PIC HEAVY!! I was without a hot rod for a couple years before my '14 1LE. So a bit of a (long) story on the road to my 1LE. Build posts to come down the line. Thanks for reading.
For most of my driving years I have owned a V8 RWD car and some of them were to be built for speed. My first car was a 250 ci straight six '75 Nova. I ended up completely redoing that car and installed a Summit Racing Equipment 350 crate engine.
Then I got a good paying job in '94 and had my sights on a '95 Z28. Ordered that one on St. Paddy's day 1995 and received it 5/5/95. Did all the bolt ons, installed AFR heads and a solid roller cam and ran a spinning 12.04@120, stock short block, unported intake. Then I found open track road racing, switched that car over, C5 brakes, Strano springs/bars, Konis, Torsen and back to a hydraulic cam. Track days at the Beav' (Pitt Race), loved 'em.
About that time the Pontiac G8 came out and I was like, damn that is nice. I went and test drove a GT. What a difference to the antiquated GM stuff I had been driving. I just thought it was time for something different. What a wonderfully balanced car, great power, a rock solid, compliant yet firm chassis, an awesome (GM!) interior, quiet when it needed to be, great looks. A perfect balance of everything and it fit the entire family. A "Family Man's Hot Rod" I said. I traded in my Frontier on an '09 Panther Black Metallic G8 GT, sold the '95 Z28. Also bought an older Silverado.
Forward to late 2010 and as a family, we wanted to do some things to the house and vacations. I mentioned to my wife I want to trade the G8 and the Silverado on a 2010 Sierra ( I always liked that generation of Sierras), her response was "let me guess you want one of those new Camaros". I said no, (more on that later) it'll free us up for those other things. She doesn't hold tight when it comes to cars, I pretty much get free reign on all those car decisions, which realistically is BAD!
I really loved that car, like I said it was damn near perfect. But I ended up getting an awesome trade in on it and the Silvy. A salesman at the dealer I went to saw that G8 coming down the road, I just happened to turn in, it was his destiny, and we all worked a deal. He wanted it bad.
So the '10 Sierra was my new hot hod. I still have it and plan on keeping it. I did a few things to it, you know some of us just can't leave well enough alone!
When the first opportunity to see the new Camaro came about, me, my two oldest boys and my bro-in-law drove 35 miles to see one. An IOM SS. Nice I thought, but a few things turned me completely off. This is subjective so no offense to those who have the early models. Rear diffuser, exhaust tips, steering wheel, dash, seats, mail slot! By that time exceptional chassis dynamics was the biggest criteria for any fun car. And the reviews of the new Camaro were so, so. So Gen 5 Camaro, off the radar.
Until model year 2012 and the ZL1
GM changed alot and it suited me, but out of my league price wise.
I saw the news about 1LE option released at SEMA, and I knew the history. When I ordered my '95 me and my salesman went down the list of options, and the 1LE then was about $250 if I remember correctly. I said no, I'm going to drag race this thing
!!!!! That was a mistake as I would later realize
I thought the newest 1LE was great. Kinda on the radar.....
Maple Grove, PA NHRA Keystone Nationals October 2013. Chevrolet had their display at the midway. An IOM 1LE, IOM ZL1, and a CRT Impala LTZ. I actually walked past the 1LE towards the ZL1. I did not realize it was a 1LE because the hood was up and I had blinders on zoning in on the ZL1. I went back over late afternoon and Chevrolet closed up shop but the cars were still out, in the clear evening skies. That IOM was on fire, wow did it look great. It was all I could think about on the 4 hour or so trip back home.
About that time my dad's neighbor bought a '13 ZL1, and you'd nail it if you said it was an IOM! Carbon Fiber Insert. The day I saw it, late evening autumn sun, he just finished washing it, again it looked amazing. He ended up selling it a few months later, his wife wanted to buy a house. EDIT! He recently (5/2015) bought a new black ZL1! He told me after seeing my 1LE last summer he was looking for another! HA, HA, He missed it
A few weeks later while traveling 20 miles south of home I stopped at a Chevrolet dealership as I normal do, just to see what they have. They had a loaded '14 2SS Red Hot 1LE, no Recaros, outside. I looked it over and here comes the green young salesman "that's a carbon fiber hood!" Uhh no, no it's not. he offered for me to take it for a ride. Didn't really get to go where it deserved, but I though OK maybe a '14. Wasn't too sure about the new tail, front was good for me.
I stopped at my local Chevy Dealership where we bought a '12 Traverse. Did a search for a 1SS '13, nothing. Found out the owner has a '13 2SS/1LE in IOM
Cover Chevrolet, they get it.
So between daily searches on the net, drooling here on the C5 forums, working my wife
ha, Hell, I was planting the seed in October 2013!
spring sprung and I'm thinking about a '14. Every gripe I had with the 10-13's was fixed even the seats! But I better sit in some Recaros. I traveled 73 miles to sit in a '14 ZL1 with Recaros. Financially, we still had the Traverse payments. My wife is a stay at home mom, I make damn good money but hated the thought of two payments. I knew overtime was going to be crazy early 2014 and that was going to be the downpayment to make it happen. Was still working the wife.....
Saw my salesman April 4th when I took the Traverse in for a recall. "You still hot on a 1LE?" I said yes but it wasn't time. Shit, I gotta get my wife on board. She's almost there
Time is ticking. You guys know "when the (her) mood is right......"
I called off work 4/10, bronchitis, lost my voice. My salesman called that morning. He said the had an allocation on a '15. A 15!?? Already?? I knew when pricing was going to be released on the 15s, I did not want any surprises. I told him I'm looking at a '14 in Bedford, Indiana, and talking to Becky @ Rodgers. I told him sorry my voice was bad.
Then I started to think, ahhh, maybe I'll go down and talk to him Friday or Saturday. I had more questions. I got there late Friday afternoon and he left for the day, So I went back Saturady. He was with another customer and ended up talking to the sales manager. He said they did the order on a 2014 SIM 2SS/1LE but they had till Tuesday if they wanted to make changes. That makes sense, it was on a 2014 not a 2015. Wew, glad I stopped!!!! By then the wife was in. Damn, I still do not know what color! I said I'll see you Monday, we will make it happen.
No IOM in '14 and really I thought "will I still think it is bitchin' in a few years?" So it was down to black, red, silver and grey. My G8 was black, and never, ever again with black, way too much work. The Ashen Grey is great but I do not like how it changes color, If Chevrolet had the old dark gunmetal grey that would've been it. My wife wasn't thrilled about the Red Hot. I figured I had gotten this far I wasn't going to push it
But with more time........
Time had run out, Silver Ice it was. My Sierra was silver, looks great in bright sunshine, doesn't show dirt, nice contrast with black hood, low production #s adding some minor rarity. Order placed and in GM system Tuesday. SIM/1SS/1LE/NPP/Recaros. Exactly what I wanted