Joined
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5,489 Posts
It all started back in 2001 when I first spotted an SSR prototype photo in Hot Rod 
arty . I told the wife( fiancee at the time) that Gm just had to build this one, and I was going to get one. The more I looked at this the more I wanted
one.
As the next years went on, I checked every resource available for any information I could find. Magazines, online, and dealerships, even the local gm plant big shots. As materials and advertisements came available I recieved calls, and some materiials were handed to me (some that were available to the general public and some that weren't). I even came to pocess a Publicty folder that was ment for the GM ad execs.Don't know who dropped it off, but it was on wy door step when I got home from work one day (I very much appreciated this gift).
In Oct 2002, I married the woman I had been with for the past 16 years. Every time I had thought about the wedding Idea something else happened, ie. first child (paid cash for the hospital bills), the other half totaled her car (had to build her another one), second child (paid cash for this one too). Finally the time was right (no more kids on the way, and both woking at well paying jobs). So the wedding was on. None of our freinds could believe this was gong to happen, so 400 plus of them all showed up to see with their own eyes that it was true. When I found out that the SSR was going to be available to order, I made an appointment with my local Dealership to go over some figures (both on the Corvette ZO6 and the SSR). With the GM discount I could get a ZO6 for about the same price as the SSR (which didn't have a discount). I mulled it over for a few weeks, checking with my banker and my income to be assured I could afford either one.
Low and behold the day I was going to order my SSR (April 2003), my former employer and I our last differance of opinion. They wanted me to start pushing the lesser quality product, but selling it at the premium quality price, as the same product. I my self knew that the products they wanted to sell weren't going to last but maybe a year, and would fail. I just couldn't do this to people, let alone any freinds. So the parting of ways happened, and I was unemployed.
I took few weeks to get some things done around the house. New doors, windows, and a new 6"lift kit on the wifes truck, built a new 400 small block for one of my vehicles. The former boss couldn't belive I was able to do all of these things without working for him (just jealous I suppose). I told him in the past "It's not how much you make, but how you manage you money". To this day I think he regrets letting me go, but there's no way I'll go back there, nor send any business his way.
Now we're into the fall of 2003, and I was looking for a new truck to run around in. I didn't sell any of the other one's, just wanted a new one. So with all the rebates from GM and customer loyalty, etc. I bought a new 2003 ext cab 4X4 for 21,000. This was fine, but I still wished I could've had the SSR.
Well we made it through the winter, when one night in March, my Dad calls me from work and says" They've got the SSR's up on the PEP program, but you have to put in for one and they'll call you when one's available". So online I went to search for the PEP program (this is where the Company execs drive them for up to 7,000 miles, and then turn them over for the Employees to purchase at a discounted rate). I found out that only 200 of them were avaailable in the PEP program, so I figured my chances were pretty slim to get one. I put my name in anyway. About two weeks went by and I get this phone call telling me that one is available and that I have two days to decide if I wanted it and which dealership to send the information to. The next two days were filled with running to ten diferent dealers to see who would allow me the highest trade in for my 2003 ext cab with 2,800 miles on it (haven't even made it to the first oil change yet). Some of the dealers were true crooks (offered 16,000), yet had them on their lots listed for 26,000. Needless to say they didn't get the deal. I found one dealer that was willing to give me close to what I paid for it (happened to be the dealership that I had origanlly priced out the SSR and corvette with a year earlier). I called back the PEP rep and gave the required information, and asked them where this vehicle was located. It was at the CVO center in Pontiac, Mich. I worked with my salesman at my dealership, and offered to go pick this up from the CVO center my self to save on any destination charges. They agreed, and asked when I wanted to pick it up? My brother is a pilot so we checked out chartering a plane he could use to fly me from Janesville, WI to Pontiac, Mi.. We couldn't get the plane for that Friday, So the decision was to drive over and pick it up with the trailer. I conned the wife out of her truck for the day, and at 3:00 am we headed for Pontiac. The roads were good and we made great time until we were on I 94 in MI where it proceeded to snow (white out conditions) Cars, trucks, vans, etc. in the ditches, blocking lanes, just kind of hard to navigate. Well the snow let up and we made some time again untill we were about 50 miles from Pontiac where white out arrived again. Luckily it let up by the time we arrived at the CVO center. We were in a sweat shirt when we got out of the truck not realizing that the temp was actually below zero with the wind blowing at 15-20 mph. We quickly grabbed our coats and proceeded inside to handle paperwork. This was a quick process being as we made it there about 9:30 am. They handed me the keys and told me where the vehicle was located. We drove the truck and trailer out the row of SSR's and found the one that matched the Vin # 100099, black and loaded. I climbed in and went through all the gadgets to make sure everything worked (Imagine, top down in sub zero degree weather with the wind blowing. BURRRRRR) After the inspection I loaded the SSR on the trailer and strapped her down. Now back to the front gate for their inspection and on the road we went. On the way back we hit more snow outside of Pontiac, but then had a good trip till we hit Gary. ID, where guess what ? Traffic jam. We were stuck in the lane we were in with no way out. Well we made it to Chicago and ended up on the skyway (a 7.00 toll). This was supposed to be the fastest way though Chicago, not!!. The Entire skyway was tore up and down to one lane with cement barriers on both sides that was maybe 9'6" wide (this is a trip with an 8'6"wide at the tires trailer). Is all this worth the toll I paid. I don't think so. Anyway, we made it off the skyway and into downtown headed toward I 90 to WI. Had to call the dealer that was expecting us about 5:00 to let them know we were still in Chicago and didn't look like we would make it back while they were open. They said "no problem, just bring it in in the morning and we'll clean it up and finsh the paper work then." Meanwhile, back in traffic in Chicago, It was pretty funny watching all the people trying to get close enough to see the SSR on the tralier. Dang near had a few accidents next to us with rubberneckers looking at the SSR instead of the vehicle that was 2' in front of them. We finally made it home about 8:30 pm, thanks to that Fabulous Chicago traffic and their deteriorated toll ways that we still have to pay to travel on.
Well, I slept well that night, A new SSR in the driveway, still on the trailer, and me just plain tired.
Saturday morning arrived, and off to the dealership we went. They were all waitng for me to arrive. Had the paperwork ready, and the detailers on the car as soon as, I had it off the traiiler. I left the dealership to go back to the house and get the 2003 that was to be traded in. On the way back over to finsh the trade, my buddy called to see what i was doing . I told him I had to stop in another town for something but should be done in about 20 min., then I'd call him back.
Completed the deal and took possesion of my new SSR before lunch. Called my buddy back to see if he wanted me to pick him up for the bowling tournament, and found out he was already on his way. Still didn't tell him I bought the SSR.
As I pulled into the parking lot of the bowling center, many of my team mates and freinds had just arrived also, and the look on their faces was priceless. Eyes popping out of their heads, necks turning in directions they weren't made to go, and the jaws dropping on the ground. Of course they all had to look it over and have the top go up and down, and a deluge of questions.
So that's my story and I'm sticking to it.
I love my SSR, and hope all of you do too.
arty . I told the wife( fiancee at the time) that Gm just had to build this one, and I was going to get one. The more I looked at this the more I wanted one.
As the next years went on, I checked every resource available for any information I could find. Magazines, online, and dealerships, even the local gm plant big shots. As materials and advertisements came available I recieved calls, and some materiials were handed to me (some that were available to the general public and some that weren't). I even came to pocess a Publicty folder that was ment for the GM ad execs.Don't know who dropped it off, but it was on wy door step when I got home from work one day (I very much appreciated this gift).
In Oct 2002, I married the woman I had been with for the past 16 years. Every time I had thought about the wedding Idea something else happened, ie. first child (paid cash for the hospital bills), the other half totaled her car (had to build her another one), second child (paid cash for this one too). Finally the time was right (no more kids on the way, and both woking at well paying jobs). So the wedding was on. None of our freinds could believe this was gong to happen, so 400 plus of them all showed up to see with their own eyes that it was true. When I found out that the SSR was going to be available to order, I made an appointment with my local Dealership to go over some figures (both on the Corvette ZO6 and the SSR). With the GM discount I could get a ZO6 for about the same price as the SSR (which didn't have a discount). I mulled it over for a few weeks, checking with my banker and my income to be assured I could afford either one.
Low and behold the day I was going to order my SSR (April 2003), my former employer and I our last differance of opinion. They wanted me to start pushing the lesser quality product, but selling it at the premium quality price, as the same product. I my self knew that the products they wanted to sell weren't going to last but maybe a year, and would fail. I just couldn't do this to people, let alone any freinds. So the parting of ways happened, and I was unemployed.
I took few weeks to get some things done around the house. New doors, windows, and a new 6"lift kit on the wifes truck, built a new 400 small block for one of my vehicles. The former boss couldn't belive I was able to do all of these things without working for him (just jealous I suppose). I told him in the past "It's not how much you make, but how you manage you money". To this day I think he regrets letting me go, but there's no way I'll go back there, nor send any business his way.
Now we're into the fall of 2003, and I was looking for a new truck to run around in. I didn't sell any of the other one's, just wanted a new one. So with all the rebates from GM and customer loyalty, etc. I bought a new 2003 ext cab 4X4 for 21,000. This was fine, but I still wished I could've had the SSR.
Well we made it through the winter, when one night in March, my Dad calls me from work and says" They've got the SSR's up on the PEP program, but you have to put in for one and they'll call you when one's available". So online I went to search for the PEP program (this is where the Company execs drive them for up to 7,000 miles, and then turn them over for the Employees to purchase at a discounted rate). I found out that only 200 of them were avaailable in the PEP program, so I figured my chances were pretty slim to get one. I put my name in anyway. About two weeks went by and I get this phone call telling me that one is available and that I have two days to decide if I wanted it and which dealership to send the information to. The next two days were filled with running to ten diferent dealers to see who would allow me the highest trade in for my 2003 ext cab with 2,800 miles on it (haven't even made it to the first oil change yet). Some of the dealers were true crooks (offered 16,000), yet had them on their lots listed for 26,000. Needless to say they didn't get the deal. I found one dealer that was willing to give me close to what I paid for it (happened to be the dealership that I had origanlly priced out the SSR and corvette with a year earlier). I called back the PEP rep and gave the required information, and asked them where this vehicle was located. It was at the CVO center in Pontiac, Mich. I worked with my salesman at my dealership, and offered to go pick this up from the CVO center my self to save on any destination charges. They agreed, and asked when I wanted to pick it up? My brother is a pilot so we checked out chartering a plane he could use to fly me from Janesville, WI to Pontiac, Mi.. We couldn't get the plane for that Friday, So the decision was to drive over and pick it up with the trailer. I conned the wife out of her truck for the day, and at 3:00 am we headed for Pontiac. The roads were good and we made great time until we were on I 94 in MI where it proceeded to snow (white out conditions) Cars, trucks, vans, etc. in the ditches, blocking lanes, just kind of hard to navigate. Well the snow let up and we made some time again untill we were about 50 miles from Pontiac where white out arrived again. Luckily it let up by the time we arrived at the CVO center. We were in a sweat shirt when we got out of the truck not realizing that the temp was actually below zero with the wind blowing at 15-20 mph. We quickly grabbed our coats and proceeded inside to handle paperwork. This was a quick process being as we made it there about 9:30 am. They handed me the keys and told me where the vehicle was located. We drove the truck and trailer out the row of SSR's and found the one that matched the Vin # 100099, black and loaded. I climbed in and went through all the gadgets to make sure everything worked (Imagine, top down in sub zero degree weather with the wind blowing. BURRRRRR) After the inspection I loaded the SSR on the trailer and strapped her down. Now back to the front gate for their inspection and on the road we went. On the way back we hit more snow outside of Pontiac, but then had a good trip till we hit Gary. ID, where guess what ? Traffic jam. We were stuck in the lane we were in with no way out. Well we made it to Chicago and ended up on the skyway (a 7.00 toll). This was supposed to be the fastest way though Chicago, not!!. The Entire skyway was tore up and down to one lane with cement barriers on both sides that was maybe 9'6" wide (this is a trip with an 8'6"wide at the tires trailer). Is all this worth the toll I paid. I don't think so. Anyway, we made it off the skyway and into downtown headed toward I 90 to WI. Had to call the dealer that was expecting us about 5:00 to let them know we were still in Chicago and didn't look like we would make it back while they were open. They said "no problem, just bring it in in the morning and we'll clean it up and finsh the paper work then." Meanwhile, back in traffic in Chicago, It was pretty funny watching all the people trying to get close enough to see the SSR on the tralier. Dang near had a few accidents next to us with rubberneckers looking at the SSR instead of the vehicle that was 2' in front of them. We finally made it home about 8:30 pm, thanks to that Fabulous Chicago traffic and their deteriorated toll ways that we still have to pay to travel on.
Well, I slept well that night, A new SSR in the driveway, still on the trailer, and me just plain tired.
Saturday morning arrived, and off to the dealership we went. They were all waitng for me to arrive. Had the paperwork ready, and the detailers on the car as soon as, I had it off the traiiler. I left the dealership to go back to the house and get the 2003 that was to be traded in. On the way back over to finsh the trade, my buddy called to see what i was doing . I told him I had to stop in another town for something but should be done in about 20 min., then I'd call him back.
Completed the deal and took possesion of my new SSR before lunch. Called my buddy back to see if he wanted me to pick him up for the bowling tournament, and found out he was already on his way. Still didn't tell him I bought the SSR.
As I pulled into the parking lot of the bowling center, many of my team mates and freinds had just arrived also, and the look on their faces was priceless. Eyes popping out of their heads, necks turning in directions they weren't made to go, and the jaws dropping on the ground. Of course they all had to look it over and have the top go up and down, and a deluge of questions.
So that's my story and I'm sticking to it.
I love my SSR, and hope all of you do too.
