Black 2010 Grand Sport
06-25-2009, 01:30 PM
#7
06-25-2009, 01:37 PM
#9
Instructor
Member Since: Mar 2009
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06-25-2009, 01:40 PM
#10
Safety Car
^ yup, most "race cars" aren't convertibles for a reason...
For a bit of history, on the first gen camaro, the convertible models had all sort of chassis re-enforcement underneath to compensate for the lack of hard top.
I suspect if they had a Z06 convertible it wouldn't be as light as one would want it to be...
For a bit of history, on the first gen camaro, the convertible models had all sort of chassis re-enforcement underneath to compensate for the lack of hard top.
I suspect if they had a Z06 convertible it wouldn't be as light as one would want it to be...
06-25-2009, 01:42 PM
#11
Safety Car
A friend of mine has a 900hp 95 corvette convertible....has a cage in it...for a good reason...but as you say, we can do whatever, but when you're GM and produce cars, it can be a little different. just sayin'
06-25-2009, 02:19 PM
#14
Team Owner
Because all of the above do not use an aluminum frame. There will never be a convertible Z06 as a result.
06-25-2009, 02:24 PM
#15
Race Director
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2022 Corvette of the Year Finalist -- Modified
2021 C6 of the Year Winner - Modified
Finalist 2020 C7 of the Year -- Modified
2020 C6 of the Year Finalist - Modified
06-25-2009, 03:14 PM
#18
Team Owner
Everything about the GS is
06-25-2009, 04:23 PM
#20
^ yup, most "race cars" aren't convertibles for a reason...
For a bit of history, on the first gen camaro, the convertible models had all sort of chassis re-enforcement underneath to compensate for the lack of hard top.
I suspect if they had a Z06 convertible it wouldn't be as light as one would want it to be...
For a bit of history, on the first gen camaro, the convertible models had all sort of chassis re-enforcement underneath to compensate for the lack of hard top.
I suspect if they had a Z06 convertible it wouldn't be as light as one would want it to be...
The first gen Camaro had no perimeter frame like the Chevelle, GTO, and other similar cars. The front and rear suspension components bolted to the BODY which was the frame. In most 4 speed big block coupes you can ( if they are original ) find evidence of repair of cracks at the back of the rear window due to body flex....that's repair to the STEEL of the pillar that supports the rear window etc.
In auto cars the cracks are not usually present. There was a cottage industry back then supplying "frame rail connectors". These were heavy steel and drilled to bolt into the suspension to body connectors front and rear thus connecting and making a stronger box lessening twist of the body.
Gen one Camaro verts should never have been built the way they were. Without the top for support it needed help. The "reinforcement underneath" consisted of only a stamped in "X" in the lower body pan to make it more rigid ....by a little....maybe.
Also, unbelieveable, at each of the four corners of the gen one vert there were "cans" of an exotic material known as "sand". These were weights to damper the extreme ride that resulted from such a poor design. No kidding. If the car is original you can see these in the trunk and front of gen one camaro verts.
I love my 68 396. It was beautiful. It was also one of the worst designed muscle cars of the time....second only to the Z28 ( which, I owned two all stock along the way ). That car, no matter what anyone says or PAYS for them now , looked great but, in stock form was a pile of junk performance wise.
Now, the Grand Sport, it, I assume, has the steel frame of the base C6 NOT the more expensive one in the Z06. Correct me if I am in error but the only reason for the aluminum in the Z06 was to save weight. It's called a performance enhancement. However, I believe steel is superior.
So.....I think GM could easily have made a Z06 vert by simply using a steel frame. It's an extra hundred something pounds I think...and it would put to bed the problem of inadequate frame strength while lowering cost. Yah, the vert Z06 would then have been slower than the coupe....yup. But it would have been a vert Z06.
Now, why don't they put an LS7 into the Grand Sport? Because it would then be too close in performance to the Z06 .....and probably have to cost considerably more. In their profit plan it's "contribution to profit" that matters....or should. They might make more $ on an LS3 based Grand Sport vert than they would on an LS7 based Grand Sport vert. Why? Because they'd sell fewer due to lower cost AND they'd cannibalize some Z06 coupe sales in the process.
LOL, my old Camaro 396...when given even a small bit of power in first gear....would lift one wheel and lay down a single stripe even though it had posi.....because of the huge flex in the body.....and, in addition, there was wheel hop you would not believe. The car was a joke but at least it had torque. The bigger joke was the Z28 which weighed two tons but had mouse motor torque. Ah, those were the days. Memories like these are one reason I frequently comment that even a no option base C6 coupe is a incredible sports car.....everything is relative.
Did I mention that Camaro looked great sitting still at the drive in ? It was great for burgers at A& W and sounded great idling.......as a muscle car it was useless.