Ws6 vs Camaro SS some advice please

**TransDreamer** · 10-10-2006, 07:39 PM

Ok im working a shity job to save up some money for a down payment type thing. My mom wants me to have money in the bank before i take a loan to buy a car. I have a 95 bird v6 3.4 now and i love it but its an auto and i want a ws6 or a v8 ss camaro... i want to know which one is better, im talking speed. i am thinking of takeing a 10k-12k loan plus ill have like 3k in the bank. ive seen trans an chevys on ebay and autotraders in that price range. I am new to cars in a sense and i would like some help geting started (im not a complete noob) i want a stock so i can add mods myself and learn as i go... well sry for this lonnng thread but some advice on the SS or ws6 would be good and do you think its a good idea for a 16yr old (probally 17 when i buy it) to take a loan... i mean is it worth the payments?

**99_natural_beauty** · 10-10-2006, 08:01 PM

As far as speed goes, stock for stock, the SS and WS6 are identical. At least in 98-02 years, and if you're looking at spending at least 10k you shouldn't look for anything older than that unless it's hardly ever been driven. As far as which one is better overall, well that's pretty much a matter of opinion. The SS was originally priced a tad lower than the WS6, but I'm biased on the Pontiac side just because most years I've liked the look of them better. On 4th gens I love both of them, I'm just more of a sucker for the Firebird, that's all. Pick whichever one you like best.

For 10-12k you should be able to find one in decent shape with relatively low miles. I think it's great that you want to do the mods yourself and learn as you go, I personally feel that's the best way to go. Plus you'll take a lot more pride in the work, knowing it's your own vehicle.

I think taking a loan while you're that age is a great idea, provided you are definitely going to be able to maintain the payments. Don't overextend yourself, and if you're not sure, make the payments a little lower. Most banks will allow you to make additional payments towards the principal if you're ever feeling rich and want to put more money on it. That will save you a bunch of money in interest. Either that, or save the extra for mods or unexpected work that's needed suddenly. Even if you never get into an accident or never screw something up on your own, things will break over a period of time, and it's nice to have a little saved for emergencies.

**Thorazine Shuffle** · 10-11-2006, 03:29 AM

You also might want to check into insurance before you jump into that kind of ride. Insurance companies look at 16 year old kid + 350 HP = nothing good.

But anyway you can get a pretty nice car for your price range. I just bought a 00 WS6 W/54K for 13K... Good luck

**Ponti-MANIac** · 10-11-2006, 05:05 AM

Originally Posted by Thorazine Shuffle

You also might want to check into insurance before you jump into that kind of ride. Insurance companies look at 16 year old kid + 350 HP = nothing good.

But anyway you can get a pretty nice car for your price range. I just bought a 00 WS6 W/54K for 13K... Good luck

Another thing to keep in mind is that these cars are in no way meant to be driven in areas that get snow in the winter months so keep that in mind if your prepared to make payments on a car that may be sitting in storage. Also, you may not like to hear this but seeing as how I got my drivers license 6 years before you were born I think a little advise may be appropriate.........I'm sure you are a responsible young driver but at 16 years old you may want to get a few more years of driving experience under your belt before you grab the reins on that many horses. It takes a serious amount of discipline to know when and where it's ok to play with the power these cars produce and at 39 years old I still have to remind myself that there is a time and a place to mash the loud peddle. When you get behind the wheel of these cars you just want to let it rip cause that's what they were made for and that's why we bought 'em. I went thru the windshield of a Camaro Z-28 at 18 years old after my buddy who was driving hit a tree. It was not a pretty site nor did it feel very good and it all boiled down to a lack of maturity and respect for what the car was capable of.
Anyway I don't mean to sound like I'm preaching, just be damn careful and don't let your friends talk you into doing stupid shit with the car. Fast cars are very cool, but they are even cooler when the operator doesn't drive like an idiot.

**Pyromaniacal** · 10-11-2006, 08:58 AM

Amen to the above poster.

I did not take my T/A lightly, at making over 400 horse and custom paint I drive it like a saint, I only VERYVERY rarely even go over 5 over the speed limit. There is indeed a time and a place to go fast and have fun, you MUST select those times and places appropriately, believe me brother, I've seen a lot of my buddies with nice cars crash that shit, and get seriously hurt. Or they are knee deep in tickets for various things, cars impounded, etc etc. The long arm of the law does not care if you are under 18, although I'm sure you've seen your buddies in the same situations.

EXAMPLE: A bit of an obscure friend of mine got his hands on a '98 WS6 with a few mods done, he had it for about a month before he went careening into a stone median at 90, in a 55mph zone. Hes only alive because it hit the passenger side, not the driver side, he t-boned the median when he was doing stupid shit at high speeds.

If you do make the leap and get your hands on an SS/WS6, they're virtually identicle, so I urge you to choose whichever you like the styling more on. Although I have to say, Camaros have more customization options in the aftermarket, as far as visuals are concerned. (body kits, hoods, wings, etc etc) However, performance wise they are indeed identicle. Keep in mind also that they are summer/spring/fall only cars, in the snow, they will not treat you well, I say this from experience. Oh and, get a damned 6 speed, you will kick yourself in the ass if you don't, lol, also from experience.

To sum this all up, my advice is, get your hands on a car that will get you to and from work and back, while getting good gas mileage. Stay happy with this car until you can afford your WS6/SS, and then have them both. One car for business, and one car for business AND fun.

If you only read one paragraph of this post, make it this one. You need a car that can get you to work and back alongside of your WS6/SS, imo, it is the golden rule that all muscle car/fast car owners should abide by, it will keep you from getting burned when the inevitable happens. (breakage)

Good luck to you!

**TransDreamer** · 10-11-2006, 10:59 AM

You guys are awesome on this forum, great advice i am thankful to you all for your input. I finally found a car forum to settle into, (i learn the most on forums, i also research alot on google.) I plan to keep my 95 bird and take the insurence off it during the summer/spring/fall and keep it at my house. then store the ws6/ss in winter. i also plan to buy the ss/ws6 in march when i turn 17 to help on the insurence (i hear 16yr olds get mad insurence from you guys and others even though i have a clean record). Ok guys this is a big reason why i want a v8... i hate ricers... all the kids at my school have civics/acuras/wrx/evo/ ( their parents pay for them all... i will feel good paying for my own in full and it will make me be safe with it... it will be my baby!)blah blah... no true muscle other than one mustang Gt which pretty fast. How would my ws6/ss m6 hold up to a WRX with around 350hp... this kid with it talks alot of shit about how bad ws6 and camaros are how he would whoop them.
Thanks soo much for all the help guys.
P.s. how hard will it be for me to get a loan with my mom co-signing? or should i let here get a loan and i just pay her?

**99_natural_beauty** · 10-11-2006, 11:39 AM

Originally Posted by TransDreamer

Ok guys this is a big reason why i want a v8... i hate ricers... all the kids at my school have civics/acuras/wrx/evo/ ( their parents pay for them all... i will feel good paying for my own in full and it will make me be safe with it... it will be my baby!)blah blah... no true muscle other than one mustang Gt which pretty fast. How would my ws6/ss m6 hold up to a WRX with around 350hp... this kid with it talks alot of shit about how bad ws6 and camaros are how he would whoop them.
Thanks soo much for all the help guys.
P.s. how hard will it be for me to get a loan with my mom co-signing? or should i let here get a loan and i just pay her?

I understand wanting to prove your friends wrong about which car is better, faster, or whatever, but don't get a WS6/SS for the wrong reasons. Don't get it just because you want to show someone up. It sounds like it's going to be very easy for your friends to talk you into some races, and it's probably going to be just as easy to take the bait. But please take it to the track and not the streets. On a track, usually you're only endangering yourself, but on a street even the safest driver under extreme conditions is endangering everyone around him. You've got to have respect for your car, and that includes knowing when to take it easy and when it's okay to push it. Sorry, I'll get off my soapbox now.

As far as a loan goes, it will depend on the bank. If you've never had anything in your name like a checking or savings account or any bills, credit cards, or stuff like that, it may be difficult to get a loan even with her co-signing. I would try it first though, because if she gets the loan and you pay her back for it, it will give you 0 credit. The worst that can happen if you try for it with a co-signer is they will say no, and at that point you and she can decide if you want to do it the other way.

**Ponti-MANIac** · 10-11-2006, 11:39 AM

Transdreamer you're already scaring me with your reasons for wanting to buy the car. Don't worry about racing the rice. Buy the car because it's a beautiful machine that stands on it's own merit just by the fact that it is a decendent of legends. The rice is shit and that's why the guys who own them have to talk smack and race them. They have to come up with some way to make up for their small dicks. Dude when you show up with your new AMERICAN muscle your not going to have to race to justify your vehicles worth 'cause anyone using 2% of their brain will be able to see your car is totally bitchin' just sitting still. In other words Clark Kent already knows who the "F" Superman is right? He doesn't have to kick everyones ass to prove it!
And as far as the loan is concerned if your man enough to drive the beast you need to be man enough to put your name on the note.

**TransDreamer** · 10-11-2006, 11:47 AM

Let me clear this up.... i hate ricers yes, i am not geting a ss/ws6 to own them although its a plus i am buying one cause i love domestic muscle!! i love the noise the car makes... i love the way it looks, i love the history, belive me i am buying it for the right reasons. Anyways you guys think i could take a wrx? its fast as hell. And yes i will run it at the track and on closed roads, places i know its safe to run people at. You made a very good point natural 99 when you said dont endanger others. I never thought of it like that, i always thought of it as dont hurt myself... but yes i will be safe thanks agian guys... i just hope and pray i can get a loan or i will have to save up till i graduate to buy one...

**Ponti-MANIac** · 10-11-2006, 12:19 PM

Originally Posted by TransDreamer

Let me clear this up.... i hate ricers yes, i am not geting a ss/ws6 to own them although its a plus i am buying one cause i love domestic muscle!! i love the noise the car makes... i love the way it looks, i love the history, belive me i am buying it for the right reasons. Anyways you guys think i could take a wrx? its fast as hell. And yes i will run it at the track and on closed roads, places i know its safe to run people at. You made a very good point natural 99 when you said dont endanger others. I never thought of it like that, i always thought of it as dont hurt myself... but yes i will be safe thanks agian guys... i just hope and pray i can get a loan or i will have to save up till i graduate to buy one...

My young friend all I can say is you've got alot of people on this forum trying to make you understand a very simple point that you don't seem to be grasping because you don't know the difference between what matters and what doesn't. It's blatently obvious that you don't have a clue what we're talking about. I seriously think your mother should reconsider letting you get a muscle car until you have more responsible priorities.

If you want to buy the car just to blow the doors off a WRX then maybe you could rent one some place, race the rice, get your answer and save yourself a bunch of cash.

**99_natural_beauty** · 10-11-2006, 12:47 PM

Give him a break, I think he understands just fine. He's said he'll take it to the track. Whether or not that actually happens is up to him. He already has a Firebird, and yes it's a step from one to the next, but at least that gives him more of an idea of what these cars are about.

By the way, stock for stock, I believe the WRX would take you. They're AWD and quick to boot. Don't take my word for it though, I've never gone up against one, I'm just going by timeslips I've seen.

**Hot Black Trans-Am** · 10-11-2006, 01:27 PM

The Trans-am is the way to go for looks. I've had little kids cringe just by looking at the front of it. Just don't try to impress your friends by doing stupid crap in front of the school. I wouldn't even recomend parking it at the school. It seem all the less fortunate or lazy people always try to ruin a bad thing for the people that work for their stuff. You'll most likely get crap thrown on your car or worse.

Theese cars and not bad winter cars by anymeans with the right tires on them. If you try running on high performance summer or all season tires sure it'll be bad. Drive any car with summer tires in the winter and it'll be bad. I really have fun winter driving in a TA while the rest of the people are running around in the rice cars they don't want to admit having. I have front wheel drive cars for winter. I'll take rwd anyday over fwd in any conditions.

**SeVeReDiStOrTiOn** · 10-11-2006, 09:37 PM

You sound too immature for anything over 200hp...keep the sixer so you'll live to see 20 and then get a ls1/lt1.

Lack of driving experience + being easy provoked by ricers x 350hp =

**Ponti-MANIac** · 10-12-2006, 04:42 AM

Originally Posted by SeVeReDiStOrTiOn

You sound too immature for anything over 200hp...keep the sixer so you'll live to see 20 and then get a ls1/lt1.

Lack of driving experience + being easy provoked by ricers x 350hp =

Thank you SeVeReDiStOrTiOn for emphasizing my earlier point. 99 Natural Beauty thought I was being a little rough on our young friend when in fact I was trying to do the kid a favor that he probably won't appreciate for another 10 years. And as far as TransDreamer saying he will only race his car on the track, well I'm afraid that he's going to have to wait until he's 18 before they'll let him do it. AND WHO THE F&CK IN THEIR RIGHT MIND BELIEVES A 16 YEAR OLD WHO SAY'S THEY WON'T RACE THEIR 350 HP CAR ON THE OPEN ROAD!!

**qrunchi** · 10-12-2006, 06:59 AM

I had a Z28 when I was about 17-18 and it got my license taken away.... Not saying that would happen to everyone and anyone. But I'm 23 now, and now have the fastest car I've ever owned, my 01 TA, and I still get tempted.
But it took years to correct the license and insurance problems.

**7camaro7** · 10-12-2006, 07:22 AM

I got my first camaro when I was 16. SURE, I had much temptation to do crazy stuff. highschool friends telling me to do burn outs all the time, I still get that now that I have the SS. back in high school they act like image is everything, BUT you must not forget what your car means to you, what you mean to yourself, and that being safe is THE MOST important thing.

my first one was a v6 with about 200hp and it was lots of fun, but I'd always remember to respect my car and it respected me. right before I got my car my friends parents were all trying to discourage my grandmother from helping me get it. The insurance companies were saying its like putting a loaded gun in a babies hands. THEY ACTUALLY SAID THAT. pissed me off. they didn't know me or anything, but they hear the name CAMARO and you've instantly got this badass muscle car legend thats capable of 160mph while they're ignorant of it being v6. My grandmother trusted me and I've always been careful. Even though it was a v6 it had a nice kick to it. Now the ls1, is a totally different kind of kick but either way you've got to respect it. My grandmother had faith in me and knows that I'm a good driver so I did end up getting the car and never had a wreck in it. I actually avoided many wrecks! I had it for 4years and this last summer I got my dream car(for now, but one of the many on my list nonetheless) which is an 02 ss vert black leather, black top, chrome ss wheels, 6spd, factory cme(center mount exhaust)*I've only seen it twice in person, on someone elses and mine*, and lots of other stuff. Basically I'm happy as can be with my car.

people try to race me all the time(I have to fight it, because I really want to, but think about losing your car, and that'll keep you from it.

basically stay out of trouble, and tell your ricer friends to shut up, hahaha!

be safe whatever you do!

**SeVeReDiStOrTiOn** · 10-12-2006, 10:22 AM

It's more of a maturity thing to me...sometimes age plays a role and other times not. I was all for him getting a ls1 until I read his responses

2000pontiac6 · 10-12-2006, 10:37 AM

Originally Posted by 99_natural_beauty

Give him a break, I think he understands just fine. He's said he'll take it to the track. Whether or not that actually happens is up to him. He already has a Firebird, and yes it's a step from one to the next, but at least that gives him more of an idea of what these cars are about.

By the way, stock for stock, I believe the WRX would take you. They're AWD and quick to boot. Don't take my word for it though, I've never gone up against one, I'm just going by timeslips I've seen.

I dont think he should be given a break at all... I'm 18 and i have a v6 but my friend that was 18 when he got his 98 TA babies his car to death. he'd even take the bus to school if it rained. That is the only kind of person at that age that should have an LS1. I went for a rise in it and damn that is a rediculous amount of power. I dont think the original poster realizes how much power 300+ horsepower actually is. Test drive one first and you'll scare yourself shitless and probably want one even more but the please at least take dont just take it out to race the wrx right away. you really need to get used to driving one of these amazing machines. And there was a good point that you need to be 18 to race at the track..17 if signed off for.

Also I think youre talking about a WRX STI that might beat a trans am or camaro... the WRXs could not take a trans am withotu a lot of mods. Also you will need a great deal of experience launching a trans am/camaro ESPECIALLY a 6-speed. Thats were your friend will kill you if you cant drive it

sorry for the long post

2000pontiac6 · 10-12-2006, 10:41 AM

Oh.. and insurance is going to be a bitch. getting it when ur 17 rather then 16 wont make much of a difference. When i got my v6 the insurance company said 2100 a year and i asked if i got a v8 what would it be and they said $3300 a year... Keep that in mind on top of your loan you'll be trying to pay off

**romulo13** · 10-12-2006, 11:07 AM

My parents bought my V6 firebird at 18, I had until I was 22 when I got out of college and was able to pay for a 01 WS6 on my own. Then my father passed away and even at twenty two I was not mature enough to deal with a tragedy like that, so I started drinking heavily and ended up in a bayou a few blocks from my house. I flew twenty feet down at about ninety miles per hour. Shattered my rims because I was lucky enough to clear the water and land on the other side on all for tires. Pure luck. Totaled vehicle.
You can say whatever you want about maturity today, but it is not until you have a bad day and want to let out some anger, before you know how mature you really are. Fail a test, unload on the TA, Girl problems unload on the TA, Parent problems, unload on the TA, Job sucks, unload on the TA. Kill someone in the TA, unload on yourself the rest of your life. Too much power for the age.