c5racr1

4th gear right before start finish at Nola. I wish my car would do 150 in 3rd!

Mordeth

Thanks. Guess when I do the wing I will also be doing a new splitter. That is disappointing. I'm still dumping this air-dam.

Dirk Miller

I just recently turned my '08 C6 into a wide body to allow for room accommodate 18" square wheels and big brakes. Have been considering front splitter and rear wing too. Could you clarify what air-dam you are about to dump? Maybe pictures would be helpful.

Mordeth

It's the black rubber/plastic piece under the front fascia that extends the width of the car. It is thin and low and flexible and it usually the first thing to scrape. On non-z06 cars, I believe it also assists in cooling the radiator by deflecting air upwards, as the radiator is exposed from below. On a Z06 the radiator is cooled from air through the front of the car and is sealed on the bottom of the car.

If you look under the front fascia, about a foot or so back, you will see it. A long, black segmented rectangular piece. I can snap a pic tomorrow if this explanation isn't sufficient.

Suns_PSD

My C6 Z51 radiator is behind the big hole in the front of the car I just don't buy in to the whole 'bottom feeder' description that is often touted.

What's the best way for me to seal off the underside of my engine compartment and what would be the effect of doing so?

Currently my 'aero mods' are a WC hood, a ZR1 spoiler that likely does nothing, and I long since removed the black rubber air dam from my car.

I'm in to inexpensive, easy, and not altering the character or looks of the car too much. I don't feel the need for full aero, just interested in optimizing what I've already got and making small tweeks.

FASTFATBOY

C5 yes, do not take that piece off of a C5 it WILL run hot.

C6 is made different, dont know about it, but GM spent millions on engineering, its on there for a reason.

harrydirty

I'd like to see a reply from someone who tracks their C6Z AND has removed the air dam. I am curious if there are any overheating issues as a result.

Mine constantly scrapes on my driveway and I'd like to remove it but am hesitating since the result may be overheating at the track.

Anyone here with actual experience in removing and tracking their c6z?

c5racr1

I took that air dam off as one of my first track mods, I didn't notice any difference. On a C6z that air dam does nothing for cooling. The air intake from the bottom is blocked off from the factory.

c5racr1

The only way is to improve front downforce can be done inexpensive but nothing is easy. I built a real front splitter that goes from 3 inches in front of the bumper cover to past the oil pan underneath the car.

Mordeth

As the Z06 is a front feeder and the radiator is closed off to the bottom of the car, about the only thing that the stock air dam can possibly do for cooling on a C6Z is to direct air into the factory front brake ducts, which pull air from that area and are questionable at best anyhow. I have already moved my ducts to the front of the car, so I don't care about that. If you aren't tracking the car, you won't overheat the brakes anyhow, making the factory ducts even more useless than they are on the track.

You won't overheat your car by removing that air-dam on a C6Z, as it serves no purpose in cooling the radiator.

blkbrd69

Few things at work.

1. If you are scraping you want to scrape down the cheap rubber/plastic before the pricy carbon parts. I like my plywood splitter for this reason

2. That stupid plastic thing does help with brake cooling when using the stock cooling ducts w spindle ducts added. It also induces a low pressure area behind the radiator to help with cooling, both with the expense of lift.

3. Many duct the brakes via front fascia or foglights, run an undertray w a vented hood which really help cooling and lift rendering the rubber pieces a non issue.

c5racr1

I agree ^ in fact blkbfd69 inspired me to do my plywood front splitter.

phipp85

I removed the air dam a long time ago. It will not have a negative effect on your coolant temperature. If you don't seal off the bottom it will most certainly overheat. There is a felt/cloth piece sealing off the bottom just in front of the air dam that has torn open on me and the car quickly overheated.

Suns_PSD

Could you be a bit more detailed. All flat? How did you attach it. A photo?


Maybe you get less lift cause you hung 60# of wood off the front of your car! JK.

Honestly I'd rather purchase something made of ABS premade.

I had a 2005.5 Jetta tdi many years ago and ran it with, and without the large piece of plastic that made the engine compartment completely flat on the underside. It was a dramatic difference in drag. About 6 mpg difference consistently. Now % wise that wasn't a ton cause it went from 38 to 44 mpg. Still I've always been confused why every single car built doesn't come with a factory installed engine pan to reduce under engine turbulence. That's free hp/ mpg for basically pennies if engineered from the factory.

bdhulderman

I do know that in my '66 coupe, it does have excessive aero lift, and will lose traction in the front right at 160 mph. I've since put a spoiler on the front that may help some, but have not tested this out.

RecMech

My base C6 has done 175 mph stock.. It did feel light in the nose.

Modified I have done 246 mph with just Tracspec hood vents, Katech splitter, and APR ZR1 style spoiler.. I did have to up the spring rates to 800/800. Car is scaled right at 50/50 and felt solid at speed.

I had major concerns getting into this project, but the C6 aero has proven to be decent at speed. Hoping to wind tunnel in the spring.

Obviously none of this has anything to do with taking corners!

Bill Dearborn

I had my troubles at the kink with the C6Z. If I went over that little hump at wide open throttle the back end would break loose and move to the left which tended to pucker the butt a little. After I had it happen enough to realize it was the car reacting to the track and not something on the track I would back off the throttle as I approached the kink and then would get back on it once the rear wheels cleared the little bump.

That had nothing to do with aero push as the front end was plenty happy just the back end would tell me you better not do that anymore.

One event in 2015 I was having some issues with the car getting floaty over the crest of the hill on the back straight and the front end would wander some as I came down toward the Grand Course turn in to the Bitch but it only happened at the one event.

The C7Z just runs through that stuff and the first right turn in the Essses (the C6Z rear was very unhappy with this turn) without really feeling like there is anything to be concerned about. That is one of the reasons my lap times dropped so much this year. I had a car that didn't scare the crap out of me in two specific places on the track where you need to be carrying a lot of speed. As it turns out those problems were due to the car being lowered too much and not having sufficient suspension travel when going over bumps.

Bill

JENNIFERc6

Zr1 style front splitter added = and it dosnt worry me on track.

AzDave47

Drove an experienced student's Z06 at Montecello, 145 MPH in the kink on all OEM Z. He commented that I was faster thru there than he was and he "felt" the back end. I indicated that yes it was there just needed to be precise and clean on the line. The OEM rear shocks will create twitchiness in the back when they have to work. That can create an enhanced sense of flatiness or wander. Bilsteins took care of that for me as my first mod, rear is planted well.

For me stock aero, five straight-line passes at 190+ and a dozen more in the 166-173 range the car was a little floaty but certainly manageable. Stock aero at 150 MPH for ~90 miles 3-4 different times with moderate curves, again a little floaty but easily managed.

ZR1 splitter and fascia reinforcement, full width factory rear spoiler, brake cooling thru grill, two outside air dam pieces removed, center air dam cut down about half height, 4 more 90 mile runs at 150 mph and better but shocks feel a little soft, easily managed.

Floaty was a 1950's car at 80 or a late 1960's muscle car at 100 MPH.

a2wheeler

my C3 - 1970 stock would have aero lift at 165 on a long county road.
Yes, that speed is approximate as the speedo only went to 160 but the pegged point was about 5 more.
I'm very surprised to hear the c6 has this issue, maybe they need to go back in time a bit and copy a few things.