Can 1LE be added after purchase? - Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums

zissophiss · 02-20-2015, 09:00 AM

New 2SS/RS owner here. Can the dealer install the 1LE options after purchase? Is it a "true" 1LE at that point or does it need to come from factory and reflect in the VIN number?

What is the ballpark cost to move up to an 1LE?

markgws6 · 02-20-2015, 09:07 AM

You can add "most" if not all of the options on a standard SS, but why? This has been asked many times on this forum and for $3500, you will never even come close to what you get with a true 1LE/2SS. However if you are just looking for the styling of a 1LE, you can just paint or plasti-dip the hood and get cheaper cast knock-off wheels for much less but this is a "driver's" package, that really makes the SS shine when you drive it.

Ballpark cost for all of the upgrades or to buy a 1LE over a regular 2SS. The 1LE will be at least $3500 more, unless your dealer is a dummy and does not realize what a 1LE is.

Shiftgreen · 02-20-2015, 09:14 AM

Which is why if you get a 1LE, don't sell it unless you have no choice b/c they may price it as a regular SS if you traded in.

gajagfan · 02-20-2015, 09:41 AM

There is a suspension package offered by GM that will help a std SS handle more like a 1LE. Some on this forum have installed it and hopefully they will chime in. Even with that, you will not have the lighter wheels, different transmission, rear end gears, interior features, and other aspects of the 1LE. If you are looking for any more than the aesthetics of the package, I would try to trade and get a real one. I imagine the cost to completely convert your car to a 1LE would exceed whatever you would loose on he trade.

guerrillakilla13 · 02-20-2015, 10:43 AM

You should've got the 1le from the start. But I'm not gonna send u on a guilt trip, a 1LE isn't necessary unless youre really into pushing it.

zissophiss · 02-20-2015, 10:46 AM

I really like the wheels but I guess I can get some aftermarket wheels that look as good.

Bizaro · 02-20-2015, 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zissophiss

New 2SS/RS owner here. Can the dealer install the 1LE options after purchase? Is it a "true" 1LE at that point or does it need to come from factory and reflect in the VIN number?

What is the ballpark cost to move up to an 1LE?

only "true" 1le is straight from the factory you can try and buy up all the parts that make a 1le but it will cost you an enormous ammount.

gajagfan · 02-20-2015, 11:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zissophiss

I really like the wheels but I guess I can get some aftermarket wheels that look as good.

Buy the wheels, get a splitter, wrap your hood, and become the great pretender! I am joking, but I would not suggest the package if it is only the looks you are looking for.

KaBoom1701 · 02-20-2015, 12:06 PM

1LE buyers remorse.....

You still have a bad ass Camaro.

Unless you plan on tracking your car the 1LE "look" can be had with just the front splitter, 1LE/ZL1 rims, paint the brake calipers red. Matt black hood wrap if you want to go all the way...

Mikamaro · 02-20-2015, 12:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zissophiss

I really like the wheels but I guess I can get some aftermarket wheels that look as good.

IS that the only reason why to want to upgrade to a 1LE?

ilir14 · 02-20-2015, 12:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bizaro

only "true" 1le is straight from the factory you can try and buy up all the parts that make a 1le but it will cost you an enormous ammount.

Agree

Down Shift · 02-20-2015, 02:34 PM

I'm in a similar situation to the OP, so I'll give my take on it. I have a 2010 2SS/RS manual. It's Inferno Orange Metallic with matching interior trim and GM installed ground effects. It's more or less fully loaded for a 2010. I bought it used and had a decent down payment and my payments are around $350 per month. I'm spending $350 a month on a toy. I have a perfectly serviceable Cobalt SS that I run back and forth to work most days. An awful lot of people would tell me I'm an idiot for spending $350 a month on a depreciating liability that I can only drive 7 or 8 months out of the year.

I would be looking at ~$41k ($38k plus tax, title, delivery, doc fees, etc) to get into a base 1SS/1LE. I would be giving up my leather seats, my BA stereo, etc. i'd have to pick a different color, I wish they still came in orange! If I want to keep leather seats and nice stereo, it would be more like $44k to get into a 2SS/1LE. I owe less than $20k on my 2010. I might get a couple thousand in equity at trade-in. I could probably sell it outright and get a little more. Personally, I can't justify taking on $18 - 22k in additional debt to upgrade to a new 1LE. It just doesn't make any financial sense. I can afford it, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna spend it! (As an aside, I'm an engineer, engineers are notoriously cheap, and any/all financial decisions get analyzed to death, its just the way we roll.)

The problem is, I have had the opportunity to push both a stock SS and a 1LE. The 1LE is a definite upgrade. The 1LE feels like a different car. I absolutely admit that it is better than my 2010 SS. I want the handling. I like the wheels, and I really dig the flat black hood. But I'm cheap and I don't want to take on any more debt!

I can get the "meat and potatoes" of a 1LE for under $6k. I can pay as I go and not accrue any debt in the process. I can buy the 1LE track pack for $1250 or so, and the retrofit kit (new rear lower control arms) for another $75. That is the upgrade plan for this spring. I can buy a set of replica ZL1 wheels for right around $1000 (because there is no way in hell I'm paying over $600 per wheel, even if they are forged and the aftermarket are pressure cast), and a set of Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar G:2 100y tires for $1100. I'll have to buy new TPMs. I figure it will cost me another $60 to have the tires mounted and balanced. I can buy the GM short throw shifter for $300. I can buy and install (with a retrofit kit) the 1LE strut tower brace for $200. I will have to come up with some adapter pads and drill the holes in my towers to install it. I can buy a 1LE differential for around $1700. I might be able to save a couple hundred bucks off that price if I pull my differential and find a shop to install the gears. With me doing all of the install work, that's $5685. With new TPM's I'm still under $6000. The only big things I don't get are the close ratio transmission, the ZL1 fuel pump, the 1LE oil separator, and the 1LE steering wheel. Since my car is a 2010, I am stuck with hydraulic steering (versus the EPS on a true 1LE). My car already has GM ground effects and the front splitter on my car looks a lot like a 1LE splitter. I can plasti-dip my hood, ground effects, and rear spoiler flat black if I get motivated some day.

Is the ZL1 fuel pump a big deal? Probably not. I'm not planning to go forced induction, so the stock SS unit is fine. If I really wanted it, I *could* drop the tank and install it. Is the 1LE steering wheel a big deal? Not to me, I've seen the Alcantara (aka fake suede) steering wheels on CTS-V's with miles on them, that stuff gets gross from all the skin oil/sweat/etc. I'll keep the leather wheel, thank you very much. I have an aftermarket catch can, so I don't need the 1LE oil breather/separator. That leaves the close ratio transmission. If you're planning to road race, you probably want the 1LE transmission. Me? I drive back and forth from home to work, cruise around the Michigan country roads, and maybe hit one or two track days a year. I can live with wider gears.

the 1LE is cool, but not $20k cool when I already have a Camaro SS. I would rather buy the parts and install them myself, and keep stuffing money in my 401k/IRA, kid's 529 plan, etc.

el ess A · 02-20-2015, 03:27 PM

What's even crazier, if I read the options sheets right, is that you can get what pretty much amounts to an ALMOST 1LE package, more of an appearance package with 1LE suspension and wheels, etc. Or something like that. Somewhere around 2100 bucks I think.

Basically, you can pick certain parts of the 1LE package and order them on your new Camaro. I could be wrong.

CamaroDreams76 · 02-20-2015, 04:10 PM

Yeah........ Should have bought a 1LE. There's so many little odds and ends like the half shafts and 3:91 gears and the wheel hubs and bearings, close ratio tremec. Suede steering wheel and shifter, GM short throw. The 1LE suspension package, wheels and tires. Just so many little things here and there. 3500 is a huge bargain. So to answer your question, it won't be a true 1LE. It can be close if you drop some serious cash.

What I would do is take a peek into the Chevy Performance parts catalog. All of that can be dealer installed and can end up better than a 1LE. You can get the best of the ZL1, 1LE and Z/28
http://media.chevrolet.com/media/us/...-mt-event.html
The article is about concept camaros fitted with Chevrolet Performance parts. Its a good read

02-20-2015, 09:00 AM	#1
zissophiss Drives: 2015 Camaro 2SS Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: Charlotte Posts: 220 View My Garage	Can 1LE be added after purchase? New 2SS/RS owner here. Can the dealer install the 1LE options after purchase? Is it a "true" 1LE at that point or does it need to come from factory and reflect in the VIN number? What is the ballpark cost to move up to an 1LE?

02-20-2015, 09:07 AM	#2
markgws6 Drives: 2019 Chevy Equinox Premier AWD Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Silicon Valley, CA Posts: 1,344 View My Garage	You can add "most" if not all of the options on a standard SS, but why? This has been asked many times on this forum and for $3500, you will never even come close to what you get with a true 1LE/2SS. However if you are just looking for the styling of a 1LE, you can just paint or plasti-dip the hood and get cheaper cast knock-off wheels for much less but this is a "driver's" package, that really makes the SS shine when you drive it. Ballpark cost for all of the upgrades or to buy a 1LE over a regular 2SS. The 1LE will be at least $3500 more, unless your dealer is a dummy and does not realize what a 1LE is. __________________ 2013 AGM 1SS/1LE, NPP, Camera (1 of 43)

02-20-2015, 12:06 PM	#9
KaBoom1701 KaBoom1701 Drives: 13' ZL1 Red M6 Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: I.E. SoCal (Yucaipa) Posts: 8,630	1LE buyers remorse..... You still have a bad ass Camaro. Unless you plan on tracking your car the 1LE "look" can be had with just the front splitter, 1LE/ZL1 rims, paint the brake calipers red. Matt black hood wrap if you want to go all the way... __________________ Mods: Roto-Fab Intake, WW Res. kit & Big Gulp Air Scoop, Elite Catch Can, ATI Super Damper & 18% OD Pulley, LF Idler pulley bracket, Metco CC breather, ID850 Injectors, Stainless Power Headers w/ ceramic coating, TR71X Spark Plugs, JMS Fuel Pump Booster, Bo White TB, Tuned by Ted @ Jannetty Racing, Ron Davis HX, D3 Reservoir, Pfadt 1" Springs, Moreno Camber Plates, ZL1 Addons Splitter guard washers, Tow Hook kit & rock guards, Hurst Shifter Billet Plus 6 Speed Short Shifter, ZL1 DRL lighting harness, ZL1 Recaro Seats.

02-20-2015, 03:27 PM	#13
el ess A Older Than Dirt Drives: 2010 & 2013 Camaros Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Aiken, SC Posts: 4,570	What's even crazier, if I read the options sheets right, is that you can get what pretty much amounts to an ALMOST 1LE package, more of an appearance package with 1LE suspension and wheels, etc. Or something like that. Somewhere around 2100 bucks I think. Basically, you can pick certain parts of the 1LE package and order them on your new Camaro. I could be wrong. __________________ 2010 2SS TE, 1 of 822/2013 Camaro ZL1 vert, 1 of 54

02-20-2015, 04:10 PM	#14
CamaroDreams76 Tri-County Camaro SWFL Drives: 2013 IOM 2SS/RS/1LE Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: South West FL Posts: 3,096 View My Garage	Yeah........ Should have bought a 1LE. There's so many little odds and ends like the half shafts and 3:91 gears and the wheel hubs and bearings, close ratio tremec. Suede steering wheel and shifter, GM short throw. The 1LE suspension package, wheels and tires. Just so many little things here and there. 3500 is a huge bargain. So to answer your question, it won't be a true 1LE. It can be close if you drop some serious cash. What I would do is take a peek into the Chevy Performance parts catalog. All of that can be dealer installed and can end up better than a 1LE. You can get the best of the ZL1, 1LE and Z/28 http://media.chevrolet.com/media/us/...-mt-event.html The article is about concept camaros fitted with Chevrolet Performance parts. Its a good read __________________ Just bolt ons........ https://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=343023 Last edited by CamaroDreams76; 02-20-2015 at 04:25 PM.

02-20-2015, 09:14 AM	#3
Shiftgreen Drives: 2014 2SS 1LE AGM Join Date: May 2013 Location: raleigh Posts: 301	Which is why if you get a 1LE, don't sell it unless you have no choice b/c they may price it as a regular SS if you traded in.

02-20-2015, 09:41 AM	#4
gajagfan Drives: 2013 1SS 1LE Black - Std Exhaust Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Brunswick, GA Posts: 3,622 View My Garage	There is a suspension package offered by GM that will help a std SS handle more like a 1LE. Some on this forum have installed it and hopefully they will chime in. Even with that, you will not have the lighter wheels, different transmission, rear end gears, interior features, and other aspects of the 1LE. If you are looking for any more than the aesthetics of the package, I would try to trade and get a real one. I imagine the cost to completely convert your car to a 1LE would exceed whatever you would loose on he trade.

02-20-2015, 10:43 AM	#5
guerrillakilla13 Drives: 2014 Camaro 2SS RS 1LE Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Arizona Posts: 711	You should've got the 1le from the start. But I'm not gonna send u on a guilt trip, a 1LE isn't necessary unless youre really into pushing it.

02-20-2015, 10:46 AM	#6
zissophiss Drives: 2015 Camaro 2SS Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: Charlotte Posts: 220 View My Garage	I really like the wheels but I guess I can get some aftermarket wheels that look as good.

02-20-2015, 02:34 PM	#12
Down Shift Drives: 2010 IOM 2SS/RS Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: Detroit, MI Posts: 22	I'm in a similar situation to the OP, so I'll give my take on it. I have a 2010 2SS/RS manual. It's Inferno Orange Metallic with matching interior trim and GM installed ground effects. It's more or less fully loaded for a 2010. I bought it used and had a decent down payment and my payments are around $350 per month. I'm spending $350 a month on a toy. I have a perfectly serviceable Cobalt SS that I run back and forth to work most days. An awful lot of people would tell me I'm an idiot for spending $350 a month on a depreciating liability that I can only drive 7 or 8 months out of the year. I would be looking at ~$41k ($38k plus tax, title, delivery, doc fees, etc) to get into a base 1SS/1LE. I would be giving up my leather seats, my BA stereo, etc. i'd have to pick a different color, I wish they still came in orange! If I want to keep leather seats and nice stereo, it would be more like $44k to get into a 2SS/1LE. I owe less than $20k on my 2010. I might get a couple thousand in equity at trade-in. I could probably sell it outright and get a little more. Personally, I can't justify taking on $18 - 22k in additional debt to upgrade to a new 1LE. It just doesn't make any financial sense. I can afford it, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna spend it! (As an aside, I'm an engineer, engineers are notoriously cheap, and any/all financial decisions get analyzed to death, its just the way we roll.) The problem is, I have had the opportunity to push both a stock SS and a 1LE. The 1LE is a definite upgrade. The 1LE feels like a different car. I absolutely admit that it is better than my 2010 SS. I want the handling. I like the wheels, and I really dig the flat black hood. But I'm cheap and I don't want to take on any more debt! I can get the "meat and potatoes" of a 1LE for under $6k. I can pay as I go and not accrue any debt in the process. I can buy the 1LE track pack for $1250 or so, and the retrofit kit (new rear lower control arms) for another $75. That is the upgrade plan for this spring. I can buy a set of replica ZL1 wheels for right around $1000 (because there is no way in hell I'm paying over $600 per wheel, even if they are forged and the aftermarket are pressure cast), and a set of Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar G:2 100y tires for $1100. I'll have to buy new TPMs. I figure it will cost me another $60 to have the tires mounted and balanced. I can buy the GM short throw shifter for $300. I can buy and install (with a retrofit kit) the 1LE strut tower brace for $200. I will have to come up with some adapter pads and drill the holes in my towers to install it. I can buy a 1LE differential for around $1700. I might be able to save a couple hundred bucks off that price if I pull my differential and find a shop to install the gears. With me doing all of the install work, that's $5685. With new TPM's I'm still under $6000. The only big things I don't get are the close ratio transmission, the ZL1 fuel pump, the 1LE oil separator, and the 1LE steering wheel. Since my car is a 2010, I am stuck with hydraulic steering (versus the EPS on a true 1LE). My car already has GM ground effects and the front splitter on my car looks a lot like a 1LE splitter. I can plasti-dip my hood, ground effects, and rear spoiler flat black if I get motivated some day. Is the ZL1 fuel pump a big deal? Probably not. I'm not planning to go forced induction, so the stock SS unit is fine. If I really wanted it, I could drop the tank and install it. Is the 1LE steering wheel a big deal? Not to me, I've seen the Alcantara (aka fake suede) steering wheels on CTS-V's with miles on them, that stuff gets gross from all the skin oil/sweat/etc. I'll keep the leather wheel, thank you very much. I have an aftermarket catch can, so I don't need the 1LE oil breather/separator. That leaves the close ratio transmission. If you're planning to road race, you probably want the 1LE transmission. Me? I drive back and forth from home to work, cruise around the Michigan country roads, and maybe hit one or two track days a year. I can live with wider gears. the 1LE is cool, but not $20k cool when I already have a Camaro SS. I would rather buy the parts and install them myself, and keep stuffing money in my 401k/IRA, kid's 529 plan, etc.