I posted a little bit ago here about buying a car to spend some quality time with my son.
Here's the thread I posted yesterday on LS1.com, which is where I did a good chunk of my research (many of the smilies don't appear here):
So, I bought the car about a week ago. It's a 98 Z28. Until now, I have only posted in the New Members section. http://www.ls1.com/forums/showthread.php?t=133333
Anyway, here we go:
The car has been well maintained and kept up. The color is far from my first choice, however, the paint is in great shape. People actually check out the car as they pass by, despite how common Camaros are. I've had a few chances to drive around with the top down and it's nice, though, since I'm originally from southern California, living in Washington diminishes the intrinsic value of a convertible.
The interior is nice and effective; every thing is within reach etc, although there are three things that don't quite "sit" right with me: first, there is no head rest on the seats... I like to be able to lean my head back when sitting in the car parked, or else just creeping along. Second, the lumbar supports are weak. I find that I slide around when going around corners. Finally, the steering wheel seems to be ever-so-slightly off center (to the left) from the driver's seat.
The clutch pedal squeaks with every shift. My friend tells me that all Camaros, regardless of model year, have squeaky clutch pedals. Whatever... most of the time I'm too busy listening to music or the exhaust note to care or notice.
Driving on bumpy roads is noisy, although my car came with after market suspension and wheels/tires (it has Corvette wheels with low profile tires). It actually sounds more like the car is slamming into the bumps rather than that the suspension is compressing/expanding... almost as if the car is just one solid piece with no springs/struts. This is, of course, a feature of sports cars that I gladly accept, as I prefer to know exactly what's going on on the pavement. On smooth roads, it's quite nice, though. :drivin:
For as stiff as the suspension is, the car feels surprisingly awkward or ponderous around corners. Although, I notice that when driving one gear lower than normal (3rd instead of 4th, for example), the car communicates much better. I feel more sure of what is going on under the tires, which, by way of a placebo effect, I suppose, makes me more confident about driving faster. Generally speaking, when operating above 2000 rpm, I feel like the car is much more responsive to both throttle input and steering input than it is below 2000 rpm. In fact, I get nervous and somewhat scared below 2000 rpm... like I don't understand what the tires/suspension/steering wheel are communicating to me. In 6th gear at about 75 mph, things start to feel better, though. Below 70 mph, 6th gear is scary, but 5th gear feels great.
On the subject of freeway driving, it seems like people want to pass me or tailgate me way more often in this car than in my wife's Honda, or my previous Volvo. It's like everyone seems to have something to "prove..." even the Corollas and Priuses. I was driving about 68 mph in a 60 zone and a Prius comes charging right up to my tailpipes as if trying to intimidate me to let him by (you know, like drivers of gigantic SUVs and pick up trucks). It occurred to me in that moment that I as sitting behind 5 times the horsepower than the little guy. It mostly seems to be people driving Spectras or Minis or the like....
As for the speeeeeeed :usa: :lmao: :nilly: :happy:
It's great to finally own a car with some cajones. Interestingly, the car feels as though its going slower than it actually is. I suspect this is because it does 60mph at just a hair over idle engine speeds
As of right now, I'm still an amateur with a stick shift (I can tool around town just fine, but I have no experience putting real power to the ground through a manual :scare: ). 2 out of 3 times so far, when attempting to go WOT from a 15mph roll in 1st gear, the car wants to go sideways on me. Most of my sprints have started from a 15-20 mph roll in 2nd gear. The only car I've driven that is worth comparing it to is a '00 911 Carrera. I know these cars make similar numbers at the track (straight line, obviously), but they feel fast in distinctly different ways. The LS1 responds to sudden throttle input with great urgency and ferocity. The exhaust roars boastfully loud as rpms climb. And the car seems to dare me to keep accelerating. It's actually kinda scary in a great way.
In the 911, the power surges immediately as the throttle is applied, but the car remains composed and smooth at any speed. The power continues to surge as the rpms climb... a lot like a airplane on the runway, only more Gs. The car seems to encourage me to drive faster. A 911 feels as stable at 100mph as my Volvo at 30mph.
All in all, I like the car. I'll definitely be putting some money into it and will hopefully be able to pass it onto my son when he's old enough.
Here's the thread I posted yesterday on LS1.com, which is where I did a good chunk of my research (many of the smilies don't appear here):
So, I bought the car about a week ago. It's a 98 Z28. Until now, I have only posted in the New Members section. http://www.ls1.com/forums/showthread.php?t=133333
Anyway, here we go:
The car has been well maintained and kept up. The color is far from my first choice, however, the paint is in great shape. People actually check out the car as they pass by, despite how common Camaros are. I've had a few chances to drive around with the top down and it's nice, though, since I'm originally from southern California, living in Washington diminishes the intrinsic value of a convertible.
The interior is nice and effective; every thing is within reach etc, although there are three things that don't quite "sit" right with me: first, there is no head rest on the seats... I like to be able to lean my head back when sitting in the car parked, or else just creeping along. Second, the lumbar supports are weak. I find that I slide around when going around corners. Finally, the steering wheel seems to be ever-so-slightly off center (to the left) from the driver's seat.
The clutch pedal squeaks with every shift. My friend tells me that all Camaros, regardless of model year, have squeaky clutch pedals. Whatever... most of the time I'm too busy listening to music or the exhaust note to care or notice.
Driving on bumpy roads is noisy, although my car came with after market suspension and wheels/tires (it has Corvette wheels with low profile tires). It actually sounds more like the car is slamming into the bumps rather than that the suspension is compressing/expanding... almost as if the car is just one solid piece with no springs/struts. This is, of course, a feature of sports cars that I gladly accept, as I prefer to know exactly what's going on on the pavement. On smooth roads, it's quite nice, though. :drivin:
For as stiff as the suspension is, the car feels surprisingly awkward or ponderous around corners. Although, I notice that when driving one gear lower than normal (3rd instead of 4th, for example), the car communicates much better. I feel more sure of what is going on under the tires, which, by way of a placebo effect, I suppose, makes me more confident about driving faster. Generally speaking, when operating above 2000 rpm, I feel like the car is much more responsive to both throttle input and steering input than it is below 2000 rpm. In fact, I get nervous and somewhat scared below 2000 rpm... like I don't understand what the tires/suspension/steering wheel are communicating to me. In 6th gear at about 75 mph, things start to feel better, though. Below 70 mph, 6th gear is scary, but 5th gear feels great.
On the subject of freeway driving, it seems like people want to pass me or tailgate me way more often in this car than in my wife's Honda, or my previous Volvo. It's like everyone seems to have something to "prove..." even the Corollas and Priuses. I was driving about 68 mph in a 60 zone and a Prius comes charging right up to my tailpipes as if trying to intimidate me to let him by (you know, like drivers of gigantic SUVs and pick up trucks). It occurred to me in that moment that I as sitting behind 5 times the horsepower than the little guy. It mostly seems to be people driving Spectras or Minis or the like....
As for the speeeeeeed :usa: :lmao: :nilly: :happy:
It's great to finally own a car with some cajones. Interestingly, the car feels as though its going slower than it actually is. I suspect this is because it does 60mph at just a hair over idle engine speeds
As of right now, I'm still an amateur with a stick shift (I can tool around town just fine, but I have no experience putting real power to the ground through a manual :scare: ). 2 out of 3 times so far, when attempting to go WOT from a 15mph roll in 1st gear, the car wants to go sideways on me. Most of my sprints have started from a 15-20 mph roll in 2nd gear. The only car I've driven that is worth comparing it to is a '00 911 Carrera. I know these cars make similar numbers at the track (straight line, obviously), but they feel fast in distinctly different ways. The LS1 responds to sudden throttle input with great urgency and ferocity. The exhaust roars boastfully loud as rpms climb. And the car seems to dare me to keep accelerating. It's actually kinda scary in a great way.
In the 911, the power surges immediately as the throttle is applied, but the car remains composed and smooth at any speed. The power continues to surge as the rpms climb... a lot like a airplane on the runway, only more Gs. The car seems to encourage me to drive faster. A 911 feels as stable at 100mph as my Volvo at 30mph.
All in all, I like the car. I'll definitely be putting some money into it and will hopefully be able to pass it onto my son when he's old enough.
