redninja6r

Congrats and welcome. I enjoyed reading your story. Don't worry about being an "old" guy haha I'm 48 and refuse to grow up...got my SuperSport Cobalt and my SuperSport Ninja 600. I know what you mean about anticipating the drive to work. The best part of my day is driving to and from work. It's 25 miles each way and it still is too close. I'm having brake issues with mine, hoping to get it resolved soon, and I hope you don't encounter this, but even so I LOVE THIS CAR. I have had 40 vehicles in my life, many "fun cars" and I think this is my most favorite one.

John Lake

Point taken... just may have to teach some punks in their new V6 Camaro's a lesson !

Good point - and I have done exactly that. Had my 2.4 washed a few times in single digit temps to get the road salt off... so cold that they had to hand dry it inside the wash with the car wash door closed - as soon as the door opened - the drops remaining froze. Thankfully today's cars are pretty rust resistant .. growing up in the North there were rust buckets all over the road... nowadays .. I hardly ever see any. Do envy the folks in warmer climates though.. much easier to keep cars looking great forever.. if well cared for.

We shall see ... but.. if I don't.. no embarrassing my ride if I'm ever driving through Minnesota - Cobalt SS owners gotta stick together!

Permafried-

I said the exact same thing as you when I first picked up the car in early 09...I knew of the GMS1 but figured meh I don't need it. 10 months after picking it up in she went

John Lake

Thanks Greg! I'm glad to hear that there are other 'ol timers out there that love this car. And yup.. anything that can actually make our daily commutes FUN is pretty darn great... I'm actually leaving earlier in the morning now so I hit less traffic (5:45am instead of 6:00 - trust me.. the 15 minutes makes a big difference) ... have about 35 miles each way. Sucks about the brakes - hope that does get revolved soon for ya... I don't want to even think of anything going wrong yet at 250 or so miles..

And the Ninja... Holy $hit.... you are way braver than I... I lost that feeling of invincibility (that we all seem to have at an early age) .... years ago . I play it safe now.. more of a wuss every day... it's very sad..



Just a side note for anyone that cares... I can't believe how rare the SS Turbo's are... there is a breakdown by color at the attached link. I know most of us have our cars for a few years and then move on to the next.. but.. these things will most likely be valuable down the road. The list is for only 2008 - 2009 turbo. And if this is repeat info here - sorry about that - I've looked through this site but lots I haven't seen..


http://www.gmtunersource.com/index.p...olor-breakdown

If I did do it - I would have to do it without my wife knowing - BUT in some freaky way.. she finds out about everything. So.. for my well being.. I hope my mind does not change..

Permafried-

...if it helps any she'd have to know what a MAP and TMAP looked like to figure it out. Just don't let her see the bill or delivery !

ssyellow

Good first post and welcome, only way it could have been better was with some pictures hah.

John Lake

No Go.. She pays all the bills... in charge of all finances.... ALL money. We did it that way for good reason - My immaturity ! I haven't been to the bank in a long time.. never had an atm card...

Don't get me wrong... We both can have whatever we want within reason/ and we an afford of course BUT - something to make my new fast car go FASTER... wouldn't bode well. It may sound nuts the way we work things - but - I would spend everything... I'm an Independent voter - lately leaning more Conservative with my beliefs.. BUT have always been Liberal with Spending...

northvibe

iTrader: (1)

I concur. Stock the car needs a 1000 mile break in, can your 16yr old even handle driving it tame during that time? The car has enough power stock for an inexperienced driver to hurt themselves; I would stay away from the stage 1 or any mods for now. If your son can prove good driving habits then maybe later down the road you could get it.

John Lake

Thanks Nate... Sorry - no car pics... Have pics of my Wife and I thru the years.... prolly could care less about that - but - here ya go - at 'photo gallery'

http://johnlakeart.com/jl/default.aspx


Speaking of Yellow Cobalt's... I've never been a fan of racing stripes on Cobalt's - BUT - saw this 2009 SS Yellow. black stripe combo on the net - dealer in Chicago... The dealer no longer has the pics there .. I thought this car looked great ! The stripes I've seen on other SS's were not the same.. Hope you can see the pics... I inserted images but I only see boxes with an 'X' in the middle. If you can't see.. and you want to check them out send and e-mail and I'll forward..

Cobalt_Daddy

Bah old timers .. Don't be so hard on yourselves you don't have to be young to appreciate a decent car. Everytime I stop at the store in my town there's always a table full of old men and I can hear them talking about my car :P

msfitoy

Congrats John...age and experience will help you through the temptations...Drive to blend in, use your signals and you'll never get noticed on the road...unless you attract a Cobalt admirer...or maybe he was trying to figure out what it is lol (no badges)...on my drive home yesterday, I had this Chevy Impala following me through traffic for miles...I was tempted to pull a few football fields on him when the road opened up but decided to just chill...eventually, this guy was along side and thats when I was glad I wasn't doing anything stupid...it was an off duty Sherif in uniform!

John Lake

Trust me.. I've gotten it from family members.. friends.. "What is this? Your Mid Life Crisis starting ?" BUT.. I've never cared much what others thought of me .. And... besides.. I refuse to let you young whippersnappers have all the fun!

ufnwish

this is what all threads should be like yeah im 41 but its just a # i can still run with the big dogs and can still **** with the pups best of both worlds my only problem is the mod bug i got it bad there has to be a pill for this they got one for everything now

John Lake

Thanks! Good one - he was waiting for you to pull those football fields. When I had my 2.4 I was on a minor highway (50 MPH)... A cop was behind me when it was a single lane .. then it became two lanes for about 1.5 miles... I moved over to the right lane and was doing 45 - 50... He stayed in the left just right behind my car the entire length of the two lanes.. we then came to a light and I was the first car - the copper right behind. It as obvious he was f'ing with me - so - I decided to return the favor. The light turned green... and I took off... Not full bore top produce wheel spin BUT quick from the start..... then stepped on it at about 20... all the way over the amazing speed limit by 1 mph - 51.. then down to 50 . I'm sure He had his radar pinned on me and was licking his chops.. Nothing he could do though.. didn't peel out/ only did 51.. he could have pulled me over for 51 - but - would be a waste of his time. Clearly pissed... he slowly caught up to me then floored it right up to my ass for a few seconds.. then made a turn off the highway. The dick! Hey.. I know we need cops.. of course.... something bad happens I'm glad they are there to help BUT.. when I was younger I was harassed several times only because I had long hair.. the dudes were mean. Sometimes these guys are worse than the bad guys they are after... So.. I get a little joy of going over the speed limit and not getting caught... let the games begin!

Cool mon! I guess there are lots of us out there...

Bad news - for me. Driving in this morning - a Jeep was passing going the other direction ... a rock or something shot up from the road... BANG on my dtrivers door - pulled over.. Small ding - but - deep - metal is showing... MOTHER F'er!!! These things happen BUT after a week! You hope you can do better than that... Already made an appointment for next Tuesday.


Much worse can happen.. A co-worker got her new car - just left the dealership. She was sitting at a red light when a 16 year learning to drive with his Dad plowed in to her... knowing that... I'll survive this

msfitoy

It's curse of the "new car"...within the first month of owning mine, I stripped all of the badges off and painted the front bow black...all was great in the world...then while putzin on a 5 lane freeway, I kepted hearing clicking noises...when I finally got close enough to a white pickup truck in front, I noticed he was intermittently throwing something out his window...THE MFKER WAS TOSSING OUT NAILS!!! People were swerving and yelling out the window at him but he's just having his jolly fun...it took all of my restraint from rear ending him...once I pulled over, the damages had been done...chips gallor...

I'll trade ya...I'm 52...I should be driving a Corvette...

ufnwish

[QUOTE=msfitoy;


I'll trade ya...I'm 52...I should be driving a Corvette...[/QUOTE]

speaking of a vette when i was getting my balt the salesmen was talking about the upcoming sc/ vette so i asked how much and he said $125 i said no i dont need that much of a ***** exstention ill take the balt this is how you can stop the entier showroom ful lof ppl in there tracks and get a few smiles from some really hot chicks in there 20s

John Lake

Man.. low end. I have no patience for people that don't respect other people's property - I don't need a lot of material things in my life to be happy BUT what I do have .. I work hard for. And.. that Guy could have caused serious harm along with damage if he caused accidents. I've gotten calmer and more level headed over the years BUT when I was younger - Would have followed him until he stopped.

AND.. Whaaa.. you took off the 'SS' badges!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

msfitoy

And just today, I had a really old guy (like 70s) in a Volvo wagon was behind me at a "Michigan Turnaround" while I waited behind the first car in front...he's up my butt honking at me to move up so he can squeeze into the inside lane...I'm like WTF...I had no where to go...the guy in front finally moved out of the turn and this old jackass flies around on the inside to get ahead of me to the next light which was like 30 feet up...then gives me the finger! Don't know why this douche bag was trying so hard to get ahead of me but it was pointless after I left him in a cloud of tire smoke while he's having his fit far far behind me...

I took off all my badges because I like mystery...

John Lake

In my minds eye... my rage would have pulled him out of his car and ripped his eyes out!

Thank God we can't be locked up just for our crazy thoughts .... leaving him in a cloud of tire smoke was the sane thing to do..

In Reality... I would have taken a deep breathe and not looked at him again .. And then.. left him in a cloud of tire smoke

Just another A-hole on the road to add to the A-hole list... That list is getting so long that I'm beginning to wonder if the human race even deserves to continue past the Dec 21st 2012 deadline.. oh well.. Ride 'em if ya got 'em!


And.. lol - SS badges removed for the mystery.. I was initially thinking sacrilege - but - love it! They will never see you coming..

Cobalt_Daddy

Happened to me first week too! Took a big one right on the windshield in my field of view.. Pulled over as well not impressed. Purposely drove slow on the road with the flying rocks sign ... As soon as it ended... Bam. It sucks but does happen eventually just sucks when it happens so soon

Cool mon! I guess there are lots of us out there...

Bad news - for me. Driving in this morning - a Jeep was passing going the other direction ... a rock or something shot up from the road... BANG on my dtrivers door - pulled over.. Small ding - but - deep - metal is showing... MOTHER F'er!!! These things happen BUT after a week! You hope you can do better than that... Already made an appointment for next Tuesday.


Much worse can happen.. A co-worker got her new car - just left the dealership. She was sitting at a red light when a 16 year learning to drive with his Dad plowed in to her... knowing that... I'll survive this [/QUOTE]

meldog21

This old guy and Corvette stuff is funny. I'm 49 and will be picking up an 08 SS tomorrow. I have a C5 Z06 and a '99 R1. I commute with and track both vehicles (road racing tracks, not a drag strips). I'm buying the Cobalt for almost the same reason I bought the Corvette, it's the fastest (funnest) thing I can buy at my price point. I plan to take the Z06 out of commuter service since I'm starting night school in the fall. Going to school will make my commute longer and the car will be out in a parking lot every evening. I hate the idea of leaving the Z06 exposed like that. The Z06 will be relegated to weekend driving and track use.

So I need a fun, expendable, good gas mileage car. From everything I've read the Cobalt is the most fun commuter car you can buy.

You're never too old to have fun.

Oh, surprisingly enough the price of the SS is not that much different than my Z06. A new SS is probably about $23-$24,000 otd. Kelly Blue Book lists my '02 Z06 at $18-21,000. I'm paying about $15,000 for the '08 SS/TC. If it wasn't for the fact that I want a little better mileage I could have just bought another Z06. Then I would have one with all the track parts and a bone stock one for daily driving that I could neglect.

For all the people with Cobalts that are trying to make their cars faster I would suggest considering getting a C5 Z06 since they are so cheap right now. If you want real performance I guarantee it will meet your requirements, well that is unless you just have to have back seats.

Dog

msfitoy

It was an angry old lib with Obama sticker on the back...probably mad because he's not liking this "hope and change" lol...oh well, I do my best to turn the other cheek with people like that...2012 will be the reckoning...hell, I can't wait for November 2010...

Unfortunately, I'm already hogging two garage spaces and my sweet wife would hardly go for a garage lift

John Lake

I guess we just got the inevitable out of the way early ...It's nerve racking driving a new car... you just want to keep it as perfect as you can - for as long as you can. I always park far out wherever I am - Hate door dings... it took almost 4 years before I had a ding on my 2.4. At a shopping center on a windy day.... As I was walking back to my car I noticed a shopping cart against it.. must have blown 30 feet. Only a slight indentation on the back pumper.


Hey Dog.. nice - but - "Expendable!!!" you say.. How dare you! ! Just busting ya... BUT - You should also try the SS at the track - Since you've read up on it before your purchase.. I'm sure you are already well aware of it's potential... The Corvette is a world class sports car of course - so - it would interesting to see what you thought....

PM: "As a result of all this tuning, the little Cobalt performs like a serious race car at the track. It turns in predictably and clings to the line with a tenacity that speaks volumes for its 225/40ZR-18 Continental Sportcontact 2 summer tires. (The company claims 0.9g of skidpad grip.) Left-right transitions can be finessed beautifully by throttle and steering sequences that allow the car to rotate and then drive out of bends with no lost effort thanks to the Torsen diff and Stabilitrak system. The diff sends torque to the wheel with the most grip, while the traction control system gently brakes the wheel wanting to spin."

http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/news/4254059

And.. just a side note.. The SS is based on a so/ so base economy car of course - but - the turbo is truly an amazing performance car - and - what I found very surprising... made in very limited numbers (Post 29). So... Don't beat on her too much!

Agree with ya... Have tons to say on that issue - We can't really go into politics on the SS site of course..... BUT - that's prolly for the best..... People can be so passionate in this area - that tempers would eventually explode..

Lapila82

iTrader: (3)

(To OP): I honestly don't think I could possibly agree any more with anything that you've posted. Being the driver of a Pontiac G5 myself I have to say that it is an amazing car for the value. Now, granted, I'm only seventeen and it's my first car, but I honestly prefer it to my dad's 2005 G6 GTP. Maybe that's just me though, I've never been a fan of V6 engines.

Anyway, my 40-something year old father loves Pontiac, and GM in general, but he always ragged on me for picking a 4 banger. He'd hassle me into oblivion, called it Pontiac's rendition of the "SLOWbalt", then he'd laugh it off and I'd just tell him to give it a ride for himself.

So he finally gets behind the wheel of this thing and he's driving down the highway. Tells me he thinks it's "nothing special" but I can see the giddy look on his face, so I tell him to stop holding back, he opens up on it and it takes off.

Well guess who is trading their 08 Cadillac STS in for an SS/TC...?

So welcome!

John Lake

Cool brotha! It's good when people agree once in a while. From the caddy to the SS.. wow - huge change! BUT - I agree with it Tell him he's not alone - seems like there are a lot of us 40+ drivers ! Just a bunch of big kids at heart...