fbodfather et al...

[themossman]

A bit of my personal history to offer appreciation for your efforts.

I turned 16 in the summer of ’88…and by that point had saved $2k dollars and was given a loan by my father for 3.5k. There were rules and restrictions about my car choices based on what my brother had achieved the previous year when he had turned 16. I was determined to do better. Unfortunately my grades were not up to snuff at the end of the previous school year, but my father agreed that we could proceed with the car shopping but I would have to forego driving it until the midterms arrived. The beneficial part of this was that I was not in a hurry to find a car.

It was towards the end of summer when it showed up, parked on the corner with a ‘For Sale’ sign in the window: a solid black and, by all appearances, a stock 1969 Camaro. I took the number and called...the price: $5000. I raged for days trying to get my father to go look at the car, unable to stand his nonchalant attitude towards a car that I certainly expected to be sold immediately. Then it was gone. I immediately chastised my father…well…as much as thought I could get away with without irritating him to the point of calling off the hunt. He phoned the owner and learned that the car had simply been moved to another corner…the sign was still in the window and the car was unsold…AND my father was ready to go look at it. Oh happy day!

It was perfect. It has just finished a ‘light’ cosmetic restoration with new vinyl, paint, and carpet…a few other bits replaced here and there and it looked great…and it was clear by the lack of a scowl on my father’s face that he too was impressed. “Let me pop the hood for you,” the owner offered while handing me the keys “go start her up.” While my father was looking over the engine, I cranked the car. It was at that moment my hopes were shattered. With the hood blocking the view of my father’s face, I knew the change that had occurred…the scowl would be present and we were ‘done’ looking at this car.

When I got out of the car and walked around front, I was disappointed but also impressed. “Well, we had her bored, blueprinted, and balanced…” He continued on with the list of appropriate engine and suspension upgrades and modifications that had all been recently completed that made this seemingly stock ’69 RS anything but ‘stock’. When I had turned the key, and breathed life into that engine…the glorious noise it made revealed that this car was inappropriate for any sixteen year old boy. My father knew it, the owner knew it, and even I knew it.

I have never gotten over that car.

Over the years I’ve certainly been in a position to find a similar car…but I’ve never pulled the trigger. One ‘to-do’ on my list is to rebuild a ’69, but I’m waiting until my sons are old enough to enjoy the journey with me if they so choose. The first time I caught a glimpse of the gen 5 Camaro…old emotions stirred anew, and I realized that some things were going to happen sooner rather than later. The ’69 will get rebuilt…but there’s a stop gap measure…one that will likely be better than the original.
So…to all those that bear even the slightest responsibility for bringing this car to market: Thank You.

I will buy the car as soon as it’s available. I will buy GMPP and accessories. If you release a proper Z28 or ZL1, I’ll buy one. The car has everything I had hoped it would. Will it be perfect for me from the factory? Probably not…but that’s part of the beauty of it. I'll have lots of questions...but I'll hold off on those for now...

Below is a picture of my last car…thought it might be relevant to communicate who some of your ‘new’ customers are going to be.

[DntWrryBeHappy21]

Well you came to the right place and you chose the right car :-D I guarantee almost all of your questions that can be answered with the information out right now WILL be answered here from Cam5 members.....and

WELCOME TO CAMARO5!!! enjoy your stay

[AirGoya]

Welcome. Glad to have you here.
Just curious. What did you end up buying as a first car?

[headpunter]

i have always loved that generation M3, its the best looking BMW ever made.


welcome to the site, enjoy your stay, may it be long and fruitful

[SimC33]

hey mossman...you may not remember me...but i almost bought your car...i was second in line to it :-( you sold it a week before i could buy it...lol small world...and welcome to camaro5

[Camaro68]

Welcome to the site. :flag2:

[bcannan354]

Welcome to the site, that story brought a tear to my eye.

Been there... done that.


Thanks and welcome again.
BTW, where in FL

[RCowan]

mossman! I turned 15 in the summer of '88. I bought my first car in '92 when I was 19 for $3500 of my own hard-earned money and my parents (not "car people") had no opinion since I was paying for it, the insurance and everything. It was a tired, beat-up piece of crap carburated '85 3rd gen and I loved it. For a kid in school, it was transportation at least. When it finally died I got a used 93 (totalled by a careless ford pickup in 99) and now a 99 vert SS i have had for almost 10 years. I have never regreted any of them and you won't regret it this time. When you fire up that 5th gen you will feel 16 all over again... only this time you will have a faster, better car and you have a world of info here on mods, etc. You will feel like you have finally come home. Welcome back to your world, brother.

[TAG UR IT]

Woah. That was.....like..........a GREAT post. I mean, I felt like I was right there with you....disappointed, overjoyed and all.

Thank you for the personality and emotion in the post and I look forward to seeing more from you on the site. ....wow...hehe

[headpunter]

every time i check this thread i keep staring at your M3, it looks/looked great.

[fbodfather]

we're waiting for you -- as you are waiting for us.

I think you need to drive a V6 first -- you are going to be blown away by the V6 car-- but I also suspect that you'll check the 'SS' box............

Great things to look forward to.



Now .......about that 'thing' with 'BMW' on it.......................

[themossman]

Originally Posted by fbodfather

we're waiting for you -- as you are waiting for us.

I think you need to drive a V6 first -- you are going to be blown away by the V6 car-- but I also suspect that you'll check the 'SS' box............

Great things to look forward to.



Now .......about that 'thing' with 'BMW' on it.......................

That BMW was quite the car...and certainly served as a measuring stick for many other cars. While it may not have 'excelled' in any one category, it certainly performed very well across all categories. It truely is/was a balanced performer...and a practical car. That's what I'm hoping the camaro will be...not the HP king...not the cornering king....not the beauty king....just an all around balanced performer. The engine certainly seems to be right, you're getting rave reviews regarding interior styling, fit, and finish (HUGE kudos here), but I'm already hearing complaints regarding the suspension...a 'mushy' rear end. I'm hoping these folks were driving an 'unfinished' version...and I'm hoping the SS comes closer to M3 territory than more 'standard' models. If not...I'll hold you liable for making recommendations for my first suspension updgrades...

[themossman]

Originally Posted by headpunter

every time i check this thread i keep staring at your M3, it looks/looked great.

Thanks! I loved that car...when you took time to really look at it, there were details that made it very attactive. It doesn't have the hips that the new Camaro has though. I have a fealing I'll be polishing/staring at those panels quite a bit!

The CSL wheels on that car were a no brainer...and the suspension upgrades tucked them in nicely. I'm waiting to see what aftermarket wheels 'fit' on the Camaro...not flashy...but lighter and aesthetically 'right'.

[Mr. Wyndham]

Originally Posted by themossman

but I'm already hearing complaints regarding the suspension...a 'mushy' rear end.

Could I ask where you heard/read that?