StreetSpeed

Dudes,

My dad just had to replace the motor in his 2008 Z51 with 17,000 miles, because it broke on the track. $14,000. My dad decided to take it up the ***, buy a 2011 Grandsport, took a $14,000 hit on his trade, and thus wound up with the most over priced Corvette in history. It's asinine to me that Corvette builds and markets their cars as performance vehicles with Competitive Driving Modes, lap timers, but as soon as you use it as intended, they hang you out to dry if their car doesn't perform as it should. I made up my mind yesterday that I shan't be buying any Corvettes in the future and that a GT3 was glaring at me in my crystal ball.

Sadly, I went to 6SpeedOnline and found Porsche is just as bad if not worse about the same thing. Then someone posed that the Z06 warranty (this thread was from 2006) specifically covers you at track events. I just checked my dad's 2011 warranty and in exclusions it notes "...racing or any other form of competitive driving." Track events to me, are sure as hell not racing or competitive driving, but that language is not too assuring regardless. Can someone look in their Z06 warranty and tell me what it says specifically? Anyone know of any sports car manufactures or models who actually warranty their cars for their intended use? Lotus? Dodge Viper? Pretty damn sure it's not the Nissan GT-R...

C5 Frank

The Z06 warranty is no different than the Z51... There have been some occasions that 100% Stock Z06 that had a major failure at the track and have been covered. However if you go by the book, it is voided by any racing. Another thing is modifications... if you have anything more than a CAI and catback and have a major failure you will be out of luck.

I think every other car is about the same if not worse!

StreetSpeed

Right, well my dad's car was bone stock, and had a major failure at the track, and they stuck it to him. So if you're saying the Z06 warranty is the same as the Grandsport, then they are both in fact, nearly useless when it comes to track time. Really think they should change their language in the warranty, since DEs are NOT racing.

BubbaDuss

there are a few threads on the forum about this topic.

The kicker to me is. When you bought a ZR1 in late 2008 and early 09, you would have an opportunity to go to Spring Mountain, or Bondurant(sp?)... I forgot which..

according to GM you can do this (HPDE's, not an actual timed race event), but according to Dealers.. it voids the warranties..

redzone

GM didn't sign up to sponsor a race car for you. The verbage in the warranty statement is crystal clear.

And where's the lap timer on a Z06?

95jersey

Unfortunately (or fortunately), it really depends on the dealer and the kind of mood they are in that day...seriously.

I have had dealers tell me no to 100% legit claims, and I have had dealers replace any and everything all while the car was sitting in their shop on a set of Hoosiers and I was showing my track video to the entire service department laughing and giggling like a bunch of kids in a candy store.

In EVERYTHING in life, it's who you know, not what you know.

Painrace

If you take any car to any track you should be ready to foot the expenses if you or someone else has issues. It is a lot of fun to track a car but it cost money, sometimes, a lot of money!

Jim

Vette5.5

I run a few untimed HPDE's a year in my ZO-6, and fortunately haven't had any problem's. I recall an interview with Dave Hill(then in charge of Vette's) when the ZO-6 was just coming out, saying some track use was o.k. Not exactly sure what he meant by that, but seem's like the car is designed to take it once in awhile, but not a daily race track car. As for your dad, think would've looked into another shop dropping in a crate motor, rather than just bending to the $14k.

obzidian

Like oil and water.

The car is advertised and promoted to race on the weekends and drive to work on monday with a warranty but don't try it as the red-tape runs deep and you will get tangled up.

AFVETTE

If you track your car and something breaks I doubt GM will cover you, now if you drag the car home, remove any tell tail signs of tracking and call the 1-800 and the tow the car to the dealer for repairs and GM picks up the tab - you just got lucky.

BTW that's what a buddy of mine did at Road America. Had the car towed to EVS near by cleaned it in their parking lot used the drop key box and called them on Monday am to checking on the car claiming he was visiting family in Wis when the car "died". I won't go into details but he "got lucky". Guess you could call it FRAUD.

If you want to play remember GM doesn't KNOWINGLY cover this kind of use.

Tom

GMuffley

90sundevil

If you have Onstar it will note the time and location when the failure occurred. I may be wrong but many new cars have black boxes that store data. I know the CHP and my old department will get search warrant for the boxes and use them against you in court. GM will just read the computer and see what was happening with the car before the failure. That is if they thing you are trying to rip them off.

AFVETTE

True, but since the car took minutes to fail he was already off the throttle and coasting so any info still in the "black box" would see a car traveling at 35 MPH and failing and since the air bags didn't go off I'm not so sure there would be any "historical" info GM could use to deny the claim.

Tom

obzidian

I believe the GM "black box" holds data for the last 15-30 minutes. It does record events which can be used to "datalog" the problem.

But that isn't the problem.... if you wish, just go back and search for ALL OF THE advertising and marketing use on a z06. Let's say a 100% stock car blows a motor on a track (like they said it could and still have an intact warranty) wouldn't you assume that GM should repair it? Nope... not going to happen... BS marketing/advertising to entice the buyer and when it comes for them to hold up their end of the bargain, well, they'll just point out the clauses in your owners manual that contradicts said advertising, press releases, marketing schemes, etc.

Unethical and just plain old misleading, play of words.

mirage2991

Get over it, it's not like it's news, 99% of car maker do not cover anything else but daily driving... Did the op just get off the boat?
Gm just happen to have become more attentive about what some owners do and what gm is going to cover.

dg144

This is true, I had my 06 Z06 with oiling issue on track, threw a rod and 14 days later had 09 engine in and back in my garage, $0 to me,
GM came through!! love the car

Hawkeye2

Wonder what would have happened if my CTS V had a problem at a GM sponsered,
and by invitation only from GM, track day at Toronto Motorsports Park. You had to
use your own car, and in the afternoon, there were open lapping sessions. I am
sure there would be warranty claims if something happened! I think if the Vette is stock,
and the mileage is within the limits of warranty then a warranty claim woud be approved.

GTABurnout

Competition and Track days are not the same. Timing means everything so no timing no racing.

obzidian

See, you and I understand and with that, most folks on here understand the difference as well.

BUT, warranty coverage and the folks that enforce don't OR more likely, don't care.

If you want to blame someone, blame the diesel guys.

redzone

People beat the snot out of their cars at track days just like it was a real race.

I have plenty of friends that do these & while there is no official timing kept,for every guy that has no idea how he's doing,there are five that have some kind of timing device in the car.