Topic: It was a long road to get my Solstice

[Sly Bob]

It was a long road to get here.

I saw my first Solstice in person in 2002. It was the concept in Detroit at the auto show and I fell in love with it as did many others. I felt the lump in my throat as I saw it up on the stage. I was laid off from work at the time and as much as I wanted one I knew it wasn't to be.

Then came the announcement of the GXP. Damn, I wanted that even more... Looks, and the power to match.

Then in the summer of 2006 when they first became available to order, I ordered the 2007 Solstice GXP that I have seen in my dreams since I was a kid. I was back to work and things were good. Christmas of 2006 brought presents for the car. A personalised plate, red caliper paint and caliper stickers were under the tree.

The wait was long for those first cars as many of you might remember. In February of 2007 when it looked as though I was once again going to find myself on the unemployment lines I called the dealer to cancel the order. All those months of waiting for nothing. Heart broken and to find out that the same day that when I called the dealer to cancel, he was given a build date made me feel even worse. I was able to cancel however and the car no doubt went to a loving home where it would be taken care of as it should.

I remained an active member of the forums on the web and I suppose that in a way I was able to enjoy the car through many of the posts there.

Well as it goes, what goes around, comes around and things in 2007 were picking up at the plant. More work was reportedly coming our way. Spring of 2008 and top down driving weather was just around the corner.

On March 18th, 2008, I went to the dealer to get some pricing information and the following day I placed the order. I thought long and hard about what to get over the years and to say that I was pumped about getting this car would be an understatement of a size that you could only imagine. I had thought for about 2 minutes of waiting for a 2009 but hell, I had waited long enough! 

I ordered a Deep with the darkside top and every option available but the smokers package. I picked up the spoiler that I ordered from Rudy at Aftershock designs a few days after I ordered the GXP and the dealer had said that they would paint it for me. She was born on April 30, 2008 (VIN 1G2MF35X58Y130283), delivered to the dealer on May 23th and delivered to me on May 27, 2008. Since that day, it’s been one big permagrin! 

I love this car!

[DeepBlueGXP]

I loved the look when I first seen it in 2005 when a friend emailed me the picture of the frame with the wheels on it and had me guess what it was from.  I thought it was from a corvette.  Then he said Solstice and I saw it and I fell in love with the curves.

 I was getting ready to retire from the Navy and I didn't want a extra financial commitment, so the Deep Solstice pic became my desktop wall paper. 

Then in Summer 06 I started searching for a car.  Since I live in Southern Maryland.  There was only one to be found, I sat in it and said I'll take it.  A sly.  The dealer then informed me that the reason that model was in stock was that it was ordered without AC from a customer and they didn't want it when it came in.   I said "Are you kidding me, who orders cars without AC" and I left...

Then I found out about the GXP coming out and decided to wait.  I didn't know at that time I could order a car and the dealer never told me.  We were planning on traveling to Buffalo for Thanks Giving and Christmas and I visited the Pontiac Dealer in December 06.  They had a Mysterious GXP on the lot.  Dee and I had already discussed, if they have one in NY, I'll get it and drive it home.  I was so close in getting one and Dee said "If you want a blue car, get a blue car"  So I posponed getting a car. 

Now after several months of searching and no-one having a Deep.  My friend told me that a dealer in Frederick MD can order me one on an allocation.   Hmm, new term, but his next allocation won't be for 4 months.  January 07, I made more calls, to a dealer in Deleware.  Worked out pricing etc.  but he needed a deposit. I was planning on making a trip to Delware the following weekend and (January 26th) my wife had taken her 05 G6 GT in for service at our local Dealer (the one who had the Sly).  While she was waiting, she talked to the Sales Manager and told him I had been wanting to buy a Deep GXP and been searching for someone to order the car from.  He told her, we have an allocation available.   She called me at work, I talked with the manager and told him, I'd like to test drive a GXP before I bought one (not really, but I wanted to see if he was serious on the allocation)  He told me if I come to the dealer after work, he would have a GXP trucked in from a partnering dealer and I could test drive the car and order mine.    I went to the dealer that night, drove a GXP with my wife.  Holy crap, I hit the rev-limiter     I went back and ordered the Deep GXP, every option except Onstar and XM, I didn't want to disturb the beautiful curves.

February 22nd, I was informed I had a VIN (Renee was born, the name is another story)  I took delivery on March 9th. 

[GXPinKC]

We saw it first when we took both our sons and families to Florida for a group vacation back in November of 2005.  While visiting Epcot Center we checked out GM's "World of Motion".  There on display was a pre-production Mean NA Solstice.  Well, upon seeing it standing there, I simply told my wife, Carol, "I have to have one".  That first look did it for me.  We placed our order for the NA first and then when the GXP came out, switched our order to it.  Our wait was slightly over 1 year.  It was well worth the wait. 
GXPinKC
Ron