New 2022 Owner in Michigan

[DonM]

Hello,

Just picked up a new 2022 GT2 AWD in February and have been looking for a forum for the car. Glad to see there's a strong one.

I'm in my (very) late 50's but have been a car guy all my life. I've built/owned some great cars; all Fords: 67 Fairlane GTA, 49 Business Coupe, 64 Galaxie Lightweight clone, 90 SHO, 99 E350 4x4 Quigley conversion and I'm currently building a 1982 Fairmont Coupe right now. I like unusual and unique. I should add here that I just finished up driving a 2011 Corolla - NOT a car guy car. Anyway, Ford's Mustang doesn't interest me so when I went looking for a new car I decided all brands were on the table. Of all the cars I did own though, the SHO was my overall daily driver favorite so I decided to try to find a modern version. Looked at all of the brands - German included - and landed on the Stinger. It truly is the modern SHO.

I bought the AWD because I drive 60 miles one way to work year round and the highway I drive gets really gnarly with ice. Only had one day like that since picking up the car and WOW, the AWD made it a much nicer drive. And as you all know, it launches wonderfully because it hooks up so well. Gotta love that, right?!

I've named all of my cars and this one is no different. I call it Dorian Gray. Check out Oscar Wilde's book "The Picture of Dorian Gray" and you'll see it's about more than just the color... The pic is the night I brought it home so it's about as new as it can get - dealer fresh and only 15 miles on the od.

Funny story about how I got it... I was home with COVID (hit me hard) and while laid up, I did the new car research. Called the KIA dealer and asked about how long until one came if I ordered it. He told me 6 to 9 months! So, I put my order in and 10 minutes later he calls back and asks, "if I could get that car here in three weeks, would you take it?" WTH? I said absolutely. Well, by pure coincidence, the EXACT car I specified in my order was already coming off the boat in Seattle and on its way to my dealer. It was one of the factory apportioned cars being sent to my dealer as part of their monthly allotment. So, instead of waiting six months, I waited three weeks. Pretty great!

Well, that's about it for now. I'm looking forward to digging into performance upgrades, care and maintenance, and overall tips for making a great car even greater - and to making new friends through this forum.

DonM

 

[Kia Stinger]

Hello,

Just picked up a new 2022 GT2 AWD in February and have been looking for a forum for the car. Glad to see there's a strong one.

I'm in my (very) late 50's but have been a car guy all my life. I've built/owned some great cars; all Fords: 67 Fairlane GTA, 49 Business Coupe, 64 Galaxie Lightweight clone, 90 SHO, 99 E350 4x4 Quigley conversion and I'm currently building a 1982 Fairmont Coupe right now. I like unusual and unique. I should add here that I just finished up driving a 2011 Corolla - NOT a car guy car. Anyway, Ford's Mustang doesn't interest me so when I went looking for a new car I decided all brands were on the table. Of all the cars I did own though, the SHO was my overall daily driver favorite so I decided to try to find a modern version. Looked at all of the brands - German included - and landed on the Stinger. It truly is the modern SHO.

I bought the AWD because I drive 60 miles one way to work year round and the highway I drive gets really gnarly with ice. Only had one day like that since picking up the car and WOW, the AWD made it a much nicer drive. And as you all know, it launches wonderfully because it hooks up so well. Gotta love that, right?!

I've named all of my cars and this one is no different. I call it Dorian Gray. Check out Oscar Wilde's book "The Picture of Dorian Gray" and you'll see it's about more than just the color... The pic is the night I brought it home so it's about as new as it can get - dealer fresh and only 15 miles on the od.

Funny story about how I got it... I was home with COVID (hit me hard) and while laid up, I did the new car research. Called the KIA dealer and asked about how long until one came if I ordered it. He told me 6 to 9 months! So, I put my order in and 10 minutes later he calls back and asks, "if I could get that car here in three weeks, would you take it?" WTH? I said absolutely. Well, by pure coincidence, the EXACT car I specified in my order was already coming off the boat in Seattle and on its way to my dealer. It was one of the factory apportioned cars being sent to my dealer as part of their monthly allotment. So, instead of waiting six months, I waited three weeks. Pretty great!

Well, that's about it for now. I'm looking forward to digging into performance upgrades, care and maintenance, and overall tips for making a great car even greater - and to making new friends through this forum.

DonM

Welcome aboard! And thank you for signing up. Despite the Toyota Corolla, you’re a car enthusiast. Sorry to hear about the run-in with Covid-19 - but I’m glad you got the Stinger, found us, and have your modern day SHO!

 

[Blueangel]

Congrats and welcome!! Sway bars are a pretty popular upgrade here…

 

[ChaneRZ]

Welcome

 

[typhoon97]

Hello,

Just picked up a new 2022 GT2 AWD in February and have been looking for a forum for the car. Glad to see there's a strong one.

I'm in my (very) late 50's but have been a car guy all my life. I've built/owned some great cars; all Fords: 67 Fairlane GTA, 49 Business Coupe, 64 Galaxie Lightweight clone, 90 SHO, 99 E350 4x4 Quigley conversion and I'm currently building a 1982 Fairmont Coupe right now. I like unusual and unique. I should add here that I just finished up driving a 2011 Corolla - NOT a car guy car. Anyway, Ford's Mustang doesn't interest me so when I went looking for a new car I decided all brands were on the table. Of all the cars I did own though, the SHO was my overall daily driver favorite so I decided to try to find a modern version. Looked at all of the brands - German included - and landed on the Stinger. It truly is the modern SHO.

I bought the AWD because I drive 60 miles one way to work year round and the highway I drive gets really gnarly with ice. Only had one day like that since picking up the car and WOW, the AWD made it a much nicer drive. And as you all know, it launches wonderfully because it hooks up so well. Gotta love that, right?!

I've named all of my cars and this one is no different. I call it Dorian Gray. Check out Oscar Wilde's book "The Picture of Dorian Gray" and you'll see it's about more than just the color... The pic is the night I brought it home so it's about as new as it can get - dealer fresh and only 15 miles on the od.

Funny story about how I got it... I was home with COVID (hit me hard) and while laid up, I did the new car research. Called the KIA dealer and asked about how long until one came if I ordered it. He told me 6 to 9 months! So, I put my order in and 10 minutes later he calls back and asks, "if I could get that car here in three weeks, would you take it?" WTH? I said absolutely. Well, by pure coincidence, the EXACT car I specified in my order was already coming off the boat in Seattle and on its way to my dealer. It was one of the factory apportioned cars being sent to my dealer as part of their monthly allotment. So, instead of waiting six months, I waited three weeks. Pretty great!

Well, that's about it for now. I'm looking forward to digging into performance upgrades, care and maintenance, and overall tips for making a great car even greater - and to making new friends through this forum.

DonM

Welcome!

 

[MerlintheMad]

Great story/intro! Welcome. I am absolutely not a car guy, but the Stinger nabbed me in a weak moment (if you can call winter reading the promo book a "moment") and I haven't been the same since.

 

[Rodtheviking]

Welcome!

 

[RedCal]

Welcome to the hive! I'll second the front and rear sway bar recommendation, great upgrade IMHO

 

[DonM]

Hey everyone! Thank you for the kind welcome. I'm looking forward to the warmer weather when I can get out and work on/with the car.

I've read a lot about the sway bar and stability in corners. I haven't experienced it yet but the weather and roads haven't really been accommodating to push the car through entrance ramps or around curves so I can't say how i personally feel about it BUT with every other car I've owned, I did sway bar upgrades and was very pleased with the results so I do plan on this.

Has anyone had a dealership challenge them when in for service?

One thing that grabbed me when I was looking to buy was the warranty. This is actually my commuter but I drive 120 miles round trip each day for work so in total, I put 30,000 miles a year on my car. The 100,000 mile warranty gets me a little over three years and that's worth a lot to me.

 

[NYBIOMED]

Eibach sways can be ordered/installed by any Kia dealer as a factory aftermarket item- no problem with warranty issues there. I ordered the WhiteLine sways and adjustable endlinks only BC they were more readily available and ridiculously cheaper at the time I ordered them. Consider the ATQ subframe bushings/bolts, kinda helps tie everything together along with a custom alignment afterwards. Lots of people install drop springs, I’m not going there myself- the Stinger is my DD and AWD too, so I want to maintain its ability to go through a few inches of snow If necessary and not have to worry against hitting curbs and stuff. Lastly, consider a JB4 w/BT, so much goodness there…
Also, now’s the best time for a ceramic coating or PPF

 

[777David]

Congrats on the Stinger purchase. Nice backstory!

 

[Shawn @ K8 Stinger Store]

Hey DonM,

Welcome to the Stinger Forum and congrats on your new GT2!

Wow, it looks like you have had some interesting cars in your past.

The Kia Stinger does target a very similar market to what the SHO was targeting.

If you are ever looking for any aftermarket or OEM parts come check out our website.

Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or if you need a discount on your order!

Enjoy the new ride,

Daniel @ the K8 Stinger Store​

 

[DonM]

Thanks again for all of the welcomes. Sure nice to have a group of such positive people to share our cars with.

I have everything I need for the ceramic coating but haven't had a chance to do it yet. It's time consuming and I need a full weekend BUT it's coming! I have a new clay bar as well so I'm going to clay it just to be sure. It's my DD so it's already been through snow and salt and sand backwash. It's hard to keep a car clean in MI when it's fall through winter. Oh wait, that's 9 months of the year LOL For ongoing care, I have the full range of Chemical Guys products. I've used Maguires and Lexol in the past and was very happy but I've read some good things about the Chemical Guys stuff so I"m going to try them on this car.

NYBIOMED - you've got it going on. It's so funny for me. I build a car like a 67 Fairlane or 64 Galaxie and it's all about the mechanical stuff and now, for the first time, I'm looking at the electronics (I know ignition and the like on the old cars is electronics, but really?). It's a new world for me so help from people here is appreciated.

What I'd love is to settle down the lean in the curves, down the 0-60 time and yet maintain decent mileage (I put 30,000 miles a year on my cars so mpg is at least a little important) and still have something that I feel certain will get through dealer service without issue.

What are the recommended sway bars? NYBIOMED mentioned the Whiteline, other experiences?

I now this is a K8 forum but here's a quick pic of the Fairmont I'm building - 408W Stroker, dual quad intake/carbs, custom roller cam, AFR heads, all the goodies - should be good for about 525 hp, TKO600 custom trans, disk brakes all around, etc...black Corbeau interior coming, custom interior paint and upholstery, etc. As soon as the weather warms a bit, it'll get scrubbed up. Lots of dust. I'm embarrassed to post the pic but it's what's on my phone right now.

Take care!

 

[NYBIOMED]

This is your best deal right here:

https://www.kdmproject.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=782_785_824&products_id=3655&zenid=1c64c0855704479214d3c85a2dafa296#.YkwuhDUpBPY

The Eibach's WITH the adjustable end links will cost another $200 or more, get the ATQ subframe collars/bolts too, It really ties it all together and worth it. These things are bolt on/off and are easy-peazy for a guy with your skills! I doubt there is much difference between the Eibach and Whiteline sways, they both give you a hard/soft option with there being 2 holes at the ends.

DAMN, beautiful Fairmont brah...lotta love into that project! Id like a pic of under the hood

 

[RedCal]

I used a bunch of the CG guys stuff, but through experimentation found better (or at least ones I like better, or get better results with) I never got good results with the CG ceramic quick detailer, (and it's expensive) switched to Gyeon ceramic quick detailer - with much better results. I really like CG "inner clean" and leather cleaner/conditioner however, I think they are quite good

I've got the Eibach sways, and love them

 

[typhoon97]

Hello,

Just picked up a new 2022 GT2 AWD in February and have been looking for a forum for the car. Glad to see there's a strong one.

I'm in my (very) late 50's but have been a car guy all my life. I've built/owned some great cars; all Fords: 67 Fairlane GTA, 49 Business Coupe, 64 Galaxie Lightweight clone, 90 SHO, 99 E350 4x4 Quigley conversion and I'm currently building a 1982 Fairmont Coupe right now. I like unusual and unique. I should add here that I just finished up driving a 2011 Corolla - NOT a car guy car. Anyway, Ford's Mustang doesn't interest me so when I went looking for a new car I decided all brands were on the table. Of all the cars I did own though, the SHO was my overall daily driver favorite so I decided to try to find a modern version. Looked at all of the brands - German included - and landed on the Stinger. It truly is the modern SHO.

I bought the AWD because I drive 60 miles one way to work year round and the highway I drive gets really gnarly with ice. Only had one day like that since picking up the car and WOW, the AWD made it a much nicer drive. And as you all know, it launches wonderfully because it hooks up so well. Gotta love that, right?!

I've named all of my cars and this one is no different. I call it Dorian Gray. Check out Oscar Wilde's book "The Picture of Dorian Gray" and you'll see it's about more than just the color... The pic is the night I brought it home so it's about as new as it can get - dealer fresh and only 15 miles on the od.

Funny story about how I got it... I was home with COVID (hit me hard) and while laid up, I did the new car research. Called the KIA dealer and asked about how long until one came if I ordered it. He told me 6 to 9 months! So, I put my order in and 10 minutes later he calls back and asks, "if I could get that car here in three weeks, would you take it?" WTH? I said absolutely. Well, by pure coincidence, the EXACT car I specified in my order was already coming off the boat in Seattle and on its way to my dealer. It was one of the factory apportioned cars being sent to my dealer as part of their monthly allotment. So, instead of waiting six months, I waited three weeks. Pretty great!

Well, that's about it for now. I'm looking forward to digging into performance upgrades, care and maintenance, and overall tips for making a great car even greater - and to making new friends through this forum.

DonM

Welcome!

 

[jays2000]

Congrats, Don! You actually have a Scorpion package GT2, the best/rarest/nicest model available. Welcome!

 

[DonM]

NYBIOMED – Thank you for the kind words about the Fairmont. It has been a labor of love. In my introductory note, I mentioned the 67 Fairlane GT, 49 Ford Business Coupe and 64 Galaxie Lightweight Clone. Well, I built all of those and then after driving them for a year or two, sold them. Of the three, I wish I’d kept the 67. That was a hard running car. On Friday nights, I used to go out “Chevy Killing” on Woodward Avenue in Detroit. The car was a real sleeper. Man. That was a long time ago…1979 through 1984. Detroit muscle cars everywhere and you could buy them for a song.

Leaping forward multiple decades…when I decided to build what will likely be my last car, I wanted one I could build relatively inexpensively, had a more modern platform, wasn’t a Mustang and that I would keep and enjoy. Trivia fact: the Fairmont was actually the first car (1979) to use the Fox chassis which is more commonly associated with the Mustang and was unmodified through 1993. This means that almost every go-fast goodie that fits a 1980-1993 Mustang fits the Fairmont which means I could build the Fairmont at Mustang prices.

As for a pic of under the hood – there’s nothing there right now as the motor is on a stand while I’m building it. I have the long block done but that’s it right now. My goal is to set the motor in September. We’ll see, I have lots to do around the house this year. I had a 1994 5.0 in it originally but it wasn’t fast enough. When I thought about building the motor, I decided to move to a stroker 351W which became a 408 now and with the parts I’ve spec’d I expect about 525-550 hp. My goal was less than 5.5 lbs/hp. This combo at 525 will put me about 5.3 lbs/hp so I’m on target.

In total the motor will have AFR 220 heads with custom cut valves and upgraded spring/keeper package, Price Motorsport dual quad intake ported to match the heads with 450 matched CFM Holley carbs (my one concession to old school looks), a custom grind cam specifically made for a stroker 408W motor, Eagle crank/rods, other typical internals to support the hp and rpm range I’m targeting. It will run a full electronic ignition – typical stuff there. It’ll be a street brawler, not a strip master. Goal is 0 – 80 as fast as possible kind of thing. I’m not into the track scene. On Friday nights, that’s how I was able to win so many races. They were all stop light to stop light and I built the Fairlane for exactly that.

Behind the motor will be a Tremec TKO600 that has been completely gone through. It’s been nitrided, balanced, upgraded with carbon fiber sync rings, and cryogenically treated. Nice piece good for 800 hp. I could go faster with an automatic but there’s something visceral and raw about rowing the gears. Unbelievably, this tranny cost me almost as much as the car body WITH the paint job. It’s overkill but I may turbo the motor one day and that will put me up there in that kind of hp range.

The back end is an upgraded 8.8. I haven’t spec’d gears yet and won’t until I get dyno results on the motor. I need the torque curve to match to car weight and 60 foot times I want to achieve.

Can you tell I’m an engineer?

Well, now to return to my new passion – the KIA Stinger! I’m pulling together plans for that too.

 

[DonM]

Hey Jays2000...thanks for the kind words on the car.

Yeah, I am truly blessed to be in a position where I could afford to buy the GT2 Scorpion. When I called the dealer to order it he asked me what I wanted on it. I told him everything. I told him that if it was on the option checklist, I wanted it. He made me fill out a form and sign it! Understandable.

It’s one of the most beautiful cars I’ve seen – at least I think so. I love the mix of old school proportions with today’s body sculpture. I think the Ceramic Silver provides body highlights in just the right places and the Scorpion black accents are the right bit of contrast for me.

The interior is gorgeous and I love the cockpit feel. Some have said the center console is too high but I love the wrapped up feeling I get when I sit in there. The back seat is an amazing set of lines which have a 60’s vibe for coupes. Also, I have oddly long legs for my height so the adjustable steering wheel which lets me push the seat way back is ideal. I’ve never been a “tech” guy for cars but I have to admit, I love it all! I’m spoiled already. Younger people probably can’t understand what it’s like for me but you have to remember, I grew up with 260 AC which was 2 windows down and 60 mph, GPS was a map, lane keep assist was the passenger grabbing the wheel and screaming “keep your eyes on the road!” while you took a drink of your cola and cruise control was your mother telling you to slow down – love you Ma! HAHAHA But I digress…

As I said, I am blessed, truly blessed, to be able to afford the car. It’s far more than I ever thought I’d have. I really can’t say enough good about the car. I’ve owned a lot of cars and have built a lot of cars. They’re ALL a set of compromises. There is no such thing as the perfect car. However, for me, this car hits all of the right places and has few shortcomings.

Don