chevydrvr

iTrader: (1)

I'm looking to get a Camaro or Firebird for a first car, and I'm just curious as to how much different it is to drive with the longer noses these cars have. DO you adapt to different driving styles compared to other cars?

What about the seating position? Would the seat move forward enough and high enough for somebody who's about 5'7"? I believe i'v read that these cars have low seating. I'm just curious about these things! Thanks!

Dante93GTZ

iTrader: (5)

In short, yes, these cars are different to drive than most. The seating is a bit lower, but it's not like you're having to stretch to see over the dash. As for actually driving it; Due to the low stance and long nose (and even lower airdam), you will definitely have to change the way you approach things like driveways, speedbumps, dips in the road. I scrape every time I pull into my driveway, although I think its the airdam, not anything major.

puma1552

iTrader: (1)

If it's your first car you won't have to worry about adapting to it from other cars, since it will be your first car.

I've owned my car 11 years and to this day I still am never sure exactly where the front tip of the nose is, so you always have to be extra cautious. It will scrape, even going through green light intersections you can scrape in the middle where the 'humps' of the road dip, but it's usually just the lower airdamn so no problems.

Also, they do sit low which is half the fun. FTR I'm only 5'5" and with the steering wheel all the way down I can see just fine. I can't see the hood, but I have never been able to in any car lol. But visibility is not a problem.

JamesC

iTrader: (5)

I think you get used to the dimensions/quirks of a car over time, regardless of type.

I'm 5' 6" on a good day (old age shrink) and have no difficulties seeing. If you do, an electric seat track--up, down, forward, rearward--would probably eliminate the issue.

JamesC

chevydrvr

iTrader: (1)

i never realized how much these things scrape...and that's with the factory ride height?

collin2201

Besides the low seating and long hood, these cars also have an awesome rear glass hatch. Gives you a better field of view than most cars.

And the scrape is with the factory height.

Convoy25

iTrader: (3)

the more your drive it the better you drive it.


in my 84 i knew how it drove well enough to keep me from hitting the median/other cars when i hit an oil slick.

i'm sitll learning in my 4th gen, theres a LOT less visibility in the hatch so i'm still perfecting backing in (pretty much the only way i park)

but like i said, just drive it or any vehicle a lot and you will adapt quickly.

plus going to empty, completely empty parking lots in the snow (maybe even rain) can help, just dont get caught by cops

DJP87Z28

One thing to be carefull with is the rear end can come loose on you very fast.

chevydrvr

iTrader: (1)

What do you mean by come loose? Are you talking about traction?

SeriousGearhead

I'm 5' 3" tall and my '82 Trans Am is easier to drive than my 2002 Dodge Neon. It has a much better turning radius, the suspension that the Trans Am's were equipped with is phenomenal even for stock in my opinion, visibility is superb with the thin A-pillars and wide hatch glass (despite the ugly window tint I am still fighting to take off) and the nose is easy enough to get used to. My car has only been up and running for a few months now and the only thing i really have to keep in mind when I drive is the 1-2" of ground clearance I have underneath due to the exhaust setup I installed. I found if you are worried about the nose, keep your headlights up and it will give you a good idea of where your corners are.

Ron U.S.M.C.

Yes these cars are different to drive . Once you get used to the seating position and the low tilt steering wheel you will be fine. Stepping into my Camaro is like no other car I have ever owned. I just get a small chill getting in. Love the way it feels. Seats wrapped around you and low to the ground. Starting the engine with a low growl. Its just fun to drive. My rear vision is not as good as some because of the limo tint on the hatch and I had to put "Cat eyes" on the rear view side mirrors. After a while its just second nature and you get used to the way the car handles . Enjoy !
Here's what the K-Source blind spot stick on wedge mirrors look like. Found them at Kragens auto.= http://shop.oreillyauto.com/ProductD...egoryCode=3162
I tuck it in nice and tight to the bottom/car side of the mirror.One on each side. If its your daily driver in city traffic or the highway it can really save you allot of trouble.

chevydrvr

iTrader: (1)

I'm just curious because my uncle just bought a 1988 GTA for about $120 from a friend he works with and im helping him fix it up.

hardon85

You will be just fine the hardest part about to get used to I thought was the huge b-pillar or sail panel as this is a terrible blind spot compared to other cars but you do get used to it as far as seeing where the front end is, no you can't tell but in reality I have never had a car that I could see the front end since cars are so rounded today. The hardest thing for you will be to drive it normal as it is for any of us. But as far as the car goes you'll be fine.

DJP87Z28

No, it is not a traction problem. You will know it when you are looking in the direction you just came from.

chevydrvr

iTrader: (1)

haha well, i'll be sure to look out for that!

sonjaab

Hard to drive?....................NO!

Is it as roomy and comfy and ride as nice as my Cadillac?...........NO!

Sure is a fun summer toy tho!

TA-Rocks

I had a 93 Cady and really didnt like it since Im the type that appreciates tight suspension control; having a car do what I ask of it. My car is Low, still stock height and still I slow down on driveway ramps and speedbumps but low is good. When you corner backroads you will love it. I believe it is very hard to push my TA to the limits and when it is done it is very predictable. Its what we love about our cars. My car will however slide sideways under throttle when I gas it in the rain or snow. Thats completely controllable in a 3rd gen and 4th gen. When you start sliding sideways and you countersteer it just let off the gas and it locks back on track... just like that. But do "learn" to drive the car before going on the real roads and pushing the turns in the water or snow. And make sure you have GOOD rubber on it. Another thing You may notice is right hand turns are not as visible and could cause you to bump curbs. The tires dont like it nor the suspension, but concentrate on the curb fully til you get used to right turns and you will get it right before scratching tires or riding on curbs. Buy a good radar detector, too! Welcome to the third gen lovers.

SeriousGearhead

I think my heartbeat is starting to follow the firing order of my T/A.

91phoenix

iTrader: (5)

I do not find it a problem at all but then I had a Corvette before and That had a long nose. It will take a little getting used to but I took the Vette to a parking lot and practiced parking till I normally had the front bumper within 6 inches of the line. It was a pain getting out and looking each time but I was glad I did it. As stated you can use the headlights as a guide also. It won't take long and you'll get used to it.

Spike_Akers

ok, lets break it down like this...

ground clearance: its not gonna be as good as driving an SUV... but its better than driving a Talon or eclipse... and ya'll complain about scraping... pfft

seating: yes, it will be lower than riding in your volvo station wagon (you see, we didnt all get cool first cars lol) but, its gonna be close to a few imports (like my talon) but the interior will feel bigger..

general driving: its rear wheel drive.. so, its gonna drive like one.. watch your throttle in those corners! and please, please dont feel the need to show off for the boys by peeling out at that stop sign.. its gonna turn tighter than some cars, and the suspension is gonna make it feel like youre literally sticking to the road in the corners, unlike a truck or a family sedan that feels more like a boat on water...

visibility: better than alot of cars today!! im 6'0 but, it shouldnt behard to atleast see the end of your hood, in my talon... i can see the center of the hood scoop... and you have WAY more visibility out the hatch, and IMHO to the sides, although, like my talon, the side view mirrors are almost pointless...

so over all, its gonna be more of a "fun" ride than your average sedan.. just be careful, and you'll adjust very fast to the way it drives...

chevydrvr

iTrader: (1)

wow, these cars sound like an experience all in their own! Which I don't doubt. I've only sat in a third gen camaro once but that was a couple years ago in school. I don't really remember how it was. But i know I was comfortable even though it was all torn up and destroyed inside!

FireDemonSiC

As others have stated, just learn as you go along and most importantly, learn from others mistakes!

I bought my 85 Z28 when I was 20 years old. Lesson one about the long nose came the third day I owned it. Went to pull into a carwash and my previous car had been a 4 banger cavalier. Well I took the turn WAY too wide, smacked their tip jar which was standing up on a pole with the corner of the nose and knocked it halfway across the parking lot.

Lesson two. A lesson in stupidity. I was pulling into my then job around 9AM and two other workers were standing outside waiting for me to unlock the door. Well it was raining and I figured I was gonna be cool in my new hotrod and go into the parking space sideways. I gave it too much gas, locked up the brakes and drove up over the curb and onto the sidewalk, narrowly escaping putting the car through the front of the building.

Lesson 3. A lesson in traction control (Or lack thereof). Remember, these cars are of the oldschool. No ABS, no traction control and shoot, most of them don't even have airbags. I was making a turn through an intersection coming out of my bank, not even TRYING to push the car hard or show off. All of a sudden the *** end swings loose and I'm going through the intersection sideways. I went around the turn looking like something out of fast and furious and had to oversteer back and forth 3 times before I regained control, narrowly avoiding colliding with a curb and breaking an A-arm/wheel hub. Having your ex-girlfriend giggle at you from the passenger seat is also pretty humiliating.

Now, keep in mind this was when the car had POS bald 205 tires all the way around. Now I have Yokohama 225s in the front and Nitto 275s in the rear and I can do things I never even would have dreamed of when I first bought her. Like has been said get some good rubbers. I find Trojan works best .

Lesson 4. A lesson in proper mechanical care. When I first got this car, I pretty much didn't know a hammer from a toilet seat and liked to do dumb stuff to show off like rev the engine to 5.5k off a cold start. That got old real fast as soon as the reality of a spun bearing sunk in.

Lesson 5. A lesson in pride and weight shift related to rear wheel drive. I was headed to work going down I95 when I went to change lanes. A jeep attempted to cut me off so I smashed the accelerator to pass him. At this point, the single biggest piece of advice I can offer a newcomer to ANY performance vehicle is DO NOT allow your ego to consume you and learn to swallow your pride. It will get you nowhere except the hospital and your car nowhere except the junkyard.

Well I passed the jeep, but when I looked back up from my mirror there was a pickup truck right in my face. I had the opportunity to just slow down instead of making the lane change I was aiming for, but for some reason I did it anyway despite the fact a voice in the back of my head tried to tell me exactly what would happen. I started the lane change, and hit the brakes (Not CLAMMED them on but did give them a good tap) to avoid clipping the bumper of this pickup truck. The car oversteered and started pulling left across the freeway. I countersteered and it pulled the other way. Unfortunately this time around I was not so lucky and ended up smashing into the aforementioned pickup truck. This was at 70MPH.

Lesson 6. A lesson in love. After all these mishaps, she is still parked outside to this day (2.5 years later) awaiting a frame pull and new front end next month.

chevydrvr

iTrader: (1)

wow firedemon, you pretty much just said everything I need to know. Thanks for taking the time to say all that!

FireDemonSiC

My Camaro was actually my first car. The cavalier was my Mom's and it got totaled when I hit a deer.

As long as you take the time to learn the do's and dont's and how to properly care for your vehicle, it will be around for many years to come.

I ended up breaking down and purchasing a saturn as my daily driver, but nothing in the world would ever be able to make me part with my Camaro.

Spike_Akers

yeah...pride is a bitch aint it...

FireDemonSiC

You ain't kiddin!

FireDemonSiC

You ain't kiddin!

(Well it would appear my PC did make the post before crashing to BIOS screen. Ain't overclocking fun :P)

Sonymaster20

iTrader: (3)

I started off driving a pt cruiser and learned how to drive on that, Then finished my camaro and started driving that. Trust me once you get a car like this, you wont even want to drive another car unless its yours. THe suspension of these cars is nice and your cruising in a firebird or Camaro!

Thats my opinion

chevydrvr

iTrader: (1)

You guys all say the suspension is amazing..but what about ride comfort? I don't really care but is it bad?

Spike_Akers

like stated above... it aint a caddy... lol... so.. i guess you could say its alil rough on some bumps... but hey. its a car... things can be changed if the bother you that bad

Camaro-454

iTrader: (1)

My first car was a 69 Chevy Belair with a 307 V8 in it. being young, I used to street drag it, and I only lost to a friend of Mine who had a mustang, I never found out what he had in that car ( as he wouldn't tell me ), but that was the Only car I raced that all I saw was its back lights getting smaller.

many years later I brought my first third gen car. a 1987 Chevy Camaro Z28. the car had a 454 in it, and even though I didnt race it in the street, ( I didn't want to get any tickets and I was a whole lot older and hopefully wiser then ), when I Did " Tap it " it Always responded like a Camaro should. it was fast, it handled well, it hugged the curves at high speeds, ( while traveling on the highways ), it was responsive, and it ran like a race car. the ride was always comfortable, it was easy to handle, it was smooth, it had all high performance parts under the hood, ( that's the way it was when I brought it ), and it was a dream to drive.

it was dependable, it took me everywhere without a hitch, it was rarely ever down, and I Never owned or drove a cooler, sweeter, ride, fun the drive and I always smiled when I came out to get into it. ( I couldn't help it. the car just looked so Cool, and it ran as gfood as it looked ).

overall, you won't find a more fun car to drive. third gen cars are My favorite by far. I once owned a 79 firebird esprite, with a 305 V8 in it, and although that one was fast too, my Z28 would have blown the door of of it. it too was lots of fun to drive. *S*

these days I own another Camaro, it's a 92 RS, with a 3.1l V6 in it. it's pretty much a parts car ( since I don't have a title for it, but I have an 87 Iroc that I'm planning to buy off a guy for less than $300.00 bucks that has a clear title and is only missing one of the doors. that's going to be My next Camaro and next week if all goes according to plan I'll own it and My build will begin.

best wishes for you on your first camaro bro. dont be surprised if your uncle doesn't want to part with his third gen, he got a good price for it, so just work with him on it and learn all you can while doing the work to get it up and running. save your money, keep your eyer open, and check out this webiste every week and you may come across some very good deals for short money. I've seen lots of great deals on camaros and firebirds there up in the Maine NH area. this might be another option in finding yours. *S*


here's the website.....................www.unclehenrys.com

Camaro-454

XxFormula87xX

It really depends on the person on how fast you adjust, my winter ride is a 74 k5 blazer lifted 4 inches with 35 inch mud terrians, it is also what I drove daily before I got my formula. The only thing I really notice is that in the uck I can see a lot more goin on in front of me since I can see over pretty much every other car/ truck on the road, in the fbodies you don't get that.

Camaro-454

iTrader: (1)

ok just wanted to correct a couple of things. my first car was a 68 Belair, not a 69. ( typo ). also, the car, ( the Iroc ), doesn't have an engine or tranmission in it. the RS will be supplying the power plant for it, ( engine, transmission, drive shaft ), and any other parts I will need.

Still, it's a great price and I'll have pretty much all I need to finish my Camaro.

Camaro-454

kevmann

Unless you stiffen it up a little and do some mods, the handling isn't known to be the greatest on these cars either. I dont think they ride all that badly for a sports car. Being low definately takes some getting used to as was already said. The only thing I have ridden in that was lower(stock) was a Triumph Spitfire. You might as well get on the ground first and then slide over into the thing. I really like cruising down the highway in mine. I like the feel of it.

kevmann

Double post sorry.

Camaro-454

iTrader: (1)

well, one thing you'll notice right away. in most cars, trucks SUV's and have you when you pull into Mc Donald's. you're either looking right at the attendant face to face, or you're looking down at him/her. in a Camaro. you're looking up at them. lol

that's always cracked me up about mine. almost makes you feel like a little kid, ( having to look up at the attendant that way ). *S*


Camaro-454

fadedirocz28

Like some have said, just little things and quirks you get use to, when i drive mine, i'm only 5'10, but to be relaxed i have the seat slid all the way back and its reclined a bit, and when i drive most my view it between the top of the dash and under the top of the steering wheel (i look through the steering wheel to see) i'm not sure if any others do that or if im just use to being more reclined than most

Watch the throttle in the corners, if your pulling out quick in traffic, you can EASILY end up going all over the place, and all i have is a 305. I've made it a personal rule of mine not to go more than half throttle below 30mph to be safe.


And with these cars you'll feel a bit more "vulnerable", like in other cars i would ride beside a semi truck and not even notice. In this car, i'm either getting ahead of the truck or behind it, i don't know if i'm just cautious, but whenever i'm beside a semi, i feel like i'm close to death in this thing.


Another thing is just because you feel safe in these cars getting off an exit at 50-60 when its 30, doesn't mean you should, it'd be a shame to fix your car and then do that and give a guard rail a big ole hug.

And about the scraping, most of these cars are on stock springs, so even though they sat low from the factory, they're sitting even lower now. I have hardly any wheel gap if any on stock iroc springs. regular speed bumps are still no problem though.

Tip #1: ALWAYS watch your temps, you might have ur radio up and rip off your airdam and not even notice, and youll over heat.

Tip #2: These cars reallllly make you want to punch it every chance you get, but try your best not to

Tip #3: everyone tests you in these, i've had soccer moms in mini vans/suv's try to race me at stop lights, Only reason i dont race them is i figure they could probably take me LOL.

'87IROCZOWNER69

iTrader: (1)

You pretty much said it all. It also helps to have racing in your blood when you start driving these things. For instance my great uncle won a 65 mustang fastback. My grandpa built his own '57 vette which he purchased in a bunch of boxes. He also builds and races motorcycles. As for my mom she had El Caminos and a 65 fastback when she was in high school which she would drag race people in all the time. She is 45 now so thats over 25 years of experience. Because of that I have been able to punch it around corners in my 350 IROC and have it slide completly sideways and always be able to pull it back into place without any swerving or wobbling. Im 16 and have been driving since April. Also I have found that some of those racing games (Need for Speed on the Wii because it has somewhat realistic steering controls) helped me out quite a bit with learning how to keep the car under control. Also if you have a bad back like me (being a lineman in football is not easy on your back) these cars virtually have no lumbar support, so maybe keep a small pillow if you desire. Plus Im about 5' 11" and (I have power seat) I have the seat all the way on the floor and all the way back and I am pretty comfortable. As for the people sitting behind me not so much. So when you first start driving take it easy. No speeding, peeling out, drifting, or anything else that could cause you to get a ticket or get in an accident. What size engine are you getting and is it an automatic or a stick shift? All in all have fun but only when you are coumfy with driving it first.

hardon85

great advice by all but I haven't seen anyone post about all the scraping. The trick is take every incline that you can at an angle if that makes sense, basically don't drive strait into an incline if you are turning and there is a dip in the road take a lazy corner until you get past the dip and then you can turn sharp. I know it's hard to explain but it really does help. I learned this with my 4th gen and scraped everything for a year and after I started doing this I rarely did it anymore, when I picked up my 3rd gen which the front end sits lower I haven't scraped the front end yet.

91phoenix

iTrader: (5)

Hardon85, That is great advice to him. I forgot all about that. I do it automatically when I get into any car after having had my Vette. It had 4 ft infront of the tires. I scraped at any speed dip here. Started angling through them and never scraped again.

chevydrvr

iTrader: (1)

wow thanks guys! All the "bad" things you are all listing just make me want to drive them more!

fadedirocz28

Oh yeah?... i left something out, being a young guy in a camaro, you're going to get pulled over. even if you're driving perfect, they're gonna pull you over.

Have fun

noel8877

i never realized how much these things scrape...and that's with the factory ride height?
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chevydrvr

iTrader: (1)

Won't stop me! At least they won't have anything to give me! haha

Is this a quote of what I said earlier? If it is...why?

Spike_Akers

oh yes... yes they will have lots to give you.... "son, whats up with your exhaust, it sounds like a harley, heres a citation for it." "son, has anyone ever said anything about your tint?? it doesnt have tint?? well, i say it does.. im gonna have to give you a citation" "sir step out of the car please, i noticed some erratic accelerating, hold your arms out and..... " "son, i dont see inspection stickers on your plates... yes son, classic tags need them. im gonna have to write you a citation"....

for a while the judge will throw them out... but once they give you enough, they will eventually start sticking... i have no clue why they do it... i guess that because they have a bad day and a shitty job, they gotta take it out on us...

be respectful. and try your best to keep yourself out of trouble.... (yes i have had these and more, mostly in a my talon.. seeing as my camaro didnt run very long before it quit again)

SeriousGearhead

I had a 2010 Civic sneak up on me once, I saw him try to swoop around (I periodically check my mirrors for some reason) so I clicked the the shifter into 2nd and punched it, only a 305 but still more than the hamster and wheel could take in that Civic. Everybody thinks they got nuggets of steel when they get near these cars. With the cops in my area, I dunno what the deal is. I have passed by village, county, and state police and haven't been pulled over yet. Knock on wood. My exhaust is pretty loud, even when I'm barely accelerating. I know when and where I can get slightly stupid and not cause harm though too.

firebird904

Around here where I live cop's are more concerned in speeding and those jacked up caprice's with 26 inch rims and subs that are making the car fall apart.... I ran my firebird with open header's for the longest time and would drive by cop's with no issue.

hardon85

I agree if you can drive normal and stay out of other trouble they will leave you alone. But if you do get pulled over just try to be real friendly and act as helpful as you can. If you get followed a lot just pull over before they give you a reason to pull you over. I picked up my 3rd gen about 6 months ago and the cops have never even given me a second look but when I had my 4th gen I got followed all the time but once I pulled over for them a few times and they saw I was doing nothing wrong I haven't been bothered since. Also on my 3rd gen I don't have the front plate on either and this was always the reason I got pulled over for in my 4th gen at least that's what they said.

Spike_Akers

i want to live where yall do... because around here... if youre under 30, and have anything that isnt a minivan, or a completely stock sedan you get pulled for everything...

me and my friends have lost most of our hobby to the cops around here... they literally have figured out where we live, and wait for us to go to work and so on... and i have pulled over for them... and then they speed up the road, and then theres another one behind me in a matter of minutes... its ridiculous... i have considered many times reporting it... but its all the cops around here... so who do i report it too?? thats my problem... its gotten bad here...

hardon85

Talk to the chief of police just tell him you are getting a lot of cops bothering you and there doesn't seem to be any reason for it (I assume you have a good driving record?). But I'm 28 and I haven't been followed in over 5 years just remember if you are not doing anything wrong they can't do anything. Continue pulling over for them and if they find some stupid reason to pull you over ask a TON of questions about it and drive the point home that you didn't know you were breaking the law and are sorry and maybe ask what the purpose of the law is. I live in a town where everybody complains about the cops and "they are just looking to get you" however I don't do anything wrong (mainly drinking while driving) and they just left me alone.

Back to the original topic you mentioned that "the bad things everybody talks about makes you want to drive one of these cars" Truly that is one of the funnest things about these cars. There is no anti-lock brakes, traction control, auto climate control (in most anyway), drive by wire or steer by wire, everytime I drive my car I keep thinking about how I am really driving MY car and there is no computer assisting me with anything it is all me (I do have a 5 speed so that helps). If your parents will allow get one and you will have a blast I promise whether you keep the car or get rid of it you will always remember it and I'm sure if you get rid of it you will want another one.