that is the question. I have decided that if I keep the car I will put a blower on it and go over the 500rwhp mark. But the problem that I have is I can take that money and get the new Z06 when it hits. I am not wild about the looks but love the potential. I also think that popping the hood on my car and seeing a polished blower that makes 100% emissions legal 530+rwhp with a CARB # is cool plus faster than the new Z and also cheaper. Would you keep your mod money and trade up or mod away? I am 75% mod, 25% trade up but that little birdie is telling me to think this thru before buying parts.

 

I'd say keep it, blower it. The looks of your car are far better that the new C6 Z06 IMHO. With the extra power, you will be faster, more blingin, more custom. Just gotta ask yourself, does your Z06 handle well enough as it sits? Do you really need a supercar as your daily driver Eric? The new Z06 will only give you an assload of bragging rights and a bunch of stuff that you may not *really* need. If I were you, that blower idea would be awesome.. Oh, and drop the car down already!

 

Hummm.... tuff question but I am leaning towards saving for the trade. There will be a whole new level of respect for the new Z-06 when it comes out. I want one. I'm already saving for one If I were you I would hold on on the mods, keep it stock so it sells for a fair price and when the Z-06 on the color YOU like comes out.... GET IT!

Nothing like the new car smell.... from a Z-06!

 

C6 Z06 I really like this car! Sell your C5 Z06 to my buddy Eric and get the C6!

Ken

 

Is there a bad choice here? (and THAT is your dilema)

While I like the looks of the C6, and the performance is unmatched, the thought of having a blown Z06 is intriguing. How many have you seen? I recall 1 at the Cruisin To Colby Show a couple years ago. How many stock C6s are you gonna see. Plenty! And considering all the hype, they are probably going to come in about $5-10k over book. Myself, I couldn't pay that for ANY car.

That said, having an 11 sec production car with a factory 427 that runs close to 200mph would be FUGGIN KILLER!!! But I figure with Ellis helping you tune it, the blown C5 would be faster. I envy your decision Eric. I say mod it.

 

Eric,

If you can suck it up you would have the badass of the bunch, just think 500hp with smog, and no tunning. just think how fun it would be at the track, spinning that bitch to 10000rpm. it will probely be a total monster. That motor is going to built like a brick shithouse, or **** it spary it with a two stage 500 shot and hold on. That 427 will hold anything you throw at it.
I would defentaly do the new z06.

Just do it *****, **** the blower thats were and tear, with the new one you will make that same power all day long on factory tunning. That ls7 has some of the best potential, of any lsx motor out their in my opinion.

 

Like Mark said those are great problems to have, lol.

It seems like no matter what anyone buys, it can be a Viper Corvette etc., they want to mod it more (at least in out group) . I think if you buy a zo6 you would want to mod it after a while. I say mod your car and enjoy personalizing it. If you were not the modding type of person then buying a new zo6 would be the way to go for you, imo.

It is a tough call though. That 427 is a HUGE temptation, but also a custom blown car like yours would be just as awesome and as fast.

 

I say get the new Z06... it's a whole new class of car. If you can afford it, go for it... you only live once.

And if you MUST go faster than what it does from the factory, just add some nitrous... you know, for those rare times that John Force gets lippy with ya.

 

Save the cash and get the 427. That's going to be the sickest vette ever from the factory.

 

If you have the means Do the new Z06, it truely is a crazy car. I like the exterior of the C6 Z06 it has the "edge" that the C6 doesn't. The interior is much nicer even if it is "infinity" like. And the motor is just ridiculous. Buy it drive it and enjoy while its under warranty and then when it is out but a cam and some headers and you'll be close to where the SC C5 would be with better suspension, interior, and crazy brakes.

I love my car but if I had the 60-70k to smack down on a new one I would. That said if you don't really have the money then you could build a ridiculous C5 Z06 for about 15k, thats shortblock, headers, Andy's kit, clutch etc. You could probably get 650rwhp conservatively out of that setup. With some 5k wheels you'd be into the C5 about 50K and would tear up a new Z06 albiet the new z would still be a better car...

 

I want first rights to buy yours if you trade up.

 

I think I will at least do the headers and get Ellis to tune it and leave it at that until I find out the actual price. Mark pretty much enlightened me today that a blower will not work good for me since I want to do track days at PIR.

 

That thought crossed my mind for a sec, lol.

A blower is not the way to go when doing laps.

 

Check this new link out: http://motortrend.com/av/autoshow/11..._corvette_z06/

 

If that's the case, my best advice is not to buy anything right now. You have one of the best track cars ever made right now. I know how fun modding is, and how everybody loves HP. I've got the bug pretty bad right now....

BUT! I took my car to its first autocross in 1996. I didn't lift a valvecover until last year. As fun as modding and HP are, they don't hold a candle to driving. As it sits right now, your car is capable of being one of the fastest, if not the fastest car at any lapping event you're likely to go to--with the right guy behind the wheel. I'm glad I didn't have 500 HP my first lapping day...I would have killed myself!

If you go and have as much fun as most do, get hooked like most do...it gets expensive too. Not just entry fees, but you'll go through tires, brake pads/rotors like underwear, you'll want coolers to cool everything including your blinker fluid, you'll want a better seat, a harness, maybe an extra set of wheels.... All that costs money. And when you get hooked on the Go-Fast Crackpipe, the money is much better spent on these items than more HP that you won't be able to put to good use until you have a lot more experience.

There's also the financial risk aspect. It isn't likely to happen, but how much bigger a hit would it be for you to total a new Z06 than your current one? I'm guessing pretty big.

Don't get me wrong, I'd give my left nut for a new Z06 (haven't found any takers yet though ) It's going to be an amazing car. And I want 500 HP too!

But I'd rather run the **** out of my Z28 at the track than admire my new Z06 in my garage. What a shame it would be for a car like that to go to waste because I couldn't afford to use it as it was meant to be used.... I wouldn't be having any fun, either.

In any case, I hope to see you out there this year--whatever you may be driving.

 

Thanks Jon! The voice of reason. I knew these things but was not wanting to admit them. Getting that 500fwhp and hitting the track leaves me with issues to still address in all the areas that you mentioned. I think the driver mod that involves a $400 lapping day exercise would be the biggest bang for buck mod! Anyone want to go do this with me this spring???

 

I'm in. Let's figure out when it is so I can start milking the mod $ account.

 

Here is experiance.

Do heads and cam on the current car. That will push you to over 500 FWHP EASY. Do bolts and your car is a DEPENDABLE Monster. IF you desire go one more step and pick up a SLP 402 for $3,500, put a good set of heads on it and SAVE you stock Z06 Motor.

BAMM!!! 500RWHP and TQ for about $7,000!

CF Super Chargers. Every one knows I do not like. Fact is if you REALLY drive your car hard they are not dependable. Always blowing hoses and breaking stuff. Hell Good luck making it through a Auto-X with out blowing a hose! There you are clawing under your car trying to put the damn thing back on or un-plugg your MAF so you can get home! Not to mention every time you try and work on it you have to take half of it apart. BUT for the bling factor they do rule. If you are not going to drive it hard and just show the car then a blower is for you. Put just a big enough pully on to make killer dyno numbers and brag about. BTW I am not beating on Todd here. That is what most do

N2O. this combined with any of the other factor brings to life the HULK in your car. I huge green M F'r that destroys the competion faster then any thing around. Main draw back is control....most people can not control them selves not to keep push that button.

Turbos. This is the most expensive option ,N20 being the cheapest, in the gruop. A well built setup is going to push you over $5,000. Power will be great and over all dependability is good. much better then the super charger. This would be the sleeper choice Then again you want to bling it

Eaton Radax Blowers. This is a nice Bling choice. power is fair and very reliable, save for tha rear belt. Then again say good by to you stock hood...Adding to the bling AND price factor.


Over all I would keep the car you have and do the SLP short block kit with a good set of heads. This leaves you stock LS6 motor un touched and ready for action. If you decide to sell the car you yank the motor and recoupe around 1/3 to 1/2 your investment.

All kinds of options....as you can see I go for dependable

 

The truth is the truth, no argument from me. Blowers are great for the show thing, that is the main reason I have it. Also they are great for the occasional street race or a couple 1/4 track runs a year. They would be the worst situation for a road corse or even for every weekend at the 1/4 mi strip (unless the motor is built for it).

I think of it this way, a blower stuck on a stock motor will be fine for that occasional need for power but build the motor correctly if you use the power all the time for racing\or more than a few times a year. You will just be asking for trouble running a stock motor hard all the time with a blower.

For the shows, man I got my moneys worth in compliments, also at the dyno. It puts my car apart from being stock looking...I am all about the looks.

Also I want to add my skills are not up to what all you guys have so bolting on stuff is a good thing for me also.

 

Now you're talkin'! For those with no experience, I think the very best first lapping day is one of Kitch's One Day High Performance Driving Clinics . They offer a bunch of them. Not only do I think it's dangerous to turn people with no experience loose on the track, but you don't learn anything. These programs do it right with top quality instruction, teaching you what you need to know. At the end of the day you'll be much, much faster with proper instruction than if you went to an event that just set you loose. If you turn on SPEED right now, you can see how Team Seattle is doing at the 24 Hours of Daytona.

I should be "Advanced Afternoon Lapping" on one or more of those days in April or early May. It would be great to meet some of you guys at the track. I'll try not to scare you guys too bad. After that you can see they have a pile of "Novice/Intermediate/Advanced Lapping Days" that you'll qualify for.

If you need anything else to wet your appetite, here's a short video I shot last year at one of them....