4th Gen Base as First Car?

[mikeusaf]

Hey what's up everyone,

In a month I'm going to be turning 17 years old, and this upcoming summer I will be getting a job. With the money I'll make from my job and the money I have saved in the bank, I plan on buying my first car at the end of the summer. I absolutely love Camaros and I was thinking about maybe buying a 4th gen Camaro base model with the money I have saved up. I was hoping that you guys could answer some of my questions. And if you are wondering about my experience as a driver, I have been driving my mom's 2010 Nissan Sentra everywhere for about a year now.


1.) What would insurance be like if I ended up buying one? This is why I would just like to get a base model, because I figured that insurance costs would be lowest for a base. I also have pretty good grades in school, but I don't know if that actually affects the cost of insurance for me or not.

2.) How safe is a 4th gen?

3.) How does it perform as a daily driver? If I were to buy one it would be my only car, and I live in Connecticut so I experience all kinds of weather in my area. I definitely wouldn't drive it out in a snowstorm or anything stupid like that.

4.) What is gas mileage like for 4th gen base model? Like I said, it would be my daily driver and I've been thinking about a base model so it would be as fuel-efficient as possible.

5.) How easy is it to work on a 4th gen? One of my biggest goals is to learn how to work on cars, and I thought that a 4th gen would be a good route to take because it was produced from the early 90s to the early 00s, and many cars from that era are fairly easy to work on. I've heard some difficulties with working on 4th gen Camaros due to the position of the engine or somehting along those lines, but I'm not looking to do an engine swap or anything like that. I just want to teach myself general maintenance to keep the car running good and smooth.


So overall, would a base model 4th gen Camaro be a good first car for someone my age and with my level of experience? I understand that it's a muscle car and a big responsibility, but I have enough common sense to respect that power. My #1 dream car is a 2010-2013 Camaro LS because I'm in love with the black steel wheels that they come with, but I just won't be able to afford that. My high school cross country coach owns an Inferno Orange 2010 LS that is the coolest thing in the world, but he won't budge whenever I offer to buy it off of him when I graduate high school Anyways, I appreciate the help guys thank you.

[SynergyGreenSS]

I have a 2001 Dale Earnhardt Intimidator Camaro, and although it's not a base model, it's a great car. The stock interior is great, and the car itself looks great straight from the factory. They're great cars to work on, and they're not too difficult to learn on from my experience. I'd assume the stock gas mileage is anywhere from 15-25 plus or minus a few. Not sure about insurance. They could easily be a good daily driver though. A Camaro was my dream as a first car too so you're in the same boat as I was. Good for you for wanting to get a job and work for it yourself to get the car you want. Hopefully you can find a good one for a good price!

[SynergyGreenSS]

Also, I think they're pretty safe

[breynnmike]

Keep your eyes open for a Z28. You never know. You may find a nice 94 Z28 for a nice deal, somewhere around $4000. This would be a great start.

[Tenring]

Both my teenagers are driving 4th gens, not Camaros, but Firebirds.

1. At least here, their good grades give you a discount. For their 3.8 - V6, and being on my policy, they are paying $55 - $65 a month.

2. My son and four of his friends were at a stop and rear ended by a 370Z doing 40mph and everyone was stiff, no one was majorly hurt. They can take a hit!

3. They both daily drive them and really like them.

4. Never checked for sure, but some rough gestimates are around 20mpg.

5. Very straight forward mechanically, what you heard about being difficult to work on is the engine does sit back in the bay. So you have a bit of a sore back from bending and leaning over to work on it. Took me and my daughter about a hour to change her ignition coils yesterday, was tight but we got them without any major problems.

The Firebirds are both their first cars and they both really like them. My Son is graduating HS this year and is talking about getting a Trans AM or Z28.

Google LS1TECH - it is a good 4th gen forum.

[Camaro1LS]

At 18 I bought a 2014 Camaro V6 and I paid $114 for insurance. About a year later I upgraded to a V8 and I pay $110 for insurance.

[EWade]

BAD choice on asking about insurance. You NEED to talk to insurance agents from several different companies to see what your rate will be.

The 4th Gen is a pretty decent car to get, just have it checked out before you buy, you never know how a car has been taken care of or if maintenance was done when it should've been.

[harner]

4th gens are a great platform for a new driver. Sporty, fun to mod, lots of aftermarket, and cheap. I've seen many pictures of rollovers and the roof is still in tact despite the t-tops being out. I consider that very safe.

Insurance will be pricey, since you're a high risk driver. Contact some insurance companies and get a few quotes. It's free.

You can score a V8 car fairly cheap, especially 93-97. Good luck and don't kill yourself or anyone else on the road. If you want to drive fast, do it on the track.

[BeastMode]

Originally Posted by mikeusaf

1.) What would insurance be like if I ended up buying one?

2.) How safe is a 4th gen?

3.) How does it perform as a daily driver?

4.) What is gas mileage like for 4th gen base model? Like I said, it would be my daily driver and I've been thinking about a base model so it would be as fuel-efficient as possible.

5.) How easy is it to work on a 4th gen?.

1) I would call an insurance agent, or just plug your information into any one of the major insurancr carriers websites to get an idea. Rates can vary widely based on location, history, age, etc. Our rate is dropping 50% from moving 25 miles, still in the same state. Rates may not vary too wildly. It may not change too much from a base model to a Z28 since they are pretry well depreciated at this point.

2) Safe enough, not as safe as the newest technology, but it certainly isnt dangerous

3) if you are expecting something with a lot of interior capacity it wont do, but it works great for point A to point B transportation. My 2001 Camaro SS I put blizzak snow tires on and it worked great, it was better than my fwd with all seasons..

4) Gas mileage isnt great, but not bad. With my 93-97 v8 car I averaged in the mid teems teens, a little bit better with my 98-02 v8 car with mixed driving. I have heard of people doing quite a bit better with manuals.

5) They are not bad to work on, I wouldnt say the easiest. If you get one that has only driven summers it will be much easier - less stuck bolts.

I had a '94 Trans Am with 120k miles for $2100, and a 2001 Camaro SS for $5400 with 124k miles. There are deals to be had and they are fun cars. Just be patient and find the right one, and enjoy!