"Kuhat" (kuhat)
12/01/2015 at 13:05 • Filed to: None
2
18|
"Kuhat" (kuhat)
12/01/2015 at 13:05 • Filed to: None | 2
| 18 |
If you read my !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! you’d know that I asked the good people of Opposite Lock what a good car to replace my current daily driver, a 2002 Camaro Z28 would be. Well, I bought a new car! But more on that later. Right now, I’m going to tell you why 4 th Gen F-Bodies (in my case a Camaro) are THE performance bargain since the invention of the automobile. Most of you will think I’m crazy, and you may be right. Before you decide hopefully you’ll hear me out and read the article, or just jump to the bottom and comment about how I must have a mullet and be married to my cousin.
Fortunately for my wife (who is not my cousin) I don’t fall into the typical Camaro stereotype of having a mullet. To me the Camaro was a dream car from a young age, that dream became a reality some 8 years ago. Over the course of those 8 years I began to realize what a performance bargain my Z28 was. Lets talk about that…
Engine
The engine. Need I say more? At the risk of sounding overly confident in this claim, let me point out that many people !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , the LS1 is a FANTASTIC engine. The low rumble of an LS1 will put a grin on your face every time you turn it over, and the low-end torque is more than enough to make you (and the tires) squeal. The LS1 F-bodies are nearly as fast from the factory as their same era, big brother Corvette and have arguably aged better.
Handling
Most of you will stop reading here, and move to the comments to talk about how big of a moron I am because a Camaro cannot handle well, right? Wrong. My new DD handles like a champion, and even so I still think the Camaro handles well. The LS1 Camaros are actually quite good on the track from what I’ve heard, and I know from experience that the car is capable of turning harder than I’m willing to take it. Sure, it feels like I’m steering a boat, but that boat can hit the corners pretty hard. What the Z28 does not do well is inspire confidence in the driver. The seats are slippery and there is a bit of body roll, which is scary… but just because I’m uncomfortable on the corners doesn’t mean the car is.
Reliability
Performance and reliability don’t often go hand in hand. That isn’t something you have to worry about in these cars. I owned the 2002 Camaro from 2010-2015, and beyond general maintenance, the only money I had to put into the car was a new water pump, which I did right before I traded it in. What if something does go wrong? Parts are plentiful and cheap, and you don’t need to go to a specialty mechanic for the problem to be fixed.
Price
Back in 2002 when the LS1 Camaros were on sale, the Z28 started at $19000! Can you believe that?! 315hp (more like 350, but GM claimed between 315 and 325 depending on which model Camaro you got) and 360 lb. ft. of torque for $19000 out the door. That’s one heck of a bargain. What about nowadays? You can get yourself a clean example of a 4 th Gen Camaro with decent miles and that nasty V8 for $6000. That means you could put a couple grand into that motor and have a 450hp RELIABLE car for under 10 grand.
Is there anything not to like? Yes. The interior is trash, just like everyone says it is. I never thought that while I owned it, but I may have been biased. There is a bump in the floor of the passenger seat that seems unnecessary. The lights aren’t super bright… but that is an easy fix. None of that changes the fact that you can get an LS1 well functioning, darn, good looking (in my opinion) car for very little money. I fully believe it will be a classic one-day. If you want to know why ask me in the comments.
All these points lead me to the conclusion I told you about at the beginning of this article, the LS1 Camaros (and Firebirds/Trans Ams) are the best performance bargain money can buy. Don’t agree with me? Post what you think a better bargain would be, and please make fun of my non-existent mullet.
(photo credit: KTL711, !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! )
TractorPillow
> Kuhat
12/01/2015 at 13:09 |
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So I read all of that...and all I really want to know is what car you got?
In high school I really wanted a Z28 but all I could afford was a 1998 V6 camaro. Unfortunately it was plagued by electrical issues. So when I think of a Camaro, the only think I can think of is all the problems I had with them. I actually think your car is far more beautiful than the current generations of camaros, but most would argue with me on that issue.
On the other hand, that passenger seat can lean back so far that it is almost horizontal. For a high schooler, that was worth all the money I put into keeping it running.
For Sweden
> Kuhat
12/01/2015 at 13:10 |
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I’m going to tell you why 4 th Gen F-Bodies (in my case a Camaro) are THE performance bargain since the invention of the automobile.
Next week, you’ll tell us tires are round!
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Kuhat
> TractorPillow
12/01/2015 at 13:13 |
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I’m hoping to post another article in the next couple days with what I got and why (spoiler, its a Focus ST).
camaroboy68ss
> TractorPillow
12/01/2015 at 13:14 |
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That passenger seat was the only way to get lucky in the car because it wasn't happening in the backseat, I know I tried in my 97 Z28
vondon302
> Kuhat
12/01/2015 at 13:15 |
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I agree with every thing you say but I did spark plugs on one these and it’s a nightmare! Just pay the shop to do it.
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TractorPillow
> camaroboy68ss
12/01/2015 at 13:17 |
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Yeah, if you want an awkward teenage experience try anything in the back seat of that car. I did once fit 4 friends back there and two in the passenger seat. I also crashed it twice. My poor future son; I ruined his chance of having a sports car by all the mistakes I made in mine.
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camaroboy68ss
> Kuhat
12/01/2015 at 13:17 |
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I think these cars will skyrocket in value due to the ones actually keeping their drivetrains will become survivors since the 4th gen f body is the car to buy when doing a ls swaps anything. I really enjoyed driving my 98 SS, it was a great car so I agreed they are a great performance bargain. Only reason I sold it was to move into a 5th gen SS with a warranty.
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Kuhat
> vondon302
12/01/2015 at 13:18 |
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Thats what I’ve heard, if I kept the car I was going to do that in the spring.
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camaroboy68ss
> TractorPillow
12/01/2015 at 13:19 |
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I never filled my car with people, i did pull the rear seat out for awhile because race car
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Kuhat
> camaroboy68ss
12/01/2015 at 13:21 |
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I agree, I think these will be classics one day. They’re “the last” of a lot of things, for me the t-tops were what made it special.
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camaroboy68ss
> Kuhat
12/01/2015 at 13:25 |
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That's actually the biggest thing I miss going from a 4th gen to my current 5th is taking the t tops out in a nice day
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Kuhat
> camaroboy68ss
12/01/2015 at 13:28 |
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I’m sure in a year or so I’ll share the same feeling. The glass roof, and t-tops were great.
DoYouEvenShift
> Kuhat
12/01/2015 at 13:30 |
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Awesome choice! And agree on every single point. I own 3 4th gens currently. Right now my DD is one of these.
As a DD, its hard to beat the performance, reliability, and price of these cars.
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Kuhat
> DoYouEvenShift
12/01/2015 at 13:33 |
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Beautiful. That’s my dream 4th gen. One day I’ll have one again.
jdrgoat - Ponticrack?
> Kuhat
12/01/2015 at 21:18 |
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I had a 95 Z28, it was my second car and the first I bought on my own. (Holy crap, it’s now over 10 years since I bought it and less than 9 since I sold it.) I know that the LS1 is better in all regards, but I did love my LT1. Aside from the engine, we largely had the same car and it was awesome. The steering and handling was surprisingly good, and I will defend that to anyone. I just wish that I had it at a time where I was also comfortable pushing the boundaries and also confident in my ability to maintain and repair it, because I usually babied it.
Like you, it seems, I also went to a newer hot fwd car afterwards. Mine was a Cobalt SS/SC (an under-rated car shadowed by its younger brother). That was the first car I had on a road course, and I wasn’t afraid to drive it like it was meant to and wanted to be. I’m curious if you’ll miss the rumble. I traded in my SS/SC for a GTO.
TheD0k_2many toys 2little time
> Kuhat
12/02/2015 at 00:40 |
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sell me the t56 plz and thank you
Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever
> Kuhat
12/04/2015 at 12:57 |
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Nice owner’s review! For how common they were back in the 90s, there aren’t enough of these running around anymore. My wife photographed a red Firebird WS6 and asked me what it was. It looked fairly exotic for what it was. And now I kind of want one to commute with...your fault.
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Kuhat
> Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever
12/04/2015 at 15:34 |
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Thanks! If you get one to commute with you will be very happy. The interior quality is quite poor, but all that is forgiven when you put your foot down. Manuals get 28mpgs on the highway too!