1) The number one thing you need to be worried about is your credit score. If you don't know what it is, find out. And if it is too low, try to raise it as high as possible before 2009 when you go looking for your Camaro. Get a credit card(s), and only use 1/3 of the total available credit. make all payments on time.
2) When your score is as high as possible, try to get financing in advance from your own bank or credit union. Have all that worked out before you bother to talk to anyone at the dealer. Don't let them be in charge of deciding what financing you will receive. You are very young so they likely will do everything they can to (molest) you before you leave.
3) one LAST IMPORTANT thing: ALWAYS LOOK CAREFULLY AT THE ACTUAL CAR you are going to get. POP THE HOOD AND look for messed up wires. Cars that sit on the lot a while, can have wires ruined by animals crawling up there and living there. (this happened to me).
Look to see if ANY OF THE warning lights on the dash remain ON while you are test driving it. i bought a car once and this happened and when I brought it back after I had it at home a while, I could not PROVE it was messed up before I bought it. If the ABS light is ON, that means it is messed up. It does NOT mean the ABS is working. VERIFY exactly what lights on the dash are SUPPOSED to be on. I actually found out wires were chewed up under my hood by mice. THE DEALER SAID I HAD MICE at home which I did not. The frayed wires are what made my ABS light not work.
Like someone else said here, you better be VERY picky and closely examine the car you are going to buy. Once you leave, that's it. They can say "we didn't do it, you did.".
You might even look for leaks. Leaking struts/shocks. Listen for "ticks" coming from the engine. (unusual ticks). Look at convertible top wrinkles (was the top installed right?) Hold the shifter while driving. (feel for strange vibrations while driving). (Look at wheel well at back tire. Did employees or anyone else use your car Camaro to do burnouts? Is there black rubber from the tires inside the well?) Is oil dripping from the exhaust pipe? (you better look.)
Is oil leaking from the valve covers. Don't just assume everything is fine. If not, you have to come back and they hate customers who come back to ask them to fix things. Better to EMBARRASS them before buying it. Show them why you are being picky by pointing to things that are messed up.
And good luck with your future purchase.
