[1939 Ford]

I'm looking up upgrade from my first car daily driver soon, and been super interested looking at the 6th gen camaros. I work part time but make decent income for my age while going to school but that's paid for by my family, I'm looking at used automatics with 80-100K miles from around 2016-2018 but don't know if I should get the V6 RS or V8SS. I already have a weekend V8 1939Ford with an LS1 engine, so it's not as fast as the SS but is fun to drive.

Are the v8 and v6 about the same reliability? Or would the v6 be more reliable and cheaper to maintain since it's a smaller engine? I'm also worried about the new stuff in the engines like AFM and VVT, I wanna work on the car myself as much as possible for maintance and repairs. And don't plan to mod it or abuse it since I need it to last 5-6 years or up to 170K miles are the 6th gen Camaros able to last that long? Are they reliable and easy to maintain? From research I done only main issue I've seen that many people have is the trans shudder

My credit union also has a partnership/reccomended extended car warranty that cost $61 a month for American cars and seems like decent coverage. It covers the torque converter for example which would maybe need replaced if I had issues with shudder and a lot of other stuff is covered. So I might go with that warranty but not super sure if it will work out in my favor or not. My credit union is a big one with great reviews and benefits so I trust their recommendation but couldn't find anyone who talks about the car warranty offered. This is the warranty coverage spreadsheet https://myhealthcar.com/coverage-gas/

I'm still saving my downpayment and plan to put around 40-50% down for the car but still just don't know if I want the V6 or V8 and just worried about reliability overall. Any answers or recommendations would be appreciated thank you

[LT4Greg]

I would get a 1SS or 2SS 6.2 liter with a M6 6 speed manual transmission. Post a pic or two of your ‘39 Ford. Love those old street rods!��

[Evergreen6]

V8, manual trans, if you can swing it. IMO, that's your best bang for the buck, and it's dead reliable.

Other powertrains might save you a little money here and there, but the V8 is going to hold its value and be a lot more fun to drive.

IMO, extended warranties are a crock of poo. I'd stick that money in a savings account for if the car ever needed expensive repairs.

[ariZona28]

For a long lasting but fun DD I'd recommend a newer LT1 model (which is equipped with the LT1 V8) with as few bells and whistles possible. Manual trans for excitement but an A10 auto if you see lots of traffic.

[1939 Ford]

If I go SS I'll for sure go 2 since I want the extra amenities. But I'm not sure about manual since I live in California with a lot of traffic and daily driving a manual even though I loved manuals never seemed apealing to me, and yeah here's a picture of the ford. It's currently at a body shop getting repaired and it's paint redone the same color, then it's gonna get upgrades for frame, suspension, and engine swap. Car was in accident and had really good insurance on it.

[1939 Ford]

Originally Posted by MSS1LE

I've only owned two Camaros, both 6th gens and both V8s. One A8 and one M6. I prefer the M6 by far.

Did the A8 give a lot of issues? How many miles when you switched?

[GreyGhost702]

Originally Posted by 1939 Ford

I'm looking up upgrade from my first car daily driver soon, and been super interested looking at the 6th gen camaros. I work part time but make decent income for my age while going to school but that's paid for by my family, I'm looking at used automatics with 80-100K miles from around 2016-2018 but don't know if I should get the V6 RS or V8SS. I already have a weekend V8 1939Ford with an LS1 engine, so it's not as fast as the SS but is fun to drive.

Are the v8 and v6 about the same reliability? Or would the v6 be more reliable and cheaper to maintain since it's a smaller engine? I'm also worried about the new stuff in the engines like AFM and VVT, I wanna work on the car myself as much as possible for maintance and repairs. And don't plan to mod it or abuse it since I need it to last 5-6 years or up to 170K miles are the 6th gen Camaros able to last that long? Are they reliable and easy to maintain? From research I done only main issue I've seen that many people have is the trans shudder

My credit union also has a partnership/reccomended extended car warranty that cost $61 a month for American cars and seems like decent coverage. It covers the torque converter for example which would maybe need replaced if I had issues with shudder and a lot of other stuff is covered. So I might go with that warranty but not super sure if it will work out in my favor or not. My credit union is a big one with great reviews and benefits so I trust their recommendation but couldn't find anyone who talks about the car warranty offered. This is the warranty coverage spreadsheet https://myhealthcar.com/coverage-gas/

I'm still saving my downpayment and plan to put around 40-50% down for the car but still just don't know if I want the V6 or V8 and just worried about reliability overall. Any answers or recommendations would be appreciated thank you

If you live in a major metro, I really liked the 4-banger Turbo Camaro I test drove at a CarMax once. I was curious to see if it was as crappy as the Mustang 4-banger, and it was not. This thing was fully trimmed out, mood lighting, heated/cooled seats, very comfy for a Camaro. Didn't feel loose like the Mustang, it was tight and the engine was responsive.

For the money, I think it's the way to go, bells & whistles 4-banger turbo for a city dweller, since you already have a V8 toy you seem to love. Nothing wrong with adding another V8 to the family. I think 4 banger maintenance is cheaper. Turbo cars feel good with a 10-spd Auto as well. You get the looks and feel, and some nice torque, without chugging too much fuel from light to light and at a price point you just can't get in an optioned out V8. Best part, if someone wrecks ya (knock on wood) it's not as sad to replace. I would be devastated if someone wrecked me in my 1LE. The only way to console myself would be to replace it with a ZL1.

[Evergreen6]

While I love the 6th gen, 5th gen LS3 cars are becoming quite affordable. I've seen some nice examples with fairly low miles ~30-40k going for about $25k, and higher miles going for $20k or less. One problem with that is your interest rate will be higher if you finance or you won't be able to get a loan on something that's 10 years old. The LS3, as you know, is the LS1's younger and stronger brother. The 6-speed auto in the 5th gen was very good, also.


Not all 8-speeds had shudder issues. If the car has miles on it and it's shuddering, I'd walk away. If it had shudder early in its life and was fixed and has been fine, the 8-speed is a good trans.

As a guy who loves manuals, I don't get annoyed in traffic, "driving" gives me something to do. But I know not everyone thinks that way or even enjoys a manual. You might try one before you make up your mind, just to be sure.

[arpad_m]

The SS with the LT1 is rock solid, its main issue was the A8 trans shudder between 2016 and 2018, but there's been a proven fix for it since early 2019 that you probably already know about (https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/20...63890-9999.pdf). Mine never shuddered (though it was tuned as well after the fluid flush), it's stout and shifts perfectly, I particularly love its performance shift algorithm that one can turn on and off with the accelerator. The A10 trans that 2019-2024 model year V8 Camaros got does not shudder, has only minor issues, and shifts faster than the A8. The manual trans in the SS (Tremec TR-6060) is an absolute unit, everyone loves it.

Regardless of your transmission choice, you probably also want to get an AFM eliminator such as this thing, or get AFM tuned out, the minimal fuel economy improvement isn't worth the potential of lifter collapse IMO.

The ZL1 with the supercharged LT4 is the most powerful V8 Camaro in stock form. It also has an Achilles heel, though: the first few revisions of the oil pump GM used is more fragile than the rest of the powertrain, especially in 2017 and 2018 model years, several members here had it fail, and engine damage is a matter of good luck with no oil pressure. 2020-2024 ZL1s received a stronger pump, and there are aftermarket solutions, too.

Finally, I also had a V6 previously, and while it's cheaper to obtain and maintain as you can run it on regular gas and its fuel economy is better, it's also much less fun if you like to drive fast or enjoy the proper muscle car exhaust sound. Still a great car, though, especially as a daily driver.

[1939 Ford]

If I use a AFM range disabler or tune it out can mechanics tell I did that? Or would it void warranty's? Cause I was thinking of the range device since I can undo it, but someone told me a AFM tune out shouldn't void any warranty

I am thinking about the V6 heavily since it's cheaper with gas and insurance, and it will still be faster than my daily I have now which is an old Mazda 3. The V6 gave you no issues? Couldn't find many people talk about the reliability

[arpad_m]

Previous use of the Range device is undetectable once removed, thus is does not void the warranty. However, any third party tune does, because GM can detect the write count on modules and eject warranty claims when finding any non-OEM tune write events. Some like to quote the Magnuson-Moss act and say this doesn't technically void the (powertrain) warranty, but you will have no real standing in court using this argument, plus GM has infinite money for legal expenses, unlike us.

The V6 was perfect, just not impressive enough for me The LGX is also a very reliable engine, and it even has a higher redline than the LT1 or the LT4. There is no comparison in torque, especially down low, but again, that's probably okay for a fuel efficient daily driver.

[Gen6cyl]

I have put 62k miles on my v6 with no problems. The tremec 3160 is a great transmission and you don't get afm and you get the V8 rear differential.I like the v6 better because of the lower gears, manual vs manual, and it's revy nature. I have owned 3 Mazda 3's .The last one a 2014 I put 70k miles on. It was a great driving car but the Camaro is the most enjoyable car I've owned. The manual transmission and no muffler or resonator is great. It drives and handles great with -1.3 degrees front camber.

[Hack]

There are people online who say to never buy a vehicle with AFM. Having said that, I own a 2021 LT1 M6 with AFM. I don't know from direct experience how long the AFM lifters last. I've read that frequent oil changes help. My plan is to replace the AFM parts with non-collapsing lifters, etc. once the warranty on the powertrain is up.

What you should buy depends a lot on your budget and what you've driven in the past. I think a V6 manual transmission model would be excellent. The V6 is plenty strong and fun to drive. I would tend to trust the V6 a little more than the V8 for long term reliability if you do not want to get into any engine modifications. I personally wouldn't purchase any vehicle from any company with a small, turbocharged direct injection engine. I just don't like those engines, because I don't think they really save much gas and I feel that reliability suffers. I think cubic inches are much better for long term engine reliability vs. boost.

If the V6 just isn't enough power or you have a lot of money to spend, then possibly go to the V8 model. I own an LT1 because for a daily driver I didn't think I needed bigger brakes and more cooling. I think the 1LE is the choice if you will be tracking. The 2SS models or a highly optioned LT1 if it's important to you for the interior to be nice or you want the bling of big brakes.

[Evergreen6]

I keep seeing this thread, which is why I keep replying.

I had a V6 Camaro in college, a long time ago. It was a '97 with the 3800, 5-speed manual. I got it when I was 17 years old, car was a couple years old at the time, had about 40k miles on it. I thought it was pretty cool...had dark tinted windows, and a Flowmaster exhaust. Man those 3800's were raspy...lol.

I was lucky to have such a car. But, I always wished I had a V8, those were the cars I really admired. Parents said absolutely not, even with my own money. The incremental cost of a V8 car wouldn't have broken the bank. Even though I enjoyed it and look back on the car with fond memories, I don't really cherish the fact that it was a sensible choice, not very fast. Not long after I graduated school and started pulling in a paycheck did I go out and buy a lightly used LS1 Z28. Black, t-tops, black leather. I was in 7th heaven. My folks paid my insurance while I was in school, and that day was my last day on their policy! They said, you're on your own, kid. I did the right thing though and always kept it well-insured. Never got myself in trouble with it.

That's all to say, if you can't get what you really want... maybe wait. V6 Camaros (and turbo 4's) are good cars, good engines.

But they're not an SS car. I do like the LT1 models, but they're also...not an SS.