F55 Performance issue
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 226
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From: debary fl
F55 Performance issue
I just purchased an 06 Vert. A6 F55 Lt. Package and I now have 1300 miles on it and it does not have enough power to PULL A SICK OLD LADY OF THE P POT. It has 2.56 gears and low gear is extremely low if you use the paddle shift and hits rev limiter extremely quick at 20 miles per hour at the most. I have had Vettes for many years and somewhat perplexed by this and wonder if anyone has had the same issue and would advise what gears to change to? Great ride but dissapointed in the performance end...It dyno's at 286.2 and torgue is 273.3 in 2nd gear and dyno's at 312.9 and torgue is 315.9. Total stock but have to do something.
Thanks for some advise
Thanks for some advise
Night Race Blue 427
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 19,794
Likes: 6
From: Muncie, Indiana ...... Can I buy an amplifier on time ... I ani't got no money now but I'll pay you before I die
The performace wouldn't matter what suspension you got since all automatics came with the same gearing this year.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 38,314
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I hate what happened to you, but did you think that we MN6 Z51 owners were kidding or just being "elitist" when we said that if you were looking for the best performing C6 without going to the Z06, that the MN6 Z51 was the way to go?
We weren't.
Good luck with changing gears and such. And then needing to have it reprogrammed after the gear swap. But I would take it back and get a real performance C6.
I wouldn't spend another dime trying to make that car what you thought you were buying in the first place. I wouldn't throw money at it attempting to make it what it should have been.
Let this experience be a lesson to anyone out there who is looking for factory performance.
My advice: Take it back immediately. Don't put another mile on it.
The loss you take on the trade in will pale in comparison to the "mod money" you are going to have to spend to get that car up to snuff. Not to mention the warranty issues after you mod it.
We weren't.
Good luck with changing gears and such. And then needing to have it reprogrammed after the gear swap. But I would take it back and get a real performance C6.
I wouldn't spend another dime trying to make that car what you thought you were buying in the first place. I wouldn't throw money at it attempting to make it what it should have been.
Let this experience be a lesson to anyone out there who is looking for factory performance.
My advice: Take it back immediately. Don't put another mile on it.
The loss you take on the trade in will pale in comparison to the "mod money" you are going to have to spend to get that car up to snuff. Not to mention the warranty issues after you mod it.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 7,753
Likes: 210
From: North Western Connecticut
Why do the 1/4 times posted for A6's seem to be almost identical to the MN6 regardless of suspension package.. F55 or Z51? Something seems totally bogus.... or it's one sick vette!
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 781
Likes: 2
From: Brevard NC
Originally Posted by cthusker
Why do the 1/4 times posted for A6's seem to be almost identical to the MN6 regardless of suspension package.. F55 or Z51? Something seems totally bogus.... or it's one sick vette!
I did order the Z51 pkg.
Give the auto a chance, break her in and enjoy her. I know I will!
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 38,314
Likes: 35
Originally Posted by cthusker
Why do the 1/4 times posted for A6's seem to be almost identical to the MN6 regardless of suspension package.. F55 or Z51? Something seems totally bogus.... or it's one sick vette!
If you look at the actual quickest 1/4 mile times posted on this board, and not marketing numbers, no bone stock A6 F55 or any other non MN6 Z51 car, is anywhere close to the quickest MN6 Z51 cars on this board. Thats a fact.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...&postcount=351
The manual Z51 cars seem to be at least a tenth and probably quicker than than the others save for the Z06.
When Chevy has the Z51 cars under constraint for most of their existence, and dealers cannot get them for the customers who want them, they have to tell the prospective buyer something or else he is likely to buy another car. So tell him that there is "only a tenths difference" and he will drive of in a lesser car.
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 7,588
Likes: 6
From: Montreal Qc
Originally Posted by DSOM Z51
I know that there are those who would shoot the messenger. I keep my flame suit on. 
Safety Car
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 3,990
Likes: 1
From: Corpus Christi Texas
Originally Posted by Miaugi
Hey DSOM Z51....where you located? I'd love to get you out on the drag strip this year so my bone stock 6 speed F55 could kick your butt!
Night Race Blue 427
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 19,794
Likes: 6
From: Muncie, Indiana ...... Can I buy an amplifier on time ... I ani't got no money now but I'll pay you before I die
Originally Posted by bunk22
Might want to check his profile tiger. If your bone stock Vette can run 12.36, with some altitude no less, go for it
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 3,375
Likes: 1
From: Northern CA
Originally Posted by bunk22
Might want to check his profile tiger. If your bone stock Vette can run 12.36, with some altitude no less, go for it
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 38,314
Likes: 35
Originally Posted by bunk22
Might want to check his profile tiger. If your bone stock Vette can run 12.36, with some altitude no less, go for it
Originally Posted by Miaugi
Hey DSOM Z51....where you located? I'd love to get you out on the drag strip this year so my bone stock 6 speed F55 could kick your butt!
There are some here who can run a bone stock F55 or base C6 quicker than the guy running this C6 Z06 in post #6 of this thread:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...1&forum_id=100
But which car has the better performance capabilities from the factory?
His Z06 or your F55?
Don't shoot the messenger. All things equal, the Z51 outperforms the F55 and base cars. Plain and simple. Just as all things equal that guy's Z06, that he ran 12.89 @114mph in, outperforms the rest of the C6s.
Last edited by '06 Quicksilver Z06; Feb 24, 2006 at 09:57 PM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 7,588
Likes: 6
From: Montreal Qc
Originally Posted by DSOM Z51
...I get this all the time whenever I point out the performance differential between the manual Z51s and the base/F55 C6s...
Hey, we're all just one big happy family here....and if we're not....we should be!
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 984
Likes: 1
From: Austin Texas
Originally Posted by DIAMOND DAVE
I just purchased an 06 Vert. A6 F55 Lt. Package and I now have 1300 miles on it and it does not have enough power to PULL A SICK OLD LADY OF THE P POT. It has 2.56 gears and low gear is extremely low if you use the paddle shift and hits rev limiter extremely quick at 20 miles per hour at the most. I have had Vettes for many years and somewhat perplexed by this and wonder if anyone has had the same issue and would advise what gears to change to? Great ride but dissapointed in the performance end...It dyno's at 286.2 and torgue is 273.3 in 2nd gear and dyno's at 312.9 and torgue is 315.9. Total stock but have to do something.
Thanks for some advise
Thanks for some advise
Secondly, I (and several others) got alot more power from the car after it had about 3k-5k on the clock. Hope that is the case for you as well.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 38,314
Likes: 35
Originally Posted by xs650
When the messenger acts like a turkey in a shooting gallery it's hard to resist.
But I speak the truth. There is no denying that. And indeed we are one big happy family of Vette owners here.
But back to the original poster. I feel for the guy, because that modded C5 you see I make reference to in my profile, started out as a 2.73 geared C5. It would struggle to break 14 seconds in the quarter when I first got it. Getting outrun by Ford Lightning trucks and wasted by '03 Cobras.
Lord only knows how much money I threw at that car trying to get it to perform the way that I though a Vette should. And when I was done, I had a modified C5 with a questionable warranty, a questionable tune, a slew of aftermarket parts, and everytime something did not sound right, feel right, or smell right, I felt a pain in my wallet.
I vowed that I would not make the same mistake again and would buy all the factory performance in my next Vette that I could. I ended up with an '05 MN6 Z51 and have no regrets.
Seriously, if this guy is looking for better performance, I recommend that he not modify that car and compound his situation. I recommend the MN6 Z51.
Last edited by '06 Quicksilver Z06; Feb 24, 2006 at 09:59 PM.
