Im curious on how to get my own...

[Second2None]

I want the 2SS with RS package, ground effects, 21" wheels, and some other goodies

Buuuut, i need some more information. i ship out to the army on july 12th or so and wont be back till late september, i want to know if i can preorder the car NOW, then when i get back from basic training pick it up and drop a 5,000$ down payment into it. or do i have to put money down first?

I'm not sure on the process and anyone willing to break it down step but step will have my gratitude... this will be my first pre-order vehicle.

Any information or comments are welcome!

Thanks!

[Bull]

Do you have a second income? If not, are you an Officer? If not, how can you afford a 2SS/RS/21" Tires on E1 - E-3 pay?? 21" inch tires with $5K down will mean a $40K loan and if you're enlisted I don't see how the numbers add up for the payment, plus insurance, plus gas...

Sorry to sound like an 'ole military active duty E-9...but I am. It's your decision and I want you to do what's best for you, but I had to put in my two cents. I would advise to wait a liitle and get a bigger down payment.

[Vash]

Wait till you get back, keep money in the bank. Then pull the trigger once you get settled back. A lot of this overpriced nonsense will be over and maybe even a couple primo used vehicles.

You can join Penfed or RBFCU btw. Before you leave open a savings and just stick a few dollars in it. If your credit is clean then they will give you the hookup with financing.

Thanks for your service.,

[Second2None]

I get 2000$ for recruiting a friend, and will come out of basic as an E3-E4 with about 2800$, that about a 5K down payment. I was just throwing options out there. My original plan was to save up about 12-15k and drop it in a down payment after i got out of AIT. I'd like to be the first owner of my 2010 camaro you know lol? After that an E4 paygrade (which i should be able to get to if i'm only a E3 after basic) is 1827.00 per month, i have my food and housing taken car of, i have no one to take care of but myself (i have a wonderful girlfriend but she will be in college), i'll live off the army for food, housing, medical and dental bill, etc. I figured 400-420$ monthly payments MAX and no more than 200$ for insurance. leaves me with around 1000 a month that i do whatever i want with lol. some goes to gas, some goes to food and junk i know i'll break down and buy, 80 will go to a phone bill and other little things. I figured i'd only have 500 extra that i could put in a savings account for when i want to start modifying the SS, monthly, so when the aftermarket becomes large enough i'll have a good start off point.
Only problem is i wanted to be able to have the car either immediately after basic or immediately after AIT and i didn't know the basics about pre-ordering. I don't know where i am going to ship after AIT so i was just going to try and get the SS and drive it to where ever i would be stationed at lol
I'm not worried about the money, its the time and place that will affect me more haha
Thanks for the help and opinions, its appreciated.

[snsdiver72]

Are you going to be in the reserves, national guard or active duty, because that actually makes a difference? If you are active duty, you might not be in the states very long if you do not get an overseas assignment then you will probably deploy to Afghanistan or possibly Iraq to help demil it, since we are closing up shop here. I remember the days of being a young specialist and trying to afford a new car, it is harder then you think on your pay grade and lord forbid you run into financial problems and they repossess your car then the Army messes with you as well, so just be careful. Thanks again for joining the military and serving our great country.

[chieffarkas]

First of all, wait until after AIT before purchasing anything, as most AITs will not let you have a POV (Privately Owned Vehicle) at all. If you bring it there, you may very well have to park it until the end of training. Then I would wait until you get to your unit to even consider this. Tell your NCOIC what you are planning on doing and have him help you out with the local dealerships. Then after your NCOIC gives you a long counseling session about why not to buy this car, carefully consider your options before jumping into a vehicle that will suck up the majority of your paycheck for a couple of years.

Promitions in the Army are not as fast as you might think. You should know by now what rank you are entering the Army at, and if it's E-1 then look forwad to being an E-1 for at least six months. If you got a promotion for getting your friend to join the army then you may come in as an E-2. If you are coming in as an E-2 then look forward to a year as an E-2, before you get promoted. That makes you a young Private First Class, with about 24 months to wait before you get promoted to Specialist.

Good luck with basic training and AIT.....see you in Iraq/Afghanistan. Where you may be able to save up enough deployment pay to make your dream car a feasble option.

CW3 Farkas
3rd Brigade, 82nd Airborne
JSS Loyalty, Iraq

[Second2None]

Active duty, MOS is 15T, Blackhawk repairer/crew chief. I'm a mechanic so i go where the birds go.Ya i guess i'll look into it after AIT it sounds more reasonable. But like i said i don't have to many obligations, just me really. Getting deployed would be fine with me really, it'd make me save my money up better without to many places to spend it at. Can i get more information on pre-ordering though? i'm curious as to how it works.
thanks for the help guys

[UCF w00t]

Well "pre-ordering" is over. That ended when production started. Generally you'll just go into a dealership and place your order. Make sure you negotiate price and everything before giving over any sort of deposit. And GET IT IN WRITING.

This thread has some great information... http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15134

And thanks for taking the call to join the military. Stay safe!

[Road_Warrior85]

Yeah, to add on to what was said before.....

Do not think FOR EVEN ONE SECOND, that you will be an E-3 or E-4 after bootcamp.
It wont happen that way. I know things are a lot easier in the Army than in the Marine Corps (my branch) but they are not just giving away rank like that.
Even so, as an E4 with less than one year in service, you will be making 1827 a month BEFORE TAXES. So when you think about it, that will actually leave you getting paid about 700 per pay check. If you subtract 650 per month for insurance and your payment, that leaves you 750. Subtract 80 for your cell phone, 100 for cable/internet at the barracks, 300 for gas (assuming 50 per tank, with 3/4 of a tank per week, then 1/2 a tank on the weekends) and that leaves you with 270. Out of that you have to buy your fast food on the weekends (no you will not eat every meal at the chow hall, whether you think you will or not), then you have to buy your clothes, cds, dvds, and other random BS you want for yourself. Dont forget that you also will need to buy things to go inside your barracks room. TVs, clothes, blankets, towels, shampoo & such.
If you like beer, you will have to factor in some money to pay for beer and the hotel out in town so you can sneak off base and drink without getting in trouble **WHICH I DO NOT APPROVE OF OR ADVISE YOU TO DO***
After all of that..... what money will you have left over to spend on your girlfriend?
Even better.... what money will you put into savings?

Not to be an ass, but even at your age, you need to think about putting some money in savings each month.... hell even 50 bucks a month is a start.

Disclosure: I am a Sgt (E5) in the Marine Corps. I have been in for just shy of 5 years now. I know a thing or two about military life as well as the differences between what I expected before boot camp, and what I found out was reality after boot camp.

Like everybody else here, I want you to have your camaro and enjoy the hell out of it.
BUT, i do not want you to ruin yourself financially because you cant afford the car. You dont want the repo man to come get it from you, and you dont need to be broke every day because you cant afford to pay your bills

[19K3SS]

Unless you have a college degree, how do you plan on leaving Basic as an E-4? And unless AIT is another year, you probably won't even leave that as anything but an E-3. Most promotions will not be done until you actually prove yourself at your first duty assignment (Basic and AIT do not count there). There are Time-In-Service requirements before you can be promoted. And if you cannot pass simple things, such as the APFT, then you will be "flagged" and will not be eligible for promotions. I have Soldiers in my company that have been an E-2 since they left Basic, throughout a 12mo deployment, and are moving on to their next duty station as an E-2 still (20mo TIS but flagged). There is another that is over 2yrs TIS that is still an E-3 for the same reason. And of course, there are many E-1s because they screwed up either at work, or in their off-time, and they do pay for it.
The way you described your plan, it sounds like you have no savings, and will be living pay check to pay check in the Army. That is fine for a little while, but not when the majority of that pay check will be used for a new car. You will be relying on your entire pay that you receive in Basic to put a down payment on the car. You say the Army covers all your food costs. True, but only at specific times. Say you are hungry at 9pm, you will be paying out of pocket. If you plan on eating more than twice on a Saturday, you will be paying out of pocket. Costs will indeed be covered, but only on a set schedule. I have not had a Soldier yet that lived strictly on the chow hall's schedule, and I sure as hell didn't when I was living in the barracks.
You have a girlfriend. If you are living pay check to pay check and barely scraping by to get the bills paid, what happens if she gets pregnant? Unless you are completely abstinent, that is a possibility. The Army may cover medical expenses, but they aren't going to buy your diapers. They will not also pay for your trips to go see her if you are stationed on the other side of the country. Any time you plan on going to see her, it will be out of your pocket. If you plan on her visiting you, you will be paying for a hotel room since she will not be allowed over night in the barracks. Those are additional expenses that you are not factoring in.
You can almost put money on the chances of you deploying to either Iraq or Afghanistan. Blackhawks are used predominantly in both theaters. However, don't count on that as being a savior to your financial issues. If you deploy, do not allow your girlfriend access to the account, or you could come home to find yourself actually owing the bank money. I've seen it happen to Soldiers, peers, and superiors. And just because you deployed and made a little extra money, you must still be financially wise. Countless Soldiers return from deployment, go out and buy the best car out there, and within a few months, it is repossessed, and you are now out of a car, bad credit, and the Army can then bust you for not taking care of your financial obligations.
Also, the Army does not provide everything. You will ruin uniforms in day-to-day duties, and even more so in the field. You get a clothing allowance, but I have yet to find a Soldier that has been able to get that to cover all of their expenses.

As an E-3, after returning from OIF1, I blew my deployment money on beer and strippers. It took all of 2 months to be back to living pay check to pay check. Then, I realized the errors of my ways, and at the end of my third deployment, I was financially stable enough that, now, I am able to afford the '10 Camaro, cover my fiance's house payment in MI along with my rent at Ft Hood, along with other obligations that I have. You must be financially secure before you can make a purchase like this, and so far, it does not sound like you are. It also does not sound like you have a full idea of how the Army is, or what Army life will be like, and that is not uncommon.
Just because the 2010 Camaro is the cool thing to have right now, do not bury yourself in debt for it. As a new Soldier, get through Basic and AIT first. Get settled in at your first duty assignment. Wait a few months, to see how you actually do financially, before committing yourself to this purchase.
If you have questions, PM me.
SSG Steffani
C/1-22 IN/1BCT/4ID

[kc10kevin]

Originally Posted by 19K3SS

Unless you have a college degree, how do you plan on leaving Basic as an E-4? And unless AIT is another year, you probably won't even leave that as anything but an E-3. Most promotions will not be done until you actually prove yourself at your first duty assignment (Basic and AIT do not count there). There are Time-In-Service requirements before you can be promoted. And if you cannot pass simple things, such as the APFT, then you will be "flagged" and will not be eligible for promotions. I have Soldiers in my company that have been an E-2 since they left Basic, throughout a 12mo deployment, and are moving on to their next duty station as an E-2 still (20mo TIS but flagged). There is another that is over 2yrs TIS that is still an E-3 for the same reason. And of course, there are many E-1s because they screwed up either at work, or in their off-time, and they do pay for it.
The way you described your plan, it sounds like you have no savings, and will be living pay check to pay check in the Army. That is fine for a little while, but not when the majority of that pay check will be used for a new car. You will be relying on your entire pay that you receive in Basic to put a down payment on the car. You say the Army covers all your food costs. True, but only at specific times. Say you are hungry at 9pm, you will be paying out of pocket. If you plan on eating more than twice on a Saturday, you will be paying out of pocket. Costs will indeed be covered, but only on a set schedule. I have not had a Soldier yet that lived strictly on the chow hall's schedule, and I sure as hell didn't when I was living in the barracks.
You have a girlfriend. If you are living pay check to pay check and barely scraping by to get the bills paid, what happens if she gets pregnant? Unless you are completely abstinent, that is a possibility. The Army may cover medical expenses, but they aren't going to buy your diapers. They will not also pay for your trips to go see her if you are stationed on the other side of the country. Any time you plan on going to see her, it will be out of your pocket. If you plan on her visiting you, you will be paying for a hotel room since she will not be allowed over night in the barracks. Those are additional expenses that you are not factoring in.
You can almost put money on the chances of you deploying to either Iraq or Afghanistan. Blackhawks are used predominantly in both theaters. However, don't count on that as being a savior to your financial issues. If you deploy, do not allow your girlfriend access to the account, or you could come home to find yourself actually owing the bank money. I've seen it happen to Soldiers, peers, and superiors. And just because you deployed and made a little extra money, you must still be financially wise. Countless Soldiers return from deployment, go out and buy the best car out there, and within a few months, it is repossessed, and you are now out of a car, bad credit, and the Army can then bust you for not taking care of your financial obligations.
Also, the Army does not provide everything. You will ruin uniforms in day-to-day duties, and even more so in the field. You get a clothing allowance, but I have yet to find a Soldier that has been able to get that to cover all of their expenses.

As an E-3, after returning from OIF1, I blew my deployment money on beer and strippers. It took all of 2 months to be back to living pay check to pay check. Then, I realized the errors of my ways, and at the end of my third deployment, I was financially stable enough that, now, I am able to afford the '10 Camaro, cover my fiance's house payment in MI along with my rent at Ft Hood, along with other obligations that I have. You must be financially secure before you can make a purchase like this, and so far, it does not sound like you are. It also does not sound like you have a full idea of how the Army is, or what Army life will be like, and that is not uncommon.
Just because the 2010 Camaro is the cool thing to have right now, do not bury yourself in debt for it. As a new Soldier, get through Basic and AIT first. Get settled in at your first duty assignment. Wait a few months, to see how you actually do financially, before committing yourself to this purchase.
If you have questions, PM me.
SSG Steffani
C/1-22 IN/1BCT/4ID

Listen to this man!!! I know its hard, but try to learn from us "old" folks. Been in the service for 19 years. Entered the Air Force in 1990 as an O-1, racked up my credit cards, bought a new jeep and got married. Took over 7 years to get un-buried from the debt. Now a Lt Col (O-5) and now that I am finacially stable is when I can by the toys!!! I know, not something you want to hear.

[Treadstone]

Originally Posted by kc10kevin

Listen to this man!!! I know its hard, but try to learn from us "old" folks. Been in the service for 19 years. Entered the Air Force in 1990 as an O-1, racked up my credit cards, bought a new jeep and got married. Took over 7 years to get un-buried from the debt. Now a Lt Col (O-5) and now that I am finacially stable is when I can by the toys!!! I know, not something you want to hear.

Come on now every LT buys like crazy.

I, like everyone else in this thread, agree that you probably won't be able to afford the 2ss model. It's just a fact.

Of course I may be dumb, I see alot of lower enlisted driving new vettes.

I know that the army pay looks great to an 18 yo, but don't forget about taxes, sgli, ss, and medicare that's taken out. Also the army has a wonderful way of getting more money from you (socials, donations, tshirts, etc...).

PLUS...more than likely you will come from basic and AIT straight into a deploying unit. What are you going to do with your car? Leave it at on post storage

Do yourself a favor, hold off on teh Camaro. Buy yourself a used honda or vw (something with good resale value). When your unit comes up for deployment, save the hell out of your deployment pay and then come back and buy one for UNDER MSRP.

BTW: E2-E3 takes at least 4 months; E3 to E4 takes at least 6. This is with waivers, I only signed off on those I felt truly deserved a waiver.

[wullger]

Quite a few military guys on here! Thanks for your service guys (and gals?)

[Bull]

Another thing...If you do go on a deployment there is the Overseas Military Car Sales you can order your car from. You can order the car with the options you want, plus you won't have to worry about paying the "Market Adjustment Value" so popular with the Camaro.

Air Force CMSgt
2G1FG1EV5A9112759 Built 27 May
Delivered 5 Jun