TO DRESS OR NOT TO DRESS ????

[Droptop629]

I did a carfax check

I'm trying to find out more about this one. I did find the Corvette Pace Car registry/2004 Festival cars link. I have registered it and I am waiting to have them track the numbers down for me

I have received an e mail thanking me for registering my car but I have not heard back from Bob Kirsch . I have what I am told is one of the 22 LeMans blue festival cars from 2004. Vin # 1G1YY32GO45127288. I wanted to confirm if this is one of the original 22. for the INDY race before I payed to join as a full member. My other quests are to obtain the # that was assigned to it. It has a 19 that looks to be hand painted on the rear plate housing?? I,m hoping there a source for a duplicate race track temp plate as shown on the pictures in the festival car information section? I am the 1st private registered owner of this car. I got it on EBay from a Chevy dealer just outside of Indianapolis. From what I can track so far the car has been held by Chevy dealers in the area and has never been sold or registered. It has only has 4k miles on it.I want to keep this little part of history as original as possible. I am also looking for a replacement decal "the larger one" as some place along the way it has been removed. I have been told that the flag graphics do add some what of a dollar amount to the MSRP....and the overall value of the car as a part of INDY history. I'm trying to find out if I have something special here or is it just another 04 comm addition Vette ?

Thank you in advance for any information that you can provide.

Al Radke Milwaukee WI

I did a carfax check and it showed it was registered in Indy for a short time. I have a number 6 on the driverside windshield. I bought mine from a dealer in Ill. It has the Indy decal on the rear bumper along with the Chevorlet decal along the rocker panel.

 

[bwing]

I can't remember what fast food chain said this but ... "Have it your way". I say dress it up but do it tastefully. Not gaudy. Whatever you decide to do under the hood is your decision but keep the wrapper neat. I tried to keep the exterior as stock looking as possible with the exception of wheels and tires.

 

[BIG AL]

.

Here is what I would try; these cars were registered with the Indiana BMV for a brief period of time during the race and I think it is a good registration for maybe 3 months, all of them have the special IMS plates on them and they have a legal registraion during a brief period of time during the festivities. I would think if you ran the VIN through Indiana BMV they should be able to tell you if it was officially registered to IMS (Indianapolis Motor Speedway) I have tried for years to get one of those official IMS plates that are used and they are very rare and hard to get a hold of. I have been to the Indiana State Prision where they are made and they tell me they are the most guarded plates they make, someone from IMS brings the molding plates down to the prision and waits on them to be used and then takes them back to the track and locks them up. They are not even kept by the prision like the rest of them are. Here is the web site for Indiana BMV http://www.dmv.org/in-indiana/department-motor-vehicles.php You should be able to check with IMS as well they surely have a record of this being an active pace care in 2004. I do have some contacts at BMV, and maybe even a contact at IMS so let me know if any of this helped you. It really sounds as if you have the 19th registered pace car of 2004 Indianapolis 500, and your VIN number should bear that out becasue it had to be registered for the special plate used on it if in fact it was one of the pace cars.

Again let me know if I can help,

Bill

I too have done a car fax serch. it only comes back with a clean history reoprt. of no problems or repair issues. Im still hoping that the people at the Pace Car Registry can come up with more info for me. I have a copy of the original transfer title from Indiana. It lists the first, second and third re-assingments by registered dealers but has nothing pertaining to the IMS?

 

[BIG AL]

Bill
I ended up calling the BMV directly and was told that the none of the cars were titled to the track or IMS They did check the records and confirm however that the car has never been titled to anyone but me. If you do have a contact at the IMS??? I would be very happy for any info that you can dig up

 

[PreacherNutshot]

There is a thin line between dressing it up and "aftermarket disease". Tasteful is the key. Avoid overdone.

No truer words have been spoken. I have an addictive personality, when I started modding I was always afraid that I'd go overboard. But luckily I have a buddy who leans a little towards the conservative side, and I run everything by him for approval. So far I've gotten the OK for:

Borla Stingers Quad (I love that rumble),
DYI homelink visor (my favorite mod),
Billet pedals,
Chrome hand brake (beautiful) and auto shift knob,
Chrome air bag letters,
Chrome sill protectors,
Chrome radio & HVAC knobs.
IPOD integration,
Blackwing & cold air screens.
HID upgrade to fog lights,
Toshiba upgrades to headlights.
LED License Plate Lights (really neat looking)
"objects in mirror are losing" mirror decals.
Hood seal.
A full set of Goodyear M&S EMTs on wagon wheels for the cold months.
A descent (but legal) tint all around (really sets off the MSG color)

These are all little things, some cheap (decals), some not so cheap (tires and exhaust). But put together they make my car unique, yet without becoming tacky or ricey. It's still a very dignified sports car and I love it.

So do whatever you want to your car. But imagine how you're going to feel about the mod 2 years down the line and see if you still want it.

That kept me from putting in a chain steering wheel. Just kidding, I'm gonna do it. :L

 

[hoosierdaddy]

I did a carfax check and it showed it was registered in Indy for a short time. I have a number 6 on the driverside windshield. I bought mine from a dealer in Ill. It has the Indy decal on the rear bumper along with the Chevorlet decal along the rocker panel.

Was it registered to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS)? I would say you have one of the Pace Cars used that year at the track, they use a number of them that again is legally registered for the 500 Festible week but not for a full year. Like I said I have been a license plate collector over the years and this is the hardest plate to get a hold of that's for sure; I would even say impossible. Would be cool :cool if you could find the original IMS plate that was used on this car for the race wouldn't it? They pretty much told me all these plates are given to certain people after each race; that is what makes them hard to get.

Bill

 

[JETZ]

I agree!
The term 'subtle enhancements'. seems to elude a lot of owners, especially with color add ons.
'Less is more'!

Frank

There is a thin line between dressing it up and "aftermarket disease". Tasteful is the key. Avoid overdone.

 

[JBsC5]

My votes leave it as it came from the factory.

 

[hoosierdaddy]

My votes leave it as it came from the factory.

Me too for the most part; little touches are alright but I have seen some that are definently not to my taste. Pretty hard to improve on the Corvette looks and style. Some :nono do go over the hill with the add on stuff!

This is my story and I am sticking to it,

Bill

 

[Willfulone]

She's long and lean...........every young mans dream...............
I like the ground effects. I cant add them to my car because I know for a fact that my loving wife would find the first parking bump or steep driveway and remove it.

Then go for the engine

Peace
Chip

 

[blacksedan87]

I feel like a "latecomer" to the party (better than early - right?), but I have made several changes to the car from the way it rolled off the plant floor. I have a '98 - and as things wore out and got tired looking, I replaced the things with the best quality aftermarket parts I could find.

I replaced the grey wagon wheels with some polished and clear coated iForged wheels, and the tires are Michelin PS2's. The exhaust is a Corsa Pace Car with the pro tips. I have Wilwood rotors, Hawk HPS pads, Bilstein Sport shocks, Hotchkis sways with metal end links, a Z06 spring set, a Vette Essentials custom interior when the driver's seat ripped (I converted to Sport seats at that time with new foam), I have Kewl Smoothies under the hood, a Blackwing, GHL headers that are Jet-Hot coated and SS-Inserts front and rear. I also added the LED Halo taillights, not to mention lots of other little things like gauge rings, Cyberdine Graphics steering wheel and airbag stickers, etc. So I guess I've modded the car pretty extensively.

To those of you that insist that the car be 100% stock as it rolled off the production line - great if that's what you like. If you think that you have a collector car that's going to be worth money someday because you kept it stock - not in your lifetime. There were almost a 1/4 million C5's made.

To those of you that think you can sell your car and get your money back on the mods - you're deluding yourself. Mods are worth almost nothing, unless the buyer wants that stuff.

To each his own - I modded my car to make it look the way I want it. I purposely avoided any body mods (chin spoilers, wings, cannards, etc.) because I don't car for the look. I don't have any fake (or real for that matter) Z06 brake ducts or LS1 emblems that look like the Z06 badge. My taste - if you like it - GREAT!

There is nothing wrong with improving the car. GM had production limitations - in order for them to do the things that many of us have done (upgraded suspension, brakes, exhaust, interiors, stereos, wheels and tires, etc.) the car would cost remarkably more than it did. GM produced a exceptional performance car bargain - but I see it a blank canvas to personalize to my taste, and I have.

So you guys that keep your car stock - if that's what you want - enjoy it! But don't look down your nose at me because I chose to make it mine.

 

[hoosierdaddy]

So you guys that keep your car stock - if that's what you want - enjoy it! But don't look down your nose at me because I chose to make it mine.
__________________


Born on 4/22/1998 - Adopted 11/28/2003
"Our lady of blessed acceleration, don't fail me now!" Elwood Blues
NCM Member #500764

Now that is tasteful :cool blacksedan87, improvements and mods are nice if done right and you did it in a way that didn't alter the fine lines and looks of the C-5; I like, and got to love that black when it's clean nothing compares

Here's look'n at ya

Bill

 

[hoosierdaddy]

Then go for the engine

Cool look'n engine for sure. . . . . . . . .

Bill

 

[Patrick]

My votes leave it as it came from the factory.

So you guys that keep your car stock - if that's what you want - enjoy it! But don't look down your nose at me because I chose to make it mine.

This is another of those debates that comes down to personal tastes. I think DRTH VTR said it best up-thread a bit: there's a fine line between dressing things up and succumbing to random impulses to buy aftermarket items just for the sake of buying them. Yes, as JBsC5 said, the simple solution to that dilemma is to leave it the way it came from the factory.

But for a lot of Corvette owners, that's just not enough.

Blacksedan87, I think you've done excellent work with yours: you obviously had a larger vision in mind when you set off to mod your Vette, and worked to your plan.

For those who were at CruiseFest in Colorado Springs, you had the chance to meet SlammedWhiteC5Vert. He has a '98 that he's pretty extensively modified, and it looks outstanding. I went looking through my CruiseFest pics, but I can't find any really good pictures of his 'vert. I'm going to see if I can get him to post some pictures to serve as an example of what you can do in the way of exterior mods when you start with a plan and do your mods according that plan.


-Patrick

 

[hoosierdaddy]

Well said, and I am a firm believer to each their own, they paid for it and the mods that they wanted. We all don't like the same things or even see things the same way. I like some changes and mods but mostly the OEM look but that is me. I say make it your own and enjoy it and drive it like it will be the last time

Bill

 

[blacksedan87]

Now that is tasteful :cool blacksedan87, improvements and mods are nice if done right and you did it in a way that didn't alter the fine lines and looks of the C-5; I like, and got to love that black when it's clean nothing compares

Here's look'n at ya

Bill

Thanks, Bill. I think what Patrick stated - having a vision and sticking with it really sums it up. I don't know that I set out from when I bought this car to modify it against some master plan, but I did think about how the pieces would fit together as I acquired them over four years.

I know when I show the car at this weekly show and shine that I go to on Saturdays that the car draws a fair amount of attention and garners plenty of positive comments.....so I must have done something right.

It may not be the fastest, or the most spectacular Vette out there - but when I step back and look at it after I've detailed it, it makes me very happy and I reflect on how lucky I am to own my dream car. And that's what it's really all about, isn't it?

 

[hoosierdaddy]

Thanks, Bill. I think what Patrick stated - having a vision and sticking with it really sums it up. I don't know that I set out from when I bought this car to modify it against some master plan, but I did think about how the pieces would fit together as I acquired them over four years.

I know when I show the car at this weekly show and shine that I go to on Saturdays that the car draws a fair amount of attention and garners plenty of positive comments.....so I must have done something right.

It may not be the fastest, or the most spectacular Vette out there - but when I step back and look at it after I've detailed it, it makes me very happy and I reflect on how lucky I am to own my dream car. And that's what it's really all about, isn't it?

ABSOLUTELY THAT IS WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT I COULDN'T AGREE MORE


-Bill

 

[slammedwhitec5vert]

http://i80.photobucket.com Here are some pics......

 

[Patrick]

Hey Aaron,
It looks like you may be having a bit of trouble posting pictures. XLR8 created a very useful thread to walk you through the process in the Site Help & Feedback Forum.

CLICK to read.

Let me know if you're still having trouble after reading those instructions and I'll see what I can do to help.


-Patrick

 

[geekinavette]

Meanwhile:

http://misterbill.homeip.net/Vette/AaronG/DSC00011.JPG

http://misterbill.homeip.net/Vette/AaronG/DSC00004.JPG

(they're BIG pics!)

Bill