Gillbot's tire kickin feedback thread

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
Gillbot

Gillbot

Lifer
Jan 11, 2001
28,830
17
81
Spurring from this thread, i've been on the lookout for my next ride. i basically want something with some good power that I can just drive. No more mods unless they are simple and a warranty would be a BIG plus. I'm not opposed to buying used, I just prefer something newer. Actually, I would prefer used as I can't see spending the money on a new car to watch it lose 1/2 it's value as soon as I sign my name.

I was thinking CTS-V for the fun and room but jeebus those are pricey, even in used trim and not to mention nearly impossible to find around me. I've decided that my budget of around 30k seems a little low for what I want, but i'm not sure I want to step up THAT much to move into a newer CTS-V and the used prices just seem absurd.

I also decided that a Corvette is just silly. Why move from an impractical heavily modded Camaro into a 'Vette that's even more impractical. It would just be another car that would sit and never be driven.

Then I thought Camaro ZL1..... Same motor as CTS-V, albeit not as much room but I think with 2 small kids and a warranty it COULD be it. I need to go check out one at the dealer and see how the kids can fit. Then I also thought a tastefully modded 5th gen Camaro would easily fit within my previous budget but i'm concerned with reliability and mods. A big part of the reason I got rid of my old Camaro was that I modded it too much. It just wasn't easy to drive anymore and if I demodded it to make it more drivable it wouldn't be as fun, kind of a catch 22....

New mustangs seem decent but the transmission issues have me concerned.

Otherwise, I just don't see what's out there. I'm not a fan of the new BMW styling. I actually prefer the older boxier look as opposed to the newer rounded look. Plus I guess I am just old school American and I want the brute force straight line power......

Thoughts?
 
JulesMaximus

JulesMaximus

No Lifer
Jul 3, 2003
74,583
984
126
Gillbot said:
Spurring from this thread, i've been on the lookout for my next ride. i basically want something with some good power that I can just drive. No more mods unless they are simple and a warranty would be a BIG plus. I'm not opposed to buying used, I just prefer something newer. Actually, I would prefer used as I can't see spending the money on a new car to watch it lose 1/2 it's value as soon as I sign my name.

I was thinking CTS-V for the fun and room but jeebus those are pricey, even in used trim and not to mention nearly impossible to find around me. I've decided that my budget of around 30k seems a little low for what I want, but i'm not sure I want to step up THAT much to move into a newer CTS-V and the used prices just seem absurd.

I also decided that a Corvette is just silly. Why move from an impractical heavily modded Camaro into a 'Vette that's even more impractical. It would just be another car that would sit and never be driven.

Then I thought Camaro ZL1..... Same motor as CTS-V, albeit not as much room but I think with 2 small kids and a warranty it COULD be it. I need to go check out one at the dealer and see how the kids can fit. Then I also thought a tastefully modded 5th gen Camaro would easily fit within my previous budget but i'm concerned with reliability and mods. A big part of the reason I got rid of my old Camaro was that I modded it too much. It just wasn't easy to drive anymore and if I demodded it to make it more drivable it wouldn't be as fun, kind of a catch 22....

New mustangs seem decent but the transmission issues have me concerned.

Otherwise, I just don't see what's out there. I'm not a fan of the new BMW styling. I actually prefer the older boxier look as opposed to the newer rounded look. Plus I guess I am just old school American and I want the brute force straight line power......

Thoughts?
Click to expand...

How old are the kids? My son is 10 going on 11 and he's growing so fast I don't see him fitting in the back of my wife's Lexus IS250 for much longer. I think he's already too big for a Camaro. Hell, he's almost as tall as my wife now.

Maybe look for a used Pontiac G8?
 
Dr. Detroit

Dr. Detroit

Diamond Member
Sep 25, 2004
8,530
934
126
Easy Decision -

Dodge Challenger SRT8

Expansive roomy rear seat, big trunk and straight line power is impressive. Plus they look cool. They depreciate quick so picking up a used 2011 SRT8 with the 6.4L motor can be done for around $35K.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2011...0037847?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item3ccef28457

Runners up:
E55 Hammer
http://www.cargurus.com/Cars/l-Used-2001-Mercedes-Benz-E-Class-E55-AMG-t37917#listing=48215761

2003 E55 Kompressor (Like the Hammer design better)
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/E55-...8535556?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item337fdd3504

E39 M5
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/BMW-...7971254?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item41705c4c36

Genesis R-Spec 426HP
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2012...1820490?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item417097084a


And if you have to go Camaro I'd stick with a SS and add the 1LE package - that backseat is so cramped though.
 
jlee

jlee

Lifer
Sep 12, 2001
48,518
223
106
What year CTS-V are you looking at? Mine may be for sale in a couple of months. If ViperGTS doesn't buy it first. :p
 
Gillbot

Gillbot

Lifer
Jan 11, 2001
28,830
17
81
Kids are 3 and 5 so they are small and I have time.

I want an 09+ CTS-V if I get one.

The Challenger is on my radar but the power seems underwhelming. I think I may have set the bar too high though with the CTS-V and ZL1 power levels.

NO MUSTANG, tranny issues have me concerned.

Aside from that, I thought Chrysler 300 but I'm not sure I like it. E55 and Genesis are hideous to me. M5 isn't bad, but as stated in the OP, I'm not a fan of the new BMW styling. I prefer the old boxy style over the new rounded style.
 
F

Ferzerp

Diamond Member
Oct 12, 1999
6,438
107
106
Gillbot said:
NO MUSTANG, tranny issues have me concerned.
Click to expand...

Well, this is just silly. If you don't like the getrag, just buy a model with the tremec. If that thing's going to have issues, you're going to have to exempt a whole lot of other cars too.....
 
Demo24

Demo24

Diamond Member
Aug 5, 2004
8,356
9
81
G8 gxp pretty much meets this, though still expensive and kind of hard to find these days. maybe wait on the Chevy ss, which should come in under 40k( gets revealed in a few days I think)? Guess it depends on how nice and how new of a vehicle you want.
 
Gillbot

Gillbot

Lifer
Jan 11, 2001
28,830
17
81
Demo24 said:
G8 gxp pretty much meets this, though still expensive and kind of hard to find these days. maybe wait on the Chevy ss, which should come in under 40k( gets revealed in a few days I think)? Guess it depends on how nice and how new of a vehicle you want.
Click to expand...

I think it's reveal is today. I'm interested depending on price. GM has been known to overprice everything.

As for the mustang, I've seen and know of way too many new owners complain of issues that I'll wait for that to settle out before I commit to buying anything.
 
exdeath

exdeath

Lifer
Jan 29, 2004
13,679
10
81
LS2 CTS-V and G8 GXP are the two that have big red signs flashing with your name on it.
 
AdamK47

AdamK47

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
15,783
3,606
136
The problem with the G8 GXP is that there were only 1,829 produced for the US. It's also the last and highest performance car from Pontiac. You won't find them at a good price.
 
Gillbot

Gillbot

Lifer
Jan 11, 2001
28,830
17
81
AdamK47 said:
The problem with the G8 GXP is that there were only 1,829 produced for the US. It's also the last and highest performance car from Pontiac. You won't find them at a good price.
Click to expand...

Yeah, and from what i'm finding in the CTS-V realm around here, they are just as rare or severely overpriced. Most of the used CTS-V's i'm finding are well north of 50k, or they are all but ragged out.
 
F

Ferzerp

Diamond Member
Oct 12, 1999
6,438
107
106
I still don't understand why you're willing to consider a ZL1, but not the mustang counterpart because of "transmission issues" when they both use a Tremec TR-6060 (same as the CTS-V, previous vipers, camaros, corvettes, etc)
 
Gillbot

Gillbot

Lifer
Jan 11, 2001
28,830
17
81
Ferzerp said:
I still don't understand why you're willing to consider a ZL1, but not the mustang counterpart because of "transmission issues" when they both use a Tremec TR-6060 (same as the CTS-V, previous vipers, camaros, corvettes, etc)
Click to expand...

I think i've ruled out the ZL1 as well, I'm not willing to spend that much.

As for the transmission, I know a few people that own each and I have heard of complaints about Mustang transmissions but nothing about the Camaro transmissions. I believe the base Mustang transmission is different than the ZL1 though no?

http://jalopnik.com/5870025/nhtsa-grenades-mustang-transmission-investigation

Ford identified several issues with the car's Chinese-built Getrag MT82 six-speed
Click to expand...
 
Gillbot

Gillbot

Lifer
Jan 11, 2001
28,830
17
81
Now I think I may be leaning towards a newer SS if I can find one that someone has already supercharged.
 
F

Ferzerp

Diamond Member
Oct 12, 1999
6,438
107
106
Gillbot said:
I think i've ruled out the ZL1 as well, I'm not willing to spend that much.

As for the transmission, I know a few people that own each and I have heard of complaints about Mustang transmissions but nothing about the Camaro transmissions. I believe the base Mustang transmission is different than the ZL1 though no?

http://jalopnik.com/5870025/nhtsa-grenades-mustang-transmission-investigation
Click to expand...


Yes, the GT and Boss use a getrag, but the GT500 (price on par with ZL1) uses the TR-6060 which is used in..., well, almost everything.

If the ZL1 is a no go due to price, than the GT500 is as well.
 
Gillbot

Gillbot

Lifer
Jan 11, 2001
28,830
17
81
Ferzerp said:
Yes, the GT and Boss use a getrag, but the GT500 (price on par with ZL1) uses the TR-6060 which is used in..., well, almost everything.

If the ZL1 is a no go due to price, than the GT500 is as well.
Click to expand...

Yeah, but I also know of a few GT500 owners and they aren't happy. On the whole, the GT500 is heads above the 5.0 though.

I was under the delusion that the ZL1 may be more available in the used market at better pricing than the CTS-V but I was wrong. I found exactly one within a few hundred miles of me and it is priced about $4k less than a new one. For that, I'd just buy a new one......

I am digging the whole modded SS deal though. The sticky part is going to me finding one that I like. My Z28 I ended up settling on and that is probably part of the reason I didn't drive it that much. It really wasn't what I wanted since I was looking for either an SS LE 6 speed or a white hardtop six speed. I ended up with an Orange Z28 Auto Ttop which was a great car but it wasn't as fun of a driver after I started modding. It basically morphed into a 1/4 mile track queen, so this time I don't plan on settling. It's gonna be 6 speed and tastefully modded or bust. I'm not firm on white this time as I like the Cyber Grey also, but I really need to drive one around and see how I like it.

I think what it ultimately boils down to is, I don't know what is out there but I'd prefer stupid power and fun to drive. I should just go get a Ford Festiva and have fun with it.
Ford_Festiva_002.JPG


Honestly, I had one for a while and it was the most fun car i'd ever driven. I paid $50 for it because it didn't run and it had a busted winshield. When I got it home, I yanked the mechanical fuel pump and threw it into a bucket of gas to soak overnight. I aired up the tires, popped on a new air filter (panty hose over the intake pipe) and made sure the brakes worked. The next day I put some fresh gas in the tank, used a vacuum bleeder to suck gas through the lines to pull out any junk, put on a fuel filter and put the pump back in. There was no exhaust aside from the manifold and down pipe to the cat so I yanked the down pipe, busted out the cat which was basically plugged with dirt and threw it back on. The car fired right up and I ended up driving it like that for over a year.

That car was an absolute blast with it's 4 speed no OD trans. It took a good tail wind to get it up to highway speed in less than 10 miles but hey, from a stop light it would eat those imitation tires to shreds!!!
 
F

Ferzerp

Diamond Member
Oct 12, 1999
6,438
107
106
I had a festiva too. I traded something worth about $250 for mine. Drove it 40k more miles (160k-200k), barned it for 2 years, and then sold it for $500.

Gillbot said:
Yeah, but I also know of a few GT500 owners and they aren't happy.
Click to expand...

The only things I'd change about mine is the brake feel (and I mean too as soon as I decide if I want to just swap out the fluid, or change both the fluid and the lines), and the gas tank size (it needs a 20 gallon tank really).
 
Last edited:
F

Ferzerp

Diamond Member
Oct 12, 1999
6,438
107
106
CTS-V coupes have near non-functional back seats. There may be even less headroom than a mustang's.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom