Trade in or mod?

[18LTLoveIt]

My 2 cents, Trade it in, though you won't get much and get the 2013 1SS. That one will be 13-15K with decent milage. If you wanted to go 2013 2LT/RS, you'd get a bump in HP, to 323(all models got a bump up in HP for 2013). I figure 2LTs go for 12-14k.

160K is pushing it for young family reliability. Take your kids out & it breaks down, no fun!

[BumbleBeeV62011]

Originally Posted by IMadeYouReadThis

The problem I see is your not going to give very much money for that old Camaro with such high miles and an engine that is prone to timing chain issues. I guess the question is what are your priorities and what are you looking for are you looking for V8 sound because you can look at a 4th Gen LS1 1998 to 2002 Camaro or Firebird they're fast as hell they're 5 Second 0 to 60 and pretty damn reliable. And you should be able to get them for quite a bit cheaper than a 5th gen. The second thing you could do is what you're already thinking about picking up a 5th gen SS beautiful cars quite fast I believe there around four and a half second 0 to 60. Third thing you could do is if you're just looking for Speed increase over what you currently Drive you could look at getting a good purchase financing on a 6th gen turbo 4 base model Camaro it would give you A5 year warranty it does 0 to 60 in 5.5 seconds and you'd only be putting gas into a 4-cylinder so you would have extra money for your car payment and your family.

It's funny you brought up the 4th gen. For the longest time I wanted a "catfish" as some call them, or a trans am. Both are fast cars, but those models are a real hassle to work on. That didn't bother me until we had a 5th gen in the driveway. Now I really like the newer model better. As far as cost of either a 4th or 5th gen, around here (northeast Texas) they are about the same price. I can get a 2011-13 SS for about 15-20k vs the 98-02 models ranging from 8-15k and of course those have high mileage. The 4 cylinder is out of the question. It may be quick but, like my 3.6, will never have the sound

[BeastMode]

I agree with the guy that said if you are planning on buying a house soon hold off a little while. A house can very quickly drain your bank account. If the extra $10k for an SS is a big deal, it may be a bit easier on your finances to keep packing away for a house downpayment and a house emergency fund of some kind. If that $10k isnt a big part of your world, then go enjoy an SS. A good way to look at it is how many months of saving it would take you to put that money together, and if that time frame would be okay amount of time to put other financial goals on hold, then go for it. Even if you are financing over 3-6 years it is a good way to look at if an extra/fun purchase is worth it to you.

[JLSuperfly]

If you can comfortably afford it, then go for it.

[BumbleBeeV62011]

It will still be a year or two before we have enough saved up for a good down payment. From my understanding we need a minimum of 10% down for a house. From the few places I have seen advertised in my area, it seems a 3 bed/2 bath house starts around 100k. That doesn't include much land. Pretty much the way it has been explained to me is that I need at least 720 credit score, minimum of 10% down but preferably 15%, and extra money to cover closing costs. I have a good job but it still takes time to save 10-15k

[beany323]

.02 . i had a v6 for the commute. fun car but it was missing something. being considerably older and kids are out of house.. focus on the house. someday you'll have extra cash for the "want". congrats on the child..

i did end up trading in for a 1le. (see pic). never looked back. its loud and looks good. wonder if i can be buried in it?

[Yasuo]

From someone who owned a 2010 LT, and now owns a 2010 SS, it's a night and day difference my friend. I thought my v6 was quick, but looking back compared to my SS, I was dead wrong in comparison. I wanted to mod my v6, but I always had that thought in the back of my head that no matter what I did to it, my money would be better spent upgrading the LS3, and I was dead right. Get the SS.

[CamaroFred]

If you look at the big picture though and not buying another car for two years, assuming $400/month payments, that adds up to $9600.

The OP is looking for $10,000 to put down on a house. There it is.

Along with the fact that your FICO will increase without an outstanding car loan so you can count on a better interest rate on the mortgage. One point is a lot of money on a 30 year loan.
Plus, a house appreciates while a car depreciates. You will never be upside down on a mortgage.

Credit card interest rates will also be lower. My FICO is ~800 and every week I get offers from CCs for 0% for 16-24 months. So spreading out payments when you need to furnish another bedroom doesn't cost anything.
I just bought new wheels and tires for my Camaro. Nothing crazy, ~$2K.
I could pay off the card easy in 4 months, but I put it on a 0% for 16 months so $125/month. I would be silly to pay them off early as the tires will get me through about 4 years and the wheels will outlast the Camaro.
Of course, don't go nuts on things.

Once you get a new mortgage your FICO will take a dive. Long term loans can take several years before your FICO recovers.
So apply for those cards before you close on the house. Too many cards can ding your FICO a bit as well, but not like a long term loan does. And the way FICO computes your score is based on the credit limit of your cards and has nothing to do with what you owe them. As long as you don't have any late payments.

Shoot, I am rambling. I hope this makes some sense, especially to the younger people here.

[bdubz]

SS all the way! *not hating on the v6's at all.
If you do get an SS you will want it to be louder! Stock exhaust is too quiet.

[The camaro show]

v6 all the way show these guys you dont need a v8 for big power get the overkill supercharger kit or twin turbos

[Windycity]

Originally Posted by BumbleBeeV62011

It will still be a year or two before we have enough saved up for a good down payment. From my understanding we need a minimum of 10% down for a house. From the few places I have seen advertised in my area, it seems a 3 bed/2 bath house starts around 100k. That doesn't include much land. Pretty much the way it has been explained to me is that I need at least 720 credit score, minimum of 10% down but preferably 15%, and extra money to cover closing costs. I have a good job but it still takes time to save 10-15k

I wouldn't upgrade cars before all debt is paid off and you have a down payment and a cushion of cash as an emergency fund. You are having a family and a nicer car will do you no good when there is a life emergency.

I put off my desire for a cool car for years due to kids and in 2013 I bought a house and in 2015 i was in a position to buy a brand new 15 1LE camaro with every option including recaros. That is a toy car. I have a Toyota Corolla as a daily

I would wait. A home and family is a much better financial decision and your car will come eventually, when it does it is way more rewarding. If you want my full honest opinion, heres the deal, if you are going to be shuttling the baby around in your car alot you are going to hate putting a infant carrier in your camaro. It sucks and when they are older from 1-4 and you have to actually get in the back to buckle them in it is miserable in the camaro. Older kids that can jump in back their on their own are fine in the camaro but until about 4 or 5 its not fun.

My .02 cents would be to get a cheaper car that is more family friendly and get yourself up on your feet financially then you can get your dream car


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[Orange skid mark]

Grow up and put the $$ in the bank for a down payment on a house - interest rates are slowly climbing up. Don't be a selfish father.... a Dad would not even be questioning driving something reasonable like the v6. Get what your family needs first and what you want later - like a man does.

Hell, I drove a minivan for several years for kids that weren't even mine. Your kids will respect you more later if you are a good example to them.

[samman11]

Don't screw around any further. Just go get the 2017 ZL1. Simple!

[gpskinzhut]

I'd hold off given your situation. Kids and a house are HUGE expenses. Does your wife get maternity leave? How much of the hospital bills will insurance cover? Saving for the house? etc etc etc etc. That's before getting into the increased expense of the SS.

I also wouldn't go full on mods on the LLT at 160k. A new engine is in the 7-10k range installed. I've been where you are but it will feel a whole lot better knowing you're less strapped financially than it will firing up a V8 that could put you in a bind. Again I don't know your financial situation but in this case it's better to be safe than sorry.