New vs Old

[Bigtime53]

I see there are not new threads very often on this site like there were four-five years ago so I thought I would start one that maybe most of you would chime in on.

I watch all of these car auctions on tv and see the old cars are bringing big money. I have in the last 3-4 years bought a bunch of old cars and the one I bought the most of were the 1969 Camaro's. I did that because they were the hot sellers. Out of all of them I kept trying to find one that I thought would be more fun or shall I say give me the same feeling I get out of my 2015 ZL1. I myself would not trade my ZL1 for any old car,period. I cannot figure out why someone would give 30,40,50 thousand for a 69 Camaro when you can find a ZL1 for less money and a 69 Camaro or any old Camaro will not match what the ZL1 has to offer. Now I am from the old school and I get what old school guys want but really? I for one remember the performance you got from the old cars back in the day but they do not match what is offered today and that was why you bought them for was the performance. I really enjoy my car and I catch myself thinking about how I cannot wait until I get back in the seat to drive it. I bought several new ZL1's and had to sell them to keep my business going at the time but now I am retired and I bought a used 2015 and I paid less for it than a old car that has had panels replaced with inferior metal or a rebuilt whatever and the car I have now is hands down a superior car in every way. So I guess my question is to ask if you feel the same way? Would you rather have a newer Camaro or a older one? Thanks for reading and answer if you have time.

[vmatt350]

I do agree with you that the old ones cannot compare to the news ones and I think that is to be expected. I personally like the '69s, the way they look is what does it for me. If I had to only have one I would probably go with the newer models because as you stated, they are just better, more reliable, etc. Im fortunate enough that I have both a '12 ZL1 and a "69 coupe. To get that '69 to perform like the ZL1 would cost so much money that for me its prohibitive. I would personally like to have at least one of every generation so I could experience each step of progress/evolution the Camaro has gone through but again, thats cost prohibitive. I think each generation has qualities about them that makes them unique but the newer ones will have it all or almost all.

[RobZL1]

Newer model for me, hands down. I appreciate the originals, for sure, and if I have a lot of free cash in the future, I'd love to have one (or a couple). I'd like to build a resto-mod one day, too- maybe a big-cube LSX with a Kong 2650 in a 69...

But, that's still something that falls into the "if I have cash leftover after kids college fund and retirement are all set" category for me. In the meantime, I'd rather have the newer stuff and drive the snot out of it. Later in life when I have money and time again, I'd love to have a couple of play toys, but right now... to quote Sweet Brown: "Ain't nobody got time for that!"

[lemontwist]

i like restomods so i like new performance and the old look.for the price of a NICE restomod you could have a 5th gen ZL1 and 5th Z/28 so i'm new muscle all the way.collectors save old muscle but at the same time run the prices up WAY HIGH.i remember back in the 80's and early 90's 5k was alot of money for a muscle car.my friend got a hurst olds for 3k my sisters boyfriend had a 70 442 vert he got for 500 bucks and it was actually a pretty nice driver,i had a 68 impala fastback/sports roof 327 300hp that i got for 80 bucks running, and driving novas were a dime a dozen at 500.now a rusted out roller is thousands WTF.
i had a third gen and a fourth gen now a 5th funny thing is i was never a big fan of camaros i was into A-bodys and G-bodys but you only have 3 choices now camaro mustang or challenger to be honest i was looking at challengers when i started looking at camaros.i am happy with my choice the 5th +6th gen are the best camaro's ever made.

[hunter1660]

I had a 69 ss350. Thought Id be buried in that car. Love all the 1st gens,never cared for any of the rest. The ss/rs with the hideaway headlights,the pinnacle. I let someone talk me outa my 69 and Chevy wasn't making the camaro anymore. I had a void in my garage and needed to fill it and the one in me. Man,when the 5th gen rolled out I was in love all over. I had to have one but needed to wait a year to get my finances in order. When I'd see one on the road I'd run it down to get a close up view . I had it bad. Finally the day came. I got on the www and started looking at my options and found the one I bought about 2 hours away. On a Sunday,the wife and I loaded up and drove there to make sure the dealership still had it. When we got there a mechanic was working,dealership closed. Talk to mechanic and he told us he'd get the keys so we could check it out but not test drive. The rest is history. Called them the next morning and drove it home. Fast forward to a couple yrs. ago. I wanted something new. I added a magnuson Heartbeat and associated mods. I got something new. Boy did I. I still enjoy driving it as much today as the day I bought it. Love my 5th gen.

[Bigtime53]

Originally Posted by hunter1660

I had a 69 ss350. Thought Id be buried in that car. Love all the 1st gens,never cared for any of the rest. The ss/rs with the hideaway headlights,the pinnacle. I let someone talk me outa my 69 and Chevy wasn't making the camaro anymore. I had a void in my garage and needed to fill it and the one in me. Man,when the 5th gen rolled out I was in love all over. I had to have one but needed to wait a year to get my finances in order. When I'd see one on the road I'd run it down to get a close up view . I had it bad. Finally the day came. I got on the www and started looking at my options and found the one I bought about 2 hours away. On a Sunday,the wife and I loaded up and drove there to make sure the dealership still had it. When we got there a mechanic was working,dealership closed. Talk to mechanic and he told us he'd get the keys so we could check it out but not test drive. The rest is history. Called them the next morning and drove it home. Fast forward to a couple yrs. ago. I wanted something new. I added a magnuson Heartbeat and associated mods. I got something new. Boy did I. I still enjoy driving it as much today as the day I bought it. Love my 5th gen.

I would say the bug bit you good on the 5th gen Camaro's! That is the way I feel about my car. I could not afford a 6th gen after I retired but I found a great used 15 ZL1 and as I stated I find myself thinking about it all of the time. Right now I would like to be driving it! I know I would rather buy a used 5th gen Camaro than any other generation of the Camaro that has been offered. I am like you though the first gen was the best and out of those I think the 69 model was the best. Now I want to be clear a 69 Camaro is considered the king of Camaro's in a lot of peoples eyes and I like them to and I have paid close to 50 grand for a couple that were really nice but they still were not like the modern muscle cars hence the ZL1's or the SS cars we have today. When I say they were not like the ones we have today I mean by the technology that is in the cars we drive today. Sure you get the raw feel of the old cars and there horsepower when you drive the old muscle but to get one that is nice the prices have went way past what a 5th gen top of the line ZL1 or a Z/28 cost. I myself like the new muscle and feel like my money is more well spent on one instead of taking a chance on a old car that has been redone by someone that hid or took shortcuts to make it look good only to find out there are lots of problems after I get it that is going to take a boatload of money to fix it right.

[silversleeper]

Then you drive the 60's 70's cars and that cool factor quickly goes away.
Jump in on a cold morning and it doesn't want to start, then needs to warm up before driving away or the engine stalls. Thinking back even some women you knew were able to hook up jumper cables it was so commonly needed.
No decent stereo or navigation
Seats don't compare to the ZL1 buckets
Safety, airbags and structural makes you what, 3 times less likely to be seriously hurt or killed in an accident?
Braking, the ZL1 brakes always impress me when stopping from highway speeds, in the old cars it was, I hope I can stop in time (because of the tires too)

Cornering, don't go too fast or you will slide off the road in the old cars, Mag ride and sorted out suspension is night and day. Or DSSV and carbon ceramic brakes if you are talking Z28 vs Z28

MPG, far better in cars like the SS. The ZL1 is still good compared to a big block of the day which got about 25 - 50% worse mileage

HP, the overrated old engines look good on paper but having half the real hp to the ground is no comparison
A 2 or 3speed hydromatic transmission vs a 6speed (now 10speed) and locking torque converter, huge difference

Comfort in quieter cabin, heat and AC, power 8 way seats and all that, HUD, power windows, locks, brakes, steering. Yeah in those days those weren't available or standard options. Lol the kids getting into a car without power steering nowdays,"something is broken on this car!"
Reliable and longevity, the drivetrain will last far past 100k miles in the ZL1 unless heavily mod'ed.

The tune and cats cause a fraction of the air pollution of the old cars.
Exterior looks, that's a coin toss
As much as we might like to remember "the good ol' days", the thrill of having twice the good things in the newer car makes it less of a draw to the old tech cars.

[owhite3003]

I have a 2013 ZL1 and love it. It always puts a Permagrin on my face. 850hp and still gets 19.5 MPG on long trips. Comfortable and reliable. Love it. lol I have a 68RS that gets 10 times more looks than my ZL1. Can't take it on long runs unless I have kidney belt on. Cool for a Summer drive but quite a bit slower than the ZL1 and the 81. The 81 Z28 is a beast and still get more looks than the ZL1. If I had to only keep one, I would keep my ZL1.

[Bigtime53]

Originally Posted by silversleeper

Then you drive the 60's 70's cars and that cool factor quickly goes away.
Jump in on a cold morning and it doesn't want to start, then needs to warm up before driving away or the engine stalls. Thinking back even some women you knew were able to hook up jumper cables it was so commonly needed.
No decent stereo or navigation
Seats don't compare to the ZL1 buckets
Safety, airbags and structural makes you what, 3 times less likely to be seriously hurt or killed in an accident?
Braking, the ZL1 brakes always impress me when stopping from highway speeds, in the old cars it was, I hope I can stop in time (because of the tires too)

Cornering, don't go too fast or you will slide off the road in the old cars, Mag ride and sorted out suspension is night and day. Or DSSV and carbon ceramic brakes if you are talking Z28 vs Z28

MPG, far better in cars like the SS. The ZL1 is still good compared to a big block of the day which got about 25 - 50% worse mileage

HP, the overrated old engines look good on paper but having half the real hp to the ground is no comparison
A 2 or 3speed hydromatic transmission vs a 6speed (now 10speed) and locking torque converter, huge difference

Comfort in quieter cabin, heat and AC, power 8 way seats and all that, HUD, power windows, locks, brakes, steering. Yeah in those days those weren't available or standard options. Lol the kids getting into a car without power steering nowdays,"something is broken on this car!"
Reliable and longevity, the drivetrain will last far past 100k miles in the ZL1 unless heavily mod'ed.

The tune and cats cause a fraction of the air pollution of the old cars.
Exterior looks, that's a coin toss
As much as we might like to remember "the good ol' days", the thrill of having twice the good things in the newer car makes it less of a draw to the old tech cars.

That is exactly what I was trying to say!! Great job!

[nazarah]

If it's in the budget why not have the best of both worlds? Keep a classic to drive on the really nice sunny days and use the ZL1 for the other days. It's a win/win.

[Brutale arancia]

These cars are far superior and I can only have one but there's something about chrome bumpers that make those cars I dreamed about special. From the split bumpers on a camaro to the boat anchors on a 442.

[vmatt350]

Originally Posted by nazarah

If it's in the budget why not have the best of both worlds? Keep a classic to drive on the really nice sunny days and use the ZL1 for the other days. It's a win/win.

Amen!

[Bigtime53]

Originally Posted by nazarah

If it's in the budget why not have the best of both worlds? Keep a classic to drive on the really nice sunny days and use the ZL1 for the other days. It's a win/win.

I guess if you have the funds to do this it is alright. But again after you bought the car did you have to make any repairs or put a new drive train in it etc? How about the most common problem,rust? I talked to a guy from Michigan who was interested in the last 69 Camaro I sold and he told me he had bought one only to find out after he got it home it was rusted out bad above the rear quarter drop offs and up inside behind the rear quarter glass areas. He sold it to a guy [and took a loss on it] and told him about the problems but the guy took it anyway. Several months later it went across the block at Barrett Jackson and was told rust free and it sold for 70K!! That is my point here why buy one when you really do not know what you are getting? There is hidden rust that you cannot see unless you have totally took the car apart yourself and I have learned in my 66 years of life you cannot trust a seller who may have discovered problems and he is bailing out of the car because the cost to repair will put him in to deep on the car to recover his investment. Don't get me wrong there are some nice cars out there but your going to pay dearly for those and they still will not compare to the newer SS's or ZL1's.

[SSammy]

Originally Posted by Bigtime53

I see there are not new threads very often on this site like there were four-five years ago so I thought I would start one that maybe most of you would chime in on.

I watch all of these car auctions on tv and see the old cars are bringing big money. I have in the last 3-4 years bought a bunch of old cars and the one I bought the most of were the 1969 Camaro's. I did that because they were the hot sellers. Out of all of them I kept trying to find one that I thought would be more fun or shall I say give me the same feeling I get out of my 2015 ZL1. I myself would not trade my ZL1 for any old car,period. I cannot figure out why someone would give 30,40,50 thousand for a 69 Camaro when you can find a ZL1 for less money and a 69 Camaro or any old Camaro will not match what the ZL1 has to offer. Now I am from the old school and I get what old school guys want but really? I for one remember the performance you got from the old cars back in the day but they do not match what is offered today and that was why you bought them for was the performance. I really enjoy my car and I catch myself thinking about how I cannot wait until I get back in the seat to drive it. I bought several new ZL1's and had to sell them to keep my business going at the time but now I am retired and I bought a used 2015 and I paid less for it than a old car that has had panels replaced with inferior metal or a rebuilt whatever and the car I have now is hands down a superior car in every way. So I guess my question is to ask if you feel the same way? Would you rather have a newer Camaro or a older one? Thanks for reading and answer if you have time.

I agree with you about the performance side of things. On the flip side of that, my dad owned a ‘64 Ford Fairlane Sport Coupe all through my childhood. He took me everywhere in that car and we shared a lot of great memories in that car. He also owned a ‘70 Chevy Concours Estate (think chevelle station wagon) in perfect condition with low miles and a 300 hp turbofire 350 that ran like stink. It’s coming up on 3 years without him now, and every time I see an old car or truck or even sit in my non-running ‘64 Galaxie with a similar design, or any car or truck with a bench seat, I get an overload of fond memories and a warm feeling in my soul. There is no new car that can make me feel like that. Old and new, I cherish both for different reasons.