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March 2010 Member/Car of the Month: Selena!

12K views 79 replies 47 participants last post by  OceanChevy 
#1 ·

Congratulations Selena for being March's Member/Car of the month here on ModernCamaro.com!

Thanks to everyone who voted for me. I’m still surprised to have won. I’m totally honored.

Ok let’s get started with a few questions.

What got you started with your love for the Camaro?


This is kinda long, so grab a drink… I fell in love with Camaros at the tender age of about 3. I remember seeing a super clean late 2nd gen model Camaro when I was that age and it just sparked something inside me. That Camaro didn’t even belong to anyone I knew. I just saw it driving down the street and immediately fell in love. From that time on I always told people I wanted to drive a Camaro when I grew up. I begged my mom for a Camaro on my 16th birthday. She got me a Corsica instead. I drove that car until I had enough money saved to trade it in on a brand spankin’ new Camaro when I was 19. I really wanted a Z28 or an SS, but Louisiana insurance rates suck so I got a 1998 V6 Camaro in Sebring Silver. It had the 5 spoke rims, t-tops, 1SC package… I was so picky about the options, the local dealer had to ship it in from a dealer in Victoria, TX for me because there wasn’t one on the local lots that met my criteria.

I drove that 98 Camaro for 3 years and racked up 42,000 miles. It had Borla exhaust, CAI, SLP SFC’s, SLP level 2 Bilstein suspension, G2 larger sway bars, and 3.42 gears. I loved that car with all my heart and took great care of it. It was quick for a V6 at the time, but I had a serious need for speed that it just couldn’t quench. So, in 2001 I sold the Camaro to my best friend Alysia and ordered myself a 2002 Firehawk. I cried when I sold my Camaro, but when I got the Firehawk there was no lookin’ back!

I met Scott in 2003, and he was a Camaro nut too. We hit it off instantly! He had a White 1998 Z28 at the time. YAY! I had a Camaro back in my life. Sadly, he totaled that car not long after we got together, but it was replaced by a 2000 Sebring Silver SS convertible. When we got married in 2004 at the local drag strip, we raced each other after our vows. He was in the SS, and I was in the Firehawk.

When the F-bodies were put on “hiatus” in 2002, I cried. Scott Settlemire has a really sad video about the final days at St. Therese and I still cry every time I see it. Needless to say, when the Camaro Concept was unveiled in 2006, I was ECSTATIC! I knew we would have one in our driveway, and I was elated the Camaro was coming back (even if the Firebird wasn’t… which was sad for me). When we were ready, I contacted Eric at Classic Chevy and put in our order. Our 5th gen ended up getting built the second day of production (3/17/2009) and we took delivery on May 9, 2009. WOOT!

So how did the opportunity of being a Camaro Disciple come about? Would you like to share any interesting insights or stories from your experiences?

Back when the 5th gen was unveiled in 2006, Scott and I were lucky enough to get picked as one of the 250 enthusiasts to be there for the event. We also got to go back to Detroit when they unveiled the convertible concept at GM Style in 2007. We were immediately in love with both cars. After that wonderful experience, there was a call on one of the web forums for people interested in being part of an enthusiast focus group for the new Camaro. All you had to do was write a 250 word essay about your passion for the car. Well, mine was over 500 words, but I just couldn’t condense it any more so I sent it in. Then, I found out I was the only girl who submitted and Scott Settlemire had to start appealing for other ladies to write essays. After they got a few hundred submissions, they picked the “disciples” and I was among the lucky 15. Going to Detroit for the first two Camaro summits was amazing. Being able to drive the concepts and then the IVER cars was this girl’s dream come true. And being able to be the voice of the enthusiast and stand up for what I wanted in the Camaro and what others wanted too, made me feel like I was accomplishing a great goal. I felt like a part of history.

What’s the story behind your 5th gen?

At first, I wasn’t sure if I’d even have a 5th gen at all right now. I had bought a 2005 GTO before the rumors of the concept started up and it wasn’t going to be paid off until July 2010. Initially, I was thinking I would have to wait until it was paid off before I could get my 5th gen because I wanted to keep the GTO. Well, after some serious thinking and some hardcore pros and cons lists ya rly. I decided to sell the GTO and order a new Camaro, cuz I just had to have me a new Camaro… and I did NOT want to wait until July 2010. I knew once people started getting theirs and I saw them on dealer lots I would lose my mind if I didn’t have one.

How did you come across ModernCamaro.com and what made you stick around?

I joined up on ModernCamaro (back then 5GO) right after the unveil of the Camaro in 2006. Even tho I was all about the new Camaro, I kept my SunsetHawkSelena name cuz that’s what I’ve been known as on the forums since 01. I was just as anxious as everyone else for a place to talk about the 5th gen and listen for rumors and updates as time went on. I was hungry for this car. Seeing the concept in 2006 sparked that little something inside me again and I had my mind set on owning one. What keeps me here are the people. The members on this forum are the greatest! I’ve been on a lot of web forums from GTO owners to hearse owners to Knight Rider owners and this is one of 2 forums that I visit daily. I hate internet drama and so many forums have too much of that. But this place is refreshing because everyone gets along.

Finally do you have anything you’d like to say to ModernCamaro.com members or anyone else reading this interview?

A HUGE thanks to:
Fbodfather for “keeping the faith,”
to GM for bringing back the Camaro,
to the Camaro team for making such a kick ass car,
to Super6 for building these fine machines,
to SS-Eric for getting me the car of my dreams,
and to all the members that make this site so great!
ModernCamaro RULEZ!!
 
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#24 · (Edited)
somehow i forgot to respond to this. oops!

yes, the GTO was an AWESOME car and it was a VERY hard decision to let it go. i had loved Monaros since i first found out about them back around '99-'00 and i was so happy when Lutz made the call to bring them over here as GTOs. the GTO moniker tho turned many people off and i think that it was such a misunderstood car. but **** it was killer! i will always miss my GTO, but the guy who bought it joined up on LS1GTO.com so i can still check in on her from time to time. :D

thanks for the compliment on the ink. it's still a work in progress. gotta get my graveyard scene finished (upper arm) when i get more money :thumbsup:
 
#9 ·
thanks y'all *blush* :D

here's a link to the album where i have a few more pics from that photo shoot. Scott and i are in no way professionals as is obvious from the pics, but we did the best we could. it was hard to decide which pic to submit.

http://s2.photobucket.com/albums/y17/SunsetHawk/Bumblebee/
 
#17 ·
Just looked through your album. At the very end you have a shot of a rail car. If that is actually YOUR rail car then I have finally found another Camaro Stalker. I too, have a shot of the railcar my baby arrived in. Does it get any better than that?

Nice ride and....you don't like Yellow do you? The heels match very nicely. So......which came first the heels or the Camaro?

Congrats on being chosen for this month.
 
#18 ·
yes, that is a shot of THE actual rail car that Bee arived in. :D i know... i'm a total stalker! *blush* and the Camaro came before the heels. i just happened to find those heels shortly after he arrived and they were too perfect of a match not to buy. i also have matching nail polish :lol:
 
#20 ·
Selena

Congratulations on Member of the month your truly deserve it :thumbsup: It seems it was only a year ago i was following your Camaro down the line ...Oh wait it was a year ago ! Yours was a special follow through for me and i'm proud to have watched it come alive and be the first person to sit in it and fire it up . I have your pictures framed in my office for all to see . Best Regards from your Oshawa Build Team .

Mike
Super6 :5go:
 
#25 ·
ok i had to go dig up some pics...

here's the '05 GTO i sold to get Bee. i took her to the drag strip when she was 6 days old and we got runner up in street class (i red lighted last round--dang it!) that's the plaque she won by the wheel.



and this pic is from the day i sold her. she only had 13,000 miles and she sold within 12 hours of posting her up for sale on the GTO forum :( :(



 
#30 ·
Saweet! and Congrats....
 
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