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Old 05-05-2015, 09:19 PM   #1
terry_b

 
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Talking My 2014 Red Hot 1LE

This 1LE is my second Camaro, the first being my 2010 Synergy Green Special Edition. That car was a pure impulse buy - I was neither looking to buy nor could I really afford it at the time as my whole life was in a bit of a transition - but it turned out to be the best car I had ever owned and was my first "brand new" car ever!

It also gave me a little bit of focus when I needed something to pull my mind away from more depressing topics. It was really a great outlet/distraction/therapy, plus it turned my severely negative chain of car purchases into a very positive one since the Camaro has been so fantastic at holding it's value. My Synergy was the reason I now have this amazing 1LE!

I found the forum early on and gained so much information here - but I never got around to formalizing a build thread for my Synergy. Between being a daily driver, and a busy military to civilian transition (a very rocky one at that) I just didn't have a chance. Mods were done here and there, sometimes I got pics and other times not so much.

So, while this is my build thread for the 1LE - I'm going to memorialize my Synergy as well because it just meant so much to me!

**This will be a work in progress for a while so bear with me**

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Old 05-05-2015, 09:20 PM   #2
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2014 2SS/RS 1LE

This will be my main 1LE mod page, updated as I go, and hopefully will stay current.

I have to say, I was never disappointed or unhappy with the LLT V6. 300+ HP is nothing to sneeze at, even considering the car's weight. I really enjoyed driving the V6 Camaro, and to be perfectly honest, the first time I drove a regular 2SS I was actually a little underwhelmed. Yeah it had more power, and it was noticeable, but I briefly even considered a loaded 2LT instead of 2SS at first. Then I hopped in the 1LE... Holy ****!! I was really impressed right away by how smooth the shifts were, and I had the pleasure of test driving with a "car guy" salesman who let me push it a bit on a cloverleaf on ramp - the cornering was so crisp! I really understand what permagrin means now!

Starting Point:
2014 2SS/RS 1LE - Recaro seats, NPP exhaust, Navigation, Manual (1LE short throw)

Currently Installed List:

"Performance":
Separate Clutch Reservoir - JDP
Skip Shift Eliminator - JDP
Vitesse Throttle Controller - Transferred from Synergy
Elite Catch Can - JDP

Exterior:
Black Gorilla Wheel Locks
GM front and rear splashguards
Matte Black Vinyl Gills - RPI
Splitterguard Washers - ZL1 Add-ons
Matte Black Hash Marks
Custom "1LE" badging - emblempros


Interior:
Emma's seatbelt saver - Handcrafted by my beautiful wife
ABL color dome lights - Southwest Speed
ABL floorboard LED lighting - Southwest Speed
Weathertech floormats - Transferred from Synergy
Proclip Phone mount - top notch fit/finish
JL Audio XD700/5 - Tucked in factory BA amp location
JL Audio 12W3 Sub in stealthbox
EPCO shift knob - Custom ordered

Wish List/On Order/In Progress:
MGW shifter - just watched their install video, WOW!
Headers and a tune when I pass the point of warranty concern
...



__________

Most Recent Pics:





__________

Here it is in the showroom of a dealer in New Hampshire. Barely over 3,000 miles on the odometer and it spent the winter nice and warm. Previous owner put about 2,200 miles on it before trading for brand new 'Vette, then the dealership owners drove it a bit and I'm told, prior to my inquiries, considered adding it to their private collection - Which was extensive!







To be perfectly honest, I really hadn't decided 100% to buy a new one, but I enjoyed window shopping and I'd been considering actually pulling the trigger more and more. I'd been hoping to get some of the options my Synergy Special Edition lacked being a hybrid between 1LT and RS. I'd been looking at mostly 2SS Camaros to get the heated leather seats and all the other little creature comforts - but then I started looking at those 1LE 1SS Camaros that Koon's Chevy had and started to think maybe I would trade some of those goodies for the track handling... And then I found this beauty! All the options I wanted - and none that I didn't (basically sunroof - I really like the headroom and the roof creases )

Started talking to the salesman, texted some pics back and forth, and agreed on a date to look at it. I scrambled to strip down what I could from the Synergy - A bittersweet experience, so much time, effort, blood and sweat invested in that car! - And my wife and I made the 2 hour drive to NH. Was able to work out satisfactory terms with the dealership, and half a day later wife and I were riding home in the 1LE - PERMAGRIN firmly installed!

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Old 05-05-2015, 09:21 PM   #3
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This is where I will be posting a nice collection of my Synergy just to make it permanent.

Some of my favorite pics...












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Old 05-05-2015, 09:22 PM   #4
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Reserved 3
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Old 05-05-2015, 09:59 PM   #5
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What you do in the military 92golf?
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Old 05-05-2015, 10:33 PM   #6
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92golf?

I was in the Navy - nuclear electrician's mate, submarines
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Old 05-05-2015, 10:40 PM   #7
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Love the color. Enjoy!
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Old 05-05-2015, 10:42 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by terry_b View Post
92golf?

I was in the Navy - nuclear electrician's mate, submarines
sorry nevermind I just assumed.
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Old 05-05-2015, 11:05 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bizaro View Post
sorry nevermind I just assumed.
Looked up 92golf... Not sure if I should be insulted or not?

To be perfectly honest, being a highly technical rate in the Navy, a lot of times I wished I had chosen to be a cook. Not to mention, One of my best friends on the boat was a cook and there were some great perks to having a friend in the galley
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Old 05-05-2015, 11:10 PM   #10
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First official mod for 1LE!

But it's not really for the car... Still, gotta represent!



And Can you believe I went through 3 different license plate frames! 2 top bolts is a recipe for 1) a rattling plate when the sub goes in and 2) potential paint damage from that loose plate.

I found this plastic one at Wally World. It hides the screws and I just used a bit of 3M tape at the bottom to keep it firmly attached. Plus the $100, 3 hour trip to the DMV to be legal.

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Old 05-05-2015, 11:21 PM   #11
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Next purchase was from ZL1add-ons.com

This car will still be a daily driver, so I wanted a bit of protection in the front. I'm really curb shy after I really messed up my front lip on the synergy by pulling too far forward onto a tall granite curb. I also did some damage to the pinch welds by getting in a rush to get an oil change done. Guess you could say I've learned a lot about prevention

We'll see how those washers hold up. Obviously if I hit a curb dead on I'm still going to hate myself, but if I end up scraping a low dip in the road they should protect me.

The pinch weld jacking blocks are pretty sweet! Nice firm point to jack the car up and no folding the pinch weld. I got 4 just so I'm ready to put the car up on all 4 corners for suspension upgrades.

Also, I want to say AMAZING customer service from ZL1 add-ons! There was a little issue with the site so I called them up and it was taken care of that day... then I goofed up the order and had to call back. They took care of me again, right away. Top notch service and high quality parts!





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Old 05-05-2015, 11:32 PM   #12
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Obviously I'm a bit backlogged on the parts... these mods happened over the course of the last 2 weeks...

Next order of business was the splashguard/rock chip prevention. I cheaped out at first and got the basic flat types for front and rear... decided I hated the rear so I got the ZL1 style rear from RPI.

**More pics to come**



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Old 05-05-2015, 11:38 PM   #13
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I hate how the car locks me out of 2nd and 3rd gear! Skip shift Eliminator and the clutch reservoir going in! Also on order is the yaw sensor from the Auto SS Camaro so I can disable the annoying Hill Start "Assist". I've been driving stick for as long as I've been driving - well over a decade - and I can start on hills just fine thank you!

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Old 05-05-2015, 11:49 PM   #14
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Clearly my wife missed the green more than I did! She found a car that she really wanted - 2015 Chevy Sonic! She gets her sunroof, Mylink with touchscreen, tiny turbo car, and dragon green metallic!

No, I'm not super wealthy - I don't even have spectacular credit - but I did find some really good info on here and between that, my own personal learning experiences and shopping around I got a pretty good deal and was able to spoil my wife since she lets me spoil myself with the Camaro. I'll probably pepper in some shots of little mods we do to her car as well. She's already requested the hash marks - and who am I to refuse a lady's request?

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