Trade 2011 GS for an Older Z?
 

I wanted a c6z since they came out. One minor issue, I don't fit well in them head room wise while wearing a helmet, and Im rapidly turning into an autox junkie....

I found a 2011 GS local to me, supersonic blue, carbon fiber bits, and kind of fell in love (with the look). I put a PFADT exhasut setup on it, and love the sound. Power is good (450 wheel give or take). I still find myself looking for Z's though...

Is it worth it? I know I need to have heads addressed, as I am going to track it. I could gut out the roof liner and likely fit ok with helmet (currently I run the clear targa top for headroom)

I know honestly I have no "need" for the extra power in autocross. I'd like to stay withing 10k of the GS value, which likely leads me to a Z older than my GS...

Local porsche dealer just took in Whatcop's old Z06, which I like the color of (Lemans blue) and I could get that one for basically even swap for my GS....

Or, I could build the LS3 more....

Or hold out for a ZR1 if values drop once the c7 version are announced.

Thoughts anyone?

If I didnt have so much into my 08Z we would have to get together and talk.

The GS is a fantastic platform for the big tracks not sure about autocross, IMHO seems like Miata country :) . Suspension, brakes and seating/safety are the areas to work on not the power.

You can fit great with a helmet with a race seat installed, I have about 3" more headroom with my race seat on MTI rails than the stock seat all the way down.

Go to Daytona or Sebring on a track day and ask to sit in some cars with good track seats and you can see how low you can sit with the seat on the floor.

Agreed about the lack of. "Need" for power, but I came from an. 800 rwhp car , so....

I know I can mod the vette to for in the Z, so I'm not worried about that either. It's wether the Z is going to be much different from the GS on a noticeable level.

I came from a sprint car which is 800HP in a 1200 lb package, so its all underpowered.

Having driven both at Sebring, the Z does pull the back and front straights harder and grunts out of 7 and the tower better. However lap times arnt "that" far apart and reliability goes to the GS if its a drysump motor.

Both are "very" hard on brakes and need better cooling.

However that sexy blue paint makes up for alot of things.

In reality neither is the best track platform but both are a blast.

Normally I'd be telling anyone to pick the Z06 over the GS; however your position is interesting. You currently own a considerably newer car than whatcops old Z which IIRC, it blew the first LS7 in it and currently has a replacement engine. Also consider the age and wear of going to an older model Z even though any year Z is a good Z...but if you like the mod... I'd keep the GS unless you absolutely have to have a Z06 which is understandable. Nothing like a Z though...one of the greatest vettes ever made.

Lol. Yeah it's a weird debacle. I love the look of the SSB paint.

Maybe I'll just hold out for the zr1, lol.

It's tough to get any convincing argument one way or another.

Yes I'm dry dumped, so.... Argh. Wish it was a no brainier, then I'd never even ask... But alas, I always want what I don't have.

As for track use, I'm not out to win a points series, I'm just having a great time finally "using"one of the toys and bettering myself as a driver.

I would keep the GS

And it being on Whatcop?'s second motor that he didn't get to rag on is actually a positive, LOL

To hedge what I said.
My Z heads are in California getting the WCCH stage 2 treatment because my guides were way way shot with only 20K. Cam is going in just because I figure may as well while apart.
The sodium valve Q/C I will address in another post, it really helps when a sodium filled valve actually has sodium in it?
The Z is fantastic and blindingly fast, sooo nice to blow by GT3's. But you have a great car that you know.

LOL, Id love a gt3 or 997TT as well, but my big feet don't love the footwell (although if the right deal came along, I heard about chinese foot binding...

I looked at both cars before I ended up getting my 08 Z06. Both car are great but I wanted the LS7 because of the power I waould get mod vs mod vs the LS3. I got my heads fix under warranty so that wasn't an issue. If you don't plan on doing H/C then I would say hold on to your GS. It looks just like a Z and you have the same brakes. I havend driven a GS but I've driven an 08 LS3 car and it felt pretty darn good for stock. Yes, you won't have as much low end or top end pull but you don't really need all that power on an auto-x course anyways. I was on crappy BFG KDW's tires and I would have done better if I was bone stock time wise. Times wern't bad but could have been much better with less power of much better tires. Good luck!

Tony

Sounds like me to a "T".

I did the swap last month. Traded in a 2010 Grand Sport for an '08 Z06. The Z06 only had 1k more miles (22k in the GS, 23 in the Z).

Backing up for a second.....

I just bought the GS October of last year. Loved the car, loved it!!!! Like you I always wanted a Z, and yes, ever since they came out :D I thought maybe one day.... Then the head issue popped up and since I already had a blown blown C5 (not a typo, the C5 was supercharged but the engine had popped on me) I thought it wise to not get a Z06 and risk two dead Corvettes in the garage. The timing was right and a new position at work sealed the deal, but instead of getting the Z06, I opted for a Grand Sport (the widebody, big brakes and big wheels without the LS7 woes). Just driving the car home was like a dream, I don't know if it was the color or the looks (both?) but it seems like I got more compliments in that ride home alone than my C5 did in the six years of having it. I felt I made the right choice.

Fast forwarding a bit......

Over the months, the love must have turned to like... Or something... I would rather not drive it and keep miles off. I can't tell you why. I had put a good dent in the loan already so I wasn't worried about being upside down in it. I thought about modding it, but never did. It was such a nice car, I seriously didn't want to tear into it. It was still a fun car, but was just missing something.....

The present.....

So I told you I traded it in and got the Z. I think the only regret I have is that it is gonna affect my savings LOL. Tomorrow will be a month that I've had it and I already have it at the shop putting better heads on and other "little" things..... It's fast already, way faster than the GS, I think the most noticeable thing is the incredible torque. I don't know if its because the car is lighter as well but it just seems like so much more and at any RPM. Just an amazing car.

So, as of now, absolutely no regrets :steering:

Good luck with whatever you choose :thumbs:

Hate to say it but I fit in Porsches better than Corvettes and would own a GT3 if I could. You must have huge feet.

Call Michael C at http://www.milleniamotors.com/ ,take a short drive and take a look at a sweet GT3 or turbo from someone who spends alot of time on track.

Its all about the platform for the $$, for me and at my price point the Z is by far faster. Spend 2x more on a GT3 and you have IMHO the better engineered and supported track platform. Although a retired NASCAR is by far cheaper, faster and safer.

All I have to say is that I spent a little time beating on a several ZR1's, a Z06 and a GS(auto) at Spring Mountain last year and the ZR is just a beast:eek:, plain and simple.

The ZR1's acceleration, MSRC suspension and brakes are just incredible tools for a track junkie. Even the stock PS2 ZP's stuck firm to the track.

One of the ZRs I drove had over 13K track miles on it, and it pulled like a freight train to about 145mph on the 1/2 mile back straight in the blink of an eye!!!

Save your cash and wait for the right deal for a ZR1, in the meantime enjoy your GS.

My 2 pennies...:cheers:

Those zr1 prices keep dropping. Most are at 75k now, 65 is the sweet spot I think for those since I would track whatever I have.

It's a tough call. I think the issue thus far is I haven't found a z yet that I "love" locally at any of the dealers. If that changes, I'm sure the car would change too:)

As for the gt3- twice is much is just too far out of my comfort zone. If it was twice as much car.... Maybe. The tt's are getting closer to the sweet spot as well, but modding cost is pure hell.

The GS is a better car than both the Z06 and ZR1 for autocrossing.

Z06 and ZR1 isn't geared well for autocross. 1st is too short, 2nd is too tall. And in the case of the ZR1 (or Z06 with MSRC) the soft MSRC won't be doing you any favors.

The fastest C6s seem to be a base GS. It's geared just right, has enough power, can use the big tires under the wide body, and can upgrade to a stiffer shock setup. The GS was the quickest Vette at Nationals this year. A C5Z is the 2nd best Vette for autocrossers. A little less tire on the car compared to the wide body C6s, but narrower and still geared well.

Beduin- Same here. I modded the GS, Im a touch over 450 wheel, PSS tires now, and runnign the same or quicker than most Z's at the autocross... Im thinking of adding a stage 1 suspension and running it hard! or switching to race tires to get that extra time...

Keep the GS !! Put a TSV on it with a cam headers and INJ you will be surprised at what a blower on a LS3 can do

I have an eforce, but was going to not install it thinking it would create more issues than benefits when auto crossing

It sounded to me like you were looking for the best Corvette for autocross. I know everyone has their theory of what the best car would be.

I autocrossed a C3 in street prepared and full race classes for 15+ years. I built another Vette when I moved to SCCA road race. The characteristics of a good Auto X car and a good road race car can be pretty different if you want to turn really good times. My AutoX car was good on both courses but was no where near as fast on the road course as the car built specifically for road racing. The road race car was faster on the track but couldn't do well on an autocross course at all.

I haven't autocrossed a C6. If I were to build one, however, I think I would start with a standard C6. Not the wide body GS or the ZO6. It is a great look but I'd opt for the more narrow car. I would also run a paddle shift transmission. I feel I can concentrate much more on "line" when I don't have to work so hard at shifting. It isn't the power so much that makes you fast on the AutoX course but concentration, handling and line.

The added power of the ZO6 would be great if you are experienced enough to use it to it's full potential but if you are just starting out in AutoX you would have to build up to that. I have trouble getting the power to the ground with my C6 ZO6 in stock trim on the street. It would be a real handful on an AutoX course.

Down the line, after you have more experience a ZO6 on race tires would be fun to try. Of course, that would put you in a whole new AutoX class and dump you in a whole new level of competition.