I found this one for a little over two grand.
Let me preface everything by saying this. Don't buy a V6 Camaro! You will regret it! We're talking about the V8 version which originally came with the LT1 engine, introduced in the Corvette the year before this car came out.
Yes, the Camaro uses the Corvette engine if there is anybody out there that didn't know. You try to buy a Corvette for two grand... Good luck. In 1998, the Camaro got the new Corvette motor - one still used for racing to this day - the LS1.
I want to go through the changes this car went through over the years to hopefully make it easier on you to pick which year.
Most will flock immediately to the 1998-2002 models and there's few being sold because of this. With the LS1, this car was making 345 hp and 320 lb-ft torque. Personally, I think that torque number is higher in real life. The older engine has more torque according to everything I read which is hard to wrap my mind around. Anyway, if you do find one that's decent, get it because the 1998-2002 versions are getting rarer like I said. You will mostly see V6s.
The 1993-97 Camaro V8 had 275 hp and 325 lb-ft of torque. If you're not planning on extracting another 300 horsepower out of the motor then I would say you should take an older one in better condition over a newer one in bad condition. The LS1 is just easier to tune and has a huge aftermarket. That doesn't mean the LT1 has nothing.
I'm not saying to buy a pre-98 over the newer ones - only in crrtain conditions. If you have access to buy either one, like I said, the newer ones are becoming rarer and will start growing in value so go with that.
However, if your goal is just to have a pretty-reliable fast car and you don't plan on doing anything but maybe basic mods like an exhaust, then just go for whatever is best price-wise. Don't worry about the year but instead look at the condition the car is in and decide from there. I would take a '94 over a '98 if the latter had 50k more miles and a random misfire code (a simple check engine light code). That's obviously because I know that there's a chance that misfire isn't just spark plugs and there might be problems coming up soon. Versus the older one that has been taken care of and should keep running good as long as you do that.
The only exception to this is high mileage cars that, for example, have had a big service completed like timing belt and water pump, for example. In this case you can rest assured you don't need to worry about that big job that might actually be coming up soon on that older one.
This article wouldn't be complete without pointless information so you should know that the interior instrument lights were yellow ONLY in the '93 model - all others got white ones. Learn something new every day.
If you're willing to sacrifice the yellow lights, Chevy put a better automatic transmission in the '94 model year and up. The car got the 4L60E, a transmission found in the Tahoe and other Chevy trucks. I'm assuming it's pretty good considering this car is neither a truck nor a huge SUV. That's only if you want an automatic.
The interior is very roomy in the front.
That year Chevrolet changed the intake setup to use a Mass Airflow Sensor and the car was getting minor updates for the first few years.
The back? It will fit groceries... Or a dwarf.
The 1998 model year, like I said, is preferred over the older ones so much that if I was shopping, I might just get an older one. It has 5 lb-ft more torque anyway... Oh but the LS1 is like 94 lbs lighter because they made part of the engine aluminum.
Anyway, this is a drag car. It doesn't corner very well but neither do Mustangs. That's not what they're built for. But off the line, if you're not a grizzled veteran that has driven every high powered car, it will surprise you. It will put you in your seat if it doesn't just spin the tires for hours.
For the speed, for the price, the aesthetics, the ease of working on the car... I would probably buy one of these over any other muscle car in this price range. I love the long hood, the spoiler, everything about it and did I mention it has a Corvette motor?
People say they're heavy but they weigh about 3,200 lbs which is not extremely heavy. If I'm correct, the 3000GT weighs about the same and has about a hundred less ponies.
On a personal note, I'm toiling away working on the Lexus and my business. I apologise that these articles have been taking more than a week, sometimes, to put up. It's life. I thank my readers who come back especially and I also invite my new ones to check out the other articles and hopefully, enjoy.
No comments:
Post a Comment