Hey just wanted to say hello. I just traded in my 04 GTO and picked up my first corvette, a 03 Z06 with 42K miles and bone stock. Car is pretty much perfect.
Out with the old and in with the new:


Plans for the car at this point are basic bolt ons. Few questions are all the air intakes about equal or are a few better than the rest? and if so which are the best performing? I saw a hurricane intake that looked nice, but claimed up to 35hp gain which seems a bit optimistic for an intake. Also looking to throw some headers on and have been reading about the c6z06 manifolds and mids being a good cost effective upgrade coming in somewhere between LTs and shorty headers and keeping an understated sound profile. How easy is the install and what kind of gains are given up compared to LTs? I also would like to upgrade the stock shifter, which are the most popular options? Also how effective is a mail order tune for basic bolt ons? If I can get a decent tune from ECS or similiar for $150. It seems a waste to spend an additional $450 for a dyno tune to gain a few hp. Thank you for any input.

 

Congrats and welcome to CF!!

 

Very nice. Personal preference,personal experience,great results,used Blackwing,modified radiator shroud,used Diablosport programmer,eBay mid length headers. Keep the extra change in your pocket. If money is no object,that's one thing. But looking on the forum,etc,for used parts seems a cost effective way to get what you want on the cheap.

 

I did the exact thing, i traded my 2004 GTO in on my 02 Z06. I never looked back, and i doubt you will either. GOOD LUCK

 

Congrats! Welcome!

 

Congrats and welcome. Not all intakes are equal...but none will produce 35 HP. The main thing is to get a CAI (cold air intake), meaning it ingests no underhood hot air. Most popular are the Vararam and the Callaway Honker, but the Hurricane from WCC is good as well. I run a Honker on my C5Z. Halltech makes some great stuff as well, but I lean towards them on the C6Z's (running their MF103 on my C6Z).

If you don't have strict emissions laws like I do in CA, I'd suggest a good set of LT headers with a catted X-pipe. You should be able to find a good used in the for sale section here if you want to save a few bucks. If you're trying to be stealth, and/or looking to dodge some emissions laws, the LS7 manifolds, cats, and intermediate pipe can be used, but will require some fabrication to work, and you will leave some HP/TQ on the table vs. LT's. Run either of these with your stock Ti axle back mufflers...they keep the sound levels tolerable and flow very well. There are no HP gains to be had by replacing them with aftermarket...purely a change in sound levels.

Shifters are very much a personal preference thing...I don't like the mechanical "click" "click" feel of most aftermarket short throw shifters, so I opted to install a stock C6Z shifter in my C5Z. Reduces the throw by about 10-12% and much more ergonomic than the stock shifter which looks like it came from teh parts bin of an S-10 pick up truck IMO. The concensus is that MGW makes the best aftermarket short throw though.

For a CAI and LT's, a mail oder tune for a reputable tuner like ECS is fine...my preference is always a dyno tune though, but that's just me. Anything above those mods though, take it to a reputable tuner...it's worth the money from a driveability standpoint.

PS - I highly recommend some Bilstein Sport shocks as well...night and day better ride than stock.

 

My opinion is that you will find that this car is traction limited, meaning that the limits are DRIVER related, and that it does NOT need more horsepower in order to be competitive

 

Vararam is a pain to install but works very well.

RSD Snap shifter which is a C6 shifter with shorten throw, factory feel, no vibration and a short direct throw.

And you can usually find a smog shop that will look past the visual inspection which is where the long tubes fail. I've found that as long as the O2's are installed correctly they will pass you on the visual. And pass or fail solely on the sniffer test. I run LG Streets, I picked them up used and had them coated for $250.00.

 

How much ya pick it up for? If ya don't mind.

 

Welcome. Nice Z. I also picked up a 2003 Z few weeks ago. Have fun with it.

 

Welcome to the club ... enjoy your Z06 experience!!!

 

Congrats on the new Z. I made the move back in 06 went from my 04 Ls1 GTO to a 01 C5 coupe and that was a huge improvement now from my coupe to the Z. These are amazing cars and this forum is great, there is alot of great advice you will learn on here.

For my Z I have the B&M ripper shift with a C6Z shifter ****. Its very "clicky" but I like it. Longtubes are where its at for bolt-on performance. On my first vette I was doing a budget build so I went with Texas-speeds header and x pipe system. Couldn't beat 750 for LT's and a X pipe but the fitment wasn't the greatest. Now on my Z I run Kooks and I love them.

Best of luck do alot of searches, check and see if your car has the column lock bypass if not that should be your first mod. Congrats and keep us posted

 

I also went from an 04 gto to 02 zo I bought it stock and since added kooks lts vararam and ecs street tune. Some days I miss the gto until I drive the vette again

 

Also went from an 04 GTO to an 03Z.

 

Mind you my gto had heads cam and intake with a 3600 converter. So was a lil faster

 

I went from a 2007 G35 Sport Coupe to 02 Z06 and the Z06 has been great. I do miss not having to use a key to start the car... but I don't miss going outside and seeing my windows rolled down (seqence of keys pushed on the key fob while in pocket) on the G durning a rain storm.

Enjoy your new car!

 

gratz on the new ride bud

 

Congrats, What you have lost in comfort and interior design you will gain in performance... Even thought GTO's are boss

 

Congrats

 

Thanks for all the kind words. So far I am really enjoying the car, whole different feel than the GTO. The GTO did have heads, cam and a FAST, and I am intending to keep the Vette a bolt on car.

Just trying to do as much research as I can about which parts to get and what's the best bang for the buck.

FYI I got it for 23.4K