I'm really enjoying our long-term 2010 Chevy Camaro SS. I like it so much, I've been driving it for two weeks straight. Well, almost, I drove a Taurus SHO home Monday night, but on Tuesday I was right back in the Camaro and its key is still in my pocket.
However, that doesn't mean I think it is perfect. In fact, it's shift knob is the pits. I like the shifter's action, but the Camaro's bloated knob stinks.
Should we stick with it or turn to the aftermarket for solutions? In the above video KILLER74Z28 (mike), a forum moderator at www.camaro5.com, domonstrates the Hurst Billet/Plus shifter he put in his Camaro SS. And I love the way the units chrome stick and white ball look in the Camaro's interior.
Trouble is, we used that shifter in our Project Mustang GT (Part 1 and Part 2) a couple of years ago and hated its action. It felt right in our hands, but just didn't work the way we wanted and was hard to shift quickly.
So what do you think? Should we modify our Camaro or leave it stock?
I'm thinking we should do a roots type supercharger, shifter, lower suspension and deep dish wheels with a flat black finish. Exhaust too. However, anybody that has ever modified a car knows that with every gain there is pain. And all of those mods would also deminish some of the Camaro's good points, whether it's the car's ride comfort or its fuel economy, etc. And as I said before, I really like the Camaro SS as it is.
I'm getting together with other Camaro owners at the Cars and Coffee early tomorrow morning in Irvine, California, and in two weeks or so I'll be attending the SEMA show were there will be dozens of modified Camaros. I think I'll check out what other guys are doing to their cars before we decide how to proceed, but I'd still like to know what you think we should do.
Scott Oldham, Inside Line Editor in Chief
cruiserhead1 says:
11:19 AM, 10/23/09
Maybe a leather wrapped ball? Personally, I am not in love with the look of the white/chrome in the new interior.
I'll cast a vote for keeping it stock for the first year (at least) and give everyone an honest baseline on the car that GM offers.
After that, give us the Edmunds' weekend play version. At that point, I'm sure there would be more options to consider too.
The Mustang has been around for many years in the same basic form. It is a known product.
Please give the Camaro a true long term commitment before modifying.
texases says:
12:06 PM, 10/23/09
Just no black wheels...
dougtheeng says:
12:09 PM, 10/23/09
BLACK WHEELS DO IT
kurt_ says:
12:12 PM, 10/23/09
4.10 gears. While we're back there, how about an exhaust system that doesn't suck.
nomercy346 says:
12:15 PM, 10/23/09
I would keep the exterior stock looking. You should have it tuned like you did with the 135i. These tunes improve drivability as well as fuel economy. Best bang for buck on the GM V8s.
Seeing all the complaints about the tall gearing a shorter diff ratio sounds like a given.
Depending on how far you are willing to go, put in a nice cam, exhaust and intake as well. It would still only cost a fraction of the money spent on the EVO.
louiswei says:
12:24 PM, 10/23/09
Modify = Good
f1ndler says:
12:30 PM, 10/23/09
That knob is a total distaste of the Camaro designers, in my opinion. At least they didn't put a hat on it to make it look like "Jack In a Box" character. This knob has nothing to do with the design of the Camaro's interior. Why would someone put anything idiotic like this in a car? And this clicking sound, when you shift it, makes me feels as if the whole transmission is made out of plastic.
bkochuk says:
12:35 PM, 10/23/09
I used to have one of those Jack-In-The-Box balls on my antenna!
cah11705 says:
12:59 PM, 10/23/09
New shift knob, exhaust, maybe 4.10 gears, but nothing more. Don't ruin ride quality, just make the sound more noticable, as it should be.
linkwpc says:
01:10 PM, 10/23/09
I got the Hurst shifter on my car right now. I can show it to you when you get to cars and coffee on saturday! Its great shifter and I think it has made the car LOTS more fun! You got to try it! I think it would be great to modify! I also took off my muffles as well and it sounds GREAT! I love my new sound. It sounds like it should now :) You will see lots of different mods when you come torromow! See you then!
bankerdanny says:
01:54 PM, 10/23/09
Teh white ball/chrome shaft Hurst shifter is a classic look on an American muscle/pony car. I say do it.
A shorter rear end would be worth while, but I don't know that I would go as short as 4.10. If you did that what would the rpm's at 70 mph be?
I second the chip and tune idea, but I would stay away from a cam or anything that requires disassembling the engine.
caseabaugh says:
01:57 PM, 10/23/09
Why don't you guys put new tires and stuff on the Challenger first to see how it compares to the Challenger SRT 8
That being said, a Cold Air Intake, Exhaust, Tune, Short Throw Shifter and maybe a Supercharger should do it for the Camaro
jeepsrt says:
02:00 PM, 10/23/09
They sell some really cool aftermarket shift knobs at Pep Boy's, electric blue or red, very nice!!
subytrojan says:
06:37 PM, 10/23/09
Nothing like throwing a four-seamer to blow by the skip-shift lockout!
http://www.acmejeepparts.com/products/96117_710.htm
hybris says:
07:51 PM, 10/23/09
Honestly go with a aftermarket shifter. Beyound that I would love to see a Camaro turned into a sleeper car fairly mild exhaust note until you gun it and put down 500+ horses worth of black streaks on sunset blvd.
wrinklebump says:
11:52 PM, 10/23/09
Leave it as is you weiners you've barely had it for 10 minutes. Let all the editors get a post or two in about it before you go turning it into a Pimp my Ride mobile with waterfalls flying around and pies baking in the trunk and whatnot
greenpony says:
10:15 AM, 10/25/09
Flying waterfalls and trunk pies?
scottyscooter says:
05:39 AM, 10/26/09
To me, the whole point of these blogs is to be able to see beyond the typical auto review and find out what a car is really like. You get to see peoples input as they use the car during daily driving. I really enjoy this about the long term blogs.
This is why you should really keep the car 100% stock. This blog is worthless if you guys start modifying the Camaro because then I'm not getting any information about what it’s like to be a Camaro owner. All I would be reading about is your experiences with your personalized ride. Why would I even be interested in reading about that? If Camaro owners want to know what the mods for their ride are like, they can just go the the camaro5 forum that you linked.
94_gsr_cpe says:
05:49 AM, 10/26/09
At least paint the damn thing. That silver does it no justice
rick8365 says:
10:03 AM, 10/26/09
I say follow the LT Mustang project car model.....run the car stock for the duration of the LT test and then make some well thought out, quality changes and see how it goes. Keeping it stock for 12 months gives the readers a good idea of what it'd be like to own one and gives the editors a chance to ponder/research how the car could be modified/improved.
Once it's a project car it opens a whole other round of reviews, posts, questions, comments. Including the list of mods, parts, sources and pricing (like the Mustang project) provides a valuable guide to those who may want to emulate.
My .02
cr_driver says:
10:23 AM, 10/26/09
At least if something breaks down, GM loyalists around here can blame the aftermarket parts LOL.