Hey all,
I am trying to spec out a '16 C7 for the track. It will have very few city/hey miles. I'm getting the Z51, the track seats, 1LT and the camera heads up system. I was told to get the MSC? Sounds like it makes the car ride smoother, I just want it to handle well on the track. Thoughts on the MSC or other options I should get for tracking?

Thanks!

 

Are you a serious "track rat"? Do you expect to grow into a "square wheel/tire setup with slicks", likely to be modding the suspension for max track work?

If yes, then skip the MRC. If you want the best setup with factory equipment and intend to stay with that, then the MRC is tops.

 

If you want the head up display you will have to go with 2LT.

 

QI've done loads of track time in Turbo, Gt3 and GT-r. Went with R7's for tires and a few sway bar changes. I expect to run R7's on the C7, not sure what else I would change currently, I'm new to the Vette.

 

That and the pdr.

If it were me...

M7 2lt z51 with pdr/nav, comp seats...

 

Thanks for the heads up Does the display change with different driving modes, street vs track?

 

Yes, if you want it to.

 

You can change the head up display to your liking.

 

I asked a guy who had just started auto crossing his C7 about the magnetic shocks thinking that they might be a disadvantage, but he thought they were an advantage.

I guess if you had them you could still replace them with Konis or some other adjustable aftermarket shock.

 

You'll want to put a set of competition sway bars on too, after you get it home. There are several good aftermarket ones available.

JV

 

There's full street and full track, and nothing in-between.

I bought a 2016 1LT Z51 with Mag shocks. Its a drive to the track, run 8-9/10ths, and drive home car. It works great.

If I were building a dedicated, trailered, track car, I'd buy a used 2014 base C7 coupe... you'll want a full race suspension, cage, race seats, brakes, etc, etc,... you'll replace all the factory H/W anyway, so don't pay too much... if you can find a salvage title car, that may be a plus.

 

Pdr! Pdr! Pdr!

 

For a serious "track" only car, have you considered a C6 Z06? Has bigger brakes, bigger wheels/tires, a track ready suspension and there are plenty of aftermarket parts available to take it to the next level.

Do you think that the 'pretty' interior or the pinball machine dash or a targo roof will make the C7 a better track car?

The C6 Z06 already has more horsepower in stock form than the C7 Z51 and without the VVT and AFM to cause problems. Want to add even more horsepower? It's very easy with the LS7(after you rebuilt and port the superior LS7 head design with it's bigger valves and larger ports). The LS7's torque doesn't drop off a cliff like the LT1's.

Also, and a plus for the track, the C6 Z06 weighs around 275 pounds LESS than the C7 Z51. The C6 Z06 has much better front and rear brake cooling with it's wide body design.

Want a lot of downforce, add a Katech front splitter, side skirts and rear spoiler to the C6 Z06. And the car will still be drivable with them.

I suggest you drive a C6 Z06 before you decide to plunk down the same amount of coin for a C7 Z51.

PS- the real race car, the C7R, uses the LS7 block, not the LT1 block. Just something to consider.

 

typical opinion across all forums/websites.When C7 came out, suddenly there are so many C6 fans.

Actually C7R didn't use LT1 block because they don't have the time to do the same mods to LT1. And now they have plan to use LT1 dry sump engine.

 

Stig drives C7 z51 faster on Top Gear track even faster than C6 Zr1, not to mention C6 z06.Just something to consider.

The instructors at Ron Fellows (they are pro drivers), told me that it's much easier to drive C7 z51 faster than C6 z06, while he also admit Z/28 is simply a better track car.

 

If you're building a track rat, 2LT (to get the HUD), Z51 (for the stiffer springs, mildly bigger brakes, and e-diff), no MSRC, because you will want aftermarket shocks, and nav (to get PDR and telemetry), and comp seats. It is going to be a pretty expensive car.

If you don't want/need the e-diff, skip the Z51 and build your own package with a big brake kit (I like the Wilwood kit for the price) and a set of coilovers.

 

Hate to say it but if you are a true track guy you are going to have some cooling issues unless you get the 7 spd. My A6 gets me about 15 mins on the track then over heats and i have to come in.

 

What data do you have to support this? I'm curious how a 5.5 L motor uses a 7.0 block. I live 10 minutes from Pratt and Miller, maybe I should just stop in. It's an LS5.R. Not an LS7. They're LS motors. That's about where the similarities end.

A lot of people I know Ditching C6 Z's because of multiple engine failures. Torque drops off dramatically with a rod knock. You should look into that.

The MR on the C7 may not carry any advantage. The non MR Z51 has a much higher spring rate and does tend to have less body roll. The MR car( I own one) needs some serious camber to overcome that.

A 7 speed shouldn't have big cooling issues. If you're looking for a good track car, I know a 13 time SCCA champion selling a 14 Z51 stingray. Non MR Z51.

Later model C6 Z06's seem to get 40-50 grand. You could get a used stingray on the higher end of that. C6 seats are effectively garbage if you've tracked a C7.

The heads up display is cool but I don't really use it on the track.

 

I have my eyes as I've personally looked over a C6R and a C7R engine. It uses a LS7(7L) block that they press in a smaller bore iron liners and then use a shorter stoke crankshaft. The bore is 4.190"(LT is 4.060"). That additional .030" bore still retains a thick cylinder wall, whereas boring out the cast in place liners on the LT engine would reduce wall thickness. The larger bore also allows for a shorter stroke(3.185") that allows for very high revs without stressing the engine as much as if they used a LT block with it's 4.060" bore and a 3.25" stroke. The larger 4.090" bore also helps to unshroud the valves, helping high RPM air flow.

It sure appears that you wanted to discredit my post without posting nothing but pure speculation on your part. Why didn't you check with Pratt & Miller before you replied to my post if you thought that I was posting BS? You posted up nothing but pure speculation, based on zero knowledge.

The LS7 has a good history other than the head machining problem, which is rectified by rebuilding the heads or replacing with aftermarket heads(as I did).

Speaking of the 7 speed manual, most people would agree with me that the 6 speed manual used in the C6 Z06 is easier to find gears with.

I agree with you on the HUD as it's nothing but fluff on the track. I prefer the large, easy to read dashboard tachometer that is found in the C6 Z06.

Another thing is that you can replace the drivers seat with a true race seat in the C6 Z06(along with proper seat belts etc.) and be worlds better than the C7's competition seat with it's $2,000 entry fee.

Stick with a 2009(as it has the latest transmission, rear end etc.) Stay away from the 2012 and 2013 as they do use a different bearing material(no lead). Those same lead free bearings are used in the C7(to meet European regulations about not allowing any importation of cars with lead in them).

 

If I was wrong, so be it. If it's based of that, great. Won't be the last time I'm wrong. The Callaway GT3 car is based off an LS3. I don't think any of the race cars will be based off the Lt motor or have DI for that matter and that's not what I was saying.

The base C7 seat is what I have and am really happy with those honestly.

I know of several C6 Z06's that have had multiple engine failures and have a hard time justifying such a price tag for them. $40,000 to $50,000 seems like a ton of money for a gen old Vette. That's just my opinion though.

I personally think that a non MR Z51 with the new T1 Kit would be a slick setup. 295's in the front and 315's on the back would be a good setup.

I won't dispute the weight advantage or or the wide body. The LT1 hot cam and head setup should give you around 550 hp for a nicely rounded setup. The slight rear weight bias to the C7 is a nice thing but not a huge deal.

The T1 kit is for use with the "passive" shocks meaning non MR and are likely tuned for Z51 non MR springs.

That's what I would to for a track spec car that could still be driven.