cathammer

Seriously looking for a C6 & found one that met many of my preferences & had lower mileage (a bit over 40K) than I had hoped for. In checking it out, it came up that the car was previously supercharged & had recently been put back to mostly stock (info not initially noted in the ad...had to ask after research). Car is an '07 automatic coupe. Current owner is not the one who originally installed the SC.

Now I'm a bit hesitant. Should I be concerned that having been run with a blower for an unknown amount of time & under unknown conditions could have caused excessive stress/wear on the engine & drivetrain that might result in mechanical problems down the road earlier than might normally be expected?

I'd appreciate whatever opinions, experience, guidance, anyone would care to offer.
Thanks!

Vettereturned

I'm sure the SC wasn't installed so he/she to get to church sooner. If I was looking for one I'd keep looking, but that's just me.
I have no knowledge relative to stresses caused by a SC but one can only surmise that stresses would be increased through out the drivetrain. Including the braking system to get that breast stopped....
Good luck.

camgci

Don-Vette

You know the car was beat on, LS3 is a stout motor however. It's your decision.

R&L's C6

I personally wouldn't touch it. How was it treated, who did and undid the work, what about the tune...... too much baggage for me to think about. YMMV

RichKiss

LS3 is a stout motor but if its an 07 as stated it has an LS2. I personally would stay away. As previously stated in other threads, stock is worth more than modding it yourself. If you want supercharged, step up to the ZR1. If you can't afford it, don't do it.

veloz

no way of telling..unless he was your neighbor and u knew how he drove the car. you should ask how long was the SC on the car--mileage. and if it was taken to the drag strip a lot...

but keep in mind also, normal DD SC cars dont see much stress...it all the depends in a lot of variables too...installation, boost level, trips to track, mileage...etc

if you are really serious, take it to a shop and have them chk CPU and it should tell them how it was driven. you can also send a sample of oil to a lab to investigate.....chk with the shop that installed the SC...lots you can do..

Charlie in TX

I agree with the others, i would walk. If you chose to prosue it, it needs to be cheap. Maybe 70% the going price of a unmolested equal car. An 'o7 c6 base 40k miles should be in the 25-28k range? So 17-19k

Ben101er

I agree with Charlie. If you can get it right, I would drop a new LS3 in it, and sell the LS2 on Ebay.

ZR1Cat

Just knowing the significant differences that GM engineered into the LS9, I would say I wouldn't trust an unknown after market blown engine (that was restored to stock). There are just too many good C6 choices on the market to want to leap into the risky unknown of that one you are considering. My advice is to move on.

Wayne O

I'm always leery of people who de-modify a car to sell it. Having been performance modified it's safest to assume the car has been driven 'hard.' I'm an avid road racer so for my purposes I'm not a fan of forced induction. I want the strength, reliability and power of a fully-built, naturally aspirated engine. As to your question....IMO anytime you push an engine beyond the specs and limits it was designed and engineered to handle you greatly increase the risk of an internal failure....especially with a stock, cast-piston engine. The car could be fine but if it were me I'd pass and keep looking. Good luck whatever you decide to do.

Nosferatu

all used cars are a mystery

Just because it's supercharged doesn't mean it's a problem car. I've seen cars modded to wazoo in better shape than stock cars that had ignorant owners who just didn't care and drove the car into the ground.

Just do a through inspection of the car and have an independent mechanic take a peek.

P0234

I'd skip it. If you are adventurous you should have a leakdown test and oil analysis performed (hopefully the oil wasn't just changed).

jimmie jam

Listen, not ALL modded engines are thrashed and beat although most are. I would SC my car just to "do it" and not really drive it let alone "beat it". That being said I would not remove the SC to sell it either. I would stay away from this car or any other modded/demodded unless I personally knew the owner. There are sooooo many cars out there to pick from. FWIW.

Mike's LS3

There are some good answers above. Just to add, what might be helpful is knowing what supercharger was installed. Roots or centrifugal? Boost? HP level, who installed and tuned it. Roots type S/C's will put more stain on the drivetrain vs. centrifugal because of the low end torque they produce. Boost within safe limits of under 8 lbs. should not present any issues as long as the car was properly tuned. Finally, how was the car used? Spirited driving or moderate track use? If those answers are unavailable, then walk away!


I have a centrifugal supercharger that was professionally installed and tuned. I have never tracked my car or beat on the drivetrain, never have even prior to S/C install. I enjoy spirited driving. I would not remove the S/C to sell the car. It is equally as important how the previous owner(s) drove and cared for the car along with it's mechanical history. With multiple owners it will be hard to determined no matter what was done to the car.

TXredc3

I have no knowledge relative to stresses caused by a SC but one can only surmise that stresses would be increased through out the drivetrain. Including the braking system to get that breast stopped....
Good luck.[/QUOTE]

Breast? I can tell what's on your mind!

not08crmanymore

Yes,I can certainly imagine the brakes I would wear out stopping breasts...or not...


OP.It all depends on the amount of boost the person ran.The systems can handle around 550-600 if I remember correctly from previous threads on the subject over the years.A stock VETTE will always sell better and faster then a modded one hence the person putting it back to stock.However,with all the unknown factors,IF I WERE YOU I'D HAVE THE CAR CHECKED OUT FROM TOP TO BOTTOM BY YOUR MECHANIC.There are thousands of vettes out here for sale so your options are open. Remember, 08 and up is a completely new tranny,upgraded motor and steering snd an extra 30-36 hp and 20 ft lbs of torque. Whole different beast. I'd look for an 08.

Hameister

Just the fact that you expressed that concern tells me you know the common sense thing to do.
That drive train may be in good condition, or it may have been beaten senseless. Fact is you don't know.

With so many well maintained, one owner, stock 'vettes out there, why would you want to take a chance with one that understandably makes you uncomfortable?

Here's my 2 cents...

Cent #1 -- Look for another 'vette.
Cent #2 -- Look for a 2008.
For just a little more, you'll get the LS3 engine, better steering geometry, vastly improved M6, if you choose a manual gearbox, you'll enjoy an updated interior, On-Star & XM Satellite radio, a broader choice of colors were added in '08, as well as other improvements.

What ever you decide, good luck!

JAvery20

I would be worried about the automatic transmission more than anything. They are usually the week point, especially once GM switched over to the 6 speed.

Engine wise, I would not worry unless he was running a large amount of boost. These LS motors are extremely tough. I pulled some detonated and melted spark plugs out of my LS1 more than once. I put 86k(96K total) miles on it while spraying and it never missed a beat. Leak down and compression check all came back fine.

Hameister

Is this the same problem Bill Cosby is having right now?