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I've been debating daily for a long time now about trading my NHRA edition Trans Am for either a blown C5 Z06 or a LS3 base C6. The only thing holding me back is the "T/A isn't made anymore", and you don't see very many of them on the streets. If I kept the car it would turn into a turbo build...
On the flip side, I love the heads up display on the vettes and the increased cornering ability. The T/A could be a drag car, but it's not something I'd take to an autocross event. Thoughts?
If you have thoughts about autocross I wouldn't recommend a Corvette because it's embarrassing when you get beat by a 175 HP Miata. As far as the T/A I'm not a fan of black. I've got the heads up display but could live without it, rarely even look at it. Good Luck!
I don’t think I could part with that thing.. wicked car man.
For me it would either be both or keep the trans am. Like the c5 more, but you already own the bird and presumably already know it’s condition and reliability.
I had an ‘02 Firehawk with an incon twin turbo kit. The engine was 100% polished like my c5z and I did 100% of the work. I say that so you know I really cared about the car, it wasn’t garbage to me. That being said...
after a life change I sold the Firehawk and bought a c5z which was still top dog at the time... and after a year got into a WS6 owned by someone else to get some food. The thing was a huge BOAT compared to the c5.
If if there was a collectible 4th gen Trans Am to keep it would’ve been that Firehawk or even better one of the few Blackbirds made, but looking back 14 years into the past and having had both a c5z and c6z since then, there’s no way in hell I’d want the Trans Am if it meant selling the corvettes.
If you want to keep the TA for nostalgia fine, but if you can only choose one you’ll look back wishing you’d done it sooner.
I really loved the last Trans Ams black or most colors WS6, I think I was 24 (fall 2001)and saw a black one inside a dealer, 6 speed, I wanted it bad!
A salesman came up and told me to look at the Pontiac Aztec (later known as Walter White's of breaking bad vehicle) I looked at it and said that's ugly, no I'm interested in that Trans Am.
He didn't even sit me down and run my credit or anything, just walked off!
A few months later I found out Trans Am and Camaro were not produced anymore, I looked at prices on WS6 Trans Ams, they were high as people were saying they are worth more, I thought for that much I could get a Corvette!
April 2003 got my 1999 convertible 6 speed Vette.
I still like those Trans Ams however.
Never drove one.
You could put a crate LS3 into it, never drove one so I don't know how they compare.
It ended up with the last Incon TT kit released before the company went bankrupt. They supplied Lingenfelter with their kits. The purchaser bought the kit and never installed it. Years later I bought it. Drove from Atlanta to Chicago to pick it up.
Car also had a lot of other engine work and 4.11 gears. It was a blast. Last I heard after I sold it to a guy in Dallas, the turbo kit went to Sweden, the original engine got nitrous, was blown up and then got an iron 408 with a 250shot. It was sold again and that’s where I’ve lost track. If anyone in the future finds this post please send me a private message. I’d love to chat with you about the car... maybe even buy it back.
Oh man keep the Trans Am! Such cool cars, I wish i had one for my daily. And you are right I almost never see them anymore. I see Vettes way more often. Save for a while and get a Vette as the second car. They really are a blast to drive, and even though I've never driven a Trans Am the cool factor is through the roof on them. Way better than any Camaro in my book.
My daily is a 2000 Trans Am and my 03Z is my toy. With that being said if I had to choose one over the other, it's the Vette all day. While the TA has its perks (Ttops), the Vette is a better car all around and just much more fun to drive. Coming from a TA owner, if you can only pick one, go Vette.
My dream car in high school was a black WS6. When production stopped in '02, people started asking ridiculous prices for "collector's cars". I purchased my first Vette a couple of years later for less than I would've paid for the TA. OP- keep the bird and buy an old C5 to kick around.
07-17-2018, 05:05 PM
Should I trade my Trans Am?
