Hello all, been lurking around here for some time. Really appreciate the amount of information here.
I have been looking at getting an SS 1LE for quite a while now, with the intention of it being a track day/weekend car. I have little doubt that over the years it will become less weekend and more track.
About 3 weeks ago I was again browsing through the usual suspects, autotrader, cargurus, carfax, etc. The intent has been new, and time is now running out to find the one I really want. I probably should have ordered one last year, but I kept procrastinating. So when I saw this car, I knew that the time was now. It is a 2023 2SS 1LE in Rapid Blue with under 400 miles. #1 on the color list, which went RB, VOM, and Red Hot in that order. It was 4 hours away.
Getting the car was quite the adventure. I called and put a deposit down immediately, as I had lost out on a 24 in white some time ago, which worked out. This would hold the car for a week.
I made plans to drive out , look over the car and buy it if everything looked good, to buy it. This was Tuesday the 16th. Well, if you live in the SE, you will know that it was crazy cold, freezing rain, apocalypse in the south. So the dealership reached out and let me know Monday night, they were closed Tuesday, and potentially Wednesday as well. This was problematic, because my work schedule is a bit odd, but I work 7 days on, and 7 days off, Th-W, 12 hours a day. So if I couldn't get there Wednesday, I wouldn't get there until the 25th.
It was sometime on Tuesday, while waiting on news of whether the dealer would be open Wednesday that I decided I was buying the car. I had already run the VIN through my local Chevrolet dealer, and verified that the warranty had started 6 months ago, and was still in full force. Carfax and Autocheck were clean. They ended up being open Wednesday, although it was still cold, under 20 degrees F in Birmingham, so I drove over to see the car, bring the check, and do the paperwork.
I had considered doing a one way rental and driving the car home, but since it is still on the stock Supercar 3s, driving 4 hours through sub 20 temps and frozen slush on the roads didn't seem like a good plan. After looking at shipping, I asked if they minded hanging on to it for a week and I would come back to pick it up in a week.
Fast forward to last Thursday, and I am at the rental car place. They don't have the SUV I reserved, my options were a minivan, or a Miata. So I took the Miata (fun little car, but I am 6'1" and should have taken the minivan). The drive was fine, some light sprinkles, but I knew heavier rain was coming. I figured this would be ok, since it already had an appointment to go in Friday morning for PPF/ceramic/tint on Friday.
Turns out, I was in torrential downpour 3 of the 4 hours home. It was heavy and so much standing water, that I got off the freeway, adding and hourish to the drive, as anything over 45 or so meant the car would hydroplane pretty badly. Bad enough that I considered just getting a hotel and waiting, but I am stubborn and wanted to be home that night and make the next morning's appointment. So slow and steady. Plus side is finishing the 500 mile break in without steady speed or using cruise control was quite easy.
In the end, made it home, car is of course filthy, but also a disquised benefit, as I could clearly see where PPF, rock guards and side skirts will benefit. I decided to increase the rear quarter panel PPF size based on the collection of dirt and grime accumulated there. Put the zl1addons lift pads on, and took it in to the shop, where it is getting the above. When I get it back Tuesday, it is coming home to go up on the quickjack for Rokblokz guards, ACS zl1 style side skirts, an oil change, and endless RF-650 brake fluid replacement. Hoping to get it out to Road Atlanta at the end of march if I can get some more miles on it, and timing works out with work.
If you made it this far, thanks for sticking with me. I'll drop some pics in the Rapid Blue thread when I get it back. Here are a couple of quick snaps in the meantime.
Rental:
Car covered in ice the day I bought it:
Dealer pic of the car:
