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I owned an 02 C5Z with shocks, sways, poly-graphite bushings, R888's, race pads, cooling ducts, etc and felt like I was driving a go-cart. The turn-in was incredible and with only pads and cooling ducts the braking was more than adequate until you're ready to go big. Consumable cost was low and investment was low. Eventually needed oil cooler, Dewitts radiator, diff cooler in hot Texas summer when I got fast. Indeed the C5Z is a special car that is fun, affordable and a great platform to mod from as your track abilities grow. The other cars mentioned are great as well, however I've not had the pleasure of driving a C7 'on track'.
Same experience here, even down to the 02Z on Texas tracks.
C7 Grand Sport or C6 Z06 are both good choices. Both awesome cars. Stock the Grand Sport has better suspension (puts the power down better with the eLSD), brakes, seats, steering. Z06 is slightly faster - Mark and Bob both pull me up the back straight. The GS and the Z06 are capable of 1:30 lap times at Mosport.
You have to be a good driver and make a few upgrades (wet sump tank, suspension, brakes, valves,cooling) to the C6 Z06 to be fast and reliable.
I chose a new C7 GS and the only upgrades are 15w50 oil, DSC suspension controller and track alignment, Carbotech XP20 pads and better fluid. We changed the eDif fluid and bled the clutch. So far it's bulletproof.
Running stock Michelin Super Sport - don't bother with Z07 package - slightly better suspension offset by short life tires and expensive brakes. Not worth the money. Tomorrow I will test the GS with Pirelli DH slick on my CCW 18" wheels off my race car. Should be worth a few seconds a lap.
I will eventually fix the power deficit with a set of headers, porting of the stock heads, and a mild cam. I will wait a year for the extra power and just focus on getting everything out of the basic car.
You really don't need to do much to add more horsepower (minor bolt ons, maybe a tune)....I would leave it very stock for reliability. Yes, check and fix the valves if needed. Besides having 505 hp, you also have high rpm capability. This is so important when trying to pass other fast cars on the track. It's not always about horsepower but also the ability to rev higher without shifting when making a pass.
The parts for the C6 platform are very plentiful....body parts, aero, wheels, brakes, etc much cheaper than going with a C7. And once you start tracking the car, you will be going through parts. Either new or used, there are a ton out there. Also there are tons of great parts like vented hoods, lightweight hatches, carbon pieces, etc.
The C6Z06 is one of the lightest production cars on the market for it's performance output. Weight is your enemy...even if it doesn't slow your lap times it wears the tires and brakes out that much faster. The lightest cars tend to be able to run the longest in challenging conditions. A lot of cars are fast for the first two or three laps, then their weight starts to really work against them and slow them down.
I also think that the front nose of the C6 allows for better intake of air to keep the radiator cool and is easier to modify if things start to get hot to help keep the coolant and oil temps in control.
A C6Z properly set up and driven well can only be beaten by a handful of cars in the world. Assuming you're all in for $50k to $60k (cost of a very clean car and mods, tires, etc) that is really impressive considering who you would be embarrassing on the track.
I have a very well set up and exceptionally pretty '08 Z51 that is perfect for your needs. I'm not getting much use out of it because I have 2 jobs.
I should consider selling it to someone that can appreciate it.
Not to thread jack, but whatever way you go we have a seat mount that will put your seat on the floor. I have a mount going to a guy with a C7Z who's 6'7". He some how fits in that car with the stock seat and a helmet, so our mount should only make things better. I also think the C6 seats are so awful that it's necessary to install a race seat for real track duty.
Good luck with whatever you decide! I think if it was me, and money wasn't really a concern, I'd be going C7 Z51 or GS if you can swing it.
Can you tell me exactly how much lower I can get the lower cushion on a race seat to sit, vs. the stock seat, with your brackets? If it matters I'll be transplanting the Sparco Ergo II out of my Cayman.
I sat in a C7 over the weekend, hoping perhaps IT would have a lower floor... but pretty well experienced the same thing as the C6. I had to sit "gangsta lean" style in the seat to get my head down low enough... and then I was definitely sitting awkward: knees in the dash, arms outstretched... :/
I'll have to ask around some local circles and see if there's any big guys in my area with a race bucket that I can sit in. I really don't want to wind up buying a car only to later find there's no way I can make it work to where I am both safe and comfortable.
I just want to say that Mark with AMT Motorsports is a real gentleman. Mark is the president of AMT and not only puts out products that are of the highest quality but also personally supports what he manufactures. I have a set of his camber kits for my C6. The instructions that came with these are as professionally communicated as the high quality of the kit pieces themselves. I use two Corbra seats in my car. These sit very low so I don't have helmet contact with the roof. If Mark says he's got a new set up for a low riding seat, I sure believe him!
Can you tell me exactly how much lower I can get the lower cushion on a race seat to sit, vs. the stock seat, with your brackets? If it matters I'll be transplanting the Sparco Ergo II out of my Cayman.
I can't tell you that quite yet. My 6'7" guy got some Tecnocraft seats this weekend and will receive his AMT mount tomorrow. Hoping he will shoehorn them in pretty quick. I'll follow up with more info and pics as so soon as I have some.
08-05-2017, 06:35 PM
Same experience here, even down to the 02Z on Texas tracks.
