10 Year Reflection

[PDXSSCE]

I purchased my 2015 Camaro SS Commemorative Edition convertible literally from the showroom floor on Thanksgiving weekend of that year. Other than my condominium, it was the largest purchase I'd ever made and I sorta dove into it, relative to my budget and income at the time. It was the last run of the 5th generation, I had seen the 6th generation and knew it was my final opportunity to purchase a vehicle that I ogled each time that I passed a Chevy dealership.

Things have changed since then. New employment and significantly more income, allowed me to sell the condo to build a small house. Occasionally, I think of the vehicles that I could only dream of owning and would've purchased, had I been earning then, what I am now and whether I should trade. The two vehicles are the 2014-15 Camaro Z/28 and the 2014–19 Corvette.

The issues are that I live in the Pacific Northwest, so spirited driving conditions are mostly not ideal due to weather, and I work remotely now. My (not even) daily driver is a 2019 Impala LT with ~28K miles and the Camaro has only ~24K miles. While I'm financially more secure and comfortable, I don't carelessly spend, so I can't seem to justify spending $20K+ simply to have something different sitting mostly undriven. I won't get into how less practical the other vehicles are too.

I'll be clear in that I my Camaro. Nothing about it disappoints me. If it weren't the Commemorative Edition, the decision would certainly be easier, but Chevy hit it out of the park with this package. Anyway, I felt like sharing my thoughts a decade into ownership. I appreciate you indulging me and please let me know if there's a consideration which I'm missing.

[MSgt O]

VERY nice car and GREAT story! I was in the military when I saw Transformers and knew then I NEEDED a 5th gen someday...but as a low ranking NCO and 2 kids...not in the cards. So, I had to wait until I retired and now I have exactly what I dreamed of way back then!

[InFiD3ViL]

To be fair, I think the purchase of a 5th gen Z28 would be an investment. I honestly think those cars will only appreciate in value. The Z28 is a very special car. But it might not feel all that different to you. I personally would love another 5th gen Camaro, but if I was to buy another fun car it would almost certainly be a Corvette or something else different before I jumped into another 5th gen. The C7 Vette is an amazing car. But if you bought one, would it be a base model, or would you prefer a Z06 (as I would)?

Were you actually considering trading or selling your current 5th gen or just buying another car outright? Based on what you are saying it seems you are only at the curiosity stage.

[Moto-Mojo]

Mine too will be 10 next month. 45K miles. Still a looker and I have no intentions of getting rid of it. That said, I looked at a white Z/28 the day I bought the SS, it was just too much for my budget. Oddly, that car was still in the dealer showroom a year later. Saw it having some warranty service done. They still weren't willing to dicker much.

Curious though why the Z's don't command the same crazy prices the upper end Mustangs get? But that's a whole other rant...

[ariZona28]

Originally Posted by PDXSSCE

I'll be clear in that I my Camaro. Nothing about it disappoints me.:

You pretty much answered your own question with this statement. Your car is a fantastic example of the 5th Gen SE. Don't get me wrong I absolutely love my Z but I think the sellers remorse you would be stricken by might offset any performance "improvements". C7s are nice but still not as special to you as your '15 Camaro.

[PDXSSCE]

Originally Posted by MSgt O

VERY nice car and GREAT story! I was in the military when I saw Transformers and knew then I NEEDED a 5th gen someday...but as a low ranking NCO and 2 kids...not in the cards. So, I had to wait until I retired and now I have exactly what I dreamed of way back then!

I appreciate it. Sometimes it takes a lot of patience. My passion for the Camaro began with the second generation, but I was just a young buck back then.

Originally Posted by InFiD3ViL

To be fair, I think the purchase of a 5th gen Z28 would be an investment. I honestly think those cars will only appreciate in value. The Z28 is a very special car. But it might not feel all that different to you. I personally would love another 5th gen Camaro, but if I was to buy another fun car it would almost certainly be a Corvette or something else different before I jumped into another 5th gen. The C7 Vette is an amazing car. But if you bought one, would it be a base model, or would you prefer a Z06 (as I would)?

Were you actually considering trading or selling your current 5th gen or just buying another car outright? Based on what you are saying it seems you are only at the curiosity stage.

Unsurprisingly, Z/28 values have held up quite well and I've no doubt they'll eventually reach six figures. The Vette would be somewhere between an entry level to mid-range trim.

Buying another car to have two sitting with only occasional use would be a dumb move for me. I would only do it if I were trading my Camaro. It's been floating around the back of my mind since reaching a financial position to be able to do it.

Originally Posted by Moto-Mojo

Mine too will be 10 next month. 45K miles. Still a looker and I have no intentions of getting rid of it. That said, I looked at a white Z/28 the day I bought the SS, it was just too much for my budget. Oddly, that car was still in the dealer showroom a year later. Saw it having some warranty service done. They still weren't willing to dicker much.

Curious though why the Z's don't command the same crazy prices the upper end Mustangs get? But that's a whole other rant...

I believe it's because the Mustang has a broader fan base, while the Z/28 is a niche car with a specific purpose - the track.

Originally Posted by ariZona28

You pretty much answered your own question with this statement. Your car is a fantastic example of the 5th Gen SE. Don't get me wrong I absolutely love my Z but I think the sellers remorse you would be stricken by might offset any performance "improvements". C7s are nice but still not as special to you as your '15 Camaro.

My interest in the Z/28 has never been about performance. I don't even use the 420HP (tuned) in my SS. It's about it being a Z/28.

[Aqua Blue RS/SS]

I can appreciate your original post quite a bit. My SS is still in the phase of having really low miles and me not wanting to drive it a ton. I put about 5,000 on it in the last year, up to about 10,000 now sort of out of necessity. It’s a love hate thing, i love the therapy runs and all but i hate racking the miles up. I’ve had it since 2800. I want to keep the low miles. I know that mentality isn’t for everyone and frankly I don’t care. All that said I’ve thought about selling it due to it sitting. But then I know I’ll miss it and regret it if I did. I make significantly more money now than I did when I bought either of my 5th gens. My solution to this is to keep the Camaro as my “Baby” and get a mid mile 40-60,000 mile Z51 or maybe grand sport C7 as my daily driver. I am actively looking for the “right one” if it takes a year to find it so be it, I’m not in a hurry. One that is already not perfect, been driven in the weathet, has a scratch or two etc. and drive the hell out of it as a daily for the next 5+ or however many years it ends up being. A C7 beater if you will. I’ll take very good care of it inside and out as well as mechanically, but it is the daily. The Camaro will still be the weekend warrior pampered garage queen.

[PDXSSCE]

Originally Posted by Aqua Blue RS/SS

I can appreciate your original post quite a bit. My SS is still in the phase of having really low miles and me not wanting to drive it a ton. I put about 5,000 on it in the last year, up to about 10,000 now sort of out of necessity. It’s a love hate thing, i love the therapy runs and all but i hate racking the miles up. I’ve had it since 2800. I want to keep the low miles. I know that mentality isn’t for everyone and frankly I don’t care. All that said I’ve thought about selling it due to it sitting. But then I know I’ll miss it and regret it if I did. I make significantly more money now than I did when I bought either of my 5th gens. My solution to this is to keep the Camaro as my “Baby” and get a mid mile 40-60,000 mile Z51 or maybe grand sport C7 as my daily driver. I am actively looking for the “right one” if it takes a year to find it so be it, I’m not in a hurry. One that is already not perfect, been driven in the weathet, has a scratch or two etc. and drive the hell out of it as a daily for the next 5+ or however many years it ends up being. A C7 beater if you will. I’ll take very good care of it inside and out as well as mechanically, but it is the daily. The Camaro will still be the weekend warrior pampered garage queen.

While I'm not wanting to rack up the mileage, I'm also not intentionally trying to keep it extremely low. I actually wish there were more opportunities to drive it. I figure that if I'm not enjoying driving it, I'm only saving it for someone else to enjoy driving it, which is definitely not the plan.

[el ess A]

I cannot speak for others, but we certainly don't drive ours as much as we'd like. It's been a week sinceI mentioned we should take the drop top out. But, life gets in the way. There's ~2900 miles on the 2013 ZL1, and the 2010 SS has 14K on the clock, both bought new. There should be a law against that. About the only new car I'd want to own is a CT5-V Blackwing. Corvettes to me are meh, take 'em or leave 'em. Nothing about them says get in and drive me like the Camaro does, but if I can't even find the time to drive them...

I've decided they're like neglected children. You have to MAKE time to spend with them if you feel you need to be with them more. Good thing is, they still look virtually new, not a single door ding, and they even retain a bit of that "new car smell" believe it or not.

The unfortunate part is if you trade or sell for something else, you may find out you aren't really going to drive it any more than your current vehicle(s). So unless you're going for your DREAM CAR, I'd hesitate to sell/trade it if you still love it. I went from a low-mile 2002 Camaro SS to a 2013 ZL1 convertible because at the time, that was my "gotta have it" car. And I still love it. If there are issues with the car or you're bored to tears with it, see if you can fix the issues and make more time to spend with it, even if you can only drive it occasionally. MAKE time. Don't waste time. I can't believe it's been nearly 15 years since we got our first 5th gen. We've owned them longer than we owned our 2002 Camaros. Crazy how time slips away if you let it.

[PDXSSCE]

Originally Posted by el ess A

I cannot speak for others, but we certainly don't drive ours as much as we'd like. It's been a week sinceI mentioned we should take the drop top out. But, life gets in the way. There's ~2900 miles on the 2013 ZL1, and the 2010 SS has 14K on the clock, both bought new. There should be a law against that. About the only new car I'd want to own is a CT5-V Blackwing. Corvettes to me are meh, take 'em or leave 'em. Nothing about them says get in and drive me like the Camaro does, but if I can't even find the time to drive them...

I've decided they're like neglected children. You have to MAKE time to spend with them if you feel you need to be with them more. Good thing is, they still look virtually new, not a single door ding, and they even retain a bit of that "new car smell" believe it or not.

The unfortunate part is if you trade or sell for something else, you may find out you aren't really going to drive it any more than your current vehicle(s). So unless you're going for your DREAM CAR, I'd hesitate to sell/trade it if you still love it. I went from a low-mile 2002 Camaro SS to a 2013 ZL1 convertible because at the time, that was my "gotta have it" car. And I still love it. If there are issues with the car or you're bored to tears with it, see if you can fix the issues and make more time to spend with it, even if you can only drive it occasionally. MAKE time. Don't waste time. I can't believe it's been nearly 15 years since we got our first 5th gen. We've owned them longer than we owned our 2002 Camaros. Crazy how time slips away if you let it.

In 1982, I was 10 years old and already passionate about cars. My uncle was shopping for a new car, so on a Sunday, my grandfather, dad, uncle and I went to a Chevy dealership. On the showroom floor, was a white Corvette with a dark red leather interior. I remember the window sticker being a shocking $21K and standing at the front of it, looking down the long hood, with its flared fenders, through the windshield, into the bucket seats, thinking it's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.

It instantly became my dream car and I pressed my uncle about it being the coolest car to drive. Unfortunately, he bought Datsun 280ZX instead. Through my adolescent and teen years, I longed for a 1980-82 C3. Thereafter, due to some circumstance or other, such as it wasn't the right time, it was impractical, etc., it didn't happen.

In 2015, when I was at the dealership, standing at the front of the Summit White Camaro with the Adrenaline Red interior, looking down the hood, through the windshield and into the bucket seats, the memory came flooding back. It was quite the coincidence - or destiny.

The Camaro is a significant improvement over the C3 - which is to be expected 30+ years later - and cost more than twice as much. It would be nice to own a C3, but I wouldn't trade my Camaro for it and once again, it doesn't make sense to have another car parked. Though, I agree with you, that we should make time to drive them more often.

[detamble13]

It seems like acquiring a fifth gen Z/28 or a C7 would mean getting rid of your current special edition Camaro. Just based on how much you drive. There's something about owning a car from new so I'd keep your current ride and just add to your stable. Something that won't depreciate much and you can sell if needed.

I'm not huge on Mustangs but if I were to switch it up I'd look to see what the GT350 prices are. It's unfortunate a sixth gen Camaro Z/28 with the LT6 was never produced. I'd also like to own a Corvette one day and the C3 seems attainable. But if it's between a C3 and a C7 I think the C7 wins everyday.

[PDXSSCE]

Originally Posted by detamble13

It seems like acquiring a fifth gen Z/28 or a C7 would mean getting rid of your current special edition Camaro. Just based on how much you drive. There's something about owning a car from new so I'd keep your current ride and just add to your stable. Something that won't depreciate much and you can sell if needed.

I'm not huge on Mustangs but if I were to switch it up I'd look to see what the GT350 prices are. It's unfortunate a sixth gen Camaro Z/28 with the LT6 was never produced. I'd also like to own a Corvette one day and the C3 seems attainable. But if it's between a C3 and a C7 I think the C7 wins everyday.

Yes, it would mean selling or trading my car and having owned it since new, does make it harder. I'm sure I'll keep it, but won't be purchasing another car.

I believe the 1980-82 C3 is visually one of the most beautiful sports cars ever produced, followed by the 1984–91 Ferrari Testarossa, but that's a different story. Maybe some cars, are best kept as dreams.

[detamble13]

Well I'll be the devil on your shoulder. You deserve a 80-82 Vette. You now make more money and have your own house. Those Corvettes are some of the most affordable and time is not on your side as there will only be less available as time goes on. Time to act.

My uncle had a 69 Vette, T-tops, with a 427 and 4 speed manual. I loved that car and wish he could have kept it. I just think it was worth too much and based on how little he drove it chose to take the money. I'm more partial to the 68-73 C3s but if I had a choice it would be a C2 coupe, ideally a 63 split window.

[redcoats1976]

I wouldnt get rid of that special edition.might be prejudiced as i have a 2015 RS with 92,000 miles on it and still love to drive it.however you might want to drive it more,otherwise its like marrying a beautiful woman and not consumating the marriage...why save it for the next guy?