Finally Here
Thread Starter
6th Gear
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
From: Chicago IL
Finally Here
I have wanted a Corvette since it was my first Matchbox car. For the past year I have been reading the forum. I appreciate all the tips, discussions and debates. I finally pulled the trigger after I got to drive our chairman's Corvette (it was the slowest couple of miles probably ever driven as my job would be over if I scratched his beloved car). I got the call and it arrived. A VR/Cashmere, MN6, NAV, NPP, 3LT. I will be picking it up on Saturday. Man it is going to be tough to stay focused at work but I guess I better as it has to pay for the car and gas. Thanks again to all!
Racer
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 396
Likes: 0
From: Brookfield Wisconsin
Lucky Dog!!
Welcome fellow Newbie!! Congrats on your new car. Love your color choice! You won't be sleeping much the next few days, thats for sure. Hope my turn for no sleep will come sooner then later... still shopping for my first! Marc
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ride when you get it, and make sure to save the wave.
:
Thread Starter
6th Gear
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
From: Chicago IL
Got It!!
Well I picked up the car yesterday. It had 4 miles on the Odometer and I put about 100 miles over Saturday and Sunday. Here are my initial reactions. I have a VR/Ebony/NAV/Z51/NPP/3LT/MN6 coupe w/Polished wheels.
Exterior: The proportions are near perfect. The quality of the paint job is very good. The wheels are nice and look good with the color. The break calipers should stand out more and I think I will have them painted in the future. I live in a state that requires the front plate (why? we must have more criminals that require work so more license plates) which makes the front look not as cohesive. It takes some practice to get the roof on and off. After a little fiddling it goes on well. This will definitely require practice. The rubber seal is not consistent accross the top but it does not seem to matter. I really love the storage of the roof in the back. I also really like the room behind the front seats. It is very functional. I like it much better than the fake seats that Porsche has. It is easier to get at packages and groceries. The space the Lotus has is a joke. Everything shuts with a very satisfying thunk. All in all I am very pleased with the quality of the workmanship.
Interior: I was pleasantly surprised. The fit and finish is surprisingly good. I have heard other put down the Vette's interior but everything seems quality to the touch. I did not get the leather and, for me, I don't think I will miss it. I would say the Vette interior is on par with the Porsche but the Germans get the edge on ergodynamics. The NAV takes some getting use to but seems to do everything I need. I finally got the MP3 CDROM working based on some help here. I have quickly gotten used to the HUD and really like it. The cockpit is a bit on the noisy side. Not too bad but a little loud. I think my Jeep may be as quiet. We were riding today with the roof off and the heated seats on and were very comfortable. I haven't tried everything but everything I used was as expected which is the way it should be. Also, I love the keyless start and entry. That is brilliant.
I am a big Bose fan but the sound is a bit muddy and the mid ranges are not very good. I have not adjusted the NAV/Radio to my liking so I will reserve judgement. I have to believe the Bose will be great once I adjust the equalizer.
Ride: This was way better than I expected. I had heard about the Z51 being too rough. I certainly did not feel it. It was nearly perfect. On rough road (in Chicago that means almost all roads) the backend can skip but other than that it was perfect. Smooth and predictable and hardly what I would call rough. Every bit as good and I may say better than the Germans. There are some twisty spots on one of the roads heading north and I was pulling nearly 1 g and it held perfectly. Steering was very good with just the right amount of feedback and feel if just a bit light. I will really have fun with this car. Some of the roads are brick and are very bumpy. The little black strip under the car makes a very disconcerting scrape on the ground. I checked it out and it looks fine. Boy this is low to the ground.
The exhaust system is OK. I am breaking in the motor so I was keeping the RPM's around or below 2K and it is certainly not loud. I will wait to 500 miles before I open it up and comment. I do like the gutterly growl when I start it up. I have to admit I turned it on an off a bunch of times to hear it.
Breaks squeek a bit but are very predictable in its stopping.
The transmission is a bit of a disappointment. I have the stick and you can really hear the gears engage and disengage. I think it is because I am changing them at a low RPM. I did notice that when I hit a higher RPM I heard it much less. It could be because the growl from the engine drawned it out but I do not know. With the Z51 you do have to row the gears a bit more. The throws are short and quick. I think the Germans know how to build gear boxes better. It also will likely get better when they get worn in.
All in all I would say this is a world class car that stands tall with anything else out there. I will be having fun with this for many, many years.
Pictures to come soon.
JP
Exterior: The proportions are near perfect. The quality of the paint job is very good. The wheels are nice and look good with the color. The break calipers should stand out more and I think I will have them painted in the future. I live in a state that requires the front plate (why? we must have more criminals that require work so more license plates) which makes the front look not as cohesive. It takes some practice to get the roof on and off. After a little fiddling it goes on well. This will definitely require practice. The rubber seal is not consistent accross the top but it does not seem to matter. I really love the storage of the roof in the back. I also really like the room behind the front seats. It is very functional. I like it much better than the fake seats that Porsche has. It is easier to get at packages and groceries. The space the Lotus has is a joke. Everything shuts with a very satisfying thunk. All in all I am very pleased with the quality of the workmanship.
Interior: I was pleasantly surprised. The fit and finish is surprisingly good. I have heard other put down the Vette's interior but everything seems quality to the touch. I did not get the leather and, for me, I don't think I will miss it. I would say the Vette interior is on par with the Porsche but the Germans get the edge on ergodynamics. The NAV takes some getting use to but seems to do everything I need. I finally got the MP3 CDROM working based on some help here. I have quickly gotten used to the HUD and really like it. The cockpit is a bit on the noisy side. Not too bad but a little loud. I think my Jeep may be as quiet. We were riding today with the roof off and the heated seats on and were very comfortable. I haven't tried everything but everything I used was as expected which is the way it should be. Also, I love the keyless start and entry. That is brilliant.
I am a big Bose fan but the sound is a bit muddy and the mid ranges are not very good. I have not adjusted the NAV/Radio to my liking so I will reserve judgement. I have to believe the Bose will be great once I adjust the equalizer.
Ride: This was way better than I expected. I had heard about the Z51 being too rough. I certainly did not feel it. It was nearly perfect. On rough road (in Chicago that means almost all roads) the backend can skip but other than that it was perfect. Smooth and predictable and hardly what I would call rough. Every bit as good and I may say better than the Germans. There are some twisty spots on one of the roads heading north and I was pulling nearly 1 g and it held perfectly. Steering was very good with just the right amount of feedback and feel if just a bit light. I will really have fun with this car. Some of the roads are brick and are very bumpy. The little black strip under the car makes a very disconcerting scrape on the ground. I checked it out and it looks fine. Boy this is low to the ground.
The exhaust system is OK. I am breaking in the motor so I was keeping the RPM's around or below 2K and it is certainly not loud. I will wait to 500 miles before I open it up and comment. I do like the gutterly growl when I start it up. I have to admit I turned it on an off a bunch of times to hear it.
Breaks squeek a bit but are very predictable in its stopping.
The transmission is a bit of a disappointment. I have the stick and you can really hear the gears engage and disengage. I think it is because I am changing them at a low RPM. I did notice that when I hit a higher RPM I heard it much less. It could be because the growl from the engine drawned it out but I do not know. With the Z51 you do have to row the gears a bit more. The throws are short and quick. I think the Germans know how to build gear boxes better. It also will likely get better when they get worn in.
All in all I would say this is a world class car that stands tall with anything else out there. I will be having fun with this for many, many years.
Pictures to come soon.
JP