Longtime Lurker, finally making an account

Just sign up? Feel free to tell your fellow Standardshifters about yourself, your car or anything else.
User avatar
beowulf80
Senior Standardshifter
Posts: 306
Joined: Tue Apr 06, 2010 7:04 pm
Cars: 2010 2SS Camaro
Location: IL

Longtime Lurker, finally making an account

Post by beowulf80 »

Hey all, how's it going. Figured I'd been reading the site for the last month I should finally make an account. This seemed like a good place to make the first hello.

A little about me / my cars. I'm 29; and a mechanical engineer. I'm a mostly a domestic car guy, doesn't mean I don't appreciate foriegn cars. I've driven, and loved a Japanese car in fact. The best car to me is the one that fulfills its purpose the best. So if you want a people mover with a low cost of operation then a Civic is a great car. If you're all about 0-60 acceleration; you'd probably want something else.

My cars: Sadly, all my personal vehicles up until recently have been automatics. Now I have a stick, and I think I picked a hell of a car for it. On the plus side, now I have a reason to drive stick every day, and so far I've been loving it. Well, maybe not in heavy traffic! I had some stick experience before, mostly on light off-road equipment.

Previous Cars:
'90 Chevy Lumina Euro Sport 3.1
'91 Chevy Beretta GT
'92 Mitsu 3000 GT SL (no, not the VR-4)
'04 Chevy Impala SS (Supercharged 3.8L) This car now belongs to the wife

Current Cars:
'98 Chevy Cavalier-4door. Purple. Was the wife's car. Now functioning as a winter-beater

My new baby:
'10 Chevy Camaro 2SS/RS 6.2L LS3, 6 Speed Manual

I can't say enough good things about this car. I know alot of car magazines (and a few members here) have been bashing this car; I have no idea why. I like the simple interior. The directness between the engine and the transmission is blessedly mechanical. After a couple days you could care less about the "narrowness" of the windows. Do you really need to be staring at the sky while driving? No. Its not any worse than my old 3000GT. Practical? Hell no, and that's how I like it. Feel free to ask any questions.

Great FAQ 2.0; had some useful information / discussions. It should come with a disclaimer about doing no-rev match downshifts to slow down. Something like "If you're doing 40 in 4th gear and go to 2nd you'd better be hanging on to something" I had never done it before and tried that yesterday, holy crap! =] I don't think I'll be doing that again.
User avatar
beowulf80
Senior Standardshifter
Posts: 306
Joined: Tue Apr 06, 2010 7:04 pm
Cars: 2010 2SS Camaro
Location: IL

Re: Longtime Lurker, finally making an account

Post by beowulf80 »

Some pics of the car; this site only seems to allow small pics.

http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=31009
User avatar
theholycow
Master Standardshifter
Posts: 16021
Joined: Tue Jun 24, 2008 1:36 pm
Cars: '80 Buick LeSabre 4.1 5MT
Location: Glocester, RI
Contact:

Re: Longtime Lurker, finally making an account

Post by theholycow »

:lol: Yeah, rev-matching is highly recommended.

Welcome. Love the car, wish I could get a chance to drive one.
1980 Buick LeSabre 4.1L 5MT

Put your car in your sig!

Learn to launch/FAQs/lugging/misused terms: meta-sig
watkins wrote:Humans have rear-biased AWD. Cows have 4WD
94Corolla5Speed
Master Standardshifter
Posts: 6927
Joined: Sun Apr 20, 2008 5:51 pm
Cars: 1994 Corolla, 1990 Miata
Location: Chicago, IL

Re: Longtime Lurker, finally making an account

Post by 94Corolla5Speed »

Welcome to SS! I see from your pics you're an Illinoisan, AHTOXA and I are both in the general Chicago area. He has an 06 GTO... You guys should race :mrgreen:

I'm in the 2011 Mustang > Camaro SS camp, but I will say that the car and color look great. Enjoy it!
User avatar
theholycow
Master Standardshifter
Posts: 16021
Joined: Tue Jun 24, 2008 1:36 pm
Cars: '80 Buick LeSabre 4.1 5MT
Location: Glocester, RI
Contact:

Re: Longtime Lurker, finally making an account

Post by theholycow »

beowulf80 wrote:Some pics of the car; this site only seems to allow small pics.

http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=31009
You can embed large pics, but you can't upload them here. Since they're already hosted there, you can just embed them directly from there...

Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image

How about some interior pics?
1980 Buick LeSabre 4.1L 5MT

Put your car in your sig!

Learn to launch/FAQs/lugging/misused terms: meta-sig
watkins wrote:Humans have rear-biased AWD. Cows have 4WD
User avatar
beowulf80
Senior Standardshifter
Posts: 306
Joined: Tue Apr 06, 2010 7:04 pm
Cars: 2010 2SS Camaro
Location: IL

Re: Longtime Lurker, finally making an account

Post by beowulf80 »

94Corolla5Speed wrote:Welcome to SS! I see from your pics you're an Illinoisan, AHTOXA and I are both in the general Chicago area. He has an 06 GTO... You guys should race :mrgreen:

I'm in the 2011 Mustang > Camaro SS camp, but I will say that the car and color look great. Enjoy it!
My car = more power (426 vs. 400HP), more torque (420 vs. 400 ft/lbs), more displacement (6.2 vs. 6.0L) and less weight (3860 vs. 4491 lbs) than the GTO(at least stock). But at least he's got a usable back seat! I do like those cars, just a little too multi-purpose for my taste.
Does he have any fun parts in it? I have no immediate plans to upgrade, gotta pay the car off first. Warranties are a good thing!

I'm a fan of the 2011 Mustang numbers, but that rear end makes my head hurt! =] I'd love to know how they managed to put that much more power in there without increasing weight!

I'll work on grabbing some interior shots, in the meantime here's a stock shot:

Image
User avatar
AHTOXA
Master Standardshifter
Posts: 14693
Joined: Sun Dec 23, 2007 6:31 pm
Cars: '19 4RUNNER TRD ORP
Location: Irving, TX

Re: Longtime Lurker, finally making an account

Post by AHTOXA »

Hey! Welcome!

GTOs are right around 3750 lbs, not nearly 4500 :wink:



Like your car, man!

ETA: Mine's all stock. I just picked her up last November and she's been garaged for most of the winter. I've told myself that she'll stay stock but...
'19 Toyota 4Runner TRD ORP
'12 Suzuki V-Strom 650
User avatar
AHTOXA
Master Standardshifter
Posts: 14693
Joined: Sun Dec 23, 2007 6:31 pm
Cars: '19 4RUNNER TRD ORP
Location: Irving, TX

Re: Longtime Lurker, finally making an account

Post by AHTOXA »

GTO's quarter mile is allegedly 13.1, while the SS is posted at 13.3. However 0-60 is at 4.6 sec vs. GTO of 4.7.

Then again, it also depends on the driver.

Doesn't the Camaro have a usable back seat? With my 6'7" self no one can sit behind me anyway.
'19 Toyota 4Runner TRD ORP
'12 Suzuki V-Strom 650
User avatar
beowulf80
Senior Standardshifter
Posts: 306
Joined: Tue Apr 06, 2010 7:04 pm
Cars: 2010 2SS Camaro
Location: IL

Re: Longtime Lurker, finally making an account

Post by beowulf80 »

That weight did seem high! Got it from here: http://ultimategto.com/cgi-bin/statsexp ... &f1=weight Were the power/weights at least correct?

Shows how much you should trust stuff on the internet.

Official times for the Camaro are 12.9s, but you have to be a good drag racer to get it. Its rare to get that time, kinda hard to lauch it just right.
User avatar
beowulf80
Senior Standardshifter
Posts: 306
Joined: Tue Apr 06, 2010 7:04 pm
Cars: 2010 2SS Camaro
Location: IL

Re: Longtime Lurker, finally making an account

Post by beowulf80 »

The Camaro does have a back seat...but I'm not sure I'd call it useful for anything but kids and very short friends. I'm 6'1", we can fit 3 adults semi-comfortably.
User avatar
AHTOXA
Master Standardshifter
Posts: 14693
Joined: Sun Dec 23, 2007 6:31 pm
Cars: '19 4RUNNER TRD ORP
Location: Irving, TX

Re: Longtime Lurker, finally making an account

Post by AHTOXA »

beowulf80 wrote:That weight did seem high! Got it from here: http://ultimategto.com/cgi-bin/statsexp ... &f1=weight Were the power/weights at least correct?

Shows how much you should trust stuff on the internet.
Yeah, the 0-60 and 1/4 mile times are correct, the weight was totally off. I've seen the weight for the goats anywhere between 3725 to 3800 stock. Not sure why the variances.
beowulf80 wrote:Official times for the Camaro are 12.9s, but you have to be a good drag racer to get it. Its rare to get that time, kinda hard to lauch it just right.
Quarter mile times will always vary since they always depend on the driver. Usually the trap speed is a more consistent indicator of a car's potential and power.


Let me ask you this - how do you find the tall dash and narrow (comparatively) windshield in the Camaro? I'm a tall guy and had somewhat of a hard time getting comfy in there (well, that happens more often than not with me and cars).
'19 Toyota 4Runner TRD ORP
'12 Suzuki V-Strom 650
User avatar
beowulf80
Senior Standardshifter
Posts: 306
Joined: Tue Apr 06, 2010 7:04 pm
Cars: 2010 2SS Camaro
Location: IL

Re: Longtime Lurker, finally making an account

Post by beowulf80 »

I had to fiddle around with the seat settings for awhile to find a comfortable seating position. Most of my height is in my torso, but I still have a couple inches to the roofline. By chance did you try out a car with a sunroof? That drops the headliner an inch or two. My solution was to move the seat all the way down, and about 3/4 back. Then I slanted the seatback a little more than normal as well. In the end this is a very comfortable driving position for me. The steering wheel does telescope, this helps getting everything in position.

The front and side windows are indeed pretty narrow. It does come as quite a surprise to those used to wide-open layouts. It was odd for me at first too. Strange as it seems I've grown to really like it, in much the same way I liked the 3000GT's sightlines, which were similar. You can still see everything you need to in front of you. You can't see the sun, but why do you need to? Strangely enough, the overhang of the roof in front of you is large enough that you rarely need sunglasses. I doubt that was planned.

Not to say that there are no faults. The rear portion of the C-pillars are ridiculous. It makes it look great on the outside but leaves you with a two massive rear blind spots. To drive effectivly and safely you have to use your mirrors. This is the procedure I use in the Camaro and all my other cars. Put your head on the LH glass, adjust that mirror until you barely see your car. Put your head dead center and adjust the RH mirror until you can just barely see the car. I cannot state how great this is. You literally end up with near 360 degree vision. You don't get the reference of seeing the side of your car anymore, but you get used to that quickly
watkins
Master Standardshifter
Posts: 15880
Joined: Sun Jul 01, 2007 12:42 am
Cars: '08 Saab 9-5 Aero wagon
Location: Salem, MA

Re: Longtime Lurker, finally making an account

Post by watkins »

beowulf80 wrote:I can't say enough good things about this car. I know alot of car magazines (and a few members here) have been bashing this car; I have no idea why. I like the simple interior. The directness between the engine and the transmission is blessedly mechanical. After a couple days you could care less about the "narrowness" of the windows. Do you really need to be staring at the sky while driving? No. Its not any worse than my old 3000GT. Practical? Hell no, and that's how I like it. Feel free to ask any questions.
I dont think people have been bashing it so much as making a point about some of the lesser attributes. I dont think the design of the interior is a problem for most people. For me, at least, its the quality of materials. As for windows - some people actually like abundant visibility. Overall I think the general sentiment is one of joy that GM has come out with a new Camaro but disappointment in many of the features. GM could definitely have done significantly better on some aspects of it. Its a great car and a stunning one to look at and drive nonetheless. But, as they say, different strokes for different folks.

Anywho... Welcome! I am the resident Viggeneer.
User avatar
beowulf80
Senior Standardshifter
Posts: 306
Joined: Tue Apr 06, 2010 7:04 pm
Cars: 2010 2SS Camaro
Location: IL

Re: Longtime Lurker, finally making an account

Post by beowulf80 »

But, as they say, different strokes for different folks
Yup, absolutely. This is not a car for everyone. But hell of a lot of fun! That's all I wanted out of it, we can use the Impala for more practical tasks.

I've heard the complaints about the plastic dashboard. But the seats, shifter, and steering wheel and armrest are all wrapped in leather. When was the last time anyone caressed the dashboard? =]

Question for the resident "Viggeneer" - Are all manual Saab drivers really passionate about thier cars? Every one I've met has been, granted that's not a lot of people.
User avatar
theholycow
Master Standardshifter
Posts: 16021
Joined: Tue Jun 24, 2008 1:36 pm
Cars: '80 Buick LeSabre 4.1 5MT
Location: Glocester, RI
Contact:

Re: Longtime Lurker, finally making an account

Post by theholycow »

beowulf80 wrote:The rear portion of the C-pillars are ridiculous. It makes it look great on the outside but leaves you with a two massive rear blind spots.
FWIW, I drove a Challenger the other day and it has the same blind spot.
To drive effectivly and safely you have to use your mirrors. This is the procedure I use in the Camaro and all my other cars. Put your head on the LH glass, adjust that mirror until you barely see your car. Put your head dead center and adjust the RH mirror until you can just barely see the car. I cannot state how great this is. You literally end up with near 360 degree vision. You don't get the reference of seeing the side of your car anymore, but you get used to that quickly
Rock on! I learned to drive on a dumptruck and a cargo van that was often full so I am used to not being able to see through the back window and using the side mirrors instead, and that's approximately how I adjust my mirrors.

Think about it: You have no need to see the side of your own car in the mirror. That's a waste of mirror. You also don't need to see anything within two feet of the side of the car; anything that close has already hit you, and anyway even a motorcycle is wide enough to see in that mirror if it's crowding your space. The only time you may need to see there is while backing up, and you can move your head around for that.
1980 Buick LeSabre 4.1L 5MT

Put your car in your sig!

Learn to launch/FAQs/lugging/misused terms: meta-sig
watkins wrote:Humans have rear-biased AWD. Cows have 4WD
Post Reply