what to expect?

[DGthe3]

Originally Posted by Mike88

^ months? :eek:

I figured maybe a few days or a week. Okay so I'll try not to be too picky.

When in doubt, go with 6-8 weeks for shipping. Figure, the factory will be making around 3000 cars a week for worldwide sales based on GM's sales predictions. So while it may be only a day or two to make the car from start to finish plus a few more to get it sent out, there will be a long line of people and dealers in front of you. I'm sure that as time passes the line will get shorter, though that may take quite a while. I think that a good way to estimate is in March, pretend you are going to buy a mustang and ask the dealer how long it would take to get the car you want. Do the same thing at a dodge dealer with the Challenger. Split the difference and you should get a good estimate for the wait time of the Camaro.

[The_Stache]

^ Just curious...isn't going down to the dealership half the fun of getting a new car?

Uh no, I hate even going to the dealership for service.. personally if I could avoid a dealer all my life I will. I don't want to spend 4-5 hours of my life haggling for an item.. Im the type of guy that I research and know exactly what I want and at what price and my time is better spent doing other activities.

[stovt001]

Originally Posted by Mike88

^ months? :eek:

I figured maybe a few days or a week. Okay so I'll try not to be too picky.

Next question: say I decide to take a car that the dealer already has on the lot...will I get to test the precise vehicle I want before I agree to purchase it? I see why dealers have tester vehicles, because you wouldn't want ppl testing the vehicle prior to your purchase of it, but at the same time I wouldn't want to buy anything without having driven it (and not just the tester car) first.

Yes, for the most part ordering a car to your specifications takes a matter of months. Reserving cars in our inventory pipeline for specific customers was one of my main jobs at the dealership. Most of the orders weren't strictly custom orders, they were more like reserving a car that was coming to us anyway. My boss handled the true custom orders. Even for a car that was allocated to our dealership but not built yet, it would take a few months. Of course cars assembled in North America arrive sooner than those built overseas, but it is still a matter of months, either way.

And yes, you always should test drive the exact vehicle you're going to buy. If you're just looking in general (such as trying to decide between a Challenger, Mustang, or Camaro, or even just different configurations for the Camaro) then they might put you in a dedicated test drive vehicle, but that is rare, at least where I come from. Even if they do, when you decide you really do want to buy a specific car, whether it is in the dealer's inventory or you have it ordered, test drive it before you finalize the deal just to make sure there isn't anything immediately noticeable that's wrong with it.

Oh one last thing. If the dealer you go to doesn't have the exact vehicle you're looking for, but another dealer does then often you can have them arrange a dealer trade, and that will take only a few days.

[Good53X]

I honestly plan on walking into every dealership and asking them what the lower price they will give me is.

"I want a 5th gen camaro convertible with [this engine], manual transmission, cloth seats, and a stock stereo. What is the lowest price you can give me?"

Then I'll just go to whatever dealer will give me the lowest price. It's a little bit of leg work, but it could end up saving me a thousand bucks. That, and I get to feel out all the different dealerships - which, to me, is worth it. I'd rather give 500$ more to someone I like than 500$ less to someone who doesn't deserve the money.

[Emher]

^Unfortunatly for me that isn't an option. I know of ONE, yes ONE, dealer in this part of the country that sells American Chevrolet's. On the other hand they seem really good, but it kinda sucks having but one option.


EDIT: well well well, after some searching I've actually managed to find about two more, so I might have the option of comparing prices. Then there's always the matter of other services that the dealer offers. If one of them has a solid reputation and good service shop, I'll probably go with them even if I have to pay a few K more.

[acscamarochick06]

lol We should all just read "What To Expect When You're Expecting"!

[TAG UR IT]

Originally Posted by Good53X

I honestly plan on walking into every dealership and asking them what the lower price they will give me is.

"I want a 5th gen camaro convertible with [this engine], manual transmission, cloth seats, and a stock stereo. What is the lowest price you can give me?"

Then I'll just go to whatever dealer will give me the lowest price. It's a little bit of leg work, but it could end up saving me a thousand bucks. That, and I get to feel out all the different dealerships - which, to me, is worth it. I'd rather give 500$ more to someone I like than 500$ less to someone who doesn't deserve the money.

Make sure that when someone says x amount of dollars, that you get their name and number on a business card. When you go to the next place, let them give you a price quote. If it's above what the last place said, pull out hte card w/ the amount written on it and let the new guy know...bob said x amount at this dealer. Ask if he'll beat it. He will. Then, get his card and amount on card. Go to next dealer and repeat. Eventually, you will get to a bottom end that no one will want to beat.

[Scotsman]

I'd think by now that "rust" would not be a problem because of advanced automotive manufacturing technology.

[Good53X]

Tag, very good point. I hadn't though about the ability for dealerships to 'one-up' eachother in competition, eventually providing me with the bottom line

[TAG UR IT]

Make sure you call over the phone to save your self the leg work. That's what we did to get the old S10 at $200 over invoice. When I bought that truck, I made the comment that I'd be back to buy a Camaro at $200 if they were interested. They said yes and I went back buying the Camaro. At that time, I told them I'd be back for a Z28 at $200 over cost...didn't think they'd go for it, but they did.

[Scotsman]

I'd expect for the first year or two the best you could do will probably be $2000 off M.S.R.P.

[2001ragtop]

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.

[stovt001]

^ +1

Very good advice right there.

[Mike88]

Originally Posted by 2001ragtop

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.

I have 3 credit cards that I use commonly and make full payments on almost every month. My biggest problem in terms of financing will be the fact that I'm currently a student so my credit cards are capped at $2000 each. I have other credit tho with a credit line for school. Anyway I'm 23 now...and plan to be done school this Spring and work for at least a year with a decent job. I'll wait till I'm 25 to buy the car for lower insurance purposes.

thanks for the great advice btw