Since we had a June week that was popular, how about an August TPW thread. We can see who takes delivery first. Winner gets 10 internet points.
My order story: I was in the market for a new car because my oldest daughter turns 16 in September. Normally, I'd just get another Accord since mine has been amazing for the first 210,000 miles and I get paid mileage for the 20k-30k miles I drive each year. I've profited about $20k driving my Accord (after covering the car, fuel, and all maintenance). I was thinking a PHEV but they are all lame. Then I was thinking something sporty (GR Corolla hatchback or similar) but I didn't want a Turbo-4cyl (or Turbo-3cyl) for concerns with fuel getting past rings and into the crankcase. While looking at discussions comparing sporty options on Reddit, the 6th Gen Camaro was put up against a lot of other vehicles, and it peaked my interest. I recently moved within the area and landed really close to a Chevy dealership that my brother-in-law used to work at. He had good things to say about them and I was happy to see the banners they displayed supporting faith and the USA. With an interest in the Camaro and a dealer I wanted to work with, the fun process of building the car began.
I help a buddy restore old muscle cars (i do wiring and electrical troubleshooting) and i've helped with a few first gen Camaros. I've been longing for a V8 in my life, and it's been over 20 years since I built my first V8. College and family resulted in a selection of V6 and 4cyl for a long time. I've always said that I would never buy a new muscle car because I thought it better to buy an old one for the same money, and you'd get a pretty nice one for that money. But my attitude has changed and I want to enjoy a vehicle like this daily, not just a few hours a month. With the daily driver mindset, and the high cost of used ones, a new Camaro made sense.
The ordering process was fun. I did many iterations, printed off the renderings, and did side-by-side comparison documents. I engaged my wife and two daughters in the selection process as we sorted out colors, strips, wheels, interior, etc. I didn't want a Turbo-4cyl for the reasons mentioned (and a 4cyl Camaro seems wrong). I like the idea of the V6 but read up on the concept of constraints and noticed that fuel econ isn't that much better. So in came the V8. I settled for a LT1 and in late April, I placed an order for a 2023 LT1 RS. I preferred the nose of the LT1 RS to the SS at first, and was really trying to stay under $40k before TTL and Delivery. Then I did a comparison document with the LT1 and 1SS and with a $2k difference, the improvements are a great value. Larger radio face, better dash cluster, all of the radiators, the brakes, and the front nose grew on me. So I changed my order on 5/3 and locked it in.
What I didn't understand was the allocation process. Thanks to light reading on here beforehand, I started by asking my saleswoman (also an SS owner) if they had allocations. She said yes and I worked with her for the ordering process (both times). What I didn't ask was how many allocations they received, how many were already taken, and where i'd be in line (how many taken were at 1100). Had I asked those questions, the answers would have been 7, 5, and 1. The order before mine was a V6 1LT in Sharkskin. I was informed that I would follow that order, which concerned me given constraints. In late June I was informed that I jumped in front of that order (due to constraints) and my order was accepted. My saleswoman has been great. She checks on my car status and sends me updates. I've been very happy.
And here we are. TPW has shifted once, from 7/25 to 8/1. I'm thrilled and the waiting process is a bit exciting.
I printed this out 11x17 and have it hanging in my cube at work and also at home. Being able to glance at it has helped the waiting process.
