1997 Chevrolet Camaro S.S. review from North America

After about 14,000 miles the rear defrost module went out. I didn't care to replace it until this year.

At about 30,000 miles the service engine soon light came on, but it was my only means of transportation and it was past its warranty so I kept driving it. The car didn't break down until 85,000 miles. It needed a new Opti Spark. It still ran it just ran really bad once it warmed up. The bad thing about that is you have to tear the front of the engine apart to get to the opti spark and they cost between $250 and $350. Go to a dealer and the labor plus parts can run you $1000. Another terrible design is that the opti spark get's ruined if it gets wet. And they mount it directly behind the water pump! So if the water pump goes out (which should run you about as much as the opti spark) The opti spark will also go bad. Both of them combined will run you close to $700 in parts alone. The newer LS1 cars have done away with the opti spark design, but the engineer who designed a part that gets ruined by water and places it behind the water pump should get fired along with the t Quality Assurance team that signed off on the idea.

I had new plugs and wires installed since the opti spark was getting replaced. Being that they are so hard to access almost every shop wanted to charge between $400- $600 in parts and labor.

At 54,000 miles I needed a new clutch due to all the hard driving blasting out of toll boths daily.

At 76,000 I had to get new front brakes. I replaced the rear ones just for general purpose.

At about 100,000 miles the fuel pump went bad. The fuel pump is inside of the gas tank so the exhaust had to be dropped in order to get to the gas tank. Parts and labor will run you around $900.

I tried to have a new cam installed at a performance shop and they caused the engine to go completely out. This was at 147,000 miles. It was running fine I just wanted a little more power. I'm sure it would have lasted well over 200,000 miles.

There is a squeak from the back seats hinge. I thought it was in the trunk for a few years and finally found out it was the latch that keeps the back seat from folding down. A little grease fixed it.

I’ve had the car for 7 years and with the exception of the mechanic that screwed it up the maintenance costs were under $3000.

I drove it no less than 90 miles daily and I drove it extremely hard. Having it wide open throttle slamming through gears at least once a day. I’ve driven it to Pennsylvania from Chicago 4 times, to Wisconsin too many times to count and to Kansas City with no problems.

Being that I only weigh 140 the leather has no cracks in it. I don’t smoke or allow anyone else to smoke so the car still smells good and looks close to new in the inside.

I’ve never waxed the car and when I clean it up it still looks close to show room finish with the exception of a few rock dings on the front nose cone.

For only $33,000 I’ve beaten Porsche’s, Destroyed some of the older Ferrari’s, spanked my buddies corvettes. With a few mods that I’ve had done for cheap I don’t think you can buy a car for under 60 grand that can keep up with me in the ¼ mile or the long run. (Which has upset many, many exotic car owners on the expressway)

It handles very good due to SLP putting high performance springs, sway bars and shocks.

It’s the last year that SLP actually did real work to the Camaro before releasing it to the dealer. From 1998 and up the SS is an appearance package with a different exhaust.

The SS look still gets heads turning and people questioning what make it is even after 7 years.

For a car that will out perform the majority of the foreign cars at a much higher price and last with almost no problems at all for close to 150,000 miles it’s very under rated. Compare it’s maintenance history to some of the foreign cars which performance is in the same range or even less like most of the Jaguars and you’ll see for yourself this car is of very good quality. Check how much it costs to get one of these in Europe and you’ll feel like you have an exotic yourself.

Regards.

Dreadsen.

Neoer@hotmail.com.