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Old 09-13-2019, 01:44 PM   #1
clyde
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Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 26,599
Feels like I've been here before

I am feeling the itch to replace the Camaro, exscept I kinda don't want to, except I do. I'm torn in a bunch of ways for a bunch of reasons.

In short, the context is this:

I think the car is past its prime for national autocross competition and I'll be more happy competing in something else next year.

It has 36,000 miles on it and Carvana's latest offer is $18,017. For reference, I paid $19,000 for it new 18 months ago.

My main problem is that I don't know what to get to replace it. I'm okay spending up to $40k, but I get less and less okay the further I'm north of $30k. The only car I *want* in that range is a 2017+ Camaro SS 1LE. It ticks the boxes and I want it, but 17s and 18s have an ABS calibration issue that might be problematic for me (prone to ice mode). It's fixed for the 19s, but the 19s are ugly.

The 1LE is not favorably classed, but is probably on stronger ground than the turbo Camaro in its class. At least until Elon issues an OTA update for the 3 Performance and insta-obsoletes the 1LE. As it stands, the 3 with some more traditional development may be a run away class leader...or one of a couple other cars could be. But the 1LE makes the right V8 noises.

Pricing for 1LEs is...odd. When I bought my car, I could have bought a leftover 2017 1SS 1LE for about $31k. I think I posted before that part of my plan was to sell the turbo after a year or so for close to what I paid for it and buy a 1LE for a $31k minus 1 year depreciation, or high $20s. Well, there was nothing close in that range a year ago. Used, they were all going for more than I could have bought one new. Flash forward another year and the only ones with ask prices in the high $20s have super high miles and/or stories and/or heavily modded that would be a PITA and/or expensive to undo. Can find 17s and 19s with ask prices in the low/mid $30s all day long. maybe I can get one for $29-$30? Great. But I can probably get a new 2019 for $34 today and maybe $32 or even as little as $30 next month (depending on incentives). The 19s are ugly, but they fix the ABS issue and come with a fancy rear view mirror camera/display that is supposed to vastly improve rearward visibility. The 2020s mostly fix the ugliness mistake of 2019, but they're a little more, but not so much more that it doesn't make sense. I just really don't like climbing that ladder to spending more for incremental gains.

Somehow, whatever is making my car non-depreciating seems to be bouying the rest the rest of the Camaro platform. How unfair.

The other cars I've been thinking about:

2013-2016 FRS/BRZ to run in SSC, which is a spec class. It requires purchase of a suspension kit from Tire Rack and running a spec tire. There's a lot that appeals. As a spec class, everyone runs the same car with the same parts and the same tires (and I have a feeling that the tire wars are going to be bloody and expensive next year in the other street tire classes). The class is healthy sized and has had a lot of good competition its first two years. The cars are cheap and cheap to own. A set of tires easily fits in the back seat. The downsides are that I don't want the car and don't want to run the car

ND2 Miata. Because Miata. It'll be a good car in its stock class at least next year and there is a simple upgrade path to a higher prep level that will probably exist for a couple years after that.

E9x M3. Car seems to be the car for its class, maybe. The 2011 ZCP seems to be the one to have. DCT or stick doesn't seem to matter much. Everyone seems to like them. They're priced nice right now. But they're range limited. Oh, and that rod bearing problem. Plus, I don't really wanna.

Civic Type R. I don't really want to, but maybe I should drive one before ruling it out?

And then there's this...

I could start modding my car for one of two higher prep levels. I may be able to create a competitive car that is still streetable, but I'd be really nervous about driving it to/from travel events and I'd really want a truck and trailer. That quickly becomes the most unreasonably expensive out of pocket solution, but also makes the most logical sense if I do anything.

The most logical sense is to keep the Camaro and resign myself to a miserable year or find someone to codrive with and put it off for a while longer.
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