For those who haven't been reading the
thread on dyno testing started by "Djason", take a look it's pretty interesting.
While I'm into performance enhancements just as much as anyone else, I'm not rushing around the shop yelling "More power, Scotty!" just yet.
Yeah, I've seen ATS-V chassis dyno tests around the Internet along, "Djason's" testing thread here on the V-Net and I've downloaded and read my LF4 engine controls calibration and I agree–GM has "left some stuff on the table" as far as calibration, but for now, performance-wise, I'm happy with the car as it is. A good part of that is because my Wife and I, also, own a few Corvettes and two of them, a 2012 Z06/Z07 and a 1971 Big-Block Coupe with a blown motor, are occupying my hot rodding time right now, so, as far as the ATS-V goes, other than putting an
Odyssey Battery in the car, installing some colder
Denso Iridium Power spark plugs, possibly some different air filters and changing the trans fluid to a new Dexron 6 synthetic ATF the
Joe Gibbs Driven brand is developing, I don't have any immediate plans to increase the performance of my LF4 beyond what I've already done with
Gibbs Driven LS30 engine oil and
Gibbs Driven 75W110 gear lubricant in my ATS-V's rear drive axle. With LS30, the Joe Gibbs Racing folks and I have begun an oil analysis program. At every oil change, Gibbs Driven will have a sample of LS30 I supply analyzed by "Carolina CAT" a Caterpillar Dealer down in North Carolina which runs an oil analysis laboratory. Each time we sample the oil, I'll report on the findings
I am getting ready to do some "convenience and durability mods" to "Pearl the Bimmer Buster". The first is the application of paint protection film (PPF) to the car's front end, sideview mirrors and rocker panels. Some call this a "Clear Bra". The PPF I'm going to use is made by
Xpel Technologies Corporation of San Antonio, Texas. For a number of years 3M's "Scotchcal" owned the PPF market but nothing stops the march of technology and in recent years, the Xpel people, though a combination of a better product, a more varied product line and marketing more responsive to the needs of their dealers and installers, Xpel has become the market leader in paint protection film installations on high-end applications such as Corvettes, Cadillac V-Series and other performance cars.
The Xpel product we're going to use on Pearl is called "Ultimate" and is one of four brands of PPF that Xpel markets. XPEL's ULTIMATE PPF provides a new level durability and clarity not previously available in the market. One reason for this is Ultimate's proprietary "four-layer" design. According to Xpel's web site, these layers are as follows:
1) 0.5-mil low-surface-energy urethane clear coast
2) 6-mil polyurethane formulated for memory when it's stretched
3) 1.6-mil clear acrylic copolymer which is engineered to stick on automotive exterior finishes but also have rework- and removal-ability.
4) 2 mil polyester release liner.
With its low surface energy, ULTIMATE tends to "shed" contaminants that may stain or yellow other PPFs. In addition, the clear coat employs special elastomeric polymers that "heal" over time eliminating swirl marks and other fine scratches without having to do anything.
The product has a 10-year warranty against, yellowing, cracking, peeling, staining, and hazing, and this warranty covers parts and labor. In the vast majority of situations, Xpel ULTIMATE is not a DIY product. Xpel has a network of factory-trained and experienced installers who apply it's products and in most cases we recommend those installers do the work.
Next Tuesday, we're taking "Pearl the Bimmer Buster" to Transhine Auto Detailing in Whitter, California to have Xpel PPF installed. Transhine, run by long-time PPF installer, Bill DeBever, has been doing paint protection film installations on my project vehicles for the last seven years. DeBever's Transhine has been in the PPF installation business since the process was introduced to the automotive market in the early '00s. I'll have more info and a few installation photos to post after the installation is finished.
The other accessories I'm going to put on my ATS-V are an assortment of products made by WeatherTech, but before I get into that, I should disclose that I made a post about WeatherTech products on another Cadillac forum and some members there felt I was shilling for the WeatherTech brand. In fact, I don't for McNeil IP LLC, the company which makes and markets WeatherTech Products nor does McNeil pay me to endorse their stuff.
The only reason I talk about them in this Blog is I've used them for a number of years in my other cars. I like their practicality, their durability and that the vast majority of them are made in USA. For ATS-V owners looking for floor mats and the other products McNeil makes, I think the WeatherTech brand makes good sense.
For my ATS-V, I've ordered a set of
WeatherTech Floor Liners. A Floor Liner is a very durable plastic "insert" which goes into the footwells of an ATS-V or other car. They fit very precisely and are just the thing for a car that's in daily driver service or is used for long road trips. For people who like the feeling or appearance of carpets, Floor Liners are not a good choice. In fact, on the other Cadillac forum there was even one member who said that he felt that they were unattractive and weren't appropriate for a car like a Cadillac. Actually...I can understand that viewpoint and accept there are people who would see a Floor Liner as an abomination in a luxury automobile.
But, that's not me. I like WeatherTech Floor Liners partially because of the sort of "industrial look" they give the footwels. I also like them because they make the interior of a car which is in daily use much easier to keep clean. If a Floor Liner gets dirty, muddy or full of debris, you just lift it out, flip it over shake it and put it back in. Once I go to sell the car, if I so choose, I can take the Floor Liner out, and have the carpet underneath in excellent condition. I put the OE floor mats back in an–viola–instant increase in asking price because the floors look so good. We also going to put a WeatherTech Cargo Mat in the trunk. Say we go over to Home Depot to buy some stuff to plant in the yard. If we get some dirt on the truck floor, we pull out the Cargo Mat, shake off the dirt and put it back in.
Another WeatherTech product I've used for years on our other vehicles is "LampGuard". They are adhesive-backed sections of thick Urethane film which go on the exterior of the headlamp assemblies. They prevent oxidation along with damage from small stones, gravel and other road debris. When you consider the amount of work it takes to restore a plastic headlamp assembly or the cost of replacing them if they get "sand blasted", WeatherTech LampGards are cheap insurance.
A new WeatherTech product I decided to try for the first time in my ATS-V is called a
"TechShade". At first when the McNeil people told me about these things I was skeptic because you can buy folding, reflective shades for windshield from lots of sources for a lot less money. But then I was reading on the WeatherTech web site that these are a custom fit and that they cool in the summer then, in places which get really cold in the winter, can be flipped over to reverse side which absorbs heat in cold weather and can reduce and, in come cases, even prevent frost build-up. Admittedly, where I live, it almost never gets cold enough for frost to form on the glass, but I like the idea of a custom-fitted sun shade. When deployed, the TechShade looks a hell of a lot better than the first universal fit shade I bought at a department store. Plus, the quality of the materials WeatherTech uses appear to be much better than what's used in a mass-marketed, universal fit product.
So...Xpel and WeatherTech are my ATS-V shopping spree for this week.
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