John Thomas’s 2010 Chevy Camaro
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What’s your real name? (What’s your online screen name?)
My name is John Thomas and my online name, and the name I am known in the car community is Camarojohn.
Where do you live?
I live in Lehi, Utah.
What do you do for a living?
I’m a mortgage consultant and also the proud owner of Chief the skate boarding bulldog.
What GM(s) do you currently own?
I currently own A 2009 Malibu LTZ limited, 2010 2SS RS 426 horse 6 speed manual transmission Camaro and a 1969 SS 396 350 horse convertible Camaro.
What got you into GM(s)?
Way back in High school in the mid 70’s I loved Camaros and all the neat 60’s Chevrolets that are classics today. The Camaros were too expensive to buy then because they hadn’t been out very long, so my first Chevrolet was a 1965 SS 327 Impala 4 speed for the very hefty sum of $500.00. A lot of money for a 16 year old kid.
How many Camaros have you had and how long have you been collecting them?
I have owned approximately 25 first generation Camaros! I went to a car show in the mid 80’s and met a man named Randy Young who owned A 1969 Camaro Indy Pace car convertible. It was the neatest car I had ever seen! I asked him if he would sell it and he said no, but he had another one at home. I went there, bought it and the rest is history! I have since owned three Indy Pace cars, two original Z/28’s, multiple convertibles, many hardtop SS’s and I will probably be buried in one.
What made you buy your 2010 Camaro?
I was going to wait for the convertible model to come out, but I have a great relationship with Greg Paulos and Clay Lyon at Gus Paulos Chevrolet. Clay called me one day and said another GM dealer had ordered a fully loaded red 2010 Camaro then GM canceled his franchise so he got mad and canceled the car. Clay knew if he sold the Camaro to me he would get a lot of good publicity and more sales out of it because I am well known in Camaro circles. I found out later it was the second 2SS in the state and the first 6 speed manual!
Have a favorite story to tell about your 2010 Camaro?
The car was a hit from the moment it hit the street. I would pull in to get gasoline and a crowd would surround the car. People in German luxury cars were taking pictures of it as I went down the freeway! The Camaro is well loved all across America and people were proud that such a great Icon had returned to the road! The best part was its reputation had proceeded itself and most Mustang owners would just wave as I went by knowing that I could blow their doors off!
What’s next for your 2010 Camaro? Why?
I will continue to enjoy the car and next summer I plan to show the 2010 Camaro and the 1969 Camaro together in car shows. I love to show particularly young people the cars. I had a bunch of teenage boys surround the 2010 at a show last year and they were talking about the stats of the car and knew all about the cars great performance. That was a great feeling to see American kids liking American cars instead of the Japanese tuners. That’s what it is all about!
What makes you keep buying the GM brand?
It’s the best bang for the buck in the world and Camaros are magical!
What do you see as the biggest challenge facing the GM community today?
They have to become economically solvent again and we as Americans need to buy American.
Do you spend time on any GM sites? Which ones?
I spend a lot of time on RacingJunk.com, Hemmings Motor News and any sites that has Camaros or Camaro parts for sale.
Any modifications to your 2010 Camaro?
I don’t modify my Camaros, time has proven that the clean original cars end up being the most valuable. However, I know that there are a lot of fans out there trying to find all the parts that will give them street supremacy and that’s OK to. My motto has always been leave it the way the general built it!
