Military returns home, Camaro fad?

[Archias]

This is sort of a rant, so bear with me...

So much of the local military has returned from another overseas deployment. And with them, there is a HUGE population explosion in the number of sports and muscle cars, and camaros in town.My town sits between a number of military installations and the population is probably 2/3 military or military families. Deployment money means alot of brand new Camaros on the road, I notice they are mostly young guys, probably E3s or lower that are rocking LS or LT models, there a few SSs crawling around now too.

The only bad part as I see it, is next deployment I am going to have to see huge parking lots full of used Camaros at the chevy dealers around here LOL. Happens every time, they are mostly full of mustangs at the moment haha.

However. it kinda bums me out a bit, all these GIs coming home and blowing their taxfree money on nice cars, from Camaros to Porsches. I mean dont get me wrong, its nice to see so many awesome cars on the road and I am happy for them -Many of them earned it! But it does make me feel a bit lost in the crowd.

I have been asked if I bought my car with deployment money, etc, and when I inform them I am a local they look at me with either astonishment, or I have even received a speech about how they got their car full of military discounts and have it paid in full etc and other dick swinging. I think I might be the only Camaro, or atleast SS, in town without military tags.

I am beginning to give up on striking up acquaintance with many of the newer owners out here. For some reason the conversation always turns to money, how much they paid, how much "free" money and easy credit they get to to dump in their car on mods they apparently know very little about, just because its cool and razzing me because my car is still stock. They never want to talk about THE CAR itself, or seem to know much about modding themselves. Nor do any seem to have any interest in being involved in the C5 community.

I myself dont know anything about modding myself either, cosmetic, performance or otherwise. Which is why I was hoping to find some real gearheads among this lot that knows a bit and strike up a friendship, but thus far most of the answers I get seem to be "I just paid So-and-So to do it". Its sort of disheartening to see how many of them seem to just be buying up the cars as a fad.

Anyone else living in a military town get what I am saying? Any advice or thoughts?

TL;DR version: Butthurt over GIs buying cars as a fad and constant bragging about money.

[URDAMAN]

dont understand at all what your saying... Me personally I earned mine and is what i choose to do with my money. Its like complaining about the military drinking all the beer and stealing all the women in your town.

[armysig]

Well, can you blame the soldiers? Really, most of them spent 12 to 18 months deployed. They're going to want to play, and if buying the latest and greatest thing out there works for them oh well. Just be glad they are spending the money in your area, thus helping to keep jobs for your friends and families.

I to live near a post, I was also in the army, and the first thing I did was buy a brand new 2003 Dodge Dakota 4x4 truck when I got back from Afghanistan. So I fully understand why soldiers are doing it. Even here I see a huge influx of Camaros, Mustangs and Challengers. So I understand why you think you're just in the mix. Just be happy that the soldier is home safe and has fun while back in the states. Being down range can suck, as you don't get to much to do other than your job and sleep.

Just give them a friendly wave as you drive by, and hope they're happy.

[robnus]

I am a military member... 16 years now. My camaro is my first "brand new" car. Traded in my jeep wrangler that I had for 7 years on it. Loved my jeep, but needed something better on gas. As far as the "young" GI's going out and buying cars and then selling them. I don't know what to think. I know I have many people here that work for me that will lease a car in-between deployments because the lease comes with a military clause, if they deploy, they get out of the lease. They save money and then turn around and do it all over again.
Now... on a different side of it. At least they are coming back and putting money into "Buy American" instead of ricers... just food for thought.
I can tell you... there is some incentive on the military discount front, but it isn't that much of a discount. Might get a better interest rate because of the money they are putting down or the money they saved, but they saved the money with great sacrifice to family.
There will always be those type of people around wherever you are. Whether military town or a normal town like Kokomo, Indiana... Just blow em off because sooner or later karma will catch them.

[Therlisian]

I'm sure there are a few out there who think it's more then a fad. I bought my car with military money, re-enlistment...not deployment, but about the same idea. For me it is more then a fad. My first car was a PoS 3rd gen, and I loved Camaros from that day. I'm currently deployed and plan on dropping some of the cash on small mods when I return...but how much I make on this trip is for the wife and me. Don't be so quick to dismiss all C5 owners with military money, some of us are all about the car. The ones who are about the money will find it runs out fast.

[motorhead]

Are you crazy? They went over there and took a very big chance on loosing their lives to protect us and many have. Let them buy whatever they want at whatever discount they can get. They deserve it more than anybody. Very shelfish thread if you ask me.

[AZCamaroFan]

it bums you out?

the military doesn't even make that much money . if they want to buy a muscle car, all power to them.

[DevilsReject97]

I think what the OP is trying to say is that he's just tired of listening to people talking about how much money they got and how much they spent.... the fact it's associated to military personnel might just be a smaller part of the whole bit.

I know I would get sick of listening to people telling me I paid this and I had this much money all of the time. Especially when people look at you and go why doesn't your car look like that.

Still, if your frustration is just with the troops having that kind of money, I really don't want to have that kind of conversation.

[URDAMAN]

I take offense to the OP, most think we make a lot of money. I have a family of four and planned, saved like most do. The deployment money, they can have it all back if i can bring some of mine lost in battle allowing me to enjoy my life as it is. I purchased the car of my dreams and loving every minute of it. If you dont like it... you know what you can do.

[Archias]

Originally Posted by DevilsReject97

I think what the OP is trying to say is that he's just tired of listening to people talking about how much money they got and how much they spent.... the fact it's associated to military personnel might just be a smaller part of the whole bit.

I know I would get sick of listening to people telling me I paid this and I had this much money all of the time. Especially when people look at you and go why doesn't your car look like that.

Still, if your frustration is just with the troops having that kind of money, I really don't want to have that kind of conversation.

I am not bothered they HAVE the cars, as i said, they earned it! However it just seems I cannot have a conversation with any of them, and I have tried, with it turning to "Yeah, I just spent $5000 on this and this and I have no idea what it does or is for or how to its installed! -Because I can!"

I just dont know if I am getting really bad luck or this is the norm. I dont interact with active military members much these days as much as Id like to.

So yeah, the military part is just increased the number of people I have run across that have this attitude is all. I am not trying to sound pissed that they are military,

[JulzSS]

I am the wife of a Sailor and the mother of a Sailor and I own an SS. It is not my first Camaro either. Don't even get me started on this thread. The OP doesn't want to hear what i have to say.

[armysig]

So you think most are E-3s and 4s. Well here is the base pay for this year. This is with out combat pay, BAH, BAQ, and other insentives.

The military doesn't make much money. Unless you have a lot of years in or an officer.

An E-3 with less than 2 years in makes $1729.80 a month and an E-4 with over 2 years makes $2014.20

If they have family members or someone to take care of, that money is used up fast. Even if they live on post. Most soldiers are paid below the poverty level...which is BS if you ask me.

[DevilsReject97]

Originally Posted by AZCamaroFan

the military doesn't even make that much money . if they want to buy a muscle car, all power to them.

While the average soldier doesn't make a lot of money, they do have access to a lot more perks than the average person. 3 hot meals a day and a room for single soldiers makes affording an expensive car a lot easier when you aren't paying for it.

When I lived on base with my parents, my stepdad was an E5. We lived in a townhouse that would have cost about $800 a month. My stepdad was only making about $1600 a month. We didnt pay rent, water, electric, nodda...

I realize this is a bit off topic, but soldiers do have some perks that make the trade off a bit easier to absorb.

[blizzpat]

Many decide to blow their $50k in tax free deployment money on a depreciating asset such as a car, instead of saving and investing and making that 50k into 150k, so and and so forth. Sure it is theirs to spend and I have no problem with this, just kind of bummed out at the vicious cylce of spending seen from the potentially young and misinformed.

I lived with an afghan vet who had earned upwards of 70 grand on duty. He had blown most of it on a boat, and a truck. He literally was living paycheck to paycheck from then on.