ZL1 questions, mainly how do you convince your wife?
 

Couple of questions out of curiosity...

How did you convince your wife to let you buy a 70k race car?

Is a ZL1 overkill for someone who would drive it MAYBE once a week? This is a car that I would plan to keep for a very long time. I'm not poor by any means but unlike some of you here I can't buy a new 70k car every 2 years lol.

I won't mod it at all, just drive it. ZL 1LE would be a huge waste of money, yes?

For those who don't mod it or track it, was it worth it to you?

I just love ZL1's and it's always been my dream for 7 years now, i'm 33 now. I have a company vehicle so it just seems theres no better time than now to just garage a beautiful sports car. thoughts?

I convinced myself when my wife kicked me out. I worked my ass off for her and all that work cost me my marriage. So when she said it was done I got my shit in order and my decision was made.
I have also dreamed for probably 35 years of one day buying a brand new car but not just any car, a dream car. Up until they released the ZL1 1LE I dreamt of the 1970 SS Chevelle EVERY DAY of my life. When I saw maybe 3??? reviews of the ZLE I was hooked. Like bad.
And therefore made my way over to the dealer to order one.
I don’t have it yet. I can’t stop thinking about it. I’ve ordered 2 sets of personalized plates for it.
Anyhow. I’m not saying get rig of your wife. I wouldn’t have gotten rid of mine but she woulda not wanted me to get it.
You live once.
If you have the funds to financially wisely purchase the car, and your a speed and car nutcase like me, then think about this.....
Cars like this aren’t cheap, if you wanna live out a big dream....then seriously consider the purchase.
When I get my car I’m going to start living out a dream.

Yes I own and have owned plenty of fast cars. But this is special.
And none of what I typed above is bullshite. It was a tough go for a bit.
And my ex and her sister sold one of my Z28s out from under me.
Now it’s time to start living a dream instead of dreaming.
:happy0180:

Convincing the wife, well I cannot give much advice there as it can be tricky. I just waited for the right moment I guess. Maybe find something she has really had her eye on or a simple home renovation project that would make her happy so she feels she got something as well. Maybe your lucky and have one of those unicorn wife's that is into cars and would enjoy the car with you.

for me personally I don't think the ZL1 is overkill, but it is all relative to what your used to driving and how you intend to use the vehicle. I've always raced my cars weather it's drag or track racing, so for me the ZL1 fit the bill perfectly. I only get limited driving in my car and only have about 4700 miles on it, but when I do get it out I have fun with it, not a lot of cruising to be honest.

As for the ZL1 1LE I would say you would enjoy the standard ZL1 more if you do not intend to track the car often, I do love the mag ride for our crappy roads around here. Helps to keep a sports car feeling comfortable when needed and can flip to track/sport when it's play time. The standard ZL1 in stock form is a truly amazing car at the price point. Mine is completely stock other than brake fluid and a track alignment. Me, the driver, is the car's limitation at the moment so I plan to keep mine stock. This is the first car that I have had that I haven't ripped apart after a year to mod. I would like to think it's because the car is that good in stock form and not my old age:smoking:

You’ll never convince her...totally, but the bigger issue here is that...you have to ask!

I don’t have a wife so I can’t give you advice on that but I would think that making the case to buy a Z would be if she would be comfortable driving it too. Manual vs Auto would be a consideration also. I just bought a 2017 yesterday that had 422 miles for a very good price so like you I can’t afford to buy a new one every 2 to 3 years either. If you are planning to keep one for years then it might be the right choice and IMO if you ever drive one you probably will drive it more than once a week. Mine won’t be a garage queen as I bought it to drive and enjoy especially since it has a 6 speed and only the options that matter to me. Buying the used one made more sense to me than a new one. As of now mine will remain stock except for a CAI maybe in the future. Mine came along at the right time and I jumped on it! So my advice is to buy one if you can convince the wife and both enjoy the Z!!

As long as my car habit does not take away from family funds im good. You will not like the ride of the 1le if you are not going to talk it and I do things it's a waste of money. I have a zle but I track it as much as I can. Like the other guy said you only live once. If your finances say you can afford it id go for it.

Very simple IMO...

1. Does the purchase effect your household's ability to pay it's bills?
If the answer is yes.....save more money
If the answer is no.....why do you have to convince her. You are a grown man with a job.

I came home after I ordered mine said to my wife I ordered a new car. That was the extent of the conversation about it. She knows I would never make a purchase that puts the household at risk.

I guess I am lucky. I didn't have to convince my wife. Once I paid off our 2014 Silverado and got a sizeable bonus at work, I told her it was time.

The ZL1 I bought had been sitting in a dealer's showroom for 7 months. Had never been outside. My wife had gone with me 5 times to look at and sit in this car.

So, once I had my financial shit in order, I told her I was getting it. And her reply was, "fine".

So, if your wife really gets you and loves you, it should be a non-issue.

Just my 2 cents.

This is really easy;
1. Buy car
2. Pick it up
3. Drive home
4. Get wife to come out to the drive to see your beautiful new car

Done deal

Hmmmm...convince is a strong word. I will say my wife tolerates my car obsession. As one of the previous posters mentioned, as long as it doesn't cut too much into family time or funds it's OK. The ZL1 also takes her car's spot in the garage...not sure how I pulled that off...At the end of the day she knows it's something I genuinely enjoy and we are fortunate enough to be able to afford it.

As far as ZL1 or 1LE, you can't really go wrong either way. If you don't plan to be a hardcore track driver the regular ZL1 will probably be better. The 1LE will cost more to keep on the road because of the tires...the R compounds wear out fast...that said all ZL1s are tough on tires. If you go 1LE you would likely want to put on a different tire if you are mainly just cruising around with the car.

I have never asked or had to convince my wife on a major purchase, I have purchased a home, nice vehicles, and paid them all off, a loving wife who knows her husband will not jeopardize the family and I take her thoughts into consideration, but If it was up to most ladys, we would not have motorcycles, classic cars, or any other Hobbes. I'm buying a ZLE myself this fall or at the latest this time next year due to this March % of MSRP, and it might see a track or two, but the majority of the rides will be on smooth black top back roads.

The right question is what car does she want? Get it for her. Get your car. Both can drive the other’s car. Simple.

I don’t have the wife issue, but my view is that you only live once. If you can comfortably afford it, do it. I don’t drive mine daily either, as it’s just not practical for my situation. Though you certainly could.

My only question would be whether the cost vs performance is worth it to you. Meaning: will you actually use/enjoy it? Mine gets sideways every time I drive it. What can I say, I never grew up, lol.

It’s better to ask for forgiveness than it is to ask for permission lol
This is coming from a single man though so don’t take my advice.
I just picked up one a couple weeks back & didn’t even really think about getting a regular ZL1 because I knew I would have regreated on getting the 1LE package. The 1LE package just makes the car look so aggressive. Mine is a weekend toy that won’t get driven much. My 5th gen 1LE was almost 6 years old before I traded it in & it had 15k miles. I didn’t regret buying it. Is it worth spending 70k on a car and not driving it, probably not but it sure is fun. Buy it if you can afford it & it makes sense for you financially. You only live once & work hard for your money so spend it how you want to. Just make sure your wife is on board.