[Z06] Caught in a downpour!
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 211
Likes: 6
From: Corvette Owner since 1971 - 2004 Z06 Florida
Caught in a downpour!
When it's raining out or thunderstorming the Corvette stays in the garage, however, it was a gorgeous and sunny day yesterday so I drove out to visit a good friend in the country to help him move a pinball machine.
Out of nowhere one huge thunderstorm popped up and I was caught in a downpour about three miles from his farm. The Goodyear Eagle F1 tires did much better on the wet pavement than I though they would and the interior of the car was bone dry. I was in the middle of nowhere, so I firmly hit the brakes as I pulled in to Ed's driveway and the antiskid system stopped the car straight without much of any sway or skidding, just some slight pulsing in the brake pedal.
Fearing hail, as soon as I got to Ed's he let me pull into his barn for safekeeping. As I sat there I thought how far we've come with Corvettes since my days in college with the C1 Corvette and water coming under the liftoff hardtop, down the cowl vent in front of the dash, and under the doors when it rained heavily. Now I have to wash out the hay that's left in the wheel wells from the barn, but thankfully I was spared from any hail!
Out of nowhere one huge thunderstorm popped up and I was caught in a downpour about three miles from his farm. The Goodyear Eagle F1 tires did much better on the wet pavement than I though they would and the interior of the car was bone dry. I was in the middle of nowhere, so I firmly hit the brakes as I pulled in to Ed's driveway and the antiskid system stopped the car straight without much of any sway or skidding, just some slight pulsing in the brake pedal.
Fearing hail, as soon as I got to Ed's he let me pull into his barn for safekeeping. As I sat there I thought how far we've come with Corvettes since my days in college with the C1 Corvette and water coming under the liftoff hardtop, down the cowl vent in front of the dash, and under the doors when it rained heavily. Now I have to wash out the hay that's left in the wheel wells from the barn, but thankfully I was spared from any hail!
Pro
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 600
Likes: 6
From: Las Vegas NV
Drove 3 miles in the rain in a car made out of fiberglass reinforced plastic and it didn't turn into a soggy paper bag!!! And the ABS worked too!!!!!! It's almost like it was made to be driven outside. Crazy!!
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,137
Likes: 4
From: Indianapolis Indiana
St. Jude Donor '13, '15, ‘18, '21
Mine is stuck out in a severe thunder storm right now. Trying to mod some things and got caught out and waiting for a call to take it into the shop for getting some things straitened out.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 2,855
Likes: 78
From: Sammamish WA
WA Events Coordinator
I been in quite few rain storms in my Z, runs great, just have to drive carefully. And no, it doesn't melt. I laugh at all the Owners that won't ever let theirs get wet, though I suppose a good wash gets everything just about as wet...lol.
Instructor
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 234
Likes: 12
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 2,186
Likes: 2
From: Woodinville WA
You had to anticipate all the sarcasm with a thread about how your car actually drove in the rain
If not, you will next time
We have folks in the PNW that daily drive theirs and 6 months out of the year (fall-winter) it rains nearly daily.
If not, you will next timeWe have folks in the PNW that daily drive theirs and 6 months out of the year (fall-winter) it rains nearly daily.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 211
Likes: 6
From: Corvette Owner since 1971 - 2004 Z06 Florida
It wasn't just rain, it was a downpour, 2 inches of rain in 15 minutes, road flooding, and golfball sized hail right after I got in the barn. I should have titled the post - I dodged a hail storm in a barn 
Probably a shot of the ground covered in hail 10 minutes after we got the Corvette in the barn would better explain the post. All's well that ends well.
Probably a shot of the ground covered in hail 10 minutes after we got the Corvette in the barn would better explain the post. All's well that ends well.
Racer
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 414
Likes: 7
From: New Haven CT
The Michelin CS tires, as part of the Z07 option, are probably deadly in heavy downpours. I'd imagine one would have to spend extra $$ just on a rim/tire package to allow normal travel in the rain.....I understand the outer half of the tire is pretty much a slick where the inner half has only 3/32" new..And there's a warning, I think in the owner manual, they are only for warm and dry weather driving....