jeffcamaro2007

I've been wondering what the interior on third gens is like. I've been interested in third gens and all camaros and have been trying to decide on what year and type of camaro to get because i will be driving soon. I heard that the interior sucked on third gens. is that true? I've seen the interior up close and didnt see anything wrong with it but i have never ridin in or sat in one before.

JamesC

iTrader: (5)

I imagine that that's a question which has to be answsered on an individual basis. Bottom line? Hey, they're not new cars and by modern standards comfort will probably seem somewhat lacking (compare my wife's Chrysler LHS with my 85 IROC and that picture becomes very clear).

JamesC

firstfirebird

iTrader: (3)

The difference between my Navigator and 3rd gen is huge as far as comfort features, aside from the power windows and a/c there are no comforts in the 3rd gen, just kidding. People who drive these cars are into the looks, performance, or both.
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Although I will have to say the Firebird seats seem to be more comfortable to me (not because I'm partial, lol) they seem to "wrap around" more.
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The reason people say the interiors suck is because I haven't seen too many 3rd gens around that have been taken care of. If you click on my garage, you'll see mine, it's cherry and I love it. In fact it still smells like a new car - actually like a new car in the 80's - can you say polyester?!

MrDude_1

it is somewhat of an acquired taste...

everything is plastic... no synthetic leather look dash, its obviously plastic....
theres no cupholders.... and overall, alot of people think it looks cheap.


but, it is comfortable for performance driving... its easy to keep an eye on important things like oil pressure... you have a nice view out infront of you and to the sides...
there is a rear blind spot on coupes..... but you get used to it...

its not horrible or anything, but it lacks modern refinement.
this was a cheap 80s car that was meant to look "sporty"...

gcgarner

I have no arguments with my interior.

The seats "hug" you, the gauges are all very clear, everything is easily accessible, and I have cupholders on the door panels (it's a 91-92 Firebird thing).

Not "quite" as nice as my wife's '06 Volvo interior, but it's a lot more fun!!

83Chevy__Camaro

in my opinion the car isnt setup for hauling around your family and people who bitch about comfort, its made real well where it counts, engine and looks.

84CamaroSS

I redid all my interior and i love how comfortable it is. Comparied to any other 80s car i just love the whole look, fell, and general high i get while driving one. The simplistity and tight feel makes you feel like you are part of the vehicle. Over all i just feel in love to put it simple.

firstfirebird

iTrader: (3)

Not true! The cupholders are on my 1990, as with lots of thirdgens.

abyliks

can you fit those cup holders into camaros???

overall, i like mine, even compared to my stang, which is ten years newer, i like it alot better, plus all the controls are right there and you dont have to lean forward to shift, play with the radio, or HVAC controls

MARO-MAN

I am more comfortable in my Iroc then in my Mini-van. Not just because I feel cooler, but it really is more comfortable. Must be the power seat. Here are some pictures of my interior. -Nick.

92vert

The seats are lousy. That is why I put in a set of 4th gen seats in mine and now I love it.

mjwadams

The Firebird cupholders fit just fine in Camaros. Took me about 10 minutes to install one in my 92 RS. It works better than the ones in a lot of new cars too.

ringo234

Same here I put a set of seats from a 2002 Firebird, black leather and electric (very nice). The seats I replaced dug into to my back but they were worn out.

Red92Bird

Personally, i like the factory guage cluster in my 92 firebird better than the fourth gen dash setup. even though its not synthetic leather etc. i like the round guages.

abyliks

do you have pics?

firstfirebird

iTrader: (3)

This is what they look like on the Firebird, I believe the Camaro doors are identical so they should fit fine.

BlownC5

Same here, 4th gen seats offer a huge improvement in comfort.

slowfast

interior of my firebird

seats are so comy fell asleep in it once

gcgarner

I apologize. I was just basing my information on the fact that my '92 has them and my dad's '86 does not. I don't think I've ever seen them on Camaro's, though. But I don't see why they wouldn't mount right up to a Camaro door.

I love having the cup in the door. It's a little "loose" unless you have a big cup (please don't even attempt a coffee mug), but at least if your drink accidently spills it doesn't go all over your console. My drink has never spilled in the door, but it's always possible. I would rather break out the Resolve Carpet Cleaner rather than have sticky Mountain Dew residue all over my shifter/window switches/astray/radio/etc.

firstfirebird

iTrader: (3)

They will, in fact you can use a Camaro door on a Firebird and vise versa
They way I rectified this is to use a "coolie cup" or huggie, whatever you call them where you're from. This way not only does it stay in better but your beverage will stay warmer/cooler. The only prboblem I've experienced with spills is opening a fresh can of Sprite and slamming the door too hard and having a splash come out.

Iroctopless

Some points about the 3rd gen Camaro interior . . .
Negative . . .
- Some find the front seats (who's cares about the back) a little uncomfortable. I'm OK with mine.
- The lack of cupholders. But cupholders were not as big an item back then as today.
- Poor storage. The only place to put anything is in the back or the console between the seats. There's no glovebox or map pockets on the doors.
- Some find it difficult to climb in and out. But once your in, it's worth it.
- Being tall, sometimes I have to bend my head down in order to see the stop lights at intersections. The top windshield frame gets in the way.
- The dash is HUGE but not really good for anything. Things either fly off when turning or roll because it's so flat, and disappear down the defrost vents. A little bit of a waist of usualable realistate.
- Sometimes, without proper care of the weatherstripping, the t-tops and convertibles can leak when it rains.
- The weak frame can cause the body twist resulting in a noises and rattles.

Positive . . .
- Lots of room. I'm 6'6" and can sit comfy (this does require leaning the seat back, way back). Head room is then OK if I don't wear a hat. I drive a standard and have room form my legs to shift gears.
- Gauges are clear and straight forward.
- HVAC controls are simple.
- The big console and door arm rests make it comfy on the arms.

Of coarse any vehicle this old will have short comings. Things usually evolve and improve with time. But it also adds to it's charm. Many do mods and make their own improvements that can take care of many or all of the above.

87TAairlineyard

I think the Third Gen interior is a huge improvement over the 2nd gen; the view from the drivers seat very much reminded one of being in a bathtub. Personally, I love the interior of my Trans Am. The layout is simple but clear, and there aren't a lot of buttons festooned about the interior. The seats are fairly comfy, but probably the best part is just the tactile feeling you get knowing that you're driving a performance car, and a fine piece of machinery.

ChillPhatCat

IMO, the third and fourth gen interiors are nearly identical as far as the seats go, I've got about 70k miles of butt time in those seats (my former '84 firebird and '97 camaro) and have never gotten out feeling stiff or uncomfortable... I drove my '97 across the country in 4.5 days on the way to CA and 7 days on the way back and I have no complaints, total round trip was 8000 miles. If I was going to redo a 3rd gen interior though, I would chose the 4th gen seats for the better looking/feeling fabric and the deeper rear seats which improve rear leg room slightly.

I don't know of many cars these days with dashes that are functional, so I don't see that as a sticking point... I do wish it was easier to find stock cup holder peices... 4th gen consoles are good upgrades if you can do a little fabrication for the heater controls/radio mount.

All that said, my '74 has the best seats of all three cars as far as extended comfort goes, I drove it down to Atlanta last year in one shot and felt fairly fresh after the (20 Hr) trip considering.

phoxetis

I personally find my '85 T/A seats pretty bad. I'm currently restoring the car and I'll put '88 GTA seats in. They are more 'bucket'-like and support your body better. Besides that there's not that much difference between 82-92. IMHO.

Poject '86

I hope it wasn't while you were driving.

Nice interior btw.

dubcity

interior is wonderfull =)
i just bought some all black racing seats just havent put them in yet

mjwadams

I just got leather seats off E-Bay from a 99. I'll post pics when they are installed

ranone21

iTrader: (3)

Lets face it..... 20 year old well driven cars usually have worn out seats.... a worn out seat is very uncomfortable...... I am replacing mine with fourth gen seats and I feel they are more comfortable... a matter of preference... I think... As far as the rest of the interior ... alot of power options and a/c, cruise, reading lights, plus the knowledge that you can pass at the drop of a hat.... some laying of the rubber on the pavement make it fun, fun, fun! And if you like the upgrades are there to give you the look and feel of the 4th genners too... I start my 4th gen trans am console install real soon! Got to love those 3rd genners though!!!!

Jim85IROC

iTrader: (2)

As you can see, there are a lot of opinions.

My personal feeling is that the bad reputation is largely due to how poorly most of these interiors age. If you look into most thirdgens that aren't low mile cream puffs, you see nasty old faded carpet, torn up worn out seats, and a bunch of old looking scratched up plastic. I am personally very fond of how a nice clean thirdgen interior looks, especially if it's one that had the nicer interior, like a GTA or the premium Camaro interiors. Now there's enough aftermarket stuff out there that you can pretty easily make a nasty interior very nice again.

As for seat comfort, well that's obviously very subjective too. Foruntately, there are plenty of late-model and aftermarket seat options available if you don't like the feel of the stock seats.

In terms of ergonomics, I like the thirdgen interiors quite a bit. Everything is clearly visible and well within reach, unlike a lot of other GM cars that require a contortionist to reach some items. The shifter is in exactly the right spot for your hand, pedals are appropriately placed and are easy to heel-and-toe shift. Window height is great for hanging your arm out on warm days. The windshield isn't in your face like on a 4th gen.