[sevron]

I got the '23 LT1. I Ithought about going for the SS or even the ZL1, but just didn't make sense for my budget. I'm still happy with it. Got the RS package and Technology package. Still in the break in period, just hit 2k miles on it.


I am finally just starting to get comfortable with the power of it and I've been looking up what exactly Performance Shift is. I've had it come on a few times but to be honest it freaked me out and I hit the brakes. Then it felt like it was trying to get back to where it was from then on for a few seconds I guess trying to get back to the correct gear or something.


I'm also just starting to figure out which mods I want to do. Am looking at the Borla ATAK exhaust and possible a Rotofab CAI. Just not wanting to do anything crazy that voids the warranty just yet before even the first service.


I've also seen a lot of people say the first thing to do is swap the rear tires out. Swap them to what? And why is that such a good thing? Is it just better traction or am I missing something?


I also haven't really pushed it yet, no drag strips around here that I know of that just let the public come in and floor it without racing. And I'm too scared to just floor it on the highway/interstate for fear of a cop pulling me over. I may just go for it as I am going on a trip to Florida in May, may be a good time to just floor it one good time, who knows. Anyone know if I-95 South is loaded with police lol.


One more thing, is it ok to swap over to Manual mode while actively driving to start gear shifting or should I come to a stop to do that? Always afraid I'm going to get into Manual mode and destroy the car by missing a shift.

[arpad_m]

Hi sevron, to the forums

Originally Posted by sevron

I am finally just starting to get comfortable with the power of it and I've been looking up what exactly Performance Shift is. I've had it come on a few times but to be honest it freaked me out and I hit the brakes. Then it felt like it was trying to get back to where it was from then on for a few seconds I guess trying to get back to the correct gear or something.

Performance shift mode engages when you blip the throttle pedal to the floor (push and release it back quickly, as if it were a foot operated button) or you drive aggressively enough for the computer to think that you're on a racetrack. It does not hurt anything, keeps your engine in the meat of its power band so when you floor it or take turns at high g forces, you can use more of the power more efficiently. After about 15-20 seconds, if you drive like a grandma, ie just normally, it disengages on its own. Alternatively, you can flip the shifter over to M, then back to D to turn this mode off.

Originally Posted by sevron

I've also seen a lot of people say the first thing to do is swap the rear tires out. Swap them to what? And why is that such a good thing? Is it just better traction or am I missing something?

Your car has narrow rear tires that are inadequate for the power the LT1 engine provides, gm presumably did that to save cost and be able to offer the LT1 trim at a low price. If you swap them out for 275/35/20, or better yet, upgrade your fronts and rears to the 1LE spec (285/30/20 front, 305/30/20 rear, with wider wheels to match), you'll gain extra traction and (in the latter case) better cornering ability.

Originally Posted by sevron

I also haven't really pushed it yet, no drag strips around here that I know of that just let the public come in and floor it without racing. And I'm too scared to just floor it on the highway/interstate for fear of a cop pulling me over. I may just go for it as I am going on a trip to Florida in May, may be a good time to just floor it one good time, who knows. Anyone know if I-95 South is loaded with police lol.

Floor it from 5-10 mph and then you can enjoy a power shift or two before hitting the speed limit. You might want to consider a radar detector in the long run as well.

Originally Posted by sevron

One more thing, is it ok to swap over to Manual mode while actively driving to start gear shifting or should I come to a stop to do that? Always afraid I'm going to get into Manual mode and destroy the car by missing a shift.

Yes, the automatic transmission is run by a computer that will protect you from overrevving (missing a shift or trying to down/upshift into an inappropriate gear), and also allows switching between manual and automatic modes any time, any number of times.

It seems to me that you are a bit more afraid of the car than healthy respect for its power would command; if that's the case, try to find a big empty parking lot and practice, see how the car reacts to your throttle steering and brake inputs, get a feel for it.

[JamesNoBrakes]

A much better idea is to run your LT1 wheels as winters with either AS or winter tires and buy a set of summer rims that you can put adequate width and tread on.

[sevron]

Originally Posted by arpad_m

Hi sevron, to the forums


Performance shift mode engages when you blip the throttle pedal to the floor (push and release it back quickly, as if it were a foot operated button) or you drive aggressively enough for the computer to think that you're on a racetrack. It does not hurt anything, keeps your engine in the meat of its power band so when you floor it or take turns at high g forces, you can use more of the power more efficiently. After about 15-20 seconds, if you drive like a grandma, ie just normally, it disengages on its own. Alternatively, you can flip the shifter over to M, then back to D to turn this mode off.

Thank you for the explanation of what Performance shift is.

Originally Posted by arpad_m

Your car has narrow rear tires that are inadequate for the power the LT1 engine provides, gm presumably did that to save cost and be able to offer the LT1 trim at a low price. If you swap them out for 275/35/20, or better yet, upgrade your fronts and rears to the 1LE spec (285/30/20 front, 305/30/20 rear, with wider wheels to match), you'll gain extra traction and (in the latter case) better cornering ability.

Would I just go to the dealer and tell them I want the 1LE spec of wheels and they'll get me the information/price on them. Or will I need to find an aftermarket shop for this?

Originally Posted by arpad_m

Floor it from 5-10 mph and then you can enjoy a power shift or two before hitting the speed limit. You might want to consider a radar detector in the long run as well.

Thanks for the tip here. I did have a radar detector, but it was almost useless as it kept going off on random things. Was a cheaper Escort model, x250 or something, I returned it. I may look at the Max 360 or a Uniden R7 in the future.

Originally Posted by arpad_m

Yes, the automatic transmission is run by a computer that will protect you from overrevving (missing a shift or trying to down/upshift into an inappropriate gear), and also allows switching between manual and automatic modes any time, any number of times.

Ah ok, good to know.

Originally Posted by arpad_m

It seems to me that you are a bit more afraid of the car than healthy respect for its power would command; if that's the case, try to find a big empty parking lot and practice, see how the car reacts to your throttle steering and brake inputs, get a feel for it.

I am for sure a bit scared to be honest. I'm coming from driving mostly 4 cylinder Hondas/Toyotas. Only coupe I've owned was a Scion TC lol. So for sure a power jump from what I've have driven in the past.


I just need to find somewhere to go to get a feel for it. Parking lot or a private road somewhere. Don't think a drag strip would do it at the stage I'm at though.

[arpad_m]

Originally Posted by sevron

Would I just go to the dealer and tell them I want the 1LE spec of wheels and they'll get me the information/price on them. Or will I need to find an aftermarket shop for this?

Well, I got my set on these forums from the wheels/tires section of member classifieds, the dealership is the worst (most expensive) place to buy anything in general.

If you want brand new, you can get fronts at https://www.hubcaphaven.com/p/24015/...-23355791.html and rears at https://www.hubcaphaven.com/p/24016/...-23355802.html, then hop on over to tirerack.com for some quality tires. There are tons of wheel and tire discussions on these forums, do some research before you buy.

No matter where you get 1LE sized wheels/tires from, this upgrade will be expensive. You can save money by just upgrading your rear axle to some takeoff stock SS wheels that are sold here and getting better tires such as the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S or the Continental ExtremeContact Sport in stock SS size (275/35/20). These are high performance summer tires, I think they're okay for North Carolina if you don't plan to drive the car during the coldest couple weeks of the year (and in snow, of course), but you can also buy their all-season variants if that suits your use of the car better. Or, as James mentioned, you can get winter tires for your current wheels and go for the full wheel+summer tire upgrade separately.

Originally Posted by sevron

Thanks for the tip here. I did have a radar detector, but it was almost useless as it kept going off on random things. Was a cheaper Escort model, x250 or something, I returned it. I may look at the Max 360 or a Uniden R7 in the future.

The Uniden R7 will be perfect, it has very good false detection suppression on the K band where other cars' blind spot monitors and building elements (mall doors) can cause falses with cheaper detectors. Disabling K band altogether can help, but of course only if you're sure you aren't suppressing actual useful signals with it.

Originally Posted by sevron

I am for sure a bit scared to be honest. I'm coming from driving mostly 4 cylinder Hondas/Toyotas. Only coupe I've owned was a Scion TC lol. So for sure a power jump from what I've have driven in the past.

I just need to find somewhere to go to get a feel for it. Parking lot or a private road somewhere. Don't think a drag strip would do it at the stage I'm at though.

That's quite a nice power jump indeed, congrats In my experience all sorts of cars and trucks and SUVs show up at the drag strip for test and tune, so no worries there, but it's also an expensive way to practice. At least whenever I went, I only got 3-4 passes in, often spending 30-40 minutes waiting in line before each pass, which is not much fun. Of course not all drag strips are the same, so YMMV.

[Chutzpah]

Use Waze via CarPlay to identify a majority of speed traps . I always have Pandora,( or the like) and Waze split screened. A radar detector is definitely nice too…but for me, luckily Waze has done me right. If you’ve got the dough, go radar detector to bolster your odds of negating issues..

As far as tires and rims.. you may want to get to know your car and your V8 driving style, before spending all kinds of $ upgrading. As much as people say you need wider wheels and tires, that may not be true for you. As well, a lot of people say the runflats from the factory contribute to a rough / terrible ride. My opinion is that the all season runflats on the LT1 are way more compliant than the summer runflats ( the ride is actually very good for a sports car, with the exception of the occasional rail road track). As far as handling, the stock all seasons handle awesome for normal, above freezing, driving conditions. The one weak link is traction off the line under very heavy throttle. That’s were wider sticker tires come into play.

If you’re not noticing wheel slip or traction control warning lights during your normal every day driving, I wouldn’t go out of my way to upgrade… Not just yet, save your $.

With all that said, I upgraded my wheels and tires for two reasons. I like the look of a wider wheel and tire set up and I’ve driven V8 sports / muscle cars all my life. I’m deep in the throttle whenever it makes sense (safety first) so (wider stickier tires made sense)

Good luck, great upgrade from those 4 banger’s.

[sevron]

Originally Posted by Chutzpah

Use Waze via CarPlay to identify a majority of speed traps . I always have Pandora,( or the like) and Waze split screened. A radar detector is definitely nice too…but for me, luckily Waze has done me right. If you’ve got the dough, go radar detector to bolster your odds of negating issues..

I returned a radar detector, didn't feel like it was helping anymore than Waze was. So right now Waze works fine. I get nervous everytime it points up "car on side up ahead" lol.

Originally Posted by Chutzpah

As far as tires and rims.. you may want to get to know your car and your V8 driving style, before spending all kinds of $ upgrading. As much as people say you need wider wheels and tires, that may not be true for you. As well, a lot of people say the runflats from the factory contribute to a rough / terrible ride. My opinion is that the all season runflats on the LT1 are way more compliant than the summer runflats ( the ride is actually very good for a sports car, with the exception of the occasional rail road track). As far as handling, the stock all seasons handle awesome for normal, above freezing, driving conditions. The one weak link is traction off the line under very heavy throttle. That’s were wider sticker tires come into play.




If you’re not noticing wheel slip or traction control warning lights during your normal every day driving, I wouldn’t go out of my way to upgrade… Not just yet, save your $.

Good point. I have noticed the car is quite good of a raid with the stock run flat tires. And I haven't noticed any traction issues, though I haven't really floored it to often on the highway, etc.

Originally Posted by Chutzpah

With all that said, I upgraded my wheels and tires for two reasons. I like the look of a wider wheel and tire set up and I’ve driven V8 sports / muscle cars all my life. I’m deep in the throttle whenever it makes sense (safety first) so (wider stickier tires made sense)

Good luck, great upgrade from those 4 banger’s.

Yep, a very nice upgrade from the previous cars I've had.


That said, I do think the first mod I will do rather quickly will be the exhaust, I do like to hear the car. I'm looking at Borla Atak right now.


The other thing is I'm looking at a AFM disabler as well, I'm not thrilled when the car just shuts off half the cylinders.

[302crossram]

I had a LT1 and now a 2SS.

The factory AS tires on the LT1 were noticeably quieter than the bolders on the SS.
Both tires suck (IMO)

I don't drive too wild but lost traction on the AS's maybe 2-3 times.

Absolutely get the range device for afm disabling.

Plugged in my Range before I left the dealer.
I use a battery tender so no worries about battery drain.

[grampi]

Originally Posted by JamesNoBrakes

A much better idea is to run your LT1 wheels as winters with either AS or winter tires and buy a set of summer rims that you can put adequate width and tread on.

You drive your LT1 in the winter?

[JamesNoBrakes]

Originally Posted by grampi

You drive your LT1 in the winter?

No, I drive my 1LE in the winter.