More C6 questions

[Ecosseven]

1. Do the LS2 / LS3 use much oil?
2. Do all C6’s have an LSD? With all that torque I would have thought this would be essential?
3. How long, on average, would you say the tyres will last? I appreciate that this will depend on how the car is driven, but assuming a mixture of town and rural driving, commuting and ‘spirited’ driving.
4. How expensive are spares and what is availability like? Are there many corvette specialists in the UK who can provide spares by mail order?
5. Now that I am warming to the idea of an America V8 how would you rate the C6 against the Ford Mustang 4.6 and indeed the GT500? All opinions welcome, biased or otherwise!
6. What is the ground clearance like on a C6?
7. Will the LS2 / LS3 run on regular unleaded or does in need super-unleaded?
8. Do all C6’s come with run-flat or is there the option of a space saver spare wheel / tyre?
9. What exactly are the body panels made from? I have seen references to composite body panels in C6 literature but not sure how this compares with GRP.
10. How well protected is the chassis? Bearing in mind that I will be using the car in the UK all year round. TVR’s had a bad reputation for suffering from rusting chassis and outriggers. Do C6’s suffer from the same issues?

Thanks and all the best.

Martin.

[GW65]

Ecosseven said:

1. Do the LS2 / LS3 use much oil?
2. Do all C6’s have an LSD? With all that torque I would have thought this would be essential?
3. How long, on average, would you say the tyres will last? I appreciate that this will depend on how the car is driven, but assuming a mixture of town and rural driving, commuting and ‘spirited’ driving.
4. How expensive are spares and what is availability like? Are there many corvette specialists in the UK who can provide spares by mail order?
5. Now that I am warming to the idea of an America V8 how would you rate the C6 against the Ford Mustang 4.6 and indeed the GT500? All opinions welcome, biased or otherwise!
6. What is the ground clearance like on a C6?
7. Will the LS2 / LS3 run on regular unleaded or does in need super-unleaded?
8. Do all C6’s come with run-flat or is there the option of a space saver spare wheel / tyre?
9. What exactly are the body panels made from? I have seen references to composite body panels in C6 literature but not sure how this compares with GRP.
10. How well protected is the chassis? Bearing in mind that I will be using the car in the UK all year round. TVR’s had a bad reputation for suffering from rusting chassis and outriggers. Do C6’s suffer from the same issues?

Thanks and all the best.

Martin.

1. Not in my experience.
2. Yes
3. Depends on how you drive and type of tyre. Z51 (standard in Europe) option uses F1 Supercars that last about half as long as base model's GS-2s. I'd reckon 10-15K depending how you drive for the Supercars.
4. Basic maintenance parts are OK. Other stuff can be ridiculous through the official channels (e.g. wheels)
5. Chalk and cheese. Compare a Camaro with a Mustang, not a Corvette.
6. Not bad, but you have to be slow over speed bumps. And be careful parking forwards against kerbs....
7. Regular unleaded. Only the LS7 needs Super.
8. All run-flat. Doesn't come with jack/brace, and no slot for a space-saver.
9. Sheet-moulded composite. Posh fibreglass.
10. I believe it's well-protected, but most cars are too new for problems anyway. I used to have a TVR Griffith - the reason they rust and fall apart is they were kit-cars built by blokes in a Blackpool shed and left out in the rain during builds... Corvettes are professionally designed and built cars.

[z06tim]

GW65 said:

10. I believe it's well-protected, but most cars are too new for problems anyway. I used to have a TVR Griffith - the reason they rust and fall apart is they were kit-cars built by blokes in a Blackpool shed and left out in the rain during builds... Corvettes are professionally designed and built cars.

All good answers IMHO.

I'd like to add to 10. I would find it highly unlikely you would have any significant problems with rust, even 20 years down the line. The frames are made to very high standards with galvanized steels and an e-coat primer system. The hydroformed one-piece main frame rail design (in the C5/C6) is an evolution of the multi part design used for the C4 and even that does not suffer corrosion issues.

[car95]

It's highly unlikely you'd have problems, fullstop. The cars are easy to drive, reliable, comfortable, have plenty of space and are bargainous performance.

Get a test drive and you'll buy one and run it every day like lots of people on here. No need to fret details, and don't make any comparision with a TVR.

Go...

[C5RagTop]

To be honest I haven't a clue about what I am about to say, but the body and associated panels are made from various substances including:
Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer
Polyamide
Polymide + Polypheneylene Ether
Polybutylene, Terephthalate + Ether, Ester Block Compound
Polycarbonate
Polycarbonate + Polybutylene, Terephthalate
Polypropylene
Polyphenylene Ether
Polyurethane, Thermoset (Unsaturated)

Well, you did ask...............

PM me for a full list if you are interested.

[vetteheadracer]

Basically Ruch is trying to say it is made of dead parrots......

[G4HKS]

vetteheadracer said:

Basically Ruch is trying to say it is made of dead parrots......

"RUCH" indeed.

As with regard to rust, the Z06 is all alloy chassis of course, the front wings being carbon fibre.

Gary - are you referring to one of my Griffiths chassis being left out in the rain during build? I will post a photo up on here when I get home - and yes it was peeeing down! Peter Wheeler, RIP.

Don't forget chaps - tonight is Thames Valley Meet night!

Edited by G4HKS on Wednesday 17th June 14:57

[LuS1fer]

Ecosseven said:

1. Do the LS2 / LS3 use much oil?
2. Do all C6’s have an LSD? With all that torque I would have thought this would be essential?
3. How long, on average, would you say the tyres will last? I appreciate that this will depend on how the car is driven, but assuming a mixture of town and rural driving, commuting and ‘spirited’ driving.
4. How expensive are spares and what is availability like? Are there many corvette specialists in the UK who can provide spares by mail order?
5. Now that I am warming to the idea of an America V8 how would you rate the C6 against the Ford Mustang 4.6 and indeed the GT500? All opinions welcome, biased or otherwise!
6. What is the ground clearance like on a C6?
7. Will the LS2 / LS3 run on regular unleaded or does in need super-unleaded?
8. Do all C6’s come with run-flat or is there the option of a space saver spare wheel / tyre?
9. What exactly are the body panels made from? I have seen references to composite body panels in C6 literature but not sure how this compares with GRP.
10. How well protected is the chassis? Bearing in mind that I will be using the car in the UK all year round. TVR’s had a bad reputation for suffering from rusting chassis and outriggers. Do C6’s suffer from the same issues?

1. Hardly any. The Corvettes have an oil life indicator too which tells you when you NEED to change the oil, depending on the use.
2. Yes since a long long time ago.
3. I would agree around 14-15k dependent on use.
4. Places like US Automotive can supply parts but they obviously have to make a profit. Most service parts are as cheap as any UK car - filters and the like or can be replaced with a K&N. Most import parts from the US - places like www.rockauto.com are very quick. With most aftermarket parts, you tend to pay a small price premium - the "Corvette tax" compared to aftermarket stuff for cars like the Mustang. That's capitalism.
5. They are almost chalk and cheese. The Corvette is a great GT out of the box with good handling and speed. When I replaced my C5 Z06 with a Mustang, it was to gain 4 seats, add a supercharger to restore the power to weight ratio and change the suspension as the stock Mustang GT is a bit boingy-boingy. It's cheaper to start with so the mods are affordable and a well-sorted Mustang will handle on a par with a Corvette (In 2005, EVO rated the Roush Mustang as far better but the C6 has got much better in recent years). The GT500 uses a cast iron engine and is a real porker so the handling suffers compared to the alloy-engined and far lighter GT. The new GT500 pumps out 540hp (and possibly more)but it's a very different experience to a Corvette which is far more polished, at least in stock form. Interestingly, I got a lot less attention in the Corvette than I did with the Mustang, by which I mean unbridled adulation from the general public.
6. Reasonable on the C5 and C6 sufficient for UK roads.
7. Unleaded although you can buy tuners which suck out the old tune and download a new one for super if you want.Well you can with the Mustang, assume you can with the Corvette too. Then again, as I have noted with my supercharged Mustang running super, you get better mpg with it anyway.
9. I drilled my front wings for side repeaters on the C5, best described as being like a white polythene plastic material from what I can see. It's durable, unlike the older C4s which were proper chopped fibreglass.
10. My C5 never had any isues and my friend still has his C5 Z06 (2003) which he used as a daily and has never had any issues at all. It's mainly aluminium and balsa wood under there. The only issue is stopping idiot mechanics trying to jack the car up in inappropriate places. it's a very well designed and engineered car.

[GW65]

G4HKS said:

vetteheadracer said:

Basically Ruch is trying to say it is made of dead parrots......

"RUCH" indeed.

As with regard to rust, the Z06 is all alloy chassis of course, the front wings being carbon fibre.

Gary - are you referring to one of my Griffiths chassis being left out in the rain during build? I will post a photo up on here when I get home - and yes it was peeeing down! Peter Wheeler, RIP.

Don't forget chaps - tonight is Thames Valley Meet night!

Hi Martin, I was indeed referring to yours (2nd hand anecdotes ) but I remember a tour of the sheds (sorry, factory) in the mid-80s and couldn't help spotting that as cars moved from stage to stage of the build they'd get wet if it rained!