[Z06] C6 Z06 Frequently Asked Questions(FAQ)
07-24-2005, 12:42 PM
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C6 Z06 Frequently Asked Questions(FAQ)
I will not only add post, but information will be added to existing post.
Quick word search: Press control F and you will get a find box. Type in whatever you are looking for ie: brakes and zip right to the next mention of that keyword.
Table of Contents:
Post #1 General technical info and specs; 07 Changes
Post #2 Corvetteforum acronyms
Post #3 Z06 vs. other cars
Post #4 Info about the aluminum frame
Post #5 The dry sump & how to change the oil
Post #6 FAQ on the C5 Z06
Post #7 How to read tire info & what it means
Post #8 Magnuson Moss warranty act
Post #9 Transmission gear ratios
Post #10 Cell phone mounting
Post #11 Weight difference between 1LZ & 2LZ option pkgs
Post #12 Explanations of spoilers and wings
Post #13/14/15 LS7 cam specs & heads and flow #s
Post #16 Z06 problems
Post #17 The history of Corvette name and symbol
Post #18 How to take better pics of your Corvette
Post #19/20 C6 Z06 Nurburgring test pics
Post #21 Nurburgring info, vids, threads
Post #22 Scanned Car&Driver and Motor Trend articles
Post #23 Is it Z oh 6 or Z zero 6?
Post #24 The 2006 C6/Z06 manual
Post #25 Dyno runs
Post #26 Octane discussion and explanation
Post #27 C6 Z06 brake discussions.
Post #28 Convertible discussions
Post #29 Track Reviews, harness bars, suspension discussions, etc.
Post #30 Z06 specific part numbers
Post #31 Wheel and Tire section
Post #32 How to install a switch for muffler valve activation
Post #33 Sound reduction for the C6 Z06
Post #34 LS1 vs. LS7 crank pics
Post #35 Bolt torque specs
Post #36 Weight reduction
Post #37 Tire Pressure Sensor Reset
Post #38 iPod your car
Post #39 Front license plate mounting
Post #40 Do you need a Cold Air Intake on the C6 Z06?
Post #41 & 42 & 43 Jacking procedures
Post #44 Drag racing discussions
Post #45 Emissions control pads in the intake snorkel
Post #46 The Official "Top Gear/Fifth Gear" Video Library
Post #47 How to modify your stock muffler
Post #48 How to clean your clutch reservoir.
Post #49 Xeon fog lights
Post #50 DIY – Rear Axle / Differential oil change, with pics
Post #51 Katech How-To: Check lifter preload
Post #52 Our own Congaman's videos!
Post #53 How to find who built your engine.
Post #54 Skip shift eliminator (CAGS)
Post #55 Summary of the Axle Shaft Issue for FAQ
How to post pics, etc. our Help section.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/forumdisplay.php?f=31
Check out the C6 Gen FAQ sticky
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...81&forum_id=74
It will answer many questions that the C6 and Z06 have in common like Nav and radio questions, etc.
23 Page Z06 fact book.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...1&forum_id=100
Updated info:
INFORMATION PROVIDED BY GENERAL MOTORS
2006 specs are up:
http://www.chevrolet.com/corvette/
CORVETTE Z06: RACING SUCCESS HELPS BREED THE FASTEST, MOST POWERFUL PRODUCTION CORVETTE EVER BUILT
DETROIT – By winning every race in the 2004 season, the Corvette C5-R racing team wrapped up the most successful era in Corvette’s 50-year racing history. In its five years, the C5-R racing program took 35 victories in 55 races, four American Le Mans Series championships and three double victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans .
The Z06 sparked the second half of the C5’s life span with a Corvette model for the extreme performance enthusiast. Now, Team Corvette combines the numerous attributes of the sixth-generation Corvette with the technology and winning determination from the C5-R program to take the new Z06 to the next level in total performance.
Chevrolet introduced the 2006 Corvette Z06 at the North American International Auto Show. It is the fastest, most powerful car ever offered by Chevrolet and General Motors. It is comprised of an unprecedented level of capability and technology, making it one of the greatest performance values on the market. And with an unmistakably muscular appearance, the ’06 Z06 has a visual attitude that always looks ready to demonstrate Corvette’s winning attitude to any challenger around the globe.
“The new Z06 is the dividend from competing so successfully in endurance racing,” said Dave Hill, Corvette’s chief engineer. “It combines the strong attributes of the new, sixth-generation Corvette with the spirit, technology and know-how from the race program to form an American supercar with outstanding credentials.”
The new Z06 achieves 500 horsepower in an approximately 3130-pound (1419.7 kg) package and is expected to deliver 0-60 performance of less than 4 seconds, eclipse the quarter-mile in less than 12 seconds and deliver a top speed of more than 190 mph on a race track.
The links between racing and the production Z06 are both direct and indirect, as the vehicle was developed in conjunction with the forthcoming C6-R racecar, but they boil down to the application of lessons that could only have been learned after countless laps of endurance racing – everything from suspension geometry to aerodynamics. What the engineers developed was a totally unique vehicle that has its own powertrain, body structure and chassis system which are distinct from other Corvette models.
Previous Z06 models, from the original 1963 model to the 2001-04 editions, incorporated suspension and/or engine upgrades that complemented existing Corvette systems. Not surprisingly, the specs for the ’06 read like the blueprint of a champion. They include:
• LS7 7.0-liter/427-cubic-inch Gen IV V-8 with lightweight reciprocating components
• 500 horsepower (373 kw) at6200 rpm
• 475 lb.-ft. of torque (657 Nm) at 4800 rpm
• 7000 rpm redline
• Titanium connecting rods and intake valves
• Dry-sump engine lubrication system
• Engine hand-built at GM’s new Performance Build Center
• Aluminum body structure with one-piece hydroformed perimeter rails frame and magnesium front cradle
• Fixed roof design optimizes body rigidity and aerodynamics
• Carbon-fiber composite front fenders and front wheelhouses
• Unique front fascia incorporating a larger grille, cold-air scoop and lower air splitter
• Wide-body rear fenders and a unique rear spoiler incorporated with the CHMSL
• Huge 14-inch (355-mm) cross-drilled front disc brakes with six-piston calipers and 13.4-inch (340-mm) cross-drilled rear rotors with four-piston calipers
• 18 x 9.5-inch front wheels with 275/35ZR18 tires and 19 x 12-inch rear wheels with 325/30ZR19 tires
• 3-inch-diameter exhaust with bi-mode mufflers and larger polished stainless steel tips
• Engine, transmission and differential oil coolers; and steering cooler
• Rear-mounted battery to improve weight distribution
• Unique interior features including revised gauge cluster and lightweight two-tone seats with more aggressive bolsters
• Curb weight of 3130 pounds / 1419.7 kg (estimated)
• 3 inches (76.2 mm) wider than other Corvette models
• Vehicle developed simultaneously with C6-R racecar.
The features above are merely the highline points of the comprehensively designed Z06. What follows is a closer look at the vehicle’s unique attributes.
LS7 engine
The all-new LS7 of the ’06 Z06 reintroduces the 427-cubic-inch engine to the Corvette lineup. Unlike the previous 427 engine, which was a big-block design, the new 7.0-liter LS7 is a small-block V-8 – the largest-displacement small-block ever produced by GM and a tribute to its 50 years as a performance icon.
With 500 horsepower and 475 lb.-ft. of torque, it also is the most powerful passenger car engine ever produced by Chevrolet and GM. The LS7 is easily identified under the hood by red engine covers with black lettering.
The LS7 shares the same basic Gen IV V-8 architecture as the Corvette’s 6.0-liter LS2, but the LS7 uses a different cylinder block casting with pressed-in steel cylinder liners to accommodate the engine’s wide, 104.8-mm-wide cylinder bores; the LS2 has 101.6-mm bores. And when compared to the LS2, the LS7 also has a different front cover, oil pan, exhaust manifolds and cylinder heads.
Internally, the LS7’s reciprocating components make use of racing-derived lightweight technology, including titanium connecting rods and intake valves, to help boost horsepower and rpm capability. The rpm fuel shut-off limit is 7000 rpm.
The LS7’s specifications include:
• Unique cylinder block casting with large, 104.8-mm bores and pressed-in cylinder liners
• Forged steel main bearing caps
• Forged steel crankshaft
• Titanium connecting rods with 101.6-mm stroke
• Cast aluminum flat-top pistons
• 11.0:1 compression
• Dry-sump oiling system
• Camshaft with .591-inch lift
• Racing-derived CNC-ported aluminum cylinder heads with titanium intake valves and sodium-filled exhaust valves
• Titanium pushrods and valve springs
• Low-restriction air intake system
• Hydroformed exhaust headers with unique “quad flow” collector flanges.
“In many ways, the LS7 is a racing engine in a street car,” said Dave Muscaro, assistant chief engineer of small-block V-8 for passenger cars. “We’ve taken much of what we’ve learned over the years from the 7.0-liter C5-R racing program and instilled it here. There really has been nothing else like it offered in a GM production vehicle.”
One of the clearest examples of the LS7’s race-bred technology is its use of titanium connecting rods. They weigh just 480 grams apiece, almost 30 percent less than the rods in the LS2 V-8. Besides being lightweight, which enhances high-rpm performance and rpm range, titanium makes the rods extremely durable.
The LS7’s CNC-ported aluminum cylinder heads are all-new and designed to meet the high airflow demands of the engine’s 7.0-liter displacement, as it ingests approximately 100 cubic feet more air per minute than the Corvette’s 6.0-liter LS2 V-8 – an 18-percent increase in airflow. Consequently, a hydraulic roller camshaft with .591/.591-inch valve lift is used to allow plenty of air to circulate in and out of the engine.
To ensure optimal, uninterrupted airflow, the LS7’s heads have straight, tunnel-like intake runners. Very large by production-vehicle standards – even racing standards – they are designed to maintain fast airflow velocity, providing excellent torque at low rpm and exhilarating horsepower at high rpm. The heads feature 70-cc combustion chambers which are fed by huge, 56-mm-diameter titanium intake valves. The lightweight titanium valves weigh 21grams less than the stainless steel valves used in the LS2, despite the valve head having 22 percent more area. They are complemented by 41-mm sodium-filled exhaust valves, vs. 39.4-mm valves in the LS2. To accommodate the large valve face diameters, the heads’ valve seats are siamesed; and, taken from experience with the engines of C5-R racecars, the LS7’s valve angles are held at 12 degrees – versus 15 degrees for the LS2 – to enhance airflow through the ports.
All LS7 engines are assembled by hand at GM Powertrain’s new Performance Build Center in Wixom , Mich. The exacting standards to which they are built include deck-plate honing of the cylinders – a procedure normally associated with the building of racing engines and almost unheard of in a production-vehicle engine.
Dry sump oiling system
The LS7 has a dry-sump oiling system designed to keep the engine fully lubricated during the high cornering loads the Corvette Z06 is capable of producing. An engine compartment-mounted 8-quart reservoir delivers oil at a constant pressure to a conventional-style oil pump pick-up at the bottom of the engine. The pressurized oil feed keeps the oil pick-up continually immersed in oil at cornering loads exceeding 1 g.
Oil circulates through the engine and down to the oil pan, where it is sent back to the reservoir via a scavenge pump. The large-capacity reservoir, combined with a high efficiency air-to-oil cooler, provides necessary engine oil cooling under the demands of the engine’s power output. With the dry-sump system, oil is added to the engine via the reservoir tank – which includes the oil level dipstick.
The LS7’s dry-sump system was developed and tested on racetracks in the United States and Europe , including Germany ’s famed Nürburgring. And while common in racing cars, the Corvette Z06 is one of just a handful of production vehicles – and the only production Corvette – to ever incorporate such a high-performance oiling system.
Drivetrain
The Corvette Z06’s powertrain and drivetrain systems are matched to the LS7’s performance capability. The light, four-into-one headers discharge in to new, close-coupled catalytic converters and through to new “bi-modal” mufflers. The mufflers each feature a vacuum-actuated outlet valve, which controls exhaust noise during low-load operation but opens for maximum power.
At the rear of the LS7 engine, a single-mass flywheel and lightweight, high-capacity clutch channel torque to the rear transaxle. The six-speed manual transmission has been strengthened to handle the LS7’s increased torque load. The transmission includes a pump which sends transmission fluid to the front radiator for cooling. Upon its return, the fluid removes additional heat from the differential lube before returning to the transmission.
The M6 transmission connects to a limited-slip differential, with enlarged ring and pinion gears. Stronger axle half-shafts with tougher universal joints transmit power to the rear wheels.
Body structure
The Z06 has a unique aluminum body structure for optimum stiffness and light weight for the fixed-roof bodystyle. Perimeter rails are one-piece hydroformed members featuring cast suspension nodes, which replace many welded steel components on other Corvette models. Other castings, stampings and extrusions are combined into the innovative structure with state-of-the-art manufacturing technologies.
Advanced structural composites featuring carbon fiber are bonded to the aluminum structure. The wider front wheelhouses, for example, are carbon composites and the passenger compartment floors combine carbon-fiber skins with an ultra-lightweight balsa wood core.
Chassis system
The 2006 Corvette Z06 has a new magnesium cradle that serves as the attachment point for the engine and some front suspension components. Magnesium is lighter than aluminum yet incredibly strong. The magnesium cradle helps improve the front-to-rear weight distribution, as do carbon-fiber front fenders and wheelhouses. Engineers also moved the battery from underhood to a position in the rear cargo area, behind one of the rear wheels.
“This is an instance where the street car uses more advanced material than the racecar,” said Hill. “We’re constrained by rules to run the steel frame in the racecars, but we stretched to bring even more performance technology to the street for out customers.”
The mass reductions are offset by some added performance enablers, including dry-sump lubrication, 3-inch (76.2-mm) exhaust with outlet valves, larger wheels and tires, more power brake and stiffer roll stabilizers.
Suspension, brakes, wheels and tires
The Z06 retains the 106-inch (2686-mm) wheelbase of other Corvette models, as well as the short-long arm suspension and transverse leaf spring design, but it rides on all-new wheels, tires, brakes, as well as its own rear spring and roll stabilizer.
The firmer suspension works harmoniously with large 18 x 9.5-inch cast-spun aluminum wheels and 275/35ZR18 tires in the front, and 19 x 12-inch cast-spun aluminum wheels with 325/30ZR19 tires in the rear – the largest wheel-and-tire combination ever offered on a Corvette. The tires use the latest extended-mobility technology from Goodyear to provide a satisfactory ride, but still allow the vehicle to achieve lateral acceleration of more than 1 g. The extended-mobility tires eliminate the need – and weight – for a spare tire and jack or inflator kit, and reduce the chance of a sudden loss of handling capability.
“The Z06 enables the driver to turn excellent track lap times, but it also is quick to learn and is very forgiving for its performance level,” said Hill. “We tested its capability around the world to ensure it will feel at home on any road or race track.”
Complementing the suspension system and large rolling stock is an equally capable four-wheel disc brake system, consisting of 14-inch (355-mm) vented and cross-drilled front rotors and 13.4-inch (340-mm) vented and cross-drilled rear rotors. For comparison, the ’05 Corvette has 12.8-inch (325-mm) front and 12-inch (305-mm) rear rotors, while the ’05 Corvette with the Z51 has 13.4-inch (340-mm) and 13-inch (330-mm) rotors.
The front rotors are acted upon by huge, red-painted six-piston calipers that use six individual brake pads. Individual brake pads are used because they deliver more equalized wear compared to what would otherwise be a pair of very long single-piece pads. For the rear brakes, four-piston calipers with four individual brake pads are used. A Delphi four-channel ABS system is used, as is a very competent active handling system – complete with a Competitive Driving mode.
The large brakes bring an excellent level of stopping capability with the Z06, and with their four-wheel brake cooling, they provide excellent fade resistance and lining life during track duties.
Distinct design
The new Z06 has an unmistakable and aggressive appearance, with design cues that include:
• A wide front fascia with a large, forward-facing grille opening, a splitter along the bottom and “Gurney lips” along the sides to provide aerodynamic downforce
• A cold air scoop in front of the hood that integrates an air inlet system for the engine
• The trailing edge of the front wheel opening is radiused to achieve improved drag, but protects the body finish with a tough molding, and a large air extractor is located behind the wheel
• A fixed-roof bodystyle optimizes body rigidity and aerodynamics
• Wider rear fenders with flares cover the massive rear tires and a brake cooling scoop in front of the wheels visually balances the fender extractor
• A tall rear spoiler houses the CHMSL on the top of the rear fascia
• 10-spoke wheels
• Four larger stainless steel exhaust outlets
• New-design Z06 badging on the front fenders
While the function of the Z06’s design is to move air efficiently over the body and reduce lift, the net effect is a car that looks like a weight lifter whose muscles are straining the seams of his shirt.
“The Z06 has been sculpted very carefully, with every element in its design serving a performance function,” said Hill. “It also has a purposeful, menacing resemblance to the C6-R.”
The aerodynamics of the Z06’s exterior were shaped by the experiences of the Corvette racing program, where high-speed stability and cornering capability are paramount. And while the racecars use large rear wings, the Z06’s elevated spoiler provides sufficient downforce to balance the road-worthy front splitter without adversely affecting aerodynamic drag. The Z06’s Cd is .342.
Uncompromising amenities
For all its race-inspired functionality, the Z06 is designed to be a daily drivable high-performance vehicle. To that end, comfort and convenience are held to a very high standard. HID lighting, fog lamps, leather seating, dual-zone air conditioning, cabin air filtration and Head-Up Display (HUD) with track mode and g-meter are standard.
The Z06 also has a revised gauge cluster that displays the Z06 logo on the 7000-redline tachometer and has a new readout on the oil pressure gauge to reflect the higher standard pressure of the dry-sump oiling system. And, like other 2006 Corvettes, the Z06 has a new, smaller-diameter three-spoke steering wheel that provides a more agile, performance-oriented feel. The seats feature two-tone leathering surfaces, with Z06-logo embroidery and contrasting stitching.
Z06 options include a Bose audio system with an in-dash six-CD changer, polished wheels, a telescoping steering wheel, heated seats, side air bags, a navigation system with GPS, Homelink and XM Satellite Radio.
But for all its comfort, engineers did sacrifice a few components in the quest for lower weight and higher performance:
• Side bolsters are fixed and more aggressive to better hold the driver when cornering and they weigh less than standard-model seats
• Passenger seat features manual controls, saving the weight of a power-adjust motor
• Acoustic package revised to reduce weight and allow more aural feedback of the powertrain
Production of the 2006 Corvette Z06 will begin in the second half of 2005 at the Bowling Green , Ky. , Assembly Plant.
SPECIFICATIONS
Overview
Models: Chevrolet Corvette coupe and 2006 Corvette Z06
Body styles / driveline: 2-door hatchback coupe with removable roof; rear-wheel drive (coupe);
2-door hatchback coupe with fixed roof; rear-drive (Z06)
Construction: composite body panels, hydroformed steel frame with aluminum and magnesium structural and chassis components (coupe);
composite and carbon-fiber body panels, hydroformed aluminum frame with aluminum and magnesium structural and chassis components (Z06)
Manufacturing location: Bowling Green , Kentucky
Engine 6.0L V-8 LS2 7.0L V-8 LS7
Displacement (cu in / cc): 364 / 5967 427 / 7011.3
Bore & stroke (in / mm): 4 x 3.62 / 101.6 x 92 4.125 x 4 / 104.8 x 101.6
Block material: cast aluminum cast aluminum
Cylinder head material: cast aluminum cast aluminum
Valvetrain: OHV, 2 valves per cylinder OHV, 2 valves per cylinder
Fuel delivery: SFI (sequential fuel injection) SFI (sequential fuel injection)
Compression ratio: 10.9:1 11:1
Horsepower
(hp / kw @ rpm): 400 / 298 @ 6000 500 / 373 @ 6200
Torque (lb-ft / Nm @ rpm): 400 / 542 @ 4400 475 / 657 @ 4800
Recommended fuel: 93 octane (recommended but not required) 93 octane
Estimated fuel economy
(mpg city / hwy / combined): automatic: 18 / 25 / 21
manual: 19 / 28 / 23 TBD
Transmission Corvette coupe Corvette Z06
Type: Hydra-Matic 4L65-E 4-speed auto.; Tremec 6-speed manual Tremec 6-speed manual
Chassis / Suspension
Front: short/long arm ( SLA ) double wishbone, cast aluminum upper & lower control arms, transverse-mounted composite leaf spring, monotube shock absorber short/long arm ( SLA ) double wishbone, cast aluminum upper & lower control arms, transverse-mounted composite leaf spring, monotube shock absorber
Rear: short/long arm ( SLA ) double wishbone, cast aluminum upper & lower control arms, transverse-mounted composite leaf spring, monotube shock absorber short/long arm ( SLA ) double wishbone, cast aluminum upper & lower control arms, transverse-mounted composite leaf spring, monotube shock absorber
Traction control: electronic traction control; Active Handling electronic traction control; Active Handling
Brakes Corvette coupe Corvette Z06
Type: front and rear power-assisted disc with ABS; cross-drilled rotors with Z51 Performance Package front and rear power-assisted disc with ABS with 6-piston front and 4-piston rear calipers, cross-drilled rotors
Rotor diameter x thickness (in / mm): front: 12.8 x 1.26 / 325 x 32
rear: 12 x 1 / 305 x 26;
Z51 Performance Package:
front: 13.4 x 1.26 / 340 x 32
rear: 13 x 1 / 330 x 26 front: 14 x 1.3 / 355 x 32
rear: 13.4 x 1 / 340 x 26
Wheels & Tires
Wheel size: front: 18 inch x 8.5 inch
rear: 19 inch x 10 inch front: 18 inch x 9.5 inch
rear: 19 inch x 12 inch
Tires: Goodyear Eagle F1 GS
Extended Mobility
front: P245/40ZR18
rear: P285/35ZR19 Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar Extended Mobility
front: P275/35ZR18
rear: P325/30ZR19
Dimensions
Wheelbase (in / mm): 106 / 2629 106 / 2629
Overall length (in / mm): 175 / 4445 175 / 4445
Overall width (in / mm): 73 / 1854 76 / 1930
Overall height (in / mm): 49 / 1244 49 / 1244
Curb weight (lb / kg): 3179 / 1442 3130 / 1419.7
Good info on Z06/C6 differentials:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1586766
LS7 weight.
From micro:
Hello,
I did some more research on the new LS7.
The following is from the January 2006 issue of Sports Car International on page 35:
"The net result is a fully trimmed engine that weighs 458 pounds, only 10 more than the 6.0-liter LS2."
Also, BMW's M5 Product Information Guide says that the 5.0 liter 500 hp (SAE net) V-10 weighs 240 kg/529 lbs.
Some aerodynamic info on your Z06.
From: "The Chevrolet Corvette: New Vehicle Engineering and Technical History" published by Society of Automotive Engineers, Inc. It's a collection of SAE and other papers.
2005-01-1943 2006 Chevrolet Corvette C6 Z06 Aerodynamic Development pages 328-333.
"...develop the 2006 Z06 to provide it with improved high speed stability, increased cooling capability and equivalent drag compared to the 2004 C5 Z06."
"...improve front brake flow by 400%." "...200% of the previous flow rate to cool the rear brakes."
Breakdown of lift reduction @ 300 kph
Total 138 kg
Splitter 92 kg 66.7 % of total
Front wheel opening leading edge extensions 10 kg 7.4 % of total
CHMSL spoiler 36 kg 25.9 % of total
CD is the same as the C5 Z06 at .342
and the thread
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...2&forum_id=100
Corvette Z06 adds carbon fiber fenders
http://www.compositesworld.com/hpc/i...ovember/1087/1
Molder meets GM's performance, weight-reduction goals and achieves 14,000-part production target with autoclave-cured prepreg.
By Jared Nelson | November 2005
Page: 1 2 3
Since its introduction in 1953, the General Motor's Chevrolet Corvette has been a trendsetter, with its fiberglass body, distinctive body styling and high-horsepower engines. It's also served as a test bed for new GM technologies, particularly in the areas of braking, engine development and new materials. In keeping with that tradition, the 2004 Z06 Corvette Coupe, the version equipped for highest performance, was selected as the test base to determine the feasibility of carbon fiber exterior body parts in a production scenario.
Source: Karl Reque
Corvette Z06 Carbon Fiber Fender
Carbon fiber has had a difficult time breaking into the OEM automotive market. Hot among the tuner crowd, carbon parts sell well in the auto aftermarket, but few have the quality necessary to qualify as original equipment says Donald Lasell, project engineer for composite manufacturer Vermont Composites (Bennington, Vt.). Although DaimlerChrysler and Ford were working carbon into support structures -- the 2003 Dodge Viper's 3,000 pairs of front fender supports (HPC April 2003, p. 32) and the 2004 Ford GT's 4,500 rear decklid inner structures (HPC January 2004, p. 16), Corvette's 2004 LeMans Commemorative Edition Z06 marked the first attempt by a U.S. automaker to produce a carbon exterior body panel. Until that time, carbon parts with Class-A finishes had been the exclusive preserve of Italy's Lamborghini, Britain's McClaren and other hand-built sports cars produced in quantities of a few hundred.
When Tier 1 manufacturer MacLean Quality Composites (West Jordan, Utah) successfully molded, autoclave-cured and delivered 2,100 carbon/epoxy prepreg exterior hood panels for the Z06 LeMans (see HPC, March 2004, p. 33), the landmark achievement spurred GM engineers to pursue more carbon on a future model. A Z06 was not built for model-year 2005, but 7,000 were slated for 2006, offering an ideal platform for pushing the production envelope for autoclaved prepreg.
Equipped with a 505-hp 7.0-liter (427 cubic inch) engine, the 2006 Z06 delivers 23 percent greater power and has a higher top speed (198 mph/319 kmh) than the 2004 model (171 mph/275 kmh), says Dave Hill, Corvette's chief engineer. To maximize the car's power-to-weight ratio, Hill and fellow Corvette engineers sought ways to trim additional pounds from the car's body weight.
Page: 1 2 3
More carbon up front
To determine whether a part is feasible, GM considers five factors in its Part Selection Process: cost per kilogram of mass saved; location on the vehicle; tooling cost; ability to meet or exceed all base vehicle requirements; and paintability at GM's Bowling Green Assembly Plant without paint process modification. The location on the vehicle is critical to vehicle performance and forward locations are preferred. By reducing the weight at the front of the car, the center of gravity is moved further back, away from the engine mass. In addition, reducing the weight at the sides of the car decreases the energy needed to change vehicle direction, thereby reducing rolling moment (the tendency for the car to lean in the direction of the turn) through turns. The change in the center of gravity and reduced rolling moment enable the driver to comfortably maintain higher speeds through corners.
Since it was cost prohibitive to use carbon in both the hood and additional exterior body panels, the front fenders offered the best opportunity to further reduce vehicle mass and improve its performance. GM specified that carbon parts for the 2006 Z06 be made with T600-24K carbon from Toray Composites America Inc. (Tacoma, Wash.), the same fiber used in the Toray P3831C-190 carbon fiber/epoxy prepreg for the 2004 hood. Therefore, there was little doubt that the part could meet performance or paintability requirements. However, the fenders were much more complex parts than the hood, and part variation had to be held to within ±0.75 mm (±0.030 inch). Therefore, the key challenges Vermont faced were in the area of tooling and processing speed.
During the hood project, Lasell was the R&D product engineer at GM responsible for its design and validation. As the hood was moved forward into production, Lasell began development of a carbon fender, but shortly thereafter returned to his home state of Vermont and went back to work with former employer Vermont Composites. GM approached him there and asked Vermont to validate the fender production. Before bidding on the fender contract, however, Vermont had to prove not only to GM but to itself as well, that production of 7,000 sets of fenders was feasible.
Source: Typical Z06 front fender mold, showing removable inserts.
Vermont Composites
Retooling the tools
To do so, Vermont enlisted the help of Models & Tools Inc. (Troy, Mich.) for tool design. The fenders' complex shapes made tooling cost and the potential for die lock primary concerns. Since the Z06 would feature an 35-mm/1.38-inch increase in tire track width over the base model C06, the need for new tooling gave Vermont the opportunity to select more advantageous tooling material than the Invar used for the hood. To reduce the tool's thermal resistance and, as a result, reduce heat-ing and cooling times during the cure cycle, single-sided tools were made from P20 steel, which has a thermal conductivity three times greater than Invar -- 10.8 W/m-°C (225 BTU/in- hr-°F) compared to 32.5 W/m-°C (75 BTU/in-hr-°F), respectively. P20 steel is also much easier to machine than, thus reducing cost.
Source: GM
Close-up of carbon fiber fender in place on the 2006 Corvette Z06
The new P20 steel molds, however, have a CTE of 12.8x10-6 mm/mm-°C (7.1x10-6 in/in-°F) resulting in a greater shrinkage of the tool during the cool-down process. For the hood, heavier Invar tools had been used to take advantage of the almost negligible difference in the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) between the carbon and the mold of 5.4x10-6 mm/mm-°C (3x10-6 in/in-°F). To account for the different CTE between the part and the P20 steel tool and avoid die lock, each tool was designed with a main shell and five removable inserts, positioned accurately within the shell by means of tongue-and-groove locators and held in place by vacuum. After cure, the vacuum is released, and inserts can be removed from the shell and part individually to facilitate demolding. The tongue-groove locators permit the inserts to move slightly -- less than 1.6 mm/0.063 inch -- during the cool-down, to accommodate tool shrinkage.
Source: Vermont Composites
A thermal profile model of the airflow inside of Vermont Composite's autoclave as created by Quartus Engineering using IDEAS-ESC.
Each insert is geometrically stable and weighs less than 11.3 kg/25 lb, making it easy for technicians to handle. In addition, each 318 kg/700 lb tool can be made from a single 9,525 kg/21,000 lb forged P20 billet. To minimize post-mold paint prep, the was engineered to strategically place the small, resin-rich flash lines, called "lifter lines," which occur at insert/shell seams, where they could be easily sanded manually during the finishing operation to achieve the necessary Class-A paint surface. To accommodate the almost three-fold increase in part production over the hood, Models & Tools constructed five sets of left-and-right fender tools.
Remodeling the cure cycle
MacLean's greatest challenge in producing the hood had been minimizing the autoclave cure cycle -- a challenge Vermont Composites revisited in the attempt to produce nearly seven times as many fenders. The company contracted with Quartus Engineering (San Diego, Calif.) to model the air flow characteristics in its 1.8m/6 ft by 6.1m/20 ft electrically heated autoclave. Quartus created a virtual 3-D model of Vermont's autoclave, in which four virtual fender tools could be placed and oriented in various ways to determine the ideal position for uniform heating, using I-DEAS finite element analysis software developed by MAYA Heat Transfer Technologies Ltd. (Montreal, Quebec. Canada), a supplier of advanced thermal and fluid flow analysis software. The ESC Flow add-on for the I-DEAS suite is designed to simulate 3-D airflow and thermal behavior, enabling engineers to resolve thermal engineering problems. Once the ideal tool position was established, it was determined analytically that the cure cycle time could be held under 90 minutes, which Vermont Composites validated in subsequent testing. Vermont is currently producing fenders using this positioning with four tools in each cure and maximum capacity of six tools.
Designing a load-worthy layup
Vermont Composites spent a significant amount of time developing what was intended to be a balanced six-ply layup, using unidirectional T600 24K tape impregnated with Toray's G83 quick-cure epoxy resin. But the six-ply schedule lacked sufficient stiffness, resulting in "oil canning," term used when a part tends to retain deflection that results after a load is applied and then removed, rather than springing back to its original shape. To eliminate this problem, two additional plies of prepreg were added to the layup schedule, both in 0° orientation (parallel to the car's length), to increase the part's nominal thickness from 0.8 mm to 1.2 mm (0.031 inch to 0.047 inch). The result was a balanced eight-ply lay-up (0°, 90°, 0°, 0°, 0°, 0°, 90°, 0°). Additional "spot" plies were placed in several select areas where greater stiffness was required.
Ultimately, GM expended $500,000 on the tooling design and modifications, to achieve a weight reduction of 12 kg/26.5 lb per car, meet all part performance and appearance specifications, and was able to manufacture the required 7,000 pairs within production time constraints, making the fender project a big win, notes GM design release engineer Mark Voss.
Looking forward
Vermont Composites has a commit-ment from Toray for enough material to produce the 14,000 fenders per year through 2006, and its contract with GM runs through 2010. However, both GM and Vermont Composites are looking at lower-cost fiber options for the 2007 model year and beyond, working with Toray and other prepreggers. In order for new materials to be used, however, the validation process would have to be repeated to make sure they attain the properties set forth in the GM specification for the material Toray currently supplies. In addition, a new prepreg would have to meet requirements for dimensional stability, surface finish and paint adhesion. Additional cost reductions, however, could help GM justify using the fender on the base Corvette C06, at 160 cars per day, Lasell notes, acknowledging that further improvement will be needed to abbreviate processing time and increase the production rate.
What is torque management?
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1614438
Changes for 2007:
It’s Official! – Changes for 2007 Corvettes
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Just in from Chevrolet… 4/18/06
Exterior Color:
83U Atomic Orange Metallic Tintcoat (a bright chromatic orange), replaces Daytona Sunset Orange Metallic
GM mailed every dealer the new color selection with an actual chip of the new color. It is MUCH brighter and lighter than Daytona Sunset Orange Metallic!!!
Interior:
Two-tone Modified Seats (perforated leather seating surface) with crossed flag embroidery and contrasting stiching.
Available in 026 Red, 316 Cashmere, 846 Titanium
Available on Coupe and Convertible with 2LT or 3LT equipment packages
UK3 Steering-wheel mounted audio controls included with Bose premium audio systems (US9/U3U)
Larger glovebox storage space
UE1 OnStar now available on Z06 with 2LZ equipment group
Enhanced acoustic package reduces road noise and is included with Z06 2LZ equipment group
Bose audio enhancements
New keyless access transmitter with integrated mechanical key
CM7 Power convertible top is now included with Convertible 3LT equipment group
Cross-drilled brake rotors now included with F55 Magnetic Selective Ride Control
New Dealer Accessories Available for 2007:
Racing spoiler
Body side moldings
Racing stripe package
Z06 sillplates
Z06 427 hood badge
Hood blanket with color logo
2007 Order Guide Information
Three models:
1YY07 Corvette Coupe
1YY67 Corvette Convertible
1YY87 Corvette Z06 Coupe
1YY07 Coupe Information:
3 Packages; 1LT, 2LT, 3LT
2 Transmissions: MX0 Automatic, MN6 6 Speed
Options:
F55 Suspension Package
Z51 Suspension Package
QG7 Polished Wheels
QX1 Competition Gray Wheels
QX3 Chrome Wheels
R8C Museum Delivery
U3U Navigation with Single CD
VK3 Front License Plate Bracket
CC3 Transparent Top
C2L Transparent and Painted Top
Interior:
023 Cobalt Red
193 Ebony
313 Cashmere
843 Titanium
026 Cobalt Red Two Tone
316 Cashmere Two Tone
846 Titanium Two Tone
Colors:
10U Arctic White
19U LeMans Blue Metallic
41U Black
45U Velocity Yellow Tintcoat
67U Machine Silver Metallic
74U Victory Red
80U Monterey Red Metallic
83U Atomic Orange Metallic Tintcoat
1YY67 Convertible Information:
2 Packages; 2LT, 3LT
2 Transmissions: MX0 Automatic, MN6 6 Speed
Options:
CM7 Power Convertible Top
F55 Suspension Package
Z51 Suspension Package
QG7 Polished Wheels
QX1 Competition Gray Wheels
QX3 Chrome Wheels
R8C Museum Delivery
U3U Navigation with Single CD
VK3 Front License Plate Bracket
Interior:
023 Cobalt Red
193 Ebony
313 Cashmere
843 Titanium
026 Cobalt Red Two Tone
316 Cashmere Two Tone
846 Titanium Two Tone
Colors:
10U Arctic White
19U LeMans Blue Metallic
41U Black
45U Velocity Yellow Tintcoat
67U Machine Silver Metallic
74U Victory Red
80U Monterey Red Metallic
83U Atomic Orange Metallic Tintcoat
Top Colors:
29T Storm Gray
35T Beige
41T Black
1YY87 Z06 Coupe Information:
2 Packages; 1LZ, 2LZ
1 Transmissions: MN6 6 Speed
Options:
QL9 Polished Wheels
Q44 Competition Gray Wheels
R8C Museum Delivery
U3U Navigation with Single CD
VK3 Front License Plate Bracket
Interior:
023 Cobalt Red
193 Ebony
843 Titanium
Colors:
19U LeMans Blue Metallic
41U Black
45U Velocity Yellow Tintcoat
67U Machine Silver Metallic
74U Victory Red
83U Atomic Orange Metallic Tintcoat
Quick word search: Press control F and you will get a find box. Type in whatever you are looking for ie: brakes and zip right to the next mention of that keyword.
Table of Contents:
Post #1 General technical info and specs; 07 Changes
Post #2 Corvetteforum acronyms
Post #3 Z06 vs. other cars
Post #4 Info about the aluminum frame
Post #5 The dry sump & how to change the oil
Post #6 FAQ on the C5 Z06
Post #7 How to read tire info & what it means
Post #8 Magnuson Moss warranty act
Post #9 Transmission gear ratios
Post #10 Cell phone mounting
Post #11 Weight difference between 1LZ & 2LZ option pkgs
Post #12 Explanations of spoilers and wings
Post #13/14/15 LS7 cam specs & heads and flow #s
Post #16 Z06 problems
Post #17 The history of Corvette name and symbol
Post #18 How to take better pics of your Corvette
Post #19/20 C6 Z06 Nurburgring test pics
Post #21 Nurburgring info, vids, threads
Post #22 Scanned Car&Driver and Motor Trend articles
Post #23 Is it Z oh 6 or Z zero 6?
Post #24 The 2006 C6/Z06 manual
Post #25 Dyno runs
Post #26 Octane discussion and explanation
Post #27 C6 Z06 brake discussions.
Post #28 Convertible discussions
Post #29 Track Reviews, harness bars, suspension discussions, etc.
Post #30 Z06 specific part numbers
Post #31 Wheel and Tire section
Post #32 How to install a switch for muffler valve activation
Post #33 Sound reduction for the C6 Z06
Post #34 LS1 vs. LS7 crank pics
Post #35 Bolt torque specs
Post #36 Weight reduction
Post #37 Tire Pressure Sensor Reset
Post #38 iPod your car
Post #39 Front license plate mounting
Post #40 Do you need a Cold Air Intake on the C6 Z06?
Post #41 & 42 & 43 Jacking procedures
Post #44 Drag racing discussions
Post #45 Emissions control pads in the intake snorkel
Post #46 The Official "Top Gear/Fifth Gear" Video Library
Post #47 How to modify your stock muffler
Post #48 How to clean your clutch reservoir.
Post #49 Xeon fog lights
Post #50 DIY – Rear Axle / Differential oil change, with pics
Post #51 Katech How-To: Check lifter preload
Post #52 Our own Congaman's videos!
Post #53 How to find who built your engine.
Post #54 Skip shift eliminator (CAGS)
Post #55 Summary of the Axle Shaft Issue for FAQ
How to post pics, etc. our Help section.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/forumdisplay.php?f=31
Check out the C6 Gen FAQ sticky
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...81&forum_id=74
It will answer many questions that the C6 and Z06 have in common like Nav and radio questions, etc.
23 Page Z06 fact book.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...1&forum_id=100
Originally Posted by Another Yellow
The official final total build for the 2006 Z06 is 6,257.
Of the 6,257 Z06 built for 2006, 309 went to Canada and 361 to Europe.
The color breakdown for the Z06 only:
Black 27%
Yellow 22%
Red 19%
Silver 16%
Blue 11%
Orange 5%
89% were 2LZ
In addition to the 6,257 Z06, there were 16,588 coupes and 11,147 verts built for a total production of 33,992 for model year 2006.
Frank
Of the 6,257 Z06 built for 2006, 309 went to Canada and 361 to Europe.
The color breakdown for the Z06 only:
Black 27%
Yellow 22%
Red 19%
Silver 16%
Blue 11%
Orange 5%
89% were 2LZ
In addition to the 6,257 Z06, there were 16,588 coupes and 11,147 verts built for a total production of 33,992 for model year 2006.
Frank
Originally Posted by MONTVALEGOLF
Final 2006 Corvette production numbers:::
Total '06 build .. 34,021
Total '06 Z06 production .. 6,272 .. 18.4%
Total: Lemans Blue Z06 Build amount---671.. 10.7%
Black 1,672.. 26.7%
Machine Silver 978 .. 15.6%
DSOrange M 282.. 4.5%
VRed 1,205.. 19.2%
VYellow 1,464.. 23.3%
Regards, Mike Thanks JDogg for all your help!
Total '06 build .. 34,021
Total '06 Z06 production .. 6,272 .. 18.4%
Total: Lemans Blue Z06 Build amount---671.. 10.7%
Black 1,672.. 26.7%
Machine Silver 978 .. 15.6%
DSOrange M 282.. 4.5%
VRed 1,205.. 19.2%
VYellow 1,464.. 23.3%
Regards, Mike Thanks JDogg for all your help!
INFORMATION PROVIDED BY GENERAL MOTORS
2006 specs are up:
http://www.chevrolet.com/corvette/
CORVETTE Z06: RACING SUCCESS HELPS BREED THE FASTEST, MOST POWERFUL PRODUCTION CORVETTE EVER BUILT
DETROIT – By winning every race in the 2004 season, the Corvette C5-R racing team wrapped up the most successful era in Corvette’s 50-year racing history. In its five years, the C5-R racing program took 35 victories in 55 races, four American Le Mans Series championships and three double victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans .
The Z06 sparked the second half of the C5’s life span with a Corvette model for the extreme performance enthusiast. Now, Team Corvette combines the numerous attributes of the sixth-generation Corvette with the technology and winning determination from the C5-R program to take the new Z06 to the next level in total performance.
Chevrolet introduced the 2006 Corvette Z06 at the North American International Auto Show. It is the fastest, most powerful car ever offered by Chevrolet and General Motors. It is comprised of an unprecedented level of capability and technology, making it one of the greatest performance values on the market. And with an unmistakably muscular appearance, the ’06 Z06 has a visual attitude that always looks ready to demonstrate Corvette’s winning attitude to any challenger around the globe.
“The new Z06 is the dividend from competing so successfully in endurance racing,” said Dave Hill, Corvette’s chief engineer. “It combines the strong attributes of the new, sixth-generation Corvette with the spirit, technology and know-how from the race program to form an American supercar with outstanding credentials.”
The new Z06 achieves 500 horsepower in an approximately 3130-pound (1419.7 kg) package and is expected to deliver 0-60 performance of less than 4 seconds, eclipse the quarter-mile in less than 12 seconds and deliver a top speed of more than 190 mph on a race track.
The links between racing and the production Z06 are both direct and indirect, as the vehicle was developed in conjunction with the forthcoming C6-R racecar, but they boil down to the application of lessons that could only have been learned after countless laps of endurance racing – everything from suspension geometry to aerodynamics. What the engineers developed was a totally unique vehicle that has its own powertrain, body structure and chassis system which are distinct from other Corvette models.
Previous Z06 models, from the original 1963 model to the 2001-04 editions, incorporated suspension and/or engine upgrades that complemented existing Corvette systems. Not surprisingly, the specs for the ’06 read like the blueprint of a champion. They include:
• LS7 7.0-liter/427-cubic-inch Gen IV V-8 with lightweight reciprocating components
• 500 horsepower (373 kw) at6200 rpm
• 475 lb.-ft. of torque (657 Nm) at 4800 rpm
• 7000 rpm redline
• Titanium connecting rods and intake valves
• Dry-sump engine lubrication system
• Engine hand-built at GM’s new Performance Build Center
• Aluminum body structure with one-piece hydroformed perimeter rails frame and magnesium front cradle
• Fixed roof design optimizes body rigidity and aerodynamics
• Carbon-fiber composite front fenders and front wheelhouses
• Unique front fascia incorporating a larger grille, cold-air scoop and lower air splitter
• Wide-body rear fenders and a unique rear spoiler incorporated with the CHMSL
• Huge 14-inch (355-mm) cross-drilled front disc brakes with six-piston calipers and 13.4-inch (340-mm) cross-drilled rear rotors with four-piston calipers
• 18 x 9.5-inch front wheels with 275/35ZR18 tires and 19 x 12-inch rear wheels with 325/30ZR19 tires
• 3-inch-diameter exhaust with bi-mode mufflers and larger polished stainless steel tips
• Engine, transmission and differential oil coolers; and steering cooler
• Rear-mounted battery to improve weight distribution
• Unique interior features including revised gauge cluster and lightweight two-tone seats with more aggressive bolsters
• Curb weight of 3130 pounds / 1419.7 kg (estimated)
• 3 inches (76.2 mm) wider than other Corvette models
• Vehicle developed simultaneously with C6-R racecar.
The features above are merely the highline points of the comprehensively designed Z06. What follows is a closer look at the vehicle’s unique attributes.
LS7 engine
The all-new LS7 of the ’06 Z06 reintroduces the 427-cubic-inch engine to the Corvette lineup. Unlike the previous 427 engine, which was a big-block design, the new 7.0-liter LS7 is a small-block V-8 – the largest-displacement small-block ever produced by GM and a tribute to its 50 years as a performance icon.
With 500 horsepower and 475 lb.-ft. of torque, it also is the most powerful passenger car engine ever produced by Chevrolet and GM. The LS7 is easily identified under the hood by red engine covers with black lettering.
The LS7 shares the same basic Gen IV V-8 architecture as the Corvette’s 6.0-liter LS2, but the LS7 uses a different cylinder block casting with pressed-in steel cylinder liners to accommodate the engine’s wide, 104.8-mm-wide cylinder bores; the LS2 has 101.6-mm bores. And when compared to the LS2, the LS7 also has a different front cover, oil pan, exhaust manifolds and cylinder heads.
Internally, the LS7’s reciprocating components make use of racing-derived lightweight technology, including titanium connecting rods and intake valves, to help boost horsepower and rpm capability. The rpm fuel shut-off limit is 7000 rpm.
The LS7’s specifications include:
• Unique cylinder block casting with large, 104.8-mm bores and pressed-in cylinder liners
• Forged steel main bearing caps
• Forged steel crankshaft
• Titanium connecting rods with 101.6-mm stroke
• Cast aluminum flat-top pistons
• 11.0:1 compression
• Dry-sump oiling system
• Camshaft with .591-inch lift
• Racing-derived CNC-ported aluminum cylinder heads with titanium intake valves and sodium-filled exhaust valves
• Titanium pushrods and valve springs
• Low-restriction air intake system
• Hydroformed exhaust headers with unique “quad flow” collector flanges.
“In many ways, the LS7 is a racing engine in a street car,” said Dave Muscaro, assistant chief engineer of small-block V-8 for passenger cars. “We’ve taken much of what we’ve learned over the years from the 7.0-liter C5-R racing program and instilled it here. There really has been nothing else like it offered in a GM production vehicle.”
One of the clearest examples of the LS7’s race-bred technology is its use of titanium connecting rods. They weigh just 480 grams apiece, almost 30 percent less than the rods in the LS2 V-8. Besides being lightweight, which enhances high-rpm performance and rpm range, titanium makes the rods extremely durable.
The LS7’s CNC-ported aluminum cylinder heads are all-new and designed to meet the high airflow demands of the engine’s 7.0-liter displacement, as it ingests approximately 100 cubic feet more air per minute than the Corvette’s 6.0-liter LS2 V-8 – an 18-percent increase in airflow. Consequently, a hydraulic roller camshaft with .591/.591-inch valve lift is used to allow plenty of air to circulate in and out of the engine.
To ensure optimal, uninterrupted airflow, the LS7’s heads have straight, tunnel-like intake runners. Very large by production-vehicle standards – even racing standards – they are designed to maintain fast airflow velocity, providing excellent torque at low rpm and exhilarating horsepower at high rpm. The heads feature 70-cc combustion chambers which are fed by huge, 56-mm-diameter titanium intake valves. The lightweight titanium valves weigh 21grams less than the stainless steel valves used in the LS2, despite the valve head having 22 percent more area. They are complemented by 41-mm sodium-filled exhaust valves, vs. 39.4-mm valves in the LS2. To accommodate the large valve face diameters, the heads’ valve seats are siamesed; and, taken from experience with the engines of C5-R racecars, the LS7’s valve angles are held at 12 degrees – versus 15 degrees for the LS2 – to enhance airflow through the ports.
All LS7 engines are assembled by hand at GM Powertrain’s new Performance Build Center in Wixom , Mich. The exacting standards to which they are built include deck-plate honing of the cylinders – a procedure normally associated with the building of racing engines and almost unheard of in a production-vehicle engine.
Dry sump oiling system
The LS7 has a dry-sump oiling system designed to keep the engine fully lubricated during the high cornering loads the Corvette Z06 is capable of producing. An engine compartment-mounted 8-quart reservoir delivers oil at a constant pressure to a conventional-style oil pump pick-up at the bottom of the engine. The pressurized oil feed keeps the oil pick-up continually immersed in oil at cornering loads exceeding 1 g.
Oil circulates through the engine and down to the oil pan, where it is sent back to the reservoir via a scavenge pump. The large-capacity reservoir, combined with a high efficiency air-to-oil cooler, provides necessary engine oil cooling under the demands of the engine’s power output. With the dry-sump system, oil is added to the engine via the reservoir tank – which includes the oil level dipstick.
The LS7’s dry-sump system was developed and tested on racetracks in the United States and Europe , including Germany ’s famed Nürburgring. And while common in racing cars, the Corvette Z06 is one of just a handful of production vehicles – and the only production Corvette – to ever incorporate such a high-performance oiling system.
Drivetrain
The Corvette Z06’s powertrain and drivetrain systems are matched to the LS7’s performance capability. The light, four-into-one headers discharge in to new, close-coupled catalytic converters and through to new “bi-modal” mufflers. The mufflers each feature a vacuum-actuated outlet valve, which controls exhaust noise during low-load operation but opens for maximum power.
At the rear of the LS7 engine, a single-mass flywheel and lightweight, high-capacity clutch channel torque to the rear transaxle. The six-speed manual transmission has been strengthened to handle the LS7’s increased torque load. The transmission includes a pump which sends transmission fluid to the front radiator for cooling. Upon its return, the fluid removes additional heat from the differential lube before returning to the transmission.
The M6 transmission connects to a limited-slip differential, with enlarged ring and pinion gears. Stronger axle half-shafts with tougher universal joints transmit power to the rear wheels.
Body structure
The Z06 has a unique aluminum body structure for optimum stiffness and light weight for the fixed-roof bodystyle. Perimeter rails are one-piece hydroformed members featuring cast suspension nodes, which replace many welded steel components on other Corvette models. Other castings, stampings and extrusions are combined into the innovative structure with state-of-the-art manufacturing technologies.
Advanced structural composites featuring carbon fiber are bonded to the aluminum structure. The wider front wheelhouses, for example, are carbon composites and the passenger compartment floors combine carbon-fiber skins with an ultra-lightweight balsa wood core.
Chassis system
The 2006 Corvette Z06 has a new magnesium cradle that serves as the attachment point for the engine and some front suspension components. Magnesium is lighter than aluminum yet incredibly strong. The magnesium cradle helps improve the front-to-rear weight distribution, as do carbon-fiber front fenders and wheelhouses. Engineers also moved the battery from underhood to a position in the rear cargo area, behind one of the rear wheels.
“This is an instance where the street car uses more advanced material than the racecar,” said Hill. “We’re constrained by rules to run the steel frame in the racecars, but we stretched to bring even more performance technology to the street for out customers.”
The mass reductions are offset by some added performance enablers, including dry-sump lubrication, 3-inch (76.2-mm) exhaust with outlet valves, larger wheels and tires, more power brake and stiffer roll stabilizers.
Suspension, brakes, wheels and tires
The Z06 retains the 106-inch (2686-mm) wheelbase of other Corvette models, as well as the short-long arm suspension and transverse leaf spring design, but it rides on all-new wheels, tires, brakes, as well as its own rear spring and roll stabilizer.
The firmer suspension works harmoniously with large 18 x 9.5-inch cast-spun aluminum wheels and 275/35ZR18 tires in the front, and 19 x 12-inch cast-spun aluminum wheels with 325/30ZR19 tires in the rear – the largest wheel-and-tire combination ever offered on a Corvette. The tires use the latest extended-mobility technology from Goodyear to provide a satisfactory ride, but still allow the vehicle to achieve lateral acceleration of more than 1 g. The extended-mobility tires eliminate the need – and weight – for a spare tire and jack or inflator kit, and reduce the chance of a sudden loss of handling capability.
“The Z06 enables the driver to turn excellent track lap times, but it also is quick to learn and is very forgiving for its performance level,” said Hill. “We tested its capability around the world to ensure it will feel at home on any road or race track.”
Complementing the suspension system and large rolling stock is an equally capable four-wheel disc brake system, consisting of 14-inch (355-mm) vented and cross-drilled front rotors and 13.4-inch (340-mm) vented and cross-drilled rear rotors. For comparison, the ’05 Corvette has 12.8-inch (325-mm) front and 12-inch (305-mm) rear rotors, while the ’05 Corvette with the Z51 has 13.4-inch (340-mm) and 13-inch (330-mm) rotors.
The front rotors are acted upon by huge, red-painted six-piston calipers that use six individual brake pads. Individual brake pads are used because they deliver more equalized wear compared to what would otherwise be a pair of very long single-piece pads. For the rear brakes, four-piston calipers with four individual brake pads are used. A Delphi four-channel ABS system is used, as is a very competent active handling system – complete with a Competitive Driving mode.
The large brakes bring an excellent level of stopping capability with the Z06, and with their four-wheel brake cooling, they provide excellent fade resistance and lining life during track duties.
Distinct design
The new Z06 has an unmistakable and aggressive appearance, with design cues that include:
• A wide front fascia with a large, forward-facing grille opening, a splitter along the bottom and “Gurney lips” along the sides to provide aerodynamic downforce
• A cold air scoop in front of the hood that integrates an air inlet system for the engine
• The trailing edge of the front wheel opening is radiused to achieve improved drag, but protects the body finish with a tough molding, and a large air extractor is located behind the wheel
• A fixed-roof bodystyle optimizes body rigidity and aerodynamics
• Wider rear fenders with flares cover the massive rear tires and a brake cooling scoop in front of the wheels visually balances the fender extractor
• A tall rear spoiler houses the CHMSL on the top of the rear fascia
• 10-spoke wheels
• Four larger stainless steel exhaust outlets
• New-design Z06 badging on the front fenders
While the function of the Z06’s design is to move air efficiently over the body and reduce lift, the net effect is a car that looks like a weight lifter whose muscles are straining the seams of his shirt.
“The Z06 has been sculpted very carefully, with every element in its design serving a performance function,” said Hill. “It also has a purposeful, menacing resemblance to the C6-R.”
The aerodynamics of the Z06’s exterior were shaped by the experiences of the Corvette racing program, where high-speed stability and cornering capability are paramount. And while the racecars use large rear wings, the Z06’s elevated spoiler provides sufficient downforce to balance the road-worthy front splitter without adversely affecting aerodynamic drag. The Z06’s Cd is .342.
Uncompromising amenities
For all its race-inspired functionality, the Z06 is designed to be a daily drivable high-performance vehicle. To that end, comfort and convenience are held to a very high standard. HID lighting, fog lamps, leather seating, dual-zone air conditioning, cabin air filtration and Head-Up Display (HUD) with track mode and g-meter are standard.
The Z06 also has a revised gauge cluster that displays the Z06 logo on the 7000-redline tachometer and has a new readout on the oil pressure gauge to reflect the higher standard pressure of the dry-sump oiling system. And, like other 2006 Corvettes, the Z06 has a new, smaller-diameter three-spoke steering wheel that provides a more agile, performance-oriented feel. The seats feature two-tone leathering surfaces, with Z06-logo embroidery and contrasting stitching.
Z06 options include a Bose audio system with an in-dash six-CD changer, polished wheels, a telescoping steering wheel, heated seats, side air bags, a navigation system with GPS, Homelink and XM Satellite Radio.
But for all its comfort, engineers did sacrifice a few components in the quest for lower weight and higher performance:
• Side bolsters are fixed and more aggressive to better hold the driver when cornering and they weigh less than standard-model seats
• Passenger seat features manual controls, saving the weight of a power-adjust motor
• Acoustic package revised to reduce weight and allow more aural feedback of the powertrain
Production of the 2006 Corvette Z06 will begin in the second half of 2005 at the Bowling Green , Ky. , Assembly Plant.
SPECIFICATIONS
Overview
Models: Chevrolet Corvette coupe and 2006 Corvette Z06
Body styles / driveline: 2-door hatchback coupe with removable roof; rear-wheel drive (coupe);
2-door hatchback coupe with fixed roof; rear-drive (Z06)
Construction: composite body panels, hydroformed steel frame with aluminum and magnesium structural and chassis components (coupe);
composite and carbon-fiber body panels, hydroformed aluminum frame with aluminum and magnesium structural and chassis components (Z06)
Manufacturing location: Bowling Green , Kentucky
Engine 6.0L V-8 LS2 7.0L V-8 LS7
Displacement (cu in / cc): 364 / 5967 427 / 7011.3
Bore & stroke (in / mm): 4 x 3.62 / 101.6 x 92 4.125 x 4 / 104.8 x 101.6
Block material: cast aluminum cast aluminum
Cylinder head material: cast aluminum cast aluminum
Valvetrain: OHV, 2 valves per cylinder OHV, 2 valves per cylinder
Fuel delivery: SFI (sequential fuel injection) SFI (sequential fuel injection)
Compression ratio: 10.9:1 11:1
Horsepower
(hp / kw @ rpm): 400 / 298 @ 6000 500 / 373 @ 6200
Torque (lb-ft / Nm @ rpm): 400 / 542 @ 4400 475 / 657 @ 4800
Recommended fuel: 93 octane (recommended but not required) 93 octane
Estimated fuel economy
(mpg city / hwy / combined): automatic: 18 / 25 / 21
manual: 19 / 28 / 23 TBD
Transmission Corvette coupe Corvette Z06
Type: Hydra-Matic 4L65-E 4-speed auto.; Tremec 6-speed manual Tremec 6-speed manual
Chassis / Suspension
Front: short/long arm ( SLA ) double wishbone, cast aluminum upper & lower control arms, transverse-mounted composite leaf spring, monotube shock absorber short/long arm ( SLA ) double wishbone, cast aluminum upper & lower control arms, transverse-mounted composite leaf spring, monotube shock absorber
Rear: short/long arm ( SLA ) double wishbone, cast aluminum upper & lower control arms, transverse-mounted composite leaf spring, monotube shock absorber short/long arm ( SLA ) double wishbone, cast aluminum upper & lower control arms, transverse-mounted composite leaf spring, monotube shock absorber
Traction control: electronic traction control; Active Handling electronic traction control; Active Handling
Brakes Corvette coupe Corvette Z06
Type: front and rear power-assisted disc with ABS; cross-drilled rotors with Z51 Performance Package front and rear power-assisted disc with ABS with 6-piston front and 4-piston rear calipers, cross-drilled rotors
Rotor diameter x thickness (in / mm): front: 12.8 x 1.26 / 325 x 32
rear: 12 x 1 / 305 x 26;
Z51 Performance Package:
front: 13.4 x 1.26 / 340 x 32
rear: 13 x 1 / 330 x 26 front: 14 x 1.3 / 355 x 32
rear: 13.4 x 1 / 340 x 26
Wheels & Tires
Wheel size: front: 18 inch x 8.5 inch
rear: 19 inch x 10 inch front: 18 inch x 9.5 inch
rear: 19 inch x 12 inch
Tires: Goodyear Eagle F1 GS
Extended Mobility
front: P245/40ZR18
rear: P285/35ZR19 Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar Extended Mobility
front: P275/35ZR18
rear: P325/30ZR19
Dimensions
Wheelbase (in / mm): 106 / 2629 106 / 2629
Overall length (in / mm): 175 / 4445 175 / 4445
Overall width (in / mm): 73 / 1854 76 / 1930
Overall height (in / mm): 49 / 1244 49 / 1244
Curb weight (lb / kg): 3179 / 1442 3130 / 1419.7
Good info on Z06/C6 differentials:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1586766
LS7 weight.
From micro:
Hello,
I did some more research on the new LS7.
The following is from the January 2006 issue of Sports Car International on page 35:
"The net result is a fully trimmed engine that weighs 458 pounds, only 10 more than the 6.0-liter LS2."
Also, BMW's M5 Product Information Guide says that the 5.0 liter 500 hp (SAE net) V-10 weighs 240 kg/529 lbs.
Some aerodynamic info on your Z06.
From: "The Chevrolet Corvette: New Vehicle Engineering and Technical History" published by Society of Automotive Engineers, Inc. It's a collection of SAE and other papers.
2005-01-1943 2006 Chevrolet Corvette C6 Z06 Aerodynamic Development pages 328-333.
"...develop the 2006 Z06 to provide it with improved high speed stability, increased cooling capability and equivalent drag compared to the 2004 C5 Z06."
"...improve front brake flow by 400%." "...200% of the previous flow rate to cool the rear brakes."
Breakdown of lift reduction @ 300 kph
Total 138 kg
Splitter 92 kg 66.7 % of total
Front wheel opening leading edge extensions 10 kg 7.4 % of total
CHMSL spoiler 36 kg 25.9 % of total
CD is the same as the C5 Z06 at .342
and the thread
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...2&forum_id=100
Corvette Z06 adds carbon fiber fenders
http://www.compositesworld.com/hpc/i...ovember/1087/1
Molder meets GM's performance, weight-reduction goals and achieves 14,000-part production target with autoclave-cured prepreg.
By Jared Nelson | November 2005
Page: 1 2 3
Since its introduction in 1953, the General Motor's Chevrolet Corvette has been a trendsetter, with its fiberglass body, distinctive body styling and high-horsepower engines. It's also served as a test bed for new GM technologies, particularly in the areas of braking, engine development and new materials. In keeping with that tradition, the 2004 Z06 Corvette Coupe, the version equipped for highest performance, was selected as the test base to determine the feasibility of carbon fiber exterior body parts in a production scenario.
Source: Karl Reque
Corvette Z06 Carbon Fiber Fender
Carbon fiber has had a difficult time breaking into the OEM automotive market. Hot among the tuner crowd, carbon parts sell well in the auto aftermarket, but few have the quality necessary to qualify as original equipment says Donald Lasell, project engineer for composite manufacturer Vermont Composites (Bennington, Vt.). Although DaimlerChrysler and Ford were working carbon into support structures -- the 2003 Dodge Viper's 3,000 pairs of front fender supports (HPC April 2003, p. 32) and the 2004 Ford GT's 4,500 rear decklid inner structures (HPC January 2004, p. 16), Corvette's 2004 LeMans Commemorative Edition Z06 marked the first attempt by a U.S. automaker to produce a carbon exterior body panel. Until that time, carbon parts with Class-A finishes had been the exclusive preserve of Italy's Lamborghini, Britain's McClaren and other hand-built sports cars produced in quantities of a few hundred.
When Tier 1 manufacturer MacLean Quality Composites (West Jordan, Utah) successfully molded, autoclave-cured and delivered 2,100 carbon/epoxy prepreg exterior hood panels for the Z06 LeMans (see HPC, March 2004, p. 33), the landmark achievement spurred GM engineers to pursue more carbon on a future model. A Z06 was not built for model-year 2005, but 7,000 were slated for 2006, offering an ideal platform for pushing the production envelope for autoclaved prepreg.
Equipped with a 505-hp 7.0-liter (427 cubic inch) engine, the 2006 Z06 delivers 23 percent greater power and has a higher top speed (198 mph/319 kmh) than the 2004 model (171 mph/275 kmh), says Dave Hill, Corvette's chief engineer. To maximize the car's power-to-weight ratio, Hill and fellow Corvette engineers sought ways to trim additional pounds from the car's body weight.
Page: 1 2 3
More carbon up front
To determine whether a part is feasible, GM considers five factors in its Part Selection Process: cost per kilogram of mass saved; location on the vehicle; tooling cost; ability to meet or exceed all base vehicle requirements; and paintability at GM's Bowling Green Assembly Plant without paint process modification. The location on the vehicle is critical to vehicle performance and forward locations are preferred. By reducing the weight at the front of the car, the center of gravity is moved further back, away from the engine mass. In addition, reducing the weight at the sides of the car decreases the energy needed to change vehicle direction, thereby reducing rolling moment (the tendency for the car to lean in the direction of the turn) through turns. The change in the center of gravity and reduced rolling moment enable the driver to comfortably maintain higher speeds through corners.
Since it was cost prohibitive to use carbon in both the hood and additional exterior body panels, the front fenders offered the best opportunity to further reduce vehicle mass and improve its performance. GM specified that carbon parts for the 2006 Z06 be made with T600-24K carbon from Toray Composites America Inc. (Tacoma, Wash.), the same fiber used in the Toray P3831C-190 carbon fiber/epoxy prepreg for the 2004 hood. Therefore, there was little doubt that the part could meet performance or paintability requirements. However, the fenders were much more complex parts than the hood, and part variation had to be held to within ±0.75 mm (±0.030 inch). Therefore, the key challenges Vermont faced were in the area of tooling and processing speed.
During the hood project, Lasell was the R&D product engineer at GM responsible for its design and validation. As the hood was moved forward into production, Lasell began development of a carbon fender, but shortly thereafter returned to his home state of Vermont and went back to work with former employer Vermont Composites. GM approached him there and asked Vermont to validate the fender production. Before bidding on the fender contract, however, Vermont had to prove not only to GM but to itself as well, that production of 7,000 sets of fenders was feasible.
Source: Typical Z06 front fender mold, showing removable inserts.
Vermont Composites
Retooling the tools
To do so, Vermont enlisted the help of Models & Tools Inc. (Troy, Mich.) for tool design. The fenders' complex shapes made tooling cost and the potential for die lock primary concerns. Since the Z06 would feature an 35-mm/1.38-inch increase in tire track width over the base model C06, the need for new tooling gave Vermont the opportunity to select more advantageous tooling material than the Invar used for the hood. To reduce the tool's thermal resistance and, as a result, reduce heat-ing and cooling times during the cure cycle, single-sided tools were made from P20 steel, which has a thermal conductivity three times greater than Invar -- 10.8 W/m-°C (225 BTU/in- hr-°F) compared to 32.5 W/m-°C (75 BTU/in-hr-°F), respectively. P20 steel is also much easier to machine than, thus reducing cost.
Source: GM
Close-up of carbon fiber fender in place on the 2006 Corvette Z06
The new P20 steel molds, however, have a CTE of 12.8x10-6 mm/mm-°C (7.1x10-6 in/in-°F) resulting in a greater shrinkage of the tool during the cool-down process. For the hood, heavier Invar tools had been used to take advantage of the almost negligible difference in the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) between the carbon and the mold of 5.4x10-6 mm/mm-°C (3x10-6 in/in-°F). To account for the different CTE between the part and the P20 steel tool and avoid die lock, each tool was designed with a main shell and five removable inserts, positioned accurately within the shell by means of tongue-and-groove locators and held in place by vacuum. After cure, the vacuum is released, and inserts can be removed from the shell and part individually to facilitate demolding. The tongue-groove locators permit the inserts to move slightly -- less than 1.6 mm/0.063 inch -- during the cool-down, to accommodate tool shrinkage.
Source: Vermont Composites
A thermal profile model of the airflow inside of Vermont Composite's autoclave as created by Quartus Engineering using IDEAS-ESC.
Each insert is geometrically stable and weighs less than 11.3 kg/25 lb, making it easy for technicians to handle. In addition, each 318 kg/700 lb tool can be made from a single 9,525 kg/21,000 lb forged P20 billet. To minimize post-mold paint prep, the was engineered to strategically place the small, resin-rich flash lines, called "lifter lines," which occur at insert/shell seams, where they could be easily sanded manually during the finishing operation to achieve the necessary Class-A paint surface. To accommodate the almost three-fold increase in part production over the hood, Models & Tools constructed five sets of left-and-right fender tools.
Remodeling the cure cycle
MacLean's greatest challenge in producing the hood had been minimizing the autoclave cure cycle -- a challenge Vermont Composites revisited in the attempt to produce nearly seven times as many fenders. The company contracted with Quartus Engineering (San Diego, Calif.) to model the air flow characteristics in its 1.8m/6 ft by 6.1m/20 ft electrically heated autoclave. Quartus created a virtual 3-D model of Vermont's autoclave, in which four virtual fender tools could be placed and oriented in various ways to determine the ideal position for uniform heating, using I-DEAS finite element analysis software developed by MAYA Heat Transfer Technologies Ltd. (Montreal, Quebec. Canada), a supplier of advanced thermal and fluid flow analysis software. The ESC Flow add-on for the I-DEAS suite is designed to simulate 3-D airflow and thermal behavior, enabling engineers to resolve thermal engineering problems. Once the ideal tool position was established, it was determined analytically that the cure cycle time could be held under 90 minutes, which Vermont Composites validated in subsequent testing. Vermont is currently producing fenders using this positioning with four tools in each cure and maximum capacity of six tools.
Designing a load-worthy layup
Vermont Composites spent a significant amount of time developing what was intended to be a balanced six-ply layup, using unidirectional T600 24K tape impregnated with Toray's G83 quick-cure epoxy resin. But the six-ply schedule lacked sufficient stiffness, resulting in "oil canning," term used when a part tends to retain deflection that results after a load is applied and then removed, rather than springing back to its original shape. To eliminate this problem, two additional plies of prepreg were added to the layup schedule, both in 0° orientation (parallel to the car's length), to increase the part's nominal thickness from 0.8 mm to 1.2 mm (0.031 inch to 0.047 inch). The result was a balanced eight-ply lay-up (0°, 90°, 0°, 0°, 0°, 0°, 90°, 0°). Additional "spot" plies were placed in several select areas where greater stiffness was required.
Ultimately, GM expended $500,000 on the tooling design and modifications, to achieve a weight reduction of 12 kg/26.5 lb per car, meet all part performance and appearance specifications, and was able to manufacture the required 7,000 pairs within production time constraints, making the fender project a big win, notes GM design release engineer Mark Voss.
Looking forward
Vermont Composites has a commit-ment from Toray for enough material to produce the 14,000 fenders per year through 2006, and its contract with GM runs through 2010. However, both GM and Vermont Composites are looking at lower-cost fiber options for the 2007 model year and beyond, working with Toray and other prepreggers. In order for new materials to be used, however, the validation process would have to be repeated to make sure they attain the properties set forth in the GM specification for the material Toray currently supplies. In addition, a new prepreg would have to meet requirements for dimensional stability, surface finish and paint adhesion. Additional cost reductions, however, could help GM justify using the fender on the base Corvette C06, at 160 cars per day, Lasell notes, acknowledging that further improvement will be needed to abbreviate processing time and increase the production rate.
Originally Posted by Michrider
VIN Breakdown - 17 digits
1 Country (1 and 5 US Built)
2 World Make Identifier (G = GM)
3 World Make Identifier ( 1 = Chev)
4 Carline Series (Y = Vette)
5 Carline Series (Y = Vette)
6 Body Style
7 Restraint Code
8 Engine Type (E = LS7)
9 Check Digit
10 Year (6 = 2006)
11 Plant (5 = Bowling Green)
12 - 17 Production Sequence
On the museum site they list the Z16 vin numbers to show what build number each one was. They were special commemorative edition Z06s in the 04 model year. Highly valuable, especially the one in my garage.
1 Country (1 and 5 US Built)
2 World Make Identifier (G = GM)
3 World Make Identifier ( 1 = Chev)
4 Carline Series (Y = Vette)
5 Carline Series (Y = Vette)
6 Body Style
7 Restraint Code
8 Engine Type (E = LS7)
9 Check Digit
10 Year (6 = 2006)
11 Plant (5 = Bowling Green)
12 - 17 Production Sequence
On the museum site they list the Z16 vin numbers to show what build number each one was. They were special commemorative edition Z06s in the 04 model year. Highly valuable, especially the one in my garage.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1614438
It is software built into the PCM that is designed to protect the driveline from excessive torque that could damage or destroy components. It helps GM keep their warranty costs at a reasonable level.
TM is invoked when the calculated amount of torque exceeds a set of constants stored in a table. When this happens, the PCM will modulate the throttle for a period of time in order to get below the max torque threshold regardless of what you're doing with the gas pedal. Through data logging, I've measured the TM period to be around 0.2 seconds from the time TM is first invoked.
As you may have guessed, TM occurs on launches and hard shifts. On stock tires, you might not be losing much -- as you are more traction limited than torque limited. However with drag radials or slicks the amount of loss is going to be greater.
Be aware that if you should use a tuner to change the constants and disable TM, you will increase the risk of driveline breakage -- and in no way should GM be liable should this occur.
TM is invoked when the calculated amount of torque exceeds a set of constants stored in a table. When this happens, the PCM will modulate the throttle for a period of time in order to get below the max torque threshold regardless of what you're doing with the gas pedal. Through data logging, I've measured the TM period to be around 0.2 seconds from the time TM is first invoked.
As you may have guessed, TM occurs on launches and hard shifts. On stock tires, you might not be losing much -- as you are more traction limited than torque limited. However with drag radials or slicks the amount of loss is going to be greater.
Be aware that if you should use a tuner to change the constants and disable TM, you will increase the risk of driveline breakage -- and in no way should GM be liable should this occur.
Simply put, with Traction System Off, on strong launches and strong shifts, the Engine Control Unit (ECU/PCM) invokes Torque Management routines to reduce engine power output so as to protect the drive train.
So, under max acceleration, the TM penalty is paid on launch and each shift. The adverse impact is about .20-.30 seconds in the quarter-mile, a minor price to pay for longevity of the drive train.
If you accept that risk and don't want to pay the TM penalty, then you can have a tuner remove TM during an ECU/PCM tuning session.
I've left my motor stock.
Ranger
So, under max acceleration, the TM penalty is paid on launch and each shift. The adverse impact is about .20-.30 seconds in the quarter-mile, a minor price to pay for longevity of the drive train.
If you accept that risk and don't want to pay the TM penalty, then you can have a tuner remove TM during an ECU/PCM tuning session.
I've left my motor stock.
Ranger
http://www.davidfarmerstuff.com/C6Z06-Torque.pdf
find all of my other great, usefull info at the same site, including in-car video, DIY guides, etc
http://www.davidfarmerstuff.com/
find all of my other great, usefull info at the same site, including in-car video, DIY guides, etc
http://www.davidfarmerstuff.com/
Based on previous threads I figured a screw was loose somewhere, so, I called Tadge Juechter, chief vehicle engineer for Corvette, and asked him about his comments to Car & Driver that appeared in the March issue regarding a change of shocks.
He actually returned my call (took me a long time to find him and get through the layers at GM) and he told me that they did their testing for the Z06 at VIR and other tracks that were smoother than at Grattan, where C&D did their tests. The Corvette suspension guys were happy with the 2006 shocks but after C&D complained about the way it handled at Grattan then in the summer of 2006 the engineers went to that track and determined that C&D was correct (at least for Grattan, a rougher track). So, considering everything, they decided to develop new rear shocks and they were installed on the cars that were given to the press fleet to test as 2007 Z06s. Tadge recalls that the shocks are not very different, but enough to make some difference at Grattan.
They fully INTENDED the new rear shocks to begin with the 2007 model year, however, Tadge said that the supplier had problems with shipping / containers / etc / and the new rear shocks have not actually been placed on the production line yet. Tadge said he thought (he's not absolutely positive just when) that the new shocks would begin to be installed in a couple of weeks on the production line. The new rear shocks will have a new part number.
Further, they decided a few months ago that Europe would get a different shock than either of the US rear shocks, because of the higher autoban speeds that they have over there. Europe has complained that the car was not buttoned down enough and US customers complain that the ride is too harsh. Hence, the 2 different rear shocks (I don't know if Europe is receiving their specific rear shocks yet).
The front shocks are all the same -- whether 2006, late 2007 or Europe (this is according to Tadge's best recollection).
I hope this helps clear up this Q. We Corvette owners can get pretty crazy when it comes to details on our cars ....... and in this particular case everyone was correct. C&D had the new shocks when they tested at Grattan and they were right (at least for the rougher track). Allanlaw was also correct that the part # was the same and that no change had occurred yet.
I really appreciate that a busy executive like Tadge returned my call. Very nice guy!!!
He actually returned my call (took me a long time to find him and get through the layers at GM) and he told me that they did their testing for the Z06 at VIR and other tracks that were smoother than at Grattan, where C&D did their tests. The Corvette suspension guys were happy with the 2006 shocks but after C&D complained about the way it handled at Grattan then in the summer of 2006 the engineers went to that track and determined that C&D was correct (at least for Grattan, a rougher track). So, considering everything, they decided to develop new rear shocks and they were installed on the cars that were given to the press fleet to test as 2007 Z06s. Tadge recalls that the shocks are not very different, but enough to make some difference at Grattan.
They fully INTENDED the new rear shocks to begin with the 2007 model year, however, Tadge said that the supplier had problems with shipping / containers / etc / and the new rear shocks have not actually been placed on the production line yet. Tadge said he thought (he's not absolutely positive just when) that the new shocks would begin to be installed in a couple of weeks on the production line. The new rear shocks will have a new part number.
Further, they decided a few months ago that Europe would get a different shock than either of the US rear shocks, because of the higher autoban speeds that they have over there. Europe has complained that the car was not buttoned down enough and US customers complain that the ride is too harsh. Hence, the 2 different rear shocks (I don't know if Europe is receiving their specific rear shocks yet).
The front shocks are all the same -- whether 2006, late 2007 or Europe (this is according to Tadge's best recollection).
I hope this helps clear up this Q. We Corvette owners can get pretty crazy when it comes to details on our cars ....... and in this particular case everyone was correct. C&D had the new shocks when they tested at Grattan and they were right (at least for the rougher track). Allanlaw was also correct that the part # was the same and that no change had occurred yet.
I really appreciate that a busy executive like Tadge returned my call. Very nice guy!!!
Further quoting Car & Driver, March 2007:
"We were so suprised by the (2007) Z06's friendly handling that we contacted Tadge Juechter, the vehicle chief engineer for the Corvette, and he told us that for 2007, the Z06's shock-damping rates have been trimmed back a little since Jan Magnusen's epic seven-minute, 43-second lap of the Nurburging ... making the car less jumpy at the limit. Bottom line, says Juechter: The car has gotten better."
"No kidding. At Buttonwillow you could see the editors recalibrate as they went through the cars, resetting their notions of the Z06's track drivability. In "The Sports Car World Cup" (C/D 9/2006) a Porsche 911 Turbo narrowly edged the Z06 for second place in a 3 car fight that included a Ferari F430. The '06 Z06's tricky handling was a major reason -- if not the reason -- for its 3rd place finish. Now with the new shocks, we've changed out tune, and the Z06 edges out the GT3, which many of us prefer to the 911 Turbo." Pg 48.
"We were so suprised by the (2007) Z06's friendly handling that we contacted Tadge Juechter, the vehicle chief engineer for the Corvette, and he told us that for 2007, the Z06's shock-damping rates have been trimmed back a little since Jan Magnusen's epic seven-minute, 43-second lap of the Nurburging ... making the car less jumpy at the limit. Bottom line, says Juechter: The car has gotten better."
"No kidding. At Buttonwillow you could see the editors recalibrate as they went through the cars, resetting their notions of the Z06's track drivability. In "The Sports Car World Cup" (C/D 9/2006) a Porsche 911 Turbo narrowly edged the Z06 for second place in a 3 car fight that included a Ferari F430. The '06 Z06's tricky handling was a major reason -- if not the reason -- for its 3rd place finish. Now with the new shocks, we've changed out tune, and the Z06 edges out the GT3, which many of us prefer to the 911 Turbo." Pg 48.
It’s Official! – Changes for 2007 Corvettes
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Just in from Chevrolet… 4/18/06
Exterior Color:
83U Atomic Orange Metallic Tintcoat (a bright chromatic orange), replaces Daytona Sunset Orange Metallic
GM mailed every dealer the new color selection with an actual chip of the new color. It is MUCH brighter and lighter than Daytona Sunset Orange Metallic!!!
Interior:
Two-tone Modified Seats (perforated leather seating surface) with crossed flag embroidery and contrasting stiching.
Available in 026 Red, 316 Cashmere, 846 Titanium
Available on Coupe and Convertible with 2LT or 3LT equipment packages
UK3 Steering-wheel mounted audio controls included with Bose premium audio systems (US9/U3U)
Larger glovebox storage space
UE1 OnStar now available on Z06 with 2LZ equipment group
Enhanced acoustic package reduces road noise and is included with Z06 2LZ equipment group
Bose audio enhancements
New keyless access transmitter with integrated mechanical key
CM7 Power convertible top is now included with Convertible 3LT equipment group
Cross-drilled brake rotors now included with F55 Magnetic Selective Ride Control
New Dealer Accessories Available for 2007:
Racing spoiler
Body side moldings
Racing stripe package
Z06 sillplates
Z06 427 hood badge
Hood blanket with color logo
2007 Order Guide Information
Three models:
1YY07 Corvette Coupe
1YY67 Corvette Convertible
1YY87 Corvette Z06 Coupe
1YY07 Coupe Information:
3 Packages; 1LT, 2LT, 3LT
2 Transmissions: MX0 Automatic, MN6 6 Speed
Options:
F55 Suspension Package
Z51 Suspension Package
QG7 Polished Wheels
QX1 Competition Gray Wheels
QX3 Chrome Wheels
R8C Museum Delivery
U3U Navigation with Single CD
VK3 Front License Plate Bracket
CC3 Transparent Top
C2L Transparent and Painted Top
Interior:
023 Cobalt Red
193 Ebony
313 Cashmere
843 Titanium
026 Cobalt Red Two Tone
316 Cashmere Two Tone
846 Titanium Two Tone
Colors:
10U Arctic White
19U LeMans Blue Metallic
41U Black
45U Velocity Yellow Tintcoat
67U Machine Silver Metallic
74U Victory Red
80U Monterey Red Metallic
83U Atomic Orange Metallic Tintcoat
1YY67 Convertible Information:
2 Packages; 2LT, 3LT
2 Transmissions: MX0 Automatic, MN6 6 Speed
Options:
CM7 Power Convertible Top
F55 Suspension Package
Z51 Suspension Package
QG7 Polished Wheels
QX1 Competition Gray Wheels
QX3 Chrome Wheels
R8C Museum Delivery
U3U Navigation with Single CD
VK3 Front License Plate Bracket
Interior:
023 Cobalt Red
193 Ebony
313 Cashmere
843 Titanium
026 Cobalt Red Two Tone
316 Cashmere Two Tone
846 Titanium Two Tone
Colors:
10U Arctic White
19U LeMans Blue Metallic
41U Black
45U Velocity Yellow Tintcoat
67U Machine Silver Metallic
74U Victory Red
80U Monterey Red Metallic
83U Atomic Orange Metallic Tintcoat
Top Colors:
29T Storm Gray
35T Beige
41T Black
1YY87 Z06 Coupe Information:
2 Packages; 1LZ, 2LZ
1 Transmissions: MN6 6 Speed
Options:
QL9 Polished Wheels
Q44 Competition Gray Wheels
R8C Museum Delivery
U3U Navigation with Single CD
VK3 Front License Plate Bracket
Interior:
023 Cobalt Red
193 Ebony
843 Titanium
Colors:
19U LeMans Blue Metallic
41U Black
45U Velocity Yellow Tintcoat
67U Machine Silver Metallic
74U Victory Red
83U Atomic Orange Metallic Tintcoat
Preliminary Order Information
You read it here first!
Dealers can begin submitting order requests on 5/24/07 with production beginning on 6/25/07.
Three models:
1YY07 Corvette Coupe
1YY67 Corvette Convertible
1YY87 Corvette Z06 Coupe
1YY07 Coupe Information:
4 Packages; 1LT, 2LT, 3LT, 4LT (Requires 245 or 425 Trim)
2 Transmissions: MX0 Automatic, MN6 6 Speed
Options:
C2L Transparent and Painted Top
CC3 Transparent Top
D30 Custom Color and Trim Combination
F55 Magnetic Selective Ride Control Package
QG7 Polished Wheels
QX1 Competition Gray Wheels
R8C Museum Delivery
U3U Navigation with Single CD
UE1 OnStar Communications
VK3 Front License Plate Bracket
Z51 Performance Package
Interior:
023 Cobalt Red
026 Cobalt Red Two Tone with Embroidery
193 Ebony
245 No Description (Requires Package 4LT)
313 Cashmere
316 Cashmere Two Tone with Embroidery
425 Linen Custom Leather Wrapped (Required Package 4LT)
843 Titanium
846 Ebony with Titanium Two Tone
Colors:
10U Arctic White
41U Black
45U Velocity Yellow Tintcoat
67U Machine Silver Metallic
74U Victory Red
83U Atomic Orange Metallic Tintcoat
85U No Description
89U No Description
1YY67 Convertible Information:
3 Packages; 2LT, 3LT, 4LT (Requires 245 or 425 Trim)
2 Transmissions: MX0 Automatic, MN6 6 Speed
Options:
D30 Custom Color and Trim Combination
F55 Magnetic Selective Ride Control Package
QG7 Polished Wheels
QX1 Competition Gray Wheels
R8C Museum Delivery
U3U Navigation with Single CD
UE1 OnStar Communications
VK3 Front License Plate Bracket
Z51 Performance Package
Interior:
023 Cobalt Red
026 Cobalt Red Two Tone with Embroidery
193 Ebony
245 No Description (Requires Package 4LT)
313 Cashmere
316 Cashmere Two Tone with Embroidery
425 Linen Custom Leather Wrapped (Required Package 4LT)
843 Titanium
846 Ebony with Titanium Two Tone
Colors:
10U Arctic White
41U Black
45U Velocity Yellow Tintcoat
67U Machine Silver Metallic
74U Victory Red
83U Atomic Orange Metallic Tintcoat
85U No Description
89U No Description
Top Colors:
35T Beige
37T Gray
41T Black
1YY87 Z06 Coupe Information:
3 Packages; 1LZ, 2LZ, 3LZ
1 Transmissions: MN6 6 Speed
Options:
D30 Custom Color and Trim Combination
Q44 Competition Gray Wheels
Q76 Chrome Wheels
QL9 Polished Wheels
R8C Museum Delivery
U3U Navigation with Single CD
UE1 OnStar Communications
VK3 Front License Plate Bracket
Interior:
023 Cobalt Red
193 Ebony
245 No Description
425 Linen Custom Leather Wrapped
843 Titanium
Colors:
41U Black
45U Velocity Yellow Tintcoat
67U Machine Silver Metallic
74U Victory Red
83U Atomic Orange Metallic Tintcoat
85U No Description
You read it here first!
Dealers can begin submitting order requests on 5/24/07 with production beginning on 6/25/07.
Three models:
1YY07 Corvette Coupe
1YY67 Corvette Convertible
1YY87 Corvette Z06 Coupe
1YY07 Coupe Information:
4 Packages; 1LT, 2LT, 3LT, 4LT (Requires 245 or 425 Trim)
2 Transmissions: MX0 Automatic, MN6 6 Speed
Options:
C2L Transparent and Painted Top
CC3 Transparent Top
D30 Custom Color and Trim Combination
F55 Magnetic Selective Ride Control Package
QG7 Polished Wheels
QX1 Competition Gray Wheels
R8C Museum Delivery
U3U Navigation with Single CD
UE1 OnStar Communications
VK3 Front License Plate Bracket
Z51 Performance Package
Interior:
023 Cobalt Red
026 Cobalt Red Two Tone with Embroidery
193 Ebony
245 No Description (Requires Package 4LT)
313 Cashmere
316 Cashmere Two Tone with Embroidery
425 Linen Custom Leather Wrapped (Required Package 4LT)
843 Titanium
846 Ebony with Titanium Two Tone
Colors:
10U Arctic White
41U Black
45U Velocity Yellow Tintcoat
67U Machine Silver Metallic
74U Victory Red
83U Atomic Orange Metallic Tintcoat
85U No Description
89U No Description
1YY67 Convertible Information:
3 Packages; 2LT, 3LT, 4LT (Requires 245 or 425 Trim)
2 Transmissions: MX0 Automatic, MN6 6 Speed
Options:
D30 Custom Color and Trim Combination
F55 Magnetic Selective Ride Control Package
QG7 Polished Wheels
QX1 Competition Gray Wheels
R8C Museum Delivery
U3U Navigation with Single CD
UE1 OnStar Communications
VK3 Front License Plate Bracket
Z51 Performance Package
Interior:
023 Cobalt Red
026 Cobalt Red Two Tone with Embroidery
193 Ebony
245 No Description (Requires Package 4LT)
313 Cashmere
316 Cashmere Two Tone with Embroidery
425 Linen Custom Leather Wrapped (Required Package 4LT)
843 Titanium
846 Ebony with Titanium Two Tone
Colors:
10U Arctic White
41U Black
45U Velocity Yellow Tintcoat
67U Machine Silver Metallic
74U Victory Red
83U Atomic Orange Metallic Tintcoat
85U No Description
89U No Description
Top Colors:
35T Beige
37T Gray
41T Black
1YY87 Z06 Coupe Information:
3 Packages; 1LZ, 2LZ, 3LZ
1 Transmissions: MN6 6 Speed
Options:
D30 Custom Color and Trim Combination
Q44 Competition Gray Wheels
Q76 Chrome Wheels
QL9 Polished Wheels
R8C Museum Delivery
U3U Navigation with Single CD
UE1 OnStar Communications
VK3 Front License Plate Bracket
Interior:
023 Cobalt Red
193 Ebony
245 No Description
425 Linen Custom Leather Wrapped
843 Titanium
Colors:
41U Black
45U Velocity Yellow Tintcoat
67U Machine Silver Metallic
74U Victory Red
83U Atomic Orange Metallic Tintcoat
85U No Description
Last edited by pewter99; 09-12-2007 at 11:35 PM.
07-24-2005, 01:05 PM
#2
Get Some!
Thread Starter
Corvette Forum Acronyms:
Corvette Forum Acronyms:
A4 – 4-speed Automatic Tranny
A6 - Automatic 6 speed tranny
AB - Auto Buffs
AFAIK - As Far As I Know
AH – Corvette Active Handling
ARE - Agostino Racing Engines
BBL - Be Back Later
BFD - Big...Fat... Deal
BFN - Bye For Now
BOHICA - Bend Over, Here It Comes
BPP - Breathless Performance Products
BRB - Be Right Back
BSOD - Blue Screen Of Death - the windows "Crash" screen
BSM - Body Side Moldings
BTW - By The Way
C1 - C6 = The 6 generations of the Corvette
CF - Carbon Fiber
CAI - Cold Air Intakes
COH - Corvettes of Houston
DILLIGAS - Do I Look Like I Give A S---
DILLIGAF - A more emphatic version of DILLIGAS
FI – Forced Induction
FRC – Fixed Roof Coupe
FRC - Fuel Rail Covers
FUBAR - "Fixed" Up Beyond All Recognition
FUD - Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt - BS intended to scare you about a product.
FWIW - For What It's Worth
FYI - For Your Information
g - grin - usually in brackets or angles <g> or [g]
bg - big grin
vbg - very big grin
vbseg - very big stuff eating grin
gd&h - grinning, ducking and hiding
gd&r - grinning, ducking and running
gd&r,vvf - grinning, ducking and running, very very fast
GMAB - Give Me A Break
GMAFB - a vehement version of Give Me A Break <g>
H/C – Heads Cam Pkg
HSIK - How Should I Know
HT - Hardtop (related to FRC)
IAC - In Any Case
IAE - In Any Event
IANAL - I Am Not A Lawyer
IBIWISI - I'll Believe It When I See It
IBTL - In Before The Lock
IBTM - In Before The Move
INAL - I'm Not A Lawyer
IMO - In My Opinion
IMHO - In My Humble Opinion
IMMHO - In My Most Humble Opinion
IOW - In Other Words
IYKWIM - If you know what I mean
JFYI - Just For Your Information
JMHO - Just My Humble Opinion
JMO - Just My Opinion
KMA - Kiss My ...Ahem....
LOL - Laughing Out Loud
LMAO - Laughing My <ahem> Off
LPE - Lingenfelter Performance Engineering
LTFSA - Leave The Fine Settings Alone
MN12 – Z06 6-speed
MN6 – Corvette 6-speed
NBD - No Big Deal
NBR - Nurburgring
NOYB - None Of Your Business
NOYDB - A forceful version of NOYB <g>
NOYFB - A an even more forceful version of NOYB <g>
NRN - No Reply Necessary
OIC - Oh, I See
OMG – Oh My God
OTL - Out To Lunch
OTOH - On The Other Hand
PFM - Pure Freaking Magic
PIMP - Peeing In My Pants (laughing so hard....)
PITA - Pain In The A**
PMFBI - Pardon Me For Butting In
PMFJI - Pardon Me For Jumping In
PMJI - Pardon My Jumping In
POS - Piece of S---
PTB - Powers That Be
RNA - Ring, No Answer (communication or telephone term for a problem)
ROFL - Rolling On Floor Laughing
ROTF - Rolling On The Floor
ROTF,L - Rolling On The Floor, Laughing
RSN - Real Soon Now
RTFM - Read The Fine Manual
RYFM - Read Your Fine Manual
SOTP - Seat Of The Pants
SNAFU - Situation Normal, All "fixed" Up
SW - Specter Werkes
TANJ - There Ain't No Justice
TANSTAAFL - There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch
TC – Corvette Traction Control
TDNBW - This Does Not Bode Well
TIA - Thanks In Advance
TIC - Tongue In Cheek
TMTOYH - Too much time on your hands
TMI - Too much information
TMUI - Too much useless information
TPTB - The Powers That Be
TSTO - To Stupid To Operate
TTFN - Ta Ta For Now
TTT – To the Top (when posting to a thread to bring it back to the top)
TTYL - Talk (or Type <g> ) To You Later
UABFH - Use A Bigger Freaking Hammer!
VE - Vette Essentials
WAD - Working As Designed (... is a feature, not a bug)
WAG - Wild A-- Guess.
SWAG - Super or Scientific WAG
WAM - World According to MSFT (MicroSoft)
WGAS - Who Gives A S---
WGAF - A more emphative version of WGAS
WOA - Work Of Art
WOT - Wide Open Throttle
WSMM - Well Shut My Mouth (Southern Computers Only)
WTH - What The H---
WTF - What The F---
WCC - West Coast Corvettes
WYSIWYG - What you see is what you get
Y2K - year 2000
YHIHF - You Heard It Hear First
YMMV - Your Mileage May Vary THANK YOU MR. AND MRS. SULLY
A4 – 4-speed Automatic Tranny
A6 - Automatic 6 speed tranny
AB - Auto Buffs
AFAIK - As Far As I Know
AH – Corvette Active Handling
ARE - Agostino Racing Engines
BBL - Be Back Later
BFD - Big...Fat... Deal
BFN - Bye For Now
BOHICA - Bend Over, Here It Comes
BPP - Breathless Performance Products
BRB - Be Right Back
BSOD - Blue Screen Of Death - the windows "Crash" screen
BSM - Body Side Moldings
BTW - By The Way
C1 - C6 = The 6 generations of the Corvette
CF - Carbon Fiber
CAI - Cold Air Intakes
COH - Corvettes of Houston
DILLIGAS - Do I Look Like I Give A S---
DILLIGAF - A more emphatic version of DILLIGAS
FI – Forced Induction
FRC – Fixed Roof Coupe
FRC - Fuel Rail Covers
FUBAR - "Fixed" Up Beyond All Recognition
FUD - Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt - BS intended to scare you about a product.
FWIW - For What It's Worth
FYI - For Your Information
g - grin - usually in brackets or angles <g> or [g]
bg - big grin
vbg - very big grin
vbseg - very big stuff eating grin
gd&h - grinning, ducking and hiding
gd&r - grinning, ducking and running
gd&r,vvf - grinning, ducking and running, very very fast
GMAB - Give Me A Break
GMAFB - a vehement version of Give Me A Break <g>
H/C – Heads Cam Pkg
HSIK - How Should I Know
HT - Hardtop (related to FRC)
IAC - In Any Case
IAE - In Any Event
IANAL - I Am Not A Lawyer
IBIWISI - I'll Believe It When I See It
IBTL - In Before The Lock
IBTM - In Before The Move
INAL - I'm Not A Lawyer
IMO - In My Opinion
IMHO - In My Humble Opinion
IMMHO - In My Most Humble Opinion
IOW - In Other Words
IYKWIM - If you know what I mean
JFYI - Just For Your Information
JMHO - Just My Humble Opinion
JMO - Just My Opinion
KMA - Kiss My ...Ahem....
LOL - Laughing Out Loud
LMAO - Laughing My <ahem> Off
LPE - Lingenfelter Performance Engineering
LTFSA - Leave The Fine Settings Alone
MN12 – Z06 6-speed
MN6 – Corvette 6-speed
NBD - No Big Deal
NBR - Nurburgring
NOYB - None Of Your Business
NOYDB - A forceful version of NOYB <g>
NOYFB - A an even more forceful version of NOYB <g>
NRN - No Reply Necessary
OIC - Oh, I See
OMG – Oh My God
OTL - Out To Lunch
OTOH - On The Other Hand
PFM - Pure Freaking Magic
PIMP - Peeing In My Pants (laughing so hard....)
PITA - Pain In The A**
PMFBI - Pardon Me For Butting In
PMFJI - Pardon Me For Jumping In
PMJI - Pardon My Jumping In
POS - Piece of S---
PTB - Powers That Be
RNA - Ring, No Answer (communication or telephone term for a problem)
ROFL - Rolling On Floor Laughing
ROTF - Rolling On The Floor
ROTF,L - Rolling On The Floor, Laughing
RSN - Real Soon Now
RTFM - Read The Fine Manual
RYFM - Read Your Fine Manual
SOTP - Seat Of The Pants
SNAFU - Situation Normal, All "fixed" Up
SW - Specter Werkes
TANJ - There Ain't No Justice
TANSTAAFL - There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch
TC – Corvette Traction Control
TDNBW - This Does Not Bode Well
TIA - Thanks In Advance
TIC - Tongue In Cheek
TMTOYH - Too much time on your hands
TMI - Too much information
TMUI - Too much useless information
TPTB - The Powers That Be
TSTO - To Stupid To Operate
TTFN - Ta Ta For Now
TTT – To the Top (when posting to a thread to bring it back to the top)
TTYL - Talk (or Type <g> ) To You Later
UABFH - Use A Bigger Freaking Hammer!
VE - Vette Essentials
WAD - Working As Designed (... is a feature, not a bug)
WAG - Wild A-- Guess.
SWAG - Super or Scientific WAG
WAM - World According to MSFT (MicroSoft)
WGAS - Who Gives A S---
WGAF - A more emphative version of WGAS
WOA - Work Of Art
WOT - Wide Open Throttle
WSMM - Well Shut My Mouth (Southern Computers Only)
WTH - What The H---
WTF - What The F---
WCC - West Coast Corvettes
WYSIWYG - What you see is what you get
Y2K - year 2000
YHIHF - You Heard It Hear First
YMMV - Your Mileage May Vary THANK YOU MR. AND MRS. SULLY
Last edited by LTC Z06; 09-16-2005 at 12:20 PM.
07-24-2005, 01:22 PM
#3
Get Some!
Thread Starter
C6 Z06 vs. every car you can imagine.
Originally Posted by FFCobra
I finally got around to writing something about these two great cars. You can read all the details here: http://www.ffcobra.com/magazine/article20060807.htm
Hope you enjoy it,
- Bill
Hope you enjoy it,
- Bill
Originally Posted by FFCobra
I saw another post from a guy with his NSX next to his buddies C6 Z06. Here's a great picture that I call SMALL (Elise) - MED (NSX) - LARGE (C6Z06)
This is my C6 Z06 next to my father-in-laws NSX (Mike) and a friends Elise (Rob). I've owned 5 NSX's and that's how I met my wife Jackie 8 years ago. We met at an NSX get-together. Both Mike and I have owned Elise's.
OK, I'm kind of a car nut. In the past few years I've owned Acura NSX's(5), Porsche 911 (996), Lotus Elise, Corvette C5 Convertible and Coupe, Ferrari 355 (still have), Factory Five Cobra, Factory Five Spec Racer, Factory Five Coupe (still have), and the C6 Z06 (still have).
I get asked all of the time which car is better. That's really a trick question, but here's some impressions of the latest production cars. I won't include the FFR products or the C5.
Contenders for this write-up:
C6 Z06
Acura NSX (hard tops, not targa models)
Porsche 911 (996)
Lotus Elise
Ferrari 355
Best steering: Lotus Elise
Worse steering: C6 Z06
Best power: Corvette C6 Z06
Worse power: Lotus feels slow, but the NSX is slower
Best brakes: Lotus Elise with the Z06, 355 and 911 real close
Worse brakes: Acura NSX
Best seats for a long trip: C6 Z06
Worse seats for a long trip: tie Porsche 911 and Lotus Elise
Best seats for the track: Lotus Elise
Worse seats for the track: C6 Z06
Best stereo: C6 Z06
Worse stereo: Lotus Elise - really, really, really bad.
Easiest to drive fast in the mountains: Lotus Elise
Scariest to drive fast in the mountains: C6 Z06 (too much power and runflats)
Best handling (grip): Tie between C6 Z06 and Lotus Elise
Worse handling: none, they all handle great
Best stock exhaust sound: Ferrari 355
Worse stock exhaust sound: Acura NSX
Best after-market exhaust: Ferrari 355 Capristo Stage III
Worse after-market exhaust: None
Best attention getter: Lotus Elise by a mile
Worse attention getter: Porsche 911
Most reliable: C6 Z06 so far
Most unreliable: Ferrari 355
Cheapest after-market parts: Lotus Elise and C6 Z06
Highest priced after-market parts: Ferrari 355
Easiest to get into: tie Corvette C6 Z06 and Porsche 911
Worse to get in: Lotus Elise
Most fun to drive: Lotus Elise
Least fun to drive: Could their be one that's not fun? The NSX is pretty much the least of this group.
Best build quality (fit and finish): tie Porsche 911 and Acura NSX
Worse build quality: tie between Ferrari 355 and Lotus Elise
Best engineering design: Corvette C6 Z06 by a long mile
Worse engineering design: Porsche 911
Best interior materials: Porsche 911
Worse interior materials: Ferrari 355 (parts are melting and everything is sticky) and Lotus Elise (hard plastics)
Best smell: Porsche 911
Worse smell: none, they all smell great in their own way.
Best paint: Acura NSX
Worse paint: Lotus Elise
Most luggage space: Corvette C6 Z06 and Porsche 911
Worse Luggage space: Ferrari 355 and Lotus Elise
Best dealer for service: Acura and Porsche are damn good (I haven't had to service the C6 Z06)
Worse dealer for service: Ferrari
Best for autocrossing: Lotus Elise
Worse for autocrossing: Acura NSX
Cheapest car to take to the track for 3 days (no wrecks), in order:
Lotus Elise
Corvette C6 Z06
Acura NSX
Porsche 911
Ferrari 355
Safest car to take to the track, in order:
Acura NSX (just don't lift in a corner)
Lotus Elise (again, don't lift)
Corvette C6 Z06
Ferrari 355
Porsche 911 (really, really don't lift)
Most expensive to repair body parts, in order:
Lotus Elise
Ferrari 355
Acura NSX
Porsche 911
Corvette C6 Z06
Most expensive to repair mechanical (out of warranty), in order:
Ferrari 355
Porsche 911
Acura NSX
Corvette C6 Z06
Lotus Elise
Cheapest street tires: Lotus Elise
Most expensive street tires: Corvette C6 Z06
Cheapest brake pads: Lotus Elise
Most expensive brake pads: tie Ferrari 355 OEM and C6 Z06
Best shifter linkage: Acura NSX
Worse shifter linkage: Lotus Elise
Best clutch feel: tie C6 Z06 and Ferrari 355
Worse clutch feel: Porsche 911
Best A/C: C6 Z06
Worse A/C: Lotus Elise (really, really bad)
Least amount of squeaks: C6 Z06
Most amount of squeaks: Lotus Elise
Best interior layout: C6 Z06
Worse interior layout: tie Ferrari 355 (limited storage and weird switches) and Lotus Elise (no storage)
Best head lights: Porsche 911 (Zenon option)
Worse head lights: Lotus Elise (they got a DOT exemption)
Easiest for driveways and bumps: C6 Z06
Hardest to get over bumps: tie Acura NSX and Ferrari 355
Easiest to purchase, in order:
Porsche 911 (walked in, they tossed me the keys and we drove out with the paperwork done in 30 minutes.
Lotus Elise (Easy to find and has no issues to check on)
Corvette C6 Z06 (if you don't mind the wait and dealer BS)
Acura NSX (before buying you have to check them out for a few issues that are known, but this can be done by myself because they are easy to spot).
Ferrari 355 (so many things to check and you need to know what you are looking for).
Easiest to sell:
Corvette C6 Z06 (in demand)
Acura NSX
Lotus Elise
Porsche 911
Ferrari 355
When selling, which car can have the most miles? (in order)
Acura NSX (buyers know they are bullet proof, even with 100,000 miles)
Corvette C6 Z06 (Look how many C6 Z06's already have over 5k miles on them... these cars can be driven and buyers won' care.)
Porsche 911 (the buyers don't mind as much as 8,000 miles a year)
Lotus Elise (too many 1 year old cars with 2,000 miles or less, so if you drive it you will lose money.)
Ferrari 355 (Don't drive it or they will lose value quickly. Ferrari buyers are weird about miles.)
Which car is the best value? Corvette C6 Z06
Which has the best stock wheels? Corvette C6 Z06
Which car has the worse stock wheels? Acura NSX
Which car gets by the police the best? Porsche 911
Which car gets the most attention from the police? Lotus Elise
Which car will be the most collectible in 30 years?
Corvette C6 Z06
Ferrari 355
Acura NSX
Lotus Elise
Porsche 911
Which car is at the bottom of the deprecation curve?
Ferrari 355
Acura NSX (91-93)
Which car will depreciate the most (%) over 3 years?
Lotus Elise
Corvette C6 Z06
Porsche 911 (996)
Which car would I most like to drive across the USA? C6 Z06
Which car would I least like to drive across the USA? Lotus Elise and Ferrari 355
Best car for your mother to drive? Acura NSX
Worse car for your mother to drive? Lotus Elise (hard to get in and out)
Best car to let your father drive? Corvette C6 Z06
Worse car for your father to drive? Lotus Elise (hard to get in and out)
Best ride? Acura NSX
Worse ride? Lotus Elise
Which car can I work on (shocks, oil changes, sway bars, brakes)? Lotus Elise, Acura NSX, C6 Z06
Which car should not be touched by me? Porsche 911 or Ferrari 355
Which car under steers the most? Porsche 911
Which car over steers the most? Lotus Elise
Which car is the most neutral? Corvette C6 Z06
Which car can you see out of the front the best? Acura NSX
Which car is the worse to see out of the front? C6 Z06
Which car has the most blind spots? Lotus Elise
Which car has the least amount of blind spots? Porsche 911
Which car has the best leather? Porsche 911
Which car has the worse leather? Ferrari 355 wears the most on the side bolster, but the Lotus feels the cheapest
Which car has the best driving position? C6 Z06
Which car has the worse driving position? Porsche 911
Which has the best steering wheel? Lotus Elise (momo is standard)
Which has the worse steering wheel? Acura NSX
- Bill
This is my C6 Z06 next to my father-in-laws NSX (Mike) and a friends Elise (Rob). I've owned 5 NSX's and that's how I met my wife Jackie 8 years ago. We met at an NSX get-together. Both Mike and I have owned Elise's.
OK, I'm kind of a car nut. In the past few years I've owned Acura NSX's(5), Porsche 911 (996), Lotus Elise, Corvette C5 Convertible and Coupe, Ferrari 355 (still have), Factory Five Cobra, Factory Five Spec Racer, Factory Five Coupe (still have), and the C6 Z06 (still have).
I get asked all of the time which car is better. That's really a trick question, but here's some impressions of the latest production cars. I won't include the FFR products or the C5.
Contenders for this write-up:
C6 Z06
Acura NSX (hard tops, not targa models)
Porsche 911 (996)
Lotus Elise
Ferrari 355
Best steering: Lotus Elise
Worse steering: C6 Z06
Best power: Corvette C6 Z06
Worse power: Lotus feels slow, but the NSX is slower
Best brakes: Lotus Elise with the Z06, 355 and 911 real close
Worse brakes: Acura NSX
Best seats for a long trip: C6 Z06
Worse seats for a long trip: tie Porsche 911 and Lotus Elise
Best seats for the track: Lotus Elise
Worse seats for the track: C6 Z06
Best stereo: C6 Z06
Worse stereo: Lotus Elise - really, really, really bad.
Easiest to drive fast in the mountains: Lotus Elise
Scariest to drive fast in the mountains: C6 Z06 (too much power and runflats)
Best handling (grip): Tie between C6 Z06 and Lotus Elise
Worse handling: none, they all handle great
Best stock exhaust sound: Ferrari 355
Worse stock exhaust sound: Acura NSX
Best after-market exhaust: Ferrari 355 Capristo Stage III
Worse after-market exhaust: None
Best attention getter: Lotus Elise by a mile
Worse attention getter: Porsche 911
Most reliable: C6 Z06 so far
Most unreliable: Ferrari 355
Cheapest after-market parts: Lotus Elise and C6 Z06
Highest priced after-market parts: Ferrari 355
Easiest to get into: tie Corvette C6 Z06 and Porsche 911
Worse to get in: Lotus Elise
Most fun to drive: Lotus Elise
Least fun to drive: Could their be one that's not fun? The NSX is pretty much the least of this group.
Best build quality (fit and finish): tie Porsche 911 and Acura NSX
Worse build quality: tie between Ferrari 355 and Lotus Elise
Best engineering design: Corvette C6 Z06 by a long mile
Worse engineering design: Porsche 911
Best interior materials: Porsche 911
Worse interior materials: Ferrari 355 (parts are melting and everything is sticky) and Lotus Elise (hard plastics)
Best smell: Porsche 911
Worse smell: none, they all smell great in their own way.
Best paint: Acura NSX
Worse paint: Lotus Elise
Most luggage space: Corvette C6 Z06 and Porsche 911
Worse Luggage space: Ferrari 355 and Lotus Elise
Best dealer for service: Acura and Porsche are damn good (I haven't had to service the C6 Z06)
Worse dealer for service: Ferrari
Best for autocrossing: Lotus Elise
Worse for autocrossing: Acura NSX
Cheapest car to take to the track for 3 days (no wrecks), in order:
Lotus Elise
Corvette C6 Z06
Acura NSX
Porsche 911
Ferrari 355
Safest car to take to the track, in order:
Acura NSX (just don't lift in a corner)
Lotus Elise (again, don't lift)
Corvette C6 Z06
Ferrari 355
Porsche 911 (really, really don't lift)
Most expensive to repair body parts, in order:
Lotus Elise
Ferrari 355
Acura NSX
Porsche 911
Corvette C6 Z06
Most expensive to repair mechanical (out of warranty), in order:
Ferrari 355
Porsche 911
Acura NSX
Corvette C6 Z06
Lotus Elise
Cheapest street tires: Lotus Elise
Most expensive street tires: Corvette C6 Z06
Cheapest brake pads: Lotus Elise
Most expensive brake pads: tie Ferrari 355 OEM and C6 Z06
Best shifter linkage: Acura NSX
Worse shifter linkage: Lotus Elise
Best clutch feel: tie C6 Z06 and Ferrari 355
Worse clutch feel: Porsche 911
Best A/C: C6 Z06
Worse A/C: Lotus Elise (really, really bad)
Least amount of squeaks: C6 Z06
Most amount of squeaks: Lotus Elise
Best interior layout: C6 Z06
Worse interior layout: tie Ferrari 355 (limited storage and weird switches) and Lotus Elise (no storage)
Best head lights: Porsche 911 (Zenon option)
Worse head lights: Lotus Elise (they got a DOT exemption)
Easiest for driveways and bumps: C6 Z06
Hardest to get over bumps: tie Acura NSX and Ferrari 355
Easiest to purchase, in order:
Porsche 911 (walked in, they tossed me the keys and we drove out with the paperwork done in 30 minutes.
Lotus Elise (Easy to find and has no issues to check on)
Corvette C6 Z06 (if you don't mind the wait and dealer BS)
Acura NSX (before buying you have to check them out for a few issues that are known, but this can be done by myself because they are easy to spot).
Ferrari 355 (so many things to check and you need to know what you are looking for).
Easiest to sell:
Corvette C6 Z06 (in demand)
Acura NSX
Lotus Elise
Porsche 911
Ferrari 355
When selling, which car can have the most miles? (in order)
Acura NSX (buyers know they are bullet proof, even with 100,000 miles)
Corvette C6 Z06 (Look how many C6 Z06's already have over 5k miles on them... these cars can be driven and buyers won' care.)
Porsche 911 (the buyers don't mind as much as 8,000 miles a year)
Lotus Elise (too many 1 year old cars with 2,000 miles or less, so if you drive it you will lose money.)
Ferrari 355 (Don't drive it or they will lose value quickly. Ferrari buyers are weird about miles.)
Which car is the best value? Corvette C6 Z06
Which has the best stock wheels? Corvette C6 Z06
Which car has the worse stock wheels? Acura NSX
Which car gets by the police the best? Porsche 911
Which car gets the most attention from the police? Lotus Elise
Which car will be the most collectible in 30 years?
Corvette C6 Z06
Ferrari 355
Acura NSX
Lotus Elise
Porsche 911
Which car is at the bottom of the deprecation curve?
Ferrari 355
Acura NSX (91-93)
Which car will depreciate the most (%) over 3 years?
Lotus Elise
Corvette C6 Z06
Porsche 911 (996)
Which car would I most like to drive across the USA? C6 Z06
Which car would I least like to drive across the USA? Lotus Elise and Ferrari 355
Best car for your mother to drive? Acura NSX
Worse car for your mother to drive? Lotus Elise (hard to get in and out)
Best car to let your father drive? Corvette C6 Z06
Worse car for your father to drive? Lotus Elise (hard to get in and out)
Best ride? Acura NSX
Worse ride? Lotus Elise
Which car can I work on (shocks, oil changes, sway bars, brakes)? Lotus Elise, Acura NSX, C6 Z06
Which car should not be touched by me? Porsche 911 or Ferrari 355
Which car under steers the most? Porsche 911
Which car over steers the most? Lotus Elise
Which car is the most neutral? Corvette C6 Z06
Which car can you see out of the front the best? Acura NSX
Which car is the worse to see out of the front? C6 Z06
Which car has the most blind spots? Lotus Elise
Which car has the least amount of blind spots? Porsche 911
Which car has the best leather? Porsche 911
Which car has the worse leather? Ferrari 355 wears the most on the side bolster, but the Lotus feels the cheapest
Which car has the best driving position? C6 Z06
Which car has the worse driving position? Porsche 911
Which has the best steering wheel? Lotus Elise (momo is standard)
Which has the worse steering wheel? Acura NSX
- Bill
Between my wife and I we have owned 5 NSX's. All were hardtop 1991-1994 models. Her dad has owned 3 and is currently driving a 2000. I have track time at Mid-Ohio with both cars, and have a lot of track time with NSX's at TWS.
They're both good cars. If you want all our horsepower and "kill anything" the Z06 is for you. But if you want exclusivity and exotic looks, then the NSX is better.
RIDE QUALITY
The NSX has a firm, compliant ride that inspires confidence. The ride quality is much different than a C6 Z06. The C6 Z06 is not as solid feeling, but rides smoother.
HANDLING
The mid engine design of the NSX makes it steer quicker and means you need to keep your head in the game when entering turns too hot. Lifting can cause the tail to come out from what is known as "trail throttle over-steer". The NSX is a very capable car in the right hands. Braking in a straight line is rewarded with being able to get back on the the throttle a lot earlier exiting an apex than the Z06.
The C6Z can be driven hard and tossed around more on the track. You can late brake if you go in too hot and not lose it. But really the car rewards the driver who goes learns to go "slow in and fast out".
BRAKING
They are both great braking cars, but the C6 Z06 has better brakes. The NSX's rear weight biases gives it an edge on balance, but the little rotor size and small calipers just can't handle the driver who works them hard on the track. The NSX brakes can get hot and start to fade.
INTERIOR LAYOUT
You can't beat the view of the road from the seat of an NSX. The C6 doesn't even come close.
The ***** and switches in both cars are well placed, but the NSX is better. The radio controls on the NAVAGATION BASED radio on the Z06 can be a PIA sometimes. I think the new steering wheel controls are a major plus for 2007.
SEATS
The NSX has the best seats on the market is you are under 210 pounds and no more than 6' 2". The C6 seats are cheap feeling and won't hold you in. But they won't wear out on the side bolsters like the NSX does.
STORAGE AND DAILY USE
The NSX trunk is 6 cubic feet, the C6 is 20. Need I say more? The clutch on the C6 is just as easy to use in traffic as the NSX, but with the torque you can leave it in just about any gear you want and move right along with the flow. The NSX requires frequent shifting to be in the power band.
VALUES AND SERVICES
Since the Z06 is new, it has a warranty. That's a plus. However, the NSX's hold up very well as long as you do your homework. In the 1991-1992 have a snap ring issue with the tranny, but I suspect most cars have been corrected by now. You can got to NSXPRIME.com to find info on how to by an NSX.
I prefer the 1991-1994 NSX's because they are lighter, hold their values, and handle better than the targas. But the 1997+ have bigger engines and more horsepower.
If you buy a 1991-1994 NSX at the current market value, you may be able to drive it for 3 to 5 years and get exactly what you paid for it. We have made money on 4 or the 5 NSX's that we have owned. And we drove the heck out of them. The last one was bought in 1998 with 32k miles for $32,0000 and we drove it until 1994 and 85,000 miles and sold it for $32,500.
I'm not sure what the Z06 will be worth. But it will depreciate for sure.
Good luck,
- Bill
A member that owns a Z06 and 2006 911TT
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1524529
Others:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1621526
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1564441
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1563162
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1528501
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1512885
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1402217
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1432069
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...0&forum_id=100
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...6&forum_id=100
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...6&forum_id=100
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...9&forum_id=100
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...8&forum_id=100
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...2&forum_id=100
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...3&forum_id=100
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...1&forum_id=100
Last edited by LTC Z06; 02-11-2007 at 08:14 PM.
07-24-2005, 01:27 PM
#4
Get Some!
Thread Starter
About the aluminum frame.
Can the frame be repaired?Yes!
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...9&forum_id=100
A very good SAE post from Runge Kutta:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...e&forum_id=100
I thought I'd do several things simultaneously; mention some content of several
of the SAE papers presented at the recent 2005 SAE World Congress related to C6
including some interpretive remarks and mention some things that I'd like to see
one day.
1) Spread the aluminum frame across the entire C6 line. For that matter,
start designing SUVs with hydroformed aluminum frames. Just as most
engine blocks and heads are aluminum these days, we need a shift from
steel to aluminum frames. The aluminum C6 frame was mandated to drop 56kg
from it's steel C5 cousin. They got 62kgs out of it (down to 124.6kg). For some
reason, they INTENTIONALLY chose to not match the frame deflections of the
C6 steel frame but rather trimmed off 10kg instead. As is, deflections of
the aluminum frame without the magnesium roof structure are within 5% of
those for the steel frame. Apparently, the frame enters the Bowling Green
plant at 285 pounds and is 140 pounds lighter than the C6 steel frame.
(some of the numbers here are slightly inconsistent between papers)
[Imagine you have a coupe with the roof out. Measure the distance from
where the roof piece touches the windshield to where it touches the
corresponding back location where the roof piece mounts. I would
guess it's about 24-30 inches. Now put 2 400 pound guys in the car and
repeat that measurement. The frame will have bent (elastically) a slight
amount and the distance will be ever so slightly less. The difference in
the measurements is the deflection. In essence, if the steel frame were
to deflect 1 millimeter, the aluminum frame will deflect 1.05 millimeters.
That's basically what the mean by having matched the steel frame's deflection
to within 5%.]
By the way, the contract to Dana for the first year is 7000 frames. Also,
the side rails are not AA5754 but AA6063-T5 (4 mm). AA6063-T5 has a higher
yield strength but LOWER fatigue strength (at 10^7 cycles). My read on this is
that the vast majority of cycles are well below the fatigue strength of AA6063-T5
and a 5-10% loss in fatigue strength was worth the increased yield strength.
This increased yield strength probably helped the weight loss (AA6xxx alloys
help weight loss more than AA5xxx alloys):
http://msl1.mit.edu/msl/meeting_041...onstantine.pdf/ (page 12)
http://www.autoaluminum.org/downloads/corpub.pdf (See tables 2 and 6 in Appendix
______A. Fatigue strength correlates with ultimate tensile strength in these alloys)
It looks like the choice of materials also had to do with managing crash energy.
Ultimately, there are thresholds for both deflections and first mode frequencies.
Meeting these values may require putting back 10kg of aluminum alloy mass but I
doubt it. By the way, again, the aluminum frame used a good bit of tooling
that is used for the steel frame. Extrusions (21) were made from AA6063-T5,T6 and
AA6061-T6 (54% by mass) while sheet metal panels/stampings (63) used AA5754-O
(36% by mass) and castings (8) used A356-T6 (10% by mass). My read on this 10kg
issue is that in designing the steel C6 frame, some compromises were made to allow
a more optimal aluminum frame design (optimal designs for each frame material
would result in very different frame details). I think the steel C6 frame
is a bit overdesigned for not just the coupe but the convertible also. Besides,
GM can ill afford to be in the business of boutique aluminum frames. Hib Halverson
and a banned member (WhiteIce, BlackIce, CFour, C4FantaC, etc.) said, a year ago,
that the aluminum frame goes across the C6 line in MY2007. The GM engineer I spoke
with about the frame apologized for having to be so vague about the frame details.
A few other tidbits. The final Z06 frame including the magnesium roof structure
is 97% as stiff (frequencies not force per unit displacement or moment per unit
angular rotation) as the steel C6 frame. It appears that the fixed magnesium roof
structure increased the first mode frequencies by about 4%. As an interesting aside,
if the frame weighs 285 pounds and 54% of the mass is extrusions and most of
the mass in extrusions is included in the two side frame rails, then the two side
rails weigh about 154 pounds. Therefore, each likely weighs about 75 pounds or so.
For a bit of history, Dana was given a contract by GM for work on this aluminum
frame back in October 1999. Concurrently, within GM there were some early
publications and patents heading in this direction.
[September 24, 1996]
http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-...RS=PN/5,557,961
and a closely related SAE paper [September 1999]
http://www.sae.org/servlets/product...CD=1999-01-3180
I don't know when ALCOA was brought into the process but it appears to
have done the initial design of the frame. One of the key design goals
of this frame is that the new aluminum frame must be integrated into
the C6 assembly process with minimal disruption, i.e. seemless integration.
All interfaces must match the steel frame.
Another thing to remember here is that the loss in stiffness of the frame when
it is built up into a full C5 or C6 is influenced by the stiffness of the
subsystems for the vehicle (C6 has a stiffer rear composite structure) as well
as the the mass caught up in the front and rear overhangs. C6 loses less stiffness
than C5 upon building the full vehicle. (The frame doesn't really lose stiffness.
The first mode frequencies of the frame are generally much higher than the
full vehicle because of all of the stuff now attached to the frame. It is this
difference to which I refer.)
The frequencies that were mentioned by DETLTU were a bit misleading.
The numbers 22.9Hz (bending) and 28.3Hz (torsion) were the program objectives
but the final numbers were 4% higher. Also, these numbers were not for the
frame alone. The are the frame, the entire roof, the windshield, the entire
rear of the car behind the driver minus the drivetrain, and parts of the front
fenders. That is my best guess from the picture. DETLTU also gave some numbers
for the steel frame but I see no mention of them anywhere.
Compare this with the SUV frame Ford studied in SAE 2003-01-0572
http://www.autofieldguide.com/articles/050303.html (scroll down 90% )
http://www.sae.org/servlets/product...CD=2003-01-0572
They got a 44% weight reduction if they had dimensional freedom but
only 20% if they did not. GM got 140/(285+140)= 32.9% with a 5% increase
in deflections at the roof and an essentially interchangable part. Also,
the "steel" C6 frame, I thought, already had a few aluminum parts, unlike
the C5 frame.
I predict C7 uses largely this same aluminum frame but the side rails will
be enlarged 20% or so in cross-section to take full advantage of the
aluminum. There may be a simple way to get some carbon fiber into this frame.
See:
2005-01-0095 : Crashworthiness of High and Low Pressure Hydroformed Straight Section Aluminum Tubes
2005-01-0465 : 2006 Corvette Z06 Aluminum Frame
2005-01-0466 : 2006 Corvette Z06 Aluminum Frame Engineering and Design Technologies
2005-01-0467 : Design Enhancement of the Rear Composite Structures for the 2005 - 6th
______________Generation - Corvette
2005-01-0470 : 2006 Corvette Z06 Aluminum Frame Manufacturing Technologies
2005-01-1392 : Aluminum Tube Hydroforming: Formability and Mechanical Properties
2005-01-1388 : The Warm Ductility of Commercial Aluminum Sheet Alloys
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
2) Since titanium is still rather expensive and the new process technologies
like FFC don't appear to have reduced the prices yet, big pieces seem out
of the question and magnesium usage needs to increase rapidly. Both C6 crossmembers
should be converted to AE44 (a magnesium alloy used in the Z06 front crossmember).
The slight increase in NHV [Noise, Vibration,& Harshness], the one undesirable
result, is quite likely a nonissue with most C6 owners.
http://www.sae.org/automag/material...1-113-4-106.pdf ( Page 4 )
Other places to use it are:
Interior: Instrument Panel, Seat Components, Trim Plate
Body: Inner Door, Door and Roof Frame, Sunroof Panel, Bumper Beam,
___Radiator Support, A and B Pillars, Inner Decklid/Hood, Outer Hood/Fender,
___Outer Door, Dash Panel, Frame Rail.
Chassis: Wheels, Engine Cradle, Subframe, Control Arm.
That rear crossmember is likely to be worth nearly the same mass savings as
the front (5.5 kg = 12.1 lbs). The front crossmember/engine cradle is the
first production part from the USCAR team (fast-tracked).
http://www.uscar.org/Media/releases/castmagnesium.html
It may be too early for them to also have a rear crossmember for any C6
model.
See:
2005-01-0337 : Magnesium Engine Cradle - The USCAR Structural Cast Magnesium Development Project
2005-01-0340 : Development of the 2006 Corvette Z06 Structural Cast Magnesium Crossmember
2005-01-0734 : Wrought Magnesium Alloys and Manufacturing Processes for Automotive Applications
Still, I'd certainly be willing to pay extra for a titanium exhaust or titanium half-shafts.
http://www.webs1.uidaho.edu/imap/Fi...20in%20Auto.pdf
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
3) What's the holdup with the polycarbonate rear hatch? The Mercedes C230 Sports
Coupe hatch-back is already using Exatec's polycarbonate technology.
http://www.apreport.com/pub/intervi...s/184151-1.html
The current one in the coupe and Z06 weighs 23.08 pounds. There is
11 pounds of high Cg mass to shed.
http://www.google.com/search?num=10...ing+automotive+
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
4) The LS2 needs an analog to the LS7 heads. Keep the titanium valve springs
but use steel valves if they must. Drop the lift from 0.591 a bit and they'll still
easily outflow the current LS2 heads. By the way, an LS2 sure is cheap ($5495):
http://www.sdpc2000.com/catalog/120...ne-Assembly.htm
Now that the 4L65-E is history and the number of 400+hp cars grows, it's time
for more juice out of the LS2. It would help base model owners worry about
a new Carrera S, a 6.L Hemi, or a GT500 a bit less.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
5) Put the Z06 CHMSL on all C6's. It reduced lift of the Z06 by 79 pounds at
186 mph. The Cd for the 2006 Z06 is 0.342, this is identical to the value
for the 2004 Z06. At 186 mph, the 2006 Z06 has 1337 pounds LESS lift than
the 2004 Z06. The lift experienced by the car is very symmetrical relative
to the front and back of the car. Front brake cooling flow on the 2006 Z06 is
400% more than the 2005 model. Rear cooling flow is 200% of the 2004 Z06. The 2006
Z06 is 15mm lower than the 2005 C6 (0.60 inches).
See:
2005-01-1943 : 2006 Chevrolet Corvette C6 ZO6 Aerodynamic Development
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
6) The sulfur is almost out of the gasoline (30ppm by 01Jan06 in all but
several small regions like Montana and Idaho). It's time for LS7-type
heads with high pressure, direct, side injection. Speaking of DI, where
are the 3V heads with Orbital's low pressure, air-assist, central injection??
01Jan06 is 8 months away.
http://www.orbitalcorp.com.au/orbit.../dioverview.htm
http://www.orbitalcorp.com.au/orbit.../automotive.htm
http://www.delphi.com/pdf/techpapers/2003-01-0062.pdf
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
7) At the risk of dropping the mileage into gas guzzler territory, put
a 6L90-E behind the LS7 as an option. If the engine has DI then there will
be no gas guzzler issue. It'll never happen but it would be a great car
to own.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
8) It looks like the 6L80-E is about 34 pounds heavier than the 4L65-E. I
wonder if GM is going to try to offset this gain by dropping 34 pounds
out of the rear of the car for 2006. The rear hatch is a good place to get a third
of that back. Next, use the Z06 floor panels for another 6.22 pounds. A magnesium
rear crossmember would be worth about 12 lbs more.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
9) If there is going to be some MY2007 or MY2008 C6 that fits the description
given for the Blue Devil then front end weight addition will be a concern. As
I see it, you can turbocharge it, supercharge it, run a 3V design, or add
direct injection. Depending on how lean you want to run your DI will dictate
how much after treatment is needed. Still, I bet a 3V DI engine or even a
2V DI engine can get the 7.0L engine to over 600 hp with minimal weight
increases and still not get hit with the gas guzzler tax.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
10) The Milford Road Course was designed based on an assessment of the more
favorite features of:
Grattan Raceway, Virginia International Raceway, Spring Mountain Motorsports
ranch, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Watkins Glen International, Road Atlanta,
Putnam Park Road Course, Mosport International Raceway, Sebring International
Raceway, Gingerman Raceway, Road America, and Nurburgring Nordschleife.
2005-01-0385 : Design of the Milford Road Course
describes this course in detail including the 18 turns and several alternate
courses. While they do not use the phrase "toilet bowl," I assume this
refers to turn 6. This turn resembles the Karussell turn at Nurburgring.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
As best as I can tell from these papers, the carbon fiber fenders saved
3.03kg - 1.20kg = 1.83kg each (this may be a subset of the full fender
as the paper also states that the weight loss is 3kg per fender), the
front wheelhouse outer panels saved 0.73kg each, and the floor panels
saved 4.74kg - 3.33 kg = 1.41kg each. From earlier papers, the 2004
Z06 hood saved 7.9kg (or 56%) over the regular C5 hood. Just like the
aluminum frame articles, the production goal is 7000 cars per year.
The fenders are made by Vermont Composites Inc.
http://www.vtcomposites.com/performance-automotive.htm
The floor panels are made by
http://www.mfgresearch.com/intranet.htm
By the way, one kilogram equals 2.204622 pounds-mass. If the production
capacity is there and the price differential is minimal then the floor
panels could be put in the coupe and convertible to save 2.82kg=6.22 pounds.
It is clear from many different articles that the emphasis was on front end
weight loss. I wouldn't be surprised to see a CF hood on the Z06 soon.
2005-01-0468 : 2006 Corvette Z06 Carbon Fiber Fender Engineering, Design and Material
Selection Considerations
2005-01-0469 : 2006 Corvette Z06 Carbon Fiber Structural Composite Panels Design, Manufacturing
and Material Development Considerations
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
12) I copied these also but I don't have much to say about them. The DI
paper is about 4V engines.
2005-01-1854 : The Supercharged Northstar DOHC 4.4L V8 Engine for Cadillac
2005-01-1937 : Combustion Characteristics of a Spray-Guided Direct-Injection
_____ Stratified-Charge Engine with a High-Squish Piston
Papers on the Northstar engine (3) are much nicer papers than the rest. The authors
spend much more time on them.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...8&page=1&pp=20
How to Lose 136 lbs.
By John D. Stoll
Ward's Auto World, Jun 1, 2005
Hopkinsville, KY, is in the racehorse business.
Located in the heart of Kentucky's bluegrass pastures, this city of 31,000 people boasts its share of thoroughbred racehorse breeders. Each day, the pounding of hoof beats lends plenty of rhythm to daily life.
In July, that sound will be rivaled by thumping heartbeats at a local 410,000-sq.-ft. (38,000-sq.-m) Dana Corp. frame plant, as it hits full stride in an effort to churn out annually 7,000 of the most-advanced structures ever to underpin a General Motors Corp. vehicle.
The plant continues to build GM fullsize van frames and stamp out parts for Toyota Motor Corp.'s Princeton, IN, truck plant. But this summer it adds Hopkinsville's newest breed of racehorse: The 285-lb. (129-kg) fully aluminum Corvette Z06 spaceframe.
The new spaceframe represents several significant firsts for Dana: Never before has the supplier had primary design responsibility for a frame; it is Dana's first underbody made entirely of aluminum; and it employs the most liberal use of laser welding — 46 ft. (14 m) worth — on a Dana frame.
Dana hopes to replicate the process for GM or other OEMs looking to differentiate a low-volume (10,000 units or less) vehicle program with a unique underbody, Gilberto Ceratti, president-Structural Solutions Group, tells Ward's.
Materials such as aluminum are seen adding sex appeal to high-margin vehicles, such as those playing to the high-horsepower supercar crowd.
“One key advantage for this design is for low- and medium-volume vehicles,” Ceratti says. “We can make it reasonable for the customer due to a much lower investment (on their part).”
While auto makers strive to keep underbodies as common as possible to save money for visible differentiation, going with a lighter-weight chassis for low-volume performance models could provide derivatives without breaking the bank.
In the Corvette's case, a less-expensive steel frame built by GM holds together the standard model, introduced in '05, while Dana's aluminum carriage handles the demands of the '06 500-hp Z06 — said to require more torsional rigidity and lighter weight than its stable mate.
GM approached Dana four years ago with the task of creating an aluminum frame that would mirror the standard steel frame so the two could share the same assembly line with little process variation.
Ceratti says Dana's proven frame record, combined with can-do determination and a commitment to hitting cost targets, won the business.
“What really drove us here was the innovation and technology,” says Mike Laisure, president-Dana Automotive Systems Group, pointing to the Z06 program as a platform for profitable aluminum frame production or chassis components in the future. He concedes, however, the low-volume Z06 program is not profitable for Dana.
“As we move it into the higher volumes, the intent is it will help us improve margins,” Laisure told reporters earlier this year. “Obviously we're in this to make money, not just show off our capability.”
Hybrid trucks may be the biggest opportunity for Dana to expand its aluminum frame business, company sources say.
Brett Deep, GM's project manager on the program, says Dana is prancing out of the gate, having exceeded GM's targets so convincingly (including coming at least 5 lbs. [2.26 kg] under weight) that he's already moved onto a GM truck program with less than two months until the Z06's Job One.
“There are no issues,” he insists.
B.J. Kroppe, director-Dana Structural Solutions product engineering, says Dana succeeded under the motto, “Same as steel.” Same, but different. The Z06 frame boasts at least one major difference: It weighs a crucial 136 lbs. (62 kg), or one-third, less.
Alcoa Inc. brought its expertise from the Ferrari 360 Modena's aluminum spaceframe to Dana's design studio and helped the Toledo-based supplier bang out an aluminum frame that looks nearly identical to the steel one.
Hopkinsville, less than a 90-minute drive to GM's Bowling Green, KY, Corvette plant, is uniquely positioned to initiate the spaceframe revolution at Dana. During a tour, Plant Manager Jerry Bieck says the facility repeatedly has won quality awards and has a laser-weld expert (shared with Dana's Ford F-150 frame plant in Elizabethtown, KY,) on hand to assist with the new technology.
The entire tunnel assembly is laser welded in a high-dollar laser booth that promises maximum efficiency and spot-on accuracy with difficult-to-weld aluminum, according to Dana officials.
In fact, the 21-34 people working on the niche frame line (depending on workload) are themselves laser-weld experts. Bieck says qualified workers — “regardless of whether they're manually welding or not” — had to complete four hours of classroom training specifically for aluminum welding, including mastery of MIG welding; undergo four hours of hands-on training; pass a written test; and complete a manual welding test with 100% accuracy.
“There cannot be any flaws whatsoever” in the laser welds, says Bieck.
The training was extended to each Z06 frame line worker, because Dana wants to have flexibility to plug in players as they are needed, Bieck says. The absence of union representation in the plant undoubtedly plays a role in Dana's ability to flex its workforce.
One thing missing on Hopkinsville's assembly line: spot-weld guns. Dana opted to use 236 self-piercing rivets (SPR), priced at 3 cents apiece, as a bulletproof alternative to spot welds.
GM's Deep insists the SPRs are far more effective joiners, not requiring pre-drilled holes or sealers to fill any gaps. He says SPRs are easier to monitor for quality.
“When you hit a rivet, you know it's there,” he says, pointing out it is virtually impossible to misfire a rivet into the aluminum structure given the tooling used. The rivets hold their ground better in a crash, don't require electricity (air guns do the job) to install and take the same 3-second cycle time needed to produce spot welds.
The aluminum frame requires about 18 minutes to build, with much of the time devoted to precision machining on a 5-axis, high-speed computer-numerically-controlled (CNC) machine located near the end of the line. The unit measures the spaceframe, drills necessary holes, rolls threads and perfects the critical interfaces, including the upper control arm and roof bow cover.
The CNC machining is essential to crafting the Z06 frame to mirror the base Corvette's, so the two can run down the same assembly line with as few variations as possible.
“It basically has the ability to machine within a quarter millimeter plus or minus,” Deep says. “We've used it to basically get this frame exactly like the steel one.”
Of the 1,777 parts that make up a Corvette, only 11 interface differently with the Z06 than they do with the base model. The magnesium roof, the battery (placed in the rear on the Z06 for weight distribution reasons) and the rear upper control arms are among the critical differences, Deep says.
Hanging the Corvette's fiberglass frame off both aluminum and steel posed a challenge. Dana solved it, dipping the aluminum frame in phosphate and then coating it with a substance that adheres to the fiberglass.
At least one point of differentiation speaks to the utility of aluminum: The rear suspension attachment, placed just aft of the integrated aluminum B-pillar, is a 1-piece casting that is fabricated on the CNC machine. On the traditional steel frame, it is a 5-piece component, welded together and requiring five different sets of tooling.
A similar reduction was achieved with the hinge pillar subassembly.
While this doesn't make the aluminum frame anywhere near as cost effective as the steel unit, it promises improved quality, less upfront tooling and simplicity. Such efficiencies will be necessary if aluminum is going to move beyond niche status.
Deep says GM currently is building a competitive advantage with aluminum, thanks to the Z06 frame project.
“We put a 1-piece aluminum casting on the (steel-frame) convertible as a seatbelt retractor roller assembly instead of four stampings. We did that leveraging what we learned working with aluminum.”
Look for more aluminum know-how from GM in the future thanks to the Dana partnership, Deep says.
— with Tom Murphy
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1620475
From a GM engineer on the AL frame.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I asked him about converting a Z06 to a vert and about the tunnel plates.
Todd,
Not to be too vague, but printed response can sometime come back to plague engineers in this field.
The Al structure was design to meet or exceed Steel spaceframe torsional rigidity and bending. This was achieved by distributing some of the loads up through the upper portion of the structure (i.e. Al windshield Frame, Magnesium Roof, and Al roof bow). For this reason, if these item were removed, a reduction in rigidity would be expected. While I am not surprised that the aftermarket world has addressed Z06 hardtop, I am not familiar with the aftermarket components. I suppose with substantial structural reinforcements, these companies may be able to gain back some of the rigidity lost, I could not speak the exact amount lost (as we never tested the vehicle without the roof structure). The Z06 has always maintained its racing spirit by providing a closed roof structure.
While a open roof Z06 is a neat idea, I would suggest a 2006 Corvette
Convertible, designed for an open roof environment. The Convertible has a great deal of performance and a heck of a lot of fun to drive.
Same goes for the tunnel structure (don't know what they would do for the spaceframe. But, the spaceframe has a patient on it for a reason. The tunnel portion is a closed box section from the 3 sided Al tunnel top and the Al tunnel close-out (attached with 36 fasteners).
Who knows what a little extra steel will do ... add mass??
A few threads discusing the frame:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1388625
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...m&forum_id=100
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...m&forum_id=100
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...m&forum_id=100
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...9&forum_id=100
A very good SAE post from Runge Kutta:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...e&forum_id=100
I thought I'd do several things simultaneously; mention some content of several
of the SAE papers presented at the recent 2005 SAE World Congress related to C6
including some interpretive remarks and mention some things that I'd like to see
one day.
1) Spread the aluminum frame across the entire C6 line. For that matter,
start designing SUVs with hydroformed aluminum frames. Just as most
engine blocks and heads are aluminum these days, we need a shift from
steel to aluminum frames. The aluminum C6 frame was mandated to drop 56kg
from it's steel C5 cousin. They got 62kgs out of it (down to 124.6kg). For some
reason, they INTENTIONALLY chose to not match the frame deflections of the
C6 steel frame but rather trimmed off 10kg instead. As is, deflections of
the aluminum frame without the magnesium roof structure are within 5% of
those for the steel frame. Apparently, the frame enters the Bowling Green
plant at 285 pounds and is 140 pounds lighter than the C6 steel frame.
(some of the numbers here are slightly inconsistent between papers)
[Imagine you have a coupe with the roof out. Measure the distance from
where the roof piece touches the windshield to where it touches the
corresponding back location where the roof piece mounts. I would
guess it's about 24-30 inches. Now put 2 400 pound guys in the car and
repeat that measurement. The frame will have bent (elastically) a slight
amount and the distance will be ever so slightly less. The difference in
the measurements is the deflection. In essence, if the steel frame were
to deflect 1 millimeter, the aluminum frame will deflect 1.05 millimeters.
That's basically what the mean by having matched the steel frame's deflection
to within 5%.]
By the way, the contract to Dana for the first year is 7000 frames. Also,
the side rails are not AA5754 but AA6063-T5 (4 mm). AA6063-T5 has a higher
yield strength but LOWER fatigue strength (at 10^7 cycles). My read on this is
that the vast majority of cycles are well below the fatigue strength of AA6063-T5
and a 5-10% loss in fatigue strength was worth the increased yield strength.
This increased yield strength probably helped the weight loss (AA6xxx alloys
help weight loss more than AA5xxx alloys):
http://msl1.mit.edu/msl/meeting_041...onstantine.pdf/ (page 12)
http://www.autoaluminum.org/downloads/corpub.pdf (See tables 2 and 6 in Appendix
______A. Fatigue strength correlates with ultimate tensile strength in these alloys)
It looks like the choice of materials also had to do with managing crash energy.
Ultimately, there are thresholds for both deflections and first mode frequencies.
Meeting these values may require putting back 10kg of aluminum alloy mass but I
doubt it. By the way, again, the aluminum frame used a good bit of tooling
that is used for the steel frame. Extrusions (21) were made from AA6063-T5,T6 and
AA6061-T6 (54% by mass) while sheet metal panels/stampings (63) used AA5754-O
(36% by mass) and castings (8) used A356-T6 (10% by mass). My read on this 10kg
issue is that in designing the steel C6 frame, some compromises were made to allow
a more optimal aluminum frame design (optimal designs for each frame material
would result in very different frame details). I think the steel C6 frame
is a bit overdesigned for not just the coupe but the convertible also. Besides,
GM can ill afford to be in the business of boutique aluminum frames. Hib Halverson
and a banned member (WhiteIce, BlackIce, CFour, C4FantaC, etc.) said, a year ago,
that the aluminum frame goes across the C6 line in MY2007. The GM engineer I spoke
with about the frame apologized for having to be so vague about the frame details.
A few other tidbits. The final Z06 frame including the magnesium roof structure
is 97% as stiff (frequencies not force per unit displacement or moment per unit
angular rotation) as the steel C6 frame. It appears that the fixed magnesium roof
structure increased the first mode frequencies by about 4%. As an interesting aside,
if the frame weighs 285 pounds and 54% of the mass is extrusions and most of
the mass in extrusions is included in the two side frame rails, then the two side
rails weigh about 154 pounds. Therefore, each likely weighs about 75 pounds or so.
For a bit of history, Dana was given a contract by GM for work on this aluminum
frame back in October 1999. Concurrently, within GM there were some early
publications and patents heading in this direction.
[September 24, 1996]
http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-...RS=PN/5,557,961
and a closely related SAE paper [September 1999]
http://www.sae.org/servlets/product...CD=1999-01-3180
I don't know when ALCOA was brought into the process but it appears to
have done the initial design of the frame. One of the key design goals
of this frame is that the new aluminum frame must be integrated into
the C6 assembly process with minimal disruption, i.e. seemless integration.
All interfaces must match the steel frame.
Another thing to remember here is that the loss in stiffness of the frame when
it is built up into a full C5 or C6 is influenced by the stiffness of the
subsystems for the vehicle (C6 has a stiffer rear composite structure) as well
as the the mass caught up in the front and rear overhangs. C6 loses less stiffness
than C5 upon building the full vehicle. (The frame doesn't really lose stiffness.
The first mode frequencies of the frame are generally much higher than the
full vehicle because of all of the stuff now attached to the frame. It is this
difference to which I refer.)
The frequencies that were mentioned by DETLTU were a bit misleading.
The numbers 22.9Hz (bending) and 28.3Hz (torsion) were the program objectives
but the final numbers were 4% higher. Also, these numbers were not for the
frame alone. The are the frame, the entire roof, the windshield, the entire
rear of the car behind the driver minus the drivetrain, and parts of the front
fenders. That is my best guess from the picture. DETLTU also gave some numbers
for the steel frame but I see no mention of them anywhere.
Compare this with the SUV frame Ford studied in SAE 2003-01-0572
http://www.autofieldguide.com/articles/050303.html (scroll down 90% )
http://www.sae.org/servlets/product...CD=2003-01-0572
They got a 44% weight reduction if they had dimensional freedom but
only 20% if they did not. GM got 140/(285+140)= 32.9% with a 5% increase
in deflections at the roof and an essentially interchangable part. Also,
the "steel" C6 frame, I thought, already had a few aluminum parts, unlike
the C5 frame.
I predict C7 uses largely this same aluminum frame but the side rails will
be enlarged 20% or so in cross-section to take full advantage of the
aluminum. There may be a simple way to get some carbon fiber into this frame.
See:
2005-01-0095 : Crashworthiness of High and Low Pressure Hydroformed Straight Section Aluminum Tubes
2005-01-0465 : 2006 Corvette Z06 Aluminum Frame
2005-01-0466 : 2006 Corvette Z06 Aluminum Frame Engineering and Design Technologies
2005-01-0467 : Design Enhancement of the Rear Composite Structures for the 2005 - 6th
______________Generation - Corvette
2005-01-0470 : 2006 Corvette Z06 Aluminum Frame Manufacturing Technologies
2005-01-1392 : Aluminum Tube Hydroforming: Formability and Mechanical Properties
2005-01-1388 : The Warm Ductility of Commercial Aluminum Sheet Alloys
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
2) Since titanium is still rather expensive and the new process technologies
like FFC don't appear to have reduced the prices yet, big pieces seem out
of the question and magnesium usage needs to increase rapidly. Both C6 crossmembers
should be converted to AE44 (a magnesium alloy used in the Z06 front crossmember).
The slight increase in NHV [Noise, Vibration,& Harshness], the one undesirable
result, is quite likely a nonissue with most C6 owners.
http://www.sae.org/automag/material...1-113-4-106.pdf ( Page 4 )
Other places to use it are:
Interior: Instrument Panel, Seat Components, Trim Plate
Body: Inner Door, Door and Roof Frame, Sunroof Panel, Bumper Beam,
___Radiator Support, A and B Pillars, Inner Decklid/Hood, Outer Hood/Fender,
___Outer Door, Dash Panel, Frame Rail.
Chassis: Wheels, Engine Cradle, Subframe, Control Arm.
That rear crossmember is likely to be worth nearly the same mass savings as
the front (5.5 kg = 12.1 lbs). The front crossmember/engine cradle is the
first production part from the USCAR team (fast-tracked).
http://www.uscar.org/Media/releases/castmagnesium.html
It may be too early for them to also have a rear crossmember for any C6
model.
See:
2005-01-0337 : Magnesium Engine Cradle - The USCAR Structural Cast Magnesium Development Project
2005-01-0340 : Development of the 2006 Corvette Z06 Structural Cast Magnesium Crossmember
2005-01-0734 : Wrought Magnesium Alloys and Manufacturing Processes for Automotive Applications
Still, I'd certainly be willing to pay extra for a titanium exhaust or titanium half-shafts.
http://www.webs1.uidaho.edu/imap/Fi...20in%20Auto.pdf
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
3) What's the holdup with the polycarbonate rear hatch? The Mercedes C230 Sports
Coupe hatch-back is already using Exatec's polycarbonate technology.
http://www.apreport.com/pub/intervi...s/184151-1.html
The current one in the coupe and Z06 weighs 23.08 pounds. There is
11 pounds of high Cg mass to shed.
http://www.google.com/search?num=10...ing+automotive+
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
4) The LS2 needs an analog to the LS7 heads. Keep the titanium valve springs
but use steel valves if they must. Drop the lift from 0.591 a bit and they'll still
easily outflow the current LS2 heads. By the way, an LS2 sure is cheap ($5495):
http://www.sdpc2000.com/catalog/120...ne-Assembly.htm
Now that the 4L65-E is history and the number of 400+hp cars grows, it's time
for more juice out of the LS2. It would help base model owners worry about
a new Carrera S, a 6.L Hemi, or a GT500 a bit less.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
5) Put the Z06 CHMSL on all C6's. It reduced lift of the Z06 by 79 pounds at
186 mph. The Cd for the 2006 Z06 is 0.342, this is identical to the value
for the 2004 Z06. At 186 mph, the 2006 Z06 has 1337 pounds LESS lift than
the 2004 Z06. The lift experienced by the car is very symmetrical relative
to the front and back of the car. Front brake cooling flow on the 2006 Z06 is
400% more than the 2005 model. Rear cooling flow is 200% of the 2004 Z06. The 2006
Z06 is 15mm lower than the 2005 C6 (0.60 inches).
See:
2005-01-1943 : 2006 Chevrolet Corvette C6 ZO6 Aerodynamic Development
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
6) The sulfur is almost out of the gasoline (30ppm by 01Jan06 in all but
several small regions like Montana and Idaho). It's time for LS7-type
heads with high pressure, direct, side injection. Speaking of DI, where
are the 3V heads with Orbital's low pressure, air-assist, central injection??
01Jan06 is 8 months away.
http://www.orbitalcorp.com.au/orbit.../dioverview.htm
http://www.orbitalcorp.com.au/orbit.../automotive.htm
http://www.delphi.com/pdf/techpapers/2003-01-0062.pdf
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
7) At the risk of dropping the mileage into gas guzzler territory, put
a 6L90-E behind the LS7 as an option. If the engine has DI then there will
be no gas guzzler issue. It'll never happen but it would be a great car
to own.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
8) It looks like the 6L80-E is about 34 pounds heavier than the 4L65-E. I
wonder if GM is going to try to offset this gain by dropping 34 pounds
out of the rear of the car for 2006. The rear hatch is a good place to get a third
of that back. Next, use the Z06 floor panels for another 6.22 pounds. A magnesium
rear crossmember would be worth about 12 lbs more.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
9) If there is going to be some MY2007 or MY2008 C6 that fits the description
given for the Blue Devil then front end weight addition will be a concern. As
I see it, you can turbocharge it, supercharge it, run a 3V design, or add
direct injection. Depending on how lean you want to run your DI will dictate
how much after treatment is needed. Still, I bet a 3V DI engine or even a
2V DI engine can get the 7.0L engine to over 600 hp with minimal weight
increases and still not get hit with the gas guzzler tax.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
10) The Milford Road Course was designed based on an assessment of the more
favorite features of:
Grattan Raceway, Virginia International Raceway, Spring Mountain Motorsports
ranch, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Watkins Glen International, Road Atlanta,
Putnam Park Road Course, Mosport International Raceway, Sebring International
Raceway, Gingerman Raceway, Road America, and Nurburgring Nordschleife.
2005-01-0385 : Design of the Milford Road Course
describes this course in detail including the 18 turns and several alternate
courses. While they do not use the phrase "toilet bowl," I assume this
refers to turn 6. This turn resembles the Karussell turn at Nurburgring.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
As best as I can tell from these papers, the carbon fiber fenders saved
3.03kg - 1.20kg = 1.83kg each (this may be a subset of the full fender
as the paper also states that the weight loss is 3kg per fender), the
front wheelhouse outer panels saved 0.73kg each, and the floor panels
saved 4.74kg - 3.33 kg = 1.41kg each. From earlier papers, the 2004
Z06 hood saved 7.9kg (or 56%) over the regular C5 hood. Just like the
aluminum frame articles, the production goal is 7000 cars per year.
The fenders are made by Vermont Composites Inc.
http://www.vtcomposites.com/performance-automotive.htm
The floor panels are made by
http://www.mfgresearch.com/intranet.htm
By the way, one kilogram equals 2.204622 pounds-mass. If the production
capacity is there and the price differential is minimal then the floor
panels could be put in the coupe and convertible to save 2.82kg=6.22 pounds.
It is clear from many different articles that the emphasis was on front end
weight loss. I wouldn't be surprised to see a CF hood on the Z06 soon.
2005-01-0468 : 2006 Corvette Z06 Carbon Fiber Fender Engineering, Design and Material
Selection Considerations
2005-01-0469 : 2006 Corvette Z06 Carbon Fiber Structural Composite Panels Design, Manufacturing
and Material Development Considerations
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
12) I copied these also but I don't have much to say about them. The DI
paper is about 4V engines.
2005-01-1854 : The Supercharged Northstar DOHC 4.4L V8 Engine for Cadillac
2005-01-1937 : Combustion Characteristics of a Spray-Guided Direct-Injection
_____ Stratified-Charge Engine with a High-Squish Piston
Papers on the Northstar engine (3) are much nicer papers than the rest. The authors
spend much more time on them.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...8&page=1&pp=20
How to Lose 136 lbs.
By John D. Stoll
Ward's Auto World, Jun 1, 2005
Hopkinsville, KY, is in the racehorse business.
Located in the heart of Kentucky's bluegrass pastures, this city of 31,000 people boasts its share of thoroughbred racehorse breeders. Each day, the pounding of hoof beats lends plenty of rhythm to daily life.
In July, that sound will be rivaled by thumping heartbeats at a local 410,000-sq.-ft. (38,000-sq.-m) Dana Corp. frame plant, as it hits full stride in an effort to churn out annually 7,000 of the most-advanced structures ever to underpin a General Motors Corp. vehicle.
The plant continues to build GM fullsize van frames and stamp out parts for Toyota Motor Corp.'s Princeton, IN, truck plant. But this summer it adds Hopkinsville's newest breed of racehorse: The 285-lb. (129-kg) fully aluminum Corvette Z06 spaceframe.
The new spaceframe represents several significant firsts for Dana: Never before has the supplier had primary design responsibility for a frame; it is Dana's first underbody made entirely of aluminum; and it employs the most liberal use of laser welding — 46 ft. (14 m) worth — on a Dana frame.
Dana hopes to replicate the process for GM or other OEMs looking to differentiate a low-volume (10,000 units or less) vehicle program with a unique underbody, Gilberto Ceratti, president-Structural Solutions Group, tells Ward's.
Materials such as aluminum are seen adding sex appeal to high-margin vehicles, such as those playing to the high-horsepower supercar crowd.
“One key advantage for this design is for low- and medium-volume vehicles,” Ceratti says. “We can make it reasonable for the customer due to a much lower investment (on their part).”
While auto makers strive to keep underbodies as common as possible to save money for visible differentiation, going with a lighter-weight chassis for low-volume performance models could provide derivatives without breaking the bank.
In the Corvette's case, a less-expensive steel frame built by GM holds together the standard model, introduced in '05, while Dana's aluminum carriage handles the demands of the '06 500-hp Z06 — said to require more torsional rigidity and lighter weight than its stable mate.
GM approached Dana four years ago with the task of creating an aluminum frame that would mirror the standard steel frame so the two could share the same assembly line with little process variation.
Ceratti says Dana's proven frame record, combined with can-do determination and a commitment to hitting cost targets, won the business.
“What really drove us here was the innovation and technology,” says Mike Laisure, president-Dana Automotive Systems Group, pointing to the Z06 program as a platform for profitable aluminum frame production or chassis components in the future. He concedes, however, the low-volume Z06 program is not profitable for Dana.
“As we move it into the higher volumes, the intent is it will help us improve margins,” Laisure told reporters earlier this year. “Obviously we're in this to make money, not just show off our capability.”
Hybrid trucks may be the biggest opportunity for Dana to expand its aluminum frame business, company sources say.
Brett Deep, GM's project manager on the program, says Dana is prancing out of the gate, having exceeded GM's targets so convincingly (including coming at least 5 lbs. [2.26 kg] under weight) that he's already moved onto a GM truck program with less than two months until the Z06's Job One.
“There are no issues,” he insists.
B.J. Kroppe, director-Dana Structural Solutions product engineering, says Dana succeeded under the motto, “Same as steel.” Same, but different. The Z06 frame boasts at least one major difference: It weighs a crucial 136 lbs. (62 kg), or one-third, less.
Alcoa Inc. brought its expertise from the Ferrari 360 Modena's aluminum spaceframe to Dana's design studio and helped the Toledo-based supplier bang out an aluminum frame that looks nearly identical to the steel one.
Hopkinsville, less than a 90-minute drive to GM's Bowling Green, KY, Corvette plant, is uniquely positioned to initiate the spaceframe revolution at Dana. During a tour, Plant Manager Jerry Bieck says the facility repeatedly has won quality awards and has a laser-weld expert (shared with Dana's Ford F-150 frame plant in Elizabethtown, KY,) on hand to assist with the new technology.
The entire tunnel assembly is laser welded in a high-dollar laser booth that promises maximum efficiency and spot-on accuracy with difficult-to-weld aluminum, according to Dana officials.
In fact, the 21-34 people working on the niche frame line (depending on workload) are themselves laser-weld experts. Bieck says qualified workers — “regardless of whether they're manually welding or not” — had to complete four hours of classroom training specifically for aluminum welding, including mastery of MIG welding; undergo four hours of hands-on training; pass a written test; and complete a manual welding test with 100% accuracy.
“There cannot be any flaws whatsoever” in the laser welds, says Bieck.
The training was extended to each Z06 frame line worker, because Dana wants to have flexibility to plug in players as they are needed, Bieck says. The absence of union representation in the plant undoubtedly plays a role in Dana's ability to flex its workforce.
One thing missing on Hopkinsville's assembly line: spot-weld guns. Dana opted to use 236 self-piercing rivets (SPR), priced at 3 cents apiece, as a bulletproof alternative to spot welds.
GM's Deep insists the SPRs are far more effective joiners, not requiring pre-drilled holes or sealers to fill any gaps. He says SPRs are easier to monitor for quality.
“When you hit a rivet, you know it's there,” he says, pointing out it is virtually impossible to misfire a rivet into the aluminum structure given the tooling used. The rivets hold their ground better in a crash, don't require electricity (air guns do the job) to install and take the same 3-second cycle time needed to produce spot welds.
The aluminum frame requires about 18 minutes to build, with much of the time devoted to precision machining on a 5-axis, high-speed computer-numerically-controlled (CNC) machine located near the end of the line. The unit measures the spaceframe, drills necessary holes, rolls threads and perfects the critical interfaces, including the upper control arm and roof bow cover.
The CNC machining is essential to crafting the Z06 frame to mirror the base Corvette's, so the two can run down the same assembly line with as few variations as possible.
“It basically has the ability to machine within a quarter millimeter plus or minus,” Deep says. “We've used it to basically get this frame exactly like the steel one.”
Of the 1,777 parts that make up a Corvette, only 11 interface differently with the Z06 than they do with the base model. The magnesium roof, the battery (placed in the rear on the Z06 for weight distribution reasons) and the rear upper control arms are among the critical differences, Deep says.
Hanging the Corvette's fiberglass frame off both aluminum and steel posed a challenge. Dana solved it, dipping the aluminum frame in phosphate and then coating it with a substance that adheres to the fiberglass.
At least one point of differentiation speaks to the utility of aluminum: The rear suspension attachment, placed just aft of the integrated aluminum B-pillar, is a 1-piece casting that is fabricated on the CNC machine. On the traditional steel frame, it is a 5-piece component, welded together and requiring five different sets of tooling.
A similar reduction was achieved with the hinge pillar subassembly.
While this doesn't make the aluminum frame anywhere near as cost effective as the steel unit, it promises improved quality, less upfront tooling and simplicity. Such efficiencies will be necessary if aluminum is going to move beyond niche status.
Deep says GM currently is building a competitive advantage with aluminum, thanks to the Z06 frame project.
“We put a 1-piece aluminum casting on the (steel-frame) convertible as a seatbelt retractor roller assembly instead of four stampings. We did that leveraging what we learned working with aluminum.”
Look for more aluminum know-how from GM in the future thanks to the Dana partnership, Deep says.
— with Tom Murphy
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1620475
The FAQ has a lot of info on the AL frame. GM couldn't "think outside the box" because the AL frame had to be a copy of the steel frame. One of the main things they changed was the hydroformed AL frame rail is 4mm thick where the steel is 2mm. Caravaggio used the GM engineers and they had to add 80lbs to properly brace the car to make his C6 Z06 targa. GM is currently working on ways to internally brace the frame rail. I wouldn't be surprised if we see AL for every Corvette when the C7 comes out.
The C5 Z06 was based on what was supposed to be the "cheaper" vette but it wasn't less expensive enough so sales were slow. So they came up with the Z06 and that car had the roadster's frame bracing. The FRC on that car had nothing to due with its extra rigidity.
The C5 Z06 was based on what was supposed to be the "cheaper" vette but it wasn't less expensive enough so sales were slow. So they came up with the Z06 and that car had the roadster's frame bracing. The FRC on that car had nothing to due with its extra rigidity.
From a GM engineer on the AL frame.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I asked him about converting a Z06 to a vert and about the tunnel plates.
Todd,
Not to be too vague, but printed response can sometime come back to plague engineers in this field.
The Al structure was design to meet or exceed Steel spaceframe torsional rigidity and bending. This was achieved by distributing some of the loads up through the upper portion of the structure (i.e. Al windshield Frame, Magnesium Roof, and Al roof bow). For this reason, if these item were removed, a reduction in rigidity would be expected. While I am not surprised that the aftermarket world has addressed Z06 hardtop, I am not familiar with the aftermarket components. I suppose with substantial structural reinforcements, these companies may be able to gain back some of the rigidity lost, I could not speak the exact amount lost (as we never tested the vehicle without the roof structure). The Z06 has always maintained its racing spirit by providing a closed roof structure.
While a open roof Z06 is a neat idea, I would suggest a 2006 Corvette
Convertible, designed for an open roof environment. The Convertible has a great deal of performance and a heck of a lot of fun to drive.
Same goes for the tunnel structure (don't know what they would do for the spaceframe. But, the spaceframe has a patient on it for a reason. The tunnel portion is a closed box section from the 3 sided Al tunnel top and the Al tunnel close-out (attached with 36 fasteners).
Who knows what a little extra steel will do ... add mass??
A few threads discusing the frame:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1388625
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...m&forum_id=100
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...m&forum_id=100
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...m&forum_id=100
Last edited by LTC Z06; 02-10-2007 at 11:11 AM.
07-25-2005, 12:30 PM
#5
Get Some!
Thread Starter
The dry sump system.
Benefits of dry sump oil system?
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...5&forum_id=100
From GM Tech:
http://www.gmtechlink.com/images/iss...aug05e.html#f7
The Corvette Z06’s LS7 engine (fig. 1) has a dry sump oiling system designed to keep the engine fully lubricated during the high cornering loads the Corvette Z06 is capable of producing. Ths LS7’s dry sump system was developed and tested on racetracks in the U.S. and Europe, including Germany’s famed Nürburgring. And while dry sump oiling is common in racing cars, the Corvette Z06 is one of just a handful of production vehicles -- and the only production Corvette -- to incorporate such a high-performance oiling system.
What is a Dry Sump Oiling System?
Most automotive engines use a wet sump sytem, in which all of the engine oil is stored inside the crankcase in the oil pan. In a dry sump oiling system (fig.2), engine oil is stored in a reservoir external to the engine, so the crankcase contains only a minimal amount of oil at all times.
What are the Advantages of a Dry Sump System?
In an engine with a conventional wet sump oil pan, the oil can slosh away from the oil pump pickup tube during high dynamic maneuvers like cornering, braking and accelerating. This starves the engine of oil, causing bearing damage or catastrophic engine failure.
The dry sump system stores engine oil in a tall and narrow oil reservoir (fig. 3). This shape prevents oil from sloshing away from, or uncovering, the oil pickup, even under extremely high dynamic maneuvers. The dry sump system enables increases to the dynamic capabilities of the vehicle, which is why racing cars and exotic sports cars use this type of oil system.
Additionally, oil aeration is lower in a dry sump system, because the oil spends less time in the presence of the crankcase windage. Oil delivered to the bearings is typically superior to that of a wet sump system.
Finally, without the need for a conventional sump, the engine can be placed lower in the vehicle, effectively lowering the center of gravity of the vehicle.
How Does a Dry Sump System Work?
In the LS7 engine, two oil pump sets (scavenge pump and supply pump) are located in the same housing on the nose of the crankshaft. The location is common with the oil pump in other small block engines.
The scavenge pump removes engine oil and air from the sump and pumps both to an external reservoir for conditioning and storage (fig. 4).
The oil is directed to the top of the reservoir, where it is allowed to spill onto a spiral-shaped baffle. Crankcase gases and air are separated from the oil and are returned by the PCV system to the engine, where they are burned. The deaerated and conditioned oil collects in the bottom of the reservoir, ready for use.
The supply pump (fig. 5) draws the conditioned oil from the reservoir, pressurizes it, and feeds it to the engine by way of the oil filter and oil cooler. After the oil passes through the engine, it again flows into the sump to be returned by the scavenge pump to the reservoir once again.
Checking the Oil Level
The engine must be warmed up. Cold oil will not give a correct oil level reading.
After the engine is warmed up to at least 175°F (80°C), shut off the engine. Checking the oil with the engine running will result in an incorrect reading.
Wait for 5 minutes (but not more than 20 minutes), to allow the oil to drain and settle.
Pull the dipstick with the yellow handle (fig. 6) from the reservoir, and clean it with a lint-free cloth. Then push it back in all the way until it stops. Remove it again, keeping the tip down, and note the oil level on the crosshatched area.
An oil level within the crosshatched area is normal. If the level is below the crosshatched area, add 1 quart (0.96 L) of 5W30 Mobil 1 synthetic oil through the black oil reservoir fill cap (fig. 6) and take another reading.
TIP: Do not overfill the reservoir, as this may result in excessive oil consumption. Oil levels above the crosshatched area may degrade lubrication system performance.
Oil Change Procedure
Remove the two drain plugs from the engine oil pan (fig. 7). One is located on the left side of the oil pan near the oil filter. This plug drains the small amount of residual oil from the engine oil pan, approximately 1 quart (0.96 L). The other drain plug is located on the front of the oil pan. This plug drains the external reservoir and hose assembly. Also remove the engine oil filter.
Once the oil has been drained from the engine and reservoir, replace the engine oil filter with a new PF48 oil filter and tighten to 25 Nm (18 lb ft).
Replace both oil drain plugs and tighten to 25 Nm (18 lb ft).
Fill the oil through the oil fill cap in the top of the dry sump reservoir. The total service fill, with a dry filter, is 8 quarts (7.57 L) of 5W30 Mobil 1 synthetic engine oil.
Replace the oil fill cap and start the engine. Let it run at idle for at least 15 seconds to circulate the fresh engine oil through the lubrication system. (This is similar to running an engine after a radiator fill, to purge air from the system.)
Check the oil level according to the instructions above. The oil change is now complete.
TIP: The owner’s manual may contain a slightly different procedure, which calls for filling 7 quarts, running the engine then shutting off, and finally filling 1 additional quart. This procedure may be used, although it is not necessary.
TIP: There is a cap on the right valve cover under the decorative cover. Attempting to remove this cap can break the retaining tabs, requiring removal of the valve cover to retrieve broken pieces. Under no circumstances should you attempt to fill the engine oil system through this cap.
- Thanks to Dan Hommes and Ron Minoletti
How to change your oil:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...post1552824964
This is from the November issue of GM tech link
"The August 2005 issue of TechLink contained imprecise information about changing engine oil in the Corvette Z06.
After draining the oil from both drain plug locations, you should “Reinstall both oil drain plugs and tighten to 25 Nm (18 lb ft).” (fig. 5)
TIP: It is NOT necessary to install replacement plugs"
BELOW IS THE AUGUST INFO
"Oil Change Procedure
Remove the two drain plugs from the engine oil pan (fig. 7). One is located on the left side of the oil pan near the oil filter. This plug drains the small amount of residual oil from the engine oil pan, approximately 1 quart (0.96 L). The other drain plug is located on the front of the oil pan. This plug drains the external reservoir and hose assembly. Also remove the engine oil filter.
Once the oil has been drained from the engine and reservoir, replace the engine oil filter with a new PF48 oil filter and tighten to 25 Nm (18 lb ft).
Replace both oil drain plugs and tighten to 25 Nm (18 lb ft).
Fill the oil through the oil fill cap in the top of the dry sump reservoir. The total service fill, with a dry filter, is 8 quarts (7.57 L) of 5W30 Mobil 1 synthetic engine oil.
Replace the oil fill cap and start the engine. Let it run at idle for at least 15 seconds to circulate the fresh engine oil through the lubrication system. (This is similar to running an engine after a radiator fill, to purge air from the system.)
Check the oil level according to the instructions above. The oil change is now complete.
TIP: The owner’s manual may contain a slightly different procedure, which calls for filling 7 quarts, running the engine then shutting off, and finally filling 1 additional quart. This procedure may be used, although it is not necessary.
TIP: There is a cap on the right valve cover under the decorative cover. Attempting to remove this cap can break the retaining tabs, requiring removal of the valve cover to retrieve broken pieces. Under no circumstances should you attempt to fill the engine oil system through this cap."
Oil filter Part #s:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...post1552933054
From Bob Procter
Fram PH2849A
Purolator L20073
Wix 51083
Engine Oil Check-FOLLOW THIS PROCEDURE OR ELSE!
Checking your oil properly will prevent over-filling your dry sump system.
Do NOT check your oil while the engine is running.
Do NOT check your oil with the engine cold.
Here is the proper procedure: Check out the other oil level and oil change procedures on this technical site:
Jim Hall
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...5&forum_id=100
From GM Tech:
http://www.gmtechlink.com/images/iss...aug05e.html#f7
The Corvette Z06’s LS7 engine (fig. 1) has a dry sump oiling system designed to keep the engine fully lubricated during the high cornering loads the Corvette Z06 is capable of producing. Ths LS7’s dry sump system was developed and tested on racetracks in the U.S. and Europe, including Germany’s famed Nürburgring. And while dry sump oiling is common in racing cars, the Corvette Z06 is one of just a handful of production vehicles -- and the only production Corvette -- to incorporate such a high-performance oiling system.
What is a Dry Sump Oiling System?
Most automotive engines use a wet sump sytem, in which all of the engine oil is stored inside the crankcase in the oil pan. In a dry sump oiling system (fig.2), engine oil is stored in a reservoir external to the engine, so the crankcase contains only a minimal amount of oil at all times.
What are the Advantages of a Dry Sump System?
In an engine with a conventional wet sump oil pan, the oil can slosh away from the oil pump pickup tube during high dynamic maneuvers like cornering, braking and accelerating. This starves the engine of oil, causing bearing damage or catastrophic engine failure.
The dry sump system stores engine oil in a tall and narrow oil reservoir (fig. 3). This shape prevents oil from sloshing away from, or uncovering, the oil pickup, even under extremely high dynamic maneuvers. The dry sump system enables increases to the dynamic capabilities of the vehicle, which is why racing cars and exotic sports cars use this type of oil system.
Additionally, oil aeration is lower in a dry sump system, because the oil spends less time in the presence of the crankcase windage. Oil delivered to the bearings is typically superior to that of a wet sump system.
Finally, without the need for a conventional sump, the engine can be placed lower in the vehicle, effectively lowering the center of gravity of the vehicle.
How Does a Dry Sump System Work?
In the LS7 engine, two oil pump sets (scavenge pump and supply pump) are located in the same housing on the nose of the crankshaft. The location is common with the oil pump in other small block engines.
The scavenge pump removes engine oil and air from the sump and pumps both to an external reservoir for conditioning and storage (fig. 4).
The oil is directed to the top of the reservoir, where it is allowed to spill onto a spiral-shaped baffle. Crankcase gases and air are separated from the oil and are returned by the PCV system to the engine, where they are burned. The deaerated and conditioned oil collects in the bottom of the reservoir, ready for use.
The supply pump (fig. 5) draws the conditioned oil from the reservoir, pressurizes it, and feeds it to the engine by way of the oil filter and oil cooler. After the oil passes through the engine, it again flows into the sump to be returned by the scavenge pump to the reservoir once again.
Checking the Oil Level
The engine must be warmed up. Cold oil will not give a correct oil level reading.
After the engine is warmed up to at least 175°F (80°C), shut off the engine. Checking the oil with the engine running will result in an incorrect reading.
Wait for 5 minutes (but not more than 20 minutes), to allow the oil to drain and settle.
Pull the dipstick with the yellow handle (fig. 6) from the reservoir, and clean it with a lint-free cloth. Then push it back in all the way until it stops. Remove it again, keeping the tip down, and note the oil level on the crosshatched area.
An oil level within the crosshatched area is normal. If the level is below the crosshatched area, add 1 quart (0.96 L) of 5W30 Mobil 1 synthetic oil through the black oil reservoir fill cap (fig. 6) and take another reading.
TIP: Do not overfill the reservoir, as this may result in excessive oil consumption. Oil levels above the crosshatched area may degrade lubrication system performance.
Oil Change Procedure
Remove the two drain plugs from the engine oil pan (fig. 7). One is located on the left side of the oil pan near the oil filter. This plug drains the small amount of residual oil from the engine oil pan, approximately 1 quart (0.96 L). The other drain plug is located on the front of the oil pan. This plug drains the external reservoir and hose assembly. Also remove the engine oil filter.
Once the oil has been drained from the engine and reservoir, replace the engine oil filter with a new PF48 oil filter and tighten to 25 Nm (18 lb ft).
Replace both oil drain plugs and tighten to 25 Nm (18 lb ft).
Fill the oil through the oil fill cap in the top of the dry sump reservoir. The total service fill, with a dry filter, is 8 quarts (7.57 L) of 5W30 Mobil 1 synthetic engine oil.
Replace the oil fill cap and start the engine. Let it run at idle for at least 15 seconds to circulate the fresh engine oil through the lubrication system. (This is similar to running an engine after a radiator fill, to purge air from the system.)
Check the oil level according to the instructions above. The oil change is now complete.
TIP: The owner’s manual may contain a slightly different procedure, which calls for filling 7 quarts, running the engine then shutting off, and finally filling 1 additional quart. This procedure may be used, although it is not necessary.
TIP: There is a cap on the right valve cover under the decorative cover. Attempting to remove this cap can break the retaining tabs, requiring removal of the valve cover to retrieve broken pieces. Under no circumstances should you attempt to fill the engine oil system through this cap.
- Thanks to Dan Hommes and Ron Minoletti
How to change your oil:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...post1552824964
This is from the November issue of GM tech link
"The August 2005 issue of TechLink contained imprecise information about changing engine oil in the Corvette Z06.
After draining the oil from both drain plug locations, you should “Reinstall both oil drain plugs and tighten to 25 Nm (18 lb ft).” (fig. 5)
TIP: It is NOT necessary to install replacement plugs"
BELOW IS THE AUGUST INFO
"Oil Change Procedure
Remove the two drain plugs from the engine oil pan (fig. 7). One is located on the left side of the oil pan near the oil filter. This plug drains the small amount of residual oil from the engine oil pan, approximately 1 quart (0.96 L). The other drain plug is located on the front of the oil pan. This plug drains the external reservoir and hose assembly. Also remove the engine oil filter.
Once the oil has been drained from the engine and reservoir, replace the engine oil filter with a new PF48 oil filter and tighten to 25 Nm (18 lb ft).
Replace both oil drain plugs and tighten to 25 Nm (18 lb ft).
Fill the oil through the oil fill cap in the top of the dry sump reservoir. The total service fill, with a dry filter, is 8 quarts (7.57 L) of 5W30 Mobil 1 synthetic engine oil.
Replace the oil fill cap and start the engine. Let it run at idle for at least 15 seconds to circulate the fresh engine oil through the lubrication system. (This is similar to running an engine after a radiator fill, to purge air from the system.)
Check the oil level according to the instructions above. The oil change is now complete.
TIP: The owner’s manual may contain a slightly different procedure, which calls for filling 7 quarts, running the engine then shutting off, and finally filling 1 additional quart. This procedure may be used, although it is not necessary.
TIP: There is a cap on the right valve cover under the decorative cover. Attempting to remove this cap can break the retaining tabs, requiring removal of the valve cover to retrieve broken pieces. Under no circumstances should you attempt to fill the engine oil system through this cap."
Oil filter Part #s:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...post1552933054
From Bob Procter
Fram PH2849A
Purolator L20073
Wix 51083
Engine Oil Check-FOLLOW THIS PROCEDURE OR ELSE!
Checking your oil properly will prevent over-filling your dry sump system.
Do NOT check your oil while the engine is running.
Do NOT check your oil with the engine cold.
Here is the proper procedure: Check out the other oil level and oil change procedures on this technical site:
Jim Hall
Last edited by LTC Z06; 02-07-2006 at 09:40 AM.
07-25-2005, 12:31 PM
#6
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Thread Starter
FAQ about the C5 Z06, for comparison.
Last edited by LTC Z06; 07-25-2005 at 02:00 PM.
07-26-2005, 12:58 PM
#7
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Thread Starter
How to read tire info.
Read the door jam, and use that for tire PSI, do not go by what is printed on the side of the tire.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...9&forum_id=100
There is a lot of useful information molded into the sidewall of every tire. Included are manufacturer and tire name; section width; aspect ratio; construction; rim diameter; speed rating; load range; treadwear, temperature and traction labeling and other required designations.
SIZE
All tires sold in the United States must meet the size standards for bead shape, width, diameter and other parameters established by a recognized standardizing organization. World leaders among such organizations are the European Tire and Rim Technical Organization (ETRTO) and the U. S. Tire and Rim Association (T&RA). Both use a partially metric-based system. Virtually all passenger tires on the market today use the rim and tire sizing, load and inflation system established by these bodies. All U. S. highway tires must also meet U. S. DOT standards as indicated by the letters 'D.O.T.' on the sidewall.
The several tire size designations in use today depend on when a vehicle was manufactured and whether it was domestically produced or imported. All tire-sizing systems used today provide information about a tire's dimensions. Among the most important for proper fitment is height, width and load carrying capacity.
P-Metric: This is the United States version of a metric sizing system established in 1976. P-Metric passenger car tire sizes begin with "P", which simply means "Passenger".
Metric: This European tire sizing system is similar to P-Metric but does not use the "P" designator.
Alphanumeric: This system was established in 1968 and is based on the tire's load carrying capacity, correlated to its overall size. The tire's capacity and size are indicated by letter designations from "A" (smallest tire, lowest capacity) to "N" (largest tire, highest capacity). An example of an Alphanumeric tire size is BR78-13. "B" shows size/load, "R" indicates radial construction, "78" is the aspect ratio, and "13" is the wheel size in inches.
Numeric: This is the oldest standardized tire sizing system for passenger car tires. When this system was adopted, tire aspect ratios were either 92 or 82. For example, a 7.00-14 tire has a section width of 7 inches, a rim diameter of 14 inches and an aspect ratio of 92. The low profile equivalent size tire with an aspect ratio of 82 would be 7.35-14.
Example: P215/65R15 89H
P PASSENGER (P-METRIC/NON-P-METRIC)
This indicates a passenger car tire. If the first character in the size designation is a "P", the tire is a "P-Metric" tire and is engineered to standards set by the T&RA. If there is no "P", the tire is engineered to ETRTO standards and is a metric tire. The standards set by T&RA and ETRTO have evolved together and are virtually interchangeable.
215 SECTION WIDTH
These numerals indicate the tire section width in millimeters. This is the dimension from sidewall to sidewall. A tire's section width will vary depending on the rim to which it is fitted. The section width will be larger on a wide rim and smaller on a narrow rim. Therefore, each tire is measured to specific rim width. (To convert millimeters into inches, divide by 25.4.)
65 ASPECT RATIO
This two-digit number indicates the tire's aspect ratio. It compares the tire's inflated section height, which is the distance from the bead to the tread, to its section width (maximum). An aspect ratio of 65 means that the tire's section height is 65% of the tire's section width. For clarity, the section width in millimeters is separated from the aspect ratio by a slash (/).
R CONSTRUCTION
This letter indicates the type of ply construction in the tire's casing or carcass. "R" means radial. "D" means diagonal, referring to bias ply tires. "B" means belted for belted-bias ply tires. Never mix radial tires with any other construction on a car.
15 RIM DIAMETER
The "15" indicates the rim diameter in inches. It is the diameter of the tire bead seat ledge in the rim. Most tires are built to inch standards for rim diameters. However, some tires are built to millimetric rim dimensions. Always match the tire's rim diameter to the wheel rim diameter. This is important for safety.
NOTE: A millimetric rim has a different shape than an inch rim; they are not interchangeable.
89H SERVICE DESCRIPTION
The service description is an alphanumeric combination, consisting of two parts, a number and a letter. In this example, "89" is the load index, which represents the load carrying capacity. (All passenger car tires in the U.S. are also marked with their actual load limit in pounds.) The letter part is the speed symbol, 'H,' in this example. This is the maximum speed for which the tire is rated at the load specified by the load index. In this example, 'H' means speeds up to 130 mph. Dunlop does not recommend the use of any of its products in excess of legal speed limits. Speed ratings do not necessarily imply that the performance (handling and grip) of the tire meet the performance standards implied by the ratings.
Tire speed ratings must exceed the maximum speed capability of the vehicle to which they are fitted. Not all tires sold in the U.S. are speed rated, although many modern performance and luxury cars are equipped with speed rated Original Equipment tires. It is important to remember this when replacing the tires on your vehicle. Replace tires with equivalent or higher speed rated tires. Do not downgrade speed ratings from Original Equipment ratings.
NOTE: Speed Ratings - where applied are indicative of high performance characteristics based on European ECE 30 Indoor Wheel testing as performed by Dunlop and are not valid for damaged, altered, repaired, under-inflated, overloaded, excessively worn, or re-treaded tires. Dunlop does not recommend the use of any of its products in excess of legal speed limits.
SERVICE INDICATORS
Some tires carry additional markings related to service. An M&S or M+S designation means the tire is rated suitable by the manufacturer for mud and snow use. The guidelines are set by the Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA) in the United States.
ALL-SEASON DESIGNATION
Is a marking which means that the tire meets M&S/M+S requirements without the drawbacks of noise and rolling resistance associated with the traditional deep-lug winter tires. The M&S/M+S designation means that the tire is suitable for normal all-weather driving applications. Tires that meet the requirements of the M& S designation have better winter traction compared to those without the M&S symbol.
North American tire manufacturers and the RMA have established a voluntary, industry-wide definition for passenger and light truck tires intended for use in SEVERE SNOW CONDITIONS. Tires must meet a performance-based criteria featuring tread pattern, construction elements and materials which generally provide snow performance superior to that of tires bearing the RMA current M&S Rating. Such tires will display a mountain/snowflake symbol.
D.O.T.
The 10 digit D.O.T. code number molded into the sidewall designates the manufacturer and plant where the tire was produced, the tire line and size, and the week and year the tire was manufactured.
MAXIMUM PRESSURE/LOAD
All passenger tires are marked on the sidewalls to indicate maximum load capacity and maximum inflation pressure. Truck tires will indicate recommended pressure for maximum loads for both dual and single application.
HARMONIC MARKINGS
Red dots on Dunlop high performance tires for match mounting purposes. These dots mark the 'high spot' of the tire, which is then matched with the 'low spot' on the rim to cancel out harmonic vibration.
Don't see what you're looking for here? Send an e-mail to our Tire-Tech Support Team.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...9&forum_id=100
There is a lot of useful information molded into the sidewall of every tire. Included are manufacturer and tire name; section width; aspect ratio; construction; rim diameter; speed rating; load range; treadwear, temperature and traction labeling and other required designations.
SIZE
All tires sold in the United States must meet the size standards for bead shape, width, diameter and other parameters established by a recognized standardizing organization. World leaders among such organizations are the European Tire and Rim Technical Organization (ETRTO) and the U. S. Tire and Rim Association (T&RA). Both use a partially metric-based system. Virtually all passenger tires on the market today use the rim and tire sizing, load and inflation system established by these bodies. All U. S. highway tires must also meet U. S. DOT standards as indicated by the letters 'D.O.T.' on the sidewall.
The several tire size designations in use today depend on when a vehicle was manufactured and whether it was domestically produced or imported. All tire-sizing systems used today provide information about a tire's dimensions. Among the most important for proper fitment is height, width and load carrying capacity.
P-Metric: This is the United States version of a metric sizing system established in 1976. P-Metric passenger car tire sizes begin with "P", which simply means "Passenger".
Metric: This European tire sizing system is similar to P-Metric but does not use the "P" designator.
Alphanumeric: This system was established in 1968 and is based on the tire's load carrying capacity, correlated to its overall size. The tire's capacity and size are indicated by letter designations from "A" (smallest tire, lowest capacity) to "N" (largest tire, highest capacity). An example of an Alphanumeric tire size is BR78-13. "B" shows size/load, "R" indicates radial construction, "78" is the aspect ratio, and "13" is the wheel size in inches.
Numeric: This is the oldest standardized tire sizing system for passenger car tires. When this system was adopted, tire aspect ratios were either 92 or 82. For example, a 7.00-14 tire has a section width of 7 inches, a rim diameter of 14 inches and an aspect ratio of 92. The low profile equivalent size tire with an aspect ratio of 82 would be 7.35-14.
Example: P215/65R15 89H
P PASSENGER (P-METRIC/NON-P-METRIC)
This indicates a passenger car tire. If the first character in the size designation is a "P", the tire is a "P-Metric" tire and is engineered to standards set by the T&RA. If there is no "P", the tire is engineered to ETRTO standards and is a metric tire. The standards set by T&RA and ETRTO have evolved together and are virtually interchangeable.
215 SECTION WIDTH
These numerals indicate the tire section width in millimeters. This is the dimension from sidewall to sidewall. A tire's section width will vary depending on the rim to which it is fitted. The section width will be larger on a wide rim and smaller on a narrow rim. Therefore, each tire is measured to specific rim width. (To convert millimeters into inches, divide by 25.4.)
65 ASPECT RATIO
This two-digit number indicates the tire's aspect ratio. It compares the tire's inflated section height, which is the distance from the bead to the tread, to its section width (maximum). An aspect ratio of 65 means that the tire's section height is 65% of the tire's section width. For clarity, the section width in millimeters is separated from the aspect ratio by a slash (/).
R CONSTRUCTION
This letter indicates the type of ply construction in the tire's casing or carcass. "R" means radial. "D" means diagonal, referring to bias ply tires. "B" means belted for belted-bias ply tires. Never mix radial tires with any other construction on a car.
15 RIM DIAMETER
The "15" indicates the rim diameter in inches. It is the diameter of the tire bead seat ledge in the rim. Most tires are built to inch standards for rim diameters. However, some tires are built to millimetric rim dimensions. Always match the tire's rim diameter to the wheel rim diameter. This is important for safety.
NOTE: A millimetric rim has a different shape than an inch rim; they are not interchangeable.
89H SERVICE DESCRIPTION
The service description is an alphanumeric combination, consisting of two parts, a number and a letter. In this example, "89" is the load index, which represents the load carrying capacity. (All passenger car tires in the U.S. are also marked with their actual load limit in pounds.) The letter part is the speed symbol, 'H,' in this example. This is the maximum speed for which the tire is rated at the load specified by the load index. In this example, 'H' means speeds up to 130 mph. Dunlop does not recommend the use of any of its products in excess of legal speed limits. Speed ratings do not necessarily imply that the performance (handling and grip) of the tire meet the performance standards implied by the ratings.
Tire speed ratings must exceed the maximum speed capability of the vehicle to which they are fitted. Not all tires sold in the U.S. are speed rated, although many modern performance and luxury cars are equipped with speed rated Original Equipment tires. It is important to remember this when replacing the tires on your vehicle. Replace tires with equivalent or higher speed rated tires. Do not downgrade speed ratings from Original Equipment ratings.
NOTE: Speed Ratings - where applied are indicative of high performance characteristics based on European ECE 30 Indoor Wheel testing as performed by Dunlop and are not valid for damaged, altered, repaired, under-inflated, overloaded, excessively worn, or re-treaded tires. Dunlop does not recommend the use of any of its products in excess of legal speed limits.
SERVICE INDICATORS
Some tires carry additional markings related to service. An M&S or M+S designation means the tire is rated suitable by the manufacturer for mud and snow use. The guidelines are set by the Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA) in the United States.
ALL-SEASON DESIGNATION
Is a marking which means that the tire meets M&S/M+S requirements without the drawbacks of noise and rolling resistance associated with the traditional deep-lug winter tires. The M&S/M+S designation means that the tire is suitable for normal all-weather driving applications. Tires that meet the requirements of the M& S designation have better winter traction compared to those without the M&S symbol.
North American tire manufacturers and the RMA have established a voluntary, industry-wide definition for passenger and light truck tires intended for use in SEVERE SNOW CONDITIONS. Tires must meet a performance-based criteria featuring tread pattern, construction elements and materials which generally provide snow performance superior to that of tires bearing the RMA current M&S Rating. Such tires will display a mountain/snowflake symbol.
D.O.T.
The 10 digit D.O.T. code number molded into the sidewall designates the manufacturer and plant where the tire was produced, the tire line and size, and the week and year the tire was manufactured.
MAXIMUM PRESSURE/LOAD
All passenger tires are marked on the sidewalls to indicate maximum load capacity and maximum inflation pressure. Truck tires will indicate recommended pressure for maximum loads for both dual and single application.
HARMONIC MARKINGS
Red dots on Dunlop high performance tires for match mounting purposes. These dots mark the 'high spot' of the tire, which is then matched with the 'low spot' on the rim to cancel out harmonic vibration.
Don't see what you're looking for here? Send an e-mail to our Tire-Tech Support Team.
Last edited by LTC Z06; 12-14-2005 at 09:53 AM.
07-28-2005, 04:27 PM
#8
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Thread Starter
Will modifications void your warranty?
MAGNUSON MOSS WARRANTY ACT
US Code - Title 15, Chapter 50, Sections 2301-2312
Legally, a vehicle manufacturer cannot void the warranty on a vehicle due to an aftermarket part unless they can prove that the aftermarket part caused or contributed to the failure in the vehicle (per the Magnuson Moss Warranty Act (15 U.S.C. 2302(C)) . For best results, consider working with performance-oriented dealerships with a proven history of working with customers. If your vehicle manufacturer fails to honor emission/warranty claims, contact EPA at (202) 260-2080 or www.epa.gov. If federal warranty protection is denied, contact the FTC at (202) 326-3128 or www.ftc.gov. For additional information, check out the following links:
http://www.granatellimotorsports.com/magnusonmoss.htm
US Code - Title 15, Chapter 50, Sections 2301-2312
Legally, a vehicle manufacturer cannot void the warranty on a vehicle due to an aftermarket part unless they can prove that the aftermarket part caused or contributed to the failure in the vehicle (per the Magnuson Moss Warranty Act (15 U.S.C. 2302(C)) . For best results, consider working with performance-oriented dealerships with a proven history of working with customers. If your vehicle manufacturer fails to honor emission/warranty claims, contact EPA at (202) 260-2080 or www.epa.gov. If federal warranty protection is denied, contact the FTC at (202) 326-3128 or www.ftc.gov. For additional information, check out the following links:
http://www.granatellimotorsports.com/magnusonmoss.htm
08-06-2005, 03:29 PM
#9
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Thread Starter
Transmission gear ratios.
The gear ratios are the same as the MN6 (base model C5/C6 gear ratios).
The C5 Z06 and C6 Z51 have the 2.97 first gear tranny, compared to the standard 2.66 first gear tranny.
I don't have them in front of me, but they are easily searchable.
C5 Corvette, C6 Corvette and C6 Z06 Corvette all have the same ratios as each other.
C5 Z06 Corvette and C6 Z51 Corvette have the same ratios as each other.
__________________
-Tom Steele
2002 Silver/Black Z06
----------------------------------------
2005 DSOM/Black Z51/6-Speed Coupe - SOLD
2000 Silver/Black Z51/MN6 Coupe - SOLD
and six speed paddle shift:
1st 4.02
2nd 2.36
3rd 1.53
4th 1.15
5th 0.85
6th 0.67
Rev 3.06
Finial 2.56
Good info on Z06/C6 differentials:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1586766
The C5 Z06 and C6 Z51 have the 2.97 first gear tranny, compared to the standard 2.66 first gear tranny.
I don't have them in front of me, but they are easily searchable.
C5 Corvette, C6 Corvette and C6 Z06 Corvette all have the same ratios as each other.
C5 Z06 Corvette and C6 Z51 Corvette have the same ratios as each other.
__________________
-Tom Steele
2002 Silver/Black Z06
----------------------------------------
2005 DSOM/Black Z51/6-Speed Coupe - SOLD
2000 Silver/Black Z51/MN6 Coupe - SOLD
and six speed paddle shift:
1st 4.02
2nd 2.36
3rd 1.53
4th 1.15
5th 0.85
6th 0.67
Rev 3.06
Finial 2.56
Originally Posted by Garry Luterek
Todd
First thanks for the FAQ section stuff.
I notived that in your transaxle section you list the ratios, but do not give the overall all ratios for the transmission multiplied by the rear axle ratio. I believe if you added these to the post it would appl the members to better judge the overall comparison of the various options concerning speed and torque multiplication. I have included this info below if you so choose to take advantage of this information.
First thanks for the FAQ section stuff.
I notived that in your transaxle section you list the ratios, but do not give the overall all ratios for the transmission multiplied by the rear axle ratio. I believe if you added these to the post it would appl the members to better judge the overall comparison of the various options concerning speed and torque multiplication. I have included this info below if you so choose to take advantage of this information.
Good info on Z06/C6 differentials:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1586766
Last edited by LTC Z06; 09-10-2011 at 05:00 PM.
08-06-2005, 08:43 PM
#10
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Thread Starter
Cell phone mounting
Cell phone mounting
Links went bad. Do a search for cell phone, archived threads for C6 General. You will get plenty of hits.
Links went bad. Do a search for cell phone, archived threads for C6 General. You will get plenty of hits.
Last edited by LTC Z06; 02-14-2006 at 07:14 PM.
08-07-2005, 11:46 AM
#11
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Thread Starter
Weight difference between the 1LZ and 2LZ option packages.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...1&forum_id=100
Weight Difference
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Has it ever been determined what the weight difference is between the 1LZ and the 2LZ? Anyone else having a hard time deciding which one to choose? Thanks.
__________________
2003 Z06 QUICKSILVER
HUDDA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Quote:
Originally Posted by HUDDA
Has it ever been determined what the weight difference is between the 1LZ and the 2LZ? Anyone else having a hard time deciding which one to choose? Thanks.
Yes Based on the available info from manufacturers lable (on drivers door) about 12 pounds
About the weight of 2 gallons of fuel....
Mine will have 2LZ BTW
cbgpe
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Quote:
Originally Posted by HUDDA
Has it ever been determined what the weight difference is between the 1LZ and the 2LZ? Anyone else having a hard time deciding which one to choose? Thanks.
No trouble deciding here.
It's easy math: 2LZ - 1LZ = 1LZ
So you see, it's only one more LZ difference.
I'm not sure the 12 lb stat is right on, but I've heard info that indicates it is indeed in that range.
Seems like a no brainer to me. 2LZ on mine.
Skipping the Nav and polished wheels.
Weight Difference
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Has it ever been determined what the weight difference is between the 1LZ and the 2LZ? Anyone else having a hard time deciding which one to choose? Thanks.
__________________
2003 Z06 QUICKSILVER
HUDDA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Quote:
Originally Posted by HUDDA
Has it ever been determined what the weight difference is between the 1LZ and the 2LZ? Anyone else having a hard time deciding which one to choose? Thanks.
Yes Based on the available info from manufacturers lable (on drivers door) about 12 pounds
About the weight of 2 gallons of fuel....
Mine will have 2LZ BTW
cbgpe
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Quote:
Originally Posted by HUDDA
Has it ever been determined what the weight difference is between the 1LZ and the 2LZ? Anyone else having a hard time deciding which one to choose? Thanks.
No trouble deciding here.
It's easy math: 2LZ - 1LZ = 1LZ
So you see, it's only one more LZ difference.
I'm not sure the 12 lb stat is right on, but I've heard info that indicates it is indeed in that range.
Seems like a no brainer to me. 2LZ on mine.
Skipping the Nav and polished wheels.
Last edited by LTC Z06; 08-17-2005 at 12:09 PM.
08-09-2005, 09:35 PM
#12
Get Some!
Thread Starter
The C6 Z06 has a spoiler and not a wing.
It's a spoiler, not a wing.
http://aerodyn.org/Annexes/Racing/hlifts.html
Spoilers and Dams
Spoilers and dams (front spoilers) are devices placed in the back and front, respectively, to increase the downforce (rear spoilers nowdays are common features also in production cars.)
The rear spoiler produces a deviation of the flow, so as to create a pressure increase in the rear deck, and hence the negative lift. It also promotes rear separation (e.g. drag), by creating an area of relatively flat pressure (wake).
Dams are front spoilers, generally placed under the nose of the car for lift and drag gains and for cooling airflow enhancement.
Some aerodynamic info on your Z06.
From: "The Chevrolet Corvette: New Vehicle Engineering and Technical History" published by Society of Automotive Engineers, Inc. It's a collection of SAE and other papers.
2005-01-1943 2006 Chevrolet Corvette C6 Z06 Aerodynamic Development pages 328-333.
"...develop the 2006 Z06 to provide it with improved high speed stability, increased cooling capability and equivalent drag compared to the 2004 C5 Z06."
"...improve front brake flow by 400%." "...200% of the previous flow rate to cool the rear brakes."
Breakdown of lift reduction @ 300 kph
Total 138 kg
Splitter 92 kg 66.7 % of total
Front wheel opening leading edge extensions 10 kg 7.4 % of total
CHMSL spoiler 36 kg 25.9 % of total
CD is the same as the C5 Z06 at .342
and the thread
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...2&forum_id=100
http://aerodyn.org/Annexes/Racing/hlifts.html
Spoilers and Dams
Spoilers and dams (front spoilers) are devices placed in the back and front, respectively, to increase the downforce (rear spoilers nowdays are common features also in production cars.)
The rear spoiler produces a deviation of the flow, so as to create a pressure increase in the rear deck, and hence the negative lift. It also promotes rear separation (e.g. drag), by creating an area of relatively flat pressure (wake).
Dams are front spoilers, generally placed under the nose of the car for lift and drag gains and for cooling airflow enhancement.
Some aerodynamic info on your Z06.
From: "The Chevrolet Corvette: New Vehicle Engineering and Technical History" published by Society of Automotive Engineers, Inc. It's a collection of SAE and other papers.
2005-01-1943 2006 Chevrolet Corvette C6 Z06 Aerodynamic Development pages 328-333.
"...develop the 2006 Z06 to provide it with improved high speed stability, increased cooling capability and equivalent drag compared to the 2004 C5 Z06."
"...improve front brake flow by 400%." "...200% of the previous flow rate to cool the rear brakes."
Breakdown of lift reduction @ 300 kph
Total 138 kg
Splitter 92 kg 66.7 % of total
Front wheel opening leading edge extensions 10 kg 7.4 % of total
CHMSL spoiler 36 kg 25.9 % of total
CD is the same as the C5 Z06 at .342
and the thread
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...2&forum_id=100
Originally Posted by Everett Ogilvie
Here are the numbers (I was not disputing your reference, just saying that I thought the article referenced some different numbers). Your reference states that lift reduction is a total of 138 kg (304 lbs). I was not sure what car that 304 lb reduction was in relation to, until I read the Corvette Quarterly article - the 304 lb lift reduction is the reduction for the Z06 compared to the C6 standard coupe.
The article goes on to list the same improvement items as in your reference, with this additional tidbit - compared to the 2004 Z06, lift for the new Z06 is reduced by 1340 lb. while maintaining the same Cd of 0.342. "Total wheel loadings (weight minus lift) at 186 mph are nearly balanced (48% front, 52% rear) for optimum stability."
Reference; Corvette Quarterly, Summer 2006, Aero numbers from Corvette Aero Team Leader, Tom Froling.
Relative to the 2004 Z06, maintaining the same Cd of 0.342 while reducing lift by 1340 lbs is very impressive!
I put the gist of this info in a new/separate thread so that it is not buried in a Poll thread - figured it deserves its own thread.
The article goes on to list the same improvement items as in your reference, with this additional tidbit - compared to the 2004 Z06, lift for the new Z06 is reduced by 1340 lb. while maintaining the same Cd of 0.342. "Total wheel loadings (weight minus lift) at 186 mph are nearly balanced (48% front, 52% rear) for optimum stability."
Reference; Corvette Quarterly, Summer 2006, Aero numbers from Corvette Aero Team Leader, Tom Froling.
Relative to the 2004 Z06, maintaining the same Cd of 0.342 while reducing lift by 1340 lbs is very impressive!
I put the gist of this info in a new/separate thread so that it is not buried in a Poll thread - figured it deserves its own thread.
Last edited by LTC Z06; 06-28-2006 at 10:43 PM.
08-13-2005, 09:59 PM
#13
Get Some!
Thread Starter
LS7 heads and flow numbers.
LS7 Cam specs:
211/230 591/591 120 LSA
From LGM:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...post1553074958
Hi Guys,
Here are what we got from a stock LS 7 head for flow numbers.
These heads are already C & C ported from GM. they are a very good head to start with as they come.
Lift Intake Exhaust
.300 246 cfm 174 cfm
.400 302 cfm 200 cfm
.500 343 cfm 211 cfm
.550 358 cfm 216 cfm
.600 360 cfm 220 cfm
.650 379 cfm 224 cfm
We expect to see over 600 Flywheel hp with just a LG Cam, LG Pro Long Tube Headers, filter system and a Tune. I would say about 625-640 flywheel hp very easily with NO head work.
That would be from 530rwhp to 545rwhp.
This car and engine will make "tuners" out of shade tree mechanics.
Thanks
Lou gigliotti LGM
Here you go.
211/230 591/591 120 LSA
From LGM:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...post1553074958
Hi Guys,
Here are what we got from a stock LS 7 head for flow numbers.
These heads are already C & C ported from GM. they are a very good head to start with as they come.
Lift Intake Exhaust
.300 246 cfm 174 cfm
.400 302 cfm 200 cfm
.500 343 cfm 211 cfm
.550 358 cfm 216 cfm
.600 360 cfm 220 cfm
.650 379 cfm 224 cfm
We expect to see over 600 Flywheel hp with just a LG Cam, LG Pro Long Tube Headers, filter system and a Tune. I would say about 625-640 flywheel hp very easily with NO head work.
That would be from 530rwhp to 545rwhp.
This car and engine will make "tuners" out of shade tree mechanics.
Thanks
Lou gigliotti LGM
Originally Posted by Katech
362-365cfm @ .600 stock falling off beyond .600. Some intake chamber and bowl work has brought it to 366cfm @ .600 continuing to 386cfm @ .700. It's hard to improve on such a great head to start with.
Last edited by LTC Z06; 02-25-2007 at 11:05 PM.
08-17-2005, 12:24 PM
#16
Get Some!
Thread Starter
C6 Z06 problems thread.
Rear brake duct TSB. Get a new plastic piece for the inside of your rear brake ducts to protect the lip from rock chips.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...post1559508923
Possible fire hazard
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...post1558607299
Tranny issues, and good info
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1391035
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1374275
Roof delamination
The LATEST information on C6 Roof Separation-6/29/06
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: June 29, 2006
Subject: 2005-2006 Chevrolet Corvette Including Z06 Repair Procedure for Painted Roofs that may separate
On Feb 21, GM released customer satisfaction program 05112 which was last revised on June 23 under version 05112D. This new version includes additional 2005 and 2006 vehicles including the Z06. It provides instruction to inspect roofs as well as a service procedure for a temporary repair that
will allow the roof panel to be secured to the roof frame and allow the customer to safely operate the vehicle until a replacement roof is available.
The demand for replacement roofs has temporarily exceeded the capacity to produce them causing a large number of back orders. A new SMC roof panel is being developed and is expected to be available no later than mid-August. Dealers with stock orders for part number 19120484 and 19120244 should be aware that these parts will be discontinued sometime in July and replaced with a new part number for the SMC roof
On May 24, GM announced a pending safety recall for this condition involving 2005 and 2006 including the Z06 built prior to May 31. Approximately 31,000 vehicles will be involved and dealers will be advised when a release date has been established. The replacement roof for vehicles involved in this recall will use the SMC roof instead of the polycarbonate panel. Orders for service replacement roofs will be filled first then the SMC roof will be moved into production.
Date: June 23, 2006
Subject: 05112D – Customer Satisfaction Program
Painted Roof Adhesive Separation
Vehicle Population and Service Procedure Revised
Models: 2005-2006 Chevrolet Corvette with Painted Roof
To: All Chevrolet Dealers
Attention: Service Manager, Parts Manager
and Warranty Administrator
Customer Satisfaction Program Bulletin 05112C was released on June 7, 2006 via GM Administrative Message WIR20060307.
This bulletin is being revised to include Z06 model vehicles. A new service procedure and labor time have also been added.
A copy of revised bulletin 05112D is attached below. Please review the new information immediately and discard all copies of bulletin 05112C.
The Service Information System (SI) version of this bulletin will be available on June 24, 2006.
GMVIS information for the additional vehicles will be available on June 24, 2006.
Go here for the service bulletin:
http://temp.corvetteforum.net/c5/ken...onbulletin.pdf
__________________
My goal: Under promise and OVER DELIVER!
Lowest GM Protection Plan Prices on the Internet for All Makes & Models!
406-628-4618 Ext 103
Email me here: kenfichtner@fichtnerchevrolet.com
Order parts here: Parts Order Website
Kens personal webpage: Kens Personal Website
Painted Roof Adhesive Separation - Updated Bulletin
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: 05112D - Customer Satisfaction Program
Painted Roof Adhesive Separation
Vehicle Population and Service Procedure Revised
Message #: WIR20060318
SERVICE AND PARTS OPERATIONS
DCS1613
URGENT - DISTRIBUTE IMMEDIATELY
Date: June 23, 2006
Subject: 05112D – Customer Satisfaction Program
Painted Roof Adhesive Separation
Vehicle Population and Service Procedure Revised
Models: 2005-2006 Chevrolet Corvette with Painted Roof
To: All Chevrolet Dealers
Attention: Service Manager, Parts Manager
and Warranty Administrator
Customer Satisfaction Program Bulletin 05112C was released on June 7, 2006 via GM Administrative Message WIR20060307.
This bulletin is being revised to include Z06 model vehicles. A new service procedure and labor time have also been added.
A copy of revised bulletin 05112D is attached below. Please review the new information immediately and discard all copies of bulletin 05112C.
The Service Information System (SI) version of this bulletin will be available on June 24, 2006.
GMVIS information for the additional vehicles will be available on June 24, 2006.
Click here for the bulletin:
http://temp.corvetteforum.net/c5/ken...onbulletin.pdf
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1369957
Check your axle nuts
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1645631
Clutch problems & the recall
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1360556
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...9&forum_id=100
Rear end problems
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...3&forum_id=100
Electrical problems.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...3&forum_id=100
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...post1553401685
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...0&forum_id=100
Valve train problems.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...post1555135148
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...6&forum_id=100
Cooling problems.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...post1552958056
Hard to diagnose "clacking" sound in engine bay? It may be this. See post #46 for details
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1400413
Car Burps Engine Oil Through the Air Filter
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...1&forum_id=100
General
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1680445
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...6&forum_id=100
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...1&forum_id=100
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...5&forum_id=100
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...9&forum_id=100
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...6&forum_id=100
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...2&forum_id=100
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...post1552439611
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...1&forum_id=100
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...1&forum_id=100
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...post1552525432
Leaking Diffs:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...f&forum_id=100
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...f&forum_id=100
Go here for TSB.
http://www.corvetteactioncenter.com/kb/index.php
Dead Battery Syndrome:
C6 Dead Batteries - A GM Response
Sometime ago Jeff and I asked for information regarding your DBS problem, that we would forward it to the GM team working on the solution. As a result, several C6 owners were put in direct contact with our source and have been working with GM to identify the root cause. A number of you have suggested that GM is wearing blinders, which is not the case.
I received the following letter from our "Friend in High Places" which provides an update as to GM's efforts in trying to determine the cause and provide a fix. It is addressed to those of us who have been in direct contact. You are NOT being left out in the cold by GM!
Our source asks a question of us at the bottom of his letter. Please reply to me with any input and I'll see that he gets all responses: c5bruce@adelphia.net
Hello Everyone: I'm sure most of you do not know each other but you are all Corvette enthusiast that I have been communicating with regarding your dead battery syndrome. I just wanted to give everyone an update so you know where we stand. I was off on vacation in November and December but rest assured the project is moving forward.
There is a complete team working the issue and a specialist in root cause analysis has also been assigned. We have been successful in identifying
some issues that are not causing the condition and we also believe that it can not all be associated with customers not putting the car in reverse. Especially with this group I trust you all fully understand and practice the proper shut down procedures.
As you know for 2006 the shift to reverse feature was eliminated. GM was successful in convincing the Federal Government that this feature was not
essential in preventing car theft. While the Fed ruled GM could discontinue it on future models it did not approve a retrofit that would eliminate the requirement for 2005 models. So 2005 cars are stuck with it.
Also for 2006 the column lock feature has been removed. We are not sure how much, if any, this influences DBS but it is a difference we are investigating.
We understand there are two switches that are used to tell the BCM the shifter is placed in reverse. If these switches are not activated the BCM does not actually shut down the electrical system. The car could believe it is not in reverse and stays live, even when the shifter is in reverse.
We are developing a couple of testers that can easily be installed in a customer car and monitor these circuit and switches. We will be installing it in one customer car next week. We have had two test
computers built that are currently on customer cars that actually monitor battery voltage, amp draw and ignition cycles every 30 seconds. The computer is not invasive and the customer can drive the car while it stays connected and monitors the data. We are looking to our engineering group for more improvements that can determine if a module is not going to sleep as it is intended and identify the naughty module.
We are also looking at stray radio waves that could be waking up the BCM once it is asleep much like doing an key fob button press. In one case we identified a customer's car that lived close to the security gate for their neighborhood. Every time someone hit the button to open their security gate their car would wake up and go through the 20 minute shut down
procedure.
Each of you have been supplying information and data particular to your car and some of your friends. I thank you for your continued support and patience. We are making progress but since I have no idea how long the road is, I can only tell you when we can finish the race. Rest assured we will not quit until we identify the issue and correct it. As more information becomes available I will pass it to you.
If you are still driving your cars and don't happen to be hampered by Michigan's winter and bad roads, you could try something for me. As you drive and park the car and shift to reverse, once the car is in reverse do you ever get the message to shift to reverse even though it is there? Just curious. If you do experience this event please let me know.
Have a great January, enjoy the Detroit Auto Show if you are coming this way.
__________________
Bruce Miller
c5bruce@adelphia.net
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...post1559508923
After reading so many horror stories about Chevy service deparments I thought I'd pass on a few comments from a GM service insider:
In recent years as GM has reduced the number of service reps, they have given much more authority to dealer service managers. And once that manager has made a decision on a warranty claim, GM policy is to back him up, not overturn his decision, no matter who you call.
It doesn't matter much whether you bought the car at that dealer or not. If that service manager is "old-school" and remembers how any sign of mods or racing means "no warranty", he'll be inclined to deny warranty coverage (I'm sure few service managers have seen the video with Dave Hill). Some managers' decisions could even be swayed by their current status with GM on warranty expense: If their warranty claims run much more than 110%-115% of their zone average for 3-months running, they're in big trouble and can expect an audit; at that point a $4K-$5K claim could be disasterous. And there may even be managers who have incentives based on paid labor and don't want it to be warranty if they can help it.
If, by some disaster, my 06 Z06 keels over far from home, I think I'll make myself be patient. Bite the bullet and pay to have the car towed to a safe place and plan my course of action. Above all don't play "Russian Roulette" and let a service manager make a decision which GM will stand behind. Then try to reach some contact in the Corvette group or at the plant, or call a friend who knows somebody. Hopefully to be guided to a dealer with an advance phone call to pave the way. A little extra time and caution at the beginning could pay off.
Its too bad we have to put up with this BS, but GM is a big old dinosaur and it takes a while to change its ways.
In recent years as GM has reduced the number of service reps, they have given much more authority to dealer service managers. And once that manager has made a decision on a warranty claim, GM policy is to back him up, not overturn his decision, no matter who you call.
It doesn't matter much whether you bought the car at that dealer or not. If that service manager is "old-school" and remembers how any sign of mods or racing means "no warranty", he'll be inclined to deny warranty coverage (I'm sure few service managers have seen the video with Dave Hill). Some managers' decisions could even be swayed by their current status with GM on warranty expense: If their warranty claims run much more than 110%-115% of their zone average for 3-months running, they're in big trouble and can expect an audit; at that point a $4K-$5K claim could be disasterous. And there may even be managers who have incentives based on paid labor and don't want it to be warranty if they can help it.
If, by some disaster, my 06 Z06 keels over far from home, I think I'll make myself be patient. Bite the bullet and pay to have the car towed to a safe place and plan my course of action. Above all don't play "Russian Roulette" and let a service manager make a decision which GM will stand behind. Then try to reach some contact in the Corvette group or at the plant, or call a friend who knows somebody. Hopefully to be guided to a dealer with an advance phone call to pave the way. A little extra time and caution at the beginning could pay off.
Its too bad we have to put up with this BS, but GM is a big old dinosaur and it takes a while to change its ways.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...post1558607299
AS Ranger has stated, there is a couple possibilities for the fluid. I would highly reccomend his idea of the tube, as he knows a significant amount about theses cars, buth ere are a couple documents from GM on the fluid leaks at the rear of the car..
Document ID# 1864604
2006 Chevrolet Corvette
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Possible Seal Leak And Axle Seal Popped Out Of Position - keywords axle differential fluid #PIP3930 - (09/28/2006)
Models: 2006-2007 Cadillac XLR, XLR-V
2006-2007 Chevrolet Corvette and Z06
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The following diagnosis might be helpful if the vehicle exhibits the symptom(s) described in this PI.
Condition/Concern:
Fluid leaking from the rear differential output shaft seal area and the seal would be found to be popped out of position. The seal may also appear to fit loosely in the cover.
Recommendation/Instructions:
Replace the output shaft seal and prior to seal installation apply a bead of RTV sealant to the outer portion of the seal that contact the cover. Let the sealer dry prior to operation.
Please follow this diagnostic or repair process thoroughly and complete each step. If the condition exhibited is resolved without completing every step, the remaining steps do not need to be performed
Document ID# 1847998
2006 Chevrolet Corvette
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Transmission Fluid Leak from Weep Hole at the Rear of the Transmission - keywords axle differential #PIP3442A - (07/18/2006)
Models: 2005-2006 Chevrolet Corvette
with 6-Speed Manual (RPOs - MM6 and MZ6) Transmission
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This PI has been revised to add the 2006 Model year. Please discard PIP3442.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The following diagnosis might be helpful if the vehicle exhibits the symptom(s) described in this PI.
Condition/Concern:
Customer may be concerned about a transmission fluid leak on their 2005-2006 Corvette equipped with a manual transmission. The fluid leak will be between the axle and the transmission emanating from the weep hole. Disassembly may find the rear housing inner seal has dislodged from the housing bore.
Recommendation/Instructions:
Replace the rear transmission housing inner seal and use RTV on the outer diameter of the seal to retain it in the housing.
Part Number
Description
12455044
SEAL,MAIN SHF INR
12455045
SEAL,MAIN SHF OTR
Please follow this diagnostic or repair process thoroughly and complete each step. If the condition exhibited is resolved without completing every step, the remaining steps do not need to be performed.
Document ID# 1864333
2006 Chevrolet Corvette
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Manual Transmission Fluid Leak From Weep Hole - keywords differential seal #PIP3923 - (09/27/2006)
Models: 2006-2007 Chevrolet Corvette
Equipped with a Tremec Manual Transmission
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The following diagnosis might be helpful if the vehicle exhibits the symptom(s) described in this PI.
Condition/Concern:
Manual transmission fluid leaking from the weep hole in the rear of the transmission case. Vehicles involved would be 2006 and 2007 model years built prior to 7/20/06.
Recommendation/Instructions:
Inspect the transmission rear inner output shaft seal for plastic flashing or a rolled seal (see photos). If the seal is rolled replace both the inner and outer output shaft seals.
Document ID# 1864604
2006 Chevrolet Corvette
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Possible Seal Leak And Axle Seal Popped Out Of Position - keywords axle differential fluid #PIP3930 - (09/28/2006)
Models: 2006-2007 Cadillac XLR, XLR-V
2006-2007 Chevrolet Corvette and Z06
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The following diagnosis might be helpful if the vehicle exhibits the symptom(s) described in this PI.
Condition/Concern:
Fluid leaking from the rear differential output shaft seal area and the seal would be found to be popped out of position. The seal may also appear to fit loosely in the cover.
Recommendation/Instructions:
Replace the output shaft seal and prior to seal installation apply a bead of RTV sealant to the outer portion of the seal that contact the cover. Let the sealer dry prior to operation.
Please follow this diagnostic or repair process thoroughly and complete each step. If the condition exhibited is resolved without completing every step, the remaining steps do not need to be performed
Document ID# 1847998
2006 Chevrolet Corvette
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Transmission Fluid Leak from Weep Hole at the Rear of the Transmission - keywords axle differential #PIP3442A - (07/18/2006)
Models: 2005-2006 Chevrolet Corvette
with 6-Speed Manual (RPOs - MM6 and MZ6) Transmission
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This PI has been revised to add the 2006 Model year. Please discard PIP3442.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The following diagnosis might be helpful if the vehicle exhibits the symptom(s) described in this PI.
Condition/Concern:
Customer may be concerned about a transmission fluid leak on their 2005-2006 Corvette equipped with a manual transmission. The fluid leak will be between the axle and the transmission emanating from the weep hole. Disassembly may find the rear housing inner seal has dislodged from the housing bore.
Recommendation/Instructions:
Replace the rear transmission housing inner seal and use RTV on the outer diameter of the seal to retain it in the housing.
Part Number
Description
12455044
SEAL,MAIN SHF INR
12455045
SEAL,MAIN SHF OTR
Please follow this diagnostic or repair process thoroughly and complete each step. If the condition exhibited is resolved without completing every step, the remaining steps do not need to be performed.
Document ID# 1864333
2006 Chevrolet Corvette
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Manual Transmission Fluid Leak From Weep Hole - keywords differential seal #PIP3923 - (09/27/2006)
Models: 2006-2007 Chevrolet Corvette
Equipped with a Tremec Manual Transmission
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The following diagnosis might be helpful if the vehicle exhibits the symptom(s) described in this PI.
Condition/Concern:
Manual transmission fluid leaking from the weep hole in the rear of the transmission case. Vehicles involved would be 2006 and 2007 model years built prior to 7/20/06.
Recommendation/Instructions:
Inspect the transmission rear inner output shaft seal for plastic flashing or a rolled seal (see photos). If the seal is rolled replace both the inner and outer output shaft seals.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1391035
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1374275
Roof delamination
The LATEST information on C6 Roof Separation-6/29/06
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: June 29, 2006
Subject: 2005-2006 Chevrolet Corvette Including Z06 Repair Procedure for Painted Roofs that may separate
On Feb 21, GM released customer satisfaction program 05112 which was last revised on June 23 under version 05112D. This new version includes additional 2005 and 2006 vehicles including the Z06. It provides instruction to inspect roofs as well as a service procedure for a temporary repair that
will allow the roof panel to be secured to the roof frame and allow the customer to safely operate the vehicle until a replacement roof is available.
The demand for replacement roofs has temporarily exceeded the capacity to produce them causing a large number of back orders. A new SMC roof panel is being developed and is expected to be available no later than mid-August. Dealers with stock orders for part number 19120484 and 19120244 should be aware that these parts will be discontinued sometime in July and replaced with a new part number for the SMC roof
On May 24, GM announced a pending safety recall for this condition involving 2005 and 2006 including the Z06 built prior to May 31. Approximately 31,000 vehicles will be involved and dealers will be advised when a release date has been established. The replacement roof for vehicles involved in this recall will use the SMC roof instead of the polycarbonate panel. Orders for service replacement roofs will be filled first then the SMC roof will be moved into production.
Date: June 23, 2006
Subject: 05112D – Customer Satisfaction Program
Painted Roof Adhesive Separation
Vehicle Population and Service Procedure Revised
Models: 2005-2006 Chevrolet Corvette with Painted Roof
To: All Chevrolet Dealers
Attention: Service Manager, Parts Manager
and Warranty Administrator
Customer Satisfaction Program Bulletin 05112C was released on June 7, 2006 via GM Administrative Message WIR20060307.
This bulletin is being revised to include Z06 model vehicles. A new service procedure and labor time have also been added.
A copy of revised bulletin 05112D is attached below. Please review the new information immediately and discard all copies of bulletin 05112C.
The Service Information System (SI) version of this bulletin will be available on June 24, 2006.
GMVIS information for the additional vehicles will be available on June 24, 2006.
Go here for the service bulletin:
http://temp.corvetteforum.net/c5/ken...onbulletin.pdf
__________________
My goal: Under promise and OVER DELIVER!
Lowest GM Protection Plan Prices on the Internet for All Makes & Models!
406-628-4618 Ext 103
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Painted Roof Adhesive Separation - Updated Bulletin
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: 05112D - Customer Satisfaction Program
Painted Roof Adhesive Separation
Vehicle Population and Service Procedure Revised
Message #: WIR20060318
SERVICE AND PARTS OPERATIONS
DCS1613
URGENT - DISTRIBUTE IMMEDIATELY
Date: June 23, 2006
Subject: 05112D – Customer Satisfaction Program
Painted Roof Adhesive Separation
Vehicle Population and Service Procedure Revised
Models: 2005-2006 Chevrolet Corvette with Painted Roof
To: All Chevrolet Dealers
Attention: Service Manager, Parts Manager
and Warranty Administrator
Customer Satisfaction Program Bulletin 05112C was released on June 7, 2006 via GM Administrative Message WIR20060307.
This bulletin is being revised to include Z06 model vehicles. A new service procedure and labor time have also been added.
A copy of revised bulletin 05112D is attached below. Please review the new information immediately and discard all copies of bulletin 05112C.
The Service Information System (SI) version of this bulletin will be available on June 24, 2006.
GMVIS information for the additional vehicles will be available on June 24, 2006.
Click here for the bulletin:
http://temp.corvetteforum.net/c5/ken...onbulletin.pdf
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1369957
Check your axle nuts
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1645631
Clutch problems & the recall
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1360556
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...9&forum_id=100
Rear end problems
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...3&forum_id=100
Electrical problems.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...3&forum_id=100
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...post1553401685
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...0&forum_id=100
Valve train problems.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...post1555135148
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...6&forum_id=100
Cooling problems.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...post1552958056
Hard to diagnose "clacking" sound in engine bay? It may be this. See post #46 for details
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1400413
Car Burps Engine Oil Through the Air Filter
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...1&forum_id=100
Originally Posted by allanlaw
No, I haven't had too much to drink. I was at Spring Mountain last weekend, and at the end of the last session on Saturday I noticed a puddle of oil under the nose on the driver side. I popped the hood and found lots of oil around the area where the intake and outlet lines enter the oil cooler. Not surprisingly, I assumed there was a leak in the intake fitting, or something else funky with the oil cooler. I cut the weekend short and returned to L.A. on Sunday (300+ miles at average 80mph on highways). There was no additional oil leakage, so I assumed it was a high pressure - high temp leak.
I left the car at the dealer this afternoon, and got a call at 8:30 this evening (they run two shifts in the service department). The diagnosis after mucho consultations with the GM service guys: if the oil pressure gets high (hot engine, high sustained rpm) the system will "vent" some oil into the air intake system, and it can exit through the air filter and end up just where I described above. The shop foreman at the dealer was incredulous, but the GM guys convinced him that this was how the system was designed to work on the Z06.
OK, I'm just reporting what I was told, and I'll see what else is on the report when I pick up the car tomorrow morning. I'm interested if anyone else who runs their Z hard (like at the track) has noticed any oil puddles on the driver side or oil moisture near the air filter inlet.
Damn, I just should have run it on Sunday like I was planning to . . .
I left the car at the dealer this afternoon, and got a call at 8:30 this evening (they run two shifts in the service department). The diagnosis after mucho consultations with the GM service guys: if the oil pressure gets high (hot engine, high sustained rpm) the system will "vent" some oil into the air intake system, and it can exit through the air filter and end up just where I described above. The shop foreman at the dealer was incredulous, but the GM guys convinced him that this was how the system was designed to work on the Z06.
OK, I'm just reporting what I was told, and I'll see what else is on the report when I pick up the car tomorrow morning. I'm interested if anyone else who runs their Z hard (like at the track) has noticed any oil puddles on the driver side or oil moisture near the air filter inlet.
Damn, I just should have run it on Sunday like I was planning to . . .
General
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1680445
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...6&forum_id=100
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...1&forum_id=100
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...5&forum_id=100
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...9&forum_id=100
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...6&forum_id=100
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...2&forum_id=100
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...post1552439611
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...1&forum_id=100
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...1&forum_id=100
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...post1552525432
Leaking Diffs:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...f&forum_id=100
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...f&forum_id=100
Go here for TSB.
http://www.corvetteactioncenter.com/kb/index.php
Originally Posted by Pipedreams
I have access to the GM tech link which is a monthly communication to the GM techs. February has a few C6 items. Some may be old news but this is the first time they are on the GM tech link. Very interesting that they now have software to fix the fuel sender 
Dead Battery Syndrome:
C6 Dead Batteries - A GM Response
Sometime ago Jeff and I asked for information regarding your DBS problem, that we would forward it to the GM team working on the solution. As a result, several C6 owners were put in direct contact with our source and have been working with GM to identify the root cause. A number of you have suggested that GM is wearing blinders, which is not the case.
I received the following letter from our "Friend in High Places" which provides an update as to GM's efforts in trying to determine the cause and provide a fix. It is addressed to those of us who have been in direct contact. You are NOT being left out in the cold by GM!
Our source asks a question of us at the bottom of his letter. Please reply to me with any input and I'll see that he gets all responses: c5bruce@adelphia.net
Hello Everyone: I'm sure most of you do not know each other but you are all Corvette enthusiast that I have been communicating with regarding your dead battery syndrome. I just wanted to give everyone an update so you know where we stand. I was off on vacation in November and December but rest assured the project is moving forward.
There is a complete team working the issue and a specialist in root cause analysis has also been assigned. We have been successful in identifying
some issues that are not causing the condition and we also believe that it can not all be associated with customers not putting the car in reverse. Especially with this group I trust you all fully understand and practice the proper shut down procedures.
As you know for 2006 the shift to reverse feature was eliminated. GM was successful in convincing the Federal Government that this feature was not
essential in preventing car theft. While the Fed ruled GM could discontinue it on future models it did not approve a retrofit that would eliminate the requirement for 2005 models. So 2005 cars are stuck with it.
Also for 2006 the column lock feature has been removed. We are not sure how much, if any, this influences DBS but it is a difference we are investigating.
We understand there are two switches that are used to tell the BCM the shifter is placed in reverse. If these switches are not activated the BCM does not actually shut down the electrical system. The car could believe it is not in reverse and stays live, even when the shifter is in reverse.
We are developing a couple of testers that can easily be installed in a customer car and monitor these circuit and switches. We will be installing it in one customer car next week. We have had two test
computers built that are currently on customer cars that actually monitor battery voltage, amp draw and ignition cycles every 30 seconds. The computer is not invasive and the customer can drive the car while it stays connected and monitors the data. We are looking to our engineering group for more improvements that can determine if a module is not going to sleep as it is intended and identify the naughty module.
We are also looking at stray radio waves that could be waking up the BCM once it is asleep much like doing an key fob button press. In one case we identified a customer's car that lived close to the security gate for their neighborhood. Every time someone hit the button to open their security gate their car would wake up and go through the 20 minute shut down
procedure.
Each of you have been supplying information and data particular to your car and some of your friends. I thank you for your continued support and patience. We are making progress but since I have no idea how long the road is, I can only tell you when we can finish the race. Rest assured we will not quit until we identify the issue and correct it. As more information becomes available I will pass it to you.
If you are still driving your cars and don't happen to be hampered by Michigan's winter and bad roads, you could try something for me. As you drive and park the car and shift to reverse, once the car is in reverse do you ever get the message to shift to reverse even though it is there? Just curious. If you do experience this event please let me know.
Have a great January, enjoy the Detroit Auto Show if you are coming this way.
__________________
Bruce Miller
c5bruce@adelphia.net
I found this tonight on the C5/C6 Registry Hot News, looks like somebody at Chevrolet is finally listening to Corvette owners and wants to help out with problems. Enjoy!
DIRECT ONLINE FEEDBACK CENTER -
UP AND RUNNING AT THE CORVETTE ASSEMBLY PLANT!
Members - Recently we discovered that the Corvette Assembly Plant has instituted a DIRECT ONLINE FEEDBACK CENTER for you to talk about your Corvette. We made some calls and found out that this was not just an exercise in e-mailing into cyber space. We have been informed that there is a team of five individuals who will be reading ALL of these important posts sent directly in to the Bowling Green Assembly Plant about your C6 or C5 (yes, they do want to hear from C5 owners!) and redirecting them to the proper individuals regarding your input.
PLEASE NOTE - THEY WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE TOLD YOU THAT THEY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO ANSWER YOU DIRECTLY UNLESS THEY NEED SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON AN ITEM YOU MAY HAVE WRITTEN TO THEM ABOUT.
That is why, after you sign in with your model year and the last eight digits of your VIN number, you will have an opportunity to inform them of your concerns, or praise them for the 99% of your Corvette that they produced correctly! After you have done this, the next screen will ask you for your contact information so that they can get back in touch with you if your concern or praise warrants it.
So take advantage of the opportunity and go to:
http://www.bowlinggreenassemblyplant...rvey/index.htm
to tell the folks at the Plant what you think of the amazing work they do, building our Corvettes each and every day!
Members, over the last ten years that the Registry has been around, many, many of you have asked how you can get in touch of someone at GM! Well, here it is - it is for you to use and I assured the folks at the Plant that our members would take full advantage of an opportunity to voice their ideas. I can't speak for other sports car companies, but this is a fantastic owner resource that Corvette has made available to you to give direct information back to them. And the really big news is, they REALLY want to hear from you!!!
DIRECT ONLINE FEEDBACK CENTER -
UP AND RUNNING AT THE CORVETTE ASSEMBLY PLANT!
Members - Recently we discovered that the Corvette Assembly Plant has instituted a DIRECT ONLINE FEEDBACK CENTER for you to talk about your Corvette. We made some calls and found out that this was not just an exercise in e-mailing into cyber space. We have been informed that there is a team of five individuals who will be reading ALL of these important posts sent directly in to the Bowling Green Assembly Plant about your C6 or C5 (yes, they do want to hear from C5 owners!) and redirecting them to the proper individuals regarding your input.
PLEASE NOTE - THEY WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE TOLD YOU THAT THEY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO ANSWER YOU DIRECTLY UNLESS THEY NEED SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON AN ITEM YOU MAY HAVE WRITTEN TO THEM ABOUT.
That is why, after you sign in with your model year and the last eight digits of your VIN number, you will have an opportunity to inform them of your concerns, or praise them for the 99% of your Corvette that they produced correctly! After you have done this, the next screen will ask you for your contact information so that they can get back in touch with you if your concern or praise warrants it.
So take advantage of the opportunity and go to:
http://www.bowlinggreenassemblyplant...rvey/index.htm
to tell the folks at the Plant what you think of the amazing work they do, building our Corvettes each and every day!
Members, over the last ten years that the Registry has been around, many, many of you have asked how you can get in touch of someone at GM! Well, here it is - it is for you to use and I assured the folks at the Plant that our members would take full advantage of an opportunity to voice their ideas. I can't speak for other sports car companies, but this is a fantastic owner resource that Corvette has made available to you to give direct information back to them. And the really big news is, they REALLY want to hear from you!!!
Last edited by LTC Z06; 04-17-2007 at 10:55 PM.
08-17-2005, 01:57 PM
#17
Get Some!
Thread Starter
History of the Corvette name and symbol.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...45&forum_id=74
History of the Corvette Emblem
Over the years, the Corvette has gone through many design changes; some subtle, some not so subtle. The Corvette's symbolic crossed flags emblem has also seen its fair number of changes. If you've taken a close look at the emblem over the five generations of Corvette, you'll notice that even though the design has changed dramatically from time to time, a few design cues remain. These include some form of a checkered flag and a bow-tie emblem. From time to time, a strange, maple leaf type of insignia, called a "fleur-de-lis" also shows up from time to time in the emblem. So what does all this mean and how did it get started?
The original Corvette logo (Figure 1) was designed by Robert Bartholomew, an interior designer at Chevrolet in 1953. This emblem was destined to appear on the 1953 Corvette prototype which was introduced to the public for the first time at New York's Waldorf-Astoria hotel in January of 1953. It had crossing staffs with the checkered flag on the right hand side, and the American flag on the left hand side. However, four days before the Corvette was to go on display at the show, Chevrolet management decided that it should be redesigned. The problem with the proposed emblem was that it included the American flag which is illegal to use on a commerical product. Right before the show, redesigned emblems were attached to the front hood and steering wheel of the Corvette. The new emblem contained the checkered flag on the right side as well as the white racing flag, red Chevrolet bow-tie symbol and a fleur-de-lis (Figure 2).
Where did the fleur-de-lis come from? At the time, Chevrolet was conducting research on various emblem designs for the 1953 and 1954 passenger cars. They looked at the Louis Chevrolet family history in an attempt to discover a crest or some type of heraldry that they could utilize. Unfortunately, they came up empty, but they did realize that Chevrolet is a French name and the fleur-de-lis (flower of the lily) is a French symbol meaning peace and purity. They decided to use the fleur-de-lis along with the famous blue Chevrolet bow tie on a new flag which replaced the American flag on the Corvette. When the 1953 Corvette first appeared to the public at the Waldorf Historia Hotel, the redesigned emblems were in place.
However, this emblem was temporary and used only for press photography at the show. A new emblem was designed prior to the 1953 Corvette going into production.
If you're wondering what ever happened to the original 1953 Corvette emblem by Robert Bartholemew, it's currently on display at the National Corvette Museum!
History of the Corvette Emblem
Over the years, the Corvette has gone through many design changes; some subtle, some not so subtle. The Corvette's symbolic crossed flags emblem has also seen its fair number of changes. If you've taken a close look at the emblem over the five generations of Corvette, you'll notice that even though the design has changed dramatically from time to time, a few design cues remain. These include some form of a checkered flag and a bow-tie emblem. From time to time, a strange, maple leaf type of insignia, called a "fleur-de-lis" also shows up from time to time in the emblem. So what does all this mean and how did it get started?
The original Corvette logo (Figure 1) was designed by Robert Bartholomew, an interior designer at Chevrolet in 1953. This emblem was destined to appear on the 1953 Corvette prototype which was introduced to the public for the first time at New York's Waldorf-Astoria hotel in January of 1953. It had crossing staffs with the checkered flag on the right hand side, and the American flag on the left hand side. However, four days before the Corvette was to go on display at the show, Chevrolet management decided that it should be redesigned. The problem with the proposed emblem was that it included the American flag which is illegal to use on a commerical product. Right before the show, redesigned emblems were attached to the front hood and steering wheel of the Corvette. The new emblem contained the checkered flag on the right side as well as the white racing flag, red Chevrolet bow-tie symbol and a fleur-de-lis (Figure 2).
Where did the fleur-de-lis come from? At the time, Chevrolet was conducting research on various emblem designs for the 1953 and 1954 passenger cars. They looked at the Louis Chevrolet family history in an attempt to discover a crest or some type of heraldry that they could utilize. Unfortunately, they came up empty, but they did realize that Chevrolet is a French name and the fleur-de-lis (flower of the lily) is a French symbol meaning peace and purity. They decided to use the fleur-de-lis along with the famous blue Chevrolet bow tie on a new flag which replaced the American flag on the Corvette. When the 1953 Corvette first appeared to the public at the Waldorf Historia Hotel, the redesigned emblems were in place.
However, this emblem was temporary and used only for press photography at the show. A new emblem was designed prior to the 1953 Corvette going into production.
If you're wondering what ever happened to the original 1953 Corvette emblem by Robert Bartholemew, it's currently on display at the National Corvette Museum!
Last edited by LTC Z06; 02-06-2006 at 02:16 PM.
08-24-2005, 03:52 PM
#20
Get Some!
Thread Starter
and some more...
The upper right pic, of the Z06 going through the first carousel is my favorite turn. 45 mph through that turn will scare the heck out of a newbie to the ring. If you exit it wrong at speed you will go into the wall. I once saw a GT-3 do it!
and some threads:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...9&forum_id=100
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...6&forum_id=100
The upper right pic, of the Z06 going through the first carousel is my favorite turn. 45 mph through that turn will scare the heck out of a newbie to the ring. If you exit it wrong at speed you will go into the wall. I once saw a GT-3 do it!
and some threads:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...9&forum_id=100
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...6&forum_id=100
Last edited by LTC Z06; 01-19-2006 at 11:30 AM.