soontobeGN

Tell that to Tiago, or 12secondV6.

Lost

I think it's crazy to start out with a expensive but decent car such as a v6 fbody (notice I did not say crappy). I'll tell you why:

1. you're gonna drop some dime on the thing which is crazy if you plan on replacing it shortly with a v8 (as most people on here suggest you do).. and believe me you will want a v8. If you're like I was in high school you need to save your money (it gets worse in college ) Instead save your money and buy an even better fbody when the time is right and you know you're ready for the time/maintence/respect required to own and operate one.

2. You're right, a LT1 can be called watered down in comparison to a LS1.. BUT here's the difference: A LT1 can give most any other car on the road a hellatious asswhomping... the LS1 is even better.. but the v6? No.. it's quick yes.. a friend had one before I got the v8.. it isn't anything special and the way the car looks it's just a crime to drive something with that badassitude that's not any qucker then a jetta of a v6 accord.. sorry v6 guys, I'll put my flame suit on now.

3. Everyone's right about the insurance, there's not that much difference.. the companies don't rely so much on actual speed they rely on the perceived speed by the customer base - basically if you own a fbody (v6 or v8) they expect you to rag it out and drive it like the sports car it is (or you think it is). For that reason alone I'd say the v6 isn't worth it.. the insurance is astronomical for no good reason..

4. If you do get a v8 I really think it's gonna be impossible for you to drive it sanely (of course I don't know you personally so all I can do is generalize from my own experiences). If you do end up with a v8 or even a v6 you'll be getting tickets in it at a minimum and then the insurance is *really* gonna burn.. at worst you will probably total it and then all that money you spent on a nice car will be wasted.

For these reasons I say save your money and buy a rag that way when you wreck it no big deal.. when you don't have time to wax it no big deal.. when you're crazy ex girl friend keys it no big deal (everyone has at least one crazy ex gf in high school).. I say run the rag into the ground and when it's near dead take it out in a field and have some fun and practice some manuvers for that kickass 5 gen camaro you're about to buy with all the money you saved by not buying a fbody two or three years ago.

My .02

edit: yes I know I'm being optimistic about the 5 generation.. but if I'm wrong then you could just substitute "used corvette" or "gto" etc.. you get the point

Lost

uh.. wow.. hmm.. I don't quite know what to say.. not as responsive? hello.. have you felt the torque in a v8? Maybe you didn't understand cags was engaged and you were really in 4th gear and not 2nd

to each his own I guess..

Let me throw this into the mix:
opinions are like a$$holes, everyone has one and they all stink

CamaroBoy96Z28

Go LT1. I just couldnt ever see myself in a V6 F-body. I've had my Z28 since I just turned 17. I wish I could of had it earlier but I had to save my money for a year. Pretty nice going from a 93 4-cyl automatic Grand Am to a 6-speed 96 Z28 if you ask me. Go V8 though, you'll be real upset later if you dont.

AxeGrinder30thZ

I have to disagree with Lost about tickets. You can't tell him that HE IS going to get tickets. I have only received one ticket in my life and that was when I was driving a 6 cylinder Explorer. I have never been pulled over, asked questions, ticketed, etc. in the Z28. If you drive responsibly and smart, then you don't have anything to worry about.

neil350

Exactly why I dont see the point, Taigo best trap is still 107, he still runs 13s. Ask him about the turbo LT1 his friend has. For the amount of mods that go in them, I just cant see why. You can always make an LT1 faster. We have LT1s in the 8s, you fastest is an 11.8@113, I think we dont have to tell any one whos cars are faster.

Chrisz24,

Lt1 feels clunky? Wow your a moron. I have driven many 3.8s, compared to my LT1 they are dogs and sound like rice when you get on it.

I have nothing against 3.8s, for a first car they are awesome and you can probably get a newer3.8 for the money. Good first car, but use them as a stepping stone and thats it. Most 3.8s still run like dogs on motor. Most your hard core V6 guys have been swapping in LS1s. They dont see the point of it any more.

LT1 Vs LS1 is another 6 trillion post. LT1 is older than the LS1 but we can still hold our own thank you very much. It isnt quite as a V6 Vs LT1, other than gas mileage 3.8s have nothing on LT1s. LT1s are faster, still more fun to driveand have a lot more potential than the series two 3.8. The only people that have their series two runnin wortha damn is the GTP guys.

But like I said, 3.8s are great first cars but dont plan to mod it.

GreenDemon

I also disagree about the responsiveness of my LT1.
Had a 3800 less than a year ago, and it was never as willing to rev up as my eight.

And if you do get the V6, you're gonna want an eight. There's nothing wrong with the 6, but if you drive the 6 around for a while and you like the way the car feels, you'll probably end up having an 8 for your next car. That's what happened to me.

Also, insurance premiums have many variables, one of them being engine size. Here's a comparison for me, 21, 2 tickets on my record:

96 red v6 convertible: 150/mo
95 green v8 coupe: 110/mo

6 or 8 is up to you, but if I had to do it all over again I probably would have started with the 8 to avoid the hassle of trading and financing allover again. So get an eight if you can find a good deal, and you have enough self-discipline to not stomp on the gas everywhere you go...

Lost

I'm not saying it's impossible not to get tickets in the z28.. I'm just saying that if I had the car when I turned 16 it would have been pretty darn unlikely that I would have gotten away ticket free.. that's just speaking from experience.

I have not gotten a ticket in the z28 :knocks on wood: and that's because I respect it.. I'm saying I don't think I could have driven the way I do now if I had it as a first car.


Again.. if you're set on getting a fbody as a first car (not a good idea IMO for the reasons I listed above) then do it right and get a v8.. the v6 is just a waste.. you'll regret it.

I still say buy a rag. Daihaitsu all the way!

neil350

Great, but whats the fastest that car will ever run on motor, it wont get all that much faster na. Also whats it trapping? Prolly a good 5 or 6 mph slower than an LT1 car. I have a buddy running that with lid and cat back in his 3.8. Its quick but come a little after the 1/8 mile it gets drug bad.

I had my LT1 through high school, never got a ticket. I was responsible and still am. My buddies make fun of me but I'm not the one who ha to deal with the hassle and the money of going to court and lawyers.

endobong

Personally I think all Camaros should be V8 they are muscle cars not some old granny driving oldsmoble, Why demine them with a V6, sure you can get power out of a V6 but not as much as V8, When it comes down to it a true muscle car is a V8, just my .02 worth

blackbirdta

i dont think it's worth it to buy a v6 and sell it after a year especially if you already know you want a v8...it's gonna depreciate so i would just get a v8 to start with...with 6 grand you can afford a nice LT1 trans am...we dont know how responsible you are but really at 16 if your playing around you can die in any kind of car...

if you decide to get a v6 for a while definately get a 3.8...

speed76demon

I know a guy with a 93 and all he had was a CAI and cut out and ran a 13.2 or .3 Is that slow. Now he has a 3200stall and runs in the mid 12's with drags. His car is crazy fast. Get a lt1 you will have regrets just find a good one. Once they get around 100k you will prolly have the same prob of me and 2 of my friends fuel pump and opti

shoebox

There should be no debate on whether the V8 or V6 is faster, even a moron could figure that out. Apples and oranges.

If your goal is to have a fast car, get the V8. If you don't care about that and just like the cars for the looks, the V6 is fine. A V6 car actually has better F/R weight distribution and a lighter feel.

02Pewterbird

I actually picked a V6 Camaro over other cars. I found out after I bought it that the insurance would have been about the same for a new Z28, but I still don't regret it. Besides, when I was looking for one (February 2003) there wasn't really much to choose from, and I would have wanted a 6-speed. The only new 6-speeds left I could find were SS's, and the dealers that still had them were asking around sticker price (over $30K.)

The power would be nice, but I don't really need it. I paid more for my car than the cars owned by most people replying to this thread are worth, and I could have gone used and found an 2001 or 2002 Z28 that I liked, but I went with a brand new V6. I value knowing the car hasn't been abused and having anything that might happen covered under warranty over the extra power.

Chrisz24

I'm not saying I didnt like driving the car, it just wouldnt work for a daily driver thats all.

Sure it had torque, and I liked shifting, I dont have to justify my reasoning to you, and their is no right/wrong answer, not having a V8 isnt the end of the world