Re: Meet GheyRay: Lower, Wider, Lighter!
 

95% of them are pieces of shit now days. I don't even really bother buying/selling used parts anymore unless they are from someone I already know.

The car scene has moved almost entirely to facebook it seems. Which is terrible for trying to track down any info. The majority of young car enthusiasts now days are little douchebags. Now get off my lawn.

Re: Meet GheyRay: Lower, Wider, Lighter!
 

That is why i think as I am getting older, it's getting closer to the time to move onto an older person platform. I just can't get over the amount I have invested, probably keep me in this car until I die with that mentality though.

Re: Meet GheyRay: Lower, Wider, Lighter!
 

This. Another problem is getting any type of actual technical info is near impossible as every discussion quickly turns to arguments, bashing, butthurt, and name calling regardless of the topic.

Re: Meet GheyRay: Lower, Wider, Lighter!
 

Maybe all these years scheides was right. ffb.

Re: Meet GheyRay: Lower, Wider, Lighter!
 

Is there a sweet corvette in here? supercharged yet?
Any more sweet road trips?

Re: Meet GheyRay: Lower, Wider, Lighter!
 

Yes. No. Last ones were northern MN/Canada in July, Shreveport in August, and the poker run two weekends ago!

Re: Meet GheyRay: Lower, Wider, Lighter!
 

I see what you did there. :lol:

Re: Meet GheyRay: Lower, Wider, Lighter!
 

;) ;) ;)

Re: Meet GheyRay: Lower, Wider, Lighter!
 

What sites do you go to for vette parts and mods, info? Ive scoured a few of the main forums but just want to see what you use.

Re: Meet GheyRay: Lower, Wider, Lighter!
 

http://www.corvetteforum.com/forums/
Those are the forums I use, tons of aftermarket and OEM vendors on there too.

Re: Meet GheyRay: Lower, Wider, Lighter!
 

This is also true on the BMW forums. You have to dig through pages and pages of posts to try and find one post with good information.

The one type of post you forgot are the total car noobs who post threads like "How can I make my car faster?" or "What body kit should I get?"

Re: Meet GheyRay: Lower, Wider, Lighter!
 

Cool yea thats the main one if been searching too, lots of info out there!

Re: Meet GheyRay: Lower, Wider, Lighter!
 

And the spririt of competition stickers and windshield banners, etc :D

Re: Meet GheyRay: Lower, Wider, Lighter!
 

X2.
Bmw forums are horrible for info.

Re: Meet GheyRay: Lower, Wider, Lighter!
 

:lol:

Re: Meet GheyRay: Lower, Wider, Lighter!
 

Hey, I actually LIKE how my car looks without stickers. Just a lot of it was necessary for either the Optima series or getting me cheap/free shit. ;)

Re: Meet GheyRay: Lower, Wider, Lighter!
 

I was talking about Hughes old X. Thing was perfect, now its getting the full on teenager treatment.

Re: Meet GheyRay: Lower, Wider, Lighter!
 

Well that sucked.

https://scontent-dfw1-1.xx.fbcdn.net...87&oe=56E653C1

I hit a wicked pothole in the construction on I-35E southbound heading into Dallas Saturday morning; the impact was BAD. Dash started going crazy with TPMS alarms and lights, pulled off at the next exit and found this tire destruction. Luckily they're run-flats so I was able to drive the car about 20 miles to my dealership and drop it off with them. The stock tires are of course back-ordered, and the nearest Chevy dealership with a set in-stock is down near Houston so the hunt for tires was on. Sunday I got in touch with an older gentleman in Arlington with a set of 2016 stock take-offs that had only 9 miles on them so I scooped them up (he had his dealership replace them with all-season before he took delivery), and will be bringing them up to the dealership later today. At the minimum, the wheel paint is scuffed but the dealership is going to have their bodyshop try buffing it out before sending it off for refinishing. Really hoping the wheels spins true and they don't find any further suspension damage upon inspection. They are also going to check the alignment and adjust if necessary.

Re: Meet GheyRay: Lower, Wider, Lighter!
 

Ouch that really sucks.

Re: Meet GheyRay: Lower, Wider, Lighter!
 

Fingers crossed!

Re: Meet GheyRay: Lower, Wider, Lighter!
 

Unfortunately, the wheel is slightly bent (supposedly forged wheels are unrepairable I'm told) and it needed an alignment to bring it back within spec (got knocked just barely out). The good news is the suspension is undamaged and the wheel/tire took a good balance. With a replacement wheel being ~$700, plus the tire, alignment, etc. I may file an insurance claim. My agent thinks it shouldn't have much effect on my premiums, but I'm still debating if it's worth risking it over a "minor" incident in the scheme of things.

Re: Meet GheyRay: Lower, Wider, Lighter!
 

So annoying that something like that could potentially affect your rates. That's why we have insurance, for stuff like this! And here you have a legitimate reason to try and use it, for something wasn't due to any sort of incompetence by the driver but by horseshit roads, you risk a rate increase. Makes no sense to me how they can just do that.

Re: Meet GheyRay: Lower, Wider, Lighter!
 

Agreed! With my fairly clean record my agent thinks I should submit it. I really don't feel like forking over another $700 on top of the tires and alignment so I am inclined to take his advice.

Re: Meet GheyRay: Lower, Wider, Lighter!
 

Forged wheels are totally repairable, take it from the track guys we bend wheels all the time from "offs". This company straightened the barrels on a set of volks CE28n's that Ronnie at RS bent. https://www.facebook.com/Twin-City-W...8398781505533/

Re: Meet GheyRay: Lower, Wider, Lighter!
 

Well, I just messed up one of my wheels on a pothole too. I feel for you. My tires survived, but the wheel got bent. https://onedrive.live.com/embed?cid=...GKP74FsbF6Mw2c

Re: Meet GheyRay: Lower, Wider, Lighter!
 

Appreciate the insight. Luckily, it's no longer my concern since insurance is writing the dealership a check for everything (alignment, wheel, & labor) and me for 25% of the cost for the set of tires I bought.

Re: Meet GheyRay: Lower, Wider, Lighter!
 

Ouch :( Crazy to think that a tire can survive when a wheel can't!

Re: Meet GheyRay: Lower, Wider, Lighter!
 

Tires are made of rubber, wheels aren't ;)

Glad you got it all taken care of though.

Re: Meet GheyRay: Lower, Wider, Lighter!
 

True, but at the same time that rubber should cushion the impact before the shock hits the metal.

Re: Meet GheyRay: Lower, Wider, Lighter!
 

Sure, on a 55-60+ sidewall aspect ratio tire, but these days most higher end new cars come with lower aspect tires.

What are your tires? 30, 35 on the front? 30, 25 on the rear? There is no way a vehicle weighing that much with that small of a tire can absorb the impact of a nasty pothole. Even with the suspension, the wheel takes the majority of the hit.

It's basically a lose-lose situation for the consumer for buying the vehicle. I'm in the same boat.

Re: Meet GheyRay: Lower, Wider, Lighter!
 

Valid points! Need to get some old school DSM 205/55-16's for it!

Front: 245/35-19
Rear: 285/30-20

Re: Meet GheyRay: Lower, Wider, Lighter!
 

LOL! I can only imagine what that would look like

Re: Meet GheyRay: Lower, Wider, Lighter!
 

Forgot to update this last week...

After Thanksgiving weekend in Vegas I returned home to a waiting car. The dealership had everything buttoned back up with the new wheel, front tires, and alignment. It drives perfect one again.

Total cost to me: $1300 ($150 to the dealership + $1150 for the set of tires)
Total cost to insurance: $700

All-in-all, I can't be too upset since my total out-of-pocket was still less than a new set of tires would have been. I'll likely have the rear tires mounted before the spring cruise in March when I'm in for my final free oil change from Chevy.

Re: Meet GheyRay: Lower, Wider, Lighter!
 

Glad you're back to rolling again.

Re: Meet GheyRay: Lower, Wider, Lighter!
 

Some random thoughts rolling around in my head...

A guy I brainstorm with from the CorvetteForum board took pictures of the various stock cat material last week.

First, there are the secondary (unmonitored) cats in the factory X-pipe that I removed already with the Borla unit:
http://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.corv...baceebe429.jpg

Then you have the primary cats which are monitored, and reside in the factory downpipes (between the exhaust manifolds and X-pipe):
http://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.corv...e0acf38e56.jpg

The difference is quite obvious in comparison as to which is more restrictive!

For reference, here's a picture of the entire stock exhaust system:
https://www.kooksheaders.com/media/w...st_-_Large.jpg

Anyway, he plans on getting some catless downpipes fabbed. While I am not interested in those, what I would be interested in is a pair of replacement downpipes with 200-cell high-flow cats since I want to keep the car stock tune complaint for warranty and OBDII inspection reasons. Thoughts? Feeback? If I were to do it, they would get the full ceramic coating treatment to drop underhood temps even further.

At that point though, it might just make more sense to go with ARH mid-length catted headers ($1500)...but that's a whole other can of worms...
https://enzoperformance.com/wp-conte...ARH_C7_mid.jpg

Re: Meet GheyRay: Lower, Wider, Lighter!
 

There is no question--give it a try! It will for sure help on the top end!

Re: Meet GheyRay: Lower, Wider, Lighter!
 

Do the mid length catted headers above affect the warranty at all?

What is the guy thinking for pricing on a set of high flow downpipes? (how close in price to the ARH stuff, would it be worth it just to get the ARH instead)

Re: Meet GheyRay: Lower, Wider, Lighter!
 

To not answer your first question...there is no definitive answer. There is a risk if a major mechanical issue were to arise since so many stock components involving the factory emissions system have been replaced. I would say there is minimal to no risk with my current setup since the factory primary cats are unaltered, but anytime you touch those it's a roll of the dice.

Regarding the second question, pricing is yet to be determined, but I will expect somewhere around $300+ for catless, and $600+ for catted. This is a total guess and I could be way off considering what COBB GT-R catted ($1400) and catless ($1100) downpipes go for (AMS is even more expensive). I do imagine these should me much cheaper though since they won't have any cast components, no "brand name" surcharge, nor the GT-R tax tacked on.

Re: Meet GheyRay: Lower, Wider, Lighter!
 

Let er buck! YEE HAW!

Re: Meet GheyRay: Lower, Wider, Lighter!
 

Do everything pussy!