Big Bang Theory
When it comes to buying a pre-owned Camaro, you just can't pass up a good deal. And nothing makes it sweeter than negotiating that good deal into a great one. Damon Causey surprised himself when he made an offer well below the seller's asking price for this gorgeous 1998 Chevy Camaro. "When I first saw the car for sale, the owner was asking $12,900. The guy took excellent care of the car, and he told me it's never been driven in the rain-well, it showed," said Damon. "To make a long story short, I went back the next day drove it home for $9,500. It didn't settle in right away, but after driving the car for a while, I realized that I got one hell of a ride for a great price."
"My Dad always had old Camaros around when I was growing up, so that's why I have an interest in them," Damon points out. "Now my dad has a '99 with the opposite colors as mine. We get a lot of 'thumb's up' when we get both cars on the road and out to shows."
Damon's been gradually hopping up the LS1 a little at a time. So far he's upgraded it with a GM hot cam, LS6 valve springs, and a polished finish Weiand intake. Ceramic-coated Pacesetter 1 3/4-inch headers dump into a 3-inch Flowmaster exhaust system and American Thunder 80 series mufflers keep the exhaust note tolerable yet still aggressive.
Suspension mods include a host of UMI products including panhard bar, three-point subframe connectors, tunnel brace-mounted torque arm, and lower control arms.
"For the price you just can't beat an LS-powered fourth-gen Camaro," Damon exclaimed. "This car has been absolutely amazing. I drive it to the track, run high 12-second passes in the quarter-mile on street tires, drive back home, then to work the next day. I've even beaten Corvettes and Mustangs that costs five times the money. Oh, and it gets 25 mpg on the highway. As far as I'm concerned these cars are the best bang for the money."
Clean Cruiser
Bill Meyer of Allendale, Michigan, knows the value in keeping it simple. After all, when you roll in a '67 Camaro this sweet, fancy bits can end up becoming clutter. His Buttercup Yellow RS clone is powered by a mild 350ci small-block with Hedman headers mated to a Flowmaster exhaust system. The stock suspension was rebuilt with Energy Suspension components and some Edelbrock IAS shocks. The car rolls on 17-inch Wheel Vintiques painted in body color. The end result is a classic ride that's fun to cruise and will most likely never go out of style.
Bad In Black
Arizona denizen Chris Brock loves the performance of classic Camaros, but he also likes all the wiz-bang features found on newer cars. That meant the best choice was to pick up a '10 SS. To up the power output he slapped on a Magnuson TVS 2300 blower and helped it feed on copious amounts of atmosphere by adding a Roto-Fab cold air intake system. At a recent dyno test day at Stillen, the F-body put 534 hp and 488 pounds of twist to the tires. To improve the car's handling, Pfadt suspension parts were sourced along with a set of Eibach performance springs while Stillen slotted/drilled brake rotors and Hawk pads help bleed off speed. With that done, Chris then upgraded the aesthetics with a GM Heritage grille and some Forgestar rollers wrapped in Nitto NT05 rubber. It all makes for one badass Camaro that combines the best of both worlds.