Well, for any of you who might know me I have been waiting a little while for my Camaro to arrive. It was ordered on 10/16/08 and there have been delays and numerous issues that have pushed it back again and again. Originally, my dealer expected the car by June, then July, etc, etc. Well, the wait is finally over. [Sorry for what is undoubtedly going to be a long post, but it will be worth the read.]
No, I didn't give up the faith and run out and buy a Hyundai Genesis Coupe. I didn't cancel my order because I couldn't wait any longer. I patiently waited for my baby to arrive because somehow I just knew that it would be worth it. Well, I haven't even started it up yet and already I know the wait has been well worth it.
Let me give you a little background. My salesman (absolutely great guy BTW) and I were emailing over the previous two weeks. He was really hoping the car would come in before last Saturday because he was leaving on vacation and he really wanted to be the one to deliver the car to me. I told him that I waited this long, I could wait a week longer. It was the least I could do for him since he has been so great to me. Plus, I was traveling for some meetings this past week anyways.
So I get home last night and I decide to check the dealer's website to see if they show my car in their inventory yet. I click on the link fully expecting it not to show and and low and behold, there it is.
I immediately told the wife to get in the car, we were headed to the dealer to, at a minimum, gaze through the window and hopefully see my car sitting there resting peacefully in the showroom.
We pull in and there are cars blocking the showroom doors so I can't get a good view. I park the car and as soon as I stand up, I see a beautiful shiny red glow coming from the showroom floor and my races a bit. I take a few steps closer and I see the white stripes on the hood. THAT'S IT! I casually walk to the doors so my wife doesn't think I am a complete moron (probably too late for that one thanks to this site). I hit the glass and stand there like a kid peering through the window of a closed candy store.
I just stand there for maybe 15 minutes; pacing from one side of the building where I can get a front and side view to the other where I can see the back of the car. As many of you already know, it looks great from every angle.
So finally I peel myself (well really my wife helps peel me) off the windows of the dealership. It is a lost cause since they are closed anyways.
Before I leave the lot, I make a call to a great friend who has been living my Camaro saga for over a year. I tell him that it has arrived and I think he might be almost as excited as I am.
So I go to bed last night and much like a kid on Christmas Eve I have trouble sleeping and once I fall asleep, you guessed it, I am dreaming about my Camaro. How does one get so attached to a car? I have probably answered that before by telling the story of why I wanted this car in the first place (you can probably search to find that story somewhere if you are interested).
I get up this morning and after a few errands my wife and I head to the dealership. Now I already know that I am not picking it up today and that I likely won't even drive it (rain here in VA and I am not getting my baby dirty on the first drive). I just want to sit in it. I just want to stand there beside it and admire it.
We get to the dealership and I walk in. A salesman walks in a minute or so later and asks me how I am doing. I say, "I will be doing a whole lot better as soon as you give me the keys to this car." He gets a bit of a surprised look on his face and he says, "Sorry buddy. This car belongs to someone and no one is to sit in it." [Kudos to my salesman and the dealer for keeping people out of it.] I laughed and tell him that I understand, but it is my car. He laughs and goes to grab the keys.
After some small talk he shakes my hand and hands me the keys. I can't believe it. I REALLY CAN'T FREAKING BELIEVE IT! What weeks ago seemed like it would never happen was finally happening. I unlock the doors and reach for the handle. I just have to pause for a minute to soak this all in. I open the door and just stick my head in and savor the moment.
After a few seconds I sit down into the car and let the leather seat absorb me. I grab the steering wheel and I can feel (I know this is going to sound stupid) the history, the legacy of this car. I can sense the passion that has gone into it and its ancestors.
This car is fast, inside and out, even when the key is off. It feels like I am flying and it is just sitting there on the showroom floor. I turn the key on and mess with the radio and some of the gadgets. I show a few cool things to my wife who has now joined me in the cabin. The way the radio tunes, the ABL on the doors, the DIC, etc, etc.
The wife and I trade seats a couple of times so we can each experience both sides of the car. She even seems a little more excited that I thought she would be. She turns to be and asks if she can drive it to work next week.
Hmmmm, might have to sleep on that request.
I pop the trunk and check for shunt. Not in there. But what is in there is a ton of room and my wife even noted that.
I walk around to the driver's side to release the hood and then slowly make my way to the front of the car. The engine looks great and I can't wait to get it out on the street and let it purr a little bit.
A few more trips in and out of the car just to check a few things out - the throw of the shifter seems very short and crisp (really can't wait to test that out too), the resistence of the clutch, the seat adjustments, the bluetooth, etc. Everything seems to exceed my expectations. I check the things that some people on here have complained about. I find none of them. The door panel alignment is tight and perfect all over. The door sill plates are attached perfectly. I can't find one thing wrong with the interior of the car and believe me I am looking. One more walk around the exterior of the car to check the fit out there - perfect. Again, it exceeds my expectations. This car looks hot and fast.
Something worth noting here and giving credit where it is due. I left my salesman with some pretty specific instructions on what to do and not do with this car when it arrived. To his credit and the dealership's credit, the prep was perfect and exactly as I had asked. I just wanted to throw that out there to show people that there are dealers that listen and care what people want. It's the difference between going to a dealer to buy a car and building a relationship with a dealer. I highly recommend the latter.
Finally, my wife reminds me that we have some more errands to run and I reluctantly hand the keys back to the salesman. As I walk away, I feel like what just happened wasn't real. Almost like I dreamt that the car finally arrived. I stood in the doorway for just a few seconds looking at it one more time. I can't wait to get in this car and drive it away.
My father would be proud to ride in this car. He would be smiling from ear to ear and I am sure he would want me to get on it a little bit to feel its power push him back in the seat. That's next week Dad. So for PBF (RIP) we finally got our red Camaro with white stripes. 15 or so years after we intended and a model year difference of 30 years or so, but I think we this one will be worth the wait.
For the rest of you here are a few pictures of the car, us in the car and of me drooling at the glass last night. Thanks to my wife for all her great patience with me over the past year +. Thanks to my dealer and salesman for being so awesome to work with. Thanks to a particular friend who spared the lime green paint on the car. Thanks to a partiular mod who listened to me vent a few times. Now it's your turn.
