Highpower500

I bought a 2003 Z06 last Spring and spent last summer getting used to driving it. I have no high performance driving experience, so I'm planning on taking some instructional classes at Watkins Glen once the 2012 season starts. I'm planning on doing maybe 3 to 4 track events next season along with maybe a couple of autocross events. The Z06 is not my only car, but I really want to keep in it in one piece, while at the same time have some fun with it.

What do I need to do to the car to make sure that I have a safe and fun time, and to minimize the chance of breaking anything due to high performance driving? The previous owner never changed any fluids besides the oil, so I know I will need to change at least the brake fluid. The tires are Michelin PS2s with about 7,000 miles of not too hard driving on them. During my last inspection, the shop told me that I will need new pads and rotors soon, so it would be a good time to change those also before I head to the track.

What brands of fluid would be good to use for what I want to do with the car? Also, what kind of brake pads and rotors would be good for my 6 to 8 track events next year? The rest of the time, the car will be my summer driver, so it will get a fair amount of street use.

johninar

Thirty five views and no responses? I guess I can tackle this.

I to track an '03 Z06, so I know what you will be going through.

1. take a deep breath and don't try and do everything at once.

2. Brake fluid is a great place to start. I use ATE 200. There are many others. A good DOT 4 will do just fine to start.

3. I'd recommend doing as many auto crosses are you can. It's great training - at a safe speed. Not much can happen to you or your car in a properly run autox. The seat time will help.

4. I used Hawk HP+ pads for several years. They dust quite a bit, but work well as a dual purpose pad. You can use them on the street and track. Good initial bite and work fairly well until you put a lot of heat in them (that will come with seat time).

That's a good place to start. Figure out what you want to do next. I went with tires fairly quickly because the track really tore up my daily drivers. Which let to a tire trailer, which led to a 24' Pace trailer, which led to a new truck, which led to a new radiator, under drive, intake yadda yadda yadda.....

Have fun!!

doveboat

Similar story here:

02 Z06 w/20k miles, I also run HPDE's in the High Intermediate Group, Recreational Street Car, I drive to and from events

My Approach has been:

- ATE 200 Amber Brake Fluid
- Red Line PS Fluid
- Hawk HP+ Pads and new OEM Rotors
- Nitto 555rII Tires - 275/40/17 & 305/35/18 on stock C5Z Wheels
- MGW Shifter
- DRM Oil Cooler
-+ one quart at events

The above combination seems to deliver good results for how I drive @ HPDE's.

Ed

JETninja

Clutch Fluid Care - Read this article from Ranger.

http://www.rangeracceleration.com/Clutch_Care.html

Joy of 6

Besides the basic safety items above, look for a formal instruction school. do a few of those and you will be off to a safe and informative start.

I took the Spring Mt school long time ago and learned a lot. the have rwal high quality instructors

Most of all have fun

Bill Dearborn

Where are you located? I take it you are a novice. As a Novice you can go with DOT4 brake fluid or ATE, Castrol, Motul, or Wilwood 570 or even the Ford Super Duty Brake Fluid. Ford fluid is a DOT 3 but spec'd at 500 deg F dry boiling point. The Castrol cost will open your eyes while the Ford fluid will be about the cheapest you can get and still know it is good fluid. The others will be higher but you probably won't need that yet. Best to flush the system a few days before each event. You can get by for the first couple of events on stock brake pads or if you want a little more bite you could go with some Hawk HP Plus pads or equivalent Carbotechs. Fresh diff and tranny fluid would be good.

Check the cooling system and make sure all of the hoses are in good shape and find out how old the coolant is. Dexcool should be changed every 5 years so if you don't know if the owner did that maintenance less than 5 years ago then flush the coolant and add a batch of Dexcool. Check your wheel bearings and tie rod ends and check the power steering rack and pump for leaks.

Don't plan on making a lot of changes until you get a couple of events under your belt. Your tires will take a beating but the Michelins are good ones to start with and it is good they have some miles on them.

Trackmasters will probably be starting the season off with their Novice School and Open Track event the last weekend of April with NASA/PDA being there the following Monday/Tuesday, the Ferrari Club Wednesday and Thursday with the BMW Club being there Fri through Sat of the following weekend (Fri is for Instructors/Advanced Drivers/Instructor Training Candidates). The schedule hasn't been firmed up for everybody yet but should be by the first of the year. I instruct with all but the Ferrari Club so can answer any questions about the schools.

Bill

jlutherva

PM me w/ your email address and I'll send you a set of checklists that I put together.

Be forewarned, this is a very addictive and expensive sport. You may want to consider track insurance also. I use http://www.ontrackinsurance.com. Locktonaffinity.com also does track insurance.

Jim

spdislife

Very good info and advice so far. All I would add is take a spare set of rotors along. Never know when they'll crack and you don't want to be stranded.

CHJ In Virginia

There are three additional maintenance items that should be performed prior to tracking the car. Since you don't know the previous history of lube changes, I would change fluids in the transmission and differential. Use good synthetics like Mobil 1 or Redline. Vettes are bottom breathers and accumulate a HUGE amount of junk in the fins of the AC condensor and radiator. Vacuum and blow out all the garbage with an air nozzle like this one. http://www.autotoolworld.com/Mountai...p_110072.html#

JimbeauZ06

As a beginner you can get by with just the fluid changes recommended above, stock pads and rotors (start with new and carry spares), and your PS2s will work just fine.

I recommend you avoid making major changes to tires or suspension until you have a couple of seasons of multiple tracks under your belt, and especially avoid the tempation of moving to competition or R-compound tires until you really learn the limits of the car on street tires.

To use my golf analogy, don't buy the Callaway until you can drive the ball consistently 250 in the middle of the fairway with the Wilson. Tires in particular can mask bad driving habits.

Have fun and enjoy your car!

johninar

Good advice above. I forgot to mention I attended the 3 day school at Bragg-Smith in Pahrump NV. (Now called Spring Mountain), before I ever did a HPDE. I can't say enough about how important good instruction is. As was mentioned above, check around and find a school. It's the best "track insurance" you can buy. I have since returned for the 2 day advanced school. You never quit learning, but the better you are at listening and learning from others, the better driver you will be. JMHO

John

Solofast

Probably shoud do a more agressive alignment. Not that the car will handle that much better (it will), but if you are running more than one or two track days you will chew up the outside of your tires in short order.

A more aggressive alignment will even out your tire wear and actually save you money in the long run. Cost is small, benefits big.

mark b

change brake fluid to dot 4, stainless steel brake lines, and helmet...stock rotors and pads you wont be going fast enough to crack anything yet, you will be amazed with your car though and be humbled then your money will slip away when u start getting faster..

travisnd

Good advice in here. Only thing I'd add us to start shoppin for a good seat. The stock seats offer no lateral support and can hinder the learning process. It's hard to learn the fundamentals of on-track driving when you're expending half your energy and focus on staying in the seat and holding yourself upright. It is a challenge to find a good seat that fits you while also fitting in the car and being comfortable enough to drive too and from the track.

Highpower500

Awesome, thanks for the info!

I am definitely a novice at this sport, so my plan is to get some professional instruction before I break any speed limits . Since I have no high performance driving experience, my instructor will get a clean slate with me and I'm more than willing to listen and learn from a professional.

My Z06 is totally stock at this point except for a skip shift eliminator that I installed last summer. There is a good chance that Santa Claus will deliver a MGW shifter for Christmas, so I will install that as soon as my car is out of storage.

Thanks again for the info, I really appreciate it.

Z06Fix

Hawk DTC30's might be a better pad option for you over the HP+. They are rated 100-1200 degrees Vs 100-800 degrees on the HP+'s. They will give you a bit more temp range and a touch higher CF

CDN_Wolf_eh

You may want to check out this thread I started a couple of years ago ...

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/cana...e-newbies.html

Highpower500

Thanks again guys.

That Italian video is hilarious!

sebdavid

HP+ are good brake pads but their dust is horrible, especially when it gets wet. Carbotech XP10 front and XP8 rear work just as well and the dust is much more manageable. Clean your wheels right after the event, assuming this is still a street car and you want to keep it looking pretty.

Change brake fluid to a good one, like ATE blue or amber, change all your fluids (transmission, differential, I would also change the coolant if it's never been done on the car before), and make sure your clutch fluid is pristine (the webpage given above by JETninja is great!).

Enroll into a driving school, then another one, then another one... until instructors tell you there's not much more they can teach you, and you're able to easily notice and analyze your own mistakes. Before then, it's counter-productive to go solo.

Teach yourself heel and toe on the street, don't try it on track until you can do it flawlessly coming up to a stop or red light on the street.

Street tires for now for sure. Easier to learn on and less stress to the car.

As soon as you start going quicker, brake ducts (good ones), bigger radiator, oil cooler, tranny cooler, diff cooler, and better seats will be requirements.

Adam@Amp'dAutosport.com