My Favorite Third Gens

The following is a list of my personal Top 10 Favorite third generation Camaros and Firebirds. I am ranking them in order, starting with my favorite and going down. Picking my 10 favorite third gens is virually impossible because of all the model/trim/powertrain options that were available over the 10 year run. One thing you may notice about the list is I tend to favor loaded cars over stripped, all-out performance models. If for some reason your favorite got slighted, email me!! I'm open to any arguments, and I know I'm forgetting a few of my favorites here....I gotta say, ANY one of these I would be more than happy to own!!

1) '89-90 IROC
Of all the Fbodies made from 1982-1992, to me there is not a finer example than the '89-'90 IROC. The '90 has a couple of big reasons to be the most desireable IROC. It was the last year for IROC production, and by far the lowest production. Only 4,200 IROC coupes were built in '90, and of those, only 2,415 had the coveted B2L 245hp 350 V8. Motor Trend tested a '90 IROC 350, and proved to be the fastest IROC ever tested, going from 0-60 in only 5.8 seconds, and circling the skidpad at .90g. Also, lets face it...when you think Camaro, many automatically think IROC-Z. I include the '89 as my favorite because I like the '89 dash appearance a little more than the '90. Many feel these were the nicest styled of all the third generation Camaros, as they lacked the controversial "aerowing" and "hood blisters" of the later '91-'92 Z28s. Even the striping package was fairly tasteful, in my opinion.
My favorite '89-90 IROC: Bright Blue/silver stripes or Black/silver stripes with 350 TPI, t-tops and all power options. (Give me 2 years until school is out, and one of these puppies is mine!!)

2) '89 Trans Am 20th Anniversary
Most people would probably place this #1 on their Top 10 list, but I can't help it....I'm a die-hard IROC fan!! Regardless, the 250hp 3.8 litre Turbo Anniversary T/A was by far the fastest, most luxurious production third generation Fbody ever produced. With a 0-60 time of 5.1 seconds, a top speed of 162 MPH, limited (1,500 produced) production, a unique engine, and GTA style, this car has a right to be called the "ultimate" third generation Fbody.
My favorite 20th Anniversary T/A: Well, seeing as how they only came in 1 color, and 99% were produced with t-tops, its pretty much a no-brainer...with t-tops.

3) '91-92 RS B4C
If there could be any factory Fbody that could be considered a true sleeper, this would have to be the one. Think about it, a bone-stock appearing RS, with no clues as to what hides under the hood. To the casual observer, its just another RS with the F41 package....the ultimate sleeper. This has to be considered one of my favorite Fbodies because the combination of the '91-'92 RS style with Z28 mechanicals is the perfect combo of style and performance in an Fbody. Leaving the Z28s hood scoops and whale-tail spoiler off the car gave it such a clean look. Add to this the fact that only 500 were produced each year, and you have the recipe for a fun, unique, truly collectible Camaro.
My Favorite '91-'92 RS B4C: Black or teal, grey interior, with 350 TPI and every option the B4C package could come with. (Supposedly you could even get leather seats with B4C, but only an AM/FM radio!!)

4) '85 Camaro IROC 305 TPI
The '85 IROC was the Camaro that brought not only Camaro performance one step higher, but also was a major technological innovation. While the L69 305s were almost as fast, the tuned port injected 305 brought modern flair to the Fbodies. When these cars came out in '85, who didn't want one? With 0-60 times into the under 7 second range, and skidpad performance in the .86-.89 range, these were true performance cars. The IROC package added even more cornering capability to an already-competent Z28. When you consider '85 was the first year for the IROC and the first year for TPI, its clear why the '85 IROC will be a true collectors item in the future.
My favorite '85 IROC 305 TPI: Bright yellow/silver stripes with all power options, t-tops, and 4 wheel disc brakes.

5) '92 Trans Am GTA
This is another car that could be considered to be one of the ultimate third gens. Luxury, power, handling, style; all of these were to the extreme with the GTAs. They weren't the fastest Firebird's, but they certainly were the most accomodating and stylish...the pinnacle of third generation Firebird style. And while the lighter Formulas had the edge when it came to performance, the GTAs were always within a couple of tenths in the 0-60 run. The '91-'92 styling change was also my favorite style for the Firebirds. The only downside to the '92 GTA's was that you couldn't get a 350 with t-tops...t-tops were only available with the 305 delete option.
My favorite '92 Trans Am GTA: Black or dark green, saddle leather, 305 TPI delete option so I can get the t-tops!!!!

6) '92 Z28
The '92 is one of my favorites for a few reasons. One is obvious is the heritage appearance package. The Heritage package, added to approximately 8,000 '92 Camaros, was a great graphics package that added a historical flair to the last of the third gen Camaros, while not looking out of place with the times. It offered two great performance engines, either the 230hp 305 TPI (5 speed) or the 245hp 350 TPI. 0-60 for either drivetrain was under 6.5 seconds, and with all the advancements GM made in the last few years of production, the '92s were the best-riding and most rattle-free third gens ever made. The '92 Z28 was the last of a long line of third generation Camaros, and definitely one of the best.
My favorite '92 Z28: Heritage package (red/black stripes) with 350 TPI, leather, t-tops, all power options.

7) '90 Trans Am GTA
This car I list so closely to the '92 GTA because its a virtual toss-up between the two. I like the '91-'92 style a bit more, but the '87-'90 GTA is such a clean design its a real close second. Also, I love t-tops, and in '90 my two all-time favorite options were available together...the 350 TPI and t-tops. With the 245hp 350 TPI, these cars ran 0-60 in around 6.5 seconds, while surrounding the driver in luxury.
My favorite '90 Trans Am GTA: Black or maroon, saddle leather, and the aforementioned 350 and t-tops

8) '89-90 IROC Convertible
When the IROC convertible debuted in '87, every car magazine applauded how great these cars looked in convertible form. Also, they noted how much attention they received on the street. While the convertibles suffered a little on the perforamnce front, with the 225hp 305 TPI V8 and 5 speed, their performance was still very respectable, with 0-60 times in the low 7's, and lateral acceleration in the low .8g range. They can be considered the ultimate Camaro for cruising. Its just too bad GM never found a way to safely stuff a 350 under the hood.....
My favorite '89-90 IROC convertible: Black or medium blue with grey leather, 305 TPI and 5 speed

9) '91-'92 Formula
What top 10 list would be complete without the fastest of the mass-production Firebirds? The ''91-92 was the best styled Formula in my opinion, and because the 350 came standard with the dual converter exhaust, any 350 '91-92 Formula is just about the fastest of all the 3rd gen Formulas.
My favorite '91-'92 Formula: Black with grey, 350 TPI and t-tops

10) '83 Z28 L69 or '84 15th Anniversary Trans Am (tie)
Ok ok, so I cheated and added an 11th car. But these two cars are too special to be skipped on anyone's top 10 list!! The '83 L69 Z28 can truly be considered the car that brought Camaro performance back from the dead. When the L69 190hp 305 H.O. debuted for '83, car mags raved about the car's performance, as 0-60 times dropped into the sub 7 second range for the first time ever for the 3rd gen Fbodies. Engine performance finally matched the handling abilities of the Z28. With only 3,600 '83 L69s made, it is certainly a rare and collectible vehicle.
My favorite '83 L69 Z28: Black or navy blue with silver accents, 4 wheel disc brakes, all power and t-tops

As far as I'm concerned , I ranked the 15th anniversary T/A too low on this list!! But like I said, it was a hard list to formulate!! The 15th T/As were a very unique car, with the 190hp 305 H.O. standard, along with all the goodies, and the unique white/blue exterior. Also, it should be noted that this car was the first 3rd gen to feature 16 inch aluminum rims!
My favorite 15th anniversary T/A: Well, like the 20th anniversary model, they only came 1 way more or less, but I'd want the 5 speed over the automatic.