[Shadofax]

Tomorrow is 1 year since a hauler delivered our Connie Coupe to us from Georgia.:thumbs::yesnod:

4132 miles delivered, 5315 now, just shy of 1200 miles.

Being loaded in GA:

We've removed the splash guards, and the GM chicklets, but otherwise we've kept it original, which includes the GMPP tune, but also the aftermarket DDM chassis goodies.

In Colorado:

earlier this year, with no splash guards or chicks:

Got our second oil change coming up early october, just under 1 year since the last time I did it, and the computer is still showing like 87% good oil, but the manual says change every year regardless.

 

[jeff465]

The rear arrow head is gone too!

 

[Shadofax]

The rear arrow head is gone too!

Yes. With an arrow at the front, both sides, on the steering wheel, and the waterfall, don't you think people get it? It says pontiac solstice GXP on the rear. The amount of branding was very annoying. I'd like a cleaner vehicle without junk cluttering the body and the lines.

I'd love to remove the wart crap up top for serious satellite or whatever junk we'd never use, just not sure how to do that and make it 100% clean.

I have the GM chicklets and the rear pontiac arrow saved in a bag in case we sold the car one day and someone actually wanted to reinstall these.

 

[ChopTop]

Happy coupe anniversary, and nice clear pics. Makes me want to go out and buy a better camera. I'd like to have a large canvas print made for the garage. BTW, been thinking of starting an anniversary coupe thread to keep interest in coupe sub-forum.

 

[TX08manualGXP]

I've always wanted to buy a car and have it delivered and stand outside and watch it come off the truck. Neat. I haven't given the coupe much consideration but that thing is damn sharp. The wife is jelous of me and my son's Solstice, maybe I can talk her in trading her scion on a coupe. that would be cool.

 

[rob the elder]

Congratulations. Nice pictures.

Ours are now getting close to their 6th year aniversary

 

[BellaVerde]

Congratulations on the anniversary! You're giving it a good home, obviously. Reminds me my 6th is coming up in Oct. Wow, time sure flies when you're having fun.........

 

[Shadofax]

Happy coupe anniversary, and nice clear pics. Makes me want to go out and buy a better camera. I'd like to have a large canvas print made for the garage. BTW, been thinking of starting an anniversary coupe thread to keep interest in coupe sub-forum.

Thanks CT, I'm looking for much nicer pics. If you look at the 2nd pic with the top off, that day was clear blue skies. The later pics I wanted nice sun as well, but no dice, so I need some more. The black reflective qualities are so much nicer on a sunny day. Anniversary coupe thread not a bad idea. I'd just like to see more pics of coupes, period, going somewhere, just washed in the driveway, whatever.

I've always wanted to buy a car and have it delivered and stand outside and watch it come off the truck. Neat. I haven't given the coupe much consideration but that thing is damn sharp. The wife is jelous of me and my son's Solstice, maybe I can talk her in trading her scion on a coupe. that would be cool.

yea, that first pic was from the dealer readying to load it, but you're right, it was a jittery day waiting for it to show up. The driver was Russian, so he calls me the day before and he's got the directions all wrong, so we clear that up, and just nervously waiting for the call that he's nearing my area....it all worked out though, can't believe we bought a car off ebay, from 800 miles away, sight unseen except the dealer pics posted. It was the dealer general manager that does these, and in talking with him we trusted him. He came through with everything he said.

Congratulations. Nice pictures.

Ours are now getting close to their 6th year aniversary

Thanks Rob, only 1 year for us, but I have to remember that's how it all starts. That's the case with my bronco, which isn't long for me to be at 20yrs. ownership. Hope the same for Connie Coupe.

Congratulations on the anniversary! You're giving it a good home, obviously. Reminds me my 6th is coming up in Oct. Wow, time sure flies when you're having fun.........

Maybe too good a home. I'm a car fanatic, and I've learned a few things with this purchase, I've made my wife a bit scared to drive the car because she does not want to damage it. So I'm trying to change that because she needs to enjoy the car. But I have issues with vehicles I love. And I know one day not far off the Bronco will need to be sold, and I've thought of replacement vehicles, Corvette, new 2015 Mustang?, Tesla model S (2 of these are probably out of my price range), coming Cadillac ATS-V???? Who knows. I've thought about a Merlot Coupe, but the rediculous-ness of having 2, 2 seaters with zero cargo capacity prevents this (might as well put the vette in this category as well). A smaller truck/suv? but nothing out there grabs me right now, so I wait. Once something grabs me, the cash will be built up, and another vehicle will get way over-babied.:thumbs:

 

[twowheeladdict]

Very nice car. I put the mileage you put in one year in the first two weeks I owned mine. Adding another 500 miles this weekend. I guess that is why I have never been able to buy a "collector" car. I would devalue it too fast.

 

[Shadofax]

Very nice car. I put the mileage you put in one year in the first two weeks I owned mine. Adding another 500 miles this weekend. I guess that is why I have never been able to buy a "collector" car. I would devalue it too fast.

Yes, collector car in the sense that there is no more Pontiac, and they made 1 partial year of these (technically 2 since a handful are 2010's), and that they numbered only 1266 and are a beautiful car, among other things. You don't see them on the road. I wish though that we had just stuck with a convertible as a fun driver, it's really for my wife, and with her being scared of damaging the coupe....I'll never regret finding out about the coupe though, and the decision. We had no idea about the coupe about 13 months ago, it wasn't until we went to see a vert GXP local and had it sold out from under us that I went online, which is when I saw my first coupe and we started down the path of buying one.

Back in '06-'07 we were thinking of buying the vert, she wanted a fun car and loved it, but we also were in the middle of selling a house, moving to a larger house, wedding, etc. that desire was put on hold, until she saw that our friends bought a vert about a year ago. That was it, plan was back on.

 

[BryGuy]

Congrats on the 1 year!...I de-badged by entire rear...and I always get people asking what is it!!! HAHA

Like many of us, we always get the thumbs up...I loved it when a senior couple(+70) pulled up beside me on the left at a red light and the husband gave me the thumbs up and said nice car sunny boy...;-)

 

[jeff465]

Yes. With an arrow at the front, both sides, on the steering wheel, and the waterfall, don't you think people get it? It says pontiac solstice GXP on the rear. The amount of branding was very annoying. I'd like a cleaner vehicle without junk cluttering the body and the lines.

I'd love to remove the wart crap up top for serious satellite or whatever junk we'd never use, just not sure how to do that and make it 100% clean.

I have the GM chicklets and the rear pontiac arrow saved in a bag in case we sold the car one day and someone actually wanted to reinstall these.

I'm thinking of shaving all the rear emblems and chicklets on my coupe. I cut my radio mast down to 14" and added a vacuum cap on top.

 

[twowheeladdict]

Yes, collector car in the sense that there is no more Pontiac, and they made 1 partial year of these (technically 2 since a handful are 2010's), and that they numbered only 1266 and are a beautiful car, among other things. You don't see them on the road. I wish though that we had just stuck with a convertible as a fun driver, it's really for my wife, and with her being scared of damaging the coupe....I'll never regret finding out about the coupe though, and the decision. We had no idea about the coupe about 13 months ago, it wasn't until we went to see a vert GXP local and had it sold out from under us that I went online, which is when I saw my first coupe and we started down the path of buying one.

Back in '06-'07 we were thinking of buying the vert, she wanted a fun car and loved it, but we also were in the middle of selling a house, moving to a larger house, wedding, etc. that desire was put on hold, until she saw that our friends bought a vert about a year ago. That was it, plan was back on.

I didn't even know the coupe existed until I found this forum a few weeks ago. It is a beautiful car. Way out of my price range for a car though since I am new to this car thing. Up until the solstice I considered a car a cage.

 

[LarryMJones]

It's been 3 plus years since mine was removed new from the Pontiac Dealers showroom floor. I wish I had taken a photo of it in the showroom.

It now has 17_ _ miles. I update the forum every 100 miles and it has been a couple months since it hit 1700.

Why remove the badges? I hope you are keeping them in a safe place.

LJ

 

[Shadofax]

It's been 3 plus years since mine was removed new from the Pontiac Dealers showroom floor. I wish I had taken a photo of it in the showroom.

It now has 17_ _ miles. I update the forum every 100 miles and it has been a couple months since it hit 1700.

Why remove the badges? I hope you are keeping them in a safe place.

LJ

see post 3. :thumbs:

 

[mahermusic]

It's been 3 plus years since mine was removed new from the Pontiac Dealers showroom floor. I wish I had taken a photo of it in the showroom.

 

[Shadofax]

Well, since I replaced the oil last year shortly after we bought the coupe, this would be the second oil change performed, it really is super easy to do yourself once you figure out filter removal and reinstall.

Now I just have to decide whether to attempt the coolant drain/fill myself before next spring. I'm thinking do it myself and have another regular service not performed by the dealer. There is a great writeup on here on how to ensure no trapped air in the system after it's done, which is my only real concern.

 

[Shadofax]

Just an update since this is kinda 1 yr. anniversary related. We had to renew our registration and in Colorado, Denver area, once the car is 4 yrs. old it's time for the 'Ol emissions testing. That worked out well since I had just done the fresh oil/filter, and I had just put in fresh 91 octane. Still have the original air filter in there, so I took that out and cleaned it up a bit and reinstalled. Other than the GMPP tune and DDM catch can the car is basically original, so I was interested in how the emissions test would go.

Took the long way there to get it good and warmed up, and here are the results:

Everything passed, the car I guess gets to take a rapid test, not sure what qualifies it for that, they don't even check under the hood or anything.

HC GPM max is 1.2 result was .0138
CO GPM max is 15.0 result was .4139
CO2 GPM reading was 375.48
NOx GPM max is 1.5 result was .041

Could be interesting data if I ever decided to have the performance cat installed, something to compare to, granted if I did do the cat it would then not need the test for 2 more years, so you have the extra miles on plugs and things that would likely affect results.

Car brought a lot of attention though, one lady took a few pics she liked the look so much. And thankfully the emissions people were careful with it.

 

[Vikechick]

I love the Pontiac arrowhead. I want people to know what my car is, and much of the dsiscussions I have with peole involve their sadness at Pontiac being gone. The Solstice is part of a family, now an orphan family. I like to keep the Pontiac name alive, and not turn my coupe into a generic car like they use on the CGI insurance commercials. I would never let the dealership put their names on my cars, but the make and model, I love having that. Half the problems vintage car restorers have involve trying to find the right badges. I had a friend who sent to a lot of auctions in the 80s to find the little cobra symbols for his Torino. (Yeah I know, you are keeping them for the sale of the car - don't lose that plastic bag.) It is just a shame that some want to incognito a car that people still want to know about.

 

[Shadofax]

I love the Pontiac arrowhead. I want people to know what my car is, and much of the dsiscussions I have with peole involve their sadness at Pontiac being gone. The Solstice is part of a family, now an orphan family. I like to keep the Pontiac name alive, and not turn my coupe into a generic car like they use on the CGI insurance commercials. I would never let the dealership put their names on my cars, but the make and model, I love having that. Half the problems vintage car restorers have involve trying to find the right badges. I had a friend who sent to a lot of auctions in the 80s to find the little cobra symbols for his Torino. (Yeah I know, you are keeping them for the sale of the car - don't lose that plastic bag.) It is just a shame that some want to incognito a car that people still want to know about.

Hi Vikechick, if you're referring to removal of the GM chicklets and the rear arrowhead, they are tucked away in a bag. I have no issue letting people know what the car is, we did that just today, if it isn't obvious to someone by looking at the front arrowhead, the side arrowheads, and rear of the car saying "Pontiac Solstice GXP", and the steering wheel arrowhead, and the waterfall arrowhead......

enough is enough, I'd rather have cleaner body lines, it's not about hiding what the car is, the cars are beautiful, I don't want to take away from the cars lines. Like the wart on top of the car, wish that wasn't there, but won't be messing with that.

Edit: forgot, it says "SOLSTICE" on the underhood heat shield too...just saying.