One of those question's that I would normally think are stupid...

[Tessa]

Originally Posted by tangorover

Man calm down None of us are saying that you shouldnt buy the car cause you are young. I hope you listen to me because I am not as old as a lot of people here. Im 26 right now and was in your situation only a few years ago.
What us older and wiser people are trying to tell you is that it is not OK to spend most of your income on ANY one thing. I know it seems cool to have a cool car when you are young but you have to realise that buying that car now and spending all your income now on it will tie you down for 5 years. 5 years is a LONG time.
Just remember that $700 a month is a LOT of money. Its money you can use to establish your life. A lot of us were as young as you and If I had $700 a month extra when I was your age I would have been a LOT richer now.
Dont put your life on hold for 5 years for a car. All of us here are gear heads and love the camaro but ultimately its just a car.

BTW If none of what I said above is of any use then In answer to your original question get the v6. I am a Software Engineer and make a very tidy sum of money but I still got the v6 because it just seems a better value for me. So for someone in your situation its an exact match.

This is very well said -- I just turned 30 and have NEVER gotten a new car (that I bought for myself) until now.
Like I said before tho - I had most of the money for the car to put down - was it the best idea ever? Maybe not (ok, yes in theory, I never get tired of my car and she still makes me giggle, but practically? Are there things I could have done with 30k that would have been smarter? hell yes).

[MacTruck]

Well there is a plus side to buying more than you can afford...


It pushes you to make more money. I have been buying more than I can afford since forever. I now make ALOT of money. Just got used to busting my a$$ I guess.

[sparky78]

Getting into a new car can feel great but affording it is a whole other thing. Yeah it looks good on paper when you add numbers up and make it look like it's affordable but those numbers almost never add up to what it actually is. If you're looking for a way out, a just in case to fall back on, then you can't afford the car. What if you get fired from your job? What if it takes say 3 months to find a job where you can make the same amount of money? There are ALOT of unknowns that you probably haven't run through your head. If you are going to go ahead with it then wait a while. Get the BIGGEST down payment you can muster in say a year, and put it down on a new one. This will help you in two ways. It'll get the total monthly payment lower so it's more managable and it'll show the people at the bank that you're able to save.

Are you able to save the total amount of what you need if you added everything together a month?

[Hawkeye]

Originally Posted by MacTruck

Well there is a plus side to buying more than you can afford...


It pushes you to make more money. I have been buying more than I can afford since forever. I now make ALOT of money. Just got used to busting my a$$ I guess.

Making a LOT of money means absolutely nothing if you are living beyond your means. You could make 100 grand a year, but if you living beyond your means your net worth is nothing. Technically speaking someone with a nice job making 50,000 a year and not working sh*t stains in their underwear and not living beyond their means is far richer. Because they are worth something and not constantly just trying to catch up with their expenses.

But yes, working hard is a great trait. Just dont let it get out of control, life is about more than how much you make

[67 Convertible]

Well I'm one of those "Old Folgies" that was mentioned earlier in this thread.
I got my license in 1967.
Don't you think I wanted to buy a brand new 1969 Camaro in 1969 when I graduated from high school?
Of course I did, but the reality of the situation was do I want a new car or do I want to move out of my parents house?
I bought a crap box, worked full time and saved my money. When I had enough money saved (1971) I moved out of my parents house and paid cash for a 2 yr. old used 1969 Camaro RS. Had the best of both worlds at 20 yrs. old.

I know you don't want to hear this and I'm trying not to be rude, but you just can't afford any new car right now based on your income. Don't put yourself in a situation where you have to depend on your parents to help you out with monthly payments.....It's just not a MATURE thing to do.

[djsnoflake]

I don't know what your latest idea is for the car you want to order,

But your sig says 2SS with the 21 inch optional wheels and the optional GFX package.

I think you affording a 1SS will be tight, let alone a 2SS with almost $7000 worth of options.

[04Ram2500Hemi]

Here's how I look at it, and you can take it for just one man's thoughts:

1st- I applaud you for taking the time to think about which Camaro would be the best fit for you. You are obviously smart enough to think it through, and figuring out which of the two vehicles is best for you is a great idea.

2nd- If you decide you must have a Camaro, in your situation I would strongly recommend the V-6. It will be less money to drive on a daily basis. It’s still going to be a fun car with 300 HP, and if you find the right Camaro, you can get a basic model for around $24,000 which for a new car isn’t bad.

3rd- If I were in your shoes, I would probably pass on the purchase of a brand new Camaro right now. There is nothing wrong with having a dream vehicle, but sometimes you need to wait to buy it. Maybe you can find a lease return Camaro for a good price, or maybe look at a different vehicle that is still fun to drive, but a little less money.

One of my favorite lines in a song I heard the other day was “Don’t Outsmart Your Common Sense.” Think about it real hard, and listen to your gut instinct. My gut instinct has never lead me astray.

[SorrowCamaro]

Originally Posted by Brandons714

Well, please don't take this wrong, Because I don't mean it offensive in any way, but, I'm young and Naive, Not getting one or the other is out of the question for me. Stupid... Probably, and I'm sure my dad knows that. Either way, I know he won't let me fail, if he HAS to pick up the car for a little to help me out, that's fine, as long as I pay him back, and don't leave the car up to him, He says "If I have to pay for more than half of the car, it's coming to Cali with me, until you have me payed off, I don't care if it's 10 years from now. I'll get you a $500 get around car for work till than" and, I'm not planning on that, I'm a very hard working "Kid" and I will do whatever it takes to make these payments.

Hey Brandon, I just turned 20. I'm in an Engineering field and college is already pre-paid for me. I also have a job with $1850 income /month. Sure I have to pay rent ($400) and other expenses. I've been in your situation, I've been arguing with others for months (since last September) - Was planning on a 2LT with $10,000 down payment. - I changed my mind February and decided I'll buy one once I graduate (in a year or two, either a used v6 or a z28 if I get a stable job). In march, something happened in my life which cost me to spend $6000 that month on expenses. I'm glad I didn't go for it, you never know what you might run into, keep that in mind.

[I have a 98 Camry with over 202,000 miles... gets me places, and everything works, drove to Florida and back with no problems - I'm in Pennsylvania]

If you decide to get it regardless, I suggest you either wait and have a larger down payment for a V6. Save up first...

[MacTruck]

Originally Posted by SorrowCamaro

Hey Brandon, I just turned 20. I'm in an Engineering field and college is already pre-paid for me. I also have a job with $1850 income /month. Sure I have to pay rent ($400) and other expenses. I've been in your situation, I've been arguing with others for months (since last September) - Was planning on a 2LT with $10,000 down payment. - I changed my mind February and decided I'll buy one once I graduate (in a year or two, either a used v6 or a z28 if I get a stable job). In march, something happened in my life which cost me to spend $6000 that month on expenses. I'm glad I didn't go for it, you never know what you might run into, keep that in mind.

[I have a 98 Camry with over 202,000 miles... gets me places, and everything works, drove to Florida and back with no problems - I'm in Pennsylvania]

If you decide to get it regardless, I suggest you either wait and have a larger down payment for a V6. Save up first...

I have a prepaid college plan setup for my kids. You got me thinking that I should stop that and let them pay for college themselves. If my kid said he was getting a camaro in college I would be pissed I paid all those years for his schooling.

[Shuffler]

Get what you want. You drive it, pay for it. It should make you happy. If your Dad wants a V8 he can buy himself one.

[Revo1]

Don't let people pressure you into a V8 that you don't want. If you're happy with the 6, it would be dumb to get in over your head with the 8 and possibly lose the car. It sounds like a large percentage of your income is gonna be going into the car either way, which could make it very tough to get a loan... Good luck man, hope it works out for ya.

[tonyfred]

Originally Posted by MacTruck

LOL. You fought your father and moved out over a V8, and now that you are older you bought a V6? Thats funny.


I take back what I said earlier. OP, you only live once. Get the V8 and have a blast. Worlds ending in 2012 anyways.

Maybe you should remember that this V6 has a lot more power than that 79 Bigblock. And maybe I dont need to prove anything now that I am older and wiser.

[MacTruck]

Originally Posted by tonyfred

Maybe you should remember that this V6 has a lot more power than that 79 Bigblock. And maybe I dont need to prove anything now that I am older and wiser.

I'm not trying to proving anything either. I just drink alot of V8 vegetable juice so I figured the V8 was better suited for my diet.

[MikeSVX]

Originally Posted by tonyfred

Maybe you should remember that this V6 has a lot more power than that 79 Bigblock. And maybe I dont need to prove anything now that I am older and wiser.

I've driven the 79 Trans Am 6.6. It may only be rated at 275 hp, but It will still hit 150mph with a quickness. I think the HP was under rated and it still has huge torque. My Camaro with the tiny 307ci, was rated at 210hp and was no where near as fast as the 6.6.