Impala Forums banner

WickedGoat's Build/Maintenance Thread

19K views 120 replies 11 participants last post by  WickedGoat 
#1 ·


I guess it is finally time to start a mod/maintenance thread. I like being able to do things with the car and post about it to help others. Most of the time it is doing stuff that others have been there and done, so to speak. So here is some background on the car. I bought it used on 11/5/16 from the local Chevy dealer. 2014 LTZ Limited with 32,432 miles on it at purchase. It was stock for about an hour as I swapped my Addco rear sway bar from the Grand Prix I traded in. I also kept the Moog endlinks since it made sense. The dealer was kind enough to allow me to bring the Impala home and do the swap in my driveway and bring the Grand Prix back the next day.

Fast forward to today, 11/25/16... I changed the cabin filter out and started the LED bulb changeover. I posted write ups in the DIY section for those that are interested. I bought Sylvania LED bulbs from AutoZone and had at it today. As of right now, the dome light and floor board bulbs are done on the interior and the reverse lights are done on the exterior. I plan to do the map lights on the rear view mirror and the license plate bulb in the future.

Future mods include a ton of stuff. It will be a slow process but will be ongoing as time and money allow. I am a maintenance 1st, mods 2nd person. Here is the wish list...

Engine - Catch Can, Overkill tune and parts upgrade, synthetic oils

Suspension - BMR trailing arms, Moog Poly bushings where possible, I have ZZP tower braces, just need to be blasted and powder coated, maintenance with upgraded parts as needed.

Brakes - 9C1 12.7 fronts, GXP rears when the brakes need attention.

Wheels and Tires - Gonna stick with the stock LTZ wheel and tire size for now. May be tempted to go for Mustang wheels in the future...

Appearance - 20% window tint by Spring, tinted tail lights, nicer exhaust tips (have them, just need installed)

Stereo - oh yeah, the stereo... I have a sub and amp and I have a 4 channel amp for the interior speakers. The plan is to upgrade the head unit with a Rosen or equivalent, run Polk Audio components up front and 6x9s or components in the rear, along with my single 12" Kenwood sub and amp combo. I want to retain all of the factory features. This car is classier than the Grand Prix so it deserves a little more attention to detail.

This is the current plan. Of course it is subject to change as I see others post pics of their hard work and ideas turned reality. This is my commuter to work so it needs to stay reliable and road worthy.
 
See less See more
1
#3 ·
Awesome! Looking forward to seeing your progress. Modding is so fun!
 
  • Like
Reactions: WickedGoat
#4 ·
Keep us posted!
 
#5 ·
Time for an update... Window tint is scheduled for next Friday morning. Just have to decide between 20% or 5% all the way around. I am thinking 20% will be fine. Opinions welcomed... Bought a set of aluminum/carbon fiber brake and gas pedal covers, waiting for some decent weather to throw them on. I wanted to buy the GM set but $120 for them is a little steep in my opinion. The $25 AutoZone set will be fine. Lastly, I am buying a Rosen GM 1210 from our resident expert @jtrosky, but that will be a little bit as he gets it set up and tested before shipping it. So I got the ball rolling on stuff but need some decent weather and time to cooperate with me. I will post some pics next Friday when the tint is done.
 
#6 ·
Got the tint done this morning... Ended up going with 5% all the way around after doing some reading and looking at alot of pics. We put 20% on my wife's Yukon and she wishes it was darker. So at the mercy of not showing regret, I went with 5% and my initial impression is awesome...







Here is a pic of the pedal covers and my Chevy floor mats... I don't have the accelerator pedal cover on because the factory pedal is really thick... It won't work with the cover brackets so I need to come up with something... No big deal...



Next up... Rosen 1210 install, tinted tail lights, blacked out bowties, gas pedal cover... My first oil change on the car is due in January, so I will be going Pennzoil Platinum on it with either a Delco or K&N filter... The K&Ns are going up in price as I noticed this morning at Walmart... I am most likely going to change the trans fluid when I do the oil, using the drain pan bolt drop and fill method.
 
#7 ·
Mmmm mmmm good, man!
Is the windshield still stock tint?
 
#8 ·
Yes it is. I contemplated doing the windshield but decided to see how I liked it with everything else done. May do it in the summer. The shop I used charges a $100 for the windshield alone and uses 43% tint.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 04Imp38
#9 ·
I was going to get a "clear" windshield "tint" installed just for the heat-rejection benefits, but since Pennsylvania has inspection stickers that go on the inside of the windshield (which have to be removed and replaced every year), there really is no way to put tint on the windshield.... Kind of sucks.

You're going to have one of the most customized Rosen 1210's out there, by the way! Since I found a way to install "extras", skins, car icons, etc into the Rosen 1210 (which has the GPS app stored internally), you'll be getting all kind of stuff that others can't get with their 1210 (GPS-related stuff)! :) Including no-cost map updates!

Sent from my HP SlateBook 10 x2 PC using Tapatalk
 
#17 ·
Unfortunately, I'm being held back a little by the fact that I can't get Primo 2.4 working 100% on the Rosen 1210. So I have to live by some of the limitations of Primo 2.0 in terms of skins, add-ons and customizations. I would LOVE to get Primo 2.4 fully working on the 1210 for you, but as of right now, it looks like I'm going to have to stick with Primo 2.0 - but at least it's a cr@cked version of Primo 2.0 (which allows you to download map updates from the net), so it's still a lot better than the version of Primo 2.0 that came on the unit. The unit came with 2013 maps, but I have successfully put 2016Q3 maps on it (which were just recently released).

Right now I'm working on the TTS voices - having some issues adding all of the TTS voices that I usually include with Primo 2.4 - but hopefully, I can get those working. I apologize for how long it's taking, but I want to make sure I get everything working well before actually selling it to you.

I'm getting there slowly though. :)

Sent from my HP SlateBook 10 x2 PC using Tapatalk
 
#11 ·
WickedGoat the tint looks great! Like jtrosky here in NY we not only have yearly inspection stickers but also a 2 yr registration sticker in our windshield so tinting that would be not worth it. I wish I could go to the 5% tint but here in New York I would get pulled over every 3 seconds. I believe right now that 35% is the only thing that let us get away with but I have 20% tint on my Suburban and have been fortunate to not get pulled over for it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: WickedGoat
#12 ·
35% is the limit here in Missouri, on the front doors... Anything goes on the rear doors and windows. Nothing is allowed on the windshield except for factory tint at the top. We have inspection stickers that go in the lower left of the windshield but since mine is a 2014, it isn't due for inspection until 2018. But that is a good question to ask the tint shop. I most likely will not do the windshield anyway. I think the 5% will be fine. I have read about the 3M clear film that is supposed to reject most UV rays and heat. I'll see in the summer. The police are fairly lenient with some stuff but will break your balls if you are a rolling violation... By that I mean just everything being wrong or unsafe or driving like a moron. I drive a truck for a living so I am pretty mindful of traffic laws and obeying them. Hopefully I won't get pulled over anytime soon.
 
#13 ·
It'll be interesting how the 5% does with nighttime driving and stuff. Seeing I'm considering 5 or 20% tint it would be interesting to hear your opinion when you get to that point :)
 
#14 · (Edited)
Will do...

Edit... Went and picked up pizza instead of having it delivered. Backing up and visibility was not bad at all, but lighting was also decent. I have Sylvania LEDs for my reverse lights and they are pretty bright. I had 20% on my Grand Prix, currently on my Yukon and my GTO, so I am fairly used to driving with tint. On dark streets and parking lots, extra caution should be used to make sure you don't hit anything. I can see not being able to see a pedestrian on a dark street or corner. I think I am going to skip the windshield all together. The 5% will be good enough for me. I would suggest asking the tint shop if any of their personal vehicles are done and ask them to see it. Hope this helps.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 04Imp38
#16 ·
Honestly I need to get mine done as well.
 
#18 ·
Update on the window tint... Been doing some night driving and I am getting more used to the 5% tint. Compared to the 20% on my wife's Yukon, I am glad I went with the 5%. The car just looks cooler and visibility is not bad at all. I will keep saying this though... Please be more attentive when backing or at dark intersections or streets. You never know when something or someone crops up that wasn't there 2 seconds ago. This same thing can be said for those that don't have tint... However, the tint can compound the problem if you aren't used to it.

Now go git er done y'all!!!
 
#22 · (Edited)
Time for another update... Received my Rosen GM1210 from @jtrosky on Friday and got a chance to drop it in today. First things first... Jim, you are a class act bro! This whole transaction was about as perfect as it could get. The radio was as described and it works and functions as described. Jim's extra work on it was incredible and it makes the Rosen a much better deal. Jim's knowledge of these units is priceless. Lastly, after the sale help has been awesome. I literally installed the radio in like 20 mins but that was partly because I am going to back into it eventually to install a backup cam and my amps, sub, and better speakers. Since my iPod works with the 1210 and I don't need a newer iPod, I will most likely invest in a sound processor. This will help bring everything together when it is all said and done.

Out with the old...


In with the new...


A few pics of the Rosen in action...

iPod


Satellite Radio


DVD action

@jtrosky boot up screen
 
#23 ·
The 1210 is infinitely better than stock and arguably as good as the big name brands. Sound quality tuning is not the Rosen's strong point but hopefully a good processor can fix that. The plug and play aspect for everything is really nice. The chime box is OK... Not as good as stock, but not terrible. Radio reception is just as good, maybe better than stock. Sat radio works fine, as does the GPS and iPod functions. It displayed my album art but would not play a video from it. May need a better cable here? DVDs play fine, screen resolution is pretty good for everything. Overall, I am happy with the Rosen. Eventually, I am going to add a back up cam and install the rest of my system. Don't know if I will do any rear seat entertainment but having the option for it is cool.

Installation was about as easy as it gets and the included notes and extras were very helpful. Thanks again Jim for everything!!
 
#24 ·
Next up are some appearance mods in the Spring and some maintenance. First oil change is nearing and I want to change the trans fluid. Wallet needs to cool off before I can get to the rest of the system. The more I do to this car the more I enjoy it and reinforce my decision to buy it. It is everything my GTP wasn't, plus more...
 
#25 ·
Glad to hear that you got the GM1210 installed and all was well. I didn't like sending it to you "un-tested" in-car, but as the same time, I was able to test it pretty well "on the bench". Was happy to hear that all was well.

In case you weren't aware, the GM1210 allows you to adjust the "cut off" frequencies of the bass, mid and treble controls, so you have some fine-tuning capabilities. While not as good as the BBE in the GM1010, it is better than nothing.

Regarding video from the iPod, I'm not sure off-hand - I'll have to check into that. What you can do though is put videos on a MicroSD card and play them from there. Just an FYI - the MicroSD card goes into the slot upside-down. :)

Compared to the stock head-unit, these Rosen units are fantastic - especially considering the price. You can't get anything near as functional anywhere near the price of these things - and they also look fantastic installed. It's so nice not needing those "fitment" adapters!

Unit looks great! I think that the more that you use it and get familiar with it, you'll really enjoy it. The little "chime box" is definitely a con of the GM1210, but I'm sure you'll get used to it over time.

How did the GPS work? Did you just put the antenna on top of the unit?

Let me know if you have any questions and/or issues. As you know, I'm not in this for the money, so if there is ANYTHING wrong, don't hesitate to reach out - I'll make it right somehow.

Sent from my A1160 using Tapatalk
 
#26 ·
I did some digging on the stereo and found the crossovers and dialed them in... Made some difference. It sounds better and louder than stock.

The iPod video playback isn't a big deal. I have it hooked to the USB on the stereo so I don't know if that has an effect on it. I will keep the micro SD card in mind though.

I had just put a Kenwood double din in my Grand Prix with all of these same functions. It cost me $550 and it was a factory refurb. The SAT radio, SWF adapter and hook up parts are included in that cost. If the stereo was new it would have been at least $800. Putting that Kenwood into the Impala would have cost $150 more for the harness to retain everything. When you put in perspective, the Rosen stereos are hard to beat. I ended up pulling the Kenwood and returning everything to Crutchfield. The Bluetooth didn't work very well anyway... Lots of static and popping noise in the background.

I put the GPS antenna on top of the stereo for now. I didn't go very far but I have some running around to do tomorrow so I will play with it some more.

All in all I am happy with it. It will sound even better when I get some real speakers and power behind them. The only things left to test are a quick call to OnStar and a Bluetooth phone call to someone to see how it sounds. Gonna play with the GPS some more.
 
#29 ·
The only things left to test are a quick call to OnStar and a Bluetooth phone call to someone to see how it sounds.
I don't have any first-hand experience with the GM1210, but everything I've read suggests that installing the included bluetooth MIC is HIGHLY recommended. I know that with the GM1010, the phone call quality isn't so great - and I suspect that it's because of the tiny mic included on the face of the unit (GM1210 also has a built-in MIC, I believe - it's probably one of these little holes on the front - one is a reset hole and the other is the MIC).

Anyway, my point is that you'll probably want to install the external MIC at some point. Also, the GM1210 does support voice commands, so the external MIC should help with that as well (GM1010 doesn't support any voice commands). I'm sure that the GM1210 is a LOT better than the GM1010 is the phone call quality aspect. Hell, the GM1010 doesn't even let you view your phone contacts! The phone integration on the GM1010 is pretty poor.

Sent from my A1160 using Tapatalk
 
#27 ·
Hey WickedGoat sorry to jump here in the middle of the conversation with Jtrosky but I just wanted to say that having these Rosen units is great isn't it? It's one thing that really makes ours cars that much more enjoyable. Especially with Jtrosky's knowledge and upgrades.
 
#28 ·
It's all good man... Reading about you guys getting these stereos and asking questions in the threads is was "pushed" me into getting one. I agree that the Rosen unit just made the car that much more enjoyable and I can't wait to do the rest of the system. I hope to have the rest done by summer time, but hopefully sooner.
 
#34 ·
I didn't hook up the Rosen mic to the stereo because I read in several places that you could use the GM mic instead. However, you do have to choose between the Rosen Parrot system or the the stock GM system. I also read that the steering wheel controls do not work with the Rosen BT. So far I have only set the system to work with the Rosen BT and have paired my phone to it. I called my house line from it and the answering machine came through fine, just don't know how my voice sounds on the other side. My contacts transferred to the Rosen but I don't like how it did it... It put them in alphabetical order by last name, not first name like my Droid Turbo does. It also lists mobile as office for the number label. Don't know if this is Rosen or the Motorola Droid Turbo being stupid. Not a big deal but kind of a minor wtf thing.

I just need more time to play around with the stereo and get to know it. Nowadays these things come with so many features you really need to just sit in the car undisturbed and just play with it... Wait, that didn't sound right...
 
#35 ·
The only way to use the built-in GM mic is if you are using the stock bluetooth system. If you are using the Rosen bluetooth, you have to use the Rosen mic (either the internal or external on the GM1210 - or internal only on GM1010).

The GM1210 may be better in this respect, but I do remember the quality not being great for the person on the other end with the built-in internal mic on the GM1010.

Interested to hear what you find out after testing more. I know that ADC Mobile *highly* recommends the external MIC on the GM1210 though. Check out ADC Mobiles site - they are considered the "go to" vendor for the Rosen GM1210 and the Advent OGM-1.

Sent from my A1160 using Tapatalk
 
#36 ·
Got a chance to play with the stereo some more. In the BT settings, you can choose between using the built in mic or the external mic for use with the Rosen BT. So it is either stock GM bluetooth, which will work with the steering wheel controls, or the Rosen Parrot BT which I assume does not work with the factory steering wheel controls as stated. I haven't tried it yet to confirm. And as already stated, the Rosen BT will upload your contacts from the phone to the stereo. The stereo is not perfect, but it works for me, well enough that I have zero desire to look at a Pioneer, Kenwood or anything else. If this one were to die on me, I would most likely buy another 1210, probably brand new. I don't see anyone else making a stereo like this with 100% compatibility in mind for this era of GM vehicles.
 
#37 ·
I agree that while these Rosens are definitely not perfect, between the fact that they integrate so well with stock functions, look factory-installed (which was kind of a big thing for me) and are plug-and-play, they really are hard to beat for the prices that you can get them for. And from my experience with the GM1010, they are pretty damn reliable as well.

You also have to remember that these things were designed years ago whereas the big name brands release new models every year - so considering how long ago these things were designed, they are pretty impressive - especially for the price (price matters!). Plus you got the whole dual-zone thing too, which is a nice bonus. You'll get used to the little quirks and figure out work-arounds to them.

Personally, I also like the "understated" interface. I'm not a big fan of the flashing, multi-colored lights thing that most aftermarket brands do...

Sent from my A1160 using Tapatalk
 
#38 ·
I agree... I didn't care for the Kenwood I bought at Crutchfield. Had I paid full retail back when it first came out I would have been pretty mad at myself. I like the understated look as well. When I do something with the wood grain it will look even better in there. I like the Rosen and I have no problem recommending it to anyone.
 
#39 ·
Glad your enjoying your "new" 1210. Had mine for a while now and love it. I would recommend using the external mic if using the Rosen BT. Much better quality. Ive had no complaints of voice quality. I put the mic at the rear view mirror. As for the obnoxious chime, one option is to wrap it in foam. I wrapped mine with quite a bit of foam and put it in the space to the right of the radio down low. Door chime volume is bearable now. Signal volume is low.
 
#40 ·
My wife took my car and paired her phone up with the stereo and both people she talked to said her voice was pretty clear. I may install the external mic and try it to see if there is a difference.

Back up cam is coming soon, probably sometime next month.

Burned my first DVD today and played it in the car... Rocking and rolling now. Gonna sound worlds better when I upgrade the speakers and get my sub going. The radio is great, aside from a couple of quirky issues, I am happy with it. My wife wants one in her 2004 Yukon. Anyone know if one of the older Rosen units will work in that truck?
 
Top