rfn026

I don't think it makes any difference for track days. You're not racing. You're out there to have fun. You can have fun with either car.

Be careful with any mods. Most people stop running track events after the first few times. It's tough to sell a car that's been modified.

Spend the first half dozen events running the stock configuration. If you still like it you can start stealing the kid's lunch money for mods.

Keep in mind that track days are going to cost you roughly $1,000 a day over the course of the season. I hope your wife thinks that eating at Chipolte is dining out.

Remember, no one wins at a track day. It's about fun.

Richard Newton
Gauge Reliability and Accuracy

amlarson2001

after owning both (a Z51 coupe and a 2002 Z) there is no way i could go back. Everything is that much better.

Bill Dearborn

Z doesn't really have any reliability benefits over the Z51/base car. All the cooling is the same except the base car gets a pipe for a PS cooler while the Z51 and Z06 get a finned cooler. Thing is the winged cooler isn't good enough for doing track events so you need to add a bigger finned cooler to keep the PS from frying itself. The Z tranny as I said before is great for autocross since you can use 2nd gear and that works damned near perfect. The C5 tranny is geared too high to use 2nd productively and 1st is too abrupt. On the track the results are just the opposite the C5 M6 is just about perfect and you don't run into the rev limiter in 3rd at 100 mph and 6500 rpm. It is more like 110 mph before you hit the lower rev limiter setting.

Bill

dagon138

yup
if you think youll be keeping up to a c5 z06 with c5 + 4k mods...lol

if your doing a full race car build, sure go with whatever.

C5 Hardtop

I've tracked both the C5 Hardtop ('99) and the C5 Z06 ('04) extensively.

I really liked the way the Z handled lowered on factory bolts. It has a stiffer frame (way more than the C5 coupe) and more power.

What I didn't like about the Z is the gearing. In fact, I hate the gearing in the Z. For that reason, I would go with the base model. But then you have the removable roof having squeaks and rattles.

If I were to do it all over again (w/a C5), I'd put the regular T-56 trans in the Z and that would be heaven. You will probably have the tranny out anyways servicing the slave cylinder and clutch.

Another thing is brakes. You gotta replace the brakes in that thing. Going with the base model will save you $5k and that would help pay for a BBK. Call LGMotorsports, they are the best vendor here to buy stuff from. Get their Cobalt pads; They kick ***!