Hi everyone names Ryan im 18 years old I'm from Easton Pennsylvania. I'm currently a college student who doesn't own a car . For my first car I really want to get a Camaro because since I was about 7 years old I've wanted a Camaro. I remeber the first tme I saw one I was mesmerized it was on older one (I think it was an 89 not too sure though). I really want to get a fourth generation Camaro I'm thinking somewhere from 1998-2003 because that would probably be most affordable for me and they're some of my favorite models. So don't be afraid to say Hi and give me your opinions on my first car and Camaro.

 

welcome to the forum... are you looking for a V6 or V8 manual or automatic (also there is no 03 camaro they stopped building them in 02)

 

hey there and welcome.
good choice for a first ride. They look mesmerizing.. but driving them is a orgasmic experiance, especially after opening it up and seeing the smoke from the tires just burning behind you. Ive wanted one since i was about 7 as well.. but not because i was mesmerized by seeing it. I wanted one because it was the first car i ever got to actually put wrench time into and drove. Helped my brother rebuild the motor in his 78 Z28 and since then i was hooked. A few years later he let me drive it down our street to "experiance" the hard work we put into it. I had my first orgasm from that. Left 2 damn good strips down the street which are still there to this day

Good luck in getting one. My advice, look for a Z or SS if you want the LS/LT power.

If you have no drving experiance at all, id go with a v6.. the base model. it has a portion of the power.. but its not a huge power like the Z and SS have. I think there might be a 100hp difference.. someone can help me out with that im sure. But if memory serves me correct.. the base has 150-160hp and the LT1s (Z28) have around 270 and the LS1s (SS) have around 330HP.

 

I thik I'm going to try and get an SS manual tran. Let me know what you guys think because I' want a Camaro that has some power.

 

If price is an issue, maybe consider getting the 93-97 Camaro z28. More than enough power as a first car, or consider getting a 96 and up 3.8L, they have 200 hp which is enough power to get you in trouble, and with the 5 speed you'll average around 24 mpg. Just a thought as a pre 98 v6 can go pretty cheap with decent miles.

 

Good idea I'll keep that in mind . Does anyone know what isurance costs for a 97-2000 Camaro would be?

 

Insurance is based on a lot of factors one of the biggest is where you live. Call your agent and get a quote. You going to see number all over the place here. You will need to get that quote before you decide V8 or V6, In some places the cost difference can be huge for a 18 year old.

98-2002 SS LS1 6 speed in decent shape will cost you a pretty penny,

 

Hey man, Sounds alot like me. 18, wanted a Camaro as my first car, and managed to get one at a decent price. I wont' lie, the 3.8 on a 97 base is more then enough for what I need right now, and can only imagine how boss a Z or SS would be.

Being 18, and a new driver. Insurance for me in Philadelphia is about $240+/month I mean, yeah high. But not as bad as it was going to be for most other cars I was looking at.

Best of luck man!

 

Insurance depends on a lot of factors, are you getting your own plan or are you going to be on your parents plan, if the 2nd option is the case, and you have a clean record, a v6 car will be very cheap, seeing as it's an older car that doesn't have 280+ hp. It also will depend on your policy and if you want full coverage, somewhere in between, or state minimum. I have full coverage and am insured on "my car" as a "primary driver" on my parents insurance plan, I have a cleared record due to accident forgiveness on our plan and my insurance is 1400 a year for a 96 camaro with the 3.8L. Before it was wrecked, my 01 Impala Ls cost 2000 a year. It depends on a lot of factor's, but I figured that may give you an idea, your best bet is to talk to your parents, and then have them call your agent and get an estimate on the cost per year of a v6/v8 and the years your interested with coverage you would like, just so you know ahead of time what you may be getting into. Good luck and wait till you find a perfect one.

 

Yeah I know insurances varie alot guess I'm gonna have to talk it up ith my parents, I took driving school which I think should lower my insurance I'm not sure by how much though. It's also nice to know that there are other young Camaro lovers around these forums who know what it's like to want one for their first car.