Vette doc

hey every one. New guy here. Been lurking the forums for a long time. and finally got to realize the Vette dream of mine.

I was a devote fan of two wheelers for decades and always scorned at four. Recently with my son turning 3 and hugging me before i suit up to go drag knees made the fun factor much much less and fear more that may be its time to hang up leather and choose some thing more safe and still having adrenaline kick. I have been researching a good car that can be fun on street and take to the track occasionally without bleeding the bank too much. Been researching into s2000 M cars miata and every time based on stat sheets on paper kept coming back to c6 zo6.

and finally just like that as soon as i had enough money saved i took a leap of faith and bought one from another long time forum member. It was a well set up car which i bought sight unseen and just trusted the seller who turned out to be awesome fella. And here i am with a new to me Vette a 2006 z06

the car is mechanically flawless / cosmetically it needed very few touch of love like a full detail etc. I was sooo excited about finally owning the vette, Even before i took the car i had ordered a ton of parts and upgrades / had PPI done at a dealership / only thing it needed is a motor mount/ getting that done / threw in new yellow top just for completion sake. All in all I put in lot of investment even before i took hold of car. The car is getting close to being my perfect dream car with few more addition like new setup with car play etc But lately been having second thoughts / i wonder if i even deserve such a nice top of the line car. Started canceling some farkles who ever the vendors where kind enough to refund. It hurts a bit but i am gaining a life lesson i guess.

The kicker, i am trying to drive it and this thing is too powerful of a RWD car for me I never drove a car this powerful let alone a RWD and i am afraid i am more scared than having fun. And i hate to have that embarrassing situation of "fast car slow driver" As of now i am just putzing around like a very evry elderly gentleman. I am hoping i grow more ***** as i learn the car as i keep going. May be some day have enough experience to take it to track and exploit its full potential. But part of me says to sell it and get a lesser user friendly car like ap2 s2000 and build back upto the Vette lvl later on The more miles i put in i am learning it and appreciating it but realizing i am using less and less of the car. The abundance of performance and the raw nature of the beast is a really tough combo. I usually like to take the car on long long days of driving and getting familiar with it. But this is not exactly a comfortable mile munching machine for that, which means more and more short days or driving which will take forever at the current progress i am making

Dont know what to do. Anybody been in this phase before, i am sure many were. Dont know whats the right answer is. Keep driving it and learn the car or may not learn the car ? or sell it while its super clean and fresh and restart again with a lesser older base model or different car and come back to this when ready ?

any advise from senior members who been there done that?

PS: sorry for such a long post lol

Vetteman Jack

Unreal

You will quickly get use to it.

Also check tires and alignment, as if they are old worn tires it will be scary, and most used cars or even new GMs have crap alignment that also causes issues.

Check all the common failures, axle nuts, end links, recalls, MC, heads, etc etc etc. Lots of work to upkeep and maintain a car like this.

LS1Steve

'Farkles' lol, yeah you're definitely a 2-wheeler! (I'm a dual-sport rider)

I think I had similar posts when I got mine, along the lines of "How the hell do you people MOD these things for more power... It is already insane!" That will definitely pass, and you'll soon want more

^^Second on the above advice.... TIRES should be #1 priority. If they are original or old, then yeah, your car is scarier than it should be right now. Put fresh good rubber on (don't cheap out here) and it will be a completely new car, and your confidence (and safety) will rise significantly. Michelin Pilot Super Sports (MPSS) are a good balance between performance and cost, for a stock motor.

ZF Six

Your hesitation is appreciated instead of wadding up another Corvette.

But yeah, you'll get used to it. I remember back in 2005 when I bought my 2002 Camaro SS with just 3k miles on it, completely stock. I was scared to floor it for the first two weeks because I thought it was too powerful (310hp). It didn't take long before I was used to the car and modding it for more power!

Take it easy, learn the car, then when you're comfortable with it, find some open road and wind it out. No need to rush pushing the car to it's limits only to find out you ran out of talent.

Patriot Six

It's better that you're apprehensive than some that just get in the car and stomp on the gas. I agree with Unreal. Ensure that you have good tires on the car or it will be a downright scary experience. Ease into it and you will quickly learn how to push the limits of the car safely.

Vette doc

thx for the info unreal. will check with my mechanic regarding axle nut specific . should be okay since i few mechanics looked through stuff already when doing new brakes, wheels suspension adjustments etc.. All other all done, after PPI i had one of the premier perfomace shop adjust the suspension where they corner balanced car etc. The guy was a good vette enthusiats and tech and cert the car is clean. All new tires. i even got new wheels even before i got the car haha just because i wanted it to be perfect. All recall done. Which made me wonder if its just me. I mean i just think that in the corner the RWD is gonna kick out with all this power but it never did, but i am inherently slowing down rather than just flowing through the corner.

Pounder

my wife and I own a 06 Z and AutoX it !!! last winter we did some major upgrades, headers,cam,Vararam and a really good tune !!! the car is a Beast and a lot to handle,but it can be controlled, well maybe, I wiped out three times Sun. and was told I should not be flooring it !!!!!!!! I laughed, are you kidding that was maybe 1/4 throttle !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Best Car I have driven, has it all !!!!!!!!!!!

Vette doc

haha yep should start using "mods" more often

yes brand new tires Mich pilot sport 4S all four corners. I am pretty sure an experienced driver can take this very car and outrun a porsche at track easy. The PO had done well thought out mods like g2 suspension wilwood brakes etc.

gonna take this guy again on some back roads coming weekend and see where i stand. He had the car suspension pretty tight and stiff, in smooth roads and corners it turns like a go cart. But bumpy roads teeth clench and eye closed haha

is the base factory suspension on z06 stiff like this? I wish there was some other Z06 owners around NEO to meet and go for a loop together.

camburger

I find this car can handle a somewhat aggressive style of driving without it becoming a problem. This is very reliant on really good tires running on warm summertime pavement. Don't be to anxious to become a road racer the first time you drive it though or you will own a wrecked Corvette, and perhaps disable yourself in a way that could change your life forever. Think with your brain not your right foot.

MTPZ06

Agree with everyone's sentiments...tires, seat time, and some common sense when getting accustomed to the car. It will eventually feel like second nature, just like your two-wheeler experience.

JoesC5

Wait a minute, I'm one of those elderly gentlemen(76 years old) and I drive a 2009 Z06(slightly more horsepower than a stock Z06 as I have aftermarket heads that flow better and a tune) and I don't putz around because I'm getting long in the tooth. Unfortunately, I don't do it now, but when I was a "young" 70 year old gentleman, I was driving my Z06 around Talladega at 160+ MPH and I still drive fairly aggressively around the tight turns here in the north Arkansas and southern Missouri Ozarks. I also drive my Z06 on road trips between 2,500 miles and 6,500 miles, even with my old bones(longest one day mileage is 869 miles, but I normally hold it to below 550 miles daily, between destinations).

Still fun to go WOT and feel the rush. I DON'T turn off the nannies.

JoesC5

It would help if we knew where you lived in order to see if anyone with a 'stock' Z06 could help you out. I don't know if NEO is northeast Ohio, or northeast Oklahoma, or northeast Oregon or ?????.

Vette doc

Mcrider

You have found out the dirty little secret with high performance cars, and even motorcycles. There is only so much power you can safely use on the street. After that, it's just an ego thing, and there is nothing wrong with that. Your post shows wisdom and experience with bikes, in that you realize exactly what you have, and where your limits are right now. The internet is full of videos of people who failed to realize those 2 points. The consequences can be deadly and far too often it's the innocent who pay the ultimate price.

Whatever you do, DO NOT **** WITH THE TRACTION CONTROL settings until you get a grip on how the car responds. It's a safety net that works brilliantly and makes the car far more versatile in normal driving conditions.

enjoy your car, these things are a BLAST!!!

C6Z06Silverbullet

Keep traction control on and have fun. If you can hang with a bike you can hang with this.

keeso6z

Speaking of traction control, I have never turned mine off. Is there a difference in power? You will get used to the power and when you do, you may want more. This is the fastest car I have ever owned and I modded mine to pick up another 80rwhp. And I could handle even more power - ha! Lot's of guys are running cars with 600rwhp or more and stock these cars make around 440rwhp. HP and wanting more of it is an addiction. Agreed that tires are a major factor here and when I got some new PS4s that took care of the spin fest.

Mcrider

Go to a very large, very empty parking lot and play with the car in it's different modes. The changes are startling. If it's an auto trans, try a hard launch in 1st gear with TC off, and watch your tires literally go up in smoke!!!

Indepth

Where at in NE Ohio? I'm in the area and would be happy to try and help if you need something.

s2000Mi

Ive still got my 2003 s2000 Ive had since 2003 and I just got my 2007 z06 at the end of last year. These are obviously two cars at the opposite end of the HP spectrum but I love both still. The z06 is a whole different gnarly animal. I havent taken traction control all the way off yet because Im still learning the vettes tendencies.