Which handles better?

[markd79ta]

Originally posted by LimTeng99TransAm
I think one big factor is the steering, it's much heavier than the GTA...I could turn the wheel in the GTA with my pinky (feather light, but lots of feed back)...the TA is heavy, I notice it when I had to drive the GTA over the weekend the other week (that's another story) and jumped into the TA for the upcoming week, I was really surprised at how heavy she felt.

You are definitely going to get a much stiffer feel on the steering especially if it is aligned for racing. I run the positive caster at the top of the spec so that it has very little wobble at higher speeds as well as being far more predictable although it definitely is a little work to steer it. In my post I referred to the 3rd gen Power-assisted coaxial, semireversible recirculating ball with 14:1 overall ratio vs. the rack and pinion design. Actually, I wished the 4th gen had a little lower ratio on the steering to make it a little tighter. I preferred the 4th gen Vettes, they had a little better feel, and I didn't have to turn the wheel very much to make the car go where I wanted it, but it did require a little more effort...and a little more attention to what I was doing.

[Joe K. 99 Zeee!!]

Scowered the web a bit. There seem to be a few misconceptions about weight. These are some curb weights I found...

2002 T/A Auto: 3517
1986 IROC-Z L98: 3490
1989 GTA: 3530

For fun:
1980 Camaro Z28: 3600

Last time I weighed my car it had the rear seats out with the heavier leather power T/A front seats and 1/2 tank of gas. It came in at:

3440 lbs

With the normal loadout and full tank it should be very close to 3500. The 4th gen is very close to the 3rd.

[Christopherrr]

I assume the extra weight for a 4th gen is coming from all the extra reinforcements and suspension componets. 3rd Gens are all steel body...a lot heavier than the composit (plastic) body that hte 4th gen has.

That 3800+ is probably because I had a a full tank of gas and a system along with a driver (pretty porky emissions guy).

All of the Generations has their own + and -, but to me I love em all...I love the 3rd gen cuz it was more fun to drive, but nothing get stares like a 4th gen TA...that I feel pretty cool in one.