Chris Miranda

Hi everyone.

So I just purchased my 3rd c5 z06. I actually won one in a raffle at the corvette museum/plant in 2000 before the dealers actually took delivery of the first Z06's. Then after my ex wife totaled it (hence the Ex part) I purchased one in 2002 new. I drove that car for a few years before I sold it and purchased a 360 challenge car and went and did the whole ferrari challenge thing.

So 4 kids later and watching the price of these cars plummet I went out and purchased a super clean 2004 Z. Now time to mod it out. I have already been on a bit of a shopping spree and looking to keep it going. I am looking for adivice of what you would do. I want to keep it as reliable as possible while making it go, stop, turn, etc. I own a hot rod fab shop so I have access to any premium fab work I might need to do.

I started with the most important thing. Hoosier A7's and some track wheels.

So lets make a parts list.....

I am thinking PFADT coils and bars
6 point bar

what else?

danh52

If you are running A7's then you should seriously consider a dry sump setup. At least add an accusump for peace of mind.

Next would be to address the cooling aspects. Bigger rad, engine oil cooler and trans/rearend coolers.

Better bushings for the a-arms, either poly or delrin. Track alignment also. My understanding is the A7's need lots camber.

Brakes. Bigger is better, just depends on your budget and wheel selection. With the cost of pads ($300-$400 a set) and short life for stock rotors the initial cost of a big brake system can be offset by reduced operating costs. I would go with a front setup that has thicker pads and reasonable rotor life. Brake cooling ducts also. Stock rears seem to be ok. A tight budget would be to use stock rotors and calipers and just use a track pad.

Last would be driver comfort. The stock seat SUCK. Better seats should be high on the list. Either fixed back (best for track but not so much on the street) or a more street orientated seat. Add harness's and a harness bar. A smaller steering wheel is also high on my personal list. Other misc item's that are nice are, pedal covers as the stock pedals are slippery, better shifter (nice but not required).

I just described my car in many ways, LOL, except for added power which I wouldn't recommend. I think the stock power would be plenty unless your driving is at a very high level and you can use it. I'm at 430 WHP and it is more that my abilities are comfortable with. It's fun on the street (for short bursts) but I don't need the extra power on the track. My previous car was a 2013 Camaro 1LE and it was easier to drive fast with the stock power level. Maybe I'll get used to it with more seat time.

A 6 point bar is a great idea, which one are you looking at?

MY03C5Z

That's so cool that you won one back then. As far as hp if you're looking for a nice little bump and still want it to be reliable the Vararam intake, LT's and a tune really wakes up the z. Did those mods on mine and went from a best of 12.4@115mph down to a 11.96 @119mph.

Chris Miranda

Ok. Been a long day. Here is what i accomplished.

Parts ordered today and are arriving tomorrow:

Phatd Johnny O'Connell Black Series Coil Overs
Phatf Heavy Rate Racing Series Sway Bar front and rear
18x10.5 wheels with two sets of tires. Continental race slicks and Hoosier A7. 315/30/18 all the way around.
ARE full competition dry sump system with roots pump and oil cooler.
Carbon Tech brake pads. XP12 front XP10 rear
Russell steel braded brake lines
Sparco Steering Wheel with quick release hub
Shark Bar harness bar. Will be doing 6 point cage soon, but this will hold me iver till the cage is built.
Vararam CAI.
Sparco Ergo Seat with removable halo. All mounting stuff i need. I picked this up today so i could fit it first.
Sparco 6 pount harness with HANS.
Batterey relocation kit. To place Batterey in trunk.
A whole bunch of synthetic fluids to flush everything including engine, trans, rack, brakes, and coolent.

Work Done today after work.
removed front, brakes, control arms, spindle, sway bar, spring.

Tomorrow should be crazy. I have three people to help so hopefullybwe can get it all wrapped up by friday night.

FASTFATBOY

Unless you have EXTENSIVE track experience, you didnt need any of that stuff

fuggles

...

Chris Miranda

You are dead right. 👏

Chris Miranda

Progress

bj1888

He was running Ferrari Challenge, so he's not a novice.

danh52

Based on the list of mods I think he knows what he's doing. With A7 slicks installing a dry sump is smart.

OP, do the dry sump oil pumps do away with the AC?

Subscribed!

Looks like a fun build, you might want to put a link to this thread over on the autocross/racing section of the forum.

harryk387

Just curious, why does going with A7 slicks require dry sump?

jallen355

Nice! How do you have the engine supported with the front cradle removed?

dbgoodwin

Two words: Oil Starvation

Even thought the c5 batwing oil pan is supposedly pretty good for a wet sump oiling system, longer high G turns can cause oil starvation and take out the engine. Its the reason GM recommends an extra half quart of oil during track duties, to protect against it.

dbgoodwin

To the OP, I don't think those factory wheel bearings/hubs are going to last too terribly long with your setup if you can drive even half as well as the car can go. I've heard people talk about killing stock hubs with much less aggressive setups

The Chev

This:

Once you step up to track only tires, your hubs are at risk.

Chris Miranda

Well I finished it up and made it to its first track day at Sonoma Raceway.

Positives
All I can say is awesome. I played around with alignment and suspension set ups and got the car moving very well. Grip was unbelievable! The combination of dry sump and vararam really woke this beast up. I am not sure what kind of gains the dry sump is capable of but it sure reves quicker.

Negatives
I was doomed by the notorious C5 "sticky clutch pedal" that kept sticking to the floor. I am going to remove the clutch peddle assist spring and replace the fluid with Motul 600.

On my last session I spun the harmonic balancer which backed out the bolt. If it wasnt for the rack being so close i woukd have lost the balancer all together. I purchased the A&A pin kit and installed it today (see photos).

Chris Miranda

Chris Miranda

Chris Miranda

Not with the ARE system. They just developed a compact roots pump that fits above the ac pump with an idler. I have to say that system was bitchin and installed without a hitch. I had to build all the lines but that was cool.

Chris Miranda

When you start running race tires you creat so much g force the engine will have a hard time keeping oil in the sump. Combine that with the beating and hear the engine is going to endure it will not live long. Build your car from the ground up. Lay the foundation for where you want to go. My first engine mod is the dry sump. It is expensive but cheap when you consider blowing engines up. Now im ready to mod the engine without worrying about longevity. Cam, heads, and tune are in the future, but first i need a stronger transmission and clutch.