What sold you on your car?

[Tig]

I had to tell this story since no one knows it but an old friend of mine. The basis is "What sold you on your car?" For me, it went something like this:

I'd been wanting a T/A starting in high school and into my early college years. I finally paid off my old car (a Dodge Avenger), and put in an order for my '99 T/A WS6. I loved the styling and the "attention factor" that one gets in a car with aggressive body. Well, I argued price for what seemed like forever with an unnamed greaseball dealer. Mind you this was in August 1998. He states, "The car will be here in 6 weeks". Commence paint matching problems for the WS6's that year. Little did I know if would be 9 months before I got my car (May of 1999).

Here's the point that sold me though...
I went to the dealership to inquire about my order in March and noticed that a A4 Red WS6 was on the lot. My friend and I ask if we can sit in it, thinking we wouldn't be able to take it for a test drive. The owner comes out and says take it out for a spin with "Bob" another dealer since I'd placed an order for one. So I get behind the wheel and turned the key. That's when it happened. The sound of the car starting led me to say "You could sell the car on the start up alone." We then headed out of the parking lot when two good 'ol boys in a 1970's Nova pull along side at a stoplight. They're reving the Nova up and trying to entice me to race. No one is in sight, but I've got a dealer with me so I'm thinking no way. At that moment the dealer (in the passenger seat) looks over at me and says in a rather calm manner "Take him." When the light turned green we were gone, see 'ya Nova, and I was completely sold, no matter how long it took to get the car. Now in graduate school, I'm almost done with the Ph.D. and can see the day when I get to play with the car more than I already have (read "more power"). LOL I apologize for the long post, but I had to share this...

Was there a moment for everyone else when they were "sold" on their car?

[Z Ya Later]

Just as I got my license, I knew I wanted something that was different than what everyone already had. I went to a small private school, so general opinion was made up from a small number...and that small number was Ford crazy. After looking at the mudstain and the Camaro/Firebird, I knew I wanted an F-body. I really wanted an LS1 T/A (esp. the WS6 for the look), but would've settled for any 4th Gen.

Well, fast forward to almost 2 years ago...I had to put my Jeep in the shop for a transfer-case rebuild and needed someway to get around. At the same time, one of my co-worker's was selling his Z and it was just sitting in the back. After a quick discussion, if I would do the front brake pads he would let me borrow the car for the week. That was all it took. I instantly fell in love with the car...the mean, aggressive, "get-the-)@#(-outta-my-way" look...the sound of the motor...the feel of the 6-spd....I was in love. Needless to say, when I had to turn her back over, I felt empty lol. Couple months later, my grandmother passed away, leaving me a little inheritance. After doing some calculations on how I wanted to spend it, I walked into the guys office and told him she was sold . July of 2003, I signed her papers, got her smogged, got her new tags and started to rip into her. Now she sits as the beast he would've loved to make her and I'm still tinkering with...man I love that car lol . Good thread man, brought back some good memories.

[Jeff_in_Atl]

4 years ago when he said he would take $6200 for it. I said sold.

[Christopherrr]

Had two previous Birds...when my last bird was giving out...had to look for another. In a Toyota dealership, I drove by a red TA...inquired about it, 55K, clean record, perfect body...not one sratch, all records for 13K. Jumped in, cranked her, blipped the engine and took her for a drive...needless to say bough her that same day...

TA's....I wouldn't drive anything else even if I was paid too.

[Benm109]

My story's not quite as interesting as some of the others, but here's mine:

When I turned 18 I started slowly looking for a car during my senior year of high school. I didn't have any preference on what kind (I had considered Honda Civics, S-10s, etc.), I just knew I wanted one. First car I looked at was an '86 Firebird with a V8 and 5-speed, but it wasn't taken care of at all, it was a rust bucket, so I kept looking. Couple of months later I looked at and test drove an '88 S-10 Blazer with a V6 auto., interior and engine were good, but the body was rusting badly. I actually bought it for $700, had the title in my hand, but it wouldn't start when I tried to leave! So after 10 minutes of trying to crank it, I gave up and got my money back, thank goodness (I think it was a sign from the F-Body gods).

Fast forward to the end of my first semester of college, November 2004, I was talking to my friend, who owns a '97 Z28, and he said he was trying to sell his old car, a '91 Camaro. I was immediately interested and went to check it out. The minute I saw it I feel in love with it. It was a purple Camaro RS with the high-rise spoiler, glass T-tops, power everything, V8, automatic, and Flowmaster exhaust. Me and my mom looked it over, let the engine run for a while, and then test drove it. She drove it first, and said she felt it was OK, and then she let me test drive it. First thing I did was floor it (by accident, I wasn't used to the stiff gas pedal) and scared my mom half to death. After the test drive I was 100% in love with it. My mom wasn't too thrilled with me owning a V8 as a first car, but she knew I wanted that car. So one week later, we drove down to my friend's house, paid him $1600, got the title and everything, and drove it home.

[lt1maro]

Ironically, it wasnt the Camaro that sold me, it was my mothers 89 Chevy Celebrity that sold me on Chevrolet. It was her first car and it was sooo reliable (this was about 9 years ago). Since seeing how well her car took care of her, i liked Chevy's from then on. It also helped that my father had a '79 Z28, but i only have a few memories of that car seeing as how i was only a small child when he had it.

The Camaro just caught my eye as a kid in grade school and in high school. I would sit for hours reading Motor Trend, looking at pictures, dreaming of the day that i would be able to have one. Then finally, i got a job as a salesman at a Chevy dealership and a nice older gentalman decided that he wanted to trade his beautiful 95 6 speed t-top Z28 in for a silverado. As soon as that deal was done, i grabbed the keys and took it for a drive. I instantly noticed the untamed the power of these cars coupled with the most ferocious roar i have ever heard(he had the cut-out open ). The car pulled to red line like no tomorrow. I went back to the dealership, and i think you can guess what happened next . I never looked back. Its been great every since.

[95TransAm]

I wanted a firebird ever since i could talk. My parents both distinctively remember me say "When I'm older I'm gonna gave a firebird and a corvette". I'm half way there as of now Last march, i was with my buddy in is 84 bird, and we were driving by this one guys house that he knew who takes third gens, restores them to a good running order, and sells them for fairly cheap. He had a blue t-top firebird (wanna say '85), a red '89 bird, and a green iroc, not sure of the year though, out in front of his house. I looked at them, and it hit me, i need to get an f-body. I was talking about how i was gonna try and get one for the previous 6 months or so, and it finally hit me that i needed one. Being i didn't have all the money, but had a good job, i looked into financing. With my mom co-signing, my financing company had me give them a list of cars that i wanted. I gave them a list of about 75 f-bodies i was interested in (all were LT1's, opted for the LT1 rather than a '98-'02 6), and they gave me 8 that they said would be possible, 6 camaros and 2 t/a's. I checked them all out, some were in all right running order, some looked pretty beat. I checked out the first t/a, a 25th anniversary white '94, but i just had a bad feeling about it. Finally it was time to check out the last one, a black '95 t/a. It upset me that it was auto (actually only one was an m6, a 94 z...but it also had 145k), but it just hit me. I took it for a test drive and that was pretty much it. It was black which was what i really wanted color wise (not that it matters that much), and it was in awesome running condition. They put it on a lift for me to look at the underside, showed what had been replaced, engine purred beautifully, clean title...that was it. I put a down payment of a minimum 100 bucks that day, came back with the $5,500 check a week later, and proudly drove her home on Sat. April 3rd, 2004. I will say, that was the best drive of my life to this day. Great memories....and they're still continuing

[pete]

Late in '93 I was doing good in my consulting business and was ready to get rid of my '89 Muststick Convertible. The wife already had a new '93 Buick Roadmaster Wagon (greatest boat I've ever owned!). I was going to do a '94 Vette..... all ready to pull the trigger, then I saw the new fourth generation. Da wife wasn't too crazy about the Vette since we had two rugrats at 9 and 12 years old, and they really wouldn't fit too long behind the seats in the Vette (they would fit though, I made them get in back of one to show her).

Well Labor Day weekend I tried one out. Damn! what a go fast! And the kids would fit if necessary! I was really enjoying myself for the day, when the salesman called my home repeatidly looking for the car, all in a panic since it was the only one they had, and someone else had already bought it.

I ended up ordering one a few days latter from a little Chev truck/cavalier dealer in the sticks (Plant City, FL). I used to get pickups from this guy in another life, so he cut me a deal at $100 over invoice. I ended up 6 months to get it (M-6 problems at the time). Well when it showed up the end of February '94, this quiet, mild manored salesman calls me and hollers at me to get out there to pick it up right away. This dealership had sold one Vette in 20 years, so they didn't really have an idea how desirable the Z-28 was, since every dealer from Miami to Atlanta was calling his boss to get my Camaro, and he was getting his butt chewed for selling it on the cheap.

My only regret is that I changed jobs that resulted in my driving 50,000 miles per year on it.

[SteveH95Formula]

I was sold even before a test drive. I read Car & driver, Motor trend and Road and track and they where all saying how great it was over the previous generations. The power, ride, handing and layout where all first rate. I saw one in a parking lot in about spring of '93. A bright red formula. Thats now what I drive (a '95 Formula) and never have regreted it since.

[Camaross_itll-run]

On my wedding day...

On my wedding day my husband pulled up at the church in my '94 z28. It had been his "secret project" for the past couple of months. He had it painted, rebuilt the trans with a shift kit, rebuilt the motor with all the LT4 goodies, and put in leather and a set of wheels. This was the first time I had rode in her leaving the church. We did a massive burnt out leaving the church he in his tux and me in my dress. It was fun and something I'll always remember. The first photo in our wedding album is of "The burn out!"

[Craig 94 TA GT]

The big fat mondo wing...that was for you Steve lol

Actually, I had an LT1 T/A 1:18 scale from Ertl that made me love every single line of the car...so I looked and looked for a black T/A and finally found one. It included an awesome warranty too...that helped BIG in making the decision.

[Crazy Canuk]

For me in the late 80's and early 90's I drooled over the Camaros. There was something I realy liked about the design, something that sort of defined what a car should be.

But because I liked the old styles so much when the newer lt1's were brought out I didn't like them. A couple of years later I saw the Firebird and was like wow, I found a new car to drool over

Fast forward to last summer. I went out to buy my first car (ya I left it a bit late) I was looking at imports because I wanted something varry reliable and I didn't know any better. A friend was helping me pick cars out and I showed him a add for a firebird, hes like thats my brothers old car. So we went out to test drive it. The owner reconize my friend and his 300zx right off so he let both of us take it out for a spin.

I let him show me what she could do, he whiped around a cornner wheels screaming people looking it was awsome! Then he went onto a highway where a prowler wanted to race, we smoked him at 170kph. I took out a Acura CL and a Tiburon but it was too late, my formula already had me So I bought it and I still love it so much.

[Joe K. 99 Zeee!!]

I had been driving a 98 Camaro V-6 for a couple of years. I totally loved the car but wanted more power. I looked around for a good used Z28 for about a year. Knowing the Camaro's as well as I did I knew it was the right one as soon as I found it. I bought it the same day I found it.

The only real regret I had was giving up my T-tops. It wasn't enough to put me off....5 years later my Z28 is still taking care of me!!

[The Old Man]

My story is dull I am sure. But had to put in my 2 cents worth In. 1979 I was recently divorced. Driving an average chevy pickup. Drove buy a Ford dealership and saw a Black and gold Firebird Formula with a 400 4bbl and automatic with 12000 miles on it. Fell in love and bought it! Was long enough ago that I don't remember how many cars I smoked. But I bought plenty of tires!!! Kept it for 3 years and sold it and bought a pickup again.. What was I thinking??? Many years later and many trucks later I saw a Black 98 Z28 about 8 weeks ago and fell in love with it. Called my wonderful wife and told her about it. She say's (You are not too old for that.. Buy it) So here I am, 56 years old with a Z, Lid is on order and the Magnaflow catback will be ordered within 3 more weeks. (Thanks to all the helpfull info I have gotten here). So if Ya see an Old Man in a Black Z. Watch out. It might be time to count to 3.

[TODD 2000 V6 CAMARO]

For me it was my Junior year of HS. I didn't have a car yet, but a buddy of mine got a brand spankin new '93 Camaro, it was only the 3.4L, but to me it was beautiful. I rode around in that thing all the time with my friend until he sold it a year or two later due to alot of the bugs that were as of yet un-fixed in the new platform. Then a while later, another friend of mine got a '94 V6 and I got to ride around in it...loving the heck out of it, until he wrecked it and traded it in on a truck. Then later, he traded the truck for a '96 black RS Camaro. That thing was sooo freakin amazingly cool, IMO. My buddy that owned it always said he wanted a Z, but at the time I couldn't understand why, as I had just had an '81 Honda Accord , and then got my '83 RX-7 (which I loved, but still wanted a NEW car), so his NEW Camaro's were a point of envy for me.
Ok, now fast forward about 5 years to Jan 2000. The RX-7 was litterally falling apart, with too many probs to name.....time to get a newer car. I didn't even give a thought to being able to afford a new car at first. I really wanted a '93-'95 RX-7. Still wouldn't mind one, but nobody would give me a loan on a used car. Then the loan officer at my bank tells me that I would probably have better luck getting financed on a new car. Hmmmm...off to the Chevy dealership. I went to like two or three dealers before I came across this one close to where I lived. I started talking to the salesman and told him I was just looking, but wanted to see a V6 Camaro with a 5-speed and a CD player. (should have gone for the t-tops too ) and lo' and behold they had a beautiful black one on the lot with the 16" alloy rims, Monsoon CD system, and the 5-speed tranny. Like above, I was sold after the test drive. I bought it that day and walked out of there literally stunned that I had just bought a new car. I was on cloud nine for the first month or so...even took my lunches at work and just sat in the car listening to CD's and stuff. Still love the car, although I can see where my buddy was coming from when he said that he wanted a Z. But...that just gives me something to strive for once I can afford to trade the V6 in. But I definitely love my car.