This time period was my first "binge" into the Camaro - I'm sure all of you other mod addicts know what I'm talking about... As a teacher, it's tough to scrounge around for the funds in order to do more than random stuff here and there, but a quick tax filing and a perfectly timed and substantial return made it all possible. Because of that, I refer to this time period as "The Great Tax Return Binge of 2012".
Fellow club member, known on the forum as Atma, had the factory ground effects on his car, and I loved the rear. While I wasn't 100% sold on the side skirts or splitter, I loved those exhaust bezels and it made more financial sense to buy the entire package rather than just the rear fascia.
Called up Becky @ Rodgers Chevrolet and she took good care of me. Cheapest price for the package, came painted and ready for install. There was some rub damage on the front splitter that was incurred during shipping, and she didn't ask any questions - just shipped me out a fresh one. Luckily, that was only half of the tax return, so I had to find a way to blow the rest of it....
<Cue lambo door jokes now so we can get them out of the way early and I can continue my story>
Now that that's over... VERTICAL DOORS! Went with the VDI brand kit and had Tim at T&T Performance install these at the same time as the ground effects. VDI makes a great, sturdy product and Tim did a good job on the install. I've had the doors up in the wind a few times, and while they might wobble a little bit, at no point was I concerned about the thick steel hinges breaking. While this isn't a mod I expect everyone to enjoy, I'm a big fan, and living in Baltimore, sometimes the street cred comes in handy!
The last big cosmetic upgrade from "TGTRBo2012" was a redesigned interior. No better person to call up than Lupe! He was able to find the exact paint I wanted (Raven's purple) and put together a great set of items for me. He custom painted me a smoothed center console, gauge trim, steering wheel trim, etc. He does fantastic work, and as I found out after meeting him at C5Fest, is a good person as well. I look forward to sending him down my door and dash trim to get that custom painted to match!
My car to this point, and still to this day, has a strong lean towards the cosmetic mods, but I did have some minor performance work done during this binge. I wanted a louder and more aggressive sound, but I didn't want something LOUD. The last thing I wanted was my boss or fellow teachers to know that I was rolling into school late when I have first period off, so LOUD was not an option.
In order to beef up the sound a little bit, I had the MRTv2 exhaust installed. It seems to be one of the more popular V6 mods, and understandably so. Gives the car a nice growl, which I especially enjoy in the upper-range of each gear. The plus side is, it's relatively tame when I want it to be. After a while, it "broke in" and has mellowed out a little bit, which is perfect. So to sum it up - when passing a Mustang, a loud 'F You', when sneaking in late to school, not a problem
I also had Tim install the MBRP exhaust tips to fit the look of the squared off exhaust bezels.
The other performance mod I had put on was a Hurst short throw shifter. Mine did not come with one from the factory, but after driving my girlfriends Infiniti, I definitely wanted to shorten up the range when rowing through the gears.
Ultimately, I think you would all agree that "The Great Tax Return Binge of 2012" was a flying success. It remains the most extensive (and expensive) work I've done in a relatively short period of time. After complete, I really felt as though I had a brand new car every time I looked at it. A world of difference!