven in it, so we took it out for a ride one nice afternoon after we washed it. He wanted to sell it to open more space up in the garage. With that money I was gunna get what I really wanted...a V8 Tbird.
Well one drive in the car, and I was hooked again. I started fixing her up slowly, putting new tires on it, brakes, suspension and exhaust. With that, I fell into the whole world of Fbody. I joined up on several sites, made a lot of friends, and have been hooked ever since.
I loved the look of the third gens and first gens. My father actually waited in 92 for the new Camaro to come out. When they finally showed it off, he didnt like the "door wedge" shape of it. He said it didnt look like a Camaro to him. So he kept the 87. He did toss the idea of getting a left over 92, but figured that now he has outgrown the car, he only drove it on nice nice days.

[ChickenLittle]

Originally Posted by BigAls87Z28

I grew up with one in the family. My father purchased a red 87 Z28, and that was the fun car. But I didnt get into cars till I was 16. I had never driven in it, so we took it out for a ride one nice afternoon after we washed it. He wanted to sell it to open more space up in the garage. With that money I was gunna get what I really wanted...a V8 Tbird.
Well one drive in the car, and I was hooked again. I started fixing her up slowly, putting new tires on it, brakes, suspension and exhaust. With that, I fell into the whole world of Fbody. I joined up on several sites, made a lot of friends, and have been hooked ever since.
I loved the look of the third gens and first gens. My father actually waited in 92 for the new Camaro to come out. When they finally showed it off, he didnt like the "door wedge" shape of it. He said it didnt look like a Camaro to him. So he kept the 87. He did toss the idea of getting a left over 92, but figured that now he has outgrown the car, he only drove it on nice nice days.

the one in your avatar is my favorite of all time

[WayFast84]

Stupidity is what got me into my first fbody.. 4 years later I might be able to say that the combination of power,looks, and other thing might be the reason i get a second.

[Ian]

I like F bodies because they look alright most of the time, they can be built to be fast/handle well, and they used to be cheap

now how I REALLY got into F bodies was because of my friend Curt (curt86iroc). back in 7th grade he was talking about how the first car he was gonna buy was a camaro. at that point in time I wasnt even thinking about cars yet, but I decided I'd humor him and check a few out online. the first camaro I ever saw (and knew what it was) was a third gen IROC. it looked fast just sitting still.

curt got his license before I did and he also got his 86 IROC before I got a car. naturally, I wanted to one-up him, so the search began. I went to see a few third gens, one of which didnt have tires or a steering wheel . I almost gave up because I couldnt find a decent one, so i stopped looking.

then one sunday morning, my dad walks into the kitchen where i was sitting and drops a newspaper in front of me. circled on the page was an ad for a 76 camaro in raritan, a mere 15 minute drive away. I called the guy and told him I wanted to come look at it. we went there and it was rough, I mean rusted out and leaking rough. they guy wanted $550 for it, but accepted my offer of $450. that wednesday we towed it home.

I spent a lot of time fixing that car up. quarter panels, re-sealed the windshield, swapped the front end for a 79 front end, redid the motor and trans, swapped out the rear. all in all it was a great learning experience and cemented my love for F bodies.

a few years later I bought an 87 GTA only to sell it a few months later. the 76 was sold soon after. then I made the mistake of buying a very rough fox body mustang. I didnt realize how bad it was until after I got it, and sold off most of the parts for it. then I sold the whole thing. now, I have my 79. I didnt plan on getting another second gen, I wanted a third gen. But finding a very straight, solid second gen roller was too good to pass up.

[79CamaroDiva]

Ian, are you saying you've never owned a driveable f-body? You are the ulti-mod...

[Ian]

Originally Posted by 79CamaroDiva

Ian, are you saying you've never owned a driveable f-body? You are the ulti-mod...

at one point I had 2 drivable F bodies. where the hell did you get that idea?

[Untamed]

I guess I'm like most people then, the style caught my eye before I ever appreciated the performance.

Growing up in South Florida, I was surrounded by Mustangs in High School. For looks, the guys bought the GT's. But for performance, a number of LX's showed up. The whole 5.0 Liter thing was a craze that spread through my school. But half way through my senior year, a kid bought a 3rd gen TA. It didn't have 5.0 splashed across it, however the looks and the sound from the exhaust got me hooked. I had to have that maroon and tan leather interior TA / GTA.

While Smokey and the Bandit got me hooked on Trans Ams, I still have that boyhood connection to late third gens. When the 88 TA landed in my lap, I was ecstatic. I still want a 2nd gen more than any other, however the 3rd gen style is what got me hooked.

[bubba428]

I've been a GM guy all my life, and I always loved the camaros

[bandit88]

I always liked the look of the f-body...... I got my first third gen cause there were a lot in the junk yard to pick over

[ar0ck]

It was certainly the look & sound that first attracted me to F-bodies. An older kid in High School had a black 96-97 Z28 that I thought looked amazing, sounded amazing, and dated one of the hottest girls in the high school. Also a hand full of my friends were all into mustangs so I had to be different.

I was young & very impressionable.

[WildBillyT]

Originally Posted by 79CamaroDiva

Ian, are you saying you've never owned a driveable f-body? You are the ulti-mod...

Define driveable. I may fit this rule.

[01SS]

When I bought my 1981 camaro I had been driving my Cutlass for about 2 1/2 yrs. I was going to get a $1500 personal loan for new rims and tires cuz the stock ones were bad. My stepdad had been talking of selling the 81 so I asked what he wanted for it. Well since the cutlass was the slowest vehicle known to man(when I first bought I found out that it was starting in 2nd and sometimes 3rd gear). I wanted something quicker than all my friends cars for a change. $1000 dollars later I was driving the Camaro. Ever since, they are all I have bought. Just wish I had hung on to all the others. Still have the cutlass tho

[Iroc-z86]

style for me, there was always something about the 82-84 z28s then the irocs grew on me. Cant beat the price either, got a 86 iroc for nothing. the deal was a non running factory carb 305, no trans and no rear. my friend bought the car just for the 5-speed setup and the rear so he gave it to me lol literally.

[79CamaroDiva]

Originally Posted by Ian

at one point I had 2 drivable F bodies. where the hell did you get that idea?

From the story it sounded like you worked and worked and worked on the cars, but never drove them

[zuuhlsT/A]

I've always been a GM guy. When I saw Smokey and the Bandit there would never be another car that would gimme "perma grin" other than a Trans Am. And here I am..... 5 Trans Ams later. Still wish I had them all.. It would be like HMMMMMM, should I drive the red one, the black one, the silver one, the white one or the blue one!!! That would be too freaking cool!

[79CamaroDiva]

Originally Posted by zuuhlsT/A

Still wish I had them all.. It would be like HMMMMMM, should I drive the red one, the black one, the silver one, the white one or the blue one!!! That would be too freaking cool!

hahaha, I still have all my camaro's.. 4 in total, all in various stages of disrepair 2002 needs a new windshield and a bath, 79 needs a battery and enough body work that it's probably easier to take the drive train out and put it into the 81 that I've never driven, needs an interior and drivetrain, plus minor body work.. other 81 is a basket case.

Though, all my 2nd gens are different forms of blue, so I don't get to pick there

[jims69camaro]

i fell in love with a certain '69 camaro before i knew what performance was. so, i'd have to say the styling is what drew me in.