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BeckyD @ James Martin Chevy


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Old 07-09-2018, 09:56 AM   #1
F1FTY

 
Drives: 2018 ZL1
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: At the Dealership
Posts: 1,019
F1FTY's 2018 ZL1

My previous SS developed an issue with cylinder #8 and after the repair, I didn't feel confident in the engine with some symptoms it continued to have. I could either continue to work the service department and hope they eventually did the right thing and pull the heads off to look at the motor, but that is a waste of effort and time.

So I drove/limped the car into a different Chevy dealership that was advertising $8k off of 2018 ZL1's. After a couple hours of negotiation with me ready to walk away, but my wife closing the deal instead (keeper), we ended up getting the ZL1 for $90 more a month. After negative equity, GAP, road hazard, extended bumper to bumper warranty, interest, taxes and principal, we essentially will have gotten the ZL1 for a little under sticker at full term. We worked a miracle and a former colleague of mine gave me a GM friends discount to use which made it all come together.

Before the photos, here are the options:

-Manual transmission
-Performance Data Recorder
-Carbon fiber hood insert
-Wheel locks
-Sunroof (The Camaro needs more light in the interior and I'm not tracking the car 99% of the time)

It doesn't come with Navigation like my SS had, but it has the same 8" screen and with the upcoming iOS 12, I can use Google Maps/Waze through CarPlay so problem solved.

As part of the deal, I also had them swap the dark taillights and side markers over. I also took out the cargo net. The sport pedals, ignition button and strut tower bar remained on the SS since they either come standard on the ZL1 or don't fit over the supercharger (strut bar).

Picture time!











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Old 07-09-2018, 10:01 AM   #2
F1FTY

 
Drives: 2018 ZL1
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: At the Dealership
Posts: 1,019
Driving Impressions vs. the SS:

- Power: It just pulls and pulls, although i'm still breaking the motor in so I haven't gone above 4k yet. The transient boost response is nearly instant and the pull is just linear through midrange off idle.

- Clutch: Actually feels lighter and more like my GTI clutch did? Really odd and I've stalled the car twice already because I couldn't decide on clutch or torque for starting the car off. Reverse is requiring me to learn the car a little bit.

- Steering/Handling: Still breaking the car in, but the levels of grip are definitely higher and the most surprising thing to me is how agile the car is. The extra 200+lbs isn't felt vs. the SS so far (but I'm sure on an autocross I'll feel something).

- Brakes: The SS would slide a bit when you applied the brakes. Could be break-in, could be pads, whatever. The ZL1 just hauls your ass down. And I love that.

- Ride quality: Wonderful. So comfortable.

- Noise level: The exhaust is definitely louder. My wife said she can hear the car coming into the neighborhood now. The SS was heard but not as far away. I'm going to be putting the exhaust into Stealth mode before I enter the neighborhood now.

So, while the shifter feels the same as my SS since I had put the 1LE shifter in that car, the suspension does not. I swear the factory bolts things on better, because despite both having the 1LE mag ride setup, the ZL1 just rides quieter, smoother and softer. It could just be new car glue and tires, but overall it's a nicer drive. Steering is quick but a little light, brakes feel much stronger and the power is just hilarious.

Definitely a more involved driving experience overall, it reminds me of my old 911. Most likely this is due to the wider tires requiring you to steer more to stay straight from tramlining a bit, but the nimbleness is a really great experience too.
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Old 07-09-2018, 10:02 AM   #3
F1FTY

 
Drives: 2018 ZL1
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: At the Dealership
Posts: 1,019
Got to drive the car more this past weekend to extend the mileage to 472 miles. It's now ready for the first oil change and eLSD oil change. Expectation is quite a bit of metal flakes in the rear differential as it breaks in. I'd like to do the changes myself since they're relatively easy to do, but the first two changes are free from Chevy and having a service history might not be a bad idea with how the SS turned out.

I got some knick knacks for the ZL1 and did a detail day on the car using Adam's wash/detailer/wax on the exterior and invisible glass on the windows. The wheels take forever to clean on this car since there are so many spokes. The exhaust tips cleaned right off at this low mileage.

Door striker covers are back on







Adam's foam cannon works well:





After the wax:





Pictures didn't capture how wet the car looked after this wax, but the reflections are really nice. GM uses good quality paint processes on this car.









Next time I will be clay-barring the car and applying ceramic coat. I just wanted to get something on there in a few hours over the weekend.
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Old 07-18-2018, 05:10 PM   #4
F1FTY

 
Drives: 2018 ZL1
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: At the Dealership
Posts: 1,019
DSC Sport controller - no update...waiting on shipment. The label was created, but nothing else yet. This is leftover from my SS. I had sent it back in for the V3 update due to communication errors it was having with my laptop.

Changed engine oil at 570 miles. Changing the eLSD dif fluid out this Saturday. Having the factory alignment checked and then set to street spec (-1 all around) to ensure tire life.

Chevrolet Rewards gifted me 20,000 points for buying the new car. I redeemed them towards some ZL1 floor mats, matching Camaro trunk mat and Adams wheel cleaner. I'll share some pictures when those arrive. The red theme will be a nice touch.

1,000 more miles and one more Engine/Dif fluid change at 1,500 miles then the car is broken in per factory spec. I should be ready for an autocross or event by late September. I want to get new numbers/letters in a different color combo first but it'll be good to get something in before the weather turns.
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Old 07-18-2018, 09:04 PM   #5
vtirocz


 
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Drives: 2017 Camaro 1SS M6
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Indy
Posts: 2,460
Nice. Congrats on the new car! Sorry to hear you had some issues with the old one.
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Best 1/4 Mile: 12.24 @ 115.9 mph
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Old 07-19-2018, 08:26 AM   #6
F1FTY

 
Drives: 2018 ZL1
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: At the Dealership
Posts: 1,019
Quote:
Originally Posted by vtirocz View Post
Nice. Congrats on the new car! Sorry to hear you had some issues with the old one.
Thank you!

There really isn't as much to do with a ZL1 like there is with an SS. It's setup so well from the factory, so this might be the most boring journal yet.
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Old 07-25-2018, 09:16 AM   #7
F1FTY

 
Drives: 2018 ZL1
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: At the Dealership
Posts: 1,019
Some more impressions after another week with the car:

- Ingress/Egress is more difficult due to the side spoilers and deep bolstering of the Recaros. They definitely sit lower too. Have to be more careful getting in and out.

- The Goodyear tires have gotten noisier now that they've broken in. They are also not suitable for rain of any sort. For the first time in a long time, the car caught me offguard when it changed directions into a guardrail on the highway over some wet roads. The tires hydroplane very easily and this is traced to the aggressive tread pattern of the factory Goodyears. I haven't decided what to do yet with the tires since they work so damn well on track or autox. Do I go full winter set wheels+tires and just burn through these and replace later with something that works better in the wet at the expense of dry traction like PS4s? Or is there a better option in ZL1 sizing? At this level, seems to only be trade-offs.

- The shifter vibrates noticeably while driving. It's bouncing around. I don't remember my SS with the same shifter doing that. I will pay more attention.

- Rear speaker deck has a rattle that my SS did not have. Will fix that with some felt.

- Front end clearance is better than the SS due to not having the spoiler extensions at the bottom for the smaller SS brakes.

- 17mpg is my best currently, but definitely going through more gas than usual. That supercharger whine is addictive.

- Brakes and Power...just wow.

- Alcantara is not my most favorite material for touchpoints. Can already sense that maintenance on the steering wheel and shift knob are going to be higher to keep it looking good.
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Old 08-23-2018, 12:56 AM   #8
Chris Edwards
 
Drives: 2017 ZL1
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: California
Posts: 165
Surprise you still had confidence in GM after your SS nightmare! Alcantara is a terrible material, wish they offered the ZL1 with standard leather like the SS.
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Old 08-23-2018, 05:48 AM   #9
mlee
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Drives: ZLE & ZR2
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Conroe, TX
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Adams Wooley brush takes care of those wheels very quickly and the one with the angled handle for inside. You'll thank me later.

Love this color combo.
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Old 08-23-2018, 10:49 AM   #10
F1FTY

 
Drives: 2018 ZL1
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: At the Dealership
Posts: 1,019
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris Edwards View Post
Surprise you still had confidence in GM after your SS nightmare! Alcantara is a terrible material, wish they offered the ZL1 with standard leather like the SS.
Yeah, definitely reasonable to expect someone to leave GM after the engine issues with the previous Camaro. 99% of the ownership experience for me was the dealership service department....and that one simply failed me. Thankfully, there are plenty to choose from and I was able to find a decent one a bit further up the road.

The build quality of the SS (outside of the lifter) was perfect....it actually had less little nags than the ZL1 does. After owning a ridiculous amount of cars the previous 10 years (company or otherwise), my tolerance for little stuff is just higher I guess, but I understand if that's not for everyone. (For example, my wife's 2015 Jeep Cherokee is too much trouble for me).

I ended up buying the Adams cockpit brush and use that a few times a week, then i do their carpet/upholstery cleaner sprayed lightly on a microfiber towel every two weeks or so. I do miss the upkeep of leather but alcantara is understandable to provide a touchpoint difference vs. the other trims.
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Old 08-23-2018, 10:51 AM   #11
F1FTY

 
Drives: 2018 ZL1
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: At the Dealership
Posts: 1,019
Quote:
Originally Posted by mlee View Post
Adams Wooley brush takes care of those wheels very quickly and the one with the angled handle for inside. You'll thank me later.

Love this color combo.
Thank you so much! You could say i'm a bit partial to nightfall grey

Perfect! I've ordered the wheel brush kit to make life easier...I like the look of the wheels but it probably takes me 5-10 minutes to hand wash each one. The brushes will be very welcomed!
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Old 08-23-2018, 11:14 AM   #12
F1FTY

 
Drives: 2018 ZL1
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: At the Dealership
Posts: 1,019
Let's add an update with photos. Here are the accessories added to the car over the last month or so:

- floormats, trunk mat, red tow-hook (gotta join the cool kids)

The mats make a nice difference to the interior:





and the trunk:



Cool kid red tow-hook:


Unfortunately, I hit a pothole and nailed the passenger front wheel:


but had it repaired:


and finally, I was able to take some photos at the reservoir near my home. Unfortunately, filters had to be used to lighten up the car with the sun's position at that time of day.



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Old 08-23-2018, 12:35 PM   #13
coruiz
 
Drives: 2018 Camaro 2SS Hyper Blue
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Tampa, FL
Posts: 265
looks sick bro! Congrats on the new whip
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Old 08-23-2018, 04:15 PM   #14
F1FTY

 
Drives: 2018 ZL1
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: At the Dealership
Posts: 1,019
Quote:
Originally Posted by coruiz View Post
looks sick bro! Congrats on the new whip
Thank you!
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