The Most Bang for the Buck!

When you think of American Sportscars, what comes to mind? The Chevy Corvette? The Ford Mustang? The Pontiac Firebird/Trans Am? Ahhh...the Chevrolet Camaro Z28...a classic!

Why a Chevrolet Camaro Z28 Convertible? I just recently purchased a used 1999 Camaro Z28 Convertible. Now, I really didn't give this purchase much thought. I found it on the internet and it was a great price, so I went to the dealership the next day, test dove the car, bought it and took it home. Why wasn't it a hard decision, you ask? Well, I also own a 95 Trans Am Convertible which is basically the same car, only with different badging and some minor body molding differences. Since the Trans Am is such a great, reliable, fast car...I figured I couldn't go wrong buying the Z28! I must add, I am a total CHEVROLET fan...love the bowtie...the 350 engines...and the whole image that Chevrolet conveys. (Now, before all of you Ford fans go to crying, please bear in mind that Chevrolet has NASCAR's most winning engines. Also, later, I'll post my Ford Thunderbird nightmare story and you can see why I detest every Ford product out there, sorry).

The Exterior
The Camaro I purchased is light pewter metallic with a black top, black leather interior and 16" chrome wheels. The Chevy Camaros received a new front fascia in 1999, giving them halogen headlights and a more rounded front end. The change sure improved the look of the vehicle. The Camaro is sleek, (having a windshield sloped back at 68 degrees), low to the ground and wide. The Camaro rides on P245/50ZR-16 Performance Goodyear Eagle GS-C, which I have found grip the road well, even in rain. My Camaro has the ASR ,(Acceleration Slippage Reduction, aka: Traction Control), which may make a big difference in tire performance. The Camaro's exhaust consists of dual pipes positioned asymmetrically just below the rear bumper and have a nice rumble to them, (grrr).

The Interior
One of the first things you notice about the interior of the Camaro is the really deep dash. Remember about the sloped 68 degree windshield I told you about? Well, because of that...the Camaro gets the really deep dash. I think it's something the driver becomes quite accustomed to in no time. (A plus about that is most flying rocks will just graze the windshield and keep traveling without damaging it. Rarely do I see later model F-Body cars with cracked windshields). The Camaros have sport bucket front seats which are quite comfortable. I've heard some complaints from other epinionators, but I have no problem with them. Even on long trips, they are not a bother, though I feel as if I sit "on" them as opposed to "in" them, (if that makes sense). The convertible top drops at the push of a button which is convenient. When I put the top down, it's usually at a traffic light and takes about 10 seconds, total. The back glass of the top is heated which is also nice, even though I live in hot Texas. (I've used it a few times already). Now, one of the things I don't like about the Camaro is the shifter. I have an automatic transmission with the shifter on the floor, it's just that it's somewhat cheesy. You press the top to "engage" it, then either pull it back or forward depending on which gear you'd like to set it in. Sometimes when I'm driving down the road, it's a habit to rest my wrist on the "engage button" for easy access to the radio and I've often wondered if that would apply enough pressure to knock it out of gear. The folding back seats are also bucket and it's very cramped back there...in the same breath, this is a sportscar--not a family car and the seats are intended to lower your insurance rates.

Features
The Camaro I purchased is fully loaded and came with all of the following features, most of which were standard:

Power Everything
Air bags:
– Driver and front-passenger
Air conditioner
Console:
– Consists of front storage compartments, two front and rear cup holders, CD storage and an auxiliary power outlet
Cruise Control
Defogger
Foglamps
Remote Keyless Entry
Monsoon AM/FM premium sound system with 500-watt peak power, cassette player and speed-compensated volume
12-Dic CD Changer
Theft-deterrent alarm system with shock sensor
Six-way power driver seat
16-inch chromed-aluminum

Okay, now for the good stuff...What makes a Camaro...a Camaro Z28?
That's an easy question...it's the all aluminum 350 cubic inch small block 5.7 liter V-8 LS1 which produces more than 310 horsepower. (Now, I read yesterday that the Camaro Z28 actually has 340 hp, but Chevrolet didn't release that to the public because they didn't want to shadow the beloved Corvette--either way, you don't have to look at numbers to realize that this is one serious engine!). I don't even know how to describe the engine performance...all I can say is: "it is FAST". It accelerates quickly with no 'dead spots' and can go fom 0-60 in no time without notice. I've driven down the highway before at 90 mph and had no idea I was traveling that fast. It really is one helluva engine...you won't be embarrassed when the light turns green. The 4-speed automatic transmission shifts flawlessly.

The Camaro's Rack-and-pinion steering, Short/Long Arm (SLA) front suspension, performance-tuned shocks, stabilizer bars and front and rear springs make for impressive handling in every Camaro model. The ride is nice with a few bumps. Highway driving is smooth...minimal road noise, even for a convertible. This car is fun to drive, it turns heads and for the money, you can't go wrong.

If you're in the market for a Camaro, you're gonna have to settle for a used one since Chevrolet stopped production of them this year, (2002).

For more information, including a gallery of both interior and exterior photos, visit: http://www.chevrolet.com

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Thanks for reading my review!
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