I’ll take this one.
From the archive: IROC vs. 5.0
- Thread starter Klaus
- Start date
The only Camaro/Firebird I’d ever want is the WS6.
If you buy an EV you won’t suffer through high gas prices. - Peter Buttplug
Good memories. But this is what you bought in 1986:
Not everyone thought that way. LOL. The Buick GN was a nice street performer and definitely had/has its fan base, but it was completely different from the Camaro/Mustang. Buick only built 5,512 Grand Nationals in 1986; 20,740 in 1987. The IROC-Z was more popular by far, as was illustrated by the production numbers.
No kidding. I got my 86 Capri 5.0 new (my first new car). Buddy had a new 88 IROC he beat to death. His entire dash was literally falling off, after about a year and a half.
He traded it soon after that, for a supra turbo.
My Capri, is still relatively tight (for an 80's car) interior-wise, even today (@ 86K)
That said, the handling of an IROC over an 80's fox was way better than even the numbers said.
Sorry for the re-peat
I got my DL in 1991 so these cars hit me in feels pretty hard. My cousin had a '87 Formula 350 in that gay blue. But man that car was cool. My uncle had a '86 GN and his friend had a red IROC 5.7 with "chip". When I was 14 or so his friend took me for a ride in the IROC and I was hooked.
You forgot to tally in the numbers for the Regal T-types. They had the same engine and turbo, just fewer bells and whistles.
I never knew the GN/T-type were completely different from the IROC/Mustang. All these years I thought they were the same car! Oh, well. At least the GN/T-type are still exactly like the Corvette. So there's that. (Wise-ass response concluded!)
To your point, the GN/T-type were definitely not as popular. One of the reasons was many didn't know about their capabilities, and how the introduction of the intercooler in '86 was a game changer. And how simple it was to really increase their output/performance. They thought it was just another version of Grandma's Regal. Fortunately, that's what my Dad thought when he co-signed for mine back in '87!
Funny story: About two years later I went into the military and had my Dad take care of the car. I told him to drive it to work once or twice a week and it'll be fine until I get home on leave. While I was in boot camp he wrote me a letter and said, "Jesus H Christ that car is fast! What did you do to it??"
LOL
Good memories. But this is what you bought in 1986:
he's right you know
5.0 mustangs owned the gm twins of that era (vettes too)
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Let's face it --
The GM muscle cars butt-****ed just about anything Ford offered performance-wise until the coyote was introduced in 2011.
You could argue the Terminator marked the tide-change, but even that car needed a blower to make the same power as the LS6 powered c5 z06 (405 hp vs. the Cobra's 390).
2006 c6 z06 had 505 hp to the 2007 GT500's (supercharged) 500.
The GM muscle cars butt-****ed just about anything Ford offered performance-wise until the coyote was introduced in 2011.
You could argue the Terminator marked the tide-change, but even that car needed a blower to make the same power as the LS6 powered c5 z06 (405 hp vs. the Cobra's 390).
2006 c6 z06 had 505 hp to the 2007 GT500's (supercharged) 500.
I was thinking late 80’s was all 5.0. Of course i didn’t know anyone with a 5.7 Camaro.
I suppose youre right. The competition was much closer in the 80's. Here's one where the Firebird Forumula wins the test... all cars are 1987. Good shit!
Ford Mustang GT vs. Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z, Pontiac Firebird Formula
In search of the best American GT car.
Although, being born in 78, I suppose I paid more attention to the 90's offerings than the 80's.
I don’t care what anyone says. That car was the king in that time period. None of the pony cars even came close. But it was more money and never hit my radar when I was 20 and bought my Trans Am. Which I got for $16k out the door. Loaded.
Who was 5.7?
I agree. I didn’t have that kind of money at the time, but we knew not to even mess with those things unless you had something with a big block.
The 80’s blew away the 90’s in almost every aspect. But compared to now the 90’s were better. Everything changed in 2009.I suppose youre right. The competition was much closer in the 80's. Here's one where the Firebird Forumula wins the test... all cars are 1987. Good shit!
Ford Mustang GT vs. Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z, Pontiac Firebird Formula
In search of the best American GT car.www.caranddriver.com
Although, being born in 78, I suppose I paid more attention to the 90's offerings than the 80's.
Growing up in Brockton you never saw them. Only 5.0’s trans ams and irocs. It was all spilt 50:50 with the fords and gms.
GNs were the shit but they were old man cars. Young punks like myself could only afford 5.0s. IROCs were rare in MN, I do not recall seeing them at all. No one I knew had one.
It’s funny how that works out depending on your region. Lots and lots of guidos up in the north east compared to any other part of the country hence many more TAs and IROCS.
In that era the GNs in the north east were the Kings and definitely not old man cars. They were more seen as the cool cars the older cool people drove like 30 years old or so when you had more money. No one in my high school had one but you’d see them all over Mass. Not many men over I’d guess 40 owned them. To a 20 year old 40 is old.
Back then the 5.0’s were considered the car that the kids that only cared about performance bought. The GTs looked like ass. Plastic everywhere. The LXs were much better looking but didn’t see as many. The TAs and IROCS were bought by kids that wanted performance but looks mattered more. The interiors blew the 5.0s away. I thought they looked much better but that’s subjective.
If I had to buy one of these cars the order would be this and all would be bone stock.
GN>IROC 5.7>GTA>5.0 Just my opinion.
Corvette doesn’t even belong in the discussion. It’s a totally different car.
The car that gets lost in all this. ALWAYS is the TA with the 6 cylinder turbo. That car was faster than the GN and was a special edition. I believe this was the fastest of them all in the 80’s.
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