Somehow I got hooked on getting a convertible, and wanted to stay with something fast and sporty, but with something of a back seat for the kids to ride in.  A BMW M3 drop top was to much $$, and Mustangs... are kinda like a 2 door sedan, and not very pretty at that.

So, it had to be a Camaro.  The Firebird was a possibility but for the ugly rear wing the convertible gets and the look of the headlights when they were up.  Nice seats though.

Those that know Camaros or have read reviews know their shortcomings; soft suspension, long/rubbery shifter, and terrible seats -- all fixable with bolt-on stuff.  To get the car I wanted, it had to be factory ordered, so I waited for the '00 model year (for the steering wheel controls) and put my money down.  Here's what I got:

Camaro Z28 Convertible
  • GM model # 1FP67-Z28
Colour:
  • Pewter exterior, ebony cloth interior, black roof fabric (perfect colour for a daily driver, and I avoided the cheap leather seats that were to be tossed anyway)
Factory Options:
  • 6-Speed Transmission (MN6);
  • Power Steering Cooler (Standard)
  • AM/FM Cassette (UL0) -- CD player delete;
  • 12 disc CD Changer (U1S) (plays CDR but not CDRW discs);
  • ASR/Traction Control (NW9);
  • Z-Rated 245/50/16 tires (QFZ) (160 MPH electronic speed limiter)

Even before I ordered the car I was researching and planning the modifications to the car.  The suspension, shifter, seats, and hood were basically picked out by the time the car arrived.  Other than the front end alignment and paint, I do all of the install work myself, including the welding for the SFCs and roll bar.

Last edited Wednesday, September 29, 2004

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