after some car hunting I have come to a conclusion, I want another firebird

[black98V6]

So over the last couple of months I have been looking at other cars.
I'll be the first to admit there are a few things about my firebird that bug me.
1. Cloth driver seat is shot, while the cover is good the azz of it is just worn out and sags bad, this puts my back in a bad spot that causes some discomfort on long trips, I'd like to find some good leather seats to replace these out of a newer bird.
2. the passenger side headlight has always vibrated and after working with the motor and all kinds of other stuff I just can't seem to get it to not vibrate which causes an annoying flickering reflection when driving at night. The problem seems to be in the linkage and where it connect to the headlight itself, I just don't see me spending a bunch of money for another complete headlight and that not fixing the problem.

3. finally it really needs a repaint with little door dings and all the rock nicks in the front end waxing it has become disappointing because it shows EVERY flaw.

BUT
when i look at whats available I just don't see anything elses out there that I like for the money. I have looked at the RSX type S, I can't get past the small fuel tank, premium gas reqirement, fwd and at most a sunroof, no real way to go topless.
S2000 everything as above but worse mileage heavier car
Nissan 350z not too bad but to be honest I just dunno how much I'd like it (still haven't driven this one yet)
Vette just out of price range
GTO, really a bigger car than I need but to be honest fits my requirements really well except for the fact that no type of removeable top, not even a sunroof
RX8, fun to drive but crappy mileage and just don't trust the rotary engine, much less all the problems they have had with them
G6 waiting to see the vert and it's just too new, new engine in entirely new car and it's GM so I expect problems
Miata, I don't think so
Solstice-maybe but with it coming from GM I dunno if I would touch the first ones.
Mustang-while it's not bad, drove a v6 and overall a pretty nice car but it like the GTO is really a bigger car than I want AND I never have been a big mustang fan
but when I look at my bird, removable top, well over 400 mile range on the highway, rwd, low price. I just don't see anything else out there that comes close enough to what I have now. Drove through a nasty storm coming back to dallas on sunday that produced hail, just not on me. A buddy of mine told me to make a claim on my insurance and get the car repainted, that would help me with one of my issues but still I just dunno. The bird is pushing 93k miles. I sure hate to settle for something I really don't want.

This is just something that I have been thinking about and thought I would share with my fellow f-body friends.

[HokieBird]

Wow. Sounds a lot like me. Here is my take:
1. My driver's seat has a metal bar that hits my back and it sucks on long trips. The side bolstering is also getting worn because I have the play gumby to get into my car a lot of the time.

2. Same headlight problem only it's on my driver's side.

3. Year round daily driver so I can't keep the paint as nice as I would like.

RSX - I like it, but I prefer rear wheel drive and don't want to do premium gas unless its a FI car.

S2000 - Haven't driven one. They seem like they would be fun, but too small and I don't want to rev to 6k to get some tq.

350Z - Fun car. Nice sounding exhuast for what it is. Do not like the interior or the steering wheel, but I loved the brakes.

Vette - Price plus I wouldn't want it parked in an apartment complex.

GTO - Loved driving it. Still more than I would like to pay with insurance and everything factored in. I would like to look at them seriously in a year or two.

RX-8 - Alright, but was not that impressed driving it. Clutch would be a pain to drive in traffic because you don't have tq down low and it's either in or out. Nothing in between. I also felt like it leaned more to understeer than oversteer. Yes, that's how all cars are from the factory, but for the amount of speed I was carrying into the corners I felt it should be able to take it better.

G6 - Haven't looked at them at all. I think they are kind of blan.

Miata - Have driven this gen and the last. Love how they drive and that the top is so easy to put down. They are too small for what I need and I look really stupid in them being 6'4".

Solstice - I don't like the styling. I think the miata or the sky are much more apealing. I'm shocked at how fast they have sold.

Mustang - Haven't driven one, but I expect a better interior for as much money as cars cost these days. Plus, they are already a dime a dozen on the roads which is a real turn off.

Other cars I want to look at, but haven't yet are:
evo - ugly, but a force to be reconed with

STi - ugly yet some how appealing to me and the regular WRX is gutless

Next gen Mazda 6 - AWD Turbo. Plus the photos make it out to be a real sleeper.

[camaro_speedemon]

How is a Mustang bigger then a firebird

How about an SRT4, Cobalt SS or GTP? FWD isn't as bad as people make it out to be. For one, you don't have to worry about it in the rain.


One thing about the RSX is it gets good gas milage. It may have a small fuel tank, but probably gets 350 miles city driving like my Matrix did.

[SpeedingFirebird]

I was thinking the same thing. How is a Mustang bigger than the FB?

I would avoid new cars from ANY manufactuer, not just GM.

A lot of your "reasons" sound like excuses to me. Either way, keep the bird. Take the money you would have put into a new car and have the motor rebuilt, get a new front seat, and/or have it painted. Take care of your issues with her because you obviously cannot part with her.

[Mighty Thor]

Originally posted by camaro_speedemon:
How is a Mustang bigger then a firebird

Did you guys read my post on how my neighbor traded in her LS1 Z28 convert. for a Rosch Mustang?

She parks this car next to my firebird. Overall it looks to be almost the same length and much taller. So it gives that impression that it's a bigger car.

[black98V6]

Originally posted by camaro_speedemon:

How about an SRT4, Cobalt SS or GTP? FWD isn't as bad as people make it out to be. For one, you don't have to worry about it in the rain.


One thing about the RSX is it gets good gas milage. It may have a small fuel tank, but probably gets 350 miles city driving like my Matrix did.

I have a feeling in the near future I'm gonna have to get over my dislike of fwd
On the RSX when you go over to the type S you lose some mileage and have to use premium

[black98V6]

Originally posted by Mighty Thor:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by camaro_speedemon:
How is a Mustang bigger then a firebird

Did you guys read my post on how my neighbor traded in her LS1 Z28 convert. for a Rosch Mustang?

She parks this car next to my firebird. Overall it looks to be almost the same length and much taller. So it gives that impression that it's a bigger car. </font>[/QUOTE]I guess when I say it's a bigger car I am going more of the feel of the car, the one I drove felt like a big sedan. In reality though they are both proably physically bigger than what I want these days. But the firebird is still cooler :D

[black98V6]

on the WRX arguement I don't really have an answer for that one, I could proably go with either the STI (so long as I could "de-wing" it a bit) or the regular WRX but something just turns me off about these cars. I just don't see them holding up over the long haul, and then there is the premium gas issue but just like my dislike of FWD if I want to go with something new small and relatively quick I'm gonna have to accept buying premium all the time.

[ellik]

I havent driven the newest style, but my cobra feels much smaller than the firebird did..

[camaro_speedemon]

Originally posted by black98V6:
on the WRX arguement I don't really have an answer for that one, I could proably go with either the STI (so long as I could "de-wing" it a bit) or the regular WRX but something just turns me off about these cars. I just don't see them holding up over the long haul, and then there is the premium gas issue but just like my dislike of FWD if I want to go with something new small and relatively quick I'm gonna have to accept buying premium all the time.

You're gonna have to use premium for any sport compact thats any kind of quick because they all are either FI or have high compression engines. Actually, if you get pretty much any kind of performance car, you're gonna have to use 93 anyways.

Just an FYI 15 gallons of 87 octane @ 2.0/gallon = 30

13.5 gallons of 93 octane @2.30 =31.05

So there's not gonna be much difference.

FWIW, my stang feels much more nimble then my Fbody did, not to mention is doesn't have that huge blind spot.

[02PewterBird]

I have a friend with an 04 V6 Mustang and one with an 05 GT and the 05 definitely feels like a bigger car when you're driving it. I've gotten used to it though, and the back seat is actually somewhat liveable on long trips. The handling makes up for a lot of the big feel once you get a feel for the car too.

[Nicklz]

WRX is a great car. [img]graemlins/bowdown.gif[/img]

I've had mine for 9 months and about 30,000 miles (yeah I drive alot for work)
I love the fbody, but I'm sorry the wrx is by far a much nicer vehicle. It has more power, more traction AWD, better gas mileage, more usability (4doors, storage/luggage space).

And there is no way a stock firebird is keeping up with a WRX. As compared stock to stock. Even dollar for dollar mods the wrx walks away from the firebird.

Only negatives, love it or hate it styling. I have the bugeye [img]graemlins/rock.gif[/img]
Some of the newer models are becoming more "mainstream" and appeal to more people. oh plus the 06 model just got a .5 displacment bump


Here is a list of cars I drove before I bought the wrx and what I thought of them:

WRX - 1st choice bought
nice car, seats and interior nice but RSX slightly better, grips road like no other, 4 doors/storrage space/lugage space, best drivers car, faster than rsx and you definately feel it

RSXtypeS - 2nd choice
nice car, really liked the seats and interior, front wheel drive though. Liked the gearing 6spd is nice cause I'm on highways alot.

RX8 - didn't even test drive fuel mileage to big a factor for me driving alot of miles

MUSTANGv6 - new face, same crappy ford

Firebird (00, 01) - both of them had as many creaks as my 96 with twice as many miles

[ November 30, 2005, 01:37 AM: Message edited by: Nicklz ]

[HokieBird]

I like the WRX. I think its functional styling is take it or leave it for most people, but I like it (not so much the 06 front facia). I really liked the seats and dispite a lot of reviews about the interior being crappy I thought it was pretty nice. Also, I like the rumble of a boxer with a nice exhaust.

My real problem with it is when it isn't making boost it just feels so sluggish. I like having more bottom end available. The car really doesn't have much power. It just has awd and very aggressive gearing. So it can pull some good times and compete well in things like auto-x.

Can't fight you on the dollar for dollar mods point. With the turbo it doesn't take a lot to squeeze some extra power out of it. The one major draw back about making power on a WRX is they have glass trannies.

[camaro_speedemon]

Originally posted by HokieBird:
I like the WRX. I think its functional styling is take it or leave it for most people, but I like it (not so much the 06 front facia). I really liked the seats and dispite a lot of reviews about the interior being crappy I thought it was pretty nice. Also, I like the rumble of a boxer with a nice exhaust.

My real problem with it is when it isn't making boost it just feels so sluggish. I like having more bottom end available. The car really doesn't have much power. It just has awd and very aggressive gearing. So it can pull some good times and compete well in things like auto-x.

Can't fight you on the dollar for dollar mods point. With the turbo it doesn't take a lot to squeeze some extra power out of it. The one major draw back about making power on a WRX is they have glass trannies.

Glass tranny if you launch at redline.