Hi, im new to this forum, but have been lurking around here for a while :lurk
Over the last year I have gone from having a mild infatuation with the XLR to a full blown love crush of envy. I am a business owner in the Construction field, and the baddest ass toy that many of my friends are getting their hands on is a C6 Vette. Ya i love that car.. but the vette just seems so damn cliche and I really cant see myself blowing 50-60k on something that many other people will see rolling down the road if you look long enough. However, I live in the Detroit area... and if you know anything about the economic collapse in this area... it will not suprise you that you will see exactly NO XLRs around here... period. The haves have vettes (actually you will see many more escalades than even those), and the have nots have whatever runs. I need something different. The XLR after test driving one the other day seems pretty bad ass with such a mixture of balls and luxury. I feel like im being wrapped in the arms of a beautiful woman.
Ok so thats my love story...
Now heres the dirt of it... I shun credit and buy almost everything Cash.... thats just my personal preference... but it does limit my ability to get my paws on one of these... Since I have to play the market a bit smarter. I really dont mind having a used XLR... as long as I have the car, I can make it my own. Just looking on Autotrader, several dealerships are offering them at less than 50k.. which by the time I have the cash on hand They will probably be near 40 or so. I DO have some questions however, because although many of you probably are going to have a stroke over my plans of entering mad science with this car... I want to know what its limitations are.
Ive scoured the net as far as I can see and I cannot find many aftermarket parts for this car. Although I can LIVE without touching anything, Why not have something that can pick up girls twice as fast (Im actually only 19, I decided to start my own company instead of college, and by chance entered a hot market) and something that can beat the piss out of a suped up vette as well. Ive seen several articles in several magizines with C5 Vettes that push over 1100 HP.. 0-60 in 2 seconds, top speed 212, and roll up and smoke the quarter mile in 8.97. Im sure the C6s will be on there way soon once people start getting crafty.
Since the XLR is built on the C6 frame... should I assume that the trans axel and mounts can handle the same type of doctoring? Im curious because the XLR uses the Northstar V8 instead of the small block chevy... which is a dream to tinker with.... but scouring the net found almost NOTHING on a steroid injected Northstar... No parts, no glory, no tire smoke...
If I wanted to make a goat that flys... would it be easier to give it a chickenhead... and exchange a 427 for the Northstar? Ya I would like to avoid rebuilding a seperate motor when there already is a v8 under the hood... but without aftermarket parts to work with... do I have a choice? Hell would I even have the room? Im lucky to live in the Detroit area... where literally, there is a row of machine shops for every square mile... and if you wanted a custom part engineered and made, there is enough prototyping shops to make your head spin... with ample capability to spit out a working custom part.... although for a price. (put it this way, I have several friends who design and stamp out klingon swords when work is slow and they are bored)... Not to mention half the area in the last 5 years seems to have become laid off... many of them engineers... who would love the opportunity to help me make a frankenstein in a peral dress.
What about the XLR-V? I noticed there is a supercharger on that beast... which answers a question of mine already... is there anyway I can get my hands on one of those superchargers?? Other than that, id consider the possibility of a 427 twin turbo... in exchange...
LOTS of nightmarish ideas... and I really dont even know what would be possible... there is so little information on Dopefiend XLRs... Which makes it that much more awsome to make one.... but leaves me little room for error... which brings me to here... where hopefully I can get some answers on what can, should, or shouldnt be done to an XLR when I get my hands on one.
NEXT set of concerns... Ive heard that the electronics on this thing are just disgusting... Thats a problem... that isnt easily fixed with traditional engineering problemsolving. I am prepared to hear (the XLR is wrench proof due to heavy wiring conditions)... but I hope this isnt the case... and if it is... how do I bypass the circuity so that my electrical systems dont shut down because I disconnected an o2 sensor... I have even heard that there is constant communication between the engine and GM... what do I do when Onstar says Im going 150mph with a cavity under the hood?
Lots of questions... I know but I figured I might as well figure out what wants and needs I can fill with this car... Even if I have to settle with just putting on some rims and putting my P3s in the trunk
... It would just be kooler to pool blood in the back of people's brains as well .... :smash
Im excited... I honestly cant wait...
Over the last year I have gone from having a mild infatuation with the XLR to a full blown love crush of envy. I am a business owner in the Construction field, and the baddest ass toy that many of my friends are getting their hands on is a C6 Vette. Ya i love that car.. but the vette just seems so damn cliche and I really cant see myself blowing 50-60k on something that many other people will see rolling down the road if you look long enough. However, I live in the Detroit area... and if you know anything about the economic collapse in this area... it will not suprise you that you will see exactly NO XLRs around here... period. The haves have vettes (actually you will see many more escalades than even those), and the have nots have whatever runs. I need something different. The XLR after test driving one the other day seems pretty bad ass with such a mixture of balls and luxury. I feel like im being wrapped in the arms of a beautiful woman.
Ok so thats my love story...
Now heres the dirt of it... I shun credit and buy almost everything Cash.... thats just my personal preference... but it does limit my ability to get my paws on one of these... Since I have to play the market a bit smarter. I really dont mind having a used XLR... as long as I have the car, I can make it my own. Just looking on Autotrader, several dealerships are offering them at less than 50k.. which by the time I have the cash on hand They will probably be near 40 or so. I DO have some questions however, because although many of you probably are going to have a stroke over my plans of entering mad science with this car... I want to know what its limitations are.
Ive scoured the net as far as I can see and I cannot find many aftermarket parts for this car. Although I can LIVE without touching anything, Why not have something that can pick up girls twice as fast (Im actually only 19, I decided to start my own company instead of college, and by chance entered a hot market) and something that can beat the piss out of a suped up vette as well. Ive seen several articles in several magizines with C5 Vettes that push over 1100 HP.. 0-60 in 2 seconds, top speed 212, and roll up and smoke the quarter mile in 8.97. Im sure the C6s will be on there way soon once people start getting crafty.
Since the XLR is built on the C6 frame... should I assume that the trans axel and mounts can handle the same type of doctoring? Im curious because the XLR uses the Northstar V8 instead of the small block chevy... which is a dream to tinker with.... but scouring the net found almost NOTHING on a steroid injected Northstar... No parts, no glory, no tire smoke...
If I wanted to make a goat that flys... would it be easier to give it a chickenhead... and exchange a 427 for the Northstar? Ya I would like to avoid rebuilding a seperate motor when there already is a v8 under the hood... but without aftermarket parts to work with... do I have a choice? Hell would I even have the room? Im lucky to live in the Detroit area... where literally, there is a row of machine shops for every square mile... and if you wanted a custom part engineered and made, there is enough prototyping shops to make your head spin... with ample capability to spit out a working custom part.... although for a price. (put it this way, I have several friends who design and stamp out klingon swords when work is slow and they are bored)... Not to mention half the area in the last 5 years seems to have become laid off... many of them engineers... who would love the opportunity to help me make a frankenstein in a peral dress.
What about the XLR-V? I noticed there is a supercharger on that beast... which answers a question of mine already... is there anyway I can get my hands on one of those superchargers?? Other than that, id consider the possibility of a 427 twin turbo... in exchange...
LOTS of nightmarish ideas... and I really dont even know what would be possible... there is so little information on Dopefiend XLRs... Which makes it that much more awsome to make one.... but leaves me little room for error... which brings me to here... where hopefully I can get some answers on what can, should, or shouldnt be done to an XLR when I get my hands on one.
NEXT set of concerns... Ive heard that the electronics on this thing are just disgusting... Thats a problem... that isnt easily fixed with traditional engineering problemsolving. I am prepared to hear (the XLR is wrench proof due to heavy wiring conditions)... but I hope this isnt the case... and if it is... how do I bypass the circuity so that my electrical systems dont shut down because I disconnected an o2 sensor... I have even heard that there is constant communication between the engine and GM... what do I do when Onstar says Im going 150mph with a cavity under the hood?
Lots of questions... I know but I figured I might as well figure out what wants and needs I can fill with this car... Even if I have to settle with just putting on some rims and putting my P3s in the trunk
... It would just be kooler to pool blood in the back of people's brains as well .... :smash Im excited... I honestly cant wait...
