[Chutzpah]

Originally Posted by JimGnitecki

As requested . . .

You can see that there is nothing visually stunning on the exterior.

Sorry about the dirt on the wheel in the photo showing the Nitto 555R2. We got THREE big snowfalls 2 weeks ago and today was the first day that the roads were iceless, but the tire shop parking lot still had melting ice and snow at 6 degrees C = 44F!

Jim G

It looks perfect to me, clean and tasteful. The seats really do look great and the matching white splitter blends nicely, while adding a subtle aggressiveness.

[JimGnitecki]

I returned to the shop this afternoon to pick up the OEM tires that were removed this morning, with my pickup truck (since our Camaro trunks are, uh, "limited" in both size and access). So, I got a chance to ask one of the women team members why they paid so much attention to my car.

Her answer was interesting.

She said that they (the team members) are all car enthusiasts, and they like to see cars that are truly high performance and that look great, without a bunch of artificial non-functional add-ons. She said that they see a lot of expensive cars, like Teslas, that don't impress them, despite their quick acceleration, but they really like true performance cars that look and sound right.

So, some of you who commented earlier in this thread, were evidently right on.

And, for those who do car shows, it's food for thought.

Jim G

[JimGnitecki]

Now that I have actually looked at how the Nitto tires look from the rear of the car, I guess they will likely add to what the tire shop team liked so much.

Jim G

[Gunkk]

Originally Posted by JimGnitecki

As requested . . .

Nice! Thanks for sharing!

[Chutzpah]

Originally Posted by JimGnitecki

Now that I have actually looked at how the Nitto tires look from the rear of the car, I guess they will likely add to what the tire shop team liked so much.

Jim G

Very cool. But, I’d ax the dealer emblem. The license plate bracket, I’d probably eliminate as well. But, I understand why it’s there…a subtle clue that your car is not stock.

[NW-99SS]

Looks like Steve and the gang at Davenport did a nice install for you!

I have to say, as an Albertan as well, that I'm surprised at the attention you describe. I assume you are in or near Calgary, but regardless, most places in AB have a ton of nice cars - HC Challengers, Shelby Mustangs, Z Corvettes, etc etc.

Like the LT1 Camaro with the subtle touches, too bad it's not a manual lol!

[TP2SS]

Originally Posted by Chutzpah

Very cool. But, I’d ax the dealer emblem.

I've never been able to figure out why dealers think it's okay to plaster their advertising on SOMEONE ELSE'S property, or why people leave the decals and license plate frames on, sometimes for years, after buying the car. Every car I've ever bought, new or used, I tell the dealer not to put any dealership swag on it, and if they're already there I have them remove it before closing.

[Chrome383Z]

Originally Posted by TP2SS

I've never been able to figure out why dealers think it's okay to plaster their advertising on SOMEONE ELSE'S property, or why people leave the decals and license plate frames on, sometimes for years, after buying the car. Every car I've ever bought, new or used, I tell the dealer not to put any dealership swag on it, and if they're already there I have them remove it before closing.

Agreed. It’s not like people pay attention to dealer stickers on cars and decide to go buy one from that dealer. Waste of time and money IMO.

[tarmelter]

very nice looking car OP! That tire shop sounds cool. I'd be going back there time and time again. I want car enthusiasts working on my car because they generally care more about cars especially badass cars like Camaro's.

[JimGnitecki]

Originally Posted by Chutzpah

Very cool. But, I’d ax the dealer emblem. The license plate bracket, I’d probably eliminate as well. But, I understand why it’s there…a subtle clue that your car is not stock.

I normally do remove all dealer "advertising", but did not do that yet on this car because we were treated unusually well by this dealership. We got:

- MSRP price despite the extreme shortage of LT1 and SS models, and zero ZL1 models. No dealer markups

- 2.99% financing when inflation is running at 9% here in Canada

- The dealership offered the Alea leather seating package, and at a decent price

- The dealership actually also offered to arrange the Magnuson kit using a local hotrod shop with no markup at all on it. We went with Davenport instead because of Davenport's superior skillsets and their supercharging reputation. But I was impressed that the dealership went that far to try to please us because ZERO ZL1s were available now and going forward in our area (In all of Canada, only 300 ZL1s were available over the past year)

- The entire shopping and purchasing process at this dealership was surprisingly pleasant. No hard sell, no add-on surprises. It was the nicest car buying experience I have had in my over 50 years of buying vehicles.

As for the license plate bracket, I always keep those, because I have cut myself more than once on an uncovered metal license plate when washing the car, as I like to get into all the nooks and crannies. By the way, did you notice how PERFECTLY the Alberta license plate colours happen to match the white and red on my car?

Jim G

[JimGnitecki]

Originally Posted by NW-99SS

Looks like Steve and the gang at Davenport did a nice install for you!

I have to say, as an Albertan as well, that I'm surprised at the attention you describe. I assume you are in or near Calgary, but regardless, most places in AB have a ton of nice cars - HC Challengers, Shelby Mustangs, Z Corvettes, etc etc.

Like the LT1 Camaro with the subtle touches, too bad it's not a manual lol!

I actually live in Lethbridge, Alberta, which has a couple of important features:

- City size is only 100,000 people

- Most of the income earners here are government employees or blue collar or retail workers, with incomes that are FAR lower than the average incomes in Calgary. Calgary is very wealthy in comparison, skewed upward by the oil and gas industry there, which cycles up and down dramatically with the economy. Lethbridge is very stable and modest versus high flying but recession prone Calgary.

- The city IS a hotrodder heaven - LOTS of hotrods, BUT they are mostly restomods based on 1950s and 1960s muscle cars. This reflects government workers with modest salaries retired now on moderate pensions and modding their older cars, versus the flashy high income car buyers in Calgary who buy the latest models. Lethbridge has one after another car shows all spring and summer, and even something similar to the annual street run in Detroit (with spectators on folding chairs on the city's largest streets), but they are mostly restomods.

Combining the above factors, you see proportionately more restomods than current model performance vehicles.

I have in the past always favoured manual transmissions, but when I saw the acceleration specs for the 10-speed versus the manual, and actually testdrove the LT1 with 10-speed that I bought, it was no contest - I wanted the auto.

Jim G

[NW-99SS]

Originally Posted by JimGnitecki

I actually live in Lethbridge, Alberta, which has a couple of important features:

- City size is only 100,000 people

- Most of the income earners here are government employees or blue collar or retail workers, with incomes that are FAR lower than the average incomes in Calgary. Calgary is very wealthy in comparison, skewed upward by the oil and gas industry there, which cycles up and down dramatically with the economy. Lethbridge is very stable and modest versus high flying but recession prone Calgary.

- The city IS a hotrodder heaven - LOTS of hotrods, BUT they are mostly restomods based on 1950s and 1960s muscle cars. This reflects government workers with modest salaries retired now on moderate pensions and modding their older cars, versus the flashy high income car buyers in Calgary who buy the latest models. Lethbridge has one after another car shows all spring and summer, and even something similar to the annual street run in Detroit (with spectators on folding chairs on the city's largest streets), but they are mostly restomods.

Combining the above factors, you see proportionately more restomods than current model performance vehicles.

I have in the past always favoured manual transmissions, but when I saw the acceleration specs for the 10-speed versus the manual, and actually testdrove the LT1 with 10-speed that I bought, it was no contest - I wanted the auto.

Jim G

Agreed on Lethbridge, I'm way North by Cold Lake.

[GTO_Gregory]

My car received a bit of attention in the local Texas store. It seems not many customers get wide 285 and 305 series tires.

I was suspicious of the tire mounter when he told me he's the fastest in the store. Then he mounted the new 305 series tires on the front 10-inch rims instead of the rear 11-inch rims. It all made sense then. Fastest, not the smartest.

[Jus Cruisin]

Originally Posted by TP2SS

I've never been able to figure out why dealers think it's okay to plaster their advertising on SOMEONE ELSE'S property, or why people leave the decals and license plate frames on, sometimes for years, after buying the car. Every car I've ever bought, new or used, I tell the dealer not to put any dealership swag on it, and if they're already there I have them remove it before closing.

I kept the Hendrick Chevrolet tag frame on the Corvette I bought from them. Still have the frame around the garage.