Advice on moving from LS2 GTO to 5th Gen 1LE....

[96SS390]

Originally Posted by ZED SLED

As the 1LE is a track car, why not look at a non-1LE SS if you are going to primarily daily drive and drag race? I came from an '06 GTO M6 to a 2010 SS and the braking and cornering of the SS is far superior, but straight line performance was pretty close. Also the interior and comfort on the SS I found somewhat lacking in comparison to the GTO.

I live like 10 minutes from Pittsburgh International Race Complex (Pitt Race) so I am not adverse to the thought that I wouldn't give it a try. Probably the main reason though is that from an aesthetic perspective I personally like the look of the 1LE better than the other packages (2SS, ZL1, Z28). I know they are not much different but the subtle differences I like. To me I would not touch the look of the 1LE where as if I bought a 2SS i would probably be looking to make it look like a 1LE which in the end would probably end up costing me close to what I could buy a used one for. This being said the main thing as well is probably the gearing. To swap to 3.91 gears that is probably a decent chunk of change as well. So where I was at in my head at least is to buy a nice 14/15 2SS for $20K or a 14/15 1LE for $25-26k I would probably have close to $3 to $5K just to get it to how I would want it to be at that point it made more sense to me to just get the package on a used car. Not sure if that makes a whole lot of sense but was my personal viewpoint.

[96SS390]

Originally Posted by Sinister10

My only gripe on the GTO is interior quailty. The 5th gen seams better put together. While I have not owned a GTO, My Department has one as the D.A.R.E car. It’s fast and pretty agile, but the interior is literally falling apart, sagging headliner, door panels that the fabric is coming off and the seats are tearing at the seams.

Mine really does not have any of those issues at the moment although I know they are common to the platform overall.

As far as interior I like many aspects of the GTO such as the gauge cluster the design of the rear seats is pretty cool as its almost like a split bucket. The console quality was huge upgrade from the 4th Gen platform. As many have said the seats are comfy but not a super fan of how they look. The door panels have a decent look to them as well. My biggest beef is it just kind of looks "dated" overall albeit its a 10+ year old car so that is expected and I also hate the silver plastic trim.

This being said there are many things I like about the 1LE interior but also some things that I am not sure I am a huge fan of. First being the silver interior panel on the door that thing is ugly. Not sure if it was an option or what but I do see some that have what looks like the microfiber suede on them? The other is I am not a huge fan of the dash in general. The knobs below the touch screen and the gauge cluster layout are not my favorite. As well the rear seats are just really plan but understood who really cares about that. This being said I do really like the console and I am a huge fan of the recaros which is one reason why I am looking at 1LE's.

[96SS390]

Originally Posted by gto mark

I had an 04 GTO & now own a 15 2SS 1LE. The GTO is definitely a more comfortable cruise, the driving position is higher with better visibility. The GTO felt more like an old school muscle car, descent handling & brakes but not great. The 1LE is wide & low to the ground with a more sporty feel. There is no comparison to the 1LE, the road feel & grip is hard to describe unless you have driven one. I would suggest that if you are thinking about a standard Gen 5 SS to drive both. When I did the 1LE doesn't even feel like the same car as the SS. Good luck with the search, if you can try to get one with NPP & Recaros.

Thank you for the sound advice. I had driven a 2010 SS prior to buying the GTO and at the time was not willing to spend $5+k more as I am not as much of a fan of the early 5th gen body style and I didn't think it was noticeably different than the GTO. From an 04 it might have felt different but an LS2 GTO to the 2010 SS it seemed like a pretty similar car for the most part. This being said I am glad you are suggesting that there seemed to be somewhat of a noticeable difference between the 1LE and the base SS car because that is what I was hoping for.

As for NPP and Recaros. The Recaros and microfiber are a must....the NPP I could live without as I will probably go aftermarket down the road but if I found one with all of it I would be happy. Especially if it is Summit White.

[acammer]

Originally Posted by 96SS390

I live like 10 minutes from Pittsburgh International Race Complex (Pitt Race) so I am not adverse to the thought that I wouldn't give it a try. Probably the main reason though is that from an aesthetic perspective I personally like the look of the 1LE better than the other packages (2SS, ZL1, Z28). I know they are not much different but the subtle differences I like. To me I would not touch the look of the 1LE where as if I bought a 2SS i would probably be looking to make it look like a 1LE which in the end would probably end up costing me close to what I could buy a used one for. This being said the main thing as well is probably the gearing. To swap to 3.91 gears that is probably a decent chunk of change as well. So where I was at in my head at least is to buy a nice 14/15 2SS for $20K or a 14/15 1LE for $25-26k I would probably have close to $3 to $5K just to get it to how I would want it to be at that point it made more sense to me to just get the package on a used car. Not sure if that makes a whole lot of sense but was my personal viewpoint.

Don't get lost on the gearing - a SS with 3.45s/28.66" tires and 1LE with 3.91s and 27.85" tires are essentially identical in 1st and 2nd, 3rd is just a little shorter in the 1LE, and then 4th is where you get a significant difference, the 1LE is much shorter. The 1LE has MM6 gear ratios, a longer 1-2-3, which puts them closer to 4. A regular SS has M10 ratios, which are essentially the same as your GTO now, with a more aggressive 1-2, about the same in 3, and then a bigger gap to 4. If you're looking at things strictly from a drag strip perspective the 1LE doesn't hold an advantage over the regular SS.

The real drag racing party starts when you have 4.10s with the regular SS trans - that aggressive 1st gear really helps you get this heavy car off the line!

[LETHAL2SS]

Haven't read the whole thread here, but I made the same switch a few years ago, the 5th gen will feel like a much better put together car and feel more "peppy" the LS3/TR6060 combo is worlds better than that LS2/T56 combo (assuming manual) you can also run a wider tire than a 275(and we know that was even a stretch for the GTO) the only downsides are the comfort IMO, the GTO seats were like lazyboy's. If I could turn a set into a living room set I would.

[96SS390]

Originally Posted by rshelar

I have a buddy with a GTO in that weird orange. I really never understood why they put a 6.0 in such a plain jane car.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Not sure I would call Brazen Orange "weird". Of all the oranges I have seen on cars it is actually more of a normal color due to it being metallic. I personally think it looks a lot better than a flat non metallic color like Hugger but that is just me. Ever car model has it's few unique colors personally I think the Spice Red and Brazen Orange colors offered in 2006 were (2) of the nicest colors offered on a GM car.

As far as why they did it well there is a lot of articles which explain that but if it was my summary it would basically be that it was a cheap/easy way for them to replace the missing v8 performance coupe from their fleet. I would not say that they are a "plain" car as although they don't have the harsh aggressive lines that many other cars do they still get plenty of attention. Not saying they are the most aesthetically pleasing car but they can be made to look very nice.

[SecondZ28]

Originally Posted by 96SS390

This being said the main thing as well is probably the gearing. To swap to 3.91 gears that is probably a decent chunk of change as well. So where I was at in my head at least is to buy a nice 14/15 2SS for $20K or a 14/15 1LE for $25-26k

The 1LE has taller transmission gearing, so with the 3.91 rear it is essentially the same combo as the 2SS with 3.45 off the line

$20k for a 2SS 14/15 is low, they are still in the $25k range. The 1LE package was only a $3500 factory option, so it doesn't add much to the price on the used market.

[SecondZ28]

Originally Posted by 96SS390

Thank you for the sound advice. I had driven a 2010 SS prior to buying the GTO and at the time was not willing to spend $5+k more as I am not as much of a fan of the early 5th gen body style and I didn't think it was noticeably different than the GTO. From an 04 it might have felt different but an LS2 GTO to the 2010 SS it seemed like a pretty similar car for the most part. This being said I am glad you are suggesting that there seemed to be somewhat of a noticeable difference between the 1LE and the base SS car because that is what I was hoping for.

Definitely drive one. There really isn't much of a difference for daily driving, only once you get into the twisties

[96SS390]

Originally Posted by acammer

Don't get lost on the gearing - a SS with 3.45s/28.66" tires and 1LE with 3.91s and 27.85" tires are essentially identical in 1st and 2nd, 3rd is just a little shorter in the 1LE, and then 4th is where you get a significant difference, the 1LE is much shorter. The 1LE has MM6 gear ratios, a longer 1-2-3, which puts them closer to 4. A regular SS has M10 ratios, which are essentially the same as your GTO now, with a more aggressive 1-2, about the same in 3, and then a bigger gap to 4. If you're looking at things strictly from a drag strip perspective the 1LE doesn't hold an advantage over the regular SS.

The real drag racing party starts when you have 4.10s with the regular SS trans - that aggressive 1st gear really helps you get this heavy car off the line!

Thank you very much for the detailed explanation. I will have to look into this a little more as I was unaware the transmission gearing was different I thought it was just the rear.

[96SS390]

Originally Posted by SecondZ28

The 1LE has taller transmission gearing, so with the 3.91 rear it is essentially the same combo as the 2SS with 3.45 off the line

$20k for a 2SS 14/15 is low, they are still in the $25k range. The 1LE package was only a $3500 factory option, so it doesn't add much to the price on the used market.

Honestly I had not looked into the 2SS pricing I just assumed it was a few grand lower but with that said your right. So really one can get Recaro's and 1LE look for not that much more than a standard 2SS with the thought of knowing you are a just a tad different than every other SS camaro on the street.

I think as stated the best option is to drive one to actually see the difference but unfortunately I am struggling to find one within a decent proximity on a dealer lot. I mean I guess I could drive a few hours to test drive but I hate to do that knowing that will most likely not be the one I buy.

[SlingShot]

Keep in mind the Recaro's aren't part of the 1LE option, they are an option in themselves. I think they were an another $3000 or so.

[rshelar]

I like my 15 SS vert but I REALLY like my buddy’s 18 SS black Red Line with the Recaro’s


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Yellow Bullet]

Npp and Recaros were options, suede was standard. I have seen some 1le's for less than regular ss/rs's. Regardless of whether you track or not, the 1le is a really nice performance car

[rshelar]

My buddy with the Red Line worked for a Chevy dealer and got all the factory options at a discount. Very cool


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk