The £7700 Corvette C6
Discussion
Chevynightlife said:
The air deflector that's damaged, in the manual I believe it says it's a wear and tear item.
Yes, I was expecting to have to replace these along the way. I haven't had chance to crawl underneath yet, I may find it just needs clipping back in place. that's a nice looking Grandsport. 
Edited by Fishy Dave on Tuesday 16th October 15:26
Fishy Dave said:
You're right, no Onstar over here.
Fab thread! Really great read!Onestar is now available via Vauxhall. My car has it as standard (a USA import Camaro), but I've never tried it. Dunno if the service could be configured to work with the UK version somehow?
https://www.vauxhall.co.uk/experience/onstar/overv...
EDIT: Ignore that, it looks like Vauxhall are scrapping it from 2020.
I decided to leave work slightly early on Monday and pop along to the BHP trackday at Castle Combe for the last hour, with a mate, Tom and his Z4M Coupe. Last time out the Corvette screeched round Castle Combe with a fair bit of understeer. To counter this I added more negative front camber and caster on Sunday evening, but the settings were a guess, with no level floor to measure on. Still, what's the worst that can happen eh?
It did slightly improve the balance, but the caster made the initial turn in very twitchy and there is still too much mid-corner understeer. It just required a bit more right foot to counter it
The temperature strips showed the front calipers and discs getting very hot, the Mintex pads kept on biting though. It was all too much for the rear discs which cracked at the end of the session, just in time for a winter upgrade or two.
It did slightly improve the balance, but the caster made the initial turn in very twitchy and there is still too much mid-corner understeer. It just required a bit more right foot to counter it
The temperature strips showed the front calipers and discs getting very hot, the Mintex pads kept on biting though. It was all too much for the rear discs which cracked at the end of the session, just in time for a winter upgrade or two.
Edited by Fishy Dave on Saturday 13th June 14:03
I took the Corvette to North Wales for my Grandmothers funeral, despite the circumstances I did enjoy my drive back south in the rain and the mileage ticked past 199,000.
The standard US head unit played perfectly well but struggled with UK frequencies, so it was a toss up between a £400 known brand or £155 no-name ebay purchase.
The cheaper option won, with a higher spec too. A couple of fitting snags only, firstly that I've had to order an adaptor to convert the GM only small aerial connection to a regular sized Din (Halfords don't stock these). Secondly that the PAC RP3 instructions specifically tell you to cut off the RCA plugs if you don't have a Bose amp, so, I got chopping, only to find the instructions are wrong and I shouldn't have cut them. As a result I am getting a loud hiss and far too much amplification, nothing I can't sort out though. The PAC thing retains the factory warning chimes and more and should have made fitting easier.
I am very pleased with the appearance and function of the unit though, it's like operating my Android phone. Connect to wifi and the Android store and it had duplicated my apps, so I can now view my Gopro, Dashcommand, Harry's Lap Timer and more. The Bluetooth handsfree works well too, all for the sum of £155 from ebay.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Android-8-1-Double-2-DI...
The PAC unit was £55, although Amazon is showing these as more expensive now https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00HFFG7EQ/ref...
The surround was also from Amazon for around £12.
Black Friday and Christmas sales were the perfect excuses to buy some cost effective upgrades, as follows:
C6 Z06 shocks (I'm keeping the standard mono leaf springs).
C6 Z51 anti roll bars.
Fidanza lightweight flywheel (a thing of beauty, a shame to hide it away).
C6 Z51 caliper brackets, these retain the standard calipers but allow a bigger disc. The budget won't run to a BBK and wheels yet.
Seat brackets, nice and cheap from ebay. At a later date I will choose seats with better support for the track.
Vetteworks Sharkbar (harness bar) and lap belt bar.
Remote clutch slave bleed kit.
2007 workshop manuals
Prices are really reasonable (shocks were $319 for all four), but it's the shipping that usually hurts, especially when buying parts from multiple sources. There are often free shipping offers within the States that I can't take advantage of. Gene Culley from https://www.cultragfactoryparts.com/ mentioned that some Brits get themselves a Florida shipping address. I looked into this and signed up to https://www.myus.com/. This gives me a Florida address, where the above parts were sent from ebay, Amazon, Cultrag, Zip Corvette and Vette works. They are then repackaged and reboxed, I choose shipping to the UK by DHL with extra padding and insurance and it all arrived here within 4 days for $556, not bad for over 70kg of bulky parts! This saved me about $1000 of shipping had I ordered directly from each company.
I won't be fitting any of these parts for a couple of months as I have a double car port to build to keep the rain off of the race car and Corvette.
I picked up a barely used, second hand scissor lift, that has good access to the transaxle and exhausts underneath. It's a 'mobile' model, but at 450kg it's quite a job to move and required my engine hoist, trolley jacks and sweating and swearing in equal measure. It works brilliantly and is the right height for working on brakes or for sitting underneath the car.
Yes, gravel is not recommended as a base, but it's what I've got, it's level and the whole rig is very secure in use (scientifically tested by me heaving on various components).
The Corvette was parked in the general display area at the Brooklands New Years Day meet.
Please excuse my childishness at 6:15 of this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJUcg8pjojM
Lastly, I have entered the Vette into the first round of the Javelin Sprint Series at Snetterton on 31st March and will be double driving with my Father (his first ever sprint).
The standard US head unit played perfectly well but struggled with UK frequencies, so it was a toss up between a £400 known brand or £155 no-name ebay purchase.
The cheaper option won, with a higher spec too. A couple of fitting snags only, firstly that I've had to order an adaptor to convert the GM only small aerial connection to a regular sized Din (Halfords don't stock these). Secondly that the PAC RP3 instructions specifically tell you to cut off the RCA plugs if you don't have a Bose amp, so, I got chopping, only to find the instructions are wrong and I shouldn't have cut them. As a result I am getting a loud hiss and far too much amplification, nothing I can't sort out though. The PAC thing retains the factory warning chimes and more and should have made fitting easier.
I am very pleased with the appearance and function of the unit though, it's like operating my Android phone. Connect to wifi and the Android store and it had duplicated my apps, so I can now view my Gopro, Dashcommand, Harry's Lap Timer and more. The Bluetooth handsfree works well too, all for the sum of £155 from ebay.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Android-8-1-Double-2-DI...
The PAC unit was £55, although Amazon is showing these as more expensive now https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00HFFG7EQ/ref...
The surround was also from Amazon for around £12.
Black Friday and Christmas sales were the perfect excuses to buy some cost effective upgrades, as follows:
C6 Z06 shocks (I'm keeping the standard mono leaf springs).
C6 Z51 anti roll bars.
Fidanza lightweight flywheel (a thing of beauty, a shame to hide it away).
C6 Z51 caliper brackets, these retain the standard calipers but allow a bigger disc. The budget won't run to a BBK and wheels yet.
Seat brackets, nice and cheap from ebay. At a later date I will choose seats with better support for the track.
Vetteworks Sharkbar (harness bar) and lap belt bar.
Remote clutch slave bleed kit.
2007 workshop manuals
Prices are really reasonable (shocks were $319 for all four), but it's the shipping that usually hurts, especially when buying parts from multiple sources. There are often free shipping offers within the States that I can't take advantage of. Gene Culley from https://www.cultragfactoryparts.com/ mentioned that some Brits get themselves a Florida shipping address. I looked into this and signed up to https://www.myus.com/. This gives me a Florida address, where the above parts were sent from ebay, Amazon, Cultrag, Zip Corvette and Vette works. They are then repackaged and reboxed, I choose shipping to the UK by DHL with extra padding and insurance and it all arrived here within 4 days for $556, not bad for over 70kg of bulky parts! This saved me about $1000 of shipping had I ordered directly from each company.
I won't be fitting any of these parts for a couple of months as I have a double car port to build to keep the rain off of the race car and Corvette.
I picked up a barely used, second hand scissor lift, that has good access to the transaxle and exhausts underneath. It's a 'mobile' model, but at 450kg it's quite a job to move and required my engine hoist, trolley jacks and sweating and swearing in equal measure. It works brilliantly and is the right height for working on brakes or for sitting underneath the car.
Yes, gravel is not recommended as a base, but it's what I've got, it's level and the whole rig is very secure in use (scientifically tested by me heaving on various components).
The Corvette was parked in the general display area at the Brooklands New Years Day meet.
Please excuse my childishness at 6:15 of this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJUcg8pjojM
Lastly, I have entered the Vette into the first round of the Javelin Sprint Series at Snetterton on 31st March and will be double driving with my Father (his first ever sprint).
Edited by Fishy Dave on Monday 14th January 18:38
Funnily enough I was back browsing these today. There are a fair old number on US websites with big mileage. Seeing as I want to use it in Europe without much thought to the accruing mileage it gave me the confidence I need to push me forward as a GT car between here and Spain.
Only "issue" for me is that a euro spec car would be far easier to import should I ever want to swap it on to Spanish plates. That said, the temptation is to buy cheap with some miles, and just road trip it back and forward to Spain without fear. Needs to be back for an MOT annually which is a PITA but can combine it with a Le Mans or other Euro trip and if the mileage isn't an issue from the start even more reason to just use it and abuse it.
Only "issue" for me is that a euro spec car would be far easier to import should I ever want to swap it on to Spanish plates. That said, the temptation is to buy cheap with some miles, and just road trip it back and forward to Spain without fear. Needs to be back for an MOT annually which is a PITA but can combine it with a Le Mans or other Euro trip and if the mileage isn't an issue from the start even more reason to just use it and abuse it.
This thread has got me looking, a mate of my dads is a serial Corvette buyer, never had a spin in any of his, he went C4, C5 and now a C6.
Have to say the C7 looks pretty good value with the odd one at 40k or so.
What are Corvettes like as a daily driver ?
Left hand drive could be a pain, I have to use my pass to gain entry to the car park at work.
Americans daily them based on the numbers I have seen in use
Fuel economy shouldn't be that bad, their reputation is pretty good in that respect. high teens/low twenties ?
Reliability, seem pretty solid mechanically, big, fairly simple and low stressed V8, 190k miles on this one and going strong
Servicing, cant imagine its that expensive, DIY possible ?
Are they fun to drive in the UK though ? can you hustle one down B roads convincingly ?
What is the ride like ?
Practicality, not great but then its a 2 seater sports car, ok for shopping and stuff ?
Have to say the C7 looks pretty good value with the odd one at 40k or so.
What are Corvettes like as a daily driver ?
Left hand drive could be a pain, I have to use my pass to gain entry to the car park at work.
Americans daily them based on the numbers I have seen in use
Fuel economy shouldn't be that bad, their reputation is pretty good in that respect. high teens/low twenties ?
Reliability, seem pretty solid mechanically, big, fairly simple and low stressed V8, 190k miles on this one and going strong
Servicing, cant imagine its that expensive, DIY possible ?
Are they fun to drive in the UK though ? can you hustle one down B roads convincingly ?
What is the ride like ?
Practicality, not great but then its a 2 seater sports car, ok for shopping and stuff ?
Fishy Dave said:
Please excuse my childishness at 6:15 of this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJUcg8pjojM
Nicely executed.Cambs_Stuart said:
Looks impressively clean and rust free underneath.
Are they more resistant to corrosion than an Japanese import?
Honestly, I'm not sure, most cars here seem to be cherished and probably don't see much salt so should have minimal rust. It's rare to ever read of rust problems on the US forums, even those from the northern states. Are they more resistant to corrosion than an Japanese import?
J4CKO said:
This thread has got me looking, a mate of my dads is a serial Corvette buyer, never had a spin in any of his, he went C4, C5 and now a C6.
What are Corvettes like as a daily driver ?I drive mine most days providing it's not lashing down or salty. I enjoy it, it is comfortable, effortless and makes me feel good.
Left hand drive could be a pain, I have to use my pass to gain entry to the car park at work.
Yes, that could be a pain, some sort of grab stick thing? https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Aluminum-Grabber-Pick-U...
f:0Fuel economy shouldn't be that bad, their reputation is pretty good in that respect. high teens/low twenties ?
I average 23mpg (UK gallons), this is actually slightly better than my RX-8 and a couple of mpg worse than the Z4M I owned before.
Reliability, seem pretty solid mechanically, big, fairly simple and low stressed V8, 190k miles on this one and going strong
So far so good, only problem in the last 12 months was a bowed, leaking radiator and cracked discs (due to trackdays).
Servicing, cant imagine its that expensive, DIY possible ?
Really easy, access to all the usual bits is straightforward and there is no undertray. I buy my service parts from the States, but there are plenty of stockists here.
Are they fun to drive in the UK though ? can you hustle one down B roads convincingly ?
Yes, brilliant fun to drive here, but they are wide and would not be my choice on a narrow B road. The RX-8 feels more fun and at home here. As soon as the roads become slightly wider on more important B roads, A roads and on track you can relax and not worry so much about the proximity to the verge or cats eyes.
What is the ride like ?
Mine is the most comfortable ride of any sports car I've owned. It is excellent at soaking up bumps and potholes, but mine is the 'base' model. It's too soft for track use, hence why I will be adding the Z06 shocks and Z51 ARBs, whilst keeping the standard springs. I will report back the difference.
Practicality, not great but then its a 2 seater sports car, ok for shopping and stuff ?
Again, it's the most practical of all the sports cars I've owned. The door apertures are large, it has cupholders(!), various cubby holes and an enormous boot. When the roof panel is stowed it does eat into the space for cases, but with the roof on I would say you could fit more than in some hatchbacks.
Fishy Dave said:
J4CKO said:
This thread has got me looking, a mate of my dads is a serial Corvette buyer, never had a spin in any of his, he went C4, C5 and now a C6.
What are Corvettes like as a daily driver ?I drive mine most days providing it's not lashing down or salty. I enjoy it, it is comfortable, effortless and makes me feel good.
Left hand drive could be a pain, I have to use my pass to gain entry to the car park at work.
Yes, that could be a pain, some sort of grab stick thing? https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Aluminum-Grabber-Pick-U...
f:0Fuel economy shouldn't be that bad, their reputation is pretty good in that respect. high teens/low twenties ?
I average 23mpg (UK gallons), this is actually slightly better than my RX-8 and a couple of mpg worse than the Z4M I owned before.
Reliability, seem pretty solid mechanically, big, fairly simple and low stressed V8, 190k miles on this one and going strong
So far so good, only problem in the last 12 months was a bowed, leaking radiator and cracked discs (due to trackdays).
Servicing, cant imagine its that expensive, DIY possible ?
Really easy, access to all the usual bits is straightforward and there is no undertray. I buy my service parts from the States, but there are plenty of stockists here.
Are they fun to drive in the UK though ? can you hustle one down B roads convincingly ?
Yes, brilliant fun to drive here, but they are wide and would not be my choice on a narrow B road. The RX-8 feels more fun and at home here. As soon as the roads become slightly wider on more important B roads, A roads and on track you can relax and not worry so much about the proximity to the verge or cats eyes.
What is the ride like ?
Mine is the most comfortable ride of any sports car I've owned. It is excellent at soaking up bumps and potholes, but mine is the 'base' model. It's too soft for track use, hence why I will be adding the Z06 shocks and Z51 ARBs, whilst keeping the standard springs. I will report back the difference.
Practicality, not great but then its a 2 seater sports car, ok for shopping and stuff ?
Again, it's the most practical of all the sports cars I've owned. The door apertures are large, it has cupholders(!), various cubby holes and an enormous boot. When the roof panel is stowed it does eat into the space for cases, but with the roof on I would say you could fit more than in some hatchbacks.
selym said:
I've really taken a shine to the Corvette after buying my Monaro and experiencing the LS motor.
I looked long and hard at Monaro and VXR8 mid way through my Corvette hunting, the Monaro's in paticularly seem like excellent value for money with quite a few out there with some nice upgrades such as AP's. Which model do you have? Fishy Dave said:
selym said:
I've really taken a shine to the Corvette after buying my Monaro and experiencing the LS motor.
I looked long and hard at Monaro and VXR8 mid way through my Corvette hunting, the Monaro's in paticularly seem like excellent value for money with quite a few out there with some nice upgrades such as AP's. Which model do you have? Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff