[oldblue]

I know this doesn't pertain to 1st generation camaros but I would like some opinions on extended waranties and which ones may be of value. I am in the process of buying a minivan. Family responsibilities come before working on the old blue.

[DjD]

I have owned 12 or more new cars over the 30 years I have been driving. Ever since the extend warrantee came about I have turned it down when offered. Every time the factory warrantee is about 6 or 8 months from expiring I get an offer in the mail "Last chance to purchase an extended warrantee"

If the factory offers 3yr 36k mile coverage and you buy an extended warrantee you are paying twice for your coverage up to that point.

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...Dennis
"The '69, the '96 & the club"

[Spames]

Sounds like you work on all your stuff yourself. I'd play the odds, and stick with the factory warranty. Chances are your tranny and engine will go the distance. Anything else might be a pain in the a** to diagnose, but not all that expensive to fix compared to the price of some of those extended warranties, especially if you turn your own wrenches. I've got 500 miles warranty left on my Dakota, and don't plan on buying more warranty.

I think a lot of companies are going to longer warranties anyhow.

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68 Coupe, 350 4-speed
Jim's Camaro Corner

[NastyZ]

"mini-van". Please clarify.
If you're buying a minivan with tendancies to explode after 70,000 miles, the extended warranty might be smart.

Otherwise, roll the dice. Actually don't roll the dice, save a portion of $ toward future car maintenance. This is generally what an extended warrantee is - prepaying for your car repairs. You let someone else sit on your $1000 and earn interest in the event you might just get some of it back.

Back to mini-van. My wife wanted one (we have a family of 5 and travel, so it made sense). I did some checking before buying and even though I'm a chevy man, we bought an astro van (I caught hell for getting the chevy, but keep reading, I had the last laugh). It's a 1999 with 80K on it now. I changed the spark plugs and brake pads.
This is what you want.

My in-laws have windstars - both of which blew up (after we got the astro), one was forced back on ford. My cousin had a T&C which ate 3 transmissions. Hey, it looked spiffy and had a leather interior. After the trans failed the 3rd time, she couldn't afford to repair the trans, nor could she pay for non-functional transportation so it was repo'ed. This is typically the vehicle you get the extended warrantee on. Actually, I wouldn't even consider this type of vehicle cause sitting in the shop for several months each year costs money too.

[Rondteal@bellsouth.net]

Just trade it in when the warranty runs out. Thats what I do.

[67FREAK]

word of advice. if you do decide to buy a warranty, buy it from the dealer who sells you the car (assuming you are dealing with a new car dealership) i am a service advisor at a dealership, i deal with these warranties almost daily. we have been burned more than once buy some warranty somebody bought through the mail. i never buy them myself. but i do see first hand that a good company does pay. but a bad one doesn't. If you buy a warranty for $600.00, don't expect much. most good contracts are going to be at least $1000.00 plus

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67 RS
355, SUPER T10 4 SPD
9" FORD

[No 'E' in Camaro]

I agree with NastyZ. My mom's Grand Caravan is on its 2nd engine and 2nd or 3rd tranny at a little over 100k miles. It was okay until they pulled a big trailer with it to get my sister's stuff to college, and that did it in. But the mechanic said most of them have the trans go out at 70k anyway, so they were lucky it made it as long as it did. If you're going to tow anything with the van, get one that's based on a truck chassis like the Astro.

As far as the warranty goes, I dunno. Haven't owned a vehicle with a warranty yet! Never bought a new car.

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Ben's collection of Super Sports (so far):
- '67 Camaro RS/SS350, dark blue, black deluxe int, 4 spd - nickname: NemeSS
- '96 Impala SS, black, all stock, wife's daily driver - nickname: MaSStr (of puppets)
- '91 Chevy SScort, silver, auto, 4-dr hatchback, looks strikingly similar to a Ford Escort

[rodsters]

In 91 I purchased an extended warranty on a new 91 Corsica. At 45,000 miles three injectors went out and were covered by the factory warranty. At 55,000 the engine went out and was covered by the extended warranty. They charged the warranty company over $3,000 to buy and install the v-6. That one was worth the cost.
When I bought my 95 Blazer and the warranty I got so tired of taking it into the shop while still under the factory warranty for transmission problems that I sold it and got a partial refund on my warranty.
I did not purchase a warranty on my last vehicle. I am rolling the dice on it. But, I did negotiate the price of the warranty on the two that I purchased. I thought the dealer had made enough money on the car, he didn't need a profit on the warranty.

[choptop]

Rodsters makes a great point. Dealers can negotiate on the price of the extended warranty. don't let them scam you into paying too much for it. Sometimes this is how they make up for very little profit made on the sale price of the car.

Personally I have never bought an extended warranty on anything, car or otherwise. I think in most cases it is wasteful to purchase one. Cars are being made to last longer than ever...well except for maybe Hyundai and a few other off brand imports (remember the Yugo?).

I would carefully research the repair history of the model you are considering and make a decision from there. Consumer reports has fairly accurate repair history comparisons between models produced over the last 7 years or so. You can track the frequency of which items (e.g. brakes, cooling, engine, electrical and so on) are repaired and the predicted reliability.

Of course if you are drag racing the ol' minivan on the weekends you might want to trade in every year or so !

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See my '68 RS/ZZ4 at http://www.100megsfree.com/choptop/camaro.html

[1967 Panther]

I believe in the extended warranty. Most major expenses happen after the factory warranty runs out. Unless, it's a lease..LOL!

[MCGOO]

Extended warraties can be worth the money you dole out for them.
I too work in the auto service industry, about half of my customers that have the added coverage have had claims totaling the value of the contract.

- Be sure the warranty is from a reputable company (do some home work)

-even the best cars can have mechical problems. When you are out of your "factory coverage" you could end up spending as much money on one repair as the warranty will cost.
-I had a warranty for my wifes Chev Sprint (Geo Metro in U.S.) This warranty paid for itself twice over in fluke repairs less than one year out of factory coverage.

If you plan on keeping the car for a while & you do not do your own repairs the warranty could be money well spent.

It's just a health insurance policy on your car.

Paul.

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250 inline 6, 4 speed & disc brakes.
V8 camaros are like navels.... Everybody has one.

[DjD]

My point (above post) was that you'll be offered the extended warantee again before the factory warantee expires. If you find you are keeping the car get the extended then. If you get the dealer to pick up or adjust the cost of the extended when you are buying a new car you are paying too much for the car to start with!! Dealers know their bottom line and they won't go below it!!

I have no numbers to back this up but if half the extended warantees paid for saved more than the cost of the policy they wouldn't be offering them!!

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...Dennis
"The '69, the '96 & the club"

[elcamino]

Windstar's are junk. Neighbor traded in his Venture for a Windstar because his son-in-law sold them. He told me the van was the biggest piece of junk he ever bought in 40 yrs. Many problems, he was on a trip to Montana and the trans. crapped out at 40,000 miles. Dealer gave him a hard time out there and took 3 weeks to fix it + cost him a lot of $$. If you buy one of these junkers then buy the Ford extended warranty, you will need it.

[kz1000ltd]

We just purchased a new mini-van in 2000, and after testing driving most of them, we decided on the Chevy Venture, without the extended warranty, personally, I don't believe in them. 40K care free miles so far, we'll probably trade it in for another at around 100K, for the $$$ and the options it came with, the deal was pretty hard to beat. My second choice would have been the Honda Oddyssey, I agree with the previous posts about the Winstar, I think they're junk........KZ

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John D. Smith
69 SS/396 CLONE!
The Texas Tornado lives!
http://www.geocities.com/kz1000ltd/

North Texas Camaro Club

Hobbystage Free Picture Posting!!! http://hobbystage.net/camaro/69ss396/