[RichD]

Tropi, Sadly 2002 was the last year for the Camaro. An all new car will probably be introduced in a few years. The sales were down for both the Camaro and Firebird. Insurance rates for these cars is astronomical, even for people with a perfect driving record, which kept a lot of people from buying them. The straight line performance of these cars is hard to beat for the money and extra power is cheap for these cars. A few hundred dollars and an hour with a screw driver bought me an extra 50HP. The car also handles and brakes well, at least on a smooth road, the relativly crude suspension is not as happy on bumpy roads. The chassis is certainly long in the tooth, being last partially revised in '93. The back half of the chassis goes back to '83! I can get you a good deal on my '99 SS.

 

[Tropi]

Nearly as good as my "HEAP"!

Go on, Rich, frighten me with the approx price of the car and insurance both, just for curiosity!
Over here, we can obtain 'Classic Insurance' on cars over 5 years old, as long as we can prove they are not the main, everyday car and accept limited annual mileage of typically 3,000 miles. It gets cheaper still when they are over ten years old and possibly cheaper again at 20 years. My 15 year old Alfa would be something WELL over £1000/$1600 under normal insurance but I think is down to around £250/$400 on the Classic Policy.

 

[Jamie]

Previous car was a Puma, I had to sell due to personal reasons, decided to quit work and go to university starting from scratch.

Current car, an old Rover. Better than relying on public transport - which I did for a time & unsurprisingly, drove me nuts...

 

[Tropi]

QUOTE unsurprisingly, drove me nuts . . .
Some of us don't have as good an excuse as that, Jamie!
<runs away>

 

[Intergrali]

thanks trop, where do i go to get classic insurance?

17 yr old with 1.2 fiesta is 2,600 and Xr3i is 2,900!

Inte.

 

[Tropi]

Ooooh - THAT is painful!
I think you need to be 25 or even 30 years old for classic insurance, Inte.
Make persistent enquiries at as many insurance brokers as you can find.
This is one of the few advantages of no longer being very young!

 

[Intergrali]

why are premiums so high? I can react faster than the old duffer who's driving the metro!!

Inte.

p.s however I will enquire

 

[RichD]

Tropi,
The 2001 Camaro cost $29000 out the door, insurance is a painful $1600. I pay the same for the '98 Cavalier. Go figure.

 

[taxi]

After reading all the posts with his & hers Lexus's (Lexi?) I'm fairly ashamed to own up to Ford Mondeo Si (mine), Ford Ka (hers, but fun) and a variety of 200,000+ mile Vauxhall Vectra turbodiesels for work (see my id for details!). The Vectras are truly awful things, all diesel and no turbo! but the ***** things won't die and the boss keeps buying them regardless. Dread to think what he pays for Taxi insurance on a dozen of the thinks, especially given the 'skills' of some of our drivers. (One write off per month for the last six months!)

 

[wayneslot]

Jamie
Put up with the old rover you've done a good thing in going back to uni.

I finnished uni only this year after going back as a mature (only in age) student (i'm now 30) and i drove an old rover for 3 years whilst i was there. Boy did i hate that car. I was so glad to get rid of it and buy the V5 (as mentioned at the start of this link).

when in the states this summer i test drove a camero SS and i have to say hopefully without causing offence that the only car iv'e ever driven that had worse handling was the above rover. I really can't say i'm surprised to see it with chunks missing. I will say that in a straight line it was great but im not sure it was quicker than my Vauxhaul xe powered westie.

Wayneslot

 

[RichD]

The Camaro SS got destroyed because I was forced off the road on the Interstate. I hit a concrete wall nearly head on. The car spun around and the right rear fender slapped the wall shattering the hatch glass and causing the car to bounce back 180 degrees. It was a miracle that I wasn't hit by another car. I was in heavy traffic when all of this started. I don't know where all of those cars dissapeared to, but I'm glad they did. The other guy left the scene and was apprehended about an hour later. It turns out that he had no insurance. Why be careful just because you don't have insurance? In any case I liked the car well enough to buy another one. As I mentioned earlier I bought it mostly for it's straight line performance. Great handling is of little use on the crowded roads where I live. My new car has about 375HP.

 

[TR6er]

Her: 2003 Chevy Impala. A company car provided by the pharmaceutical company that she works for. The price is too good to pass up.

Him: A 2002 Chevy Cavalier. I teach in a school district where many of the residents work in the GM plant that makes the Cavalier/Sunfire. I bought the car to support the parents of many of my students ( a considerable discount also played a role in my purchase).

For Fun: 1962 Triumph TR4. A solid rust free example that I purchased while living in San Diego, CA. in 1983. Great fun, loads of low end torque and wind in your hair motoring. This car is pretty much orginal with only a few modifications to improve reliablity.

More Fun: 1973 Triumph TR6. Another California car, rust free and solid. 3 years ago I $pent lots of cash redoing the mechanicals. Any part that moves or is subject to wear was replaced/upgraded. It now breathes through 3 HS6 SU carbs, K&N air filters and a custom designed intake manifold. The head has had a major reworking and really allows the engine to flow lots of air. Modifications have also been made to the exhaust system, suspension, and the differential ( now using a diff from a 1988 Nissan 300 ZX. The engine mods have resulted in a 2.5 liter, 160 horse power straight 6. It really gets up and moves. Great fun to drive on twisty roads.

 

[bwaminispeed]

3 years ago I built a TR6 engine for a friend of mine.I couldn't find decent Valves for it anywhere at any price.I ended up designing and having made localy the Intake and Exhaust valves.High Flow,with 30 degree seats Waisted stems.I had three sets made and have two left.

Rather than the Tripple 1.75s.I used two 1.5s off 73MGB.Despite being a full quarter inch smaller,this car has embarrased several local 5 litre Mustangs.

The thing hauls like a train,and because of the smaller carburation,has a very flat,very wide power band.

It's a lot of fun.

 

[Erling]

As with my slotcars, I like working on my car, constantly improving it. So what is the best family car for a weekend mechanic? Well, the way I look at it, it's hard to beat an old Volvo. Mine has been in the family since new. In fact, after all these years it still looks and feels like new. After the performance improvements I've done it drives better than new. When the weather gets warmer, I'll install that Weber carb I've just bought. No more car payments for me!

Erling.
http://home.no.net/ebrox

 

[Flash]

Me, I just got a car a while ago, I will post pictures when I finally get it off the truck.
Inte. has seen it!
Flash

 

[Intergrali]

their equivelent of the Focus RS

Inte.

 

[Coopdevil]

My current ride is a mk2 MR2 GTI-16, 1991 J-reg, starship mileage, slightly pink-ish Super Red paintwork but excellent VFM for under 3 grand.

Before that was a Ford Puma 1.7, £ for £ the most disappointing car I have ever owned and with such quality control issues that it will be a long time before anything with a blue oval on it graces my drive again...

Others in the past are two boyracer-humiliating Triumph TR7s (hated by many which is great in my book as it makes them dirt cheap!), a XR2 bad boy mobile (mk2 - the best incarnation before crappy fuel injection ruined them IMO) and in theory, my parent's 1960 Sprite Mk1 was promised to me when I was about 5 or 6 - I'm nearly 30 now and still waiting....

I won't mention the grey Volvo 340 I had at uni.

Coop

 

[Vinno1]

Company car is a Holden Rodeo ute about 2 months old. Its probably an Isuzu outside of Australia.
Family car is a Ford Falcon XR6 2002 model. Same body style as the Scaelextric Pirtek and Shell Falcons minus the race wing. XR6 is the six cylinder version for the overseas guys.

Vince

 

[BEEJAY7]

My car is a Mercedes Benz 320 CLK Compressor with a 100K on it and drives like new, my wife has an Audi TT 225 Coupe, which I use when I want to play!.

My real love is my Healey 3000 which I imported from the States as a wreck and rebuilt over a four year period.

You can see my restoration photos at:-

http://community.webshots.com/user/atadd

You won't get Classic Insurance until your 25. My Healey costs approx. £130 pa but I'm restricted to 5000 miles, the car must be garaged by 10:30 each evening.

My son is 18 and a student at University, he has a Renault Clio 1.2 which is insured in my wifes name with him as a main driver. His Insurance cost is £380 pa with Tesco. Also another good one to try is the Co-op Insurance, they look pretty kindly on young drivers.
Regards

Alan

 

[Guest]

1998 Ford Mondeo, Goes well and I enjoy driving it a lot and it cost me only slightly more than I made selling off some of my slot cars at a NSCC swop meet.

I am now looking for a toy for myself after finishing the book into which I have invested a lot of money.

I had a classic car garage with my bother in 1976 so have owned most cars from a 365 BB hill climb car (great road car) to a bubble car.

I am the only one who's wife does not drive?

RR