Been a while since I posted. Thought I would post up the long drama of my summer. So far Corvette is not a great car as all are led to believe. Apart from parts no longer being made for just about anything below 2001 the car is definitely from the borderline bankruptcy days of GM. It actually makes me sad to think about it that way.

Anyways my summer was spent without my car since the shop I chose apparently cant handle their work loads. I dropped my car off on April 18th with a list of things I wanted checked. The car seemed to just pour fuel out to the point of wreaking of gas/exhaust after driving it, heck I bet my CO levels would skyrocket driving it. It had a vibration from different areas around 100 and while cruaing at lower speeds, metal flaking on the drain plug on my new Texas Speed stroker motor, and I had new injectors to put in to see if maybe the injectors I used in the build may be at fault.

Now seeing as between my wife and I driving to and from work daily we both pass this shop multiple times a week and even weekends, for the most part the car sat and sat and sat. About August I decided to purchase a C5 Z06 trans and the torque tube from a 2001 car with 26k miles. Advised the shop of this and asked about an ECS trans/diff brace. I was told “have a used one here”. I said ok add that to it and Ill being it by for you all to do the R&R for me. While at it I asked if they thought the TT needed a rebuild to go ahead and do that while at it. No responses to that. Now mind ya I had LSFest coming up the second weekend of September and the owner knew that. I drive my car there and back. Anywho I got my car back the day before I was supposed to leave for the event at 16:00 hours. Car has a leak around the targa/passenger widow I have been dealing with and it is in the garage at my house. Not while at the shop. So I find mold/mildew behind the passenger seat and a floor board soaking wet. My drivers head light which is a JW Motorsports set up has water standing in it and no longer works. Car still blackens the back end all though not as bad and I still suck in exhaust fumes while driving it. I will have to say they did redo the fitting of my rear diffuser (even though that was not asked for, wondering if they hooked it and pulled it loose while working on the trans work) and they dented my drivers header more from the steering shaft but still touches it! All in all they said no metal in the oil filter, drew down and refilled the A/C (not sure why but was charged for it), “retuned” it after the 1 hour labor charge to change the 8 injectors and got it back to me. I have more unanswered messages to them than I have replied to messages. I did screen shot all of that just to be able to show anyone that asks. I literally had to ask if my car would be done or not so I could cancel my hotel and try to get a refund from Holley the day before I got the car back and there was no reply to that message either. The shop manager called to inform me it would be that day or the next blah blah blah. When I picked it up the shop owner wouldnt even speak! Sitting right in the room and no words. No ECS trans/diff brace installed and no mention of a TT needing a refresh or not.

Anyways I will have to look else where to find out why it runs the way it does.

I did remove the C5 Z06 leafs and Johnny O’Connell shocks and install BCRacing DS series coilovers yesterday and then took it to a place for an alignment and adjustment so there is that! Gees what craziness!

Hope everyone else is doing well!

 

Doesn't sound like the car's fault. No offense. Speed shops are all over the map when it comes to quality and craftsmanship. Had a stroker built by a shop in Shaumberg Illannoy. It came apart in 300 miles. AFR head gave up a valve. Boom. Your asshats left that thing out in the rain forever.

My experience in shops is that you have to stay on them like a bum on a ham sandwich to get anything done on time. Then the QC has to be good or, BOOM! I was thinking of supercharging my C5 but I'm thinking I like the reliability and I do drive it quite a bit. It's my daily. It came from the previous owner with long tubes, bassani, tune. Runs great.

Good luck to you. You're going to need it.

 

So, you have a heavily modified car that’s apparently a POS due to the modifications and you’re blaming the manufacturer. 😂😂😂
you have a water leak on a 21 year old car. I doubt it’s a manufacturer defect.

 

I know this doesn't help and not everyone is available to make the time, but stories like this simply reinforce the reason why I never take any car I have to any shops for any reason if I can help it. I do 99% of the work myself, or I get rid of the car. I wish I could find a shop that's always dependable on whatever car I have, but I don't seem to be able to. I feel for you, and I also don't think it's the cars fault, it's the shops.

 

Im not blaming the car for what I have done to it. It has just not been a good experience. As for the leaking roof, apparently GM no longer makes the seals? But my words mean more of for a car that is Americas sports car it just leaves a lot to be desired. This is my first dabble in the Corvette world and I had better luck with my Camaro. That is what I mean.

 

I usually do do the work myself but I didnt buikd the engine and they assembled the long block for me.

 

I dont think it is the cars fault either unfortunately.

 

Eh Im just bummed I guess.

 

You have reason to be bummed. The idiots at the shop that you brought your car to screwed it up. They're obviously incompetent. As one of the other posters said you have to be able to work on these cars. There's just so many examples of people getting screwed over by shops that don't know what they're doing.

 

^ That’s kind of what it sounds like to me. Sorry you are not having a good ownership experience.

 

Look at this like a Glass Half Full Situation . . .

Your Soon to be Classic C5, aged another Summer and didn't get a bunch of miles put on it, nor did it suffer any other breakdowns, or failed parts that aren't made anymore.

Look forward to next Summer and close the chapter on the 2021 Summer Season . . .

 

Ayyyyyye! Good point! 🤗

 

Yeah, it seems the last TWO Summers will be chapters that are easily closed, thanks to Covid and now nearly $4/gallon Premium fuel. Please hurry, 2022!!!

 

Sorry you've had such a bad experience. It certainly seems like an issue with the shop though. Good luck getting it resolved.