I am going to place a factory order using my GMS discount code for a SS/TC coupe. I wanted to know if they did anything special on the window sticker to personalize your order.

For example, I saw a factory ordered 2008 Challenger R/T that said, "This car specially made for John Smith" or something to that extent. I have factory ordered all of my Fords in the past and if you used the A/D/X/Z plan (Employee, Dealer, Supplier/Friend, Retiree respectively), the window sticker will have the type of code, your first initial, and last name printed below the options.

E.g.
Options
Twin-turbocharged 6.0L V8 $1
000X J. Smith

Does GM do anything with their factory orders using GMS/employee codes?

Is there any chance that GM will just try to find a car in their huge inventory to match my order instead of actually shipping me a bona fide factory direct order?

 

Its a cobalt not a lambo, I dont think ive ever heard of that happening with a cobalt or any gm car.

 

My window sticker has my name on it. Where the dealers name usually is it has my name.

 

Would you mind taking a pic of that particular area (you can blur out the private info)? My salesperson has no clue what I am talking about and I hope they don't just pull a car out of GM's existing inventory.

 

why? lol

 

Existing inventory is used in my book. I went to look at several new 09 SS/TC's that sat in the lot. There's excessive rust on the rotors, wheel locks, and even the threaded antenna bases. The finish is full of swirl marks and has excessive grime on the surface. It's been exposed to months of sun, acid rain, bird poop, road salt, and dust. None of the dealers were willing to go down below GMS pricing so I am not going to pick one off the lot. I've always factory ordered in the past from Ford and have been 100% satisfied.

 

The "excessive rust" on the rotors is from water or moisture on the rotors. You brake to a decent stop and it comes right out. As for the paint. Mine was the same way and a good cleaner wax and a polish wax made it better than ever.

 

you do know that when gm makes cars they go and sit outside when finished correct?

 

I know if you go to Germany, you can actually see your car get made in the plant and drive it off the "line". BUt that of course costs alot.

 

When I ordered my 07 Mustang GT, it left the plant at Flat Rock and made its way to me within 2 days. The window sticker also had listed my first initial and last name. Ford doesn't let their factory orders sit out to rot for several months.

The rust on the rotors was not on the braking surface. It was on the outer circumference of the rotors and on the hat of the rotor. The rear calipers also had a thick layer of aluminum oxide. I understand this is what happens if you drive the car in road salt, but this was a $20,000 new car. I expect better.

 

But to most auto companies and dealers 20k isn't much. Now if it were an Escalade or something I could understand the frustration, but a cobalt, no way. Too much work.

 

exactly. and if you argue at a dealership with price about these things theyre going to laugh at you

 

They can laugh all they want, their Escalades and Corvettes will sit on their lots as dead inventory. I can walk away, go to another dealer, or not buy anything. High profit margin or not, it's still a sale. If they balk at it, then it's their loss. A Cadillac isn't a work of art like a Bugatti, Ferrari, or Lamborghini.

 

I've never understood this train of thought, ordering cars. To me it makes more sense to use the car they HAVE on their lot that you WANT (since you've done your homework) as a bargaining tool by complaining about all the **** that it doesn't have.

I saved a good deal on the MS3 by bitching about things it didn't have that I didn't even want. Got the color and trim I wanted for less because the car DIDN'T have **** I didn't want, but said I did.

****, you can make your own window sticker in photoshop with a picture of your face as a watermark if it flips your skirt. This **** ain't baseball cards. It's a car, you drive it because it's fun...

But go ahead, custom order your **** and pay MSRP like a dick. Really funny when you see an identical going down the road some guy paid $5k less for.

Btw - I'm being an ass to you as you've chosen to be a tool to everyone else. PS -- maybe Ford has been ******* with you and just custom-making window stickers all these years..?

 

I also ordered mine from factory because I didn't really want one that had been sitting on the lot rusting (and letting all of that precious new-car smell leak out ). I know for a fact the ones at a local dealer had been there for at least 6 months and were getting a little ripe. Now, since I have a GM discount I got a better deal ordering one from the factory than I was going to get off the lot, especially since the only options that I ordered/wanted were LSD, XM and high-rise.

Now, I don't care if I have my name on the window when I pick it up. I was given a build date, an estimated delivery date, and I'm certain it's not just 'picked out of their inventory'.

I guess my point (if I really have one...) is that ordering one doesn't mean you pay more, especially since every balt I saw in inventory had sunroofs, USB port and several other things I didn't want to buy.

 

I never understood the people that went and bought cars off the lot. I complained about the cars on the lot that didn't have the options I wanted, guess what? They don't always lower the price. They'll try to find one from another lot or ask you to order one. Several Chevrolet dealerships just told me to take it or leave it. FYI, I even went to the dealers that were within spitting distance of GM's Technical Center in Warren, MI - former home of GM High Performance Division.

The Mazdaspeed3 has almost no options. They offered to swap in the Homelink mirror I wanted at no extra cost but the base price was still $23k-$24k before tax/title for the Grand Touring (the only way to go: projector Xenon HID, LED tail lights) I couldn't get it below S-Plan price. I ultimately opted not to buy a 08/09 MS3 nor wait for the 2010 MS3 because Mazda was adamant about not having a moonroof.

You wouldn't understand!

Who said anything about MSRP? I called some people I knew and got my GMO/GMS discount (employee discount) and factory orders are eligible for all factory rebates. GMS is about 8% below invoice which isn't a whole lot but it's better than invoice. Then again you'd know this if you factory ordered in the past. Not that many people factory order and they come up with the wildest excuses. The last 5 cars we've owned were all factory ordered and it's a really great experience. I have yet to see a single SS/TC on the road in MI, even around the GM Technical Center.

Ford only puts your name on the window sticker IF YOU USE THE A/D/X/Z plan: Employee/Dealer/Supplier/Retiree. Anyone can get the Ford X-Plan which also functions as the Mazda S-Plan BTW. I also confirmed with other S197 Mustang owners that they also had their names printed on the window sticker when using the X-Plan. It's not just a photoshop because Ford's online database for window stickers (based on VIN #) also shows your name!

The greatest thing about using an employee/supplier discount is the lack of haggling to purchase the car. I tried my hand at negotiating and it's just a big waste of time unless the dealer is really trying to move inventory. However, they really have no incentive to do so because the banks own the new cars and the cars are already "sold" from the OEM's perspective. Instead, used cars are a much higher priority to them.

Of course if you have a silver tongue with the right amount of charisma, you probably wouldn't be haggling over a Cobalt.

 

Good info, cool. By the way, I assume you are looking at a TC, are they still producing?

 

I hear the Lordstown factory is on a 1 week on / 1 week off single shift mode, but someone at Lordstown was posting that they started building turbos around the start of March. And yes, I just placed my order for a SS/TC coupe.

Oowah: You should get the USB, it's actually standard on all 2009 SS/TC's now. UUI is no longer a $100 option but instead is a fixed feature. I can finally start using a flash drive instead of burning the dumb CD-RW's.

A lot of my co-workers and friends would give me a hard time about buying a Chevy since I've been a Ford guy all these years

 

I have a USB deck in my truck right now and love it, but when I ordered my SS/TC the USB port was a separate option still... haha guess I'll have to wait and see what shows up.
As far as I can tell If you have a GM employee discount, opt 1 (factory order) is by far the best deal to get. With the cash-back deals, XM and Onstar sub's, student bonuses.... hell, I could hardly afford to NOT by this car

 

Very nice. The Cobalt is a decent car, and the TC I believe is better than either of those we've owned.

 

When I bought my 07 Cobalt 3LT, it had sat on the lot for ~4months before I purchased it. The rust never came off the rotors until I got them turned, there is an impression in the rear side window that you can see when the windows fog up, from some dealer sticker that got cooked on, you only notice it if the windows are foggy/frosted over.
Car had 200miles on it when we bought it, yet the dealer claimed it was brand new (obviously test driven quite a bit).

I agree with the OP, cars that sit on a lot are not new..

 

I checked with my dealer and they said that once the order is sent to the system, it can take a few weeks for GM to accept the order. Is GM going to see if I am worthy of ordering a Cobalt or is it just standard procedure?

 

Standard procedure and the long wait begins

 

Takes two weeks, to get in the system.. after that you can inquire to your dealer what's the traget build date

 

It's been 2 weeks since I ordered mine. The order has not been pulled as of today. They are guessing mid-May for delivery. I hope its sooner!