GS vs base: A few questions
 

What’s going on everyone. I am a former c5 owner looking to get into a c6. I had a 99 6spd car with boltons only making 315whp that ran a best of 11.80@118mph. I had some tough times in life and got rid of the car. I’ve missed having a vette ever since. Things started to get better, got married, my daughter was born, and a week before her first birthday I was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 34. I pushed through the surgeries and treatment and am back on my feet. Life can be short and life would be much more enjoyable with a vette. I like the grandsport due to the wide body. What I don’t like is how heavy they are. My goals with the car will be immediately doing headers and a tune. Will likely do cam only shortly after and eventually do a centri blower with meth with a goal of around 650-700whp on SBE. Here are my questions to keep it simple:

1. Do you think I could run 11.80 or better on a tire bone stock?

2. Do all c6 6 speeds have the same trans gearing and is the GS drivetrain stronger?

3. I hear widebody kits end up costing 10-20k, couldn’t you just do the rear painted fenders from RPI and call it a day?

4. How expensive are brake replacements on the GS? I know stock parts are super expensive but I hear of guys switching to single pad setups. What would I be looking at cost wise for that?

5. Does anyone with a GS regret getting that over a base, and does anyone with a base regret not getting a GS?

Thanks for your time. It’s been a long time since I’ve gotten back to this board and I do miss it for sure. I want to get a car in the next 6-9months. Will be getting an 09-12 car with under 50k miles, preferably in the 20-30k range with maintenance records.

I can answer some things.
1-Yes you can run a 11.8 stock. Look at the C6 fast list and I think it was done a couple of times. I'm guessing these were hero runs and not indicative of what the car will run on average.
2- No, different gearing, here is the chart
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...58b54d6216.jpg
5- I regretted buying a new "base" car in 2012. After a year I couldn't stand it after constantly looking at GS's on this forum. So I traded it in on a new 2013 GS. To me there is no comparison in looks between a GS and a base car. I realized that after owning both.

BTW I don't know about one piece pads but oem padlets for a GS will run you about $220 for the front and $220 for the rear.

I have a 2011 GS. It is rated at 436hp and will do 0 - 60 in 3.8 seconds.....0 -100 in under 10 seconds. An awesome car!!!

it performs awesome and has great creature comforts.

I have a 2013 GS so I am far from knocking the car, but it will not do a 3.8. If your lucky and I mean very lucky, under optimum conditions a 3.95, maybe.

Im just quoting Chevrolet’s stated times. I’ve never clocked mine personally.

i think on a good tire it could easily be done

I have the base, wish I could’ve afforded the GS only for the widebody. Still a blast to drive

If you think you want the GS, get it or you'll regret it. That said, I have "just" a narrow body convertible and I'm very happy with it and if there's a next car, it won't be a C6 GS.

You can run a 11.8 with only 315whp? I don't race but that sounds unrealistic.

I have video of my 11.9 times, but not the 11.80. You can check the c5 fast list

I highly doubt that anyone who purchased a GS wished they had bought a narrow body. I’m sure there are many people that bought a narrow body and are perfectly happy with with purchase and have zero regrets.

Dont worry about other people. Buy what you like and can afford. It helps to know what you have planned to do with it. Leaving it stock, daily driver; a weekend cruiser, drag racer, auto cross or road course. All of those play into what you might choose. But if you think you want a GS bite the bullet and get one vs getting a base and then trying to put the wide rear on it with wider wheels and tires.

However modifying these cars cars are half the fun. So what ever you decide I wish you the best. Good luck in your search

GS or base they are all great cars.

Like I said I'm not a racer and 315whp sounds under powered to achieve those times but I don't know much about that stuff.:thumbs:

:iagree:

GS is great, pads are not that expensive since they should last 30-40k miles. Tires are not even that bad any more. A GS was about $5k more MSRP so price difference is not much. GS will corner and brake better. Most Americans can lose more weight than the GS increased.

Sorry, not a racer (other than the occasional spirited stoplight grand prix...) so I can't answer your questions. However, narrow body or GS, they are both great cars. Have had both (and Z06, including up to and including the current generation). Can't go wrong with either choice; they are all great!

For what it's worth (not much, I know), my personal opinion is the C6 GS Convertible is the best looking Corvette ever made (top up or down). So I moved back into one. ;-)

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...2e38b6b206.jpg

I agree and I own a coupe! I just think the Grand Sport with it's wide body is exactly what a Corvette is supposed to look like. Am I saying this because I own one? Absolutely not, if I wanted a C7 because I thought it looked better I would have bought one a long time ago but I don't think it depicts the epitome of a Corvette.

I had a base, then traded into a series of GS.

Brake pads arent any more cost for me, because I would use good stuff from the get go. Figure 200 bucks per set. TIRES is where the cost difference shows, wide body cars use much wider and more expensive tires.

If you're going to try to hold 600 wheel (spoilers, a c6 wont have traction at that level and is a fools errand trying to make it streetable, especially with a blower), you're better off starting with the wide body, because you will endlessly be chasing traction, so at least you're starting from a wider place there.

I quit drinking and have saved WAAAY more than that!.