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Old 06-19-2010, 10:55 PM   #1
dtm4192
 
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Drives: 2002 Camaro Z28
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One year ago today....(long read)

One year ago today I got my Camaro. After 9562 miles I still get that perma-grin every time I get behind the wheel! I figured since the one year mark is here I'd make a thread like the other guy did (I forget his name, sorry) a few days ago to answer fbodfather's question about defining moments in your Camaro history. Of course my Camaro history isn't as long as some of your's, since I'm only 18 but it is still interesting, at least to me So here it goes..

Sometime in 2002: I don't remember a whole lot about it since I was only 10 at the time but I can still remember being shocked that they killed the Camaro. I've always been a Chevy fan as long as I can remember and the Camaro and Corvette have always been my favorite cars. I just remember thinking how stupid it seemed that Chevy was going to stop making the Camaro.

Sometime in 2006: I remember seeing something about the Camaro Concept on TV and thinking "Wow that's cool, but I doubt they'll ever make it."

September 2008: Two things for this one..I got my first car, a 2006 Impala LT with 63,000 miles on it. I did test drive a 1984 Camaro Berlinetta with a 305 in it but my dad said no, I couldn't get it because it was too sporty. Funny thing is the Camaro had something like 190 hp but the Impala he said I should get had 242 hp. Also the Impala was almost $8k more. But I got the Impala and I loved that car. It was a Chevy and it was pretty fast too. Also that month I found Camaro5. I can remember one day I was done with all of my work in computer class so I figured I'd Google something. I remembered hearing something about them bringing the Camaro back so I typed in "2009 Camaro" and well that's when the obsession started. I clicked on one of sites (can't remember if it was 5thgen.org or Camaro5) and I saw a thread with pics of a Victory Red RS. After seeing those pics, I knew that one day I was going to have a 2010 Camaro.
http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showpo...21&postcount=7 those are the same pics, just in the Victory Red thread.

January 2009: I saw on Camaro5 that Scott Settlemire (fbodfather) was having a special event at the Philly auto show for Camaro enthusiasts. I signed my dad and I up to go. This was the first time I saw a new Camaro in person. It turn out the first Camaro I ever sat in was a Victory Red RS (see a trend starting lol) it was 2LT with sunroof and a manual. I must say that, that was awesome to finally be sitting the car that I had been drooling over for the past few months. Once again, I knew one day I was going to have a 2010 Camaro. Also in January 2009 I got my driver's license.

Some quick background info: At this time I was working part time after school at a local gas station. I was making $8.50 an hour and getting around 30-35 hours a week, which wasn't too bad I thought. I was making just enough to make double or sometimes triple payments on the Impala (my payments were $188 a month) I never though at that time I could afford a new Camaro, but I figured once I paid off the Impala I could then trade it on a Camaro. I loved the new Camaros so much and I really wanted to get a new 2010, just so I could say 30 years from now that I am the original owner of 2010 Camaro. At the time though I didn't think it would be possible.

February 2009: One night while I was at work somebody keyed the Impala. I had it out in the back of the lot where I always parked it. There were 6 long scratches on the hood. I asked my boss to look at the tape from that night but the cameras can't see that part of the lot. I still don't know who did it, but I was really pissed.

May 2009: New Camaros start showing up at local dealers. The first one I saw was, you guessed it, a Victory Red 1LT/RS. It was exactly like the one I ended up getting. This one was at a dealer near my aunt's house (can't remember the name any more) they wanted $31k for it but sticker was only $28k. I started driving around to Chevy dealers and checking out the Camaros they had. Around this time I started to wonder if I really could afford a new Camaro. I did the math and realized I was spending between $500-$600 a month making the extra payments on the Impala. I thought well if I'm spending that much on the Impala, I could get a Camaro as long as it's no more than about $28-29k. After that I got on the build a Camaro site and figured out exactly what I would want in my Camaro, that I could afford. I ended up deciding what I wanted was a Victory Red, no stripes, 1LT (I prefer cloth over leather) RS package (the lights really make the car) auto (I don't know how to drive stick, and I always have manual mode anyways) convenience and connectivity package (I had steering wheel radio controls in the Impala, and I thought they were nice). Total MSRP was $28,075.

June 18, 2009: I went to Champion Chevrolet in Hanover, PA to see if they had any Camaros, and there she was right on the front corner of the lot, a Victory Red RS. I pulled into the lot and started looking at the sticker. It was exactly like the car I was really thinking about ordering! I went in to talk to the salesman about her (they had a sign in her window that basically said nobody will bother you if you just wanna gawk lol) I asked him if they were selling at sticker, he said yes. I asked him if I could sit in her and he took me out and I sat in the driver's seat and checked everything out. He was going to let me test drive her but when he saw on my license that I was only 17 he said he couldn't. Apparently in PA you have to be 18 to test drive a car. I went home and talked to my dad about it and he agreed to let me get her.:happya nim:

June 19, 2009: We went back to Champion and test drove her. She had 30 miles before our drive (other people must have drover her) and 37 when we left to take her home. They gave me $7k for the Impala (it had 70k miles on it) and I only owed $6100 on it, after paying $12,000 for it less then a year before. We went and signed the papers. After we finished all the paper work we were walking out to the Camaro, which they moved to right in front of the showroom. I noticed they put a Champion sticker on the trunk lid. I made sure they got that off there (no stickers on my car ever!) After that I got in the driver's seat and the guy that shows you how to work everything got in the passenger's seat. First thing he did was show me how to use the radio. He turned it on and it was on a local FM station but as soon as he turned it on "Start Me Up" by the Rolling Stones came on! Talk about perfect timing! There I was sitting in my brand new Camaro for the first time when she's mine and "Start Me Up" is the first song I heard in the car! Right then I knew this car was staying with me forever! But he went on with showing me how to use everything even though I had to show him how to set the date And after all that we were off in my new Camaro. It was a Friday (payday) so the first place I went in her (after dropping dad off at home) was to work to get my check. I went in and my friend, Kelly, was working. As soon as I walked in the door she said "Dan, where the heck did you get a car like that? Is it your dad's?" I said nope it's mine. She said well that is one NICE car! She asked me all the questions about it and gave me my check. The one older lady at work, Gena, was also working too and she thought it was a Mustang. I had to work that night and some kids that I know from school came in. First thing they asked was "Whose Camaro is that?" (those have to be the 4 most repeated words that I ever hear at work ) I tell them that it's mine. Keep in mind that I live in a fairly small town. After about an hour or so people I know keep coming in and saying that so and so told them that I got a new Camaro. I couldn't believe all the attention my new baby was getting!

Summer through Fall 2009: Working, working, working, working, and more working! I didn't have a whole lot of time on my hands because I spent most of my time working. I was always looking for more and more hours so I could keep up with the payments. I averaged about 36-40 hours a week and I was able to make my payments and still save some money too. Any extra time I had, I was either driving or on Camaro5!

November 2009: I finally told Kelly (my friend and co-worker) that I like her. That had been going on for I don't even know how long but I finally got the balls to tell her. She was kinda surprised but she had some what expected it. A few days later she was scheduled to close the store down at 11 and I was supposed to leave at 10 but I decided I'd stay and hang out for a while. After she closed the store, we went out and sat in the Camaro and talked until around 12 when my dad called. First thing he said was "Where the HELL are you at???" well since my phone has bluetooth, it was blaring through my speakers lol. It was kinda funny but at the time I was thinking "Oh God what's gonna happen when I get home..." Kelly and I still joke about it.

December 2009: First snow for the Camaro. They are called "SUMMER" tires for a reason. But since I couldn't afford snow tires they had to do. One night after work I thought I was going to get stuck in about 1" of snow but luckily I made it home..barely. After that if it snowed I either took my dad's HHR or my grandma's Impala to work.

Beginning of May 2010: I met Kelly and her one friend at the mall (for the record we were never dating, but that's another looonnnngg story). After we got bored with the mall we went out and sat in the bed of her truck, she has a mid-90s Ranger (yeah I know). Her friend was on her phone pretty much the whole time so it was just me and Kelly talking. She said that I should let her drive the Camaro around the parking lot. I had offered many times before to let her drive the Camaro but she always said no. Of course I said OK and we went over to my car and I let her drive it around the lot. She had a huge grin on her face the whole time and kept asking me if she could floor it. I told no way, I guarantee it will scare the sh!t out of you. So after a while I told her I'd drive and then I'd floor it for her. We switched drivers and as promised I floored it. She literally screamed! I told her that's what would happen. She couldn't believe the power the car had. But I could tell that she loved the car and that she had a ton of fun driving it. She says she's a Ford girl but I dunno....

End of May 2010: I found out that there was a new Camaro5 group for Central PA Link: http://www.camaro5.com/forums/group.php?groupid=142 I entered a car show for the first time. There were 5 other new Camaros there and I had a great time. This was also when I started modding my car. The next day after the show I ordered my Injen CAI, Flowmaster Axleback, and Eibach 1" lowering springs. Had them put on and WOW! what a difference! I also painted my engine cover and added some RS emblems on the fenders and on the center console behind the shifter.

June 2010: I got to lead 5 or 6 other new Camaros down to the big show in Wilmington, Delaware a few weeks ago. Had my car signed by Scott Setlemire. Then on the 10th I graduated from high school. I also got my build sheets from a member here on Camaro5 (I can't remember her user name though). It turns out my car was built on my birthday, April 1st! And that brings us up to now, my 1 year anniversary with my Camaro VIN #2015!

Mods so far:
Injen Cold Air Intake
Flowmaster American Thunder Axleback
Eibach 1" Lowering Springs
RS emblems under "CAMARO" on the fenders and behind the shifter
Engine cover painted by me with "3.6 LLT" and "CAMARO" emblems added
Custom PA vanity plate (if you wanna call that a mod): "SIX BNGR"

Pics from today:
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Old 06-19-2010, 11:23 PM   #2
menendez1293
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Dude great story. I give you a lot of props for paying for the car with all of your money. I get a lot of things from some people because i got my car for free. Im 16 and my baby will be one on aug 17 2010. Shes number 36,498 and is a RY 2LT/RS. sounds like you have had alot of fun with your car just like i have. We will be making a group in my town and i will be so happy to be around people that have one thing in common. A burning passion for the camaro. Now how you lead the cars i know just that feeling. For the camaro5 feast the Canada group didnt know how to get to the track. Since i had talked to them the night before they asked if they could follow me to the track i said of course. I had my backed up into a line and little did i know i had around 5 camaros behind me. I thought that was a lot. Now i had the directions the hotel gave me and the ones my gps was giving me. The GPS tells me get on I-75 so i give it a little gas on the on ramp and they accelerate behind me. So once im on I-75 i look in my mirrors and the line got bigger. I had at least 15 camaros behind me. I was so happy. We get to the track with no problems and that was a relief cause i didnt want all of us getting lost. Well all i got to say is thanks for the great people in canada for building us this great machine that is more than just a car to me.
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Old 06-20-2010, 12:24 AM   #3
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Here's some more pics. The first one was taken a few days after I got her. She only had about 300 miles at the time. The next one is of my custom white stripes. I didn't like them so I just brushed them off. The next two are from a few months ago when she was still stock. And the last one is of Scott Settlemire signing her.
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Last edited by dtm4192; 06-20-2010 at 12:25 AM. Reason: spelling
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Old 06-20-2010, 12:46 AM   #4
shawn18
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story!!
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Old 06-20-2010, 01:02 AM   #5
WadeWilson
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Great story and congrats on being able to drive around in your dream car! It's great that you worked toward a goal and achieved it on your own as well. I'll have mine for a year on 8/8. She has 19,340 miles on her and I've enjoyed every mile I've put on.
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Old 06-20-2010, 01:36 AM   #6
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Cool snow pic!
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Old 06-20-2010, 02:15 AM   #7
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Great story.. Nice ride.
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Old 06-20-2010, 07:57 AM   #8
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Great story. Nice to see a young, responsible, proud owner.
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Old 06-20-2010, 10:51 AM   #9
dtm4192
 
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Thanks guys for all the comments! Also I'd like to say thanks to GM and all the people who work at Oshawa for making this car possible! I'll be enjoying her for many many years to come!
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Old 06-20-2010, 02:10 PM   #10
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Old 06-20-2010, 10:24 PM   #11
comm17
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Love the custom stripes!!!
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Old 07-08-2010, 07:20 PM   #12
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Nice (long) story. Great to see the responsibility on your part (buying your own car instead of having one given to you).. You will go far, you already know you have to work for what you want..

Good for you - love the "stripes" too. Proud owner of 6+ months and still loving mine more and more every single day.

Be safe.. Welcome.
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Old 07-08-2010, 09:50 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CaniacFan View Post
Nice (long) story. Great to see the responsibility on your part (buying your own car instead of having one given to you).. You will go far, you already know you have to work for what you want..

Good for you - love the "stripes" too. Proud owner of 6+ months and still loving mine more and more every single day.

Be safe.. Welcome.
Thanks for the compliments. Glad to see your enjoying your Camaro too! Not sure about the welcome though..I've been a member since August 09 and have been lurking since 08 sometime.

And I kinda like the stripes too. They actually have me thinking that some real white stripes might look good..but then I like the plain red look..ugh decisions..
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Old 07-08-2010, 10:21 PM   #14
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Snow pic is da bomb
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