Chevrolet Optra 1.6 - Initial week

[veipe]

Hi All,
Its been over a week that I took delivery of my new Optra 1.6 & thought I will share my initial views on the car.
The Car has covered over 600 km & so far I have had no problems. Some of my observations are
1. It is a very spacious car & definitely gives you the feel of a large car (D Segment feel)
2. It is relatively very quiet inside – engine noise is absolutely nil.
3. The seats are plush, comfortable ( I added Italian leather ) & makes you feel very closeted – I am 6’+ & weigh close to 100
4. The back seat is very comfortable – as reported by my friends
5. Looks fabulous (Black looks WOW – Very hard to maintain)
6. Braking & suspension feels good.
7. The doors open very wide enabling easy movements
8. The armrest is a blessing –It should be made standard in all cars.
9. Its got nearly all that you need – Just added the music system & leather seats
10. The visibility is fine for city – for highway driving, the lights might be inadequate
11. The horn can be used only within a small 4” diameter in the str wheel.
12. Quick shifting from 1st to 2nd sometimes does not slot correctly.
13. So far the mileage has been between 7 – 8 (City drive *with A/C) The dealer says that I will get 10 after the 1st service – I am waiting - would be happy if i get 9
I am yet to push it hard & have been mostly driving in the city. Will keep you posted on further updates.

PN:
1. Could i add Xenon lamps without having to make any changes ? Is it worth the effort ?
2. Will i get any improvement if i put the K&N filter ?

veipe

[v12]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] ]Could i add Xenon lamps without having to make any changes ? Is it worth the effort ?

Xenons are not a direct fitting over a normal headlamp. The enitre assembly has to be changed. And its very expensive. So i guess its not wprth the effort.

[Dippy]

Hey Veipe Congratulations on getting your car. About the K &N Rudra Sen is planning to get one on his Optra 1.8 I guess.. maybe you could communicate with him

Cheers

[lamborghini]

congrats on the new car viepie
a k n n filter will improve performance but not by much. u could also add a free flow then u will get quite good performance
cheers
lamborghini

[Max]

veipe,

Congratulations on your new optra. I am also in the same boat and about to book my 1.6 base optra. Can you please tell me how much dealer discount and other discounts you got on new optra ?. Have you kept original system which came with company fitting ? any suggestions while booking my new car ?

Let me tell you your post is very helpful in my decision which is almost final and i will book my car in few days here in Bombay.

cheers !!!

[Rudra Sen]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (Max @ June 22 2004,19:01)]I am also in the same boat and about to book my 1.6 base optra. Can you please tell me how much dealer discount and other discounts you got on new optra ?. *Have you kept original system which came with company fitting ? *any suggestions while booking my new car ?

For 1.8 you should get around 25000 to 30000 discount.
Ask them what's the cash discount on 1.6.
I don't know what system they're giving with your base model but I think it'll be a Blaupunkt.
You can keep the player. Add amp, change speakers to better Blaupunkt. You can go for a sub woofer for better low response.
Tell them that you'll go for Goodyear only.

This what I did for my Optra 1.8.
Anything more you need to know, PM me.
cheers

[veipe]

Hi Max,
Advance congrats on your purchase.
I managed to get around Rs.30000 cash discount (15 as dealer discount & 15 as Corporate discount) along with some free mats(Not good - I replaced the same with some imported mats) & a teflon coating(DGM was a known person). The car comes with Blaupunkt cassete player & 4 speakers. I returned the same to the dealer for Rs.5000 & got myself a good Pioneer system for the same price. I additionally added Tweeters & a 12 CD changer(Rs.6500). The sound quality is very good just with this & i never had to put amps or change the speakers etc.
I would suggest that you get a Polymer coating done.
I additionally got some Chocolates & a stainless steel vaccum flask along with some calendar etc while taking delivery.
I recommend that you pick up the Eagle1 Air freshner(Rs.150) that is available at the dealer & the rest from outside.
Enjoy your drive.
Regards,

veipe

[Rudra Sen]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (veipe @ June 24 2004,14:34)]I would suggest that you get a Polymer coating done.

veipe

Hey veipe.
Black is a sexy and deadly colour to have.
I dont believe a polymer coat can do any justice in terms of paint protection. My friend had done Polymer coating few months ago for his Ikon. Now it's look like nothing on earth.
Black paint needs a lot of attention. By putting Polymer coat, people tend to ignore the fact that what they have to do for black paint.
I've two black cars. One of them was painted three years back. Everybody thinks it's a month old paint job.

[dipen]

what is te difference betw polymer and teflon.

which is better in what conditions?

[Rudra Sen]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (dipen @ July 11 2004,12:25)]what is te difference betw polymer and teflon.

which is better in what conditions?

Well, they both are the same in terms of final output or look.
Any which way you'll see a bland paint finish within no time. This is more the case if you're in Bombay or any such high humidity zone.
Under no condition any of these are right. You tend to forget the right car care (paint) for the long term, because you get get fooled by it's initial gloss. DON'T GO FOR IT.

[GTO]

I second Rudra. I had the teflon coating done on my Esteem through Vitesse - Prabhadevi. After parking it under the sun for a year at my workplace, the entire roof part fragmented...it looked horrible!

GTO

[RJK]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] ]I've two black cars. One of them was painted three years back. Everybody thinks it's a month old paint job.

So what do you suggest is best to be done for keeping the shine intact on a black car? I'm getting my new Accent CRDi within next two weeks or so & the dealer is giving me Fucot Teflon coating free.
& GTO would you advise against teflon then?

[Shan2nu]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (rjkulkarni @ July 13 2004,10:23)]So what do you suggest is best to be done for keeping the shine intact on a black car? I'm getting my new Accent CRDi within next two weeks or so & the dealer is giving me Fucot Teflon coating free.
& GTO would you advise against teflon then?

I don't think teflon is such a great idea, when i had asked Honda to teflon coat my Vtec, they themselves insisted that i keep the car as it is.

The clear coat applied after the paint is good enough to retain the gloss and the colour's richness.

But you will have to take some amount of care. Wipe your car everyday if possible, park it in shade when ever possible, polish it atleast once every 1 or 1.5 months, don't use any other forms of detergent or solution not meant to be applied on a car.

Even when washing the car, use 3 different types of cloths and 3 buckets of water. One to wash the car's body, one to wipe it and the 3rd one to clean areas where most of the "hardcore" muck is found, like under the wheel arches etc.

Never wet yor car and then leave it in the sun to dry itslef. Make sure u wipe away every drop of water until the whole car is dry.

That should keep your car clean and glossy over the years.

Regards....
Shan2nu

[Rudra Sen]

Yeah Shan2nu, you've helped me out from typing

[heavy_foot]

hey saw an ad in bombay times today....ranjit plaza offering 55,000 cash discount...on 1.6 optra..tel no 55983700..
cheerio