2010 camaro ss or 2002 camaro z28

**pgviper** · 06-08-2011, 08:23 AM

Soon enough i'm going to be buying my next car however i'm torn between going with a 2010 ss or a 2002 z28.

I could probably get a 2010 ss for about 30k and the 2002 z28 for 15k so I would then be able to throw some money into modding the z28 but with the 2010 ss, I doubt I would have very much money to be able to work with.

Right now i'm a grad student so within the year I will be getting my first job. I got no loans so what I am making will be going straight to me.

Opinions?

**jad628** · 06-08-2011, 09:12 AM

Originally Posted by pgviper

Soon enough i'm going to be buying my next car however i'm torn between going with a 2010 ss or a 2002 z28.

I could probably get a 2010 ss for about 30k and the 2002 z28 for 15k so I would then be able to throw some money into modding the z28 but with the 2010 ss, I doubt I would have very much money to be able to work with.

Right now i'm a grad student so within the year I will be getting my first job. I got no loans so what I am making will be going straight to me.

Opinions?

Z28 and mod it.

**Firebirdjones** · 06-08-2011, 09:29 AM

What ever fits your situation best.

I myself don't like car payments. I also don't care for a used car that was someone elses mess. Hard to find a good one that hasn't been molested.

Do you have a place to work on cars? Tools? A used car is going to need something eventually. A new car has a warranty at least for a little while.

Alot of ways to look at it. If it were me, and I were a grad student trying to find my first job in this crappy market we are in,,,,I'd be looking for the cheapest dependable car I could find and forget the sporty car thing for a while.

**pgviper** · 06-08-2011, 09:52 AM

Ya I got a garage, tools and a dad who built a 67 SS from scratch. Literally not one piece is stock except for the roof and doors lol. I also want something that I can learn with. My only problem is that the 2002 z28 is almost ten years old now and i don't want to have to invest enough money into keeping it running to the point where I could have just bought a 2010 ss. Tricky situation if you ask me.

Thanks for the opinions and ideas!!! One thing people always forget about is maintenance and repairs and i've already had to deal with quite a bit of those on my maxima.

I read someone's signature on here and it said "cost, reliability and performance, choose two!" That is sooooooo true and a difficult choice.

**TLS_Addict** · 06-08-2011, 11:40 AM

The LS1 car is easy to mod and not that difficult to work on and the knowledge base is HUGE! However, if it was me I would go for the newer car. It IS a newer car and honestly you need something reliable with a warranty if you are going to be in your first job out of college.

I would go for the newer car in your situation. As a car just to mod and have a blast with I would go for the older car.

**sworn** · 06-08-2011, 12:06 PM

The LS1 car is easy to mod and not that difficult to work on and the knowledge base is HUGE! However, if it was me I would go for the newer car. It IS a newer car and honestly you need something reliable with a warranty if you are going to be in your first job out of college.

I would go for the newer car in your situation. As a car just to mod and have a blast with I would go for the older car.

What he said!

I would love a new SS Camaro, however I live in the Midwest and refuse to be without a four wheel drive vehicle. As such, I bought a new Jeep and have my 2002 Z28 as my fun car.....

**chuckie669** · 06-08-2011, 02:13 PM

I personally have not been a fan of the new camaro, so I may be biased.

Also, I can't imagine a used z28 being close to 15k. Maybe cause your in nyc, but that seems to be price of a pristine 4th gen ss.

At least in my area I've seen <80k mile z28 going for $ 6500-$ 10,000.

Shop around and find what suits you best and most affordable. Its not worth being financially unstable because of a car.

**02fbody35th** · 06-08-2011, 02:41 PM

Originally Posted by chuckie669

I personally have not been a fan of the new camaro, so I may be biased.

Also, I can't imagine a used z28 being close to 15k. Maybe cause your in nyc, but that seems to be price of a pristine 4th gen ss.

At least in my area I've seen <80k mile z28 going for $ 6500-$ 10,000.

Shop around and find what suits you best and most affordable. Its not worth being financially unstable because of a car.

these were my thoughts exactly. for a graduate i would say start out with the 02 and work your way up. thats what I did. but in my case the 02 was my dream car and I started with a 92 and worked my way up to my 02 35th Le. Best of wishes to you.

**10spokess** · 06-08-2011, 04:49 PM

I would go for the 02 Because if you are looking for speed or learning on a car, you wouldn't want to void the warantee or anything like that

**TLS_Addict** · 06-08-2011, 06:09 PM

Originally Posted by sworn

What he said!

I would love a new SS Camaro, however I live in the Midwest and refuse to be without a four wheel drive vehicle. As such, I bought a new Jeep and have my 2002 Z28 as my fun car.....

I have a Jeep and my Z28 as well. lol I had a Mountaineer and a GTO, then the Corvette.

**sworn** · 06-08-2011, 06:17 PM

I have a Jeep and my Z28 as well. lol I had a Mountaineer and a GTO, then the Corvette.

Nice!

Do you still have the Vette?

**pgviper** · 06-08-2011, 06:59 PM

Thank you everyone for the great advice.

I would prefer a car with less than 30k miles on it, I have a serious fear about used cars with a ton of miles.

I figured that the z28 would be a great car to start out with but what keeps getting at me is that they are almost 10 years old by now and no matter how many or little miles are on a car, after ten years, your gonna start having problems. Im the type of person who likes to buy something and hold onto it, almost making it an investment. The next car I get I will have for at least 5-10 years and by then the z-28 will be 15-20 years old. That's my argument for getting the 2010 ss

On the other hand, i can get a used z28 for almost a third of the price and have my fun with it along with being able to mod and learn from it without having to worry about screwing up a $30k car.

Everyone has given me great advice and the discussions have been great. I'm a new member here and really appreciating the help from everyone!!!!!!

**fastt** · 06-08-2011, 09:20 PM

I would get the 02 Z28 and try to save as much money as you can,because this world is mess up as you can see

.I just turn 39 years old on the 3 of this month and i got sons your age, and like i tell them you should try to start your on business.

**pgviper** · 06-09-2011, 04:26 AM

Being my own boss would be amazing!!! No matter how much money I end up making, i'm going to end up with a camaro ss. I've been raised from birth with my dad's. He's got pictures from 15 years ago with me standing up next to the headers and they are almost as tall as me hahaha.

Quick question about the 2002 z28, are there any problems that they have been starting to give people after this many years? Common problems that I should look into when trying to find one?

**sworn** · 06-09-2011, 05:10 AM

Quick question about the 2002 z28, are there any problems that they have been starting to give people after this many years? Common problems that I should look into when trying to find one?

Power window motors! The stock rear end is weak, especially if you're considering a M6.

**Smittro** · 06-09-2011, 07:21 AM

I would say take a look around the site..
Look @ what is usually going wrong with the 4th gens..
Then weigh that against a better class of car (which the 5th gen is reguardless of opinions) and the fact it will likely have a great warranty..
The 5th gan comes with a good engine and suspension.
Being 4 wheel independant means it will put a pickup axled car in the weeds cornering all day..
The interior of the 5th gen is night and day, far and away nicer inside than a 4th gen was ever optioned also..

I loved my 4th gen maybe a little too much, but I did'nt let that cloud my judgement when I went for a new reliable fully warranteed vehicle..
10 model years is an eternity..imho
Not to mention that parts are already starting to not be availible for the 4th gen anymore.. Leaving modding as your only choice..IMHO

Oh and.... Don't forget being an 02 means the paint will likely bubble and fall off @ some point too..
In the end I just got tired of it always needing something..

**jad628** · 06-09-2011, 07:43 AM

Bought my '99 M6 in early 2006 with 66,000 miles on it for $6500. It needed a headliner and the paint was going bad. Had a friend do an awesome paint job for $1800 a couple of years ago and the headliner was less than $200 (I installed).
I've replaced some things (window motors, stereo, headlights, grill, spoiler, a few mods) but that was more by choice than necessity. One set of tires and regular maintenance, it now has over 114,000 on it. I'm looking to have a new torque arm installed, pinion seal, service the rear-end and drivetrain for about $600. All together, I have less than $10K (total) in this car and it is still going on the original clutch.

Because of that, I do not subscribe to the 5th gen being a better platform. More creature comforts, less squeaks, and maybe a few less repairs due to age, are attributes of the 5th gen, but I know several owners of them who spend a lot of time with warranty issues. No car model is perfect. In the end, it matters how it is cared for and if the aesthetics please you, if you choose to go with the older (and less expensive) car.

Now that the "new" is wearing off, I still think most people prefer the looks of the 4th over the 5th. My .02.

**Deezl SS** · 06-09-2011, 07:53 AM

Have you sat in or driven either yet? If not, that's the first thing you should do. I was seriously thinking of getting rid of one of my 4th gens to get a 5th gen SS until I sat in it and drove it.

**10spokess** · 06-09-2011, 08:09 AM

A car being 15-20 years old is not a bad thing!
My dad has a 66 Corvette and that is around 45 years old and he takes care of that thing like a baby. Has 145,000+ miles on it and it still roll's like a champ! Its all about how well you take care of your car

**Firebirdjones** · 06-09-2011, 09:23 AM

Originally Posted by 10spokess

A car being 15-20 years old is not a bad thing!
My dad has a 66 Corvette and that is around 45 years old and he takes care of that thing like a baby. Has 145,000+ miles on it and it still roll's like a champ! Its all about how well you take care of your car

And that's the key, taking care of it goes a long way. I have a few unrestored 40+ year old cars here that still run fine. General maintanance is to be expected.

If you buy the 02, and it's a bone stock low mile example, and providing you leave the car stock and drive it civilized, it would probably provide you with many years of trouble free service as long as routine maintanance is performed.

Once you start modding, beating the hell out of it, etc.....then your chances of trouble free transportation diminish drastically.

If you want to treat it as a hot rod and drive it as such,,,then I'd suggest you keep a cheap backup car to drive just in case.