Why did you buy your Camaro?? Tale of a Mid Life Crisis

[DFWHD]

I had a 1980 Camaro back in the day and have always loved each generation of this car. When the 5th gen was released I swore I'd have one some day. Then in 2012 I made an impulse buy right after my 48th birthday. That convertible 45th special edition spoke to me when I first saw it and the rest was history - she was in my garage 48 hours later!

The neighbors constantly gave both my wife and I a lot of the midlife crisis crap from the moment I drove her home. Back then we told folks that she gave me a choice between an affair or the car and that I made the sensible decision (that always left a look of shock on folks faces ). Now a few years later everyone is used to seeing the Camaro and we get nothing but compliments from those same neighbors who are still driving their mini vans and "sensible" import sedans!

So, to answer the question posed in this thread, I bought the car because I liked it, had always wanted one, and had the ability to do it.

[dianeokie]

Well, folks might think its a mid-life crisis car, but nope! I had a red convertible Corvair as my first car. Drove my brother's 69 Camaro lots because he was always grounded! Got married, had kids, husband had a 76 Camaro for a couple of years, but after the first kid, it wasn't practical. Got a 98 Camaro and then a 2002 Firebird after my oldest kids got out of school. Then it was time to be practical again when I started helping take care of my mom. Husband then had his fun with the 2002 Roush. Lots of life changes and I couldn't take care of that Roush the way it deserved, so back into a 2011 Camaro, and my V6 has all the legal power I need.............woohoo

[adg5151]

Bought my SS last year at 24 when I was just finishing up college. I kicked my ass in school and found a good paying job out of college. I felt it was ok to spoil myself for working hard because no one else will. One of the best decisions Ive ever made. Getting up for work in the morning is a little easier knowing how much fun the ride will be. The gas pedal is my coffee in the morning.

[2010SLVRBULIT]

Hadn't had a nice car in awhile, so why not now when I can afford it?...problem now is I keep spoiling myself.

[trodecke]

Why did I buy a Camaro? Because I've had a life long love of the Camaro and wouldn't dream of owning another muscle/sports car, not even the Corvette.

Why did I buy the particular Camaro I have right now? Well, that's a different story all together.

2 years ago, when my oldest son was 15 1/2, my wife and I decided we would buy his first vehicle for him. Since it was going to be a first vehicle we didn't want to get anything too nice but we also wanted something that was dependable. After much searching and many test drives, we found a 2004 Dodge RAM 1500 that only had 100,000 miles on it. The price was right, $4,000, and our son liked it so we bought it. Soon after getting that he decided the truck was "too nice" and wanted to get a beater truck. We sold the nice truck, taking a bit of a loss, and found a "beater" truck that wasn't too bad. Shortly after getting that he drove a friend's truck with a manual transmission and said "Dad, I've got to have a truck with a stick". So, we sold the "beater" and went looking for a decent truck with a stick. The only problem was, after all the buying and selling, we didn't have as much money to spend as we started out with and we were having a really hard time finding a truck that made everyone happy.

After 3-4 weeks of constant searching and test drives, my wife took me to the side and said that I'd always wanted another Camaro. I sold the one I had in '91 when we got married and needed a family car. She said that we could take the cash we had at the time, around $2,500, and buy a 4th gen Camaro. There are loads of those on Craigslist that are still in decent shape for less than what we had. I thought it was a good idea (what, I'm going to turn down an opportunity to drive a Camaro again?), so we started the search for a Camaro. Turns out there's a reason a car is listed on Craigslist for $2,500. Before we could find a suitable Camaro we found a decent truck for my son and we could pick it up for the cash we had on hand. However, the Camaro bug had bitten me.

We sold the Toyota Corolla that I was driving (a hand-me down from my wife when we bought her a Tuscon) for $4k and went looking for a 4th gen I liked. We had a lead on one at a dealership but by the time we got there it was gone. Might have been a bait and switch, I don't know but the salesman put me in a 2012 2LS IBM and I was sold. I had the permagrin going full on. My plan was to drive the 2LS for a couple of years until the 2016 model came out then trade it in on a 2SS. While I loved my 2LS, I would spend evenings on Chevy's website configuring a 2SS exactly the way I wanted it. My wife saw me doing that and started putting together a plan to get me into the 2SS now.

It was a Friday night and we were all at home with nothing to do. She asked if I wanted to go take test drives of cars that we would never ever consider buying. I was game so we went to a Lexus and BMW dealer for her and a Dodge dealer for my oldest son (he's into the Charger SRT8). We even walked around the Porsche and Maserati dealerships though we didn't drive either.

When it was my turn to pick a place I asked if we could test drive a 2SS. We went to one of the local dealerships and drove the first 2SS they had on the lot. I thanked the salesman and gave him some story about wanting to check other cars out and then we'd be back. My wife on the other hand marched straight to the sales managers office and said she wanted to get that car for me. I was a bit surprised by that, to say the least, and said we still needed to think about it.

After much talking about it at home over the next two weeks, I came up with a plan to let us both save face. I'd hit the dealership up with a set of requirements for the car that they couldn't possibly meet. That way my wife could feel good about trying to get me something and I wouldn't have to worry about getting another new car. The plan backfired though. They found the exact car I wanted, down to the last detail, for a price I could afford. The car was in Texas so they had to swap with the dealer there and bring the car up.

When we went in to sign the paperwork I was still very much undecided. I wanted the car but I didn't want the payments that went with it. I could afford them but I really don't like car payments. My wife was pushing me hard to sign and get the car though. The finance guy said that he'd been in the car sales field for over 10 years and this was the first time he'd ever seen the wife pushing the husband to get a muscle car and the husband be the one that was hesitant.

I now own what I believe is the perfect car. It has everything I want and absolutely nothing that I didn't want. I'm 49 (was 48 when I bought this car), and much like the others on here had done the "sensible thing" ever since I got married. I really don't care if this is a mid-life crisis car or not. I'm not at all concerned about what people say or think when they see me driving it. I just love driving it and will probably be buried in this car.

[NC_SS]

Not even 25 yet, mid life crisis must have came early

I bought mine because I am a diehard Camaro fan. I love small block V8's, high displacement, and a car that makes big torque.

I drive it like a teenager though, anytime I get a friend who hasn't ridden in it yet I rip through first and second at the first stop sign to make them shit their pants.

Always good fun!

[Coop1701]

I'm 44, so I guess technically it could be. But I have always drove sports cars. I probably should not have done what I did. It's just I had never bought a brand new car. I had always bought low mileage used ones. Even my last mustang only had 7k miles when I bought it.

I was having some issues with my car at the time. I asked my wife to go look at Camaros with me. She refused and I drove over to the lot that night. Drove a 6 Speed manual SS and I loved it. I drove a V6 also. But decided to see how the numbers would work out. They ended up giving me 9,000 for mine and knocking 6,200 off the price of the car. I ended up financing about 20,000 and I was happy. Called the wife to tell her what I was doing and she had a melt down.

I know it was wrong to make a major purchase without her approval. I just fell in love with the car and I have worked really hard to be able to afford it.

[damian559]

I got my 2015 1LE when I was 18. I was going to get a 2012 SS back when I was 16, but things happened and I got a 2012 Acura TSX 6-Speed. I'm glad I had that back then, because I was able to learn manual, and I drove the shit out of it in high school. Then one night I was looking on Chevy's website and was building a 2014 SS and saw you were able to add the black ZL1 wheels to it. As soon as I did that it said I needed to add the "1LE" package also. I had no idea what it was, and began researching it. I loved everything about it, the improved handling, exterior/interior differences, and the fact that it only comes in manual. That weekend I went with my dad to the dealer to see if I could order one, but I had just missed the cutoff. So, I placed an order for a 2015 and had to wait 10 weeks to get it. The car is better than I had ever expected, and couldn't be happier. I even convinced my best friend to order a 1LE also.

[canecorso69]

I wanted the new (at the time) C7 but the wifey said no. You have 4 kids and a grandbaby so 2 seats wont cut it. So because it has the rear seat, which is useless for anyone over the age of 5, is why I ended up with the 5th gen.

[mariojmoe]

28 when I picked mine up brand new last year. Guess my mid life crisis came early too.

Anyway I had zero intention of buying a new camaro but somehow another it was 100% impulse and wound up in my life. Here it goes

Last February my job transferred me to Ohio for what was suppose to be 2 years. I was promised a company (new) f150 etc. After being up there for a week with my company 18 wheeler and no hopes of a co car in the near future (they cancelled that part of my move lol) I was p***ed and said screw it I will either get my 09 Z06 transported or my 2012 F250 diesel transported. I then thought of just buying a new 5.0 or ss then after my 2 years I will bring it back down to Tx.

Got on auto trader and searched for a white or grey loaded 5.0 (2014) manual loaded and got very few hit
hits. Then I typed in 2013-14 camaro ss (V8) manual black or grey with sunroof. To my surprise a dealership close by had my baby (leftover fully loaded black on black 2ss rs 6 speed manual). I called to verify it was there and was on my way.

The next day I dropped by my c.u and got a cashiers check for the full amount and drove the 18 miles and took delivery (4/1/2014). 2 months later heads, cam, intake, longtube headers, and full 3" exhaust. This was true love lol.

Reality came back btw and i was transferred back to Texas in August where she joined her sister Z06, ctsv, and brother the lifted F250. I have always had some type of fun car, my first when I moved down here was a 98 camaro Z28 hardtop auto ls1. I still miss that thing too.

[abaucom21]

My midlife crisis was in my mid 40s when I quit my design job in NYC and went to grad school. I have never been practical regarding autos I have owned. From experience I learned when I see a car and it is love at first sight, don't fight it just get it. I tend to drive only about 2,500 miles a year and hold on to an auto for at least ten years. Fell in love the Camaro body style first time I saw one so ordered my 2011 in mid 2010 to get it my way knowing I will be in my 70s ten years later and still have a low mileage auto with a body style I love.

Now 63, perhaps having another mid life crisis. Grew up with a series of T-Birds in our family as I talked Dad into buying a new 1960 conv., 1963 hardtop, 1966 Landau. The 1963 and later the 1966 became my first autos. Last Nov. bought a yellow 1966 T-Bird conv. and it is now at a restoration garage getting tweaked for the summer. Totally impractical purchase but I thought why not, at my age what am I waiting for?

So I have my wonderful Camaro as my low mileage daily driver and the yellow Bird conv. will get me out and about to more auto shows as I drive off into the sunset of my life. I have joked to people I bought the Camaro for health reasons. The leg lifts I have to do to get in and out keeps me limber (LOL).

[bork_bork]

I had to settle for a G8 GT(great car btw)a few years ago because of the age of my daughter. Once she was old enough to get in the back it was two door time

[CHMSC]

I have always loved Camaro's. When I first saw the 5th gen I said to myself and everyone I talked to that I had to have one......so I bought one!

34 so I guess my midlife crisis came early too!

This is my third Camaro.

[baum]

i was 31 mid life crisis. had a 1year old son at the time (to have a wife get pregnant with twins about 5 months after i purchased it). i was a motorcycle rider since i was 19. i had a bad crash when i was 21, then to see my buddy laying dead on the hospital bed was enough for me to hang up the cycle for now with a kid at the time. traded the harley in on my camaro. but i was greedy i got the camaro as a "me" car with getting a 6sp manual. the wife cant do a manual and has no desire to, plus she doesnt like the "stiffness" of the suspension