cagotzmann

I have been looking for a track day car. I have read all the C5 info on this forum but after all the reading and the long list of problems with the C5 Z06 cars should I be looking else where ?

But I do notice there are a lot of C5 Z06's at the track.

So If I ignore what I have read which year is the best starting point ?

I have a 2001 car to look at but was hoping to find 2004 cars to start with.

stevensa

All cars have problems at the track, period. The c5z, specifically 01-04 is one of the best you can buy and the $$$ to speed ratio is almost impossible to beat.

C5Z06CE

I am not sure what you are looking at but C5Z is NOT a car I would describe as having "problems at the track". I have been driving my C5Z with stock motor at the track for about 4 years now and besides maintenance the only issue I have was having yo replace the hydraulic lifters on one cylinder. The car is rock solid and outperformed cars 3-5x it's price. I consistently outrun every single Porsche GT3 and some GT3 RS most every Cayman GT4 except for ones well driven. I pass McLarens, Lotuses, even a Lambo and of course many C6 and C7 depending in driver and mods. I know good drivers with highly modded C6s (570rwhp and full aero) that beat me at Sebring by 0.5-1.0 second. I have seen several C7 blow their motors and some C6 blow their motors. I have yet to see a C5Z blow it's motor unless motor has been highly modded or with forced induction. The LS6 has been shown to be one of the most bullet proof motors GM ever made.

I would recommend a 2004.

SocalC5Z

"Long list of problems" on the C5Z? Point me to that thread.

Having run a 2002 C5Z for 6 years on the track I consider the "track use" issues minor...and in most cases ANY street car you run regularly on the track is going to require cooling system and brake upgrades. I changed my OE valve springs as soon as I got the car because of random reports of valve spring failure 2002-03's.

The year to avoid IMHO is the 2001, due to some incidence of oil burning. Any of the other years are good starting points with similar reliably. I choose a 2002 because I'm tall and the later cars have a different headliner that reduces headroom.

Like stevensa points out, the C5Z is arguably the absolute best bang for the buck for track use cars. I was not a Corvette guy, but after instructing numerous students in C5Z's, I was struck by the outstanding performance and reliability of a relatively stock platform and joined in.

cagotzmann

That is the impression I got from reading items like this.

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...e-learned.html

There is almost to much info here that makes it seem worse than it may be.

I did look at a 2001 today but after trying to press the clutch in I was done. The owner did say it was heavy but this was not to my liking.

I am used to the C6 6-speed and my 1978 with a T56 with a twin disc. Nice and light. I will try to find another C5 to test, I am sure this was not factory.

The main things I want are.

Engine / Tranny / diff all great working order needing nothing to start.

I am willing to deal with suspension / brakes / steering systems.

My plan is for a stock 2002-2004 Z06 and start with suspension / brakes and cooling system while I learn to drive and setup the this car.

But it sounds like most of you agree this is a car worth the attempt. I just need a place to keep the 3rd corvette. I don't want to miss any track days so I figured 2 is better than 1.

SocalC5Z

Okay Zenak's thread or "saga"...is great info and has no doubt been a positive contribution to the CF "C5 track Knowledge base", however this is not representative of what most of us tracking a C5Z have gone through to develop our track cars.

My advice, find a bone stock garage queen if you want the least amount of PO "upgrade and abuse" headaches and make gradual upgrades based on finding YOUR limits of the stock platform.
Or, find a well setup C5Z that comes with some level of history and preferably someone known here on CF, so you can get a comfort level that the car runs reliably and does what it's supposed based on his tread history.

I did the former and bought a 16K mile garage queen with dark windows, plasti dip wheels, and other visual upgrades. I started by returning it back to stock and replacing the valve springs. There is something to be said for the reliability of a low mileage garage queen and part of that is YOU get to be the first one to give it serious track use.

By my first outing, I had a track alignment, track pads with DRM ducts, R comps, 18" C5Z wheels all the way around and a DeWitt's radiator. I'm an advanced level driver and with the car setup as such, I ran out of brakes and saw big oil temps right away, however I did get to learn the car and formulate my next mods based solely on my own experience, rather than all the CF banter about what the car needs (most of which was pretty much spot on). Anyway, hope this is helpful.

jwh172

I have put 1500 track miles on my C5Z just this year and haven't had any issues. There are things that should be upgraded if it is going to be a consistent track day car, but this is true with all cars. I have spent substantially more money on brakes and tires than anything else since i started tracking it. My car has never broke down on the track (i just jinxed myself now) unlike a lot of cars out there. Yeah, there are some stupid things that aren't very reliable like the window motor and door handles, but those are a lot cheaper to fix than a BMW clutch.

The only other cars that are close to reliability of a corvette at the track (with similar performance) is a porsche. And i paid a lot less for my C5 with 29,000 miles than some of those gt3's that i occasionally pass on the track.

bigmackloud

threads like that are great for research, but it's like reading online product reviews. If you read enough of them, you'll be too scared to buy anything.

It's luck of the draw. While I do feel that the C5 is a solid track day car... my motor lost cylinder 7 on just my 5th track event. And it's not highly modified either. Just the way it goes sometimes.

but whatever track day car you buy, you're going to spend money on it. whether it's safety, braking, cooling, handling, or power... it all costs money and the more track events you do, the more you'll want/need each of those items.

kflee

I have had my 2002 Z06 since 2005 and have logged approximately 5000 track miles with it. Once you start to get moderately fast, you will need several upgrades. I took the approach, I'll fix it when it breaks. Very bad idea looking back... Spun a rod bearing and now have worn out diff ring and pinion. Car only has 35k miles. I still agree this is one of the best bang for buck cars out there, but do yourself a favor and spend the money up front.

Standalone larger radiator
Standalone oil cooler
High pressure oil pump
Double row timing chain
Katech or similar idler pulley
Brake cooling ducts and spindle ducts
Transmission cooler
Differential cooler
Improved Racing oil pan baffles (fairly new, but makes a ton of sense)

Then you'll want...

Seats
Harness bar and harnesses
Tow straps

After all this if you still have money to spend, suspension and brakes will make the car incredibly fast and fun.

Kirk

Moto One

If you get a C5Z (any year) my suggestion to you is a mild track alignment, good brakes,(pads/fluid/and burn up stock rotors from Napa) and maybe a cooling upgrade. You can reduce a lot of stress on the car (brakes, suspension parts, wheel bearings, and learn a lot by NOT putting sticky tires on it. Going with a harder compound tire will last longer, no it will not give you ultimate grip, you will still be going fast,leaning how the car handles, and it will make you a smother driver. (I'm sure you are already). Track days are not so much about how many cars you pass but how well you drive your car, and take it home in one peace.

Mark

Dan H.

My experience is consistent with the others on here.

I bought my Z06 4 years ago. It had 16k miles, but not a garage queen. It was someones daily driver and has the scratches and wear to show it. To me this made the ideal track car candidate. It was neglected because the gentleman i bought it from had some health issues he was going through.

I did all the basic maintenance right away. Some rotors, pads, and fluids and away you go. 4 years later, I'm no pro but my car has 5000-7000 track miles on it. I'm a solo intermediate in skill level and the car has been a consistent performer. I'm sure some more major maintenance is in my future: diff or TT or bearings. But so far its been great. I have 25 events on it so far.

You don't need to be super fast to have oil heat issues. I'd plan on that sooner than later. But many of the mods on here you'll hear people talk about are "wants" not "needs"

The one thing that has given me peace of mind has been a trailer. I didn't love the idea of being hours away from home in a 15 year old car. I picked up a trailer and started towing and that helped me feel better about getting stranded. Again, this is a want, not a need.

bj1888

The biggest limiting factor I've seen with my C5Z is cooling. With a bigger radiator and dedicated EOC, you shouldn't have to worry about temps. With the cooling system sorted, track-spec brake pads, and decent tires, you'll almost certainly have a car that will out-perform most drivers; I know I'm not anywhere close to talented enough to get every bit of performance out of the car.

CHJ In Virginia

C5Z is by far the best bang for your track buck going. Over 10 years, I put over 15K track miles on mine without a major failure. I would find one of the 405 HP later cars to start with. As you get faster, there are items which you will need to modify for reliability. Cooling is major especially in warmer climates - front brake ducts, engine oil and transmission coolers top the list. It is a slippery slope with mods beyond that.

jonnyc

if you end up buying a c5z,first thing is make sure the factory valve springs have been changed.oil coolers should be the first mods to increase reliabillity.then as your skills advance start looking at brake mods,tires,ans suspension.
one thing that can kill a ls6 is oil starvation.with slicks and long high g corners you can get oil pushing away from the pickup.an accusump can help with this issue.
other than that these are pretty solid cars

cagotzmann

Well this sound much more encouraging.
Thanks all, I have started looking for someone's garage queen as a starting point. Let the journey begin.

I just had my 1978 out on the track today. I am always the oldest car on the track and some people shake their heads at me and ask how can I do this to such a nice car. It looks stock from the outside but doesn't drive anything like a factory 78 Car.

Reggie Dunlop

One more here, C5Z is a great track car. My has thousands of track only miles on a most stock motor and mostly stock suspension.

argonaut

I've done 101 trackdays in my C5, mostly at an advanced or instructor level. I'd guess thats north of 15000 miles. I've wore out 2 Diffs, 1 transmission, torque tube bushings, clutch, 1 LS1, 1 set of poly control arm bushings, wheel bearings, calipers, ball joints, exhaust and a boat load of rotors, pads and tires. Pretty much - you name it and I've replaced it. Along the way I've added all the cooler upgrades and learned to change valve springs every 30 track days - IMO all mandatory if you want reliability and longevity.

Thats a **** load of money but its a damn site cheaper than running any of the German cars that are roughly in the same power, speed and handling class.

Z06VENOM

Agree with all of it. Can't go wrong with a C5Z or a regular C5 for that matter.
I've done a ton of lapping and TA on mine in the last 4 years...

only one problem with them... too easy to fall into that slippery slope of modding with them lol

GSpeed

The 2002-2003.5 had easier to service fuel pumps, which will save a lot of money down the road. Hardly a reason to buy a car on, but keep it in your pocketbook of knowledge.

danh52

You could look for a C5 that has already been modified for track use. I found my car with all of the cooling mods done and many of the other upgrades that have been listed above for $24K. Mine also has engine mods which aren't really needed but was part of the package.

The PO only sold my car to finance a C6 ZO6 build with even more HP.