Idiot alert (fair warning): Firebird/trans am vs. 4th gen camaro?? - Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums

Bmatth1162 · 04-24-2013, 01:49 PM

Feel free to call me dumb, but why do older pontiac firebirds (WS6 I think they call them?) seem like they're interchangeable with 4th gen camaros on this site? I'm only 23 and was too young to understand these cars when they were out, but they don't even look all that similar to me. Is it just the same engine? Maybe platform? That's why people compare them so often? Thanks and again feel free to call me dumb, it just seems to me that these cars are apples and oranges but are talked about as if they're one in the same.

nyrfan · 04-24-2013, 01:51 PM

Huh?

Bmatth1162 · 04-24-2013, 01:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nyrfan

Huh?

In a few threads I've seen, people ask for pictures of F-body (admittedly don't know what this means...) camaros or 4th gen camaros and many, many firebirds get posted. That's where my confusion comes in...

mpiper · 04-24-2013, 01:53 PM

They are the same car. The seats, dashboard, and exterior body panels are the only parts different. the actual frame and body structure are the same. They (all 4 generations actually) were built in the exact same assembly line. Car 1 might be a Camaro, and car 2 could easily be a firebird.

The engines were different up to 1981. The 1982 versions of both only had Chevrolet engines because Pontiac no longer made V8s.

Flashpoint135 · 04-24-2013, 01:55 PM

Here you go -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GM_F_platform

Apex Paul · 04-24-2013, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bmatth1162

In a few threads I've seen, people ask for pictures of F-body (admittedly don't know what this means...) camaros or 4th gen camaros and many, many firebirds get posted. That's where my confusion comes in...

F Body is just the designation given to the Camaro/Firebird platform. (see here)

Apex Paul · 04-24-2013, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flashpoint135

Here you go -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GM_F_platform

lol, you beat me to it.

clg_98ta · 04-24-2013, 02:10 PM

Because with 4th generation F-bodies, over 90% of the parts were common (therefore interchangeable) in Firebirds and Camaros.

Yendor · 04-24-2013, 02:54 PM

Look here dummy...(he said to feel free to call him dumb) Anyway, yeah, the body panels and what not look different enough, but my preference was always the Firebird.

StangKiller-SS · 04-24-2013, 05:42 PM

The 4th gen (1993-2002 models) Camaro's & Firebird's were basically twin's, same everything except body lines, front & rear fascia's, wheel style (though both had the same optioned wheels sizes) interior dash board, and front seats. There's other little things but I'm mainly just getting to the point that they share all of the same exact mechanical's and even body shell. Now one difference between those two though is that the Pontiac Firebird line had the WS6 suspension & appearance package, and then the base FirebirdTrans AM also had and optional SLP installed suspension/appearance package called the Firehawk while the Camaro only had the SLP Camaro equivalent to the Firehawk which was the SS.

Chaotic73 · 04-24-2013, 06:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yendor

Look here dummy...(he said to feel free to call him dumb) Anyway, yeah, the body panels and what not look different enough, but my preference was always the Firebird.

Yea I would definitely be driving a Firebird or T/A over the Camaro if they never did away with Pontiac.

CyberPunk223 · 04-24-2013, 06:50 PM

the 4th gen Camaro/firebird was the exact same car, just different body & Interior and the Pontiac came with more features standard and had more options like 10 speaker stereo, adjustable lumbar supports, etc.

MikeSVX · 04-24-2013, 07:04 PM

All Firebird/Transams and Camaros of the same years where the same chassis and in most but not all cases, shared the same engine and drivetrains. Pontiac did do a few of there own engines in the 1st and second generations. Such as the 455 Pontiac and 6.6L engines. There were actually 2 different 6.6L engines used in the second gen Trans Ams. One was a 401ci Pontiac engine and the other was a 403ci Buick engine.

I think most of the engines in the 3rd and 4th gens were shared engines, except possibly the turbo 6 in the 3rd gen Formula.

Firefighter · 04-24-2013, 07:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yendor

Look here dummy...(he said to feel free to call him dumb) Anyway, yeah, the body panels and what not look different enough, but my preference was always the Firebird.

I REALLY hate to admit this but that thing looks kinda good... Maybe it's just because I'm a child of the 70's. The Bandit would be proud.

04-24-2013, 01:49 PM	#1
Bmatth1162 Drives: 2011 1SS/RS LS3 Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Wilmington, DE Posts: 319	Idiot alert (fair warning): Firebird/trans am vs. 4th gen camaro?? Feel free to call me dumb, but why do older pontiac firebirds (WS6 I think they call them?) seem like they're interchangeable with 4th gen camaros on this site? I'm only 23 and was too young to understand these cars when they were out, but they don't even look all that similar to me. Is it just the same engine? Maybe platform? That's why people compare them so often? Thanks and again feel free to call me dumb, it just seems to me that these cars are apples and oranges but are talked about as if they're one in the same. __________________ CAI intake, apex scoop, Vmax ported TB, MGW short throw, BMR 1" springs and sways

04-24-2013, 01:51 PM	#2
nyrfan Let's go Rangers! Drives: 13' AGM 2SS/RS L99 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 10,742 View My Garage	Huh? __________________ Soprano 4/1/00-6/14/11, Gone but NEVER forgotten! FSP tuned: 377/389 Last edited by nyrfan; 04-24-2013 at 02:21 PM.

04-24-2013, 01:53 PM	#4
mpiper Drives: 2011 Black 1LT RS Join Date: May 2010 Location: Texas Posts: 496	They are the same car. The seats, dashboard, and exterior body panels are the only parts different. the actual frame and body structure are the same. They (all 4 generations actually) were built in the exact same assembly line. Car 1 might be a Camaro, and car 2 could easily be a firebird. The engines were different up to 1981. The 1982 versions of both only had Chevrolet engines because Pontiac no longer made V8s. __________________ Midnight => 2011 1LT/RS, A6, Roto-Fab CAI & W/W Relocate, MPD Hood, 25%/18% Carbon Tint See my build journal here.

04-24-2013, 01:55 PM	#5
Flashpoint135 Drives: 2016 SS Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Newark, NY Posts: 1,283	Here you go - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GM_F_platform __________________

04-24-2013, 02:10 PM	#8
clg_98ta Drives: 2010 Camaro 2SS Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 2,698 View My Garage	Because with 4th generation F-bodies, over 90% of the parts were common (therefore interchangeable) in Firebirds and Camaros. __________________ Black 2SS ordered 1/4/2010, received 2/19/2010

04-24-2013, 02:54 PM	#9
Yendor Drives: 2017 Camaro 1SS 1LE Hyper Blue Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Minnesota Posts: 661	Look here dummy...(he said to feel free to call him dumb) Anyway, yeah, the body panels and what not look different enough, but my preference was always the Firebird. __________________ 2017 Camaro 1SS 1LE Hyper Blue

04-24-2013, 05:42 PM	#10
StangKiller-SS Drives: GM products Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: USA Posts: 1,621	The 4th gen (1993-2002 models) Camaro's & Firebird's were basically twin's, same everything except body lines, front & rear fascia's, wheel style (though both had the same optioned wheels sizes) interior dash board, and front seats. There's other little things but I'm mainly just getting to the point that they share all of the same exact mechanical's and even body shell. Now one difference between those two though is that the Pontiac Firebird line had the WS6 suspension & appearance package, and then the base FirebirdTrans AM also had and optional SLP installed suspension/appearance package called the Firehawk while the Camaro only had the SLP Camaro equivalent to the Firehawk which was the SS.

04-24-2013, 06:50 PM	#12
CyberPunk223 Account Suspended Drives: 2012 LS Camaro Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Hagerstown, MD Posts: 383 View My Garage	the 4th gen Camaro/firebird was the exact same car, just different body & Interior and the Pontiac came with more features standard and had more options like 10 speaker stereo, adjustable lumbar supports, etc.

04-24-2013, 07:04 PM	#13
MikeSVX The magic smoke genie.... Drives: Jewels (2010 RJT 1SS) Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Escondido, CA Posts: 2,294	All Firebird/Transams and Camaros of the same years where the same chassis and in most but not all cases, shared the same engine and drivetrains. Pontiac did do a few of there own engines in the 1st and second generations. Such as the 455 Pontiac and 6.6L engines. There were actually 2 different 6.6L engines used in the second gen Trans Ams. One was a 401ci Pontiac engine and the other was a 403ci Buick engine. I think most of the engines in the 3rd and 4th gens were shared engines, except possibly the turbo 6 in the 3rd gen Formula.