MUST WATCH | What to Look for When Buying a Third-Gen F-Body 

So i bought my 1986 v6 firebird off my neighbor, and the heater core was leaking onto the carpet. Very first issue I addressed. It took a lot of cursing, praying, and gymnastics, but I did manage to replace it by myself and it's holding up 2 years later without a problem. The biggest pain was connecting the coolant lines through the firewall, but every job has its quirks.

The thumbnail has one of my 5 must own cars and my real dream vehicle the A-10 Warthog. Awesome

Had an 86 firebird 5 spd for my 1st car, red with silver at bottom. Loved that car.

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="735">12:15</a> They introduced this closing mechanism because apparently people used to slam the trunk with the big integrated back window and the window would shatter sometimes.

When it comes to dash cracks if you don't want to replace you can get a cover that will hide cracks or even protect a new replaced pad and it has cut outs for defrost vents.

I’m looking for one right now! Thanks for the video!

I could be mistaken, but another easy way to find out any codes your computer could be flashing is by putting key into ignition, turning it to accessory, back to off, back to accessory, then back to off, then back to accessory and leave it there. It will then do flashes to tell you the codes it has for check engine. This is the case for most GM cars of that generation.

I will support you in the future, keep it up

I had an ‘89 Iroc brand new. Another thing to check are cracked A pillars. I tweaked both of mine from drag racing it and basically just driving it hard.

I have owned 6 second gen cars over 30 yrs ago. This guy knows his stuff.

The build quality was all over the place from my experience back in the day. From car to car and depending on what plant it was built at. My sister had a loaded blue 87 Z-28 with the TPI305 700r4. Which was a bucket of bolts compared to the 89 Formula 350 I had a few years later. The Camaro was made in Van Nuys CA, my Firebird was built in Canada. If I remember correctly....Nice car btw, I wish I still had my Formula✌

The power hatch pull down was added in 86 because people kept slamming the hatch too hard and breaking the very expensive rear glass

Great video! one thing more to check for is the steering wheel tilt, bolts can back out and cause slop in the wheel, it’s usually a matter of just re tightening the 4 bolts.

Years ago, there was this guy in our town with a mint condition '82 black Trans-Am. The exact model used in Knight Rider, totally original with the correct PMD seats, T-tops, the gold striping at the sills, a powerhood, the lot! This car was so nice looking and sounded so good I still think about that car now and them. Unfortunatly that guy treated this beautiful Trans-Am like shit and I heared he eventually totalled it! 😥

Great vid... I had an 83 Z for three years, thinking lately about getting another.

Nice video with good info, the heater core is a pain but is easier on the Birds because you can remove that plastic trim panel above the hush panel to gain access to that infamous last bolt for the heater box. Also not a bad idea to pull the passenger seat but if your limber you can still get it done in place.

I had to replace the heater core in my 92 Camaro after I bought it in 1997. It was an absolute beast of a job. By the time I got it all put back together I had a whole cup of bolts and screws left over lol. It was a great car though. I had it for 15 years and almost cried when I sold it. It was my first car.

I was able to use a variety of universals and extensions as a young lad to get heater core swapped. Using a right angle drive made quick work of heater hoses at firewall. Basically I was able to only partial pull dash back. Removing the dash pad helps, but it's doable. I didn't have to remove the dashboard. I merely pulled it back enough. BTW, THe Firehawk had a ZF 6 Speed manual, and was a 350. A rare combo is the mating of a 350 with T-Tops. They did happen, at least in some Camaro's I've seen.

Beautiful car, nice vid!

Great video

Had 86 formula ❤ IT…

Great review, mines SOLID. 👍👍

We just got an 89 formula for my son’s first car. He gets non stop compliments

I have an 84 transamp original owner.42803 miles 305 I output 6 speed at 5 speed this week.Yeah, I just got needs a little too healthy and I got a 97 formula.That's the monster car

GM added the automatic pull down on the rear hatch out of the Cadillac due to the weight of the rear glass breaking from people slamming the rear hatch.

Had love hate thing with the Tops, loved driving with them off on nice days or nights But hated when they leaked when washing car or driving in the rain . Watch out for water leaking down windshield pillars and collecting in front footwell ,common on T top cars.

Nice ride!

I had an 81 Celica that had long doors with frameless windows like that, and the biggest problem with the door hinges sagging was that it would eventually cause the window to hit the side of the car before the door closed. It wouldn't damage the window, but the window mounting carriage would break if the window was repeatedly hit like that. It would cause the window to rock back and forth in the door when it was rolled all the way up, and you couldn't adjust it to be rigid because it was the angle adjuster that would break.

She's beautiful! Long live the third gen F bodies , Pontiac Firebirds and Chevy Camaros! One of the best videos ever on these cars. Subbed. Lord have mercy, baby's got her t tops off 😍🇺🇸

The saturation on this video hahah. Consider clear coating that plastic panel between taillights

What you ssid for the hatch overhang may be valid for some. I've noticed that most times that's not the case. A good majority of the time it's due to the hatch hinge being bent out of shape. Open the hinge and look at the hinge and see if the metal is bowed out in the center. The metal isn't extremely strong and alot of people have swapped them out for the billet ones because of it.

I own a 1987 Iroc-Z 5.7L TPI car w/T-Tops I purchased from the original owner when I was 21. I still own it to this day 25 years later, it's still all original and stock. There is A LOT of incorrect information out there on 3rd generation cars.

I had this exact car❤

To solve the problem in your trunk some people drill new holes for the nuts and move it a little higher. after ttat they put silicone or epoxy. i hope this helps.

The rear hatch lock was changed to electric assist to eliminate shattered glass. My 84 Firebird does not have that.

84 had the quadrajet, with electronic mix adjustment... I still have the one I bought in 1986.

thanks for the video! was unaware of the steering box situation. im looking at one right now. its been sitting in a garage for 15 years and in that time never started up. flat tires, old fuel in the tank. its a 5.0 formula with a t-5. it rear ended a car a few years before off the road and had a new radiator support welded in. the front drivers pillar has rust, underneath the t tops has rust. dents and dings. underneath is mint, no rust. i didnt check the steering box so that scares me, but can it be welded?? the radiator is half full, and the oil on the dip is clean. it's basically a total nightmare- and thats part of it's charm for me. im kind of a gambling man and the odds aren't great but the way this car found me I feel like its a sign. im the kind of guy that tends to give everyone and everything a chance. im gonna fix it up like im dr frankenstein!! had one 20 years ago, crashed it like an idiot and am looking for a little redemption ;-) my family thinks im crazy for wanting it but sometimes people can't see the vision im seeing and how much passion I have to save it. i can do everything down to top end engine work and i can mig weld. wish me luck!!

I bought a rust free gen 3 so i thought until i checked the fire wall , wiper assembly bulk head to find it rusting from the inside . suggest you remove covers and check that as well.

i had a quote fo $406.23 to replace the heater core in my 86 iroc,not near the $1000 and the whole dash doesnt really have to come out,i replaced the heater core myself and save that money and nothing broke....

My 89 formula 305 5 speed with a mint dash, is completely rust free except it's front rockers, the pinch welds on each side directly up front have a hole that stretches into the floorboard and some rot on the t top rails. Which sucks because everything else is rust free. The cars been the most reliable car I've ever owned. Has taken every form of abuse from being a daily and still keeps going.

These cars were definitely lacking HP, but was some of the best looking cars around. I have an 87 GTA 5.7 that's getting an LS T-56 swap, and a 9" Moser. When done I'm going to gap pretty much whatever I want to on the street! A lot of people are doing this now days and it's money well spent. When mine is done I'm putting a personalized license plate on it that's going to say, 392 LOL!! I've owned mine for 25 years, have the wonder bar and a lot more UMI goodies on it. Also have Koni shocks and struts, replaced the factory rear spoiler with a fiberglass one from Hawks Motor Sports.

That speedo was definitely swapped. Your car has the LB9 MK6 MM5 and GM3 and J65 codes. Which was the 230 hp 3.45 gears with the 9 bolt rear disc setup which was the best 5 speed engine combo you could ever get on a third gen. That combo would of came with the 140 Speedo. The standard LB9 M39 5 speed with the 3.08 rear gears and 10 bolt drums would of came with the 120 Speedo.

There is an easier way to replace the heater core in these third gens taking the dash out. It can be accessed from the interior as well as the engine bay without taking out the entire dash and save a lot of time.

The electric rear hatch motorized lock thing was put there so you don't slam the hatch down and break the rear glass.

my bro gave it to me and I like it, I'll subscribe to your channel

They started the pull down because people where slamming and breaking the glass. Im always a little cautious about closing my hatch with A 83.

I had an 88 tpi 5 spd Formula. These cars are fast. Bone stock with a k&n air intake. Mine ran 14.3 @94 with 110k on it. 30 yrs ago

HELLO! Tomorrow I will take a look to a 87 Yellow Formula 5.0 Automatic

There is a firehawk with 350 6 speed if I remember correctly.

heyas, can you tell me where you got the graphic of the IROC by year at the <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="255">4:15</a> mark? I have an 86 with the 2 tone paint that I have never seen before. the way you pan only show the tail end. There is some confusion of the IROC's of that year. I have the fog lamps, the tic tac toe lights but its white with gray ground effects.

a lot of these problems are valid for the c4 corvettes as well

Very nice car

You should go with a 5.3L LS V8 which is only slightly bigger than the 305 but puts out 150 more horsepower.

You have a very nice, very RARE Formula. Those TPI 5sp cars are hard to find.

The last heater core I replaced in a Third Gen took literally 45 minutes to replace and I didn't break anything. You do not have to take the entire dash out.

After 17 years i still got my 1988 iroc rag top

Is tht a disco 2 I see in the background?

One thing that could have been mention is a possible the loose tilt steering wheel and how to tighten those bolts. 🤣

Entertaining video. loved the Hyundai comparison bit. :D Glad to see you went for the stick-shift, even with the sewing machine motor. Disgusting to have a 305 sbc in a Pontiac. Detroit went down hill after 1970, with the loss of compression, then in 75, with the advent of the catalytic converter, and finally in 82, when GM forced Pontiac to degrade themselves with that motor. Shameful.

They are very misunderstood cars and unfortunately they often wind up with people that have zero patience subpar mechanical common sense. It's extremely rare that you find these cars with the electrical system that wasn't molested. I had to pass on soo many 3rd gens that I had to settle on one with a blown engine because it was less of a headache to deal with than backyard bubba's Mickey mouse electrical hack job. All three third gens that I have owned, the most time I've spent on any of them was fixing the electrical hack jobs on these poor cars.

what are some mods to do that are good for f bodies recently got me a project car

Exactly the one I had!!! It got totaled!! Been looking for one for years! Is it for sale?

91 fireball 6spd

Is it possible to make a 3rd gen camaro look like a 3rd gen trans am or the opposite?

The doors, i thought i was going crazy with mine and just forgot how to close doors or something

Name the song music the intro please!

Must watch, my a rrse. Owned my original IROC since 1985. Silver. Generic info at Best.

hah DexCool, i've been there before...

Thanks for the guide advice video I love third gens specially the Firebird btw what’s the song name? <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="14">0:14</a>

This video made me give up on searching for Firebird to buy. I'm so f**kin' sad right now. I seen and read other reviews, and I'll turn my head to post 2012 Challenger instead.

You're wrong about the weight of the hatch sliding the deck lid back. Thats unfortunately a widespread incorrect diagnosis of that very common problem. It's actually your hatch hinges that bend. Take a look next time you pop your hatch. You'll notice they have a bend in them. They should be flat. Lol. Hawks sell reproduction ones made of billet aluminum that correct the issue and your don't have to adjust your decklid. But you do need to know what your doing replacing the hinges or your shatter the glass.

What year is your vehicle sir.

Bold claim with tpi being better than a carb. I can fix my Firebird with a screwdriver. Can’t do that with the fuel injection

I owned a few of these when they were newer in the 90's and loved them, recently i got the itch and picked up an 89 IROC that is pretty solid but needs a bit of love. What I've concluded after getting back into one after a 20 some odd year absence is that the material and overall build quality on these cars is appallingly bad! And I don't make that statement lightly, I've owned numerous GM cars over the years and still daily drive a 2009 G8 GT which Is an amazing machine. The rattles and clanks and body flex on these cars is just unacceptable, combine that with the extra stiffly sprung IROC or GTA and the ride quality is a terrible experience on anything but a glassy smooth highway. The second Gen cars were just a way more solid ride (although not perfect either) GM in the 80's-90's was just trash and it makes total sense to me now why they went bankrupt, they cheeped out and lost all their loyal customers and then just couldn't win them back even when they improved their quality in the 2000's. I mean even my wife's 2005 Grand Am is a massive improvement in interior materials and build quality and ride compared to the third Gen's.

Very nice, I miss my 85 T/A but as I matured I realized GM is junk..🤣🤣Joking of course a little Mustang humor…

120 mph speedometer? TPI engine cars rolled off the line with 140 mph speedos. Except maybe 87 models.

Best I can do is tree fiddy

29k

🕵️👍🛠️ I have this car in 2005 , sold. This is my mistake.

Carb cars are the gold standard when you start talking about cams.

FBODY, THE BEST.. MINE IS 1999…

Hatch safety was so people don’t slam it and break the hatch it also never works

did you say "third en f body"

I'd buy that for a dollar

Oh and yes they do come out with a 5-speed manual 88-89 Trans Am GTA and the 87 Trans Am also come with a 350 as well so that there was just a lie that you just told

Wdym unibody more like subframe 🤨 and aren’t 3rd gen price’s going up ? 🤔 so pretty soon only the ugly catfish Camaros will be affordable 🥲?

These things are junk. The unibody would twist (especially the t tops) to the point the doors wouldn't close properly.

The 3rd gen F-bodys are junk. Just look at car shows. You won't find one.

I scored my 1984 Firebird SE with 28k original miles for 2k from a family friend 13 years ago. It was a Wildfire Motorsports built car that had a RHS 350, Doug Nash 5 Spd, Konig seats with matching upholstery for the rear. Had some suspension mods as well as Enkei Wheels. It was never an original car so it’s now a Gen 2 LT1/T56 with a Ford 9” with a 3.90 gear. I’ve changed every thing but the interior. Still trying to finish the build as I haven’t driven it since I bought it in 2010. Still has the 1996 Texas registration sticker on it from when bought it from my dads friend and he never drove it. Was given to him by the doctor he worked for who originally bought it. He paid 24k for the car back in 84, 13k for the car and 12k for the modifications by Wildfire. Have all paperwork from the company that did the modifications. Hopefully finish it this winter and get to enjoy it. Looks good next to my 96 SS. Now if I could just find a 5th gen Z28 for a decent price my collection will be complete. Will never happen, but nice to dream.

They added the hatch pull down motor because you had a big risk busting the rear window when slamming the hatch