[Malbjey]

Originally Posted by DorsoDuroJohn

I didn't get nearly the same 29K deal others mention here, BUT i got a 2021 LT1 and came from a turbo 4 Subaru STI. The power is night and day different. The STi was rated at 305hp, i think the Camaro or V6 are rated to 335hp.

However, 445HP and Torque are way way different than either of those numbers on the street.

The LT1 is everything i wanted with a few nice upgrades. I negotiated heated red leather interior, it already had the 8" screen and Bose, plus the black wheels and bowties, brembo fronts.

Never looking back.

Whoah, what? I thought you couldn't get leather or the heated/cooled seats in the LT1? I thought you had to step up to the 2SS if you wanted that.


That has been one of my biggest peeves with the LT1 model. Chevy should offer a package adding the leather, heated/cooled seats and dual zone climate controls. They already have this package on the I4 and V6 models, called the 2LT and it's not a huge price jump from the trim below it. By comparison the LT1 to 2SS is a huge price jump.


So the dealer was able to retrofit your LT1 with that stuff?

[DorsoDuroJohn]

The car was cloth, with the RS package, brembo, Bose, etc. When they were "selling" me i said the deal breaker was no heated leather, or decent front splitter. We didn't negotiate the splitter into the loan, but i got like a grand off the 1500 or 2k price tag of leather plus heat.
So i paid for it, and i had to bring it back to have them swap the cloth out for red leather. Anything can be bought.

[SirJangle]

Originally Posted by WhiteMale

Insurance is impossible to compare, my SS went DOWN from my Mustang GT, almost $100/6 months. GF's Jeep went UP from her Challanger. When she moved in with me (cross state lines) the Jeep went up again. It's a bizarre clown world with insurance rates.
I know they like to run credit and credit scores can impact your rates and deductibles.
I'd want to say certainly 4/6 to V8 would be an increase but it's too crazy to know without you getting quotes.

It's not just engine size and HP that impact insurance rates. Two of the most important factors are your garaging ZIP code and the frequency that said make/model is stolen.

[Malbjey]

Originally Posted by DorsoDuroJohn

The car was cloth, with the RS package, brembo, Bose, etc. When they were "selling" me i said the deal breaker was no heated leather, or decent front splitter. We didn't negotiate the splitter into the loan, but i got like a grand off the 1500 or 2k price tag of leather plus heat.
So i paid for it, and i had to bring it back to have them swap the cloth out for red leather. Anything can be bought.

Good to know! Were they able to add the cooling function as well, or just heat? Did they give you red leather in the back seats too?

[6sigma]

Traded a 17 V6 manual for the LT1 manual. Would absolutely do it again. The sound and power are worth it. The LT1 gets a little less MPG and fuel is more expensive, but it's worth it. I have gotten a best of 30mpg on the highway and average about 20 mpg. The LT1 all-seasons are the same as on the 1LT cars, which means not great. The car is severely traction limited in 1st and 2nd. Highly recommend NPP exhaust.

Now, after about a year, I'm sorta looking at a 2SS 1LE. I'd like the creature comforts, tech, and the 1LE performance. But that's just me. The LT1 seems to check all your boxes and is a great old-school kind of car, one of the last of its kind really.

Look at it this way - gen 6 Camaro could be the last manual GM car, ever. Maybe the new CT5 blackwing, believe it when I see it. Better get your V8 manual now, while you still can.

[CHASLT1]

Originally Posted by SSDan

In 2016 I did what you want. I bought a basic 1SS 6MT with the only options being NPP (dual mode exhaust) and grey split spoke wheels (both well worth the extra money). Get the NPP if you can. Perfect exhaust for me - loud when I want it and quiet otherwise. I'm over having a loud car all the time! Now to your question. Here are the things that will cost you more to run a SS or LT1 versus your current V6:

- Fuel - premium grade and lower mpg. I have a lifetime average of 20.9 mpg with 29.5 k miles driven. In my area 93 octane runs .50 more per gallon

-Oil - The LT1 engine needs 10 quarts of full synthetic.

- Tires - A RWD vehicle with 455 ft. lbs. of torque is not a recipe for long lasting tires. I do not do long smoking burnouts and the rears last around 15-18K miles. The fronts will go 20K plus.

- Insurance - It might be higher but there are too many other variables (company, driving record, location -etc.) for me to give you a number. For what its worth - my wife's 2018 Kia Sorento costs more to insure than my Camaro

Those are the major things I can think of for now.

All said - the only reasons there in a Camaro SS in my garage are:
- it looks awesome
- it sounds awesome
- it is fast
- it turns really well
- Oh and its a V8 with a manual transmission.

Enough said! Go get one - the smiles will out weigh the costs.

I only got about 5k miles on the rear Pilot sports on my modded C6. I was WOT at just about every light.

[wjones14]

I've had mine for 3 years and 6700 miles and never reset the "B" trip odometer. It's showing 17.7 mpg. That's probably 90% city/suburb driving. Being an older driver with no accidents or tickets in over 40 years, my insurance is the same as the BMW I traded in.

In contrast, my MINI gets a solid 30+ mpg in the same city/suburb mix, and it's a pretty fun 6-speed manual. But one car does 0-60 in ~4 seconds and the other is ~7 seconds.

PS - after 6700 miles, the rear tire tread is about 4/32". Some people get 10K miles out of the 1LE tires, but that's about it.

[gtfoxy]

Originally Posted by wjones14

I've had mine for 3 years and 6700 miles and never reset the "B" trip odometer. It's showing 17.7 mpg. That's probably 90% city/suburb driving. Being an older driver with no accidents or tickets in over 40 years, my insurance is the same as the BMW I traded in.

In contrast, my MINI gets a solid 30+ mpg in the same city/suburb mix, and it's a pretty fun 6-speed manual. But one car does 0-60 in ~4 seconds and the other is ~7 seconds.

PS - after 6700 miles, the rear tire tread is about 4/32". Some people get 10K miles out of the 1LE tires, but that's about it.

I pushed my GY’s to 20K. Then I went with Michelin Pilot sports.

[Azerlazer26]

Originally Posted by SSDan

In 2016 I did what you want. I bought a basic 1SS 6MT with the only options being NPP (dual mode exhaust) and grey split spoke wheels (both well worth the extra money). Get the NPP if you can. Perfect exhaust for me - loud when I want it and quiet otherwise. I'm over having a loud car all the time! Now to your question. Here are the things that will cost you more to run a SS or LT1 versus your current V6:

- Fuel - premium grade and lower mpg. I have a lifetime average of 20.9 mpg with 29.5 k miles driven. In my area 93 octane runs .50 more per gallon

-Oil - The LT1 engine needs 10 quarts of full synthetic.

- Tires - A RWD vehicle with 455 ft. lbs. of torque is not a recipe for long lasting tires. I do not do long smoking burnouts and the rears last around 15-18K miles. The fronts will go 20K plus.

- Insurance - It might be higher but there are too many other variables (company, driving record, location -etc.) for me to give you a number. For what its worth - my wife's 2018 Kia Sorento costs more to insure than my Camaro

Those are the major things I can think of for now.

All said - the only reasons there in a Camaro SS in my garage are:
- it looks awesome
- it sounds awesome
- it is fast
- it turns really well
- Oh and its a V8 with a manual transmission.

Enough said! Go get one - the smiles will out weigh the costs.

Very well said! If you can spend the extra money for a 2SS to get more creature comfort features I say pull the trigger! If not, definitely find a car with NPP

[Fraxum]

Originally Posted by JT58

I find myself wanting a V8 muscle car with manual transmission. I was going to keep my V6 1LT manual transmission Camaro forever- I just miss the low end torque, power and sound of the V8.

So my options are low mileage used 1SS, a new LT1, used older Corvette or other older muscle car. I don't need any options other than V8 and rowing the gears. I love to drive, drive with the windows down, hear the engine rev, shift through the gears, feel the acceleration. My phone is in my pocket, and that is where it stays until I stop and park. Basic music on only on trips. I don't really care about tracking, super stereo, leather seats, etc. My current 1LT Camaro is very luxurious to me.

So, being close to retirement I worry somewhat about operating cost and insurance if I upgrade. My 2016 1LT is dirt cheap to run and insure. But you only live once- and to experience the V8 seems to be amazing to me.

Has anyone else made the upgrade from a turbo 4 or V6 to an SS or LT1? Difference in insurance and gas consumption (with the SS or LT1 taking premium which is about 1.00 more a gallon).

I have the option of also going with an older Corvette also- I am not sure if the insurance would it be lower or higher than a Camaro? I read somewhere that convertible Corvettes are low to insure?

OP the LT1 is a 1LT with the SS motor, suspension, and front brakes. Add NPP to that and really you have all you need. And as to keeping the car long term the LT1 has less things to go wrong. And it has the same TR6060 M6 just like the SS and ZL1. One of the best and strongest manuals in the business. A better manual than the silly 7 speed in the C7. The LT1 is a crazy good performance value. But if you want to track with curves get an SS.

Bury me in mine. I have no interest in a 10 second battery powered car.

[wjones14]

Originally Posted by gtfoxy

I pushed my GY’s to 20K. Then I went with Michelin Pilot sports.

I wonder if that’s a world record?

I did 3 track days in 3 years so definitely some wear there, but I drive in the Intermediate run group and not all that hard. I can see them lasting 10K miles at most.

[gtfoxy]

Originally Posted by wjones14

I wonder if that’s a world record?

I did 3 track days in 3 years so definitely some wear there, but I drive in the Intermediate run group and not all that hard. I can see them lasting 10K miles at most.

Is that on your 1LE w/ 3’s?

If so, yeah, I’m going to be lucky to get to 10K...

[95 imp]

Insurance on my 2020 is dirt cheap. I was shocked how low it was.

I have a 20.9 lifetime average mpg too. That is with over 1200 "hard acceleration" events on my safe driving counter in about 5 months.

Ya, you guessed it..... the M6 option isn't being babied....
As far a fuel, the west side only has 91 and the motor knocks. I add a gallon of xylene to every 10 gallons and it brings it up to 93 and that solves the problem.

That gallon doubles the cost of the fuel. Although I did get a 5 gallon can over at Sherwin Williams and saved about $70 total over 1 gallon cans at the hardware store.

[MackSteelPrivateEye]

Originally Posted by JT58

I find myself wanting a V8 muscle car with manual transmission. I was going to keep my V6 1LT manual transmission Camaro forever- I just miss the low end torque, power and sound of the V8.

So my options are low mileage used 1SS, a new LT1, used older Corvette or other older muscle car. I don't need any options other than V8 and rowing the gears. I love to drive, drive with the windows down, hear the engine rev, shift through the gears, feel the acceleration. My phone is in my pocket, and that is where it stays until I stop and park. Basic music on only on trips. I don't really care about tracking, super stereo, leather seats, etc. My current 1LT Camaro is very luxurious to me.

So, being close to retirement I worry somewhat about operating cost and insurance if I upgrade. My 2016 1LT is dirt cheap to run and insure. But you only live once- and to experience the V8 seems to be amazing to me.

Has anyone else made the upgrade from a turbo 4 or V6 to an SS or LT1? Difference in insurance and gas consumption (with the SS or LT1 taking premium which is about 1.00 more a gallon).

I have the option of also going with an older Corvette also- I am not sure if the insurance would it be lower or higher than a Camaro? I read somewhere that convertible Corvettes are low to insure?

Operating costs not much from the V6 to V8. Well worth the upgrade. I was weened on V8 vintage muscle. But bought a new 5th Gen manual v6 Camaro...nice cars. Put about 50k miles on it, but like you I missed the muscle of the V8 and got the a 17' SS manual. The operating costs is not noticable. The fun is definatly noticable.