[roger55]

Originally Posted by JayFar

Welcome to the forum and ownership. I previously owned a Vette as well but it was much older. IMO Chevy has always done great with the mechanical bits on the Vetts but with the exception of the C7 and C8 they simply don't do anything else that great. I'm thrilled they have started putting as much effort into the interior and accessories as they always have with the engines.
Put a $500 flash tune on the 440i and it will really surprise you.

Thanks!
I'm actually pretty amazed with it the way it is. Maybe down the road I would be interested in a programming tune. But as bloke said, I do not want to void my warranty. Even though I do my mechanic work on my classics, it's not something I want to do with this car if I don't have too.

So being a CPO car, they tack on an extra 12 months of warranty to the remaining time on the new car warranty. The car was put in service on 3-15-19 so I have nearly 49 months of factory warranty. One month more than a brand new one!
I did have to pay $800 extra from the advertised price for that. Required too since the car was already certified.

[roger55]

Originally Posted by cfm56d7b

Congratulations and a warm welcome! You are perhaps already enjoying the linear power delivery curve of B58 engine.

Is (softer) xDrive suspension OK for your needs? Lots of suspension upgrades options available.

Thanks for the welcome!

Yes, I am enjoying the linear power this car has. I found a HP/torque curve online for this engine and was amazed how flat it was.

Yes, an X-drive without the M Sport option was exactly what I wanted. Things changed for me in 2018 when we bought a condo up in Boulder Co. for a get-away place. That's when the Corvette didn't really fit my need anymore. The AWD might come in handy and I wanted a softer ride. Some of the highway roads been here and there aren't the smoothest.

[BillGS440i]

Originally Posted by VWAudi2BMW

Sounds like it would be fun! Prices seem right now on late model C7 with the C8 now. At this point I seem to find myself really preferring the C7 vs the C8.

Have been wondering if a regular stingray vs a GS is a better option for strictly street use? Any input there? Roads out here are not great. Also wondering about width and clearance.

These are things the 3 and 4 series do not suffer from. All great rides for sure!

So let me answer by saying they are both very capable cars. The GS looks cooler and with a wider rear end it handles better. If you get a C7 which you can get some really good deals on now make sure you get a 2lt and make sure it a Z51 with Mag Ride. The Automatic is really quick (wish it was a duel clutch) but look check the Corvette Forum there have been problems with a shutter. I have tuned out the V4 mode which is what is causing the Shutter in the system. The Grand Sport also having wider wheels are having problems with the wheels cracking. I have not experienced it but the runflat tires are so hard with little side walls they the shock of a pot hole is transfered to the wheel and cracking them. Unless you just fall in love with a GS them stay with the base model and you will be happy. The hp and torque in these motors are just awesome! The also ride and handle so well that it is hard for me to believe that they have improved them so much with the C8. We will see, I have 4 friends that have C8's orders and I will be playing as soon as they get them. Good luck finding what you want - it will be a fun experience!

[cfm56d7b]

Originally Posted by roger55

Thanks for the welcome!

Yes, I am enjoying the linear power this car has. I found a HP/torque curve online for this engine and was amazed how flat it was.

Yes, an X-drive without the M Sport option was exactly what I wanted. Things changed for me in 2018 when we bought a condo up in Boulder Co. for a get-away place. That's when the Corvette didn't really fit my need anymore. The AWD might come in handy and I wanted a softer ride. Some of the highway roads been here and there aren't the smoothest.

Then you are largely all set. Just enjoy the car. By the way, is it a coupe (F32) or gran coupe (F36)?

PS. You might get at least 100 request for pictures ...

[roger55]

Originally Posted by cfm56d7b

Then you are largely all set. Just enjoy the car. By the way, is it a coupe (F32) or gran coupe (F36)?
PS. You might get at least 100 request for pictures ...

It's an F32 coupe. Our kids decided not to give us any grandchildren.

I've still got the car in my shop doing a complete detail on it. I plan to get it out for photos soon. I polished the entire car before sealing and waxing it. The hood, top and deck lid needed some serious paint correction due to many bird poop etchings. Got them all out though. It's looking like a million bucks now IMO.
Got to do some cleaning in the engine compartment today and I'll be done. Looks like some good photo taking weather coming up too.

In the meantime you can look at this website and see the photos the dealer took for the online ad. It's still up.

https://maxdigitalshowroom.com/web/#...4W9C5XKAG89909

[roger55]

Originally Posted by VWAudi2BMW

Sounds like it would be fun! Prices seem right now on late model C7 with the C8 now. At this point I seem to find myself really preferring the C7 vs the C8.
Have been wondering if a regular stingray vs a GS is a better option for strictly street use? Any input there? Roads out here are not great. Also wondering about width and clearance.
These are things the 3 and 4 series do not suffer from. All great rides for sure!

Since Bill made his response, I'd like to give you my 2¢ too.
Bill bought a new 2015 Z51 vert with a manual before he traded it for the new 2017 GS auto coupe and I got to drive both cars. While the Z51 was a beautiful car and I loved it, the GS just stands out in the crowd and gets more attention because of that wide stance and ultrawide rear tires. It's just an awesome look IMO. But, if you don't intend to take it to car shows, that difference may not be important to you. Another thing Bill did not mention is that he took the offer from Chevrolet with his purchase and went to the Spring Mountain Ron Fellows Driving School outside of Las Vegas. It was a tremendous learning experience for him and he enjoyed the heck out of it.. The preferred car by the professional drivers on the track is the GS. Even over the Z06.

However, I've also read all about the wheel cracking issues on the GS and Z06 from C7 owners. It is an issue to watch out for. Going to forged aftermarket wheels solves the issue but they aren't cheap. And it pisses owners off that they have to shell out the money when it's a known issue that Chevy is not accepting responsibility for. There is a class-action suit, but I don't know the status of it.

[deviantspeed]

Nice Bill...

Something about Vette owners and not driving in the rain. I hear the water spots in wheel wells can diminish the value drastically!

[VWAudi2BMW]

Originally Posted by roger55

Since Bill made his response, I'd like to give you my 2¢ too.
Bill bought a new 2015 Z51 vert with a manual before he traded it for the new 2017 GS auto coupe and I got to drive both cars. While the Z51 was a beautiful car and I loved it, the GS just stands out in the crowd and gets more attention because of that wide stance and ultrawide rear tires. It's just an awesome look IMO. But, if you don't intend to take it to car shows, that difference may not be important to you. Another thing Bill did not mention is that he took the offer from Chevrolet with his purchase and went to the Spring Mountain Ron Fellows Driving School outside of Las Vegas. It was a tremendous learning experience for him and he enjoyed the heck out of it.. The preferred car by the professional drivers on the track is the GS. Even over the Z06.

However, I've also read all about the wheel cracking issues on the GS and Z06 from C7 owners. It is an issue to watch out for. Going to forged aftermarket wheels solves the issue but they aren't cheap. And it pisses owners off that they have to shell out the money when it's a known issue that Chevy is not accepting responsibility for. There is a class-action suit, but I don't know the status of it.

Interesting! I did see some talk about that! There are a few nice cars for sale around here. Just not the right time, but I have a major itch brewing.

I also heard some talk about issues with the Z06 too. The wheel issue is sort of similar to the N20 BMW timing chain issue. Don't even get me started on the VW / Audi TDI issue. That killed the value of some of our past cars with that real bad.

They all have their stuff I guess. Moral of the story is, they want us to shell out the bucks but they never want to do the right thing when they make mistakes.

Oh well..

[Bmoney2K4]

Wow, looks like the OP got a very good deal. Congrats and enjoy. Mineral white is nice, too.

[roger55]

Originally Posted by Bmoney2K4

Wow, looks like the OP got a very good deal. Congrats and enjoy. Mineral white is nice, too.

Thanks!
I thought it was a great deal too. Plus the fact I would have gotten every option that it has if I had ordered the car new. Didn't mind a bit having to fly over and drive the 1,060 miles back home.

I finally got some photos today. Like I said, I had been spending a lot of time detailing the car while waiting for good weather to take photos.
I did some pretty aggressive paint correction on all the upper surfaces of the car but with the side I only did a light polish and folllowed up with a coat of Wolfgang sealer and then a coat of Meguiars Gold carnauba wax. I also detailed under the hood. It wasn't bad at all but it does collect dirt in a few spots that I got all cleaned up.
I didn't do a lot to the interior at all. Just a thorough vacuuming and dusting off.

[thatBimmerBloke]

Originally Posted by roger55

Thanks!
I finally got some photos today. Like I said, I had been spending a lot of time detailing the car while waiting for good weather to take photos.
I did some pretty aggressive paint correction on all the upper surfaces of the car but with the side I only did a light polish and folllowed up with a coat of Wolfgang sealer and then a coat of Meguiars Gold carnauba wax. I also detailed under the hood. It wasn't bad at all but it does collect dirt in a few spots that I got all cleaned up.
I didn't do a lot to the interior at all. Just a thorough vacuuming and dusting off.

Beautiful! I'd get rid of the dealer license plate holder/frame

[roger55]

Originally Posted by thatBimmerBloke

Beautiful! I'd get rid of the dealer license plate holder/frame

Thanks!
I'm leaving them them until I get my Texas plates. With the temporary on there, I though it would be better to make it more obvious to law enforcement that the I just bought the car.

I thought a nice billet frame would look good on the rear. But on the front I think maybe a thin stainless frame might look better there. So, I"m still deciding.

[thatBimmerBloke]

Originally Posted by roger55

Thanks!
I'm leaving them them until I get my Texas plates. With the temporary on there, I though it would be better to make it more obvious to law enforcement that the I just bought the car.

I though a nice billet frame would look good on the rear. But on the front I think maybe a thin stainless frame might look better there. So, I"m still deciding.

Makes sense if you haven't gotten your license plates yet. I have the black slim frame that I got from Amazon, with black caps for the screws. Had to return one which had huge caps. It looks pretty simple and clean, doesn't hide anything on the plates. Thankfully in Wisconsin we can get by without having the front license plates

EDIT: Also, in case you didn't know, you can get some extra power and better sounding exhaust with the MPPSK, it also doesn't void the warranty, adds about 35hp at the wheels.

[roger55]

Originally Posted by thatBimmerBloke

Makes sense if you haven't gotten your license plates yet. I have the black slim frame that I got from Amazon, with black caps for the screws. Had to return one which had huge caps. It looks pretty simple and clean, doesn't hide anything on the plates. Thankfully in Wisconsin we can get by without having the front license plates

EDIT: Also, in case you didn't know, you can get some extra power and better sounding exhaust with the MPPSK, it also doesn't void the warranty, adds about 35hp at the wheels.

Thanks. I just today been reading up on that. Kind of spendy though. I don't want to make the car louder either but I read a report that says you really don't hear it except for on start-up and when you really put your foot into it.

Do you know if you can install the parts yourself and take to a dealer just to get it coded? Or do they insist that you have to have them do the entire installation?

[thatBimmerBloke]

Originally Posted by roger55

Thanks. I just today been reading up on that. Kind of spendy though. I don't want to make the car louder either but I read a report that says you really don't hear it except for on start-up and when you really put your foot into it.

Do you know if you can install the parts yourself and take to a dealer just to get it coded? Or do they insist that you have to have them do the entire installation?

It is indeed a bit pricey. I just have the MPE, it has a different deeper tone as compared to the stock exhaust and yes louder on cold start and when you really press on it, while cruising in comfort mode it is not much louder. Sounds much better than the stock exhaust though, I can hear the burbles on lower speeds inside the cabin that I couldn't hear before.

In case you decide to get the sound and power kit after a while (you should probably wait till you feel the need for more power, you already have about 330whp ) then make sure you check the price online at getbmwparts.com and then you can make the dealer price match it, otherwise they sell it for a much higher margin, you also need to negotiate on the install time, they will quote you for 4-6 hours but I've seen members paying just for 1 hour, the main part is just flashing the ECU, rest of it is just a 20 minute job. Also depending on the dealer, they usually don't install parts like these if you don't buy it through them, at least a couple of dealers I know don't do it. You definitely need to get the price match and negotiate on the install time, do not pay for more than 2 hours, 1 hour would be a good deal. Start the negotiation from as low as possible and offer to install the engine cover and airbox yourself. I'm sure you can also install the exhaust yourself, it's pretty simple but needs a cutter that you can rent from autozone.

[roger55]

It does seem pleny powerful as is. Don't know if it would get beat by my old Corvette or not but the fact I'm not sure says a lot.
So you say I have 330whp. Do hp numbers from BMW compare any differently to hp numbers GM quotes for their cars?

The MPPSK sounds kind of intriguing but not I'm not likely to do it anytime soon. It's always nice to have the max about of hp without going into the engine or risking damage but don't know if I would really get more enjoyment out of it or not at this point.

[jmack]

Originally Posted by roger55

It does seem pleny powerful as is. Don't know if it would get beat by my old Corvette or not but the fact I'm not sure says a lot.
So you say I have 330whp. Do hp numbers from BMW compare any differently to hp numbers GM quotes for their cars?

Yes, German cars (especially BMW and Porsche) are generally underrated compared to American cars. B58s dyno higher at the wheels than their claimed crank HP. For example, M340i's were making over 400whp while claiming 380hp crank.

[thatBimmerBloke]

Originally Posted by roger55

It does seem pleny powerful as is. Don't know if it would get beat by my old Corvette or not but the fact I'm not sure says a lot.
So you say I have 330whp. Do hp numbers from BMW compare any differently to hp numbers GM quotes for their cars?

The MPPSK sounds kind of intriguing but not I'm not likely to do it anytime soon. It's always nice to have the max about of hp without going into the engine or risking damage but don't know if I would really get more enjoyment out of it or not at this point.

Yes, I've seen a few dyno results for 340i/440i that were around 330whp which is about 370hp at crank with 10% drivetrain loss, much higher than what BMW claims. It might be a bit less for xDrive due to more drivetrain power loss but should be close to it. As @jmack mentioned, BMW tends to underrate the power.

Even the new Toyota (BMW) Supra is very underrated

[Beek]

Car's a beauty, welcome and congrats!

[bimmer456]

Originally Posted by cfm56d7b

Congratulations and a warm welcome! You are perhaps already enjoying the linear power delivery curve of B58 engine.

Is (softer) xDrive suspension OK for your needs? Lots of suspension upgrades options available.

It's possible they fixed the suspension on the LCI as the s drive 335 also had crappy suspension but was fixed with the LCI. Though looking at the pics it sill sits pretty high.

[thatBimmerBloke]

Roger, if possible could you please measure the front and rear wheel gap and post the numbers? Your car is fairly new so there shouldn't be any compression or sag and would help me in choosing the coilovers I think my car is sagging a bit at the rear end. Attaching a picture of my rear wheel gap for reference.

[roger55]

Originally Posted by thatBimmerBloke

Roger, if possible could you please measure the front and rear wheel gap and post the numbers? Your car is fairly new so there shouldn't be any compression or sag and would help me in choosing the coilovers I think my car is sagging a bit at the rear end. Attaching a picture of my rear wheel gap for reference.

Sorry, I didn't see your post until just now. I must have missed the email notification somehow. I get this done for you after dinner or in the morning.