Hmm some questions about buying a camaro...

Well guys,

I've been sucked into the idea of buying a Camaro. It's going to be my first car. I am a good person so I wouldn't be abusing it's power.

Now here are my questions after some background info

When I first got interested in the Camaro I just loved the look of the 4th gen and 3rd gen (I prefer 4th gen though).

When I heard the deep sound of them I was like wow, I really want that in my car. (Most likely a v8 right? Is it possible to have a deep sound on a v6 if I can't afford a z28?) Then I saw the hood that looks amazing (What is the standard hood? I want one that opens up with some grill {if that's what it's called} http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/4/web/340000-340999/340797_138_full.jpg for example of a nice hood {nice colors too, how much would that cost?})

So anyway, it just so happens that there is an older lady who lives next to me and I'm going to ask her if she's willing to sell her Camaro, it's a 4th gen and a v6 (most likely - I didn't see any z28 stamps on the back) if this car is cheap enough I'd be seriously considering to buy it - but I really want that deep sound, would I be able to achieve it in some way? What about changing the colors? Her's is white, and I don't really want a white car, I want a jet black camaro with tinted windows and a deep sound and reasonably fast.

Sorry if my thoughts are scrambled but I'm not really car savy...

-basic rundown
different between v6 and v8
can you get a v6 to sound nice and deep?
how much does a paintjob cost?
how much does a nice hood cost?

extra questions I thought of:
What's a good year for a 16 year old to afford? ($2000-$6000ish) Would most likely be my budget.



Thanks!

Your going to be killed on insurance.

Not necessarily. I'm 17 and paying 104.01 a month for insurance on mine.

can you get a v6 to sound nice and deep? no
how much does a paintjob cost? a couple grand, if you dont do a macco job (macco sucks anyways) they will have to paint the door jams and other shit like that to make it look good other wise when you open your door or hood or hatch you will see the orginal color.
how much does a nice hood cost? about 500 bucks

btw, how does a 16 year old have 6k to spend?

btw, how does a 16 year old have 6k to spend?

Maybe mommy or daddy, or he has a good job and has been saving up his chore money for years...lol

Maybe mommy or daddy, or he has a good job and has been saving up his chore money for years...lol

lol, dude hes 16, i do believe you have to be 16 to get a job with working papers, lol, hes been working less then a year i garentee it.

i like the chore money idea tho.

and yea must be nice for mommy and daddy to give ya up to 6k for a car.

lol, dude hes 16, i do believe you have to be 16 to get a job with working papers, lol, hes been working less then a year i garentee it.

i like the chore money idea tho.

and yea must be nice for mommy and daddy to give ya up to 6k for a car.

Maybe he is like Dougie Houser MD. lol. Not yogurt stalker extraordinaire

Maybe he is like Dougie Houser MD. lol. Not yogurt stalker extraordinaire

lmao

Guys...calm down. Don't pick on the poor kid.
This is how you drive people a w a y ....

arach: you're probably better off waiting on a nice RS...try to avoid a Z28 because you will get killed with insurance. Then mod to you're heart's content.
Who cares whose money it is...point is...you can spend it.

Hey Viper, take it easy, I was working when I was 12 in a grocery store, got paid with a paycheck, and had about $12K in the bank when I was 18. Just because you didn't do it doesn't mean anyone else can't. Maybe his parents are matching what he puts in, maybe he inherited it from a relative that died, maybe it's social security survivor benefits from a deceased parent, maybe he made out good collecting baseball cards or something... don't be such a screw all the time.

Arach... get an insurance quote first... might sway your decision on what model to buy, it may even quash the idea entirely. After you find out what that will run you, then see what you can afford.

And yes... a V8 will give you the "big balls" sound you're looking for... start out with the right basic stuff you want and go from there.

Arach - good advice - make sure you like what you buy. It's probably going to be with you for a while and cost you a good bit of money over the years. You don't want to buy a piece of crap for 6k and spend 10k fixing it up when you could have bought a 15k car that's already done or close to it.

Very well put Earlsfat. Couldn't have said that better myself.

different between v6 and v8
~ simply put, 2 cylinders (or 120-140 ci, depending on engine size)

can you get a v6 to sound nice and deep?
~ absolutely not. You can however get a pretty nice sound from a V6 if your lucky, but don't count on it

how much does a paintjob cost?
~ An arm and a leg

how much does a nice hood cost?
~ Varies. Try checking eBay and other f-body related performance sites.

extra questions I thought of:
What's a good year for a 16 year old to afford? ($2000-$6000ish)

~ If your going for the V8, then try to get anywhere from 95 and up. I believe it was the 93 and 94 LT1's that didn't have vented optisparks which caused them to build up moisture inside and pretty much render them useless. I could be mistaking on the years, so please correct me if I'm wrong some one.

But if your going to settle for the V6, then I'd suggest trying to get one from 96 and up, those came with the 3.8L V6's. The 93-95's came with 3.4L V6's. And from my own experience, I can tell you first hand that you'll never be satisfied with the power from one of those, despite how many modifications you do. If you can afford to go with a V8, then by all means do so.

The hood is called Big block or something.. forgot where I found it but its obviously for Camaros with big blocks under them which I know little 4th gens have those.

You can get a deep sound from a V6.. just got to find the right exhaust system really.. hell my Camaro has a deep tone and its a 3.1 :icon16:

I dont know what the 3.4 or 3.8 sounds like (the 3.4 is basicly 3.1 block, so it would sound much different from my 3.1, but the 3.8 is a 90* motor, so I have no idea if the sound is different), but my 3.1L SOUNDS like a V8, simply put, until about 3000-3500 RPMs. If you guys dont believe me, I can go out an start her up. I have a new exhaust, but its the same style as the stock one (probably a genaric brand). 1 inlet, 2 outlets.

Right now i blew a headgasket, so I can only start her up for about 5 minutes before the temp gets dangorusly high. Also, the only way I have to record the sound is to put my laptop behind the car, and record, I dontk now how good of quality that is, but w/e. I dont think i really have to do this, because us fellow third gen v6 owners know what im talking about.

Id try for a somewhere around 95 for a z28 if you want a v8. They are going on 10yrs old and have the lt1. If you are lucky you could pick one up cheap prob $3-$4k based on the ones for sale around here. Didnt the z28 come with the hood with the 2 scoops in it? im not shure. Or you can go with a 90 buick estate if you want that nice 307ci V8 sound. I kno some body who has one cheap. Has a glasspack too. :wink:

Alright I appreciate the posts that contributed to my questions.

I guess I just have to figure it out... and forget the paintjob, I thought it was only like a grand or two. But Three or four may get a little outrageous for just wanting to get the car jet black.

How much do lights/tints cost?
How much would it cost to have that two exhaust look in the back?(for v6, v8 already has it no?)

And I heard somewhere on these forums that if you add headers(what are those?) and some other modifications, cataylirc converter or something, that it will sound nice and mean/deep even on a v6? Clarification anyone?


Oh, and to those people attacking me, $2000-$6000 is a preety nice range that I know I can afford because I have my own company, I do web-design/computer related things. I make money at a young age, yes. My parents would help me out with maybe, max a grand or two. That's why I started at $2000.

Anyway,
I appreciate the replies,
Thanks.

well kid, the hood u are looking at is a big block hood my boy has that same one on his lt1, it ran him 550, glass tech.com u can find it there thats where i ordered my ss hood from they have that one as well, and if u have 6k and u want a nice growl then for that money and insurance sake i would say get a lt1 v8 over the ls1 v8, not only will u safe on insurance, but u will have money left over for a couple of mods. exaust and headers will give your car that sound u are looking for, borla, loudmouth,slp are a few good ones, or u can be like me and run dumps...true duals baby...(maybe 2 loud or illegal where u live but not here) that way u can spend about 4 or 5k on your car, have 500 bucks for your hood, and some cash to go to the exaust.

oh yeah, and tint is around 99- 150 depending on how dark and what windows u want done, i have all my windows and t-tops and windshield done, and its 10% and under. and when u are saying lights what kind are u talking about? headlights or ground effect lights?

I was talking about headlights.

You have a v8 I'm assuming? And what did you mean by those dumps?

The whole post was referring to v8's right?

Headers replace the exhaust manifolds and allow the exhaust gasses to exit the system "more freely". Usually you replace the whole exhaust system if you're going that route, but if you have a car with a computer in it, you will have issues there, need to ask one of the guys with newer Maro's that have done it. (I've heard Dynomaxx has an excellent flowing, inexpensive set of ceramic coated headers - about $280 and the rest of the exhaust system is about $180 I think - that have excellent flow characteristics, BUT I haven't found out for certain).

The nice part is headers frees up some HP and increases gas mileage, bad part (I think) is it messes up emissions tests, which are important on newer cars. I've got a 70... considered classic and those reg's don't apply.

If you're going to go beefing up a car, you want to make sure what is there will be able to handle the mods. If you have an older base model maro, and go thrwoing mods that bump HP up to say 300-400, the rest of the drive train may not be in good enough condition to handle the additional power. So... if you're gonna go apeshit, make sure you're buying something that can handle it. Try to get a V8 with a T56 (6 speed) in it, they were intended to handle more power. I might be a little paranoid here, but I'm speaking from experience. I'd be less worried about looks, and just make sure everything is mechanically sound. Body and interior issues are easier and cheaper to fix than engine / drivetrain problem in my experience.

well u said something about v6's so i wasnt sure. but i have a v6....well kindda. im swaping a ls1 i got out of a 01 c5 im buildint the engine as we speak so its only a v6 for a few more weeks, and dumps are when u run a short pipe off of the headers and your exaust stops right in the middle of the car. loud as hell but its so bad ass.....no muffler no tips hell its not even a exaust system its like 20% worth of exaust. see thats one of the 2 ways u can run true dual exaust on our cars...no x or y pipe at all.and headlights arent that much, u can get teh lt1 style headlights at any auto store for about 30-50 bucks depending on what brand...only thing is there is no aftermarket for them, u have to get the stock ones. now on ls1 cars they are a bit pricy and they have different colors like blue and that bright white.

well u said something about v6's so i wasnt sure. but i have a v6....well kindda. im swaping a ls1 i got out of a 01 c5 im buildint the engine as we speak so its only a v6 for a few more weeks, and dumps are when u run a short pipe off of the headers and your exaust stops right in the middle of the car. loud as hell but its so bad ass.....no muffler no tips hell its not even a exaust system its like 20% worth of exaust. see thats one of the 2 ways u can run true dual exaust on our cars...no x or y pipe at all.and headlights arent that much, u can get teh lt1 style headlights at any auto store for about 30-50 bucks depending on what brand...only thing is there is no aftermarket for them, u have to get the stock ones. now on ls1 cars they are a bit pricy and they have different colors like blue and that bright white.


So are you saying that you are getting a nice deep sound with a v6 3.8? You just have to modify the exhaust? (is that legal? - if not can you get away with it in a busy city like l.a/sd/sf?)

oh hells no....first off i had no clue u were in cali, hell u cant do anything to your car there, ya'll have the most strict rules when it comes to car there, hell as far as i know cold air intake is illegal..(just kidding i know its not), but dumps, cut offs, electric exaust all of that good shit no matter what u know it as u cant do. you will end up with a phat ass ticket. and a 3.8 v6 u will never get it to sound like a v8 but i know of 2 guys who were the king of the v6 3.8 camaro's and both cars were loud as hell. they spent alot of money and both had headers made for the car...so everyday guys doing that, um no. it costs too much and u still might not get what u want in sound. lt1 is your best bet man. cheap, with great sound, and lots of room for power.

Bottom line, a V6 isn't going to sound, or perform like an 8. There are pros and cons to each engine and model...you just have to weigh the options and pick what's best for you. Either way, you're getting a hott car, and the chicks will come runnin... :wink:

Yea I will most likely have to lean towards the v6 unless I can find a cheap v8.

Oh well, I guess I just will have to save that crave for a loud noise when I can afford it for sure later in life. I'll just put in a nice sound system to substitute the lack of car noise. That'll satisfy me I suppose. (I love deep loud sounds, I don't know why)

That leads me to my next question then, for a sound system, (one most likely for heavy metal - but I like some rap too) what would I need to do and what price am I looking for, and is there enough room in camaros for it?

Thanks again, sorry for the newbie questions.

edit: I heard on another forum that the chevy 3.8 v6 engine is their strongest engine it's like bullet proof or something?

lol thats funny bullet proof, well ill tell u its not nitrous proof thats for sure. but ill tell u what man, i always wanted that deep sound out of a car as well and i got a v6 because the price was right and i liked how the car looked. 2 years later i did what i wanted and found a v8 engine to swap into my car thanks to a jackass running into the back of a friends c5. so get what u can afford, and later if u end up with a v6, either sell it or trade it in toward a v8, or have fun and swap the v8 into what u already have. and sg007 is right chicks dig this car no matter which one u get, trust me...if not, take it from her because she is a chick

Hey, How do we run Dumps again? I mean in terms of pipe sezies or some sort of collector on each end or like compact mufflers to restrick it a bit (as hot rod cars have) Or else oval muffler tips on the sides?

Have anyone thought of getting 2 small mufflers instead of the cat/cats right in the place where they would normally be.+ plus pipes to the sides.


Or maybe true duals all the way to the back using some squashed 2.00in pipes next to each other with no cats in place?

and sg007 is right chicks dig this car no matter which one u get, trust me...if not, take it from her because she is a chick

that's right, baby

Havn't gotten an answer for this yet...

"That leads me to my next question then, for a sound system, (one most likely for heavy metal - but I like some rap too) what would I need to do and what price am I looking for, and is there enough room in camaros for it?"

Havn't gotten an answer for this yet...

"That leads me to my next question then, for a sound system, (one most likely for heavy metal - but I like some rap too) what would I need to do and what price am I looking for, and is there enough room in camaros for it?"

For it to sound right you need to get some slipknot, testament, old slayer, o9mm and absolutely some overkill and toss the rap. As far as the stero, amp etc, I have no idea - I'm in the same boat. Can't even hear my stereo when its all the way up, engine is so loud.

And for whoever asked... turndowns (or "dumps") just go on in palce of a muffler. And if you're going to bother with it at all, you might as well do something worth doing.... 2"??? Go up to 3".

These are turndowns / dumps...

http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/503/246412Turn_downs.JPG

The whole mess is a little crooked there... had that all fixed. WAY fucking loud even with the mufflers, I had a full exhaust put on that dumps behind the rear wheels so it's sort of hidden.