I always thought I'd want a trunk over the hatch, but now that I'm thinking about it, I really appreciate the hatch. I've been always able to carry so much stuff (and long stuff too) easily with the hatch. Heck, I used to cart my drag radials from the track with my system in the back too. Plus it makes a nice storage space for the t-tops and everything.

I still remember one time with my 84 Firebird when my girlfriend, my friend, and his girlfriend all packed in a ton of stuff into the hatch and took off on vacation in the Poconos. We had to jump with our knees on the hatch just to shut it, but we fit a TON of stuff in there (especially considering 3rd gens seem to have less storage space in the back).

The hatch also makes roll cage install easy, especially for the back points when you have to climb in the back trunk-like area .

To keep my car nice and cool, I tinted the back hatch with 5% limo tint. Adds a nice level of security back there too

Chris

 

I'll believe that statement as soon as I see a Mustang or GTO carry 1) A Christmas Tree 2) A kitchen Table or Card Table 3) a 27" TV or 4) A Carpet Cleaner Vacuum from the grocery store.

Remember, it's your only car - you've got to make it work.

 

I carried all the blinds to do all my windows in my house from home depot in my Camaro... The really long ones, like over 100 inches went from the driverside back and poked right out over the passangerside mirror..

You can fit alot of misc junk in the back of a Camaro.. but you can fit even more junk in a back of a Grand Am two door (although its lines are nowhere as nice as a f-body)

 

See, this is EXACTLY the kind of stuff I was talking about in my "why can't we agree about some of the most basic 5th Gen elements" thread.....

 

I'm not sure if this falls under most basic. There are some significant advantages and disadvantages to each.

Basic to me would be:

-V8
-RWD
-Coupe

That said, almost everyone said that either hatchback or trunk alone would not sway their decision to buy in the end.

On my previous post I was really trying to think in the vein of the "normal/average" consumer.

What I would now propose to the people here...Is there a way to combine the advantages of both while minimizing the disadvantages...i.e. larger trunk opening without ruining the aesthetics of the design.
[edit]
-Folding rear seats are a must (60/40 would be great)
-Trunk with a large pass through area
-Low liftover loading (Never was fond of having to lift stuff high to load the trunk, but I'm not exactly weak so it never bothered me much)

 

Since I have owned a 3rd gen Z and now own a 5th gen Monte, ie 97. I have a perfect comparison for you guys. The 95-99 monte is about the same size and shape, except for low slung, as a 4th gen Fbody. So since the Monte has a trunk with fold down rear seats if you want a comparison park one of each type next to one another and bam you got a great comparison. BTW I would take the Hatch anyday for storage.

 

I didnt go thru the whole thread but a hatch isnt as rigid in most cases as a trunk.Could explain all those squeaks and rattles in your old Camaro WERM.

 

I think a lot of that sqeaking is the rear suspension. Particularly where the springs meet their mounts. (Don't know the exact term)

I know this isn't 5th gen related, but since it was mentioned:

Gonna try a suggested fix. Mix graphite with alcohol in spray bottle. Spray around spring mounts. Word is it works...just gotta get off my butt and try it.

 

One word, weight. Just look at the extra glass you have to have with a hatch, GT vs Notch Fox. The notches weight aout 100lbs less. Plus it makes it look more like a car.

 

Maybe. They sucked. The car sounded like a can of rocks. Once, I bought tons of felt tape and disassembled my entire dash panel and put it all over everything. I kept thinking "It's going to be like a LEXUS". Well, when I got done not a peep could be heard from the dash. The rest of the car was as loud as ever...

What really fixed the squeaks and rattles was the open exhaust I put on later. Sure, the neighbors weren't happy, but I could'nt hear anything over the high quality chevy thunder.

 

I'm not overly concerned about utility in a Camaro. If I need plywood or mulch...I'll use my wife's minivan or just have it delivered.

As far as hatch or trunk....whichever is lighter, more rigid, has fewer rattles and looks better.

 

But you gotta consider that for alot of people it will be their only car. I've never experienced any rattles because of the hatch and SFC's fix structure issues.

 

Why not have GM offer both? If the only difference to them was the C pilar, the rear glass and the hatch structure/trunk lid, it shouldn't be that difficult. Look at the Corvette, hatch vs. hardtop...only differences are the above mentioned pieces, and in both of them, you open up the rear to the same cargo compartment. Shouldn't add much development cost. In fact, if they come up w/ a convertible model, they'll already have a trunk lid, so all they'll have to work up is a fixed C pilar and attach it to the roof structure and the rear fenders. Heck, they could even use the backlight from the convertible top (assuming it's still going to be glass)!!

Problem is, it depends on the overall styling of the car to determine which design would look better. If it were low and wide like the F3 and F4, the hatch would look better, but if it were more upright like the F1 (and the M*stang for that matter) the truck would fit the look better.

I guess all you have to do is picture an F4 vert w/ the top up and imagine it as if it were a hard top. Looks good as a vert, but kind of odd as a coupe. My opinion.

 

orrrrrrrr, you could design it like a 3 box if that's the look you wanted and just design the rear so that it opens like a hatch. have the trunklid and rear window all one piece that opens up and out of the way like the fox Mustang. It was a hatch, but it kind of leveled off a bit in the back to have a bit of a trunk lid look to it. You could have the back seats seal it up when they were up, and opened all up like the F4 when folded. I for one would like a return to split folding rear seats though.

 

I would also like split rear seats like many Thirds had as an option and think having hatch and trunk as options is a great idea too.