GMI Celebrates 40th Anniversary of Camaro!

[GTOken]

Originally Posted by Minnesota Nice

I have a feeling many will disagree with me, but...

Firebird > Camaro

*puts on flame suit*

I agree.

[CharlotteFirebird]

Originally Posted by Minnesota Nice

I have a feeling many will disagree with me, but...

Firebird > Camaro

*puts on flame suit*

I agree, although not for every year. Overall, yes, to me Firebird > Camaro. I've had both, BTW.

It's unfortunate that GM had to decide to engineer and build the 5th generation in other countries; otherwise, I'd be happy to buy a new one.

[stevecmh]

that first generation is my fav..

oh and the new one

but just great looking American cars

[Stéphane Dumas]

I wonder if the genesis of the Camaro might had begin as the "Super Nova" concept-car? http://www.classicnovas.net/features/snova/index.htm
I also heard some stories then the Camaro was supposed to be originally called "Panther" as well.

[jwrebholz]

I've wanted a Camaro since I was a little boy. Ever since I first saw one I knew I wanted one. I'm going to have one. I don't know how long it will take, but I am GOING to ahve one.

[Butz]

It's a shame BigAls, it's the Camaro 40th Birthday and it's not here yet.

What I find wrong, is that every generation lasted forever (10+ years), except for the first. With the new Zeta, hopefully things will change and we'll be seeing a new Camaro every 4 or 5 years.

Originally Posted by Minnesota Nice

I have a feeling many will disagree with me, but...

Firebird > Camaro

*puts on flame suit*

I not DISAGREE

The Firebird always looked better than its mechanical twin.

[BigAls87Z28]

Originally Posted by ColinOpseth

Nice article. One correction, though. The Camaro and Nova were on the same chassis. I suppose that would also include the Pontiac Ventura. As well, the IROC-Z package did not require Tuned Port Injection. TPI was optional on IROC-Zs because the IROC-Z package was a suspension and appearance package. The IROC-Z package also came with the "wonderbar," thicker sway bars and lower ride height. As well, many IROC-Zs produced from 1988-1990 came with 15" IROC-Z wheels. Also, the first gen didn't debut the Camaro, it was released in many variants such as 283/302/307/327/350/396.

I own IROC-Z.org so don't debate me; I'll own you.

Nice article--it definitely got me thinking about why I love my Camaro's so much.
Take care,
Colin

Not gunna aruge with you, I know the third gen well. I didnt say that the TPI 305 was the only engine in the IROC, its that the IROC was the only car to recieve the TPI engine in 1985. When the 350 TPI showed up, the 305 TPI became the top engine for the Z28. I know...I have one.
I know that IROC also came with 15's, but my discussion was for the FIRST IROC years of 1985 when it was above the Z28.
The 1967 Camaro did debut the 350 cubic inch engine, that is a matter of fact. I dont care what else it came with, my point was that it was also the start of the 350 engine, not that it had a variable range of engines. This wasnt going to be a total history lesson, it was a basic review of the last 40 years of Camaro and the high points. Maybe in another thread, on another day we can get into the millions of combos that Camaros could have or couldnt have came with.

This thread is to discuss YOUR story of Camaro, not to discuss history of the car itself.
Tell your story of how YOU were first aquainted with Camaro.

Originally Posted by Stéphane Dumas

I wonder if the genesis of the Camaro might had begin as the "Super Nova" concept-car? http://www.classicnovas.net/features/snova/index.htm
I also heard some stories then the Camaro was supposed to be originally called "Panther" as well.

True, till the last second, The car was going into production as the Panther. There were molds made for the name, and it wasnt till Chevy thought of adding another C name to the C-filled line up that the name was changed to Camaro, meaning "Friend" in an old French dictionary.
Corvette is also french for a small class of Destroyers or Frigiets...not 100% sure.

And yes, the "Return of the King" was 1977, that was a typo.

[CamaroCrazy]

Great article!

I have a strong attachment to the 4th gen cars, which is why I just bought another one only 3 days ago! I picked up a white 2000 V6 with a 5 speed to get me through to 2009 when I can get a new 5th gen, and also to allow my 1994 Z28 to keep doing what it does best: throwing down at the drag strip. Who knows, maybe the 2000 will get an engine swap in the future. 502? 572?

For those of you like me itching for the 5th gen, here's some info that I know of:

* Hendrick Chevrolet in Cary, NC (my local dealer) is currently accepting $2,000 deposits on the '09s. They claim that next summer they will have one or two in the showroom for display and hype purposes only, sales begin Jan '09. They claim since they are a large volume Corvette dealer, they will have preference over other NC Chevy dealers when it comes to the volume of Camaros they receive in '09. I worked at a Ford dealer in college back when the new '05 Mustangs came out and they were sold before they even came off the truck. Especially the GT's. So hang on, it might be hard to get a Camaro right away in 2009.

* I was at the Ontario (Canada) Camaro Car show in June and they had the silver concept there. For really up close pictures of the car, see the link below. A GM rep. there said the launch will go like this: first wave will be just V8's. Then the V6's will launch, then all that will be followed by a higher output V8 (hello 430hp 6.2 SS!). All this over the course of 1-1.5 years. Since rumor is that GM wants to phase out the LS2, might we expect a revised, 350hp-ish 5.3 V8 as the base V8 model? A new Z28 if you will?

This is the info that I have, if someone has something different from a reliable source, please post it, we'd like to hear it!

These are the Concept pics from that Ontario Car Show:
http://rides.webshots.com/album/553029165uVRdxN

[AndrewGS]

And no 40th Anneversary Camaro to celebrate with.

[racy]

I always liked the '67/68 better than the '69 body style. That could be merely because my first car was a 1968 Camaro, but I doubt it. Even in the pictures above, my eye wanders to the '67 more thanit does the '69. My baby was an RS/SS, all black. The engine was a radically built 350 with a tunnel ram with dual Holley's sitting on top. Not until I got my Vette, would any car get more looks.

My second Camaro was also an RS, but the year was 1990. Black. It had T-Tops, and a tbody 305. The engine didn't wind up very high, but had low end torque that I still miss today - low end torque that's not in my Vette or 4th Gen LS1. I had that car for 10 years, and I'd buy another for a project car if I had the time and money.

My 3rd Camaro was a 2002 SS. Again, black in color. I was in the dealership getting ready to purchase a used car. While I was waiting for them to move the car around, I decided to test drive the '02 SS sitting on the side of the building. I hadn't quite bonded with the 4th Gen's looks, but since I had a place in my heart for Camaros, I just wanted to see what the latest Camaro was all about. I took a little stroll in the car with the sales man. Rather uneventful and mostly just buying time until the other car was ready. I wasn't all that impressed. On the way back to the dealership, just a few hundred yards away, something made be drop the car into 2nd and mash the pedal to the floor.

Holy CRAP !! I experienced for the first time, the true power of the mighty LS1. I was thrown back into the seat as was the salesman. It pulled like nothing I had driven before. I immediately made a U-Turn back away from the dealership, so I could try it again. My mind was made up. I was in love with the car and purchased it instead of the other that was waiting for me at the dealership.

[EldoFan]

Call me crazy.......but I've grown to love the third gen. the best.....even though power output may be miniscule by today's standards, the styling completely owned the equiv. Mustangs of the day......

[yell-01vette]

Not to rain on your parade, but from everything I've read from Scott Settlemire (pretty much the last word on the Camaro) over @ camaroz28.com, your dealer isn't going to have a production model camaro in his showroom until at least October '08, and that would be the extreme earliest. Supposedly thats when the first ones start rolling down the line. I'd have your deposit in and you dealer's # on speed dial if you want one before March, and you'll still probably be the only one on your block for quite a while. I'm a certified Camaro nut (went to Detroit for the unveil, just bought a second 4th gen for me & my dad to build a drag car),and I think this release is going to be even crazier than the release of the latest Stang as far as obnoxious dealer markups and ridiculously long waiting lists. This thing has been hyped beyond belief. It was the star of a 300+ million motion picture for chrissakes.

[TahoeMikeZ71]

The 5th gen Camaro is making new Camaro fans out of people. A lot of people I know are excited for it and are already planning for '09.

[JeffInDFW]

My very first car when I was 16 was a 1978 red Trans Am.
Sold it and bought a 1982 black Trans Am.
Traded it in on a brand new 1986 black Trans Am.
Traded it in on a brand new 1995 Z28 Convertible 6-speed.
Added a 1996 WS6 Trans Am 6-speed for my wife.
Added a 1995 V-6 5 speed Camaro for beater car.
Traded in wife and her Trans Am for better, newer wife.
Added another 1995 Z28 6-speed, now with 180,000 miles.

I am 40 years old now, and there has ALWAYS been a Camaro or Firebird in my driveway. I was president of the Camaro/Firebird Car Club of Dallas. So, yes, I felt like I lost a family member when GM killed the cars in 2002. Thank you Scott Settlemire for all you have done for us Camaro guys behind the scenes at GM. Scott not only fights for the Camaro in the corporation, but he is the best ambassador I can imagine.

I can only hope that between Scott and Bob Lutz, that GM is doing the new Camaro right. I have been waiting a long time for this car......

[Silverado14]

The two cars in my Dad's driveway when I was a kid was a 1964 Black Impala SS and my favorite Camaro of all time, a 1967 Camaro RS/SS 350 yellow with black b. bee stripes! Since then, Camaros (and Vettes, which I have never been able to afford....yet) have warmed by heart. My sister has also had many, 72 Rally Sport, 81 Spt Coupe, and two of my four, a 1987 Spt Cp V-8 with a 5-speed (which see still has!) and a 1989 RS with a V8. My other two were Z28s. A 1982 and a 1993 LT1 Z28 that a buddy and I got to drive across country (to Calf. and back) on Route 66. Sadly I had to sell it 4 years later to afford going back to college full time. Even worse, 6 plus years later when I could finally afford to get a new one again, it was too late! ...so I got theclosest thing (that I could afford) to a Camaro that Chevy made that year, a Silverado RWD sportside (reg. cab) V-8, which I like a lot and still have. Thank you Chevy and Bob Lutz for bring our sweetheart, the Camaro back! Those tears of sadness are now tears of joy.