[Mark Penta]

Hello, new guy here..

I'd like a 6th gen Camaro for my next daily driver. This would be a year round DD that will see dirt roads, snow/salt, some rough VT roads. I do have other vehicles/beaters here to use in heavy snow and mud season, but I would drive the Camaro year round even in some inclement weather and dirt roads. I commute about 35 miles ea way to work, 3-4 days a week.
Is this the most practical choice for my needs? not at all! But I like these cars and I know how to drive and have driven plenty of RWD cars through VT winters over the years. We already have 3 summer only cars here stored 1/2 the year, and the Camaro cannot be another one of them.

Obviously I would have 2 sets of wheels and install best snow tires possible.

I dont anticipate track use, however I do go to LRP time to time and may find myself out there on a rare occasion.

V8/manual trans a must.

I am educating my self on LT vs SS and certainly can appreciate what the SS has to offer, but if you were going to be on some rough roads what would you recommend? I will need some side wall so not sure about what wheel sizes will fit with the different brakes, etc.

I cant spend more then 30k. Will travel for right car.

Any suggestions on best 6th gen for this application? options, wheels, etc? I dont care much about tech stuff. I am leaning towards an SS but not sure how much lower they may be and how they will like rough roads/broken pavement.

*EDIT* When I say rough roads I'm not talking 4x4 trails, just the regular crappy VT paved and dirt roads, which can get pretty bad in the winter months. In the warmer months, things smooth out and there are great driving roads here.
I hate dirt roads but have lived on one for 25yrs and I can't do much about it.

Thanks,

MarkP

[bishopts]

Originally Posted by Mark Penta

Hello, new guy here..

I'd like a 6th gen Camaro for my next daily driver. This would be a year round DD that will see dirt roads, snow/salt, some rough VT roads. I do have other vehicles/beaters here to use in heavy snow and mud season, but I would drive the Camaro year round even in some inclement weather and dirt roads. I commute about 35 miles ea way to work, 3-4 days a week.
Is this the most practical choice for my needs? not at all! But I like these cars and I know how to drive and have driven plenty of RWD cars through VT winters over the years. We already have 3 summer only cars here stored 1/2 the year, and the Camaro will not be another one of them. I need it to get to work.

Obviously I would have 2 sets of wheels and install best snow tires possible.

I dont anticipate track use, however I do go to LRP time to time and may find myself out there on a rare occasion.

V8/manual trans a must.

I am educating my self on LT vs SS and certainly can appreciate what the SS has to offer, but if you were going to be on some rough roads what would you recommend? I will need some side wall so not sure about what wheel sizes will fit with the different brakes, etc.

I cant spend more then 30k. Will travel for right car.

Any suggestions on best 6th gen for this application? options, wheels, etc? I dont care much about tech stuff. I am leaning towards an SS but not sure how much lower they may be and how they will like rough roads/broken pavement.

Thanks,

MarkP

I would suggest a 2SS. You said the tech isn't that important but the heated steering wheel is nice if your getting into a cold car. The leather seats do require upkeep but they are easier to keep clean. The big drawback between the LT1 and the SS in my opinion is the rear brakes but if you plan on running smaller wheels with snow tires then you might want that.

[arpad_m]

Hi Mark, to the forums. Thanks for the level of detail you provided, it helps everyone understand what you are actually after.

In your situation, I would buy a 2SS without the 1LE package but with the magnetic ride control (MRC) option (RPO code F55) that gives you different suspension softness based on either the drive mode or your custom setting.

I would get the 2SS because it comes with the blind spot monitoring/warning system and the digital rearview mirror, which help with visibility, plus leather seats that are much easier to keep pristine in adverse climates than the cloth seats in the LT1 and the 1SS. You will need winter tires in Vermont, so having the two sets is a good idea indeed, I'd get a proper summer tire kit (Michelin PS4S or Continental ECS 02) that this car deserves along with the winter kit (Michelin, Bridgestone or Vredestein) you mentioned.

The 1LE package comes with even wider tires and an electronic rear diff (vs the mechanical LSD in the 1SS and 2SS), but you don't really need that much tire width, they're actually slightly detrimental in inclement weather, the ride will be rougher in all MRC modes, and it also lowers the car by about and inch, inch and a half, which you don't want.

Other than that, the dual mode exhaust with quad tips (RPO code NPP) is a nice to have, but if you can't find a car with it, don't sweat the search, the stock exhaust is fine, too, and you can always get a rowdier aftermarket exhaust if you want.

Finally, although you say you don't care much about tech, my experience is one tends to appreciate these over time, be it the dual zone climate, heated/ventilated seats or the heads-up display, and they cannot be realistically retrofitted into a 1SS.

[Mark Penta]

Thank you for prompt replies!
This is exactly the info I was hoping for. I was getting confused when researching all the different options/combos. 2SS with MRC, minus 1LE sounds like a good combo for me. I will do a little more research on the MRC, but from what I have read it's a pretty good/durable system.
And yes, I do absolutely appreciate heated leather and steering wheel, but it would not be a deal breaker.
Also, I tend to run skinnys in the snow (with in reason), big believer in that. I also would install my signature rally armor mud flaps.
These cars really check boxes for me and are not only a good value, but a damn good car overall and they look great. I need one.

*EDIT* I currently daily drive a 2004 Volvo V70R. It is AWD but pretty low and the ride height has not been much of an issue. The 4C suspension is horrible, even after replacing everything ($$$), so before I install C/Os I am thinking of selling it.
We have 2 of these cars and two 07 XC70's. They have their quirks but have been good cars. However, everything is old and it is time to thin the herd.

[Mark Penta]

https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-...issionCode=MAN

Here's one. My budget will only allow 2017ish with some miles. I like the color.

Its the grey 2017 SS with 62K miles, MRC, 6MT, $29K

[arpad_m]

This one looks like a good, well-maintained car, the photos don't indicate any obvious flaws and it already has proper PS4S tires, so that's a win as your summer gear. Too bad there is no engine bay picture, though, it would be nice to know if the car has any questionable mods, but hopefully not. One more thing is that since this is a 2017, it won't yet have the digital rearview camera mirror, you'll need to retrofit it if needed (that one specifically is possible with all OEM parts, the cost would be around $1,500).

Make sure you do all the usual due diligence pre-purchase checks. Also visually double-check that the magnetic shocks aren't leaking, these are 8 years old and ran 62K miles, and this generation of MRC is prone to that; if you need to have them replaced, the cost will be ~$400-500 per corner for parts and a couple hours of labor (bishopts is a professional, he'll be able to give you a much better estimate).

Good luck

[m6-lt1]

I don’t think you need MRC. I’ve had both. I promise you, if you buy a car with mrc, you’re just going to set it and forget it.

My 1LE is always in tour on the street. On the track I put it in track but if you’re not tracking the car, I wouldn’t let MRC be an option that keeps me from buying a car.

[speedyink1]

I'm sure you'll love this car as a D/D. I fair weather DD my SS 1LE, and I love it. Every time I get in to go somewhere I get to smile.
MRC really does make for a comfy soft ride in the soft mode. Plus it's nice to be able to tighten it up when you hit some good corners.

[Mark Penta]

Thanks. I
am always skeptical of adaptive suspension since the Volvo I have is equipped with the miserable 4C suspension, but it was a poorly executed attempt from 20yrs ago.. Its fine on smooth roads, but “crashes” on the bumps in any of the three modes. I dont mind a firm ride at all, as long as it is well damped and not killing the car. I need to read up on the MRC (and see what it costs to freshen it up). I like Bilsteins but they get very firm in the cold, but they do warm up. Thanks again for your insight.

[Mark Penta]

Well those MRC shocks are not very expensive for what they are if/when I need to replace them. Maybe not a deal breaker but I would not mind trying them.

I am seeing those shocks for 300ea. Not cheap by any means, but not horrible either if they last reasonably long (which they seem to).

[arpad_m]

Originally Posted by Mark Penta

I
am always skeptical of adaptive suspension since the Volvo I have is equipped with the miserable 4C suspension, but it was a poorly executed attempt from 20yrs ago.. Its fine on smooth roads, but “crashes” on the bumps in any of the three modes. I dont mind a firm ride at all, as long as it is well damped and not killing the car.

GM's adaptive ride control tech is night and day compared to that initial attempt you have experience with. It handles bumps very well, in tour (softest) mode I hear bumps but not feel much, while in track mode (the other extreme) it transmits much more into the cabin, as expected.

All that said, not having them wouldn't be a dealbreaker for me if I was searching for a car today, but it surely is much better to have them than not, and they don't add much, if any to the price of a used Camaro.

OEM part numbers for these shocks, by the way, are as follows:

85649816 (FL)
85649815 (FR)
85649835 (RL)
85649836 (RR)

[TransamGTA350]

I've had MRC dampers on 2 Yukons and my 1LE. Very nice system, but not a dealbreaker to not have it. If the car you find has it, great. If not, OK too.

I also support the other suggestions of a 2SS w/o 1LE. Run winter wheels/tires and it will be fine, unless it's a big snowstorm where ground clearance is going to be the issue.

I'm just south of you in CT and spend a lot of time skiing in VT. I used to take my '86 Iroc and '89 GTA up skiing all the time, no problem.

[SPLATT]

I daily a 16 2SS MT6 and live 2.5 miles back on a dirt road. I drive it rain or shine but put it away and take my truck in snow and ice. Good all season performance tire and rock guards are all I use to combat the elements.

[DeuceCam]

Whatever you get, make sure to install rock guards.