My 2010 Chevrolet Camaro Bumblebee
Discussion
Here it is, the latest addition to the fleet: A 2010 Chevrolet Camaro!
I’ve loved the design of these cars ever since the world was woken up to the concept in the 2007 Transformers movie. At the time I remember thinking “I really hope they make that car!” Whilst the design is now getting on for a decade old for those in the USA, in the UK these cars are still incredibly rare and therefore still look pretty fresh over here. Unless you are at an event with an American or movie related theme, the chances of seeing one on the road are minimal.
The Purchase
I have been looking to purchase a new sports car for some time now - I’m going to be 40 years old this year, so a bit of a present to myself I suppose (midlife crisis? I’ve been having those since my 20’s). Initially I was looking for another Boxster (987 model, still on the to-do list), but after several months I haven’t been able to find one with the spec and colour that I was after, within an acceptable distance of my home and at a price I was willing to pay.
As a car nerd, part of every daily routine involves searching the internet for my next possible car and I happened to do an eBay search on the Camaro. A Camaro does indeed have a legitimate entry on my ‘to own’ list, but previous cars for sale have either not been the correct colour, or too expensive. But, to my excitement, a yellow car was now available for sale, in the UK. It also had the black stripe and silver wheels, replicating the first concept car that was BumbleBee in that first Transformers film.
This car is a complete step away from everything I’ve bought before. Its left-hand drive for a start and an import. I slept on this idea for a few nights, and both occasions I woke up with my first thought being that I desperately wanting to buy the car. I told my wife who was sceptical to start with, until she saw one in the metal at a car show the following weekend and thought they actually looked quite nice.
It turns out that the seller of the car that was ultimately to become mine is someone who I’ve known from the past, when I used to go to meets for those who loved Knight Rider replicas. He remembered me too, when back at the first KR meet, I parked my old Boxster in the middle of all the KITT cars for a photo. A mutual acquaintance also vouched for both the seller and the car, which made me much more confident about buying it. After conversations with the owner, a week followed before a road trip could be organised with a couple of mates who know far more than I do about mechanical stuff to go and see the car.
A few hours later, I was driving home in my new Bumblebee Camaro!
The Drive Home
This was a real exciting experience. Having not driven left-hookers before, it was to be a new lesson in driving – and part of the attraction for buying this car, I’d have to really concentrate on the actual aspect of driving. One of my friends accompanied me in the car and being on the right-hand-side of the car was able to gauge where I was on the road as if he was the driver. I’d recommend doing this for anyone who’s thinking of doing the same as for the first few miles I’d get the instruction “you’re a bit too far over” or “you need to be more on your side”. These minor adjustments helped me with the unfamiliarity of the driving position and prevent me from panning it on the first go. After the two hour drive home, I was more or less sorted with where the car needed to be placed on the roads. That said, I do need to check my mirrors a lot more, just to be sure – but that’s all part of the ‘driving’ experience. There is nothing autonomous when I’m behind the wheel here – it’s an active participant role.
As for the performance and noise, more on that in a future update as I’ve been driving pretty boring whilst I get myself sorted with the left-hooker thing.
My Car
This car was originally a Florida car and had two owners before being imported to the UK last year with around 62,000 miles on the clock. The guy who imported it was in the States for a while beforehand and liked these cars, but upon importing to the UK didn’t like the attention it received and so sold it on to the guy who I bought it from.
I purchased a CarFax report (like a HPI over here, but much more detailed) which came back clean, and then a HPI for the UK element which was also clear. Happy days!
This is a 3.6 V6 model, so the ‘baby’ of the range, but it’s still got plenty of poke with 0-60 coming in around six seconds – and having back seats means it’s a family car, rather than just a solo thing. But the colour was one of the main deciding factors to buy.
The interior is the standard cloth affair and it has an automatic gearbox. These days I prefer autos plus I didn’t fancy a LHD manual car as my first foray into other-side driving. It has a sports option on the gearbox and you can use the flappy-paddles on the wheel. It’s not PDK dual-clutch rapid, but it seems pretty keen on the downshifts and compares favourably to my Tiptronic Cayenne.
Why A Camaro?
As mentioned, this was an entirely new car experience for me. I know nothing at all about Camaros. Before buying the car, I didn’t know where to get them serviced, how to get a USA-HPI done, what things that might go wrong with the car and I’ve never driven LHD up until that point. All of that put together made this an exciting and interesting prospect. It is a car that I’m going to have to research, get to know new forums, local specialists etc – all the things I’ve got nailed for the Porsches that I’ve owned over the past decade, I’d be starting again with this.
And, it is a car on my to-own list. It is also different, and a bit daft.
To-do
Hope you enjoy too!
I’ve loved the design of these cars ever since the world was woken up to the concept in the 2007 Transformers movie. At the time I remember thinking “I really hope they make that car!” Whilst the design is now getting on for a decade old for those in the USA, in the UK these cars are still incredibly rare and therefore still look pretty fresh over here. Unless you are at an event with an American or movie related theme, the chances of seeing one on the road are minimal.
The Purchase
I have been looking to purchase a new sports car for some time now - I’m going to be 40 years old this year, so a bit of a present to myself I suppose (midlife crisis? I’ve been having those since my 20’s). Initially I was looking for another Boxster (987 model, still on the to-do list), but after several months I haven’t been able to find one with the spec and colour that I was after, within an acceptable distance of my home and at a price I was willing to pay.
As a car nerd, part of every daily routine involves searching the internet for my next possible car and I happened to do an eBay search on the Camaro. A Camaro does indeed have a legitimate entry on my ‘to own’ list, but previous cars for sale have either not been the correct colour, or too expensive. But, to my excitement, a yellow car was now available for sale, in the UK. It also had the black stripe and silver wheels, replicating the first concept car that was BumbleBee in that first Transformers film.
This car is a complete step away from everything I’ve bought before. Its left-hand drive for a start and an import. I slept on this idea for a few nights, and both occasions I woke up with my first thought being that I desperately wanting to buy the car. I told my wife who was sceptical to start with, until she saw one in the metal at a car show the following weekend and thought they actually looked quite nice.
It turns out that the seller of the car that was ultimately to become mine is someone who I’ve known from the past, when I used to go to meets for those who loved Knight Rider replicas. He remembered me too, when back at the first KR meet, I parked my old Boxster in the middle of all the KITT cars for a photo. A mutual acquaintance also vouched for both the seller and the car, which made me much more confident about buying it. After conversations with the owner, a week followed before a road trip could be organised with a couple of mates who know far more than I do about mechanical stuff to go and see the car.
A few hours later, I was driving home in my new Bumblebee Camaro!
The Drive Home
This was a real exciting experience. Having not driven left-hookers before, it was to be a new lesson in driving – and part of the attraction for buying this car, I’d have to really concentrate on the actual aspect of driving. One of my friends accompanied me in the car and being on the right-hand-side of the car was able to gauge where I was on the road as if he was the driver. I’d recommend doing this for anyone who’s thinking of doing the same as for the first few miles I’d get the instruction “you’re a bit too far over” or “you need to be more on your side”. These minor adjustments helped me with the unfamiliarity of the driving position and prevent me from panning it on the first go. After the two hour drive home, I was more or less sorted with where the car needed to be placed on the roads. That said, I do need to check my mirrors a lot more, just to be sure – but that’s all part of the ‘driving’ experience. There is nothing autonomous when I’m behind the wheel here – it’s an active participant role.
As for the performance and noise, more on that in a future update as I’ve been driving pretty boring whilst I get myself sorted with the left-hooker thing.
My Car
This car was originally a Florida car and had two owners before being imported to the UK last year with around 62,000 miles on the clock. The guy who imported it was in the States for a while beforehand and liked these cars, but upon importing to the UK didn’t like the attention it received and so sold it on to the guy who I bought it from.
I purchased a CarFax report (like a HPI over here, but much more detailed) which came back clean, and then a HPI for the UK element which was also clear. Happy days!
This is a 3.6 V6 model, so the ‘baby’ of the range, but it’s still got plenty of poke with 0-60 coming in around six seconds – and having back seats means it’s a family car, rather than just a solo thing. But the colour was one of the main deciding factors to buy.
The interior is the standard cloth affair and it has an automatic gearbox. These days I prefer autos plus I didn’t fancy a LHD manual car as my first foray into other-side driving. It has a sports option on the gearbox and you can use the flappy-paddles on the wheel. It’s not PDK dual-clutch rapid, but it seems pretty keen on the downshifts and compares favourably to my Tiptronic Cayenne.
Why A Camaro?
As mentioned, this was an entirely new car experience for me. I know nothing at all about Camaros. Before buying the car, I didn’t know where to get them serviced, how to get a USA-HPI done, what things that might go wrong with the car and I’ve never driven LHD up until that point. All of that put together made this an exciting and interesting prospect. It is a car that I’m going to have to research, get to know new forums, local specialists etc – all the things I’ve got nailed for the Porsches that I’ve owned over the past decade, I’d be starting again with this.
And, it is a car on my to-own list. It is also different, and a bit daft.
To-do
- The car is in good condition, but I like to have my cars well-cleaned when I buy them. So it’s off to my detailer soon!
- Fix tyre pressure sensors. These are broken (there is a story behind this for a future update).
- Found out more stuff about them – servicing intervals etc.
- Leather interior? Maybe! We’ll see. Quite liking the more practical fabric to be honest.
- Personalised Number Plate.
Hope you enjoy too!
Edited by Cloudy147 on Sunday 6th December 17:45
Edited by Cloudy147 on Sunday 25th June 00:10
Thanks for the replies everyone! ChyslerBen - thanks for the tip, I'll get that checked out at the next service.
UPDATE 1 - The Garage Test
Loving this car so far. Its great fu, and having the back seats means we can use it for families days out too. More on driving adventures and the attention grabbing nature of this car, in a future update.
In this update however, it's time for a garage test! The Camaro is a very big car with dimensions similar to that of my Porsche Cayenne. I live in a new-build type house with an integral garage and, like all single integral garages on pretty much any house built in the last 20 years in the UK, they aren't generous with their space.
The typical size of a UK garage is 2.4m x 4.9m (and is true of mine also.)
The Camaro dimensions are 1.92m wide by 4.8m long and the mirrors don't fold in either.
That gives an interior space of less than half a meter wide and 10cm length to spare! Before buying the car, I measured everything several times and the answers were always the same: in theory, the car would fit, but it would be immensely tight. I decided that in all likelihood it would have to live outside, thinking that it is unlikely to be a particular target for thieves, being a rare bright yellow left-hand-drive car. So to keep it from prying eyes I bought a cheap outdoor cover to keep it hidden until I'd tried it in the garage.
That day came a few weeks ago when, with the assistance of my good lady wife, I reversed it into the garage. Easily did it with literally a few centimeters on either side as the mirrors went past the garage entrance, parking sensors flat lining continually in my ears. Finally through the door, the front is narrower than the back and Mrs Paul O guided me to within an inch of the back wall.
The result?
It fits!!!
The width of the car at the door section is actually no wider than that of a Porsche 911 (which I have owned previously and fits in the garage without a problem). Despite what the photo above suggests, once it is in the garage, its pretty easy to get out - although because I'm reversing in I have to get out of the passenger side. Thankfully its pretty roomy in the Camaro so that's not too arduous, even for my 6'4" frame. There is no way I'd be able to get it in the garage myself though as the entrance width and overall length is so tight, so its a team effort. All part of the fun of ownership, eh! As for the length there is perhaps 2-3" to spare at the front and back, so not as roomy as that first photo looks at the front.
But I was absolutely overjoyed that I can keep it safe and secure in the garage - it literally made my night! So far in that garage I've had a 911, Cayman, VW Beetle, Audi S5, Ferrari 360 (cabriolet - doors too wide to open without the roof down) and now the Camaro.
So if anyone tells you they can't get their car in a modern garage, you can tell them they are talking bulls
t because your mate Paul O gets his Camaro in there, "and that's a big as a Porsche 4x4, don't you know"**. 
** Caveat this with the common denominator that all of these cars have frameless doors, which I suspect is a big advantage
UPDATE 1 - The Garage Test
Loving this car so far. Its great fu, and having the back seats means we can use it for families days out too. More on driving adventures and the attention grabbing nature of this car, in a future update.
In this update however, it's time for a garage test! The Camaro is a very big car with dimensions similar to that of my Porsche Cayenne. I live in a new-build type house with an integral garage and, like all single integral garages on pretty much any house built in the last 20 years in the UK, they aren't generous with their space.
The typical size of a UK garage is 2.4m x 4.9m (and is true of mine also.)
The Camaro dimensions are 1.92m wide by 4.8m long and the mirrors don't fold in either.
That gives an interior space of less than half a meter wide and 10cm length to spare! Before buying the car, I measured everything several times and the answers were always the same: in theory, the car would fit, but it would be immensely tight. I decided that in all likelihood it would have to live outside, thinking that it is unlikely to be a particular target for thieves, being a rare bright yellow left-hand-drive car. So to keep it from prying eyes I bought a cheap outdoor cover to keep it hidden until I'd tried it in the garage.
That day came a few weeks ago when, with the assistance of my good lady wife, I reversed it into the garage. Easily did it with literally a few centimeters on either side as the mirrors went past the garage entrance, parking sensors flat lining continually in my ears. Finally through the door, the front is narrower than the back and Mrs Paul O guided me to within an inch of the back wall.
The result?
It fits!!!
The width of the car at the door section is actually no wider than that of a Porsche 911 (which I have owned previously and fits in the garage without a problem). Despite what the photo above suggests, once it is in the garage, its pretty easy to get out - although because I'm reversing in I have to get out of the passenger side. Thankfully its pretty roomy in the Camaro so that's not too arduous, even for my 6'4" frame. There is no way I'd be able to get it in the garage myself though as the entrance width and overall length is so tight, so its a team effort. All part of the fun of ownership, eh! As for the length there is perhaps 2-3" to spare at the front and back, so not as roomy as that first photo looks at the front.
But I was absolutely overjoyed that I can keep it safe and secure in the garage - it literally made my night! So far in that garage I've had a 911, Cayman, VW Beetle, Audi S5, Ferrari 360 (cabriolet - doors too wide to open without the roof down) and now the Camaro.
So if anyone tells you they can't get their car in a modern garage, you can tell them they are talking bulls
t because your mate Paul O gets his Camaro in there, "and that's a big as a Porsche 4x4, don't you know"**. ** Caveat this with the common denominator that all of these cars have frameless doors, which I suspect is a big advantage
Edited by Cloudy147 on Sunday 6th December 17:46
Maintaining it:
Detailed!
A few weeks ago I took it to Tony Spears (Autoshine Specialist Detailing) for a quick mini-detail. The car was nice and clean, but it wasn't perfect, so I wanted it to have a good refresh by a pro. I didn't have a paint correction done, but a good clean, polish and interior clean. It looks great! Interestingly the car has some curious paint spots, they look like stone chips in a circle shape and there are several all over the car. You can't see them from a few feet away, but up close they are noticeable. I asked tony about these, and he informed me that they are the results of the car being egged at some point in its life! He went on to say that the when the eggs shells break they crack the paint as well, resulting in these odd stone-chip circles.
MOT Time
The annual test was due by the end of Saturday, so it was booked in for Monday and duly passed with flying colours. Very happy with that, always a little nerve racking the first time under ones ownership that a car gets sent off for its inspection. Thankfully, it appears nothing untoward with this car which is great news.
Next in the maintenance world will be a service at the Chevrolet specialists over in Stockport.
Driving it:
Like attention? This car grabs it in spades. I've driven a lot of wonderfully exotic machinery, but nothing to date has the attention grabbing abilities of the Camaro in the UK. These are rare sights on the roads over here - plus it is bright yellow - and it looks like a car from the movies. Its certainly a stand-out car. But the best thing about it is that it makes people smile. Everywhere. No hand gestures, no swearing, just great big smiles. Kids do a double-take with the mouths wide open, even wives nudge their husbands and point at it.
Performance wise, the car is used almost exclusively for family days out at the moment, so the power is barely tapped into, but I have noticed that the downshifts are very keen and there is plenty of acceleration power, even in this V6 model. Compared to my Porsche Cayenne V6, the Camaro is more keen with its shifts and makes for a smoother ride, whereas the Cayenne is a bit notchy by comparison.
I'm also used to driving LHD now, which didn't take half as long as I thought. It's pretty easy, the only caution is on very tight roads. A few weeks ago I was passing by a school. The yummy mummy's were parked on both sides of the road, leaving a small access to get cars through. I had to squeeze through and much of that was sheer luck when a car decided to come the other way rather than waiting for me to get through. I must have been inches away from it. But that aside, its pretty easy and there are no blind spots in the mirrors which is excellent!
I was thinking of maybe setting this up as a wedding hire type business, as I guess there may be some interest in such a car? I think I'll attend a few comic-conventions with it and see what the take up is. Maybe see if it can pay its own way? I've not looked into the costs of such a venture though, but no rush on that front.
And Finally...
I don't think this car park was big enough, nor empty enough for this BMW who had to park next to me. Sigh...
Detailed!
A few weeks ago I took it to Tony Spears (Autoshine Specialist Detailing) for a quick mini-detail. The car was nice and clean, but it wasn't perfect, so I wanted it to have a good refresh by a pro. I didn't have a paint correction done, but a good clean, polish and interior clean. It looks great! Interestingly the car has some curious paint spots, they look like stone chips in a circle shape and there are several all over the car. You can't see them from a few feet away, but up close they are noticeable. I asked tony about these, and he informed me that they are the results of the car being egged at some point in its life! He went on to say that the when the eggs shells break they crack the paint as well, resulting in these odd stone-chip circles.
MOT Time
The annual test was due by the end of Saturday, so it was booked in for Monday and duly passed with flying colours. Very happy with that, always a little nerve racking the first time under ones ownership that a car gets sent off for its inspection. Thankfully, it appears nothing untoward with this car which is great news.
Next in the maintenance world will be a service at the Chevrolet specialists over in Stockport.
Driving it:
Like attention? This car grabs it in spades. I've driven a lot of wonderfully exotic machinery, but nothing to date has the attention grabbing abilities of the Camaro in the UK. These are rare sights on the roads over here - plus it is bright yellow - and it looks like a car from the movies. Its certainly a stand-out car. But the best thing about it is that it makes people smile. Everywhere. No hand gestures, no swearing, just great big smiles. Kids do a double-take with the mouths wide open, even wives nudge their husbands and point at it.
Performance wise, the car is used almost exclusively for family days out at the moment, so the power is barely tapped into, but I have noticed that the downshifts are very keen and there is plenty of acceleration power, even in this V6 model. Compared to my Porsche Cayenne V6, the Camaro is more keen with its shifts and makes for a smoother ride, whereas the Cayenne is a bit notchy by comparison.
I'm also used to driving LHD now, which didn't take half as long as I thought. It's pretty easy, the only caution is on very tight roads. A few weeks ago I was passing by a school. The yummy mummy's were parked on both sides of the road, leaving a small access to get cars through. I had to squeeze through and much of that was sheer luck when a car decided to come the other way rather than waiting for me to get through. I must have been inches away from it. But that aside, its pretty easy and there are no blind spots in the mirrors which is excellent!
I was thinking of maybe setting this up as a wedding hire type business, as I guess there may be some interest in such a car? I think I'll attend a few comic-conventions with it and see what the take up is. Maybe see if it can pay its own way? I've not looked into the costs of such a venture though, but no rush on that front.
And Finally...
I don't think this car park was big enough, nor empty enough for this BMW who had to park next to me. Sigh...
Edited by Cloudy147 on Sunday 6th December 18:00
Pimping out the Bee
I have mentioned in a previous post that I thought it might be worth investigating whether or not to use the Camaro as a hire car for static displays, such as Comic Conventions. I had also considered weddings too, but the insurance is an issue with my current provider – and the cost to change is more than £300, which makes it unfeasible given how often the Camaro would likely get any business. If anyone knows of any companies who can offer a wedding insurance service on a pay-as-you-go basis, please let me know – I’d appreciate it.
Anyhow, as for the static displays, I attended my first show last month, taking the Camaro to a Comic Convention. I thought it would be a great opportunity to meet other movie car owners and learn the ropes of the business as well as build up a contact base - whilst allowing other enthusiasts to view and share in the enjoyment the car, as these cars still remain pretty rare over here in the UK.
This was a great event and one that I thoroughly enjoyed. I also met up with a few good contacts, so much so that the Camaro has now been added to the fleet of a movie car hire company. Hurrah!
Here is a picture of my bee, alongside a fully transformed bee - and Prime!
I have mentioned in a previous post that I thought it might be worth investigating whether or not to use the Camaro as a hire car for static displays, such as Comic Conventions. I had also considered weddings too, but the insurance is an issue with my current provider – and the cost to change is more than £300, which makes it unfeasible given how often the Camaro would likely get any business. If anyone knows of any companies who can offer a wedding insurance service on a pay-as-you-go basis, please let me know – I’d appreciate it.
Anyhow, as for the static displays, I attended my first show last month, taking the Camaro to a Comic Convention. I thought it would be a great opportunity to meet other movie car owners and learn the ropes of the business as well as build up a contact base - whilst allowing other enthusiasts to view and share in the enjoyment the car, as these cars still remain pretty rare over here in the UK.
This was a great event and one that I thoroughly enjoyed. I also met up with a few good contacts, so much so that the Camaro has now been added to the fleet of a movie car hire company. Hurrah!
Here is a picture of my bee, alongside a fully transformed bee - and Prime!
Edited by Cloudy147 on Sunday 6th December 17:48
Six Fiend said:
I like it and your write ups.
Garage fit is cosy and I second getting wall lined. I speak from the other end of the scale with an elderly mother who has a Ka breaking its way out of the side of the garage
Thanks Six, appreciate the feedback Garage fit is cosy and I second getting wall lined. I speak from the other end of the scale with an elderly mother who has a Ka breaking its way out of the side of the garage
Yeah, the parking is still quite a challenge and some wall lining might not be a bad idea. The mirrors don't help as they have a weird convex about them, which is great for blind spots, but it makes it very hard to line up when reversing into a tight garage on a slight angle. When looking in the mirror, it appears like you have maybe a few inches or so from the wall as you reverse through the entrance, but when you look back, there is actually much less than that! haha. So it does take a few goes.
Here's a picture from the front of the car as I go in and out of the garage. This is the passenger side, with the gap on the drivers side of maybe 1-2cm. Tiiiiiight!
Very nice, Matt! They are great fun and I think they are a great looking car.
LHD drive is fine once you've done it for a few days. There are a few occasions where you need to be careful - some junctions for example when turning left. If the road design is like a bit of a slip road where you angle more in the direction of travel, then it's difficult to see. The solution is to be square on at a junction and it's fine.
The only other problem I've encountered being LHD is barriers in car parks where you need to take a ticket from a machine. Passengers are required. Lol.
For a weekend fun car, LHD isn't really an inhibitor and now I've had one I wouldn't object to another. Bonus being that they are cheaper too!
LHD drive is fine once you've done it for a few days. There are a few occasions where you need to be careful - some junctions for example when turning left. If the road design is like a bit of a slip road where you angle more in the direction of travel, then it's difficult to see. The solution is to be square on at a junction and it's fine.
The only other problem I've encountered being LHD is barriers in car parks where you need to take a ticket from a machine. Passengers are required. Lol.
For a weekend fun car, LHD isn't really an inhibitor and now I've had one I wouldn't object to another. Bonus being that they are cheaper too!
vincegail said:
Nice car, Paul! And nice parking too. Reminded me of this guy parking his 1m49 wide Fiat Panda in his 1m55 wide garage. Ever seen this? (in Dutch, but clip itself is still very funny)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbZvnH0zADA
Haha! Thanks Vince. Yeah I've seen that Panda video - it's always in my mind when I park the Camaro. When I was considering a wide car, the Panda video was actually my inspiration should the doors not open! I was actually considering to put a side door into the garage, thereby giving a little more width upon entry and exit! And should I ever get a bigger car, that's still the plan. So I'd consider the Panda guy a bit of an idea legend in my head hehe!!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbZvnH0zADA
Service Time (February)
The car is now due a service. It has been two years and 10,000 miles since the last one. These cars are due to be serviced annually, so in terms of time it looks late, however I'm sure it was serviced when it arrived in the UK but i just cannot find the receipt. Never mind, its still being done to mileage, with the intention of doing this annually from now, and my search for a service centre began. It turns out there is an American specialist who services all kinds of old-and-new USA stuff not too far from me called Cas Am. Happy days! The alternative was a Chevrolet specialist in Manchester but this is a fair way and my research showed that the local place does have a well respected reputation so I thought I'd try them. I gave them a call and they sounded like the knew their stuff, so I booked the Camaro in.
Their workshop was pretty cool, with all kinds of American cars in the workshop. They completed a major service on the Camaro for just £245 and gave it a full check over, reporting that it was pretty much good-as-new underneath, with brakes and tyres all having plenty of life left in them. The oil was definitely ready for servicing so I'm told, so it was good to get this done.
Whilst my car does have a very full and comprehensive history, it doesn't have a service book - they don't appear to have ever been produced (I don't think the traditional service stamp stuff of the UK is typical in USA as they have the more comprehensive Carfax system). So I've purchased a generic book from eBay and the workshop has said to call down with it and they'll stamp it up. So I can now start building up a UK stamped history. Hurrah!
Interestingly, the workshop is also able to source parts (a side arm of the business) and they can fit whatever I need and have experience of this. I'm thinking front foglights to bring the appearance to SS spec on the front, and a closer replica of Bumblebee from 2007 Transformers. Watch this space!
A few pics of the service...
And that Watch...?
It lasted a month and the pin has now fallen out of the strap. You get what you pay for I guess.. £13
The car is now due a service. It has been two years and 10,000 miles since the last one. These cars are due to be serviced annually, so in terms of time it looks late, however I'm sure it was serviced when it arrived in the UK but i just cannot find the receipt. Never mind, its still being done to mileage, with the intention of doing this annually from now, and my search for a service centre began. It turns out there is an American specialist who services all kinds of old-and-new USA stuff not too far from me called Cas Am. Happy days! The alternative was a Chevrolet specialist in Manchester but this is a fair way and my research showed that the local place does have a well respected reputation so I thought I'd try them. I gave them a call and they sounded like the knew their stuff, so I booked the Camaro in.
Their workshop was pretty cool, with all kinds of American cars in the workshop. They completed a major service on the Camaro for just £245 and gave it a full check over, reporting that it was pretty much good-as-new underneath, with brakes and tyres all having plenty of life left in them. The oil was definitely ready for servicing so I'm told, so it was good to get this done.
Whilst my car does have a very full and comprehensive history, it doesn't have a service book - they don't appear to have ever been produced (I don't think the traditional service stamp stuff of the UK is typical in USA as they have the more comprehensive Carfax system). So I've purchased a generic book from eBay and the workshop has said to call down with it and they'll stamp it up. So I can now start building up a UK stamped history. Hurrah!
Interestingly, the workshop is also able to source parts (a side arm of the business) and they can fit whatever I need and have experience of this. I'm thinking front foglights to bring the appearance to SS spec on the front, and a closer replica of Bumblebee from 2007 Transformers. Watch this space!
A few pics of the service...
And that Watch...?
It lasted a month and the pin has now fallen out of the strap. You get what you pay for I guess.. £13
Edited by Cloudy147 on Sunday 6th December 17:51
skeeterm5 said:
Ooooof! Thanks Skeeterm! That looks very interesting indeed. Shame their website doesn't actually work, but I'll keep investigating!
Parking!
So, t'old Bumblebee hasn't been used much over winter, aside from going for its service. However, even thought it has been parked in the garage with no form of life support for a month or more at a time, it still fires up without hesitation. Very pleased, the battery and alternator must be in good condition, despite its many miles. Hurrah!
I'm getting better now at parking in the garage too. I can (at last!) drive it out and reverse it in by myself! It does however require a camera at the back of the room so I can see how close I am to the wall, and several checks as I'm reversing in to make sure I'm not going to hit the wing or the mirror on the other side of the car. With 1cm on each side to spare, it requires a lot of precision. Here is a picture of the car reversed in...
That's looking down at the boot from from above. Looks close, but no touchy. Parking like a boss.
Using the car for Good.
Last month I took the car to a public show in Wakefield, it was an American car themed event, with cars all over the city centre. It's aim was to raise money for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance and was great to be a part of it.
The 'bee certainly got its share of attention!
But you have to make sure its locked if you aren't watching it like a hawk....!
"The Supercar Experience"
Then, just last week was the culmination of months of hard work by myself and a couple of others, we put together "The Supercar Experience" event at Meadowhall in Sheffield. It was a full charity event, the purpose was to raise money for the local Children's Hospice. We raised £21,000 on the day, which I'm pretty pleased with. We've ran the event for three years now, and our trilogy total is just under £50,000 to the hospice. Marvelous!
Here is Bumbleebee and Bumblebee!
And here's a video, and you can see my car in here with the dancing robot version too!
https://youtu.be/aQ-9QS6Efzk
So, all in all a good start to the car season, using my new car for slightly different purposes. Whereas my previous Porsche sports cars have been used for family days out but also for weekend blasts and suchlike, the Camaro is used very much for family days, but also to bring a smile to other people too. This car is quite simply just a ton of fun.
So, t'old Bumblebee hasn't been used much over winter, aside from going for its service. However, even thought it has been parked in the garage with no form of life support for a month or more at a time, it still fires up without hesitation. Very pleased, the battery and alternator must be in good condition, despite its many miles. Hurrah!
I'm getting better now at parking in the garage too. I can (at last!) drive it out and reverse it in by myself! It does however require a camera at the back of the room so I can see how close I am to the wall, and several checks as I'm reversing in to make sure I'm not going to hit the wing or the mirror on the other side of the car. With 1cm on each side to spare, it requires a lot of precision. Here is a picture of the car reversed in...
That's looking down at the boot from from above. Looks close, but no touchy. Parking like a boss.
Using the car for Good.
Last month I took the car to a public show in Wakefield, it was an American car themed event, with cars all over the city centre. It's aim was to raise money for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance and was great to be a part of it.
The 'bee certainly got its share of attention!
But you have to make sure its locked if you aren't watching it like a hawk....!
"The Supercar Experience"
Then, just last week was the culmination of months of hard work by myself and a couple of others, we put together "The Supercar Experience" event at Meadowhall in Sheffield. It was a full charity event, the purpose was to raise money for the local Children's Hospice. We raised £21,000 on the day, which I'm pretty pleased with. We've ran the event for three years now, and our trilogy total is just under £50,000 to the hospice. Marvelous!
Here is Bumbleebee and Bumblebee!
And here's a video, and you can see my car in here with the dancing robot version too!
https://youtu.be/aQ-9QS6Efzk
So, all in all a good start to the car season, using my new car for slightly different purposes. Whereas my previous Porsche sports cars have been used for family days out but also for weekend blasts and suchlike, the Camaro is used very much for family days, but also to bring a smile to other people too. This car is quite simply just a ton of fun.
Edited by Cloudy147 on Tuesday 15th December 09:10
Croutons said:
Thought about sticking some thick foam strips to the garage wall so as to not get a nasty surprise with that massive 1cm tolerance?!?
Yeah, I've got some on the side wall for when I open the car door. I should put some on the back really too for when I'm reversing. The sides are a little more tricky as its the steel frame for the garage door, and beyond that the outside wall, so there isn't much there really that I can stick anything onto. Definitely will put some at the rear though. MOT Fail
Doh!! despite only covering 600 miles in the past 12 months, I've somehow managed to bend the driver side droplink like a banana. Result: Fail.
So now I need to source a new one - which is always a little more tricky with an import. Tomorrow I'll stop by my local USA specialist and see if they can source and fit a new droplink. It has to be in 10 days to qualify for a free MOT recheck.
The clock is ticking....
In other news, I downloaded an app called KnowYourCar. You put your details into it and it tracks a bunch of stuff like insurance dates and MOT expiries and stuff. Today, it also alerted me to say that the Camaro had failed its MOT! So it must be linked to the DVLA and as soon as the records are updated, you get notified. Handy.
Will update soon!
Doh!! despite only covering 600 miles in the past 12 months, I've somehow managed to bend the driver side droplink like a banana. Result: Fail.
So now I need to source a new one - which is always a little more tricky with an import. Tomorrow I'll stop by my local USA specialist and see if they can source and fit a new droplink. It has to be in 10 days to qualify for a free MOT recheck.
The clock is ticking....
In other news, I downloaded an app called KnowYourCar. You put your details into it and it tracks a bunch of stuff like insurance dates and MOT expiries and stuff. Today, it also alerted me to say that the Camaro had failed its MOT! So it must be linked to the DVLA and as soon as the records are updated, you get notified. Handy.
Will update soon!
Thanks guys. I've been down to my local USA garage today and they are going to check out if they have the parts in stock in their warehouse and if not get them shipped over as a priority from America.
However, those links are very useful, so they are now bookmarked - thanks for those!
Paul.
However, those links are very useful, so they are now bookmarked - thanks for those!
Paul.
swerni said:
You may want to consider chopping the rear boxes off, they are a little over silenced.
This was mine after they had been removed https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=atbLrcmB9Pg
This was mine after they had been removed https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=atbLrcmB9Pg
Niiiice! I keep toying with the idea of some exhaust mods as it is pretty quiet.. but then I also do like the quiet and wouldn't want a motorway droner. Always a gamble!
This one sounds pretty nice to my ears...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8INHKdF5Go
Hi everyone!
MOT Sorted. Hurrah. It was a last minute mad rush, but got there in the end.
I spoke to my local specialist regarding the droplinks, which he duly ordered. They took a while to come, which turned out was because FedEx had sat on them for several days in their warehouse. My specialist was rather cross as this isn't the first time apparently.
Anyhow, the part arrived on the Friday (the last day I could get a free retest), but to our dismay, they had sent the wrong parts - just one digit difference on the part number meant the product was for a different car. Doh!
But the mechanics inspected the fault and managed to re-straighten the affected component. I didn't even know you could do that, but hey ho! Knowing it was so close to the wire, they took it back to the MOT station for me, had it tested, then came and picked me up and took me back to the workshop. Great service!
Back on Show!
I was asked if I could display the car as part of a comic convention in a place called Kirkleatham. An event that aims to raise money for the Museum where it is held and in doing so plays a part in keeping the museum open. A great cause, and the car proved quite popular throughout the day.
It was great fun to be part of too. My 7 year old daughter wanted to come along too, so it became a great daddy-daughter day out as we explored the event, the museum, the local bird sanctuary, played games and went for walks. Fabulous.
MOT Sorted. Hurrah. It was a last minute mad rush, but got there in the end.
I spoke to my local specialist regarding the droplinks, which he duly ordered. They took a while to come, which turned out was because FedEx had sat on them for several days in their warehouse. My specialist was rather cross as this isn't the first time apparently.
Anyhow, the part arrived on the Friday (the last day I could get a free retest), but to our dismay, they had sent the wrong parts - just one digit difference on the part number meant the product was for a different car. Doh!
But the mechanics inspected the fault and managed to re-straighten the affected component. I didn't even know you could do that, but hey ho! Knowing it was so close to the wire, they took it back to the MOT station for me, had it tested, then came and picked me up and took me back to the workshop. Great service!
Back on Show!
I was asked if I could display the car as part of a comic convention in a place called Kirkleatham. An event that aims to raise money for the Museum where it is held and in doing so plays a part in keeping the museum open. A great cause, and the car proved quite popular throughout the day.
It was great fun to be part of too. My 7 year old daughter wanted to come along too, so it became a great daddy-daughter day out as we explored the event, the museum, the local bird sanctuary, played games and went for walks. Fabulous.
Edited by Cloudy147 on Tuesday 15th December 09:12
Happy new year!
Decisions, decisions...
I'm 18 months into my ownership experience of the Camaro and so far it has been a pretty cheap affair, with very little going wrong and having a local USA car specialist on my doorstep for servicing and the like. Plus depreciation has been minimal, if any, I would say and insurance is only about £300 a year.
However, the big downside to the ownership experience so far relates to comfort. Although when sitting in the car it actually feels fine and really quite comfortable, my back strongly disagrees.
I've had back pain for years now, but had a particularly bad flare up in early 2018 and it hasn't been right since. I'm now at the point where a 100 mile round trip (even with break stops every 20 minutes, in each direction) in this car provides me significant back pain for days afterwards.
My physios tell me that the seating position of sports cars is probably the worst thing for back troubles such as mine and will only aggrivate the condition. This seems true as the Camaro has a low roofline and, being 6'4" the seat can't be made as sitty-uprighty as I have in my Cayenne for example.
So this puts me at a crossroads. I love the car - and so does my 7 year old daughter, who has got quite attached to the yellow bumblewasp. But driving it is restricted to local journeys only really. Is it worth keeping it for that? I'm not sure. One to think about. Its certainly not depreciating at any rate that would be concerning and the original purchase price wasn't enormous either so its not like I'm loosing a ton of money on it if I did keep it just as a special 'toy'. Decisions, decisions.
But in the meantime, the journey that gave me the backache most recently was just a couple of days ago for a photo shoot. I'm yet to receive the full imagery (which also features a model lady who wanted some pics with the car), but the picture below is the shot that I wanted for my wall.
I think it looks fantastic!
EDIT: Here is a video to the graffiti artists creating this wall:
https://youtu.be/n3FJUxwLMeQ
Decisions, decisions...
I'm 18 months into my ownership experience of the Camaro and so far it has been a pretty cheap affair, with very little going wrong and having a local USA car specialist on my doorstep for servicing and the like. Plus depreciation has been minimal, if any, I would say and insurance is only about £300 a year.
However, the big downside to the ownership experience so far relates to comfort. Although when sitting in the car it actually feels fine and really quite comfortable, my back strongly disagrees.
I've had back pain for years now, but had a particularly bad flare up in early 2018 and it hasn't been right since. I'm now at the point where a 100 mile round trip (even with break stops every 20 minutes, in each direction) in this car provides me significant back pain for days afterwards.
My physios tell me that the seating position of sports cars is probably the worst thing for back troubles such as mine and will only aggrivate the condition. This seems true as the Camaro has a low roofline and, being 6'4" the seat can't be made as sitty-uprighty as I have in my Cayenne for example.
So this puts me at a crossroads. I love the car - and so does my 7 year old daughter, who has got quite attached to the yellow bumblewasp. But driving it is restricted to local journeys only really. Is it worth keeping it for that? I'm not sure. One to think about. Its certainly not depreciating at any rate that would be concerning and the original purchase price wasn't enormous either so its not like I'm loosing a ton of money on it if I did keep it just as a special 'toy'. Decisions, decisions.
But in the meantime, the journey that gave me the backache most recently was just a couple of days ago for a photo shoot. I'm yet to receive the full imagery (which also features a model lady who wanted some pics with the car), but the picture below is the shot that I wanted for my wall.
I think it looks fantastic!
EDIT: Here is a video to the graffiti artists creating this wall:
https://youtu.be/n3FJUxwLMeQ
Edited by Cloudy147 on Tuesday 15th December 09:13
Update
With my seemingly never ending back problems, I have been unsure whether to keep the Camaro or not. Long journeys are definately not a good idea currently. However, I took the Camaro out for a short drive to the local library with my daughter and all was well. So if I keep up my fitness, and only do short journeys I think we might be OK - watch this space!
What I've also learned is that adults don't really fit in the back. My wife is 5'7" and had zero headroom on that journey when daughter wanted to sit in the front. Therefore, this car is too big for my garage, too wide to be safe in car parks, too small to fit people, has a steering wheel on the wrong side, is not terribly practical and too uncomfy to drive. As a mode of transportation it doesn't win many points, yet it has rooted itself into our lives and therefore is definitely a 'heart' ownership experience as it'll be staying for now!
In other news...
Photoshoot pics!
I'm still waiting for the full set featuring the car on its own (along with my friends Audi R8), but I thought I'd post a few of the model lady (Sam) who was there for a shoot at the same time. The photographer tells me this was the first time she'd done a car style shoot before. The Camaro is her favourite car ever and I'm told she is over the moon with these photos for her portfolio.
Charity events, public displays, model shoots. Aren't I a nice all round fellow, eh!
Photos by Dfish Pix (Dom Fisher) and shared with permission. There are more of the shoot on my blog, but they are verging over into the "NSFW" shots, so here's a link instead.
With my seemingly never ending back problems, I have been unsure whether to keep the Camaro or not. Long journeys are definately not a good idea currently. However, I took the Camaro out for a short drive to the local library with my daughter and all was well. So if I keep up my fitness, and only do short journeys I think we might be OK - watch this space!
What I've also learned is that adults don't really fit in the back. My wife is 5'7" and had zero headroom on that journey when daughter wanted to sit in the front. Therefore, this car is too big for my garage, too wide to be safe in car parks, too small to fit people, has a steering wheel on the wrong side, is not terribly practical and too uncomfy to drive. As a mode of transportation it doesn't win many points, yet it has rooted itself into our lives and therefore is definitely a 'heart' ownership experience as it'll be staying for now!
In other news...
Photoshoot pics!
I'm still waiting for the full set featuring the car on its own (along with my friends Audi R8), but I thought I'd post a few of the model lady (Sam) who was there for a shoot at the same time. The photographer tells me this was the first time she'd done a car style shoot before. The Camaro is her favourite car ever and I'm told she is over the moon with these photos for her portfolio.
Charity events, public displays, model shoots. Aren't I a nice all round fellow, eh!
Photos by Dfish Pix (Dom Fisher) and shared with permission. There are more of the shoot on my blog, but they are verging over into the "NSFW" shots, so here's a link instead.
Edited by Cloudy147 on Tuesday 15th December 09:16
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