Congrats on the purchase. 
Another WM Caprice owner
I purchased a "used" 2011 9C3 PPV in November--it had all of 23 miles on it when I first test-drove it! Jim Ellis Chevrolet had a sizable inventory of 9C3's from about mid-year 2011 on. I have no idea how many, if any, were sold to authorized L/E or other agencies, but at the end of July 2012, their online used car listings suddenly had a bunch of these available, all under 50 miles, and all priced at $30K. By the time I looked at one and did a test drive in early November, they still had at least 5, and were going for a reduced price of $28K. By the time they got to the end of their inventory (I don't know if they have any left), they had dropped the online price to $26K. My car's warranty activation date is July 30, 2012--I'm told that these cars were "sold" to a 3rd party, and they were then "re-purchased" by the dealer, which technically made them used cars, thus able to be sold to private party buyers. The cars never left the dealer's storage yard during this process.
There are a group of us (so far up to 10--counting bkwagonss) who have been communicating with each other and figuring out what things are possible to do, considering the limited content these cars have. I'm sure there are more owners of PPV's "out there", so it's a matter of time that we will be growing.
PPV is very much like G8 underneath--so lowering springs, sway bars, etc, will all come in time. Remains to be seen what G8/VE/WM chassis bits carried forward to VF/SS....sure do like the wheels on the SS, but there are lots of options and personal preference/bias in wheel & tire choice.
Most of us (of the 10 in our group so far) are either past or current B-body owners, too (Impala SS, etc), and we've got history in that car over on the Impala SS Forum (also owned by Auto Guide).
Currently, we're talking to Admin about establishing some sort of PPV-specific presence, on either this forum or the Impala SS forum, or both. It really doesn't make sense, from a traffic standpoint, to have a PPV-only forum, at least for the time being.
A number of us have already been doing business with Crazy Paul, and some with JHP. We've figured out a fog-lamp setup using OE parts (from Oz) to fit in place of the plain black bezels in the front fascia, with CP's valuable assistance. Steering wheels are being replaced with sport leather, spoilers from WM Caprice & G8 are going on (both fit, subtly different) one owner has installed G8 leather seats front & rear, several have other Holden-only wheels, and one early PPV owner has a "Maggy" and is pushing 500 RWHP.
The long production life of this platform has made lots of OE and aftermarket parts available, so owner personalization is well underway. Some of the G8 accessory parts can be used. For the majority of other items, it's just a bit more challenging with much of the product having to be moved half way around the world.
There are a group of us (so far up to 10--counting bkwagonss) who have been communicating with each other and figuring out what things are possible to do, considering the limited content these cars have. I'm sure there are more owners of PPV's "out there", so it's a matter of time that we will be growing.
PPV is very much like G8 underneath--so lowering springs, sway bars, etc, will all come in time. Remains to be seen what G8/VE/WM chassis bits carried forward to VF/SS....sure do like the wheels on the SS, but there are lots of options and personal preference/bias in wheel & tire choice.
Most of us (of the 10 in our group so far) are either past or current B-body owners, too (Impala SS, etc), and we've got history in that car over on the Impala SS Forum (also owned by Auto Guide).
Currently, we're talking to Admin about establishing some sort of PPV-specific presence, on either this forum or the Impala SS forum, or both. It really doesn't make sense, from a traffic standpoint, to have a PPV-only forum, at least for the time being.
A number of us have already been doing business with Crazy Paul, and some with JHP. We've figured out a fog-lamp setup using OE parts (from Oz) to fit in place of the plain black bezels in the front fascia, with CP's valuable assistance. Steering wheels are being replaced with sport leather, spoilers from WM Caprice & G8 are going on (both fit, subtly different) one owner has installed G8 leather seats front & rear, several have other Holden-only wheels, and one early PPV owner has a "Maggy" and is pushing 500 RWHP.
The long production life of this platform has made lots of OE and aftermarket parts available, so owner personalization is well underway. Some of the G8 accessory parts can be used. For the majority of other items, it's just a bit more challenging with much of the product having to be moved half way around the world.
1 - 18 of 18 Posts
Welcome to the forum and congrats on the purchase.
You sir made the right purchase, gotta love how these things perform. I think Car and Driver made one of the better Caprice Interceptor reviews out at the moment:
after watching it i feel in love with it!
You sir made the right purchase, gotta love how these things perform. I think Car and Driver made one of the better Caprice Interceptor reviews out at the moment:
after watching it i feel in love with it!
As much as I would like to join the SS "club", the pricing difference made the 2011 9C3 a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
If (and this has already been stated as "unlikely") Chevrolet would pull their head(s) out of the wrong place....sand, etc....I'd probably do just about anything to become a Sportwagon owner.
Given that the opportunity may never come, I'm satisfied I've made a good choice--the only thing I could possibly have an issue with is whether I chose the best color (mine is Alto Gray-metallic)--this car is a blank canvas, so it really doesn't matter, except I was sure I wasn't going for black. I'll leave it to others to keep up with that color's challenges.
The sad part about this is that GMNA could have been selling a civilian WM Caprice SS ever since the G8 and the former Impala SS (5.3 V8-FWD) went away. The LHD Caprice (LTZ, Royale, and SS versions) is sold in the Middle East market, and I just don't understand how the decision was made to bring an SS back on the shorter wheelbase VE/G8>>>VF platform, simultaneous with the roll-out of the W-Impala replacement, since the size and price differences are almost indistinguishable....I guess that's why I don't work for GM, where the decisions made up in The Tubes (Detroit HQ) and what makes sense to us here in Realville rarely match up--at least they haven't for a long time.
I'd love to have a chance to sit down with Mark Reuss over a beer and have a frank albeit off-the-record discussion about a bunch of things, and this would be a big one on my list.
If (and this has already been stated as "unlikely") Chevrolet would pull their head(s) out of the wrong place....sand, etc....I'd probably do just about anything to become a Sportwagon owner.
Given that the opportunity may never come, I'm satisfied I've made a good choice--the only thing I could possibly have an issue with is whether I chose the best color (mine is Alto Gray-metallic)--this car is a blank canvas, so it really doesn't matter, except I was sure I wasn't going for black. I'll leave it to others to keep up with that color's challenges.
The sad part about this is that GMNA could have been selling a civilian WM Caprice SS ever since the G8 and the former Impala SS (5.3 V8-FWD) went away. The LHD Caprice (LTZ, Royale, and SS versions) is sold in the Middle East market, and I just don't understand how the decision was made to bring an SS back on the shorter wheelbase VE/G8>>>VF platform, simultaneous with the roll-out of the W-Impala replacement, since the size and price differences are almost indistinguishable....I guess that's why I don't work for GM, where the decisions made up in The Tubes (Detroit HQ) and what makes sense to us here in Realville rarely match up--at least they haven't for a long time.
I'd love to have a chance to sit down with Mark Reuss over a beer and have a frank albeit off-the-record discussion about a bunch of things, and this would be a big one on my list.
Hey Bill!
Just another PPV owner here, welcome to the forum as well. I slid over from the G8 boards. I'll PM you with some info..... 2011 9C3 here that came from Southtowne Motors right outside of Atlanta back in August.
Take care
Eric
Just another PPV owner here, welcome to the forum as well. I slid over from the G8 boards. I'll PM you with some info..... 2011 9C3 here that came from Southtowne Motors right outside of Atlanta back in August.
Take care
Eric
So true! The Caprice PPV is probably half of what the SS would be going for and we still get a good amount of performance in the Caprice PPV, so why not?As much as I would like to join the SS "club", the pricing difference made the 2011 9C3 a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
I just might consider getting a PPV and joining the rest of you guys.
Go get one! Prices are pretty good right now, you can get 9C1 (spotlight version) for $21 to $24K, and the 9C3 (detective version) from $24K on up. Best place I've found to scope out available Caprices is Auto Trader, here's the quick linky I set up to look at Caprices for sale nationwide.
Find Your Car: Chevrolet Caprice Listings Near Rockledge, FL 32955 - AutoTrader.com
Good luck!
Eric
Find Your Car: Chevrolet Caprice Listings Near Rockledge, FL 32955 - AutoTrader.com
Good luck!
Eric
Sound's like #11 in our little group of PPV owners Bill.Hey Bill!
Just another PPV owner here, welcome to the forum as well. I slid over from the G8 boards. I'll PM you with some info..... 2011 9C3 here that came from Southtowne Motors right outside of Atlanta back in August.
Take care
Eric
Eric,
I see you have the SLP PowerFlo exhaust.
I had talked to them about buying the same thing.
I asked about the one for the G8 and they told me that was the closest model to the Caprice. Everything installs easy and lines up, but the tips exit under the bumper.
They are not long enough for the Caprice.
Did you solve this problem and how?
How does it sound?
Does it sound like crap in 4cyl mode?
I see you have the SLP PowerFlo exhaust.
I had talked to them about buying the same thing.
I asked about the one for the G8 and they told me that was the closest model to the Caprice. Everything installs easy and lines up, but the tips exit under the bumper.
They are not long enough for the Caprice.
Did you solve this problem and how?
How does it sound?
Does it sound like crap in 4cyl mode?
I'm here....I'll introduce myself in next post....
The power-flo is not a bad exhaust, it's on the mellow side of the spectrum compared against, say, a flowmaster 40 for instance. My wife drives the car routinely and I was threatened severely if I made it sound too performancy... So it was a compromise for me.
I found a very good deal on the SLP axleback set used, low miles. When we went to install, we found out about the difference in length. The tips did not quite make it to the back bumper, there was about 3 inches between the edge of the tips and the bumper. My shop made a 4 inch pipe extension that took the tips out just in back of the bumper. I have to constantly clean the fender in the area of the tips to get soot off of it, with the white paint anything the car puts out immediately gets on the bumper and it's noticeable.
As far as sound, there is some AFM-related drone when in 4-cylinder mode, it drives some people crazy at certain frequencies. When I researched a possible tune, I talked to Howard at Redline about the best cure. He advised to just disable the AFM in the car programming. No problem with drone when in 8-cylinder mode, the fuel economy difference is maybe 10% loss at best.
I found a very good deal on the SLP axleback set used, low miles. When we went to install, we found out about the difference in length. The tips did not quite make it to the back bumper, there was about 3 inches between the edge of the tips and the bumper. My shop made a 4 inch pipe extension that took the tips out just in back of the bumper. I have to constantly clean the fender in the area of the tips to get soot off of it, with the white paint anything the car puts out immediately gets on the bumper and it's noticeable.
As far as sound, there is some AFM-related drone when in 4-cylinder mode, it drives some people crazy at certain frequencies. When I researched a possible tune, I talked to Howard at Redline about the best cure. He advised to just disable the AFM in the car programming. No problem with drone when in 8-cylinder mode, the fuel economy difference is maybe 10% loss at best.
Since you brought up cylinder deactivation:The power-flo is not a bad exhaust, it's on the mellow side of the spectrum compared against, say, a flowmaster 40 for instance. My wife drives the car routinely and I was threatened severely if I made it sound too performancy... So it was a compromise for me.
I found a very good deal on the SLP axleback set used, low miles. When we went to install, we found out about the difference in length. The tips did not quite make it to the back bumper, there was about 3 inches between the edge of the tips and the bumper. My shop made a 4 inch pipe extension that took the tips out just in back of the bumper. I have to constantly clean the fender in the area of the tips to get soot off of it, with the white paint anything the car puts out immediately gets on the bumper and it's noticeable.
As far as sound, there is some AFM-related drone when in 4-cylinder mode, it drives some people crazy at certain frequencies. When I researched a possible tune, I talked to Howard at Redline about the best cure. He advised to just disable the AFM in the car programming. No problem with drone when in 8-cylinder mode, the fuel economy difference is maybe 10% loss at best.
Although no one has driven it yet, what do you think of GM adding DoD to the 2014 Corvette's LT1 ????
My Introduction and Story
All, for those that have not seen pics of mine or know my story. It has been featured in several online magazines from Motor Trend to GMInside News, etc.
Chevy Caprice Reports for Civic Duty - Motor Trend
2012 Chevrolet Caprice Owner Opens Up About Purchasing Rare Super Sedan - Automotive News
Off Duty: GMI Member Buys New Caprice, Minus The PPV
I have very recently learned that Tom S. (maybe he will appear on this forum and introduce himself), also purchased one of the "famed" 13 from Criswell Chevrolet. I believe that now makes two of us (maybe the only 2). We believe GM stopped the other 11 or 10 from being sold direct to the public.
v/r
Steve Harbour
All, for those that have not seen pics of mine or know my story. It has been featured in several online magazines from Motor Trend to GMInside News, etc.
Chevy Caprice Reports for Civic Duty - Motor Trend
2012 Chevrolet Caprice Owner Opens Up About Purchasing Rare Super Sedan - Automotive News
Off Duty: GMI Member Buys New Caprice, Minus The PPV
I have very recently learned that Tom S. (maybe he will appear on this forum and introduce himself), also purchased one of the "famed" 13 from Criswell Chevrolet. I believe that now makes two of us (maybe the only 2). We believe GM stopped the other 11 or 10 from being sold direct to the public.
v/r
Steve Harbour
Steve, it's good to meet you, quite an honor to met the man who first figured out how to finagle the system Also you've got a very nice 96 there as well. I miss my 95 Caprice still, had it for over 5 years and 100,000 miles. I had to wait to purchase my Caprice until I retired (well, mid-point career change) from my Public Safety employment but it was worth it. The paint on your side vents really sets the car off I think, also see you've badged yours as a SS. Mine is SS badged as well, although I did what GM did with the SS Sedan, the 2010 & up Camaro white SS badge on the rear decklid. Had no idea they'd do exactly the same thing with the SS Sedan when I badged it, mine's been running around since last August. Sometimes minimalist is better
Eric
Also you've got a very nice 96 there as well. I miss my 95 Caprice still, had it for over 5 years and 100,000 miles. I had to wait to purchase my Caprice until I retired (well, mid-point career change) from my Public Safety employment but it was worth it. The paint on your side vents really sets the car off I think, also see you've badged yours as a SS. Mine is SS badged as well, although I did what GM did with the SS Sedan, the 2010 & up Camaro white SS badge on the rear decklid. Had no idea they'd do exactly the same thing with the SS Sedan when I badged it, mine's been running around since last August. Sometimes minimalist is better Eric
Mixed feelings about the DoD. It's a nice concept for a grocery getter, but on a rocketship maybe it should have stayed in the file cabinet. I've been told anecdotally that there has been some trouble with the DoD systems on the L76's, haven't heard of any issues with the L77's yet. On the LT1.... hmmmmm..... we'll see I guess. Corvette owners are generally not known for their timid driving habits
Eric
Eric
Glad to have you here, I remember seeing your story a while back on some of those automotive sites. you described the Caprice very well....All, for those that have not seen pics of mine or know my story. It has been featured in several online magazines from Motor Trend to GMInside News, etc.
Chevy Caprice Reports for Civic Duty - Motor Trend
2012 Chevrolet Caprice Owner Opens Up About Purchasing Rare Super Sedan - Automotive News
Off Duty: GMI Member Buys New Caprice, Minus The PPV
I have very recently learned that Tom S. (maybe he will appear on this forum and introduce himself), also purchased one of the "famed" 13 from Criswell Chevrolet. I believe that now makes two of us (maybe the only 2). We believe GM stopped the other 11 or 10 from being sold direct to the public.
v/r
Steve Harbour
.... amen to that!“If you are only looking for glitz and glitter with chrome, leather embroidered heated seats, and fake wood grain, then this is probably not the car for you,” he said. “But if you are looking for exceptional performance in a large four-door package at a competitive price, this is your car. “This is truly a driving machine that should not just be sold to government agencies, but also sold to any and every driving enthusiast with a family that wants one.”
The Caprice should have been offered in dealerships at the same time that the PPV was. That would have meant bringing production of the Caprice to the US and that would have opened up a ton of issues GM was not ready to deal with.
Clearly there is a demand for these cars.
Just for the heck of it here are some used PPV deals I found on the net.
Cars for Sale: 2011 Chevrolet Caprice in Loganville, GA 30052: Sedan Details - 334333126 - AutoTrader.com
Cars for Sale: 2011 Chevrolet Caprice in Saint Louis, MO 63110: Sedan Details - 337586597 - AutoTrader.com
http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-...[]]&listingId=341485728&listingIndex=15&Log=0
I tried to find one in black but no dice to the black sedan fans.
Clearly there is a demand for these cars.
Just for the heck of it here are some used PPV deals I found on the net.
Cars for Sale: 2011 Chevrolet Caprice in Loganville, GA 30052: Sedan Details - 334333126 - AutoTrader.com
Cars for Sale: 2011 Chevrolet Caprice in Saint Louis, MO 63110: Sedan Details - 337586597 - AutoTrader.com
http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-...[]]&listingId=341485728&listingIndex=15&Log=0
I tried to find one in black but no dice to the black sedan fans.
1 - 18 of 18 Posts
- This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Chevy SS Forum
A forum community dedicated to Chevy SS owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about performance, modifications, troubleshooting, superchargers, turbos, maintenance, and more!
Full Forum Listing
Top Contributors this Month
View All
15SuperSport
96 Replies
DSP Performance
80 Replies
SS WOT
59 Replies
Recommended Communities
