# Would you sell a Firehawk for a GTO?



## Firehawk (Sep 9, 2004)

I have been toying with the idea of selling my '01 Trans Am Firehawk convertible (8700 miles) and getting a really purty red 06 GTO.

My wife says I'll regret it if I do...she was right when I sold my '67 GTO in 86. Since my first car was a GTO I am kinda a partial and after I test drove it, well what else can I say?:confused 

So what do you guys think?


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## CrabhartLSX (Feb 12, 2006)

a 67 goat for anything made in 86, yeah i'd regret that. 

Does your firehawk have 8700 miles or 87000 miles? Did a double take on that, since 8700 would probably qualify it to collector status. 

The fit and finish of your hawk is no where near a goat, if you go to the track a lot you won't like the IRS. Or the added weight. Insurance would be cheaper most likely, mileage won't be as good as your hawk. 

So really what's more important to you, a warrenty, great interior, newer engine and marginally better handling, or a lightweight undeniably badass car that you're free to mod?


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## Mike_V (Mar 10, 2006)

Firehawk said:


> My wife says I'll regret it if I do...she was right when I sold my '67 GTO in 86.So what do you guys think?


With that track record, I'd listen to your wife. What were you thinking? If your car only has 8K+ miles, keep it. Maybe you’ll love the next GTO that comes out – who knows. Anyway, if you have one care you really like/love, wait until you can keep it and still get the new one.

This is a safe rule. If you drive a new car, with new paint, and a better engine, and you still don’t know if you want it more than the car you have, keep the car you have. You’re just suffering from ‘newitis’. A firehawk has limitless options and they look vicious.


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## purplehaze (Dec 27, 2005)

Go with whatever puts a smile on your face...... I know my Goat puts a big smile on me whenever I think about it. Good luck deciding :cheers


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## PEARL JAM (Sep 6, 2005)

If the T.A. only has 8k on it I wouldn't. It's virtually new and is probably paid off(or near paid off).:cool


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## C5ORGTO (Dec 30, 2004)

If it were me I would keep the Firehawk. Not to say the GTO isn't a great car. What color is the Firehawk.


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## EEZ GOAT (Jul 9, 2005)

keep the hawk.


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## Kingsford (Sep 30, 2005)

Keep the Firehawk and look for a used GTO in 2 - 3 years.


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## Groucho (Sep 11, 2004)

In a picosecond.


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## noz34me (Dec 15, 2005)

Owning a *convertible* with a powerful V8 is a plus, IMHO


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## dealernut (Oct 22, 2005)

Groucho said:


> In a picosecond.




:willy: :lol: :rofl: :willy: :lol: :rofl: :lol: 


OMG!!!! Somehow I had a slight feeling you would say that. Thanks man, I needed a good laugh!


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## Robertr2000 (Mar 25, 2006)

Groucho said:


> In a picosecond.


:agree 



Do whatever your gut tells you! (did I just say that? :lol: )


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## 6QTS11OZ (Mar 27, 2005)

Have you compared to pros (good cash value, collectible?, the wife told you so,) and cons (poor cash value, not a collectible, don't care what the wife says) of keeping or selling the Firehawk?

If you can afford to keep both then do so. If not, I guess you'll be the only one who knows what will happen.

Good luck either way :cheers


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## 05gtols2 (Apr 30, 2005)

*Sell the hawk*

I traded 1994 Firehawk #329, 63,000 miles and a 1988 Formula 52,000 miles for my GTO. The Firehawk is a fun car, but a very choppy ride.  The GTO is a much smoother ride and better quality. 

I miss the 1988 but not the Firehawk.


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## GM Kid (Mar 21, 2005)

I guess you'll have to ask yourself why you buy the cars you do--what your intent is.

If you pick a cool, fast car every so many years and then trade it in for whatever strikes your fancy next, there's no reason to hang on to that Firehawk. It's five years old, the LS1 has been replaced with the more powerful LS2, and F-bodies always were an awkward marriage of huge exteriors and little teeny interiors. Logic would dictate that the state of the musclecar art has moved on.

On the other hand, if you buy cars with a view toward their potential collector status, that Firehawk could turn into an interesting historical piece one day. Do you have that kind of patience? Or budget? I had an '86 Corvette that I bought new and owned for five years, but if I'd kept it, today it would be . . . a 20-year-old, not-particularly-desirable old car. And hanging on to it would have impacted my ability to own the fun cars I've had in all the years since then (a '94 Z28, an '01 C5 and my '05 GTO).

If you have "new-car-itis" the way it appears you do, it would seem you're inclined to move from the Firehawk to something else at some point. Is _now_ the time to do it? Tough call. Does it matter to you that your Firehawk is out of warranty? A warranty comes with a new GTO. What did Firehawks have for horsepower? 335 or thereabouts? That's more than sufficient to have lots of fun. The 400 in a GTO will feel faster to you, but not a whale of a lot.

Other than the extra horsepower, the warranty and a moderately more accommodating interior, you won't gain a heckuva lot with a GTO. If you're getting along just fine sans warranty right now, and if ponycars hold a special place in your heart, were I you I'd hold off and plunge your car dollars into the next-gen Camaro/GTO due in a year or so. If you spent your money now (and every time you buy a car you lose money that you can't get back), you might be kicking yourself in a year.

Bottom line: As much as I enjoy my GTO, I have a notion that a few years from now our 04-06 Goats are going to be viewed as kind of an odd duck, in-between car that was a Band-Aid fix for a temporary hole in GM's model lineup. I've heard some speculate that that'll make our cars all the more special, but I can't help thinking history will view these models in much the same fashion as Cadillac Cateras, Opel GTs, Merkurs and the like. What GM has in the works right now with the Zeta platform is a car that'll have legs. It'll be around a while, and it's being designed specifically to meet the needs of our market.

If I were you, I'd hang on a bit longer. You're almost there!


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## blackonblack (Jan 13, 2005)

Keep the Firehawk and buy a nice used GTO!


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## 84racebird (Jan 4, 2005)

I've got a '02 Firehawk and an '04 GTO. My firehawk is a coupe with 6-speed and 1LE suspension. It also has the 345 hp air filter package that was available in '02. I love driving the Firehawk, it handles great and will drive circles around the GTO on the autocross course. It is also a little faster feeling car. I haven't had either on the drag strip, but the Firehawk on the road and on the autocross courses seems to respond faster and accelerate quicker. But for an everyday car that is a lot of fun to drive and comfortable even for four people, the GTO is an excellent choice. 

I see the Firehawk as the toy I want to own when I'm retired. I don't plan on ever getting rid of it or modifying it beyond simple bolt on items. The GTO is a car that is easily replaceable and I will drive it and modify it in anyway that I want.

Good luck with your decision.


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## fergyflyer (Apr 18, 2005)

84racebird said:


> I've got a '02 Firehawk and an '04 GTO. My firehawk is a coupe with 6-speed and 1LE suspension. It also has the 345 hp air filter package that was available in '02. I love driving the Firehawk, it handles great and will drive circles around the GTO on the autocross course. It is also a little faster feeling car. I haven't had either on the drag strip, but the Firehawk on the road and on the autocross courses seems to respond faster and accelerate quicker. But for an everyday car that is a lot of fun to drive and comfortable even for four people, the GTO is an excellent choice.
> 
> I see the Firehawk as the toy I want to own when I'm retired. I don't plan on ever getting rid of it or modifying it beyond simple bolt on items. The GTO is a car that is easily replaceable and I will drive it and modify it in anyway that I want.
> 
> Good luck with your decision.



:agree Well said


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## PEARL JAM (Sep 6, 2005)

84racebird said:


> I've got a '02 Firehawk and an '04 GTO. My firehawk is a coupe with 6-speed and 1LE suspension. It also has the 345 hp air filter package that was available in '02. I love driving the Firehawk, it handles great and will drive circles around the GTO on the autocross course. It is also a little faster feeling car. I haven't had either on the drag strip, but the Firehawk on the road and on the autocross courses seems to respond faster and accelerate quicker. But for an everyday car that is a lot of fun to drive and comfortable even for four people, the GTO is an excellent choice.
> 
> I see the Firehawk as the toy I want to own when I'm retired. I don't plan on ever getting rid of it or modifying it beyond simple bolt on items. The GTO is a car that is easily replaceable and I will drive it and modify it in anyway that I want.
> 
> Good luck with your decision.


The way you feel about your Firehawk is how I feel about my GTO!


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## 1BadGoat (Nov 28, 2004)

PEARL JAM said:


> The way you feel about your Firehawk is how I feel about my GTO!


:agree


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## Wing_Nut (Mar 6, 2005)

Groucho said:


> In a picosecond.


Damn, beat me to it!


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## 2006GTOLS2 (Sep 23, 2005)

Firehawk said:


> I have been toying with the idea of selling my '01 Trans Am Firehawk convertible (8700 miles) and getting a really purty red 06 GTO.
> 
> My wife says I'll regret it if I do...she was right when I sold my '67 GTO in 86. Since my first car was a GTO I am kinda a partial and after I test drove it, well what else can I say?:confused
> 
> So what do you guys think?


No way


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## Sengdemund (Jun 26, 2005)

I'll sum up my F-Body/GTO comparision by saying just this. Keep in mind that I was the owner of a 1999 T/A and a 2001 T/A. My story kept simplified

I had two Trans Am's...and I loved them




















Then I went and test drove an 04 GTO when they first hit America and bought one.










I then realized my Trans Am's were huge piles of ****.

I got rid of them both shortly thereafter and dont miss them for one second.

Hope this helps  

-The End


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## Groucho (Sep 11, 2004)

Wing_Nut said:


> Damn, beat me to it!


By at least a nanosecond.



Sengdemund said:


> I'll sum up my F-Body/GTO comparision by saying just this. Keep in mind that I was the owner of a 1999 T/A and a 2001 T/A. My story kept simplified
> 
> I had two Trans Am's...and I loved them
> 
> ...


A wise man indeed. :cheers


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## Tom (Nov 1, 2004)

First, I think the layout of the recent body convertibles is horrible. the windshield is so far back the driver gets no open air feeling. I had it with my RX7 convertible and it is worse in the f body. every time they make a coupe into a convertible the winshield header is too far back.

i had to reach to touch the header in my 68, and almost hit my head on it with a helmet on in my RX7.

second, i just sold my 68 firebird convertible and got a miata. no regrets. the miata is just a better car than the 68 firebird.

the day before the new owner took posession of my 68 I gave it one last quick farewell drive. what a heap of junk it is compared to the GTO.

if you drove the car all of 9k in five years i say dump it and get something you will enjoy.

I run errands in the miata with the top down and drive my gto every day. it sure beats looking at the firebird (which no matter what will always be a beautiful car, especially compared to the looks of yours, no insult intended, but you had a 67 so you know what i mean).

I say make your garage look like mine. a miata/s2000/mr2 for the weekends and a gto for a daily. life doesnt get much better. YMMV


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## socal gto (Mar 10, 2006)

this may sound stupid, but what is the difference between the regular trans am and the firehawk. I haven't really seen any of those around


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## Wing_Nut (Mar 6, 2005)

socal gto said:


> this may sound stupid, but what is the difference between the regular trans am and the firehawk. I haven't really seen any of those around


Firehawk has a hilariously large bulbous growth on the hood.


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## 84racebird (Jan 4, 2005)

> Firehawk has a hilariously large bulbous growth on the hood.


Actually, I think you are talking about the WS6. The Firehawk has very smooth lines and in my opinion much nicer wheels. It also came with an SLP cat back system and some options such as Auburn Posi and 2 levels of upgraded suspension. I opted for the top level which has Koni double adjustable shocks. You can find quite a bit of information on the web. This was one of the press photos for 2002. I have pictures of mine, but not on the web.


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## Wing_Nut (Mar 6, 2005)

84racebird said:


> Actually, I think you are talking about the WS6. The Firehawk has very smooth lines and in my opinion much nicer wheels. It also came with an SLP cat back system and some options such as Auburn Posi and 2 levels of upgraded suspension. I opted for the top level which has Koni double adjustable shocks. You can find quite a bit of information on the web. This was one of the press photos for 2002. I have pictures of mine, but not on the web.



You are correct. I found this picture of a WS6 on the web. This is the Pontiackkk I've come to know and laugh at.










*SUBTLE!!!!!*


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## vette68 (Oct 8, 2005)

I'd sell the FireChicken in a heartbeat. I'm actually in a similar situation. Right now, I have the Goat as my daily driver and a 1968 Corvette as my toy. Well, the Goat will out corner, out accelerate, and pretty much out perform the Corvette in every category. So, I'm trying to sell the Corvette. And that'll leave the GTO as my toy. Once I sell the Vette, I'll buy a decent "beater" as my daily driver and leave the GTO as my toy. 

Will the Corvette be a better investment than the GTO, you bet your ass. There's pretty much no way that the GTO will be worth more than the Vette within my lifetime. But which car is more enjoyable to drive, the GTO, hands down. I doubt you'll be in a similar situation with the FireChicken. In about 10 years or so, they'll probably both be pretty comparable from an investment standpoint. So, financially, it doesn't matter. Go with whatever makes you happy. And for me, the choice is easy. Go with the GTO. 

In the end, it all comes down to personal choice. What will make you happy. For me, the GTO is so much better than my Corvette, that it's really no decision. And that's coming from a guy that swore he'd have this Corvette until he died. I never imagined finding anything that'd take it's place, but the GTO did that without blinking an eye. Now all I can do is imagine all the mods I'll be able to do once I sell the Corvette. 

Trust me, the GTO is faster, better and more refined than the Firehawk will ever be. If you're even thinking of selling the Firehawk, then the magic is already gone. Let someone else that'll appreciate your Firehawk enjoy it because for you, it seems like you've already made the decision. It's time to step up to a real car and not look back.


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## C5ORGTO (Dec 30, 2004)




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## PEARL JAM (Sep 6, 2005)

Firehawk said:


> I have been toying with the idea of selling my '01 Trans Am Firehawk convertible (8700 miles) and getting a really purty red 06 GTO.
> 
> My wife says I'll regret it if I do...she was right when I sold my '67 GTO in 86. Since my first car was a GTO I am kinda a partial and after I test drove it, well what else can I say?:confused
> 
> So what do you guys think?


If you realy want to make a dicision based on forum post responses, you should ask this same question on a Trans Am forum, also.:cool


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## socal gto (Mar 10, 2006)

thanks for the pics


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## Dad's 05 GTO (Jul 5, 2005)

Keep the Firehawk and buy the GTO...you only live once and it's never good as you know after selling the 67 GTO, to ever look back and say "what if"


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## Groucho (Sep 11, 2004)

Wing_Nut said:


> You are correct. I found this picture of a WS6 on the web. This is the Pontiackkk I've come to know and laugh at.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


+1. It has to be one of the most ridiculous-looking cars ever sold....looks like it was designed in seventh-grade shop class, with a build quality to match.

I laugh my arse off whenever I see one.


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## C5ORGTO (Dec 30, 2004)

Hey Groucho. I was just wondering. What do you really think?? :lol: Oh yeah, how long is this thread going to last?


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## Groucho (Sep 11, 2004)

C5ORGTO said:


> Hey Groucho. I was just wondering. What do you really think?? :lol: Oh yeah, how long is this thread going to last?


Holding back just isn't good for you...and this thread will last as long as we keep posting, or a Mod-type puts the kibosh on it...


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## PEARL JAM (Sep 6, 2005)

I had a 99 Firebird, and except for maintance and a headlamp motor it never had a problem for 91k miles.:cool


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## b_a_betterperson (Feb 16, 2005)

Firehawk said:


> I have been toying with the idea of selling my '01 Trans Am Firehawk convertible (8700 miles) and getting a really purty red 06 GTO.


You'll only miss that Firehawk if you like cheesy cars. Love how the roofs of those F-body ragtops puff up at speed. 

Put the top down, fill it up with hot water, toss some Alka-Seltzer in and pretend it's a hot tub.


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## Groucho (Sep 11, 2004)

b_a_betterperson said:


> You'll only miss that Firehawk if you like cheesy cars.


Absolutely.



PEARL JAM said:


> I had a 99 Firebird...


[sarcasm]I'm shocked. Really.[/sarcasm]

In the world of cheesy cars, the Firebird is a roquefort.

Draw your own conclusions. (Don't worry, Pearl, no math involved. I know how difficult numbers are for you.)


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## Tom (Nov 1, 2004)

vette68 said:


> I'd sell the FireChicken in a heartbeat. I'm actually in a similar situation. Right now, I have the Goat as my daily driver and a 1968 Corvette as my toy. Well, the Goat will out corner, out accelerate, and pretty much out perform the Corvette in every category. So, I'm trying to sell the Corvette. And that'll leave the GTO as my toy. Once I sell the Vette, I'll buy a decent "beater" as my daily driver and leave the GTO as my toy.
> 
> Will the Corvette be a better investment than the GTO, you bet your ass. There's pretty much no way that the GTO will be worth more than the Vette within my lifetime. But which car is more enjoyable to drive, the GTO, hands down. I doubt you'll be in a similar situation with the FireChicken. In about 10 years or so, they'll probably both be pretty comparable from an investment standpoint. So, financially, it doesn't matter. Go with whatever makes you happy. And for me, the choice is easy. Go with the GTO.
> 
> ...


 replace the word corvette with firebird convertible and that is my life. i bought mine in 76, thought i would be buried in it, actually came close a few times in my dumber, err younger days.

try a go cart like a miata, S2000 and that vette will be a instant distant memory. the gto is too nice a car to be a weekend car. it is perfect as a daily driver. get a different weekend toy.


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## CopperD (Apr 22, 2006)

Firehawk said:


> I have been toying with the idea of selling my '01 Trans Am Firehawk convertible (8700 miles) and getting a really purty red 06 GTO.
> 
> My wife says I'll regret it if I do...she was right when I sold my '67 GTO in 86. Since my first car was a GTO I am kinda a partial and after I test drove it, well what else can I say?:confused
> 
> So what do you guys think?


8700 miles wow! I had my goat for almost 3 weeks now and I have 5000 miles on it.


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## Robertr2000 (Mar 25, 2006)

CopperD said:


> 8700 miles wow! I had my goat for almost 3 weeks now and I have 5000 miles on it.



I have around 1900, this friday will be 5 weeks. The GTO has been parked since Sunday night (just had it detailed and waxed) and I'm not going to start it up until friday. Driving this car to work and back in stop and go traffic was getting really old! And Premium was $3.29 on Sunday. 


It's kinda like quiting smoking  VERY hard to do.


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