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C6 Corvette ZR1 & Z06General info about GM’s Corvette Supercar, LS9 Corvette Technical Info, Performance Upgrades, Suspension Setup for Street or Track
I know this is probably a long shot but does anyone recognize this 2007 C6Z? I purchased it back in Oct 2017 at a Kia dealership in AZ and was curious if the valve guide issue was ever addressed. The car came with a black stripe that makes it sort of unique so I was hoping to to get in touch with the previous owner to ask.
Congrats- nice looking Z06. There are a lot of guys from AZ who frequent this section, so maybe somebody will be able to help you. I suggest that you also post this question down in the Southwest part of the Regional section of the forum. You'll be reaching folks that are specifically from that region and your chances should increase. Enjoy driving that beast. I've had mine for 10 years and I still get excited every time I drive it.
Never seen it. There are a TON of corvettes here. Since you can drive them year round, they are like flies, you can't go anywhere without seeing a bunch.
Congrats- nice looking Z06. There are a lot of guys from AZ who frequent this section, so maybe somebody will be able to help you. I suggest that you also post this question down in the Southwest part of the Regional section of the forum. You'll be reaching folks that are specifically from that region and your chances should increase. Enjoy driving that beast. I've had mine for 10 years and I still get excited every time I drive it.
Thanks Les! Great idea!
Yes, I'm definitely enjoying it more each time I take it for a spin
I don't recall seeing any pics of that car over the years...and yes, its unique. The mesh grill stuff is an acquired taste. Looks like it has a paint matched stock sized rear spoiler. The car also has 18/19 Spyders which weren't available until 2009 (IIRC).
How many miles on your 2007? 2007 was the year with a bad batch of OE rocker arms (spits needle bearings). Might not be a bad idea to pull a rocker cover and see whats in there. Maybe some telltale signs on previous head work, as well as seeing any rocker issues (loose needle bearings); and its an opportune moment to perform a wiggle test for excessive guide wear. Might want to check the date ranges on the tires, as old tires (5+ yrs) regardless of tread depth can be downright dangerous on this car. Fluids...not a bad idea to refresh everything, since some of them might be factory fill from 2007. Engine, trans, diff, clutch, brake, PS, and coolant flush w/ new T-stat for preventative maintenance if you cant get any previous owner info. Pretty sure you can also swing by a local Chevy dealer to pull any dealer maint history.
Whereabouts are you in SD? Lived there for nearly a decade in North County (Carlsbad & Encinitas).
You may want to take a close look at the head bolds. Many install ARP head bolts when doing the heads swap, I will check when I get home tonight but I they should have some sort of stamp on them if I can remember correctly. I'm not sure if there are any other visuals other then the possibility of using the WCC stamp on the heads. I was in the same predicament as you when I purchased my 08Z last year. You may also want to take a close look at the power steering pump bracket as some custom notch it to make reinstallation easier. FYI- My heads were not done at the time I purchase my car. I did the head swap myself, installed ARP Head Bolt kit and also notched the power steering bracket as suggested here on the forum. I'll get back with you on the head bolts or you can call American Heritage Performance and the may be able to tell you as the sell them.
I don't recall seeing any pics of that car over the years...and yes, its unique. The mesh grill stuff is an acquired taste. Looks like it has a paint matched stock sized rear spoiler. The car also has 18/19 Spyders which weren't available until 2009 (IIRC).
How many miles on your 2007? 2007 was the year with a bad batch of OE rocker arms (spits needle bearings). Might not be a bad idea to pull a rocker cover and see whats in there. Maybe some telltale signs on previous head work, as well as seeing any rocker issues (loose needle bearings); and its an opportune moment to perform a wiggle test for excessive guide wear. Might want to check the date ranges on the tires, as old tires (5+ yrs) regardless of tread depth can be downright dangerous on this car. Fluids...not a bad idea to refresh everything, since some of them might be factory fill from 2007. Engine, trans, diff, clutch, brake, PS, and coolant flush w/ new T-stat for preventative maintenance if you cant get any previous owner info. Pretty sure you can also swing by a local Chevy dealer to pull any dealer maint history.
Whereabouts are you in SD? Lived there for nearly a decade in North County (Carlsbad & Encinitas).
Hey MTP,
Thanks for the info! You're right about the acquired taste...wasn't my cup of tea so I completely changed the look of it. No more stripe, no meshed grill, lots of carbon and swapped out the wheels with some 360 Forged with new rubber. It's coming along
I've already changed some of the fluids such as radiator flush, new T-stat, new radiator/water pump, engine oil, brake flush, clutch flush but will be doing the rest soon.
The car has 51K on the clock now but Carfax shows in 2011 (21K miles at the time) that the engine was replaced at Van Chevrolet Buick GMC in Scottsdale. Not sure if that guarantees anything about the valve guides/rockers but I like the idea of going to a local Chevy dealers or I could try Van Chevrolet too.
I'm born and raised in SD and live in Rancho Bernardo now. Love Encinitas and Carlsbad btw! Where abouts are you now?
You may want to take a close look at the head bolds. Many install ARP head bolts when doing the heads swap, I will check when I get home tonight but I they should have some sort of stamp on them if I can remember correctly. I'm not sure if there are any other visuals other then the possibility of using the WCC stamp on the heads. I was in the same predicament as you when I purchased my 08Z last year. You may also want to take a close look at the power steering pump bracket as some custom notch it to make reinstallation easier. FYI- My heads were not done at the time I purchase my car. I did the head swap myself, installed ARP Head Bolt kit and also notched the power steering bracket as suggested here on the forum. I'll get back with you on the head bolts or you can call American Heritage Performance and the may be able to tell you as the sell them.
Hey ITMOH,
Thanks for the advice! Excuse my ignorance but can you tell me what I'm trying to look for in the pic? Any way you can circle the target area or head bolts? Sorry, this is all new to me so I'm still in the learning phase
Thanks for the advice! Excuse my ignorance but can you tell me what I'm trying to look for in the pic? Any way you can circle the target area or head bolts? Sorry, this is all new to me so I'm still in the learning phase
He is referring to this (circled). This is not the heads. He posted a pic of the power steering bracket. Some guys notch the bracket to make install/removal easier. I doubt very highly the dealer that replaced the engine did this procedure on your motor.
The heads themselves sit on top of the motor. The head bolts (which secure the heads to the block) are usually replaced with ARP bolts (stamped ARP on top of them) during head swaps. If you see ARP bolts it is a good sign that the heads were off the car and hopefully inspected/fixed (but still no guarantee).
If a dealer replaced the motor, you should NOT assume that the valves and guides were inspected/fixed. Most dealers have no clue about this issue, and simply follow the Service manual (which says nothing about what those bastards at Linamar did to us). You should call the dealer and ask for the invoice/receipt for the engine replacement, and ask them if the new heads on the new motor were inspected and/or sent to a machine shop. Chances are they weren't. In fact, I virtually guarantee they weren't.
So to be clear, you would want to see an invoice that shows that your car (during the engine replacement) had the heads sent to a separate and distinct machine shop. The invoice would list what was done to the heads (valve job, replace guides, replace exhaust valves etc). Lacking this invoice, or lacking details on valve stem to guide clearance, you should assume that this was not done.
The next step would then be to wiggle test the valves to determine if there is an obvious problem. As it sounds like you are not able to do this yourself, you should have a competent mechanic perform this procedure.
And finally, if you simply want to take pre-emptive measures regarding your heads then you do the following:
1) Remove the heads from your car or pay someone who is competent to remove them. (Cost ~$1000)
2) Ship the heads YOURSELF to a company like AHP, WCCH or AI. They will inspect and clean the heads. They will perform a valve job, replace the guides and exhaust valves and send you back shiny, fixed heads. AHP charges ~$1400 for this service and you get a few upgrades with it.
3) Reinstall or have reinstalled the heads back on your car with new head gaskets. (The ~$1000 cost above should include removal and re-installation).
Then, for roughly $2500 (including labor) your heads have been preemptively fixed. Another option is to simply buy already repaired heads from AHP. This will cost $1000 more (core deposit). You then install those heads on your car and ship AHP back the heads that you remove and get back your $1000. Same net cost, but this way you have no downtime for shipping the heads.
Thanks for the info! You're right about the acquired taste...wasn't my cup of tea so I completely changed the look of it. No more stripe, no meshed grill, lots of carbon and swapped out the wheels with some 360 Forged with new rubber. It's coming along
I've already changed some of the fluids such as radiator flush, new T-stat, new radiator/water pump, engine oil, brake flush, clutch flush but will be doing the rest soon.
The car has 51K on the clock now but Carfax shows in 2011 (21K miles at the time) that the engine was replaced at Van Chevrolet Buick GMC in Scottsdale. Not sure if that guarantees anything about the valve guides/rockers but I like the idea of going to a local Chevy dealers or I could try Van Chevrolet too.
I'm born and raised in SD and live in Rancho Bernardo now. Love Encinitas and Carlsbad btw! Where abouts are you now?
You're off to a good start! I would highly suggest you have the valve guides inspected. The second motor has lasted longer than the first, but this is something critical than many on here will urge you to at least inspect. Does the car have any sort of warranty at the moment?
RB is a great area. I moved from North County in '07, up to South OC (San Juan Capistrano), and in late 2015 I moved again to Honolulu HI. I'll probably land in SD again someday...I'm a die hard Stone Brewing Fan since 1998.
Now back to the heads on your car. I highly, highly recommend American Heritage Performance (AHP) to take your car in for a guide inspection. They're up in the south bay area (Harbor City), so probably a 1.5-2 hr drive (no traffic) for you...but extremely worth it. AHP did my heads back in 2015 before I moved, while I was under my GMPP extended warranty. My 2009 C6Z with only 15K easy street miles on it had 14/16 valve guides worn beyond GM service limits! My GMPP warranty authorized the repair, and Kohle at AHP did his usual magic with my cylinder heads (with a few upgrades I selected). AHP works with many extended warranties, so again...AHP is worth the drive. Feel free to PM me if you want any further details.
Second that on AHP... Just got mine done a few months ago and the experience was great, and car feels amazing! You're lucky to live so close!
I am in the Bay Area but lived in north county for 5yrs too. Worked in Carlsbad, and lived in Cardiff by the Sea, which was absolute paradise! I was right there a few doors down from Wine Steals, and I may have been a very frequent visitor
I test drove that car while it was at sitting at Mark Kia. Those guys had no information or background on it whatsoever. I remember the exhaust drone being obnoxious and a very annoying computer voice that was possibly tied into the radar detector system or theft deterrent. Other than that it was a fun car to drive. I ended up going with a private party purchase of my Z51. Good luck with the car, It's very quick.
He is referring to this (circled). This is not the heads. He posted a pic of the power steering bracket. Some guys notch the bracket to make install/removal easier. I doubt very highly the dealer that replaced the engine did this procedure on your motor.
The heads themselves sit on top of the motor. The head bolts (which secure the heads to the block) are usually replaced with ARP bolts (stamped ARP on top of them) during head swaps. If you see ARP bolts it is a good sign that the heads were off the car and hopefully inspected/fixed (but still no guarantee).
If a dealer replaced the motor, you should NOT assume that the valves and guides were inspected/fixed. Most dealers have no clue about this issue, and simply follow the Service manual (which says nothing about what those bastards at Linamar did to us). You should call the dealer and ask for the invoice/receipt for the engine replacement, and ask them if the new heads on the new motor were inspected and/or sent to a machine shop. Chances are they weren't. In fact, I virtually guarantee they weren't.
So to be clear, you would want to see an invoice that shows that your car (during the engine replacement) had the heads sent to a separate and distinct machine shop. The invoice would list what was done to the heads (valve job, replace guides, replace exhaust valves etc). Lacking this invoice, or lacking details on valve stem to guide clearance, you should assume that this was not done.
The next step would then be to wiggle test the valves to determine if there is an obvious problem. As it sounds like you are not able to do this yourself, you should have a competent mechanic perform this procedure.
And finally, if you simply want to take pre-emptive measures regarding your heads then you do the following:
1) Remove the heads from your car or pay someone who is competent to remove them. (Cost ~$1000)
2) Ship the heads YOURSELF to a company like AHP, WCCH or AI. They will inspect and clean the heads. They will perform a valve job, replace the guides and exhaust valves and send you back shiny, fixed heads. AHP charges ~$1400 for this service and you get a few upgrades with it.
3) Reinstall or have reinstalled the heads back on your car with new head gaskets. (The ~$1000 cost above should include removal and re-installation).
Then, for roughly $2500 (including labor) your heads have been preemptively fixed. Another option is to simply buy already repaired heads from AHP. This will cost $1000 more (core deposit). You then install those heads on your car and ship AHP back the heads that you remove and get back your $1000. Same net cost, but this way you have no downtime for shipping the heads.
Thanks Mordeth! This is helpful. Totally agree with the not making any assumptions. I want to be able to drive the car worry-free so I appreciate the guidance here.
You're off to a good start! I would highly suggest you have the valve guides inspected. The second motor has lasted longer than the first, but this is something critical than many on here will urge you to at least inspect. Does the car have any sort of warranty at the moment?
RB is a great area. I moved from North County in '07, up to South OC (San Juan Capistrano), and in late 2015 I moved again to Honolulu HI. I'll probably land in SD again someday...I'm a die hard Stone Brewing Fan since 1998.
Now back to the heads on your car. I highly, highly recommend American Heritage Performance (AHP) to take your car in for a guide inspection. They're up in the south bay area (Harbor City), so probably a 1.5-2 hr drive (no traffic) for you...but extremely worth it. AHP did my heads back in 2015 before I moved, while I was under my GMPP extended warranty. My 2009 C6Z with only 15K easy street miles on it had 14/16 valve guides worn beyond GM service limits! My GMPP warranty authorized the repair, and Kohle at AHP did his usual magic with my cylinder heads (with a few upgrades I selected). AHP works with many extended warranties, so again...AHP is worth the drive. Feel free to PM me if you want any further details.
Right on! Will get the valves inspected or done. No warranty unfortunately. Seems like AHP is the way to go and not too far. I'll PM if I have any other questions.
Btw, Stone Brewery is awesome. Enjoy Honolulu man! Not a bad place to post up.
I test drove that car while it was at sitting at Mark Kia. Those guys had no information or background on it whatsoever. I remember the exhaust drone being obnoxious and a very annoying computer voice that was possibly tied into the radar detector system or theft deterrent. Other than that it was a fun car to drive. I ended up going with a private party purchase of my Z51. Good luck with the car, It's very quick.
Glad you got to drive it. Hopefully you didn't do too many donuts in it LOL jk. You're right, those guys knew nothing and were no help at all. I understand they can't just give me the contact info of the previous owner and won't even try to get in touch with him on my behalf. Oh well. I did disconnect that annoying radar detector btw and put in a M2W switch. It was working and much better on the freeway. However, it suddenly stopped working last week (valves stay open) so I'm guessing I have a vacuum leak or bad exhaust solenoid. Hopefully I'll figure it out when I get a chance to dig into it.
Second that on AHP... Just got mine done a few months ago and the experience was great, and car feels amazing! You're lucky to live so close!
I am in the Bay Area but lived in north county for 5yrs too. Worked in Carlsbad, and lived in Cardiff by the Sea, which was absolute paradise! I was right there a few doors down from Wine Steals, and I may have been a very frequent visitor
Nice man! I may hit you up also if I have any questions.
Carlsbad/Cardiff is great!!! You're always welcome to come back
02-10-2018, 11:29 PM
Anyone recognize this car?
