Dirty Howie

Thinking about getting one. Will have track wheels, tires and pads only (maybe tune).

Want to know if your cars that are not track dedicated are maintaining their creature comfort drivability.....mine would be a DD as well.

Any mechanical or warrantee issues ???

Is the paint holding up.....clear bras ???

Anybody wish they had not tracked it ???????????????????

Any other input ???????

Thanks

DH

reidry

Cobra4B

95Jersey is doing this... they're wonderful cars. If I were going that route I'd get a stoptech brake kit, CCW wheels w/ Pilot Sports, and a harness setup. Only do an intake and basic tune and they make 470ish rwhp. Oh and I'd invest in clear bra and prevent worry about the paint.

Z11409

If cars is also a DD--go with clear bra inclucing the whole hood.Windshields do not last long without a covering.Tape up over the rear brake ducts.Use 18 inch wheels all the way around.Brake pads(oem or aftermarket) go fast as do the front rotors.

trumper Z06

So far/so good with an 07 tracked last year. Completely stock, with a modified street/track alignment and Kumho V-710's on C5 Z06 rims.

So far, we have replaced the water pump... seems to be a rare case.

Brake wear is so/so... using 2 piece rotors and 1 piece carbo tech pads. Rotors last ~ 1 weekend & these are Coleman rotors with plastic air ducts. But the sucker sure... Stops !!!

I did get 4 days @ VIR... braking easily, on both rotors & pads. Also drove up & back from Atlanta...

Needless to say they were Toast when I got home.

Dirty Howie

What temps are you guys seeing for oil and coolant ????


DH

ProgGod

I know brakes when you drive the car hard are the big problems on the stock z06. Apparently they like to go up in flames. Other then that the car copes quite well.

95jersey

Bought an 06 from an auction last year with 4500 miles. I let go a VERY prepped 2001 Z06 with all the engine, suspension, brake and cooliing, and safety goodies dumped into it. Past car had 423rwhp, was about 150lbs lighter than stock 01Z, cornerweighted by Pheonix.

I bought the C6Z and within one lap I realized this car would have crushed my last car in every category (acceleration, cornering, braking). I could leave the car bone stock and smash 98% of everything on the track. It is an amazing car all around.

I have had some problems...I already broke 3rd gear and had to have that replaced (under warranty), my dry sump oil lines are leaking (apparently many do), and there have been some computer glitches. Battery dies within 1.5 week unless I keep a tender on it. The cooling temps are not as good as my C5 with the Dewitts upgraded combo radiator and 160F thermostat, but I have never seen the oil get hotter than 260F on a 90+ degree day.

Mine is not a DD, but I do drive it on the street occaisionally, and it's smooth as butter, actually TOO smooth. Although this car is definately faster in corners than the previous generation Z, it feels like a big boat sometimes. It's hard to explain, you are going much faster than you realize, but the car is SOFT and will move around on the suspension a lot. It doesn't cause the car to loose grip, just doesn't feel as connected as the C5Z (in my opinion).

Power is more than adequate, no need to spend money here. I put on a K&N and tune and got 493rwhp. Still scares me every time I get in the car.

Otherwise it's great knowing I have dry sump and don't need to add extra quart or even check the oil level for that matter. You have cooler on everthing that gets hot. The car is very complete and ready to be the fastest or one of the fastest at the track and get you home in luxury and navigation.

Paint is holding up good, but I put clear contact paper all over my car, as I am not taking chances with a $65k car. But since I have done this, I have gotten more scratches/chips from the street than the track.

All you really need in this car is race pads and R compounds and you are hanging with race cars! But the downside is the cost to run. You go through brakes often and rotors are expensive. So, compared to a C5, you have to dig deeper, but then again, you don't have to spend money modding the car.

Do I regret it....sometimes I think about the $65k in cash I laid down, and that my last car was paid for, but then I would have spent the money maintaining my car out of warranty anyway. I often say, this is the car to have when they start going around $40-50k.

The only thing I really wanted to mod after my first year, beleive it or not was the suspension...it's just too soft for my tastes. So I am putting in LG coilovers and T1 bars. It's at Pheonix right now and should be a monster when it gets back

Timz06

I've only tracked my car once, but I was seeing oil temps of approx. 225 deg. The z06 has an oil cooler, it actually takes quite a while for the oil to come up to temp on the street.

Tim

Cobra4B

You say you broke third... what broke? I wore my 3rd gear synchros out after 4 years of HPDEing... just the nature of the beast. It would start grinding on ever 3rd gear downshift.

MRZ5

I have been tracking for a 1 1/2 years, and open road racing, this car is unbelievable, as much as I beat the hell out this car, its only had a few problems, i also spray a 150 shot direct port system @ texas mile

2 water pumps
rear end out shaft

I change all my fluids out after each race weekend, cost's me about $200 to do this, training, rearend, engine oil, brake fluid.

I have upgraded to willwood brakes with ducts, I have 2 weekend hpde on these brake's and they look like i can get another weekend @ least out of them. it does get expensive to use stock brake set up.

I run r6 hoosiers, can get 3 track weekends out of them
just put on lg coilovers, and wow, last track event was 2 weeks ago, and I can say they are that good.

put in dewitts radiator, trying to keep it cool, 255 water temps, 275 oil, this was at end of a 20 minute session, I have a vararam intake on it now,and I will pulling it off for tracking, as it is not letting radiator cool properly.

I do not use it as a daily driver, but I do drive it on street alot. You just have to maintain this car and it will be fine.

95jersey

I went for 3rd and it was just not there. I thought I missed a shift, and when I came back around to try 3rd, it was gone. There was no bang, no mild progression of grinding. It worked fine, then a moment later was gone. They had to remove the tranny and take the whole thing apart and the actual gear was ground smooth. It was really strange, as the car still shifted fine and every other gear worked. They found what was left of the gear all over the magnetic plug.

The thing I like about the C6Z is the fact that little to nothing needs to be done to the car and it's all under warranty. Also, regarding the brakes, they work well and are by no means junk. They are better than the C5 brakes and I would say better than the wilwoods, but they just eat through paddlets at an amazing rate. I have not tried the single pad design, but I may try it this year. Also, I think for drilled rotors, they are pretty darn good and hold up as good as a standard C5 rotor if not better.

Also, please remember, eveyone compares these brakes to C5 brakes, but this car is carrying SO MUCH more speed everywhere than you just can't compare. With the corner speed, torque and strait line HP, this car is going to tear through any brake pad in short order. I am sure Stoptechs would last longer, but I bet no where near as long as they would last on a C5. The car is just so fast. You just have to drive a 427 to find out.

Z11409

WSIR,SM and Button , oil runs 265-water 235

Cobra4B

I have I've driven my buddy Rich's a few times and "other than legal" speeds

trumper Z06

C6 Z06 @ VIR (July) & Road Atlanta (Sep't) ... oil ~ 262 F/ water ~ 223 F.

These temps. were at my two hottest track day events last year...

and are about the same as on my 04 Z06, which had the Ron Davis combo radiator/oil cooler.

Mikelly

The tranny on the 06-07 was an issue and has been replaced with a new tranny all together in the 08s. That, the lighter steering and better valving on the shocks would make the 08 the better buy in general.

I'm awaiting Jim McNemar's 08 to return from LG. Those boys are giving it the "full" monty!

Mike

Mikelly

I was at Summit Point (shenandoah) with Rich last fall... That is a gorgious car. Shame it couldn't hook up, because we were both hoping he and I would get some clean laps together for a good comparison.

Mike

whosurdaddy

I have been fortunate in my 2006. There are no real mechanical issues. That being said, stiffening up the chassis would be a good idea, though the std tunnel plate (from C5 stardom) might not be necessary as I know the OEM unit is a 1/4" alum unit already. I have also noticed a couple of times, while up on jacks, that only 3-jack stands were "in-play". Looking underneath, it appeared that the chassis might be out of alignment and preventing it from sitting flat level on 4 identical jack stands. I do recall that the BMW Z8 had issues with the aluminum frame bending so I'm a bit concerned about this and need to track it down before the season starts.

Also, regarding the brake discussion, I was turning 2.13's at Watkins Glen on stock brakes with high temp fluid and PS2's. So, while I burned through a WHOLE set in less than one track day - I did make note of excellent brake feel. By the way, track record at WG in the ST class of Grand Am/Koni was 2005 in a Mustang at 2.12.48 on slicks.

outnumbered

Approximately 36 track days.

Car is holding up very good, except the following,

Brakes. I will be installing Brembos

Water temps 230-240 deg. Oil 260-280 deg.

I will be upgrading the radiator. I use a speed lingerie bra. The water over heated. I had to cut the mesh out.

I use spray bra, shelf paper and the lingerie bra and have had no paint damage.

The windshield take the worst IMO.

xsiveone

How are the aluminum frames holding up? I heard rumors a while ago that the aluminum frames were bending. I wonder how well they hold up under track use?