Any advice for first time Camaro owner?

mike16ss · 04-26-2016, 11:45 PM

Hi everyone, tommorow i will be taking delivery of my new '16 2SS.

Being a young guy i havent had a chance to own a vehicle like this before, i am coming from two chevy trucks that are nearly as old as me and definatley not performance oriented in the least.

Any advice from those more experienced than i?

Gambina · 04-26-2016, 11:53 PM

Take care of it and respect the car while driving.

ender2664 · 04-26-2016, 11:53 PM

To get full enjoyment out of this computer on wheels spend a LOT of time reading the manuals and setting the car the way you want.
Ask lots of questions.
Take your time getting use to the car before going balls to the wall.

Gambina · 04-26-2016, 11:55 PM

"Take your time getting use to the car before going balls to the wall."
Well said man

cellsafemode · 04-26-2016, 11:55 PM

Buy the shop manual when it come out in July.

mike16ss · 04-26-2016, 11:55 PM

Thank you Gambina and ender2664, those are very sound pieces of advice. I think i will dig into the manual right now.

EMTNLSS · 04-26-2016, 11:57 PM

http://www.camaro6.com/forums/showthread.php?t=448826
I would read this thread also.

uberjeff · 04-26-2016, 11:57 PM

I don't know you well enough to give you advice, however if I could share words of wisdom with my younger self I'd say be less stupid and remember you are mortal. My first car at 17 was a Mustang GT and I drove it like an idiot. My speed often exceeded my skill level by an order of magnitude. Enjoy the car, but not in a way that is going to kill you or those around you.

mike16ss · 04-26-2016, 11:59 PM

Thanks for the advice cellsafemode, i will certainly do that, i cant help but get hands on with my toys. I also cringe at the thought of anyone other than me driving my car, so for that reason as well i will be doing as much as i can myself to avoid shop time.

mike16ss · 04-27-2016, 12:04 AM

uberjeff, i appreciate the advice, while i like to think of myself as responsible i will certainly have to fight the natural urges of a 21 year old male. I will remember to keep it safe above all else.

EMTNLSS, thanks for the link!

ender2664 · 04-27-2016, 12:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mike16ss

Thanks for the advice cellsafemode, i will certainly do that, i cant help but get hands on with my toys. I also cringe at the thought of anyone other than me driving my car, so for that reason as well i will be doing as much as i can myself to avoid shop time.

No one will ever drive my car but me.
Whenever I consider driving radically I remind myself that I am making that decision for me but also every other person on the road.
I've been in 14 accidents only two of which were my fault but had I been more careful I probably could have avoided a few.
Also I remind myself this is a 50k beast that I love, has Won numerous awards and should treated with great respect.
When I started driving motorcycles I always had a healthy fear and moving that over to cars has served me well.

mike16ss · 04-27-2016, 12:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ender2664

No one will ever drive my car but me.
Whenever I consider driving radically I remind myself that I am making that decision for me but also every other person on the road.
I've been in 14 accidents only two of which were my fault but had I been more careful I probably could have avoided a few.
Also I remind myself this is a 50k beast that I love, has Won numerous awards and should treated with great respect.
When I started driving motorcycles I always had a healthy fear and moving that over to cars has served me well.

These are great points, especially regarding the safety of others, a car like this, driven in anger could be very dangerous indeed.
I agree, a healthy dose of fear and respect never hurt anybody.

Egon · 04-27-2016, 01:19 AM

You WILL be tempted to operate this high performance vehicle in an unsafe manner at one time or another, you are human after all and this is a bad ass car. Do your best to resist as others here have already said. I did some REALLY stupid shit when I was your age in a 1969 Camaro (to be honest I did that in every car I had when I was that age) and I am glad I survived, so I am telling you this from first hand experience. Do not turn off the traction control on the street, it's there for a reason, and since you are inexperienced it will work to keep you out of trouble.

If you wish to learn to operate your new Camaro in a more spirited manner I will encourage you to get involved in some form of grassroots motorsports. It looks like you are in Calgary, so you can check with these guys http://www.cscc.ab.ca/ or look here http://www.autocross.com/autoc/caclub.shtml to see if there is another orginization for you to get involved with. The great thing about these organizations is that they usually provide some very hands on coaching from other experienced drivers to help you get started and learn about your car and how to drive it at its limits in a safe environment. They are almost always very accommodating of newbies and will usually have equipment (helmet etc.) for you to borrow.

You can also look into doing track days but those are usually a lot more expensive, and may require a long drive if there is no track near you. Some track day events do not provide much in the way of training for novices, or it may cost extra. (it really depends on the organization that is running the event, if you go this route make sure they provide novice instruction) The last option is to go to a driving school, but this is usually even more expensive than a track day, although they do provide quite a lot of one on one instruction.

Of the three options, the grassroots motorsports is by far the cheapest option, and is a lot of fun and you can meet some new friends who share the same interests. (assuming you are interested in doing something like this) I have been involved in SCCA autocross for 2 years now in two different regions. I moved to North Carolina recently and the people that go to the SCCA events here are great and this has allowed me to meet some new friends quickly in a new area that I am unfamiliar with.

adg5151 · 04-27-2016, 01:25 AM

Just respect that it is 455 hp and rear wheel drive. If you don't know what you're doing you could get in trouble fast.

With that said the keys to not killing yourself while getting used to the car:

1. Make sure the tires are warm before going above 4000 rpm
2. Don't drive with summer tires below 45 degrees
3. Don't step on it when turning (only when the wheels are straight)
4. The brakes are good which gives you the sense that youre going slower than you actually are
5. Don't try to dominate the road. You might feel cool and like you have the power to control the roads. Just drive like other cars on the roads. Having 455 hp doesn't mean you need to pass everyone. You will be surprised at how you barely step on the gas on the highway and your already at 80+ mph

04-26-2016, 11:45 PM	#1
mike16ss Drives: '16 2SS Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: calgary Posts: 19	Any advice for first time Camaro owner? Hi everyone, tommorow i will be taking delivery of my new '16 2SS. Being a young guy i havent had a chance to own a vehicle like this before, i am coming from two chevy trucks that are nearly as old as me and definatley not performance oriented in the least. Any advice from those more experienced than i?

04-26-2016, 11:57 PM	#7
EMTNLSS Drives: 2016 Hyper Blue 2SS Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Layton, UT Posts: 498	http://www.camaro6.com/forums/showthread.php?t=448826 I would read this thread also. __________________ 2SS Hyper Blue Metallic \| A8 \| Jet Black Interior \| NPP Exhaust Current Mods: Catch Can \| aFe Lowering Springs \| GM 2nd Gen Splitter \| Hotchkis Sway Bars \| MRR FS02 Wheels \| Flowmaster Exhaust \| Dark Tail Lights \| Diode Dynamics Sidemarkers \| Roto Fab \| Solar TB \| PRAY Ported IM \| BMR \| PRAY Tune Upcoming Mods:

04-27-2016, 01:19 AM	#13
Egon Drives: 2014 2SS/RS 1LE Join Date: May 2013 Location: Charlotte NC Posts: 977	You WILL be tempted to operate this high performance vehicle in an unsafe manner at one time or another, you are human after all and this is a bad ass car. Do your best to resist as others here have already said. I did some REALLY stupid shit when I was your age in a 1969 Camaro (to be honest I did that in every car I had when I was that age) and I am glad I survived, so I am telling you this from first hand experience. Do not turn off the traction control on the street, it's there for a reason, and since you are inexperienced it will work to keep you out of trouble. If you wish to learn to operate your new Camaro in a more spirited manner I will encourage you to get involved in some form of grassroots motorsports. It looks like you are in Calgary, so you can check with these guys http://www.cscc.ab.ca/ or look here http://www.autocross.com/autoc/caclub.shtml to see if there is another orginization for you to get involved with. The great thing about these organizations is that they usually provide some very hands on coaching from other experienced drivers to help you get started and learn about your car and how to drive it at its limits in a safe environment. They are almost always very accommodating of newbies and will usually have equipment (helmet etc.) for you to borrow. You can also look into doing track days but those are usually a lot more expensive, and may require a long drive if there is no track near you. Some track day events do not provide much in the way of training for novices, or it may cost extra. (it really depends on the organization that is running the event, if you go this route make sure they provide novice instruction) The last option is to go to a driving school, but this is usually even more expensive than a track day, although they do provide quite a lot of one on one instruction. Of the three options, the grassroots motorsports is by far the cheapest option, and is a lot of fun and you can meet some new friends who share the same interests. (assuming you are interested in doing something like this) I have been involved in SCCA autocross for 2 years now in two different regions. I moved to North Carolina recently and the people that go to the SCCA events here are great and this has allowed me to meet some new friends quickly in a new area that I am unfamiliar with. __________________

04-26-2016, 11:53 PM	#2
Gambina Drives: 2016 Camaro SS Join Date: Nov 2015 Location: Long Beach Posts: 82	Take care of it and respect the car while driving.

04-26-2016, 11:53 PM	#3
ender2664 Account Suspended Drives: 2016 2SS Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Palm Desert Posts: 2,353	To get full enjoyment out of this computer on wheels spend a LOT of time reading the manuals and setting the car the way you want. Ask lots of questions. Take your time getting use to the car before going balls to the wall.

04-26-2016, 11:55 PM	#4
Gambina Drives: 2016 Camaro SS Join Date: Nov 2015 Location: Long Beach Posts: 82	"Take your time getting use to the car before going balls to the wall." Well said man

04-26-2016, 11:55 PM	#5
cellsafemode Drives: 2016 Camaro 1LT Join Date: Jan 2016 Location: California Posts: 3,491	Buy the shop manual when it come out in July.

04-26-2016, 11:57 PM	#8
uberjeff Drives: 2016 Camaro 2SS Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: AZ/CA depending on the week Posts: 40 View My Garage	I don't know you well enough to give you advice, however if I could share words of wisdom with my younger self I'd say be less stupid and remember you are mortal. My first car at 17 was a Mustang GT and I drove it like an idiot. My speed often exceeded my skill level by an order of magnitude. Enjoy the car, but not in a way that is going to kill you or those around you.

04-26-2016, 11:59 PM	#9
mike16ss Drives: '16 2SS Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: calgary Posts: 19	Thanks for the advice cellsafemode, i will certainly do that, i cant help but get hands on with my toys. I also cringe at the thought of anyone other than me driving my car, so for that reason as well i will be doing as much as i can myself to avoid shop time.

04-27-2016, 12:04 AM	#10
mike16ss Drives: '16 2SS Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: calgary Posts: 19	uberjeff, i appreciate the advice, while i like to think of myself as responsible i will certainly have to fight the natural urges of a 21 year old male. I will remember to keep it safe above all else. EMTNLSS, thanks for the link!

04-27-2016, 01:25 AM	#14
adg5151 Drives: 2016 Camaro 2SS M6 Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Connecticut Posts: 85	Just respect that it is 455 hp and rear wheel drive. If you don't know what you're doing you could get in trouble fast. With that said the keys to not killing yourself while getting used to the car: 1. Make sure the tires are warm before going above 4000 rpm 2. Don't drive with summer tires below 45 degrees 3. Don't step on it when turning (only when the wheels are straight) 4. The brakes are good which gives you the sense that youre going slower than you actually are 5. Don't try to dominate the road. You might feel cool and like you have the power to control the roads. Just drive like other cars on the roads. Having 455 hp doesn't mean you need to pass everyone. You will be surprised at how you barely step on the gas on the highway and your already at 80+ mph

User Name		Remember Me?
Password