I wish I would have bought a ZL1

[BLK1LE]

I'm in the same boat. Wish I just bit the bullet and got the ZL1. But I needed to have a dd also so I couldn't have 2 big car payments.

[Drumminxx]

Just throw some twin turbos on it and you'll be fast. ..really fast...lol..it's only money and you'll make more...

[Jeff_SS]

Originally Posted by GONIF

I like the 1LE a lot ,but wish I bought the ZL1 . Modifying the 1LE engine with a Maggi SC is $7000.00 and would work real well I suppose ,but I would then need to do the brakes. I know I would never recoup the cost in 2 years when I sell it ,whereas a stock ZL1 with just Headers would have been more fun and less loss at resale time . I was too dumb/cheap to realize just how good a ZL1 is . A cam might work ,but to get real power NA ,it would need to be a big one and would kill drivability and this is a daily driver. So in the end GM had it right FI is the answer . If ya want to play ya gotta pay. And nothing has changed ,the question was and still is how fast do you want to go ? And the answer is still ,how much are you willing to spend. So the Mods are done and I will just enjoy the car as it is .Bo Ported TB, long tubes with HF cats, CAI with race scoop ,and a Nick D tune .

Disagree completely.
I have a pretty decently "big" cam (23x/24x) making 483+ at the wheels, and I have zero drivability issues. Drives almost like stock thanks to Ryne at Cunningham Motorsports.
If you get a custom grind cam and a tuner like Ryne who knows what he's doing, you will not have any issues with it being a daily driver.
ps. I still get 24-25mpg cruising on the freeway.

[Fraxum]

E

Originally Posted by GONIF

No I don't want anyone to feel sorry for me . The reason for the post was to let folks know the difference in the way a 1LE drives and a ZL1 drives. I thought someone on the fence might benefit from my experience. Simple as that . I was told by my salesman ( Doug Bonham at auto Nation Mesa ) who owns a ZL1, to do it , but I didn't listen .

That is just a little buyers remorse. Time will heal. Then only thing missing is MagRide. Right now your full bolton 1LE is just about as fast as a stock ZL1. If you get a cam and a tune you can go 11s in your car. To go much faster than that in a ZL1 you will have to void your warranty anyway. So why spend the extra $$? While in the beginning ZL1s were holding their value really well, now they have fallen into about the same category as an SS.

ZL1s are cool no doubt, but 0% more fun than a 1LE. The Magride can smooth out the ride a bit, but the 1LE is not that bad except over big bumps. It is even kind of silky. Other than that they drive almost exactly the same although an experienced driver can feel the extra weight of the ZL1. The salesman was just trying to upsell you and was planting the seed of doubt. Don't let him manipulate you. Enjoy one of the best performance values money can buy. Or just go trade your car in for a ZL1. Dealers really want to move their ZL1s, you can get a pretty good deal. Or better yet, enjoy your 1LE for a few more years and wait for the next GT350/500, Hellcat, or Z28/ZL1. They will be even better.

[shinzon]

I daily drive my 1 car.... a 1LE .... my 2010 Camaro ss had 110kmi in 4.5 years. I drive the shiot out it. I truly DOUBT that a supercharged engine will hold up the the amt of miles I put on. Additionally the supercharger recall / replacement is just fuel for the fire.

A candle that burns twice as hot burns twice as short.

1 car


Too bad you don't like your car, perhaps you should have researched it more. You spent sooo much money and now you lament it. Everytime you get in and drive it you'll say to yourself I don't like it cause it not what I wanted. Saved your mod money and buy it while zero percent is on.... get your self an 800$ payment for 6 years and you'll be happy until the hellcat whoops your zl1 ass.

[BLK1LE]

Originally Posted by Fraxum

E

That is just a little buyers remorse. Time will heal. Then only thing missing is MagRide. Right now your full bolton 1LE is just about as fast as a stock ZL1. If you get a cam and a tune you can go 11s in your car. To go much faster than that in a ZL1 you will have to void your warranty anyway. So why spend the extra $$? While in the beginning ZL1s were holding their value really well, now they have fallen into about the same category as an SS.

ZL1s are cool no doubt, but 0% more fun than a 1LE. The Magride can smooth out the ride a bit, but the 1LE is not that bad except over big bumps. It is even kind of silky. Other than that they drive almost exactly the same although an experienced driver can feel the extra weight of the ZL1. The salesman was just trying to upsell you and was planting the seed of doubt. Don't let him manipulate you. Enjoy one of the best performance values money can buy. Or just go trade your car in for a ZL1. Dealers really want to move their ZL1s, you can get a pretty good deal. Or better yet, enjoy your 1LE for a few more years and wait for the next GT350/500, Hellcat, or Z28/ZL1. They will be even better.

Nicely said

[Camaro Dude]

They say, never build what you can already buy, "out of the box," from the mother ship.

However, I don't see, say an AGP turbo'd 1LE, as a ZL1 "want to be", and it still doesn't even come close to the premium a ZL1 would have cost you during MSRP showroom, sign the paper time. A ZL1 simply put, offers way more in terms of bells and whistles, as opposed to just sheer HP, over a SS 1LE. To paint the picture I'm illustrating, the SS 1LE with 1SS packaging crowd, equipped with a DIY AGP kit, are laaaauuughing at their bang for the bang for the buck price point!

[Stock Boy]

Originally Posted by X25

You can send a PM to admins to have your forum name changed ; )

Dude, that had me rolling. Good one.

[pistol_pete]

this thread is clutch. ive been going back and forth the last couple days whether to save money, get a 1LE and mod it or just pay up and get the ZL1.


i just hate having to worry about factory warranty being voided. i wonder how much RWHP you can add to a 1LE with the chevy performance stuff?

[raptor5244]

Originally Posted by pistol_pete

this thread is clutch. ive been going back and forth the last couple days whether to save money, get a 1LE and mod it or just pay up and get the ZL1.


i just hate having to worry about factory warranty being voided. i wonder how much RWHP you can add to a 1LE with the chevy performance stuff?

Depends, what is your "mods" budget for the 1LE? If you do all the bolts-on plus a high lift cam then you can probably get around 470 or so rwhp on an LS3, but the tune will need to be spot on for daily drivability. Also, like you said warranty is out the window.

If you are looking at a base SS 1LE then you could probably add your own supercharger and other supporting mods and do quite well. However, if you are looking at a 2SS with lots of options then you are in the low 40s and maybe you can pick up a ZL1 in the mid 50s? You drive away with a ton of power and the factory warranty. From a pricing perspective the best deal could be a slightly used ZL1 for about $45k.

[el ess A]

Buy a ZL1 if you can afford it. If you want the best of all worlds, that's the one to buy. I disagree a ZL1 is 0% more fun than a 1LE because that depends on how you describe the word. Figure out what purpose you want for your car, and buy the model that closest fits within those guidelines.

There's nothing wrong with the 1LE. It's fun in its own right, but pound for pound out of the stock box (and the ZL1 has a few extra pounds) the ZL1 does everything better. It should for the money difference. Lap/straight line performance just isn't there with the 1LE. And if you're non-competitively lapping the car and an axle snaps, your 1LE modded car likely won't be covered by a warranty while your stock ZL1 would be. Some people find this important. Modders usually don't though.

If you want to mod, then buy a Camaro in any form, pop the hood and go. A 1LE is a great modding platform. Just don't fear the "warranty voided" at the dealership and you'll be just fine. Nothing wrong with that.

The greatest thing, IMO, about the 1LE is that you get awesome looks (my take is nothing beats the sleek looks of a black 2014 1LE), already great handling performance, and a more peel-the-skin-off raw approach to the Camaro. Any more raw and you start stripping meat from the bone like a Z/28.

[Highland Ranger]

I have a ZL1 and a Chevy SS w/ the LS3 engine. Just got back from a long trip with both cars.

Power: Both are quick. The ZL1s LSA pulls from bottom to top - the SS LS3 has to rev a bit before it starts pulling hard. Neither is slow. But extrapolating a bit, you are kidding yourself if you think the 1LE is "almost" as fast as a ZL1. The LS3 is a great motor but its not the LSA.

Ride: Mag ride noticeably better hands down. Tight when it needs to be and smooth when it doesn't.

Mileage - as someone who paid $3900 in stupid gas guzzler tax this year, I don't care. If you do, I can tell you that the SS got 22 MPG on the trip and the ZL1 got 18 mpg. Both are better than the 17 I get with a Tahoe.

Bottom line: I agree with the original post. Although the 70+ I paid all in for a loaded ZL1 hurt at the time, I have zero regrets.

To quote Ferris Bueller: "If you have the means, I highly recommend you get one."

[Camaro Dude]

We all want our cake.
The entire cake.

[TxBandit911]

Originally Posted by GONIF

No I don't want anyone to feel sorry for me . The reason for the post was to let folks know the difference in the way a 1LE drives and a ZL1 drives. I thought someone on the fence might benefit from my experience. Simple as that . I was told by my salesman ( Doug Bonham at auto Nation Mesa ) who owns a ZL1, to do it , but I didn't listen .

Its ok, you don't have to let some of us know. We did research and knew the differences before we purchased...

I didn't buy a 1LE for brut power...so I didn't need to spend the extra $$$