What C5F did for my son

[jhmurphy]

I brought my 15 year old son to the Fest in hopes that he would begin to really understand what it is to own a Camaro. I purchased him a 1997 Z28 recently and he loves the car but really did not understand all the emotion surrounding this car the camaro. He really got to see first hand how much it really means to so many people this weekend. He now has a new found respect for the car that I hope grows into a life long passion as it has with me. I have all the staff and voluneteers on camaro5 to thank not to mention the GM staff especially Al Oppenheiser.He stopped and talked to me an my son about my car and then offered to come back to sign my car. I then had to get up to the staging area to run the 1/4 and Al found me signed my car and posed for a couple of photos with me. My son was so impressed that he spent the time to find me. That speaks volumes for the type of people that have built the car we all love.

So I say once again Thank you all for what will be some great memories for me and my son to share for a long time to come.

[The_Blur]

Don't let it stop there. Get with your local owners and find other meets in your community. We have something that very few other discussion boards have: a sense of community.

[jhmurphy]

I won't for sure the fire is burning now and I plan get it blazing.

[ron10]

very nice story.

[Deb's 2SS/RS]

Great story!! My husband and I have had Camaros since the 70's and luckily the passion has transferred to our son. In fact, his ride home from the hospital was in the back of a Z28 (not an easy fit for a baby seat, but we made it work- lol). We are always saying that unless someone owns a Camaro, they just don't understand. It is truly a unique feeling to be part of a close knit community that spans the nation.

[lsgun]

That's awesome! It was great running into you guys there, and the memories and stories are great...plus I came home with a new CAI!..Once your son starts Modding that Z28.. the obsessions and passion will start! I look forward to the same mission with my son one day.

[jhmurphy]

Originally Posted by Deb's 2SS/RS

Great story!! My husband and I have had Camaros since the 70's and luckily the passion has transferred to our son. In fact, his ride home from the hospital was in the back of a Z28 (not an easy fit for a baby seat, but we made it work- lol). We are always saying that unless someone owns a Camaro, they just don't understand. It is truly a unique feeling to be part of a close knit community that spans the nation.

Thank you and yes is great to be part of this close knit community. what a luck boy to get his first car ride in a Camaro!!

Originally Posted by lsgun

That's awesome! It was great running into you guys there, and the memories and stories are great...plus I came home with a new CAI!..Once your son starts Modding that Z28.. the obsessions and passion will start! I look forward to the same mission with my son one day.

Hey it great to see you again. Got to love getting new toys for the ride. The fun of having a Camaro for me now is seeing the spark in my sons eye when we talk about what are going to do to our cars. Sound like you are looking forward to the same mission I am currently on. Enjoy it as much as you can when the time comes there is nothing like it!!

[TAG UR IT]

great story! I can't wait to take the boys to the shows!

[GMteSSted]

Great to hear other youngsters were impressed. I too brought my 15 year old son. When I got home from work on Monday he said "hey dad, I've been online, I found the halo lights we need and you better buy the supercharger, the price that guy quoted you was really good!" I hope he does develope the passion. I also hope I have the courage to buy him his own Camaro next year and can afford the insurance. It wont be a '10, but it will be a "camaro".

[RaspyRon]

Great story. I brought my two sons with me (ages 26 & 23) and they also felt the passion and respect that camaro owners have for their cars. They met alot of people there and were impressed with the way that everyone was so nice and carried on conversations with them. I know for me it was a long overdue bonding time with my boys. They have not stopped talking about the fest and how they would both like to buy camaros and join the camaro family. Jhmurphy..it was good seeing you again. We need to have another local meet soon.

[jhmurphy]

Originally Posted by tnbabyrooster

Great to hear other youngsters were impressed. I too brought my 15 year old son. When I got home from work on Monday he said "hey dad, I've been online, I found the halo lights we need and you better buy the supercharger, the price that guy quoted you was really good!" I hope he does develope the passion. I also hope I have the courage to buy him his own Camaro next year and can afford the insurance. It wont be a '10, but it will be a "camaro".

Go for it get him a nice older one they aren't that bad in price. My son is going nuts wanting to add more power to his now instead of mine but I will be keeping him in check for a while till he learns to handle what he already has.

Originally Posted by RaspyRon

Great story. I brought my two sons with me (ages 26 & 23) and they also felt the passion and respect that camaro owners have for their cars. They met alot of people there and were impressed with the way that everyone was so nice and carried on conversations with them. I know for me it was a long overdue bonding time with my boys. They have not stopped talking about the fest and how they would both like to buy camaros and join the camaro family. Jhmurphy..it was good seeing you again. We need to have another local meet soon.

Great to see you again and any time you can get with your sons is awsome take advantage of it all. Hope you can make it out to the meet robdogg is setting up a AntiVenom in may check out the southeast thread for details.

[OldSchoolCamaro]

It is great to hear that your son is now 'one of us'. I am sure you also get the benefit from sharing the love of cars with your son and hopefully will bring you closer together.

As a father of two teenage boys, I know how hard it is to get my boys to spend time with me as they are so busy with school and social activities going on. They grow up so fast and spending time with my boys doing something other than house chores or yard work is priceless.

[radz28]

Cool stories. I hope to be able to strike some enthusiasm when my boy gets old enough (almost 3 years old). The first Z28 I drove was my dad's '94 and I was 16. I was infected instantly. He traded it a couple years later, but I bought my first '95 in '97 and LOVED that car. Get it a good CAI first, though, IMHO (K&N was GREAT). Watch that Opticrap, too, lol. Anyways, it's really cool to see his enthusiasm already start building. Make sure he's careful with all that power. That car will get it

[speedster]

Both of my kids went and had a blast. My boy is 11 and my daughter is 8.

A cool story is that earlier Friday in the host hotel parking lot, they both got to meet Scott Settlemire and he shook their hands. Then as he was leaving he said "walk with me" as he moved on. They knew who he was beforehand and later my daughter told some others she got to meet "Bumblebee's Dad".

They also got to ride in our friend's blue 67 Camaro "Mighty-Mouse" around the track during the C5 parade laps. Talk about Perma-Grin...

This was a weekend they will never forget.

[garcmol]

My 14 y/o son was with me. He gave me crap for the driver thread and always being on C5..... then, we pulled in Saturday morning to SGMP. All I heard was, "Woah." Then he was hooked. Cool struff!

[ClaymoreZ28]

I brought my son down for the fest for some father and son time and it did not work out as expected but will be truly memorable in many ways

1. I learned how much of the music that I listen to is on his ipod and how some of the stuff that he listens to is actually pretty cool.
We listened to everything from Scottish folk music to Iron Maiden, Johnny Cash, 80s New wave and "Viking Rock"....

2. We got some quality time to talk to each other about an amazing range of stuff which day to day you dont get time to talk about

3. We shared the experience of duct taping the frontend of my car together in the dark after hitting a tire "gator" on I95 and then jointly made the call on heading down the rest of the way to the fest

4. He helped me stay focused when I was frankly in a rather depressed state and got me to at least clean the bugs and tire residue from the front of the car and make it look as good as it could do for the fest

5. My son now knows way more about cars/performance tweaks and drag racing than he ever had before and was genuinely pulled into the spirit of the event by the folks we met. He was amazed at how cool the real life people behind the online avatars were

6. The GM folks let him hold the world car award which blew us away. He was also amazed at how I knew some of the GM leaders on sight and how cool and natural Scott and Cheryl were to talk to

7. He ate his first T-bone steak on the trip ;-)

8. He told me how much of his outlook on life, music and values came from me and how much he appreciated that we have so much in common

It was worth getting the frontend smacked up for all of this alone - and made priceless by meeting all of you guys.

[radz28]

I hope you get that front cover replaced okay. That was crappy to hear what happened, but at least it wasn't worse.

It sounds like that was totally worth the time you got to spend with your son. Priceless

[jhmurphy]

Originally Posted by OldSchoolCamaro

It is great to hear that your son is now 'one of us'. I am sure you also get the benefit from sharing the love of cars with your son and hopefully will bring you closer together.

As a father of two teenage boys, I know how hard it is to get my boys to spend time with me as they are so busy with school and social activities going on. They grow up so fast and spending time with my boys doing something other than house chores or yard work is priceless.

Yes it is has been great to add this to the many things my son and I have in common. As they get older it seems harder and harder to find that common ground. It is like the song "Cats in the cradle" you really want to make time when ever you can and as much as you can.

[AlSuwaidi]

once more person in the growing camaro family

[01pewterz28]

Sweet glad you and your son had a great time on the Caravan up to Valdosta and at the show

Sean

[69Z/28Camaro]

its funny all you guys getting your sons into cars/camaros. im 16 and i think I got my dad hooked to camaros.but he got me hooked to cars. i really wish i coulda went to C5F.

[GMteSSted]

Originally Posted by GMteSSted

Great to hear other youngsters were impressed. I too brought my 15 year old son. When I got home from work on Monday he said "hey dad, I've been online, I found the halo lights we need and you better buy the supercharger, the price that guy quoted you was really good!" I hope he does develope the passion. I also hope I have the courage to buy him his own Camaro next year and can afford the insurance. It wont be a '10, but it will be a "camaro".

Thought I might revive this old thread and update it.....fast forward and my son is now 17. Every since CF2 was held in AZ he has hoped, and prayed, CF3 would be close enough for us to attend. When he found out it was Indy I got an immediate phone call from him to start booking rooms. Nothing less than the host hotel for him! I decided a long time ago that his birthday present was to be at CF3 since the event is the day after his birthday. I'm not sure he believed it when he read the card "you are driving my Camaro at CF3". And yes, I did buy the supercharger we both wanted two years prior at CF1. He also did catch the permagrin fever when he bought his first car, a 2001 V6 Camaro, when he turned 16.
Not only did he drive at CF3 on the drag strip, he turned an 11.8 with a .011 reaction. So far, the quickest time the car has run. He got 6 total passes and loved everyone of them. Watching him mature from a very scared first timer on his first pass to a fully confident driver on the last pass was very cool for a father to witness. The best feeling from CF3 for me was the joy, and pride, I felt when my son was doing burnouts and driving as hard as he could. The car has brought many good times and many new friends into my life. Watching him and seeing his joy is certainly the best excitement I've received from owning the car! But the best of all, the greatest thing the Camaro has provided, over the past 3 years, is the incredible relationship I have with my teenage son, my best friend. Attending CF1 and CF3 will be unforgettable events for us both. Thanks Camaro5!!!

[CamaroKid300]

Originally Posted by GMteSSted

Thought I might revive this old thread and update it.....fast forward and my son is now 17. Every since CF2 was held in AZ he has hoped, and prayed, CF3 would be close enough for us to attend. When he found out it was Indy I got an immediate phone call from him to start booking rooms. Nothing less than the host hotel for him! I decided a long time ago that his birthday present was to be at CF3 since the event is the day after his birthday. I'm not sure he believed it when he read the card "you are driving my Camaro at CF3". And yes, I did buy the supercharger we both wanted two years prior at CF1. He also did catch the permagrin fever when he bought his first car, a 2001 V6 Camaro, when he turned 16.
Not only did he drive at CF3 on the drag strip, he turned an 11.8 with a .011 reaction. So far, the quickest time the car has run. He got 6 total passes and loved everyone of them. Watching him mature from a very scared first timer on his first pass to a fully confident driver on the last pass was very cool for a father to witness. The best feeling from CF3 for me was the joy, and pride, I felt when my son was doing burnouts and driving as hard as he could. The car has brought many good times and many new friends into my life. Watching him and seeing his joy is certainly the best excitement I've received from owning the car! But the best of all, the greatest thing the Camaro has provided, over the past 3 years, is the incredible relationship I have with my teenage son, my best friend. Attending CF1 and CF3 will be unforgettable events for us both. Thanks Camaro5!!!

Awesome story.