Hobbes - Orange on Orange 2013 2SS RS M6 434 RWHP, 442 RWTQ [COTW 8/18/14]

[scoticus.rex]

Build thread for Hobbes - 2013 2SS RS M6 with Dual Mode Exhaust purchased December 22, 2013.



Hobbes was born on June 13th, 2013 at Build Plant 9, Oshwa, Ontario, Canada.

Hobbes is named after Calvin's orange and black tiger from the comic strip Calvin & Hobbes. I loved reading Calvin & Hobbes when I was young and I have started reading them to my son occasionally in lieu of his bedtime stories. Besides, it is very easy to look at my Orange and Black Camaro and visualize it pouncing on a Dodge or a Ford like Hobbes pouncing on Calvin...

I have wanted to purchase a 5th Gen Camaro ever since the new concept debuted. I finally decided to purchase my Camaro when some of the details of the new 2014 facelift started coming out. While the 2014s are nice, I did not like the changes to the rear fascia as I consider the 2010-13 taillights to be iconic. If you are driving down the road behind a 2010-2013 Camaro, those taillights give it away instantly. Additionally, the discontinuation of the IOM color sealed the deal as I knew I wanted an orange Camaro.

I told the dealer I would only buy if he found me a new 2013 2SS with both the IOM exterior and the Orange Accent Interior. There were 4 left in the country that met these requirements. Three were automatics with sunroofs. I did not want a sunroof. One was an M6 with NPP. That was just a nice bonus in my book. They got mine from a dealership in New Jersey and drove it down to Virginia for me. I purchased Hobbes on December 22, 2013 from Jerry's Chevrolet in Leesburg, Virginia already knowing exactly the types of modifications I would be doing to the car to make it uniquely mine. After the installation of my headers, I had Hobbes Dyno-Tunes with a conservative street tune. Hobbes currently tops out at 434 RWHP and 442 TQ. For more details on individual modifications, please feel free to browse down through the thread. Comments and unadulterated adoration are welcome!

Hobbes came with the following items stock.

Stock:
GCR: Inferno Orange Metallic
LS3: 6.2L V8 Engine (Manual Transmission)
MN6: Manual 6 Speed Transmission
KTU: Performance shifter
NPP: Dual Mode exhaust
WRS: RS Exterior Package
W1H: Inferno Orange Interior Accent Trim Package
AAY: Inferno Orange SS Leather
AMM: Frt Driver 6-Way Pwr Seat Adjuster
B34: Carpeted floor mats, front
BD8: Roof Ditch Molding, Body Color
C3O: Black Stripe Package
G80: Limited Slip Differential
KA1: Heated Seats
RUY: 20" Polished Aluminum wheels
SRU: Rear Vision Package
UHQ: Radio AM/FM, Navigation, 7" color touch
UQA: Boston Acoustic Premium Audio System
UV6: Head-up Display
UVC: Rear View Camera
VK3: Front License Plate Bracket (Not installed... Thanks Jerry's for that courtesy!)

I have made the following modifications to the car since purchase:

Appearance Mods:
MPD1 Force 5 Ram Air Intake Hood
Custom Painted Stripes courtesy of Sterling Hot Rods
GM High Wing Spoiler
ZL1 Front Fascia
ZL1 Rockers
Eliminator no-drill front license plate mounting kit
Black Camaro License Plate Brackets
Custom Painted Bow Ties, SS Badges and fender scripts courtesy of Lupe at River City Creations and Lighting
Semi-Gloss Black Painted Tail Light Bezels
ZL1 Style Mud Guards
Headlight Armor Smoked Head, Tail, Fog, Signal, Side Marker and Reverse light tint
Custom Painted Calipers IOM and with black lettering
Custom Painted Fuse Box Cover with Calvin & Hobbes Graphic
Custom Painted Engine Cover with Hobbes Graphic
MRT Rear Louvers
******** Stealth Enclosure
JBL GTO-1001EZ Subwoofer Amplifier
JBL MS12SD4 Subwoofer

Performance Mods:
CAI Inc. Cold Air Intake
RX Performance Catch Can w/ Single Check Valve in Inferno Orange Metallic
RX Performance 1LE Clean Side Separator in Inferno Orange
VMAX CNC Spiral Ported Throttle Body in Inferno Orange Metallic
Skip Shift Eliminator
Mild to Wild Exhaust on Demand NPP Controllers
Kooks Long Tube Headers
Kooks High Performance Green Cats
Dyno-Tune performed by Broadview Auto Services, Warrenton, Virginia

Wheels:
Summer - 20" Avant Garde M510 Bespoke Black with custom black center caps, 20 x 8.5 Front, 20 x 10 Rear, Pirelli PZeros
Winter - 19" Enkei Tuning Raijin Black, 20 x 8.5 all around, Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V1s
Gorilla Black Locking Lug Nuts x 20

Still under consideration:
ZL1 Belly Pan
Sequ​entia​l LED Rear Lamp​s with Rapi​d Fire and Afte​rburn​er Taillights

Photo (Current):

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Photos (Stock):





Thanks to the following individuals or companies for their services in relation to this build. River City Creations & Lighting and Lupe (Scripts & Badging). Gen5DIY and Ofer (LED Lights & ZL1 Harness). Apex and Chase (CAI & RX Catch Can). CarID and Alex (Summer Wheels). Tirerack and Rudy (Winter Wheels, Tires & Sensors). Garys Customz (ZL1 Bumper). SinisSick (ZL1 Rockers). Eliminator Bracket (Front License Plate Bracket), Southwest Speed (Ported Throttle Body), RX (1LE Separator), Sterling Hot Rods and Billy & Mitch (Installation and painting of hood, spoiler and custom stripes).

[scoticus.rex]

Installed ZL1 Front Bumper last night. Can't say it went well. The DIY thread for adding a ZL1 Bumper is virtually useless in that it is over a hundred pages long and there is not real clear cut section in it that really addresses the actual install. I found the part about cutting the wings off the front shroud, but never found anything specifically mentioning that the pointed part of the front shroud on the 2SS would also cause fitment problems. By the time I figured it out, I had managed to put a couple of minor scratches in the paint on the front bumper (should be easily buffed out), and worse, managed to crack the corner tip of the bumper just behind the driver's side side marker where it meets up with the fender (not sure how easy that is going to be to fix). Taking off the 2SS bumper was quite easy and getting all the lights and wiring put into the new bumper was also very straight forward. Just needed a clearer explanation of what needed to be modified on the vehicle to fit the new bumper and if it existed, it was too hard to find in 100+ pages of the DIY thread. Anyway, pictures are attached. Will try to get better pictures next time the sun is out. Hopefully, I can get the minor damage fixed without paying too much. Pictures aren't great due to lighting in the garage. Have not put the wheel liners back in yet as I am expected new light bulbs for the fog lights and DRLs in early next week and I wanted to leave easy access to the back of the lights until then.

[IOM Black Diamond]

Right on that looks good.

[scoticus.rex]

New ZL1 Rockers Installed. Have to wait for a sunny day to get some good pics.

[scoticus.rex]

Installed Eliminator no-drill front license plate bracket. Very easy install. Small plates mount to the lower grill, then you simply clip the bracket on the plates. Tightness of the clips is adjustable and it feels very secure. Can remove in 2 seconds for shows, etc. Anyone interested can find it at this website http://www.eliminatorbracket.com/

[scoticus.rex]

Installed CAI Inc cold air intake.

[scoticus.rex]

Photos with new ZL1 Bumper and Rockers. Also added Eliminator License Plate Bracket. Still waiting for new custom painted Bow Ties, Fender Scripts and SS Badges from Lupe at River City Creations and Lighting.

[SSTG]

Nice improvements!
Sorry about the bumper.:(

[scoticus.rex]

Originally Posted by SSTG

Nice improvements!
Sorry about the bumper.:(

Thanks.

It made me sick when I discovered it, but today I stopped by and talked to the guys who are going to install and paint my new hood and they will take care of it when they do the blending. Won't add much to the cost, just a little more labor and a deeper blend on that corner of the car. Shouldn't be a problem in the long run. Still pissed me off at the time though.

[Mark114]

Congrats on the V8 upgrade! Great looking ride!

[scoticus.rex]

Thanks Mark. Did you get the intake installed?

[scoticus.rex]

New Bow Ties, SS Badges and Fender Scripts courtesy of Lupe at River City Creations and Lighting. Also installed new DRL and Fog Light Bulbs, 5000k 50W each from Ofer.

[Behic2320]

very cool build keep it up

[scoticus.rex]

Thanks, I have a pretty complete idea where the build is going... just need time and money to get there