Maybe it was me, but I have not drag raced anything for nearly 30 years, and never something this powerful and especially with a Manual Transmission. I went to Los Angeles County Raceway in Palmdale, California. (LACR.net). I know the altitude (3,000' elevation) makes a difference and the temps place into it too (95*) . With several practice runs I was able to get a 13.9 et @ 102 mph. Is that good? I had the traction control off, and I did not want to break anything, so I did not rev it and dump the clutch.

Based on what I read in the magazines I expected faster times. Any thoughts?

 

Drive it like you stole it
you will get in the 12s
is it a z51?

 

 

I have a C5 Vert which was noted in some magazines as capable of 12.9 sec ET's. That was at sea level. I live in an area where our local track is at 3400 ft above sea level. The only performance mod I have is a Blackwing. My first run was 14.5 with all traction control and active handling on. Next time i dropped the clutch at 2500 rpm and ran a 14.3 et. Finally I put the car in to the competition mode, dropped the clutch at 2500 rpm and ran 13.9 seconds. I made two runs that were the same et 13.9 and 106mph. The car spun most of the way first gear on the stock tires. I think that either the magazines put down VHT to get the car to hook or the elevation and weather make a lot more difference than one would think.

 

Elevation and temp makes all the difference in the world

Try it a sea level and 45 to 50 degrees outside !!! Nice cold crisp air

 

Listen, those magazine times for any car are acheived by beating the ever-living **** out of the car - by professional drivers, no less. If you were not driving it as hard as possible, then don't feel bad for getting a 13.9. I brought my Z51 to the track after getting headers and exhaust (1st time ever) and was only able to get a 12.9 best. I didn't get a very good launch, or powershift at all. You have to realize the runflats are the last thing you want for drag racing. What we need is better tires. Slicks for instance will shave a clean half second off anyones best pass. I am guessing for us who produce crappy 60' times on the runflats, closer to a full second...


...

 

Yes, it is a Z51. I just hate to beat it up just to get a "good" time. As it was I thought I was driving it a bit harder than I really wanted to.

As was mentioned, I agree that the magazines probably beat those test cars badly. I am sure if I were driving someone else’s car that I did not car about, and especially if the person that supplied the car didn't care, I could do better.

I didn't want to ruin my $400 each 10k mile life tires that much. As it was I am sure I left a couple of thousand miles at the track.

Still a GREAT car, and I guess not so surprising I beat quite a few cars there badly that I thought would do much better, including a '05 GTO that could get better than a 14.8 et.

 

I don't think that I would call your times disappointing. Perhaps driver skill or the track conditions, but the car is more than able to run in the 12's stock. My Z51 and I ran a 13.5 @ 104 at Palmdale (98 degrees and yes 2500' field elevation). If you calibrate that to sea level (not taking into account the temperature or baro alt) then I ran a 13.1 @ 108. Now that may not sound that great, but this is the first manual tranny car I have owned and I have only drag raced a few times (in my former 99 Trans Am, automatic). So taking that into consideration, the C6 runs extremely well for a situation where the car does most of the work. I launched at 2000 RPM and got horrible traction 2.08 60' times. Please don't take this as a flame, its just a lot of people have been bashing the C6's 1/4 mile times and I just don't think that the justification for bashing this remarkable car exists. Yes it has its problems, but then again all cars do from Ferraris and Lambo's, all the way down to Scions. So for everyone out there, lets not say "Disappointing 1/4 mile times, or the C6 doesn't perform", lets just say "Hey I am not the best driver, or the conditions were less than favorable." This car runs like the wind, and I for one am impressed. I am awaiting all the hate mail on this one.

 

Keep at it. You have a full second to drop.

 

Yea, my times sucked too. I was running 13.5's with headers and 60's were 2.0 - 2.1. It was not me.

 

Number one question is- what was your 60 ft time? If you were around 2.0 then I think the times are too slow. If they were around 2.3 - 4's then you lost a bunch of time on the launch.

I race at LACR frequently- my best times with my Z06 have been 13.2 @108 stock and 12.8 @111 with 405 to the wheels. So, your never going to get sea-level times in LACR.

I raced a C6 Z51 6-speed, completely stock w/ 12K miles on the clock and he got a best of 13.5 @106.

My old 2001 M5's best was a 13.5 @ LACR and 13.0 in Bakersfeild Raceway.

Last week some friends of mine went if I remember the numbers correclty;

Caddy CTS-v 13.7
Porsche TT 12.6 (turbo cars dont suffer the altittude problem as much)
2004 E55 13.1
There was also a 500+ rwhp Cobra but tranny problems kept him from a true run.

LACR is good for comaprisons purposes, not for absolute lowest et.


We should coordinate a Corvetteforum day at California Speedway, it is closer to sea level and a super nice track but it gets packed when open.

 

Then I wouldn't take it to the drag strip and expect a good time slip. Someone else already said that in order to get those times, one really has to beat on the car. This may mean high RPM launches. Sometimes in the 5k to 6k range and speed shifting or power shifting.

I am amused when I hear of the bone stock 11 second Z06s and C6 guys getting frustrated when they cannot begin to approach those times. Ask yourself if you are willing to flog your car like that to get that impressive time slip you crave.

I myself have personally witnessed near stock C5 Z06s run in the 12.1 range, and I would never drive my car that way. I am talking massive burnouts, very high RPM launches and holding the gas pedal to the floor all the way down the track and keeping it there...... and working the clutch and shifter.

These guys take the attitude that if they bust something, then oh, well.

Bingo.

Someone else also mentioned tires. A few here have been "disappointed" with their 1/4 mile times while running ontheir stock 19in runflats.

I mean guys are getting 2.0 and 2.1 and sometimes worse 60ft times and getting pissed because they cannot break 13.0 seconds on runflats.

A couple guys here have run 12.4s in Z51 C6s. I wonder how much better the same car would do with 18 inch drag radials. The smaller diameter tire effectively changing the gear ratio, as well as providing much better traction. I believe a stock C5 Z06 runs on an 18in non runflat tire.

My modified C5 with 3.42s, long tube headers and 2600 stall would run 12.3s on well heated BFG drag radials. But on runflats, it would struggle to break 13 seconds. And I would struggle to keep it out of the wall on it's stock runflats..

And I don't blame you

Yeah, it is a great car. I don't worry about 1/4 mile times at all. Just not willing to beat on my car to get some unusually low ET.

 

You guys are scaring me with those times. I am on the fence right now and these qtr mile times for the C6 are killing me. I could have dragged an anchor in either of my stock C5s and run a 13.7. Scary.

 

No way LACR times should turn you off. I have yet to see an LS1 car in stock trim run better than mid to high 13's. Elevation kills your time.

 

Ok, just getting a little nervous. Lets start posting some good times here. Dang, this thing should be in the 12's all day long on most tracks.

 

Judging the cars performance by the worst times probably isn't best.

 

I guarantee that with the cooler Fall air, more break in miles and practice, we will start seeing consistent 12.7's or better at sea level

 

[QUOTE=AC's C6]Yes, it is a Z51. I just hate to beat it up just to get a "good" time. As it was I thought I was driving it a bit harder than I really wanted to.

QUOTE]
These cars anr meant to be driven and beaten!!!
This is my second vette !!! and after doing the museum delivery and talking to all the guys in the plant about the engine and drivetrain.
That is what our cars were engineered for !!

DO not be afraid !!

I understand some people abloutly baby there car
I did that with my c5 and was stupid !!
DOt get me wrong i take verry good care of my car!!
But enjoy you c6 otherwise you may as well be driving a neon.
Also ( Not to offend anyone ) but
Our beloved c6s are not like a 67 roadster with matching #s
In 30 yrs they will still be too manny of them to matter since they are producing over 40k c6s a year or more .
SO enjoy your car and drive her like you stole her !

 

Your car should be running in the low 13's. I had a six speed z51 package and completely stock the car ran 12.9s.
I dumped the six speed and switched to an automatic C6. I like the auto better, now with street tires, headers, callaway honker, corsa sport exhaust the car ran a 12.65 hot day. With spray the car ran an 11.78. So if you want to get lower ets, you need to go with the simple bolt ons. Have fun when you run............

 

I have lpe head/cam headers cats tq converter and run 12.2 in 1/4 . how much spray and what gear dose it kick in at. and do wou have stock tires. nice times