Hi: I just bought an '04 Z-06. I love the car but don't want to get embarrassed by a Viper. I would like to get the car in the low 11s. I would appreciate your opinions on using typical power mods (intake, cam, head work, exhaust, etc.) versus a blower. If you think a blower is the way to go, which one do you think is best? I am in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I think the closest MagnaCharger dealers are in Texas. Will the stock tranny stand up to the horsepower necessary to get the car near 11.0s? I would not be taking it to the track very often, maybe a couple of times a year. Lastly, what kind of tires do you recommend for a street-driven Z-06, that will help traction off the line but not hurt the cornering performance (if there is such a thing)?

Thanks,
Bill

 

seat time is the best mod you can do FIRST

get the car in the low 12's and high 11's first BONE STOCK, then get mods

 

Not expert advise (rarely received on the Internet) but I have owned and raced (and broken) a number of blower motors over the years, here is my .02.

1. Seat time is the best mod in the short run. Get to where you can run low 12's stock (or nearly stock) before you start adding power, otherwise you are wasting your hard earned $$$.

2. The blower vs H&C debate has no resolution. You can clearly get the car well into the 11's on H&C work and sticky tires. Do a stroker (383) with a high end cam and you are looking at high 10's. IMHO the H&C and/or stroker motor is a lot more reliable than a blower motor, particularly if you plan to keep the hyperpathetic pistons. Keep boost at 7#'s, use an intercooler, keep tuning conservative and you will have a more reliable blower motor even on stock pistons, but not as reliable as the alternatives.

3. As far as the tranny goes it should (there are no guarantee's or absolutes here) hold the power to run low 11's so long as you don't beat on it too hard or two often. The clutch is another story - you will need an aftermarket, and I recommend a dual disc w/adjustable master cylinder like the McLeod Street Twin. Also consider a hardened output shaft.

4. The stock F1SC's are a great all around tire for the street, you will need BFG Drag Radials or ET Streets to hold the power at the drag strip.

Hope this helps, other opinions will vary

Les

 

If you think losing to a faster car is embarrassing, maybe you should buy something else.

BTW the advice above is very sound, learn how to drive your car to the max before spending money on improvements.

 

If you think losing to a faster car is embarrassing, maybe you should buy something else.

BTW the advice above is very sound, learn how to drive your car to the max before spending money on improvements.

 

But it wouldn't matter how many driving schools I would go to there will always be some one faster, its just life. If I were you asking these questions, my thoughts would be that I wanted something really fast no matter who I would run. I think most people buy there Vette's because they love how they look, so what if a dodge is a little faster, enjoy what you have for now and then if you get beat then adress the issue.On the street sometime's 1/4 mile #s don't mean a lot, you may not go that far or you may go a lot father. Do you want a top end car or bottom end torque monster or some where in between.All these guys known a lot more than I do,so this was just my .02 cents.

John

 

Bill,

I have only seen 1 or 2 Vipers in Tulsa. Never seen one while in the Z.

 

get in your seat time first.........then........it's up to you, enjoy........jimmy

 

Well, I think anyone who wouldn't be embarassed by getting beat by a butt-ugly Viper in their Z-06 has a screw loose. And no, I don't need to buy something else. I love the styling and handling of the Z-06. I just wish it had enough power to run mid to low 11s in the quarter. Instead of buying another car, I feel that I should do whatever it takes to get the Vette's performance up to my standards. If you don't care about serious performance, why would you buy a Z-06? GM should have put more power in the car IMHO, and it appears that they are going to finally correct that mistake in the '06 model (for a lot more money, of course). As far as seat time, I think I have met that rite of passage. According to my G-Tech Pro, I have achieved a 12.4 quarter-mile in my Z-06 (it wasn't that hard to do - I have a '65 Plymouth that is 2 seconds faster than that). So I don't think I need to "learn how to drive the car." Mid 12s is OK, but I want to go faster, and be able to spank a stock Viper in the quarter-mile. Obviously, that is not an unreasonable goal. Otherwise, why would so many people on this forum be talking about heads, cams, intake systems, exhaust systems, and blowers?

 

You seem kinda hung up about Vipers. Anyway, I have raced a Viper (pre-SRT) 12 times and am 12-0, when I had only only bolt-on's, so if your goal is to beat a Viper at the drag strip you don't need low 11's, 12.0 - 12.2 will do the job on most of them.

Do a 12.4 at the track and report back on how easy it was

Les

 

OK, I will. The new G-Tech Pro is consistently within a tenth of what other cars have turned at the track. BTW, I have seen Vipers turn in the 13s with poor drivers at the wheel (one in the 14s).