da808n

back in high school,my friend had a IROC Z those where pretty good cars back in those days,the dad owned a C2 and a C3 I guess those days the Camaros where for the little boys and the big boys would own the vette's,,,,,,I wouldnt mind owning a late 1st Gen maro

ptwohey

My neighbor always jokes that Camaros are a "dime a dozen" but I've run out of dimes after collecting 4 of them. Now I'm spending "quarters" on my 2 Vettes.
My Camaros consist of a '67 Vert SB, '68 R/S SB loaded with options including cruise control (that's my throphy winner), '69 SS/RS original matching numbers SB, andddddddddddddddddddddddd.... an all original, REAL, Z-28-302 (only real Z's have the 302 and not just the emblems). Over the past 5 years, I sold another real '69 Z-28 and a '68 SS/RS, both to make way for Vettes coming home. My Vettes are a '71-454 that has spent more time in my garage fixing things that previous owners messed up and I am putting back to being right, and a '66 BB Roadster that came home in over a dozen boxes and is down to 10 boxes so I have no idea if and when I will get to drive that.
Going to check out a '95 Z-28 tomorrow that "needs engine work but run's". Photo looks good and the price is only $800.00 Sometimes, I do get my money's worth.
Sooooooooo...... I guess I love Camaro's!

GRB

Yeah, they are a dime a dozen. I've got 4 that I have a little over $260K in. And the one I added a couple months ago was the cheapest, a '99 hugger orange (HOSS), M6, hardtop with 1,000 miles and a mile of documentation for $32K.

A dime just doesn't go as far as it used to.

Black R/A

Rivals? The MUSTANG is a rival. BMW is a rival. Camaro and Corvette are brothers. Camaro is a sports car for people who need luggage space. Vette is all-round performance.

Hwy1

I was gonna get a Camaro until I found a good deal on a 2000 Vette 6speed...........

ptwohey

Added another one to my collection last night. '95 Z-28 with the LT-1 option. Buddy turned me on to a guy who just printed the for sale sign at work. I had to work fast and got it for $700.00! Outside and interior are perfect but with 180,000 miles, I'm not counting on the drive train being much longer for this world and will either do a rebuild or replacement. I’m guessing about $3000 will be added to my initial investment.

Camaros have been part of my car life for over 35 years mostly because the cost of upkeep and parts are more reasonably priced, even though they are the same or close to the parts used to repair Vettes. I have restored Camaros and Corvettes and quality wise, Vettes are just a Rubbermaid shell over steel and I doubt that passenger safety was a big concern in the early days when the bird cage was engineered. Camaros are all steel. I am a Master Model Maker that worked in the Toy Industry many years and saw toys stronger than a Vette. The '66 I'm restoring now has every flaw that is targeted in restoration manuals including the rotted frame and bird cage, worn suspension and bearings, and fatigued and fractured passenger compartment. But…my hopes are high and I move forward yearning for the day I turn the key on the 427 and hear the side pipes rumble before tromping on the pedal to see just what it’s like to drive a true American sports car.

Dan Dlabay

I like Camaros as much as Corvettes. Below is my favorite car of all time. I owned one just like this and boy do I wish I still had it.

ptwohey

Dan, interesting that you posted that photo. Early in the 90's when I got back into collecting Camaros, I drove to the next county to check out SS/RS's at a dealer in the range of $9000 to $12000. In the back stall of the dealer was a Z-28 just like the one in your photo. That car was a one owner, fully documented, with 23,000 miles, cross ram, and every option that Chevy offered in a Z. Asking price was $18,000 which seemed high at the time. The big one got away.

rabiddawg

I got both
but the camaro runs circles around the vette

ls1569

I got two of each and (vette and camaro) and the camaro gets more attention then my vettes! When you say american muscle car my first thought is an earlier camaro! Here's my 72' with a big block.

rel3rd

Sold my first Vette (an 85 with better cam, heads, intake, etc...) about 2 months ago and bought a 2000 Camaro SS. No regrets whatsoever...I really liked the looks of my C4, but the LS1 F body is a much, much more refined driver (without all the older car issues)...

GRB

I couldn't agree more. Without the issues, headaches poor handling. The LS1 gen cars are basically cheap resto-mods. Is that a HOSS?? I've got one (hardtop) and wouldn't part with it. In fact, thinking about preserving ALL the old parts and putting a twin turbo C5R 427 in it just for the Hell of it!

Ironcross

I like the looks of the last ones but they are uncomfortable and are to small for me. The two daughters use them. I only get them back when they break something. I just last week replaced the clutch in daughter number twos Z convertible. The disc was disinagrated and even ripped the slave cylinder out too. Daughter number one is a little more conservative the SS`s clutch is still ok. For me I feel the early ones are much more comfortable. Sitting in the passenger seat of the new ones the floor has that damn converter bulge. Oh well, Another new version is on the horizon and will probably be screwed up with no convertible and a low HP V8. At least they could turbocharge the V8 if they wont give it Verrte HP.

rel3rd

Assuming that is directed at me...no, mine's Bright Rally Red, which is indeed....very BRIGHT, lol...

NemeSS

im a camaro man at heart, seeing as how my first real car, was
a 84 witha 460ci bbc with dart heads, and intake, 12 bolt rear
with th400 with 4k stall, with 850 double pumper in hi school
got from my uncle, when he bought c4 in 94'
i was 16

Allthrottleandsomebottle

That its slower................only cause of HAVING TO SPREAD THE MOD $$$ OUT! cause I race my 68' as hard as my 97' and have broken and fixed both

Ross00FRC

Having just gotten out of a 02 Z28 and into a 00 FRC, I can honestly say the vette is an entirely better car except the straight line acceleration. I love both cars and hope to own another 4th Gen F-Body one day.

Mark_Milner

I think they each have their niche, and they are close enough that there is some overlay, so that having one doesn't mean you can't enjoy the other.

What do you think will happen to pricing with the new one comes out? I'm looking to buy, but I need to figure out how this will be so that I don't over pay now or that I get in and get a good one before I can't afford it.

ptwohey

In my opinion, the new one will be high tech compared to the early versions built before 1972. As far as a comparison to later versions, I've never owned one so can't comment.
If you are looking at investment, it's like the stock market so you never know.
I own 4 Camaros, early ones, all bought before 1990,and each one is now appraised at over 4 times what I paid but the real worth is only as much as the next owner is will to part with.
As far as prices of older ones being affected, are you looking for investment or pleasure? The later one is easier to predict.

Mark_Milner

The issue is more on retaining some value and not investing. I'm looking at recent cars, mostly mid '90s, but have look at a couple of '92s and a '90.

I've found that the prices on the ones within reasonable distance (50 miles) are higher than those far away, but not enough to offset the cost of getting there and back.

However, I wonder if I end up paying say $6000 now, if this will go to nothing in a year or two. I realize it is all relative. If I were buying a new Corvette, I'd lose more than $6000 by the time I got home. But my goal is to keep the loss on cars low. Like I would like to buy a $6000 car and be able in a year or two to sell at roughly $5000 at least.

But if the new Camaro comes out and turns all the 4th generation Camaros into early C4 Corvettes in price, then that kind of stinks.

I'm really looking for a convertible. I figure the Z28 convertible will retain the best, but I'm finding either only junk Z28 convertibles, outrageously priced Z28 convertibles (very few total), or mostly 100,000 mile RS convertibles.

And I get a lot of mixed feedback on the 3.8 V6. Many are saying that 100,000 miles is nearing the limit, with 150,000 being max you can get without major engine work.

Yet on some Camaro boards, they are talking about doing 160,000, 180,000, and so on before opening up the motor.

Still, the prices seem to collapse on the V6 cars around 125,000 miles.