The WhiskeyFed Camaro
 

So since I have recently decided that this will be my baby until death do us part. I figured that starting a build thread would be a good idea, and also fun! Here it goes...

Phase 1: Picked her up from Maritime Chevy in Fairfield, CT on October 8, 2016. My 2017 1LT 2.0 Camaro :rolleyes:
- Technology Package
- Bose Premium Sound Package
- 8 in Touch Screen Option
- Base model options everywhere else

Test drove the Camaro once and I was absolutely blown away. The interior is leaps and bounds better than any other comparable car I was considering (Mustang, Challenger, Charger, Focus ST, even the BMWs i was looking at).

Went home and all I could think about was "man, that was it, that is everything I want and I can actually AFFORD it." I looked around for other dealerships that had the 2.0 in black with an A8 TM and there were NONE! Like none... So (as far as i was concerned) I would have the first 1LT 2.0 Black Camaro in CT. Went back about 3 days later, with a down payment in my hand, took it for a ride one more time and that was that. She was mine!

Had them fix some scuffs and paint chips, etc. and went to pick it up the following Monday.

Traded in my 2001 BMW 325xi (boy did I have a lot of memories in that car). This car's dash was lit up like a Christmas tree at the Griswold household, but they gave me more than I had hoped, so I let her go.

Aspirations
I want to outright, be quicker, faster and more agile than the stock 6th Gen V8.
Find and push the performance and handling limits.
Enjoy the ever loving #%*! out of this car.

SPONSORS
Mishimoto
R1 Concepts
PTP Turbo Blankets
Wrap N' Shine Auto Spa
Legendary Car Care

Engine/Performance/Suspension Modifications
JacFab Boost-O-Lator High Performance Re-Circulation Valve
72mm Throttle Body Kit
R1 Concepts Drilled & Slotted Rotors & HP Ceramic Pads
Injen Evolution Closed Box CAI
RPM 3" Charge Pipe Upgrade
ZZP Front Mount Intercooler
ZZP Catless Downpipe
ZZP Strut Tower Brace
MBRP Dual Tip Axle Back (TO BE INSTALLED)
Eibach Pro-Kit Lowering Springs
PTP Turbo Blankets LTG Turbo Blanket
PTP Lava Exhaust Wrap (on downpipe only)
Mishimoto Coolant Expansion Tank
Mishimoto Catch Can System
Mishimoto Radiator Hose System

Tuning
DanyTech Tuning / Cooper Tuning: Custom ECU Tune (297whp / 374 wtq) <-- with catted downpipe, 1st tune.

Aesthetic/Lighting Modifications
GM SEMA Grilles (Custom Wrapped)
GM Smoked Tail Lights & 3rd Brake Light
Diode Dynamics SL1 LED Low Beam Upgrade
Diode Dynamics Smoked LED Sidemarkers
Diode Dynamics LED License Plate Lights
ZL1 Addons Lift Points
ZL1 Addons Rear Rock Guards
American Authority Gloss Black Front Splitter
American Authority ZL1 Style Side Skirts (Wrapped Gloss Black)
American Authority Wicker Bill Spoiler
American Authority Gas Cap
Red Aluminum Slappy Paddle Extensions
20% Cabin Window Tint / 5% Rear Window Tint / 15% Sun Strip Tint

Paint Protection
GTechniq Exo Ceramic Coating
22ple Spray-On Ceramic Booster
XPel Tech Paint Protection Film (Hood, QPs, Bumper, Mirrors)

WhiskeyFed???

Now we're talking...

Love hearing about someone else who DD's their ride! Sub'd

Hey Pat! Love the thread so far, looking forward to following the updates to your car's story! :)

Solid plan, should turn out very nice.

I envy your no-spoiler decklid, all those excellent options out there for an aftermarket spoiler should you so choose!

Phase 2: CAI
 

Phase 2: So at this point I'd had the car about a month or so and I did some impulse shopping on Phastek and ended up with the Injen Evolution 7300 Closed Box Cold Air Intake. I had it shipped to my office and let's just say nothing got done after it arrived LOL.

So! This would be a short step, but GM decided to change the PCV hose on the intake manifold from a quick release to a fuel line disconnect... :mad0260::mad0260::mad0260: This gave me a lot of trouble. First try was with my hands and a screwdriver and boy did I marr this thing up. I was trying to push the tab in as opposed to use a FL disconnect tool to push them out. Second try was at autozone (i will never EVER go to autozone again, not because of this but because of a cumulation of stupidity). I asked if they had something that would take the tube off and the guys response was "man, i don't even know, I've never seen that clip before, plus it seems kind of a waste to modify a new car like this" This for some reason lit my hair on fire, I closed my hood and decided to Advanced auto parts for try #3. I WILL go back here, super helpful. Looked up that the clip had been changed to a FL disconnect connection and handed me the generic tool kit. Went out to my car in the parking lot and tried my due diligence to get this tool to fit under the slanted connection. After a few minutes of being polite, I really went after it, and ended up snapping one of the tabs. So, already being pissed off at GM, Auto Zone and myself, I averaged about 70 mph on the way home on back roads. (This was all in the time span of about 2 weeks)

The next weekend I decided, welp its already broken so Ill just put the intake in and figure out how ill get the connection to stay on. So I put it in, took about 10 minutes and I thought that the connection would just "not come off" and I was wrong. I drove around for about 2 minutes, came back to check and the PCV was totally off the manifold :facepalm: I got some trusty black electrical tape, and sealed that sucker up. Yes, It is totally a hillbilly fix but it works like a charm and I ended up ordering the replacement tube assembly from GMPG.

MY INITIAL REVIEW OF THE INTAKE
Awesome... Totally friggin awesome.
The blow off noise is addicting, you can feel a little power gain in the mid range but nothing close to what the Injen advertisement says you'll get. It looks really good in the engine bay, really clean look (aside from the electrical tape HAHA) Definitely planned on keeping this. A little expensive but from what I have read, this is the best money can get.

Phase 2... Complete.

@Ten-Seven I do want a spoiler, I think that I need to make some performance modifications first. I've done enough aesthetic stuff for now. Also, I am posting this in retrospect because i neglected to start one when Evil-Bee told me to :bonk:

Ill try to do a phase a day until i get caught up

FYI, fuel line disconnect tool works wonders on the PCV connection. See I4 Turbo section. Lots of good info in there about this problem.

Michigan, I have ordered the Mishimoto CC system and apparently this comes with a tool to remove the PCV line connections. The tool kit will not fit around the connections on the Engine (they are super tiny).

Phase 3
 

Phase 3: Ceramic Pro Sport

So I had done some research while I was in my frantic purchasing of cleaning supplies mindset and landed on Ceramic Pro (CP). After seeing the prices of the different levels of CP, I quickly learned that this was not in my price range. A few weeks later, I got a call from my detailer saying that he was doing a holiday special with CP Sport (the lowest on the totem pole for CP). Got a great deal on it including a paint correction and all. Had the car done in 1 day and I went to pick it up the next evening after I got off of work.

MY INITIAL REVIEW OF CP SPORT
Its meh...
Nothing like the other, higher, more expensive levels of CP at all. It made the water bead up a little bit but this was like the equivalent of a very hard paste wax. The frost on my car was the best part! Would I spend the money on this again, absolutely not but I am glad I had the experience so I know for next time I need a coating.

Since it is a black car, swirls are a part of my world and I am learning to live with it.

Phase 3... Complete.

Phase 4: Window Tints

My motto with tints... " If you are spending the money on tints, make it worth it."

I see no point in spending 150-200 on tints and getting 65% tints. For all you law abiders, more power to you but it seems like a waste. So in my BMW, I had a 5% in the back windshield (legal), 35% in the rear windows (legal) and 20% in the front windows (ahem...).

My eyes, being blue, are extremely sensitive to bright lights. Like if I go out in the sun during the day without sunglasses, I will have a headache in about 15 minutes, soooo....

The "limo" tint in the rear windshield is a must for me, especially on the highway at night. So, I went with 5% in the back, 5% in the QP windows and 20% in the front windows. It is a little difficult to look to the sides at night if there are no streetlights, but I have gotten used to it. It is IMPOSSIBLE to see anything out of the back if there are no lights. I paid $180 for the tints all around. I did not get the front windshield done.

Not only do the tints help with the bright headlights, they keep the car a little cooler, they keep my arms and thighs from getting sunburned on hot sunny days, and they make the car look sweet!!

MY INITIAL REVIEW OF THE TINTS
Absolutely LOVE them!
That is all...

Phase 4... Complete

Yeah, I was just referring to the PCV. :thumbsup: Here's what I used.

Roger Roger :thumb:

Very nice car! Love the mods so far! Can't wait to see how it comes together!