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New Camaro as much fun as First Gens.

9K views 41 replies 27 participants last post by  130fe 
#1 ·
I am in the middle of a late life crisis. I am thinking of selling my 68 and buying a newer 5th Gen Camaro. I was wondering if you guys have who have both could comment on how they feel about the two. I have been in the hobby for over 40 years and to tell you the truth it is getting a little boring. I have spent countless hours at shows and cruises. I have seen pretty well every Camaro from plain jane to ZL1.
Is the new Camaro a fun car to drive?
I would love to hear from owners with their take on the new Camaro, and any drawbacks they have experienced.
 
#2 ·
Recently rented an economy car from Avis. They were out of them so they stuck us in a fully Camaro SS.

It was a lot more fun then I thought it would be.

Hit up your local Chevy dealer and drive one.
 
#3 ·
I've rented both a 6 cyl and SS V8 5th gen (about a week each) and driven a ZL1 ragtop 5th gen and they are a lot of fun. It's different though, just like when I had my '96 Z28SS they are all very cool fun daily drivers that I only slightly cringed a little more than I do in my truck when parking in a parking lot for fear of door dings.

I know there are some guys that will shell out money for a "new" cool weekend driver but I'd rather have old toys in the garage to play with... My truck would get kicked to the curb and only be driven when I needed the truck if I had a new Camaro as it would become the daily driver...
 
#4 ·
Why not sell it and get into a different classic? Go completely away from Chevy. Maybe something German or English? Heck you can sell your Camaro, get a nice British roadster and have plenty of money left over for a proper cap and pipe to go with it (not to mention enough for a vintage motorcyle as well...).

Just a thought.
 
#6 ·
Golf: A beautiful walk spoiled by a little white ball...
 
#9 ·
I've had a 69 SS396, Z/28, PJ w/350 and a 70 PJ 307. Love the classics! I am just between 69's right now... long story, I needed a new daily drive so I ordered an 11 at the end of 10. Being a daily driver I went with the 6, settled for the 315hp, and an auto w/paddle shifters. It is a LT2, RS, it's a lot of fun to drive, gets 22MPG plus even with my lead foot! It's a great daily driver, it's just doesn't have the class of a 69. There isn't much that will leave it at the line, 0-60 and beyond is impressive, yeah it's just a 6!. Again, its fun, looks cool, is very comfortable, but nothing is as classy as a 69! There will be another 69 in my garage one day! As a daily drive go for it, but don't give up the 68, you'll only regret it, trust me, been there, done that!
 
#10 ·
I don't blame you for being tired after 40 years of cruises and car shows. Cruises and car shows are a little more exciting than watching grass grow, but not much.

The first generation Camaros, as they came from the factory, were pretty crude vehicles by today's standards.

If you wanted performance, you had to put up with the engine screaming at 2,700 to 3,700 rpm at freeway speeds, and got pretty poor to really poor fuel economy. The handling wasn't terribly good, the seats were awful, the brakes were - if you had disks - barely adequate, your "choices" of entertainment were AM/FM radio, the sound insulation was so-so, they leak, they require frequent maintenance, you have only two speeds for the wipers, the headlights aren't terribly effective, etc. - in short they were designed, built and sold over 45 years ago, and it shows.

All of that said, if you're willing to rebuild the car to a certain extent, a first generation Camaro can be a fun, comfortable, high performance, fuel efficient and reliable car.

A modest pro-touring style build - update the wheels and tires to modern sizes, improve the front and rear suspensions, including camber correction and good shocks, replace the front and rear brakes with modern disks, drop in a computerized LS motor, an LS accessory package and your choice of automatic or manual overdrive transmission, update the fuel system for the EFI motor, replace the front seats with something that actually supports you as you go around a turn, cut up the dash for a single DIN radio or (with a big loss of usefulness) use one of the hidden solutions, and DRIVE that baby.

For me, my '68 is my go to car for longer trips when I'm not hauling something. I've had it on the road for a little under 3 months and have a little under 3,000 miles on it, including round trips of a total of 450 miles, 300 miles (3 times), and 200 miles (3 times).

It brakes well, accelerates incredibly hard, handles well, is comfortable, has great seats, has AM/FM, GPS, Sirius radio, plays tunes from an IPod or (my favorite) a USB flash drive, is pretty quiet, gets 23+ mpg on the highway and draws friendly attention wherever I go. I'm still sorting out a few issues, and will address some issues over the winter, but it's pretty much a modern car dressed up like a '68 Camaro.

I built my '68. If I had it to over again, I'd look for a well built car that had most or all of what I wanted.

So, maybe your interest in these cars can be sparked by taking a different direction and having the best of the modern car performance dressed up in the classic car skin.
 
#12 ·
I probably should have bought my buddies 2010. He had a really nice v6 in the orange with cyber grey stripes. It does not seem too appetizing but it was a stunning color combo. He had the matching interior and to top it off, it was a pre production test vehicle and it did not have a production serial number. He worked for GM and bought it through the company. 6 speed manual and it had the 20" chromes on it. It came without a spoiler and he added an aftermarket tall spoiler. He also owns a graphics company and made a complete set of 69 style full stripes for it. They looked killer, rather than the abbreviated ones you can only see on the top of the hood and trunk lid. (my only complaint).
One of my other problems is space. I really only have room for one "garage" car. I would not drive the New Camaro in the Canadian Winter so I would have to store it somewhere.
I have thought of owning both.
 
#17 ·
I think you would get bored with a stock 5th gen rather quickly - however the aftermarket and tuners are all over 5th gens and a clean, low mileage 2010 or 2011 can be bought right.

Its two different driving experiences.. I like them both. For cruising and occasional car show I still prefer my '69. I recently picked up a dealer modified 5th gen and the more I drive it, the more I like it, but I don't see it replacing the '69.
 
#18 ·
I have 52k on my '11 RS, LT2, V6, W/FE2 handling pkg, never have I thought that it drove or rode like a truck. Wife drives a 08 GMC Acadia, had a 94 GMC Yukon and I drive numerous trucks a work and I can honestly say there isn't one of them that drives or rides anything like may Camaro. Ride and handling was greatly improved when I replaced the Pirellis with Goodyear's. Everyone is quick to dog the V6, @ 315HP it will smoke about 80% of what comes up next to it at a light. Love '69s, but with a 60 mile round trip commute daily, I take the '11 every time!
 
#19 ·
By looking at your list of cars owned;

Why not sell the 69 since you've had it forever and get a 5th gen 6cyl 2LT as your everyday driver. All season tires required in Ontario.

Maybe then pick up a 67 since you never had one.

...Oh, and how much for the 68?
 
#31 ·
I am sorry but I missed your question. I don't own any of the 69s anymore. I do own the 68, and I am looking at low to mid 20s. I am in Canada so it would probably be out of the question for you. I haven't made up my mind yet as to whether I will be selling it.
 
#21 ·
Man i own both... it really depends on what wanting out of a car. If you enjoy people going "man that car is awesome" then keep the old one, and while they look cool, (and i own a bunch of em) they are nothing compared to the new ones performance wise. The new zl1 is stupid. You can take it, change the blower pulley for 160 dollars, plus labor if it scares you, and it is labor intensive, and change the hp from 576 at the block to somewhere north of 730. At the tires mine makes 630ish and i never had to get into the computer at all, the computer picked up the slack. There is launch mode on the zl1, no lift shift, 8 body control modules measuring sh*t constantly, you cant make the thing get loose unless you turn off the stabilitrak and traction control. The car is built to road race, and it is a blast. Now if you enjoy the old "i have 230 hp at the wheels and my car feels fast because the suspension is terrible and will make the tires come loose at any moment and send me towards whichever wall my tires are pointed at before i hit that bump that cause me to bump steer and total it" feel, i would stay with the older one. The a/c is awesome in the new ones, the seats are bolstered, the steering is crisp and responsive, if you can't pull up a hill in a standard trans, guess what? it will do it for you with its hill start mode that automatically engages. The only downside is, the zl1 is not a cold weather car, in fact, the tires that are on them will crack and literally break below 40 degrees. They sent out a consumer bulletin to all owners. Other than that, they are a blast.
 
#22 ·
Thanks guys I guess the consensus is that I keep the Camaro and get a newer model as well. I can see where they are two completely different animals. I know the new Z/28 will try to get back to basics, but I see where the ZL1 is in Corvette territory when it comes to all the handling electronics. I know that they are very tech oriented, and that scares me.
I have heard some horror stories about Vettes. I actually saw one that pulled off the road to drive into a car show on the grass, and it stopped and would not go. I guess the computer had sensed it going off the road and just froze. They had to drag it back off the grass with a cable because they could not get under it, and I talked to the owner weeks later and he said they brought a guy in from California with a new computer to the tune of about 6 grand and that worked. It was two weeks at the dealer and nobody could get it to go.
That is what I love about the 68. Although I have been chasing a gremlin in the charging system, and finally found it. A bad aftermarket amp gauge, shorting things out, and a broken wire inside the connection to the Alternator.
I will probably take another look at local 2SS cars. I am looking for one without stripes, so I can have mine custom made, also a spoiler car, and I will put a taller aftermarket one on it. I hate the stripes that come on them, and the small spoiler just doesn't cut it.
One question: Do all of the automatics come with that 4 6 or 8 system, not sure what it is called. I have heard they are not good.
Thanks for the replies.
 
#23 ·
#24 ·
Have a 67 (currently in many pieces, trying to get it back together, we did drive it awhile before dis assembly). My son has a 2012 v6 which I borrow quite often :). We've tweaked the v6 with a few minor mods, the 2012 (from the factory) pulls a little more hp than the 2011/2010. It is fun, gets better gas mileage than I expected. Hangs curves well (has the electronic suspension) and easily gets up to over 100 mph with plenty of pedal left. Wish it was a little bigger on the interior (or me a little smaller....) Gets lots of looks and comments, even from the Mustang crowd, (ashen gray, metallic). Bonus is 5 star crash rating which I hope we never have to use.

We plan on keeping both...best of the old world and new.
 
#25 ·
I can attest to the 5 star rating. 60 mph in the side, through a pipe fence and into a telephone pole. Walked away. When i was cutting the car up in a million pieces after gutting it, i was amazed at how much reinforcement there was in it. They are so ridiculously safe.

 
#26 ·
I followed your issues with the crank on the ZL1. I was amazed at how poorly the dealership and GM treated you. I would probably have gone to the dark side for my next pony car nudge, nudge, wink wink.
That is what I am worried about. I was thinking about an automatic, and I want nothing to do with that cylinder deactivation.
I am pretty sure they don't have it on the 6 speeds. Certainly very crash worthy. Were you able to salvage much form the wreck.
 
#27 ·
You are correct. No cylinder deactivation on the 6 speeds. But is can be turned off in the automatic trans cars by a tuner shop or a hand held tuner.

I love driving my 2012 2RS/SS 6 speed. I've done a few minor mods that have really made a big difference in the car. And as many have said, they are totally different animals than a First Gen. I love driving both of them. I could never get rid of my 69 for 5th Gen. One of each is the best of both worlds.

.
 
#28 ·
I have both and have had the 2010 since fall 2009. It drives like a caddy compared to the '69 and is quite and smooth and all the comforts of a new car. It's also fast as S$)/. Unless you have a first gen race car the 5th gen is far quicker and faster. Initially the 2010 got lots of attention as it looks like the ever so awesome '69. It now seems to more blend in the ever growing newer muscle cars but if you were ever to travel more than 100 miles you will appreciate the great ride of the 5th gen.

That being said, they don't make first generation camaros any more and to stand out in a crowd is never more possible than with the 1st gen. It will never lose the it's rarity.

I love them both for different reasons
 
#29 ·
Why not swap out a modern drivetrain into your classic Camaro?? Doing the LS swap into a vintage Chevy is all the rage these days.

I have no real world experience with the LS motor but from what I hear and read the motor is fantastic. Unless your 68 is a number's matching car, why not drop an LS and a 6 speed trans in and drive the snot out of it. I would imagine it could be done for a lot less money than buying a brand new car would cost. You would have the best of both worlds.
 
#30 ·
I own a 2011 SS Camaro as DD and a 1968 ragtop. I love driving the 5th gen, but there's nothing like the old car. By the way, I really don't go to car shows or many cruises I just drive the snot out of it!

The suggestion above is what I'd also recommend. I just had an LS1-T56 swap completed on my 68. Still an old car but drives more like the 2011 (engine/trans/clutch-wise). The 68 now feels faster than the 2011 SS (smaller cubes but MUCH lighter).

Pic of mistress and wife:


And one of the heart transplant:
 
#33 ·
Ha, was just thinking about the fact that i never posted this picture, and i figure since we were talking about it, why not.... So here is that zl1 in the back of my truck after we took everything we could off it down to the carpet.

 
#34 ·
l met a couple at the cruise tonight with a ZL1 Convert. The guy was very adamant that it was his daily driver. He said it has 140000 km warranty (Canadian) and he said he plans to put at least that on the car. He has already driven it to Florida. He has owned muscle cars and is a retired dentist. His description of it was a true muscle car.
Red with the Black wheels of course. Not really excited about the built in roll bar.
Car looks much shorter int he convert.
 
#35 ·
I got a 14 RS 1lt in May. I run about 180 miles a day and love how this car handles the drive. I am running mostly freeway so I am getting 25.4 for avg mpg.



One check engine light so far for a #3 cylinder misfire that TSB called for a computer reprogram. The ignition recall I opted out of since my knee does not come close to the key so I expect no issue. I have logged 9500 miles already and love how the car is. I gave up an 08 HHR SS with 165k miles that I liked but started having issues. Being a FWD powertrain and shoe horned into the car I went back to a RWD chassis. I have had my 14 up on my hoist and expect when the warranty runs out I will be able to work on this car. Did I say I love driving it? :D So does the wife :eek: I hope it makes it to my retirement where it may get replaced with a used Z28. (by then hopefully I can find an affordable used one )
While it may not be as fun as a first gen or my BB Chevelle, I am glad I broke down and got one. I was looking forward to having no car payment for a while IMO the juice is worth the squeeze :D
 
#36 ·
I own both. My 5th gen is a 2010 2SS/RS with an M6. Car is my daily driver. I put Kooks headers and an VARARAM intake on it. Car is a blast to drive, plus it's the very rare aqua blue metallic :) Car has heated and power seats all the modern convenience features of modern automobiles; I even average 18 mpg in mine (combined hwy and street)

I hop in my 68 with a built 350 and my Tremec TKO, completely different story. This car needs to warm up for at least 5 minutes otherwise it will spit, cough, and snarl so badly it's impossible to drive. It has a big cam so it sounds good plus Pypes Violators with an x-pipe so it's loud.... obnoxiously loud. You really need to hold on for dear life under full throttle. 1st through 3rd spin the tires like crazy. Everybody looks at his car when you drive around. People even make videos when I'm driving on the freeway.

So your question was, as much fun? The answere is no. More civilized? YES! Better daily driver? YES! I guess if I could only own one, I'd pick the 5th gen. But I'd rather drive a used corolla daily to have my 68 :)
 
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