[Ev1lTwinXD]

Hey guys! So a little over a year ago I bought a 2018 Camaro RS V6. I have loved the car ever sense and have driven it almost everyday. It is a daily driver for me. However I work with cars everyday and now I’m doing the research on owning a ZL1 and possibly trading mine in for one.

Basically I want to know from owners of a ZL1 what do you like best and what do you dislike about the car. Mainly I want to know about maintenance, price to own, insurance, and problems I might face with a ZL1. I will be using it as a daily driver and will not be taking it to the track and stuff.

I have heard that the tires wear to fast and the factory clear coat is not dependable. Just to name a few things. Anything you guys can tell me about owning a the car would be awesome. I am young so I want to be financially smart. Thanks!

[LT4Greg]

I like every aspect of my ZL1 and have no regrets about buying one. I found mine used with very low mileage(less than 500 miles) on Cars.com about 300 miles from where I live. So far I haven’t had any issues/problems with mine and the GY Supercar tires don’t last long and I haven’t had to replace them yet(8600 miles) since I don’t track or drive aggressively on the street. My insurance didn’t go up and my payment went down as compared to my 2016 SS I had. You will have to adjust your driving if you get one to get accustomed to the extra hp over your V6 but it won’t take too long. I really enjoy driving mine when I do get it out, it shares DD duties with my 2005 Silverado truck so I consider it a daily driver too. The maintenance is no more different than your V6 but does take 10 quarts of synthetic oil. My advice before buying go test drive a ZL1 and an SS if you can and see the one you like the best. I didn’t get to drive my ZL1 until the dealership was doing the paperwork and I wanted to take a drive and I was so impressed with the 2 mile drive especially hearing the whine of the S/C and the overall feel of the car as compared to the 2SS I had owned new since 2016. Get what you want and can afford whether new or used and which one you enjoy the best!��

[Artryan]

My Likes-

A blast to drive! It's in a whole different league than previous sports cars I've owned. I only drive mine on weekends when the weather is nice, and I always come home with a smile on my face.

Looks menacing in all black.

Basically needs nothing to please most people beyond the way it comes from the factory.

Great seats, steering wheel, manual transmission and creature comforts.

My DISLIKES-

At 6'2", I basically have to fall into the car and contort myself to get out.

Rear seats are useless, even for kids.

Can be somewhat scary on cold pavement during spirited driving.. basically a warm weather car for most.

Paint is beyond pathetic. Even after paint correction and ceramic coating, it still get smudges and swirls just by looking at it.

Gobs of brake dust.

No spare tire

By far, the worst thing about the car for me is the better than average probability that the oil pump will fail. The question is whether or not it will fail under warranty, or take out the engine when it does. Either way, it's a known issue that basically GM hasn't addressed in any way.

Insurance for me is $117 a month. I don't know if that's good or bad in your eyes, but it's about double of what my 2010 SS was.


All in all, it's not perfect, but it's pretty close. It's a car I could see myself keeping for many years, but the oil pump issue somewhat clouds the issue of ownership out of warranty fo me, personally.

[LT4Greg]

I don’t think about the oil pump issue much because it seems like from what’s been replied to here on the forum is that some are failing due to when the car was built. Mine has the April 10, 2017 build date so I’m hoping my engine was built in February or March when the oil pumps were good. I did forget to mention that driving in the rain with the GY supercar tires is a ass puckering experience if the road is real wet with standing water. I just slow down and let the idiots out there pass and move away from me.

[Zigg L1]

It would be nice to know what dates are affected. Or at least run a check. My 2018 Zl1 was bought in Oct 2017. I have some mods I want to install but a bit hesitant for this very concern.

[LT4Greg]

Yes it would Zigg!

[Zigg L1]

I am sure GM will not step up to the plate and call them out. Maybe send out a recall. Got a lower pulley and balancer ready to go.

[CamaroKid300]

If you're very concerned with cost of maintenance and cost to own...it might not be the best car for you.

However....

It's not bad, but everything will be more expensive than what you are driving now. Oil changes are $100 ish....all depends on what oil you use and if you do it yourself or take it somewhere...but definitely more expensive since you're using 10 quarts instead of whatever yours takes now.

You'll save money if you aren't tracking because you won't have to swap brake fluid and change your motor oil right before and right after a track event.

However...if you buy this car I highly suggest taking it to the track. It's an incredible time but is a big ole' money pit.

Tires - I just bought a new set of GY3's and it was around $1350-1400 installed for all 4 at discount tire. Got about 8500 miles out of them with 3 track sessions. Fronts could have gone a little while longer but just went ahead and did all 4.

You'll be ok if you replace them with a more daily driver friendly tire but that'll run you around $1800-2000 a set roughly.

Either way, I'd look at trying to pick up a used Z. I bought mine with 3k miles on it and it was in immaculate condition and I feel like I got a pretty great price on it too (depreciation hit already gone as well). The previous owner had the entire car wrapped in xpel so I haven't had the paint issues like the others and very happy I have it while on the track.

I'd just try to get a used 2019 so you have quite a bit of warranty left on it.

Enjoy - It's an incredible machine.

[Thrillz]

My advice let the C8 come out i bet you will find a smoking deal on a ZL1.

[TWG1]

I’ll play the wet blanket. I’d vote to wait. IMO, the ZL1 isn’t a great DD. Ergonomics are terrible, parking is tough with wide fenders , poor visibility, and a low splitter. I’m also a believer in not driving mine everyday, or else I’d take its awesomeness for granted and also get ‘used to’ the power.

To answer some questions not already answered, you can get an insurance quote online with your carrier without having to buy. You’ll get the exact price. Clear coat issues - yes, paint on my car is delicate as eggshells. Tires- take your choice: expensive, dry/warm only and short life; or expensive, all-season, and less traction.

I’m also very anti-debt and frugal. I worked hard and saved hard early in life, and I firmly believe in paying cash for luxuries and toys. Based on the nature of your questions, my guess is that the cash above/beyond your V6 would go a lot further in investments at your age. I’ve had many friends that stretched for a fast car, boat, RV, etc. Those same purchases became heavy burdens and they parted with them down the road for way less than they paid, and with heavy regret.

To me the ZL1 is like ice cream. Don’t get me wrong, I love ice cream, but I wouldn’t want to have to eat it for every meal. And sometimes I can’t afford the calories. FYI, I DD a 2006 F150, which I can abuse and don’t fret door dings, lost French fries, or dirty paint. I drive it 5x/wk. I garage my ZL1, and it’s a fair weather and track car. I drive it 2x/week. Perfect split for me. Good luck with whatever you decide!

[Zigg L1]

I love driving my ZL1 it only gets driven on fair weather days. Never sees rain and when it's not driven it rests in the garage. And is covered for the winter months. I only get about 3k a year on my car.
I vote for the sticky low mileage tires. Super fun to drive. I don't do tracks but there are a few fun roads to ride spirited.
If you are DDing your SS you would be fine with the ZL1 more power = more fun. There are some pretty good deals to be had gotta shop around and look around. I picked mine up used with 2kmiles and mint condition for a good price. Anytime you get buyers remorse just go for a drive and its gone!!

[Chris357]

Originally Posted by TWG1

I’ll play the wet blanket. I’d vote to wait. IMO, the ZL1 isn’t a great DD. Ergonomics are terrible, parking is tough with wide fenders , poor visibility, and a low splitter. I’m also a believer in not driving mine everyday, or else I’d take its awesomeness for granted and also get ‘used to’ the power.

To answer some questions not already answered, you can get an insurance quote online with your carrier without having to buy. You’ll get the exact price. Clear coat issues - yes, paint on my car is delicate as eggshells. Tires- take your choice: expensive, dry/warm only and short life; or expensive, all-season, and less traction.

I’m also very anti-debt and frugal. I worked hard and saved hard early in life, and I firmly believe in paying cash for luxuries and toys. Based on the nature of your questions, my guess is that the cash above/beyond your V6 would go a lot further in investments at your age. I’ve had many friends that stretched for a fast car, boat, RV, etc. Those same purchases became heavy burdens and they parted with them down the road for way less than they paid, and with heavy regret.

To me the ZL1 is like ice cream. Don’t get me wrong, I love ice cream, but I wouldn’t want to have to eat it for every meal. And sometimes I can’t afford the calories. FYI, I DD a 2006 F150, which I can abuse and don’t fret door dings, lost French fries, or dirty paint. I drive it 5x/wk. I garage my ZL1, and it’s a fair weather and track car. I drive it 2x/week. Perfect split for me. Good luck with whatever you decide!

This!

[Artryan]

Originally Posted by Zigg L1

It would be nice to know what dates are affected. Or at least run a check. My 2018 Zl1 was bought in Oct 2017. I have some mods I want to install but a bit hesitant for this very concern.

I've tried to get that answer nailed down here before. I didn't have much success. I think a lot of people early on though it was just the fall of 2017 production that had the issue, but that was pretty quickly proven to be wrong. My personal opinion is that all 17's and 18's are possibly affected by the bad pump. I bet there are even some 19's that are outliers.

No, GM is not going to step up and fix the issue. They would have already done that if that were the case. You won't even get them to acknowledge it as a problem.

I've had a Denail and a High country in the last 3 years and both were (are) crap in terms of quality control. Both leak water into the cab when it rains. GM is only getting worse. Even with the possibly fatal engine flaw in the pumps, I'd almost bet that the 17-18 ZL1's will be of higher quality than those that are built from here until production ends.

[Zigg L1]

Originally Posted by Artryan

I've tried to get that answer nailed down here before. I didn't have much success. I think a lot of people early on though it was just the fall of 2017 production that had the issue, but that was pretty quickly proven to be wrong. My personal opinion is that all 17's and 18's are possibly affected by the bad pump. I bet there are even some 19's that are outliers.

No, GM is not going to step up and fix the issue. They would have already done that if that were the case. You won't even get them to acknowledge it as a problem.

I've had a Denail and a High country in the last 3 years and both were (are) crap in terms of quality control. Both leak water into the cab when it rains. GM is only getting worse. Even with the possibly fatal engine flaw in the pumps, I'd almost bet that the 17-18 ZL1's will be of higher quality than those that are built from here until production ends.

It really sucks that something simple yet fatal could be an unexpected demise to what I believe an awesome car.