Camaro Rants

[Dawn55430]

I absolutely love this car, but it's not perfect. NOTHING is!!!

All it's quirks are documented on several other threads. Everyone has their own personal one that gets them crazy. Mine is the different size cup holders, hubby and I can't both have a pop going at the same time. And the unlock button in the middle makes me go hmmmm, whatever. Personally I don't even notice the visors, never use them and since the mirrors aren't lighted, I don't even flip them down for a quick hair/makeup check.

[lurker]

You Camaro guys should be grateful as all hell that you've got somebody like fbodfather on the site who can speak with authority as to why something's the way it is. I wish there was that guy on the Mustang site to answer the 'why' questions.

[Scalded Dog]

Originally Posted by lurker

You Camaro guys should be grateful as all hell that you've got somebody like fbodfather on the site who can speak with authority as to why something's the way it is. I wish there was that guy on the Mustang site to answer the 'why' questions.

Lurker, you are indeed correct... many of us do appreciate it, too, while others need to be reminded!

BTW, yesterday I shared a "forbidden love" moment with one of your team... on a two-lane, a really nice looking purple Mustang was coming towards me. He gave the "thumbs-up," I gave him the peace sign... brotherly appreciation for nice machines, even if they are Blue Oval v. Bow Tie.

[SS4PK]

Love everything about it. and for the record, if you measure the actual vertical height in inches of the windshield it is 15" if I remember. The side windows are 12". A bigger visor would cover a larger percentage of the windshield than a vehicle with less of a raked windshield. my 0.02

[fbodfather]

so - you have 'no license' and you have 20 posts and you are an auto engineer?

Unless you're an auto engineer - you may want to rethink what you're saying.

Yes - you bring up good points - but when you live in a litigious society, things aren't aways as they seem.


I don't mean to sound harsh, but don't use the word "nonsense" when you don't work in this industry day in and day out.

I suspect you mean well - but know that there are not a bunch of fools working to bring you the best Camaro possible.

By the way -what DO you drive and where DO you live?

Originally Posted by lgKido

NONSENSE! Just because the Camaro Team drives Camaros every day doesn't mean they are doing so safely. Any crash, corporate sunvisor or not, can cause harm to passenger and driver. I'd rather be in a wreck and receive a severe concussion or broken ribs while operating a vehicle with an effective sunvisor than get broadsided (which could easily be fatal) because I missed a red light due to momentary blindness, the result of driving in the direction of the sun with an ineffective sunvisor. Why even have sunvisors if they don't work properely?

Look at it from a probabilistic and legal point of view. Which automobile is more likely to be involved in an accident under adverse conditions due, say, driving in the direction of the sun. One with a visor that is effective at blocking the sun or one that is not? Just look at train crossing accidents (which happen every year) due to the low angle of the sun and drivers not being able to see effectively. This example fittingly serves as a model for driving conditions with an ineffective sunvisor. And as the number of accidents increase, the risk of serious injury and/or death increases proportionately. The bottom line is this: Do you want one accident with injuries while driving with an effective sunvisor or 10 accidents while using an ineffective sunvisor? I know what I want.

Finally, the number of repeated and well documented complaints in this forum about the problems with the existing sunvisors, and your knowledge of these complaints, will place GM in a perilous position come litigation. It's only a manner of when. My recommendation is to go back to the drawing board and design a fix.

[fbodfather]

Originally Posted by doubletap407

Wow said so well ! It's funny how some people cant take corrective critisim. Oh and by the way the paint jobs on our cars suck ! But if you listen to a certain someone on here . They listen to their customers ! Lol !

Yes - we do listen to our customers - you bring it up, so I want you to list the names of the cars where the manufacturer takes more input from their customers.

I'm waiting.

Tell me why you think the paint 'sucks' --

Chips?

Let me strap you to the front of a car or truck and drive down the road for 10 miles -and perhaps you'll find out what the paint on your Camaro endures each and every day.

Paint was better on the cars in the 60s and 70s?

Wrong.

I grew up in a Chevy Dealership, my Camaro Comrade - and I can tell you that after 4 months we had to paint the front ends of our demos from the chips in the paint after a winter.......

Here's the problem: The gills get road rash. We can fix that a couple of ways - we can put on the 'clear bra' material - but then not everyone likes that. We can remove the gills by straightening the sheetmetal - but then it is slab sided and looks more like the challenger. We can slope the front end like the 4th gens - but again, the car won't look like the concept.

You may have noticed that we don't maintain our roads in this country the way we used to - and you may also notice that there is substantially more traffic volume....more debris......more cars and trucks.....more chance for chips.

Again - as I said to another poster -- I don't mean to sound harsh - but to say 'the paint sucks' is easy - except that you can't back that up by facts in the automotive world. Every manufacturer has the same problem. EVERY manufacturer. Even Bentley.

It's late and I've spent the last 17 hours in the hot sun with my fellow Camaro enthusiasts - and so I suspect I'm not the most patient right now....but it bothers me that you'd say ".....But if you listen to a certain someone on here . They listen to their customers ! Lol ...."

It's not only a cheap shot - but completely false.

[Hylton]

Originally Posted by WheelmanSS

Please, PLEASE show me the perfect car.... Go ahead... I'll wait.

[1BADLS3]

I honestly can't remember the last time I used a sunvisor....in ANY car. Sun GLASSES don't block your field of vision, they only filter the intensity of light. If you're so short that the sunvisor isn't long enough, you should really look at the adjustment of your seat, or invest in a pair of sunglasses.

You know what my sunvisor has done for the last 16 years of driving? For a long while, it was the surface to which I clipped the garage remote, before home link. Occasionally the mirror in the sun visor is useful for helping remove a booger before I have to get out of the car and see someone. And a few times, it's been used to hide checks or important documents out of sight, when I've had to leave them in the car.

And you know what else I can't recall? When people became so stupid as to assume they should sue the manufacturer for their own inability to take precautions or lack of driving skill. But it's a growing trend, one that annoys me to no end.

[lgKido]

Originally Posted by fbodfather

so - you have 'no license' and you have 20 posts and you are an auto engineer?

Unless you're an auto engineer - you may want to rethink what you're saying.

Yes - you bring up good points - but when you live in a litigious society, things aren't aways as they seem.


I don't mean to sound harsh, but don't use the word "nonsense" when you don't work in this industry day in and day out.

I suspect you mean well - but know that there are not a bunch of fools working to bring you the best Camaro possible.

By the way -what DO you drive and where DO you live?

Yes, I meant well, and you don't sound harsh. You're just speaking your mind as is your right. Perhaps it was I who was overly harsh. It's a difficult world we live in these day, and as you say, very litigious. Furthermore, I don't think you or anyone you work with are fools. On the contrary. How could GM have the level of success with such a car were it run by fools? The popularity of the C5 is nothing short of phenomenal.

But sometimes, one's focus or vision can become blurred by hectic schedules and "more important things". As a result, the small things we overlook can be, and often are, our undoing. I know this from personal experience as the owner of a Civil Engineering firm. The firm was successful for several years, but then the economy went south. I lost my focus, was overly taxed and heavily invested. A very lethal combination of toxins. So I decided to drink away my problems one night. Turned out to be the worst decision of my life because later that evening, I was involved in an accident that resulted in the death of a young woman. A horrible event for everyone involved, to say the least. I was drunk and a fool to be on the road. As a result, I effectively drilled a hole in two parents hearts that will never heal, and that's a very heavy burden to bear. Perhaps now you can understand my sensitivity to automobile safety.

I know the world is not perfect, and that includes the automobile industry. It's impossible to please everyone and foolish to even try. So, what to do? I think you're doing what you can, especially by taking the time to read and respond to the countless number of posts and complaints. I'm sure that's not easy and wears on you. And over time, it can become too much. Too much for anyone. Just be careful! Because small items like "sunvisor size" can be easily overlooked and relegated to the trash can department when we're too busy. I harbor no doubts about you and your colleagues at GM having nothing but the best of intentions and would never intentionally produce a product that was unsafe. Enough said!

You now know why I don't have an operator's license. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. I freely admit what I did was my fault and very wrong. However, by this time next year, I expect my privilege to drive will be restored to me. And guess what my car of choice will be when the time comes? I'm not a member of this forum for kicks. Also, I live in Nebraska, and yes, I'm a Husker fan/fool like everyone else in this State.

Take care,
lgKido

[two_wheel_mayhem]

I wish the car didn't have to be so heavy....Not completely GM's fault though. I understand why it is that way.

Wish they offered the 2SS without vinyl/leather seats.

[Revo1]

Originally Posted by Vikas2k

I love this car to death.

But the TINY VISORS that this giant came with, I absolutely hate them as they are totally useless in blocking any sun.

Anything you wanna rant about??

Any bigger and they'd block THE ENTIRE WINDSHIELD...

[JAX CAMARO]

Drive the other way and don't go back until after dark

[MYDLIFECRISIS]

Originally Posted by Roadhause

Real men stare directly into the sun while driving, as if to challenge it for dominance.

[MYDLIFECRISIS]

I've read all these rants and responses...in my opinion, there is no perfect car...but my new Camaro is the best vehicle I have ever owned. And I'm not an ignorant Camaro owner...I grew up turning wrenches since I was 7, and worked on a lot of old school muscle cars. Helped a buddy restore a '69 Camaro back in the day. Loved them ever since! Took me 2 1/2 years to finally turn the wife to let me buy it. Yes, I discuss all big purchases with her...I always put my family first. I've had it 3 months now, and the first time I put my 2 year old son in it, he said "Daddy's car? VROOM VROOM!" No lie...made it worth it right there. Do I have little things I'm not happy with on it, sure, but they are so few and so insignificant, and probably have more to do with me rather than the car, that I forget all about them as soon as they enter my head! ABSOLUTELY LOVE MY RIDE!!!

[Dorwd71]

I say the paint sucks because it seems almost every day I notice some other imperfection. Would that cause me to want to get rid of the car, no, just makes me wonder what I can put on the car to make everything bounce off of it before it hits it? What this car needs is a force field. I am sure the guys at Chevy can create this for us. It is a fact of life that inherently something will jump off the road just to hit my Camaro and I blame this on the paint, even though it is not its fault.

I fell in love with the Camaro after watching "better off dead" with John Cusack when I was in highschool. I previously owned a '77, now that car was not great, but I enjoyed it. I told my wife back in '08 that I was getting this car, well she finally agreed last December. I love it, she likes it but she knows I will drive it into the ground, I love that much. My daughters probably have more of an infatuation, every Camaro they see, they immediately let me know, and they love it when I am on this site and looking at other Camaros, of course every IBM with white stripes they see, they think it is mine.

A Camaro is not just a car, but to some people is a way of life.

[Silverlsinva]

When i first got my camaro i did think the visors where on the very small side but even though i am very short 5'5 to be exact i hardly every use the visors at all maybe 5% of the time i drive. The windsheild is small and the way the design of the car it blocks most of the sun anyways unless ur driving when the sun is setting but for most driving u wont even need the visor at all. And no i dont have to have the seat adjusted all the way up to see over the hood.

[MYDLIFECRISIS]

Originally Posted by Silverlsinva

When i first got my camaro i did think the visors where on the very small side but even though i am very short 5'5 to be exact i hardly every use the visors at all maybe 5% of the time i drive. The windsheild is small and the way the design of the car it blocks most of the sun anyways unless ur driving when the sun is setting but for most driving u wont even need the visor at all. And no i dont have to have the seat adjusted all the way up to see over the hood.

[XxScottxXN]

[doubletap407]

It funny I see Corvettes on a regular basis that dont have all of the paint chips, But in your defense I guess we get what we pay for . If we wanted cars that the paint doesn't chip on we should have bought the ones that cost more . Oh and by the way he asked what my rants were is it ok if I tell what I don't like about my car ! I still own it I still love it and I still have not traded it in on something else! It's just these are the things I feel could be made better. My last chevrolet didn't chip like this one, but as you said it did have a different design. It was a 2008 Silverado awesome truck ! My 2010 Avalanche didnt chip like my Camaro either ! Also an awesome vehickle ! Oh and by the way If chevy comes up with a Brilliant blue for the Camaro my next one will be a rag top Camaro ! It's not that I don't Love my car I just hate the paint chips , is that OK ?

[Fiveg56]

Originally Posted by fbodfather

Yes - we do listen to our customers - you bring it up, so I want you to list the names of the cars where the manufacturer takes more input from their customers.

I'm waiting.

Tell me why you think the paint 'sucks' --

Chips?

Let me strap you to the front of a car or truck and drive down the road for 10 miles -and perhaps you'll find out what the paint on your Camaro endures each and every day.

Paint was better on the cars in the 60s and 70s?

Wrong.

I grew up in a Chevy Dealership, my Camaro Comrade - and I can tell you that after 4 months we had to paint the front ends of our demos from the chips in the paint after a winter.......

Here's the problem: The gills get road rash. We can fix that a couple of ways - we can put on the 'clear bra' material - but then not everyone likes that. We can remove the gills by straightening the sheetmetal - but then it is slab sided and looks more like the challenger. We can slope the front end like the 4th gens - but again, the car won't look like the concept.

You may have noticed that we don't maintain our roads in this country the way we used to - and you may also notice that there is substantially more traffic volume....more debris......more cars and trucks.....more chance for chips.

Again - as I said to another poster -- I don't mean to sound harsh - but to say 'the paint sucks' is easy - except that you can't back that up by facts in the automotive world. Every manufacturer has the same problem. EVERY manufacturer. Even Bentley.

It's late and I've spent the last 17 hours in the hot sun with my fellow Camaro enthusiasts - and so I suspect I'm not the most patient right now....but it bothers me that you'd say ".....But if you listen to a certain someone on here . They listen to their customers ! Lol ...."

It's not only a cheap shot - but completely false.

I'm sick of people complaining about the paint chips. It's simple fix...I put 3M protection film on the front of the car and the gills. I do not have A SINGLE rock chip on the car. It's an easy fix to prevent the chips....so either take the required steps to do so, or stop complaining when they occur.

[TooCool5]

The pluses definitely outweigh the minuses on this awesome car!

My minor rant: My car goes into high idle frequently on restarts and I have to wait for it to come down before putting it into gear around 25 seconds.
Minor yes, annoying yes, any answers from GM NO!

[fz4k98]

Fbodfather my rant on the camaro is...
It is too comfortable to sit in
too good of a mix of classic design with an updated twist
too good of a deal when considering all aspects of performance
Too exciting to be able to walk in and buy what i only dreamed about back in the day.
Which means i had to order one.
On a side note I have been buying new Gm since 1980, my trade to the camaro was my 2009 silverado and when i traded it in with over 40000 miles it was tight and just like new except for some coffee stains and tire wear.

[SnowVert]

Originally Posted by Fiveg56

I'm sick of people complaining about the paint chips. It's simple fix...I put 3M protection film on the front of the car and the gills. I do not have A SINGLE rock chip on the car. It's an easy fix to prevent the chips....so either take the required steps to do so, or stop complaining when they occur.

Out of all the flaws I have found on my car, the paint hasn't been an issue. 17,000 miles of mostly highway commuting and only one chip so far...

[STW]

[Spanky1]

The side view mirrors don't fold in!!! :upset: