Ownership experience and log: 2018 Camaro SS 1LE

I was looking for a capable fun modern car, that I didnt have to modify or repair often so I could focus on my many other projects including home reno, and SWMBO's 66 Mustang.

Originally we looked at C7s but after doing a few clutches/trans/diffs on C6s, that not something I want to do again. Plus I found my camaro to be more "fun" than my corvette. Corvette was more capable mod for mod but camaro was more fun.

We decided on an 18 Camaro 1ss 1LE. It had about 900 miles on it and was CPO. Dealership experience was terrible. I understand why places like Carvana, Carmax, and Vroom are so popular. If I was just buying an appliance car and not something particular, we would have never got a sale done, Id probably rather just know I was paying more upfront and not have to deal with the hassle of the 47 gotchas I got at the dealer.

I didnt get to enjoy it much that first weekend. Its apparently monsoon season in TX right now.

This is the car.

First Impressions: I love this car.

It is incredibly capable, but will putt around like a normal car. Its plenty comfortable on long drives, but I know I could take it to a track or AutoX and have a blast also.

There are so many things that make this thing fun that I couldnt imagine being on such a normal car just 10 years ago. I like to imagine them designers took a more italian approach to the car.

"we cant make it look like that, you could lose a train in the blind spots" Yah but it will be pretty

"We cant put no lift shift, thats just invitation for abuse, think of the warranty costs" Yah but it will be fun

"Launch Control?! Lap Timer?! 0-60 Timer?!" Yah itll be cool

"This thing is too loud for a normal car, and why does a modern fuel injected car need to crackle and burble" Yah but its fun, but if you want it quiter put a valve in the exhaust, just make it easily defeatable.

"We cant sell a car with pretty much just race tires on it that only come with 7/32nds" Yah but grip

"Why do we have a snow and ice mode on a car with only summer tires?" Its funny

"Why do we have an active ediff readout? These numbers dont mean anything to the end user, they dont know how it works" Its cool

The car is quite ridiculous for just a car, but it still works. It has sticky 285s up front and no tramlining. I can make the steering heavy or light, I can make the suspension soft or hard. Its a track car but I still have Wifi and cold ac. I dont use the revmatch but it is amazing. Its so quick and always dead on

Its amazing to me just how far modern cars have come, and I have a blast every time I drive this thing. Ive heard reviewers complain about capable cars not being fun, and I never got it. I do now. This thing is still super fun even if its not on the track.

obligatory picture after we cleaned her up and went for a sunday drive

Great color on a super capable beast.  I was really impressed and surprised by how nice the interiors are.

The keen eyed will noticed in the first pick the rear tire looks stretched and in the second picture (the other side) they do not. I noticed it a couple days after I purchased it, so I investigated.

Driver side

Pass side

Well thats a problem. Especially with a super expensive black magic diff.  

I called the dealer and they agreed to pay for the correct rear tire to be installed. I called and ordered it, and it came in the next day. I dropped it off and when it was done they gave me a call. I went up there to grab the car and I saw this.

They were adamant they didnt didnt do it and they noticed it before. So I pulled the wheel off and sent it out for refinishing.

They did a really good job. Finish matched well, and I cant find the spot they repaired. Only cost about a hundred dollars.

1889 Mile Update.

Did my first maintenance to the Camaro. GM says to replaced the diff fluid at 1500 miles or maybe its just if your tracking it or going to track it. I cant remember but the reports are that the fluid generally looks real bad and its a good idea to go ahead and do it.

I also realized it quite difficult to lift this thing with the lift pads I have. So I tried to order ZL1 addons lifting pucks but they were sold old, so some knock off company got my money.

This is what they look like. They just go on the pinch weld in the lift spots and stay in place with a couple set screws.

Installed

Its in the air time to move to the diff.

Got my GM fluid since its under warranty

Pulled the fill plug first (always) then drained it

Pretty dark. Then I checked the plugs

Then I topped her off and called it a day.

Quite a bit of material on the drain plug. Pretty much what the 1le owners are reporting at this interval though.

Pretty much just been driving it around. Keep trying to go to the drag strip and make a couple passes and the weather keeps fighting us.

I did do my first oil change though.

Oil indicator was down to about 15%, and the dealer changed it at about 1200 miles, so looks like if I go by the oil life indicator it will be about 5K miles.

10 qts of Dexos 5w30 and a Delco filter.

Ive noticed when cold 2nd is a little notchy. The camaro guys are reporting some fresh good quality trans fluid helps, so Im wanting to change that stuff out.

Dude. You have excellent taste in cars and your lady's shed is really well done. 

*high five* 

Are you holding off on mods until powertrain warranty expires?

In reply to birdmayne :

Thank you

Kind of. Im mainly holding off on mods because of time. We are trying to get everything planted this year, so I need to finish the green house and grape trellis and weather is really fighting me on that, then Ive got the she shed, my old truck needs attention every once and a while, the 66 mustang, and my cousin bought an old GMT800 that Ive been refurbing.

Im pretty close to the end of the warranty because of age. The plan is a rotofab, lt2 intake, borla x pipe into stock NPP, e85 and a tune. If I ever experience valvetrain failure, Ill do a small cam and keep vvt. A friend just did his wife's LT tahoe with a pretty small cam, it drives nice but is pretty rowdy and he keeps pestering me to do mine. I got the 1LE so I wouldnt have to modify it too much, Id like a little more power but Im pretty happy with the chassis, although my first mod will probably be a rear cradle lockout to try and help with wheel hop.

I broke my arm a couple weeks ago so this thing has been sitting around. I had to head to Houston for work and figured Id take the camaro on its first trip. Its about a 5 hour drive, the car performed flawlessly, except in the heavy rain where the wide track tires get a little sketchy. I reset my trip when I left and it knock down like 21 mpg. Seems to do best at about 75 mph. At 70 or 80 its drops 2 or 3 mpg. I wonder how good it would do with the thinner LT1 wheels and tires, and just setting it at 75.

A friend has/had a very built LT1 1LE. Dyno-ed at 990 to the wheels. Very impressive car.

Yours looks to be excellent.

10K mile (or thereabouts) update:

Just been dailying it, and its been doing great. 

I was worried about the alcantara and its wear properties, and I noticed the wheel and shift knob were starting to look pretty bad. The 1LE guys recommend Sonnax, so I ordered a can to see how it works.

Before

Put a little on and wipe it off, a little brushing with a toothbrush seems to help

Shifter after 

I also ordered the Gen5DIY ventilated seat harness. The Recaros come with the equipment for ventilated seats and seat heaters but they arent hooked up on the 1SS 1LEs. The Gen5 DIY harness hooks up using stock connectors and put a switch down by the seat controls.

I pulled the seats outs and vacuumed up, the floor mats had some really packed in dirt so I went ahead and pressure washed those.

Then I forgot to take pictures, but you just run a harness on the bottom of the seats, mount and adjust the fan controllers, and put a switch in the side panel.

I also figured out how the launch control works. Its not great but it is consistent. We are still trying to set up a drag strip visit, a bunch of us have newer toys we havent ran yet.

Where did you get your wheel refurbished?  I have a C6 Z06 wheel that has bad rash now.....  I'd like to keep it as a spare.

In reply to AnthonyGS (Forum Supporter) :

Wheel Technologies, they are in Farmers Branch TX. When I was in the auto industry they did quite a few for customers, and never had any complaints. They did 4 or 5 different sets for me or friends (who have a little different standards than a normie), and in the rare occasion when there was a problem, they always took care of it. A friend had an enkei wheel they had trouble getting the finish just right, it took them a few tries but it ended up looking great.

I never had them do chrome, I think they had to ship it somewhere, but normal finishes, where always fine and reasonable priced.

In reply to Opti :

Thanks for the referral!  I will ship it to them.  I have a set of forged JDM Enkeis but I plan to have gen powder coated gold.