The £7700 Corvette C6
Discussion
F1natic said:
Fantastic write up Dave, really enjoy reading about your work and the christmas presents you give yourself - I also admire your "get stuck in" approach, certainly paid off handsomely with those head studs. I am amazed the engine mounts were not thumping, they were tucked. Greatly appreciate you posting the how to pics for the bushes and the links to the suppliers, will be needing to do similar for mine in the near future but don't want to buy the shop manual as I am only using the C6 suspension, not the whole car. Looking forward to your review after driving, since you have such a good baseline to start from.
Thanks, I will certainly report back once the car is back on the road. Whilst we are locked down I am debating whether to carry out some preventative work in the engine, namely changing the valve springs and perhaps uprate the rocker bearings too whilst I'm in there. 
'Janosh' started me thinking, as he'd experienced a broken spring in his VXR8 with the same engine. daniel-5zjw7 said:
Some great work there, getting those studs out must of felt great 
regards the engine mount I had one just like that on my old e46, it suprised me too as i felt sure I would have noticed something not right, but i had no clue, only found it as was upgrading anyway.
How are you finding the new mounts? I need to put some new ones on my list at some point but not sure if i'll go standard or upgrade.
Keen to hear your thoughts on the dampers/bushes, any reason you decided against coilovers/removing the leafs?
Thanks, yes, I really felt good that I'd managed to get those studs out, mostly on the basis of some youtube videos. regards the engine mount I had one just like that on my old e46, it suprised me too as i felt sure I would have noticed something not right, but i had no clue, only found it as was upgrading anyway.How are you finding the new mounts? I need to put some new ones on my list at some point but not sure if i'll go standard or upgrade.
Keen to hear your thoughts on the dampers/bushes, any reason you decided against coilovers/removing the leafs?
Glad I'm not the only one to have not felt a broken mount. The car is still on the lift, so I'm not sure how they feel yet, but they do look faster when I peek at them
As for why I stuck with the leafs, well, I like the way the car handles on them, they are lighter than coiled springs, I don't have to use spring compressors, adjusting ride height couldn't be easier, it was as Chevrolet intended and I'm a bit stubborn
Many, many times I've read about how those who converted to coil overs noticed a massive improvement, therefore the leaf's must be rubbish. My suspicion is that what they are actually feeling is an improvement in damper and most likely a geometry set up at the same time. Oh, the final reason is that many unknowing Brits brought up on Clarkson expect the cars 'cart springs' to deliver an awful ride and handling, so it's gratifying to hear their positive reaction once they've had a few pax laps. 
As mentioned above, I will certainly report back once I have driven the car. I have booked an OpenTrack trackday at Thruxton on 8th March for the Corvette and my E90 320si, that should be a good work out for both. I have to hope the Corvette will be quiet enough to pass noise with the NPP exhaust valves closed.
MrNoisy said:
Dave,
Got your email, all sounds very interesting and you can count me in
Amazing work on the studs, taking the heads off again would have been a right pain but welding in those confines - impressive. I would have set fire to the car for sure.
Be really interested in how you get on with the delrin as you use the car on the road so much. I did 2019s black friday deal and I know what you mean, the package is a work of art! That's my excuse for only getting around to fitting them last summer. Having done plenty of bushes (oor errr) on old landies and scoobies I was prepared for a big fight but mine literally wound out with a universal puller. I see your front uppers were beginning to walk as well. I'm not surprised with the way you brake I love how they changed the car but my originals had over 100k on them and were soft as you like. Much more controlled but not without compromise.
I fitted 'Hinson Supercar' Poly mounts way back when in the States as my fluid filled mounts had ceased to be fluid filled. The tell tale is the orange staining on the subframe. As you say, it's impossible to see normally and also very difficult to feel. I have to confess to taking them out and putting stock back in though, I didn't get on with them on the road and then was doing 12k a year commuting. I also did the tranny mounts in the same though so overall it got much stiffer. Lovely on the trackday I did on them but as my DD it was too much. As the car is basically a garage ornament/track toy now I have been scouring the ads in the USA for another set. Again, really interested in how you like those you have.
Looks like any chance I was dreaming of hanging on for a few corners has just gone up in smoke
I will confess to having a powder extinguisher on standby. Got your email, all sounds very interesting and you can count me in
Amazing work on the studs, taking the heads off again would have been a right pain but welding in those confines - impressive. I would have set fire to the car for sure.
Be really interested in how you get on with the delrin as you use the car on the road so much. I did 2019s black friday deal and I know what you mean, the package is a work of art! That's my excuse for only getting around to fitting them last summer. Having done plenty of bushes (oor errr) on old landies and scoobies I was prepared for a big fight but mine literally wound out with a universal puller. I see your front uppers were beginning to walk as well. I'm not surprised with the way you brake
I love how they changed the car but my originals had over 100k on them and were soft as you like. Much more controlled but not without compromise. I fitted 'Hinson Supercar' Poly mounts way back when in the States as my fluid filled mounts had ceased to be fluid filled. The tell tale is the orange staining on the subframe. As you say, it's impossible to see normally and also very difficult to feel. I have to confess to taking them out and putting stock back in though, I didn't get on with them on the road and then was doing 12k a year commuting. I also did the tranny mounts in the same though so overall it got much stiffer. Lovely on the trackday I did on them but as my DD it was too much. As the car is basically a garage ornament/track toy now I have been scouring the ads in the USA for another set. Again, really interested in how you like those you have.
Looks like any chance I was dreaming of hanging on for a few corners has just gone up in smoke
I had no idea you had the same kit fitted, I should have thought to ask you. Good that you like that change, but presume the compromise is a harsher ride? Did you make any other changes at the same time as fitting them?
Worrying about what you've reported about the engine mounts, the AMT mounts don't look especially cushioned.
I just need to man up and remember my hardcore days of running a Caterham as my daily.Whilst I can't really drive the Corvette during the winter lockdown, it's the right time to carry out some preventative work on the car. It's hard to throw away and replace items that are working ok, but the potential costs from a valve spring or rocker failing at full throttle on track would be far more expensive. There are so many options for LS engines, it makes it quite difficult to work out what to chose on a budget.
In the end I went for this little lot:
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/sme-k-14300
This upgrade kit includes
Trick Flow Specialties TFS-16918-16 - Trick Flow® by PAC Racing Beehive Valve Springs
Summit Racing SME-143002 - Summit Racing® LS Series Retrofit Rocker Bearing Trunnion Upgrade Kits and installation tool
Summit Racing SME-143008 - Summit Racing® Viton Valve Seals
Summit Racing SME-143009 - Summit Racing® Valve Locks (Collets)
A valve holder https://www.summitracing.com/parts/lil-19700 just a simple air line that screws into the spark plug hole, compressed air then stops the valves from dropping into the cylinders when the valve locks and springs are removed.
Trick Flow® Chromoly Pushrods TFS-21407400 https://www.summitracing.com/parts/tfs-21407400
I also ordered a set of cooler, LS7 spark plugs and replacement AC Delco RR silicone leads, to replace a few I had broken when trying to remove them (I'll change them all).
Had my budget been greater I'd have gone for titanium springs caps too, but decided to stick with the stock ones. None of these parts will gain me any extra power, but all the ingredients are in place should I choose to add a hotter camshaft at a later date (no plans to though).
The spark plugs and leads were still out due to removing the broken exhaust studs. I removed the rocker covers, rockers and pushrods. The original springs are yellow.
With my fingers constantly covered in oil my photo taking was a bit limited. This shows part of the 'Three Mirrors' brand spring compressor (excellent) having removed the old spring and collets and I've just pulled off an old valve stem seal.
Every part I removed was in perfect condition, no wear visible after 214,000 miles. There was some carbon/oil build up under some of the seals, but no harm seems to have come of it.
New and old valve springs.
Spring specs. They are fine with my stock cam and will support a 'warm' cam, but nothing too wild.
New and old pushrods.
Some of the guides had described using a blob of grease to stick the new collets in place to the shaft of the valve, so that as you release tension on the spring compressor tool they stay in place. I didn't need to do that, they stayed pretty well, I used my drill/driver to slowly unwind the nut on the tool. A magnet caught the odd one that fell out.
The rocker upgrade kit comprised of new centres, roller bearings and clips on each end to keep everything in place. The oem rocker bearings by comparison are pressed in and can walk their way out in extreme cases. I am very glad the Summit kit I bought came with their bearing removal and refitting tool. Used with a vice the job was straightforward, if a little production line like. The instructions recommended a particular grease for bedding in, I wish they'd included some, instead i used thick moly grease for CV joints.
A finished rocker, with clips on the ends to keep the roller bearings in place.
A box of old bits removed from the engine.
Last night I bolted the rockers back in to the correct 22lbft torque with locktite, that's as far as I've got. I'll hopefully finish the car at the weekend and report back.
In the end I went for this little lot:
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/sme-k-14300
This upgrade kit includes
Trick Flow Specialties TFS-16918-16 - Trick Flow® by PAC Racing Beehive Valve Springs
Summit Racing SME-143002 - Summit Racing® LS Series Retrofit Rocker Bearing Trunnion Upgrade Kits and installation tool
Summit Racing SME-143008 - Summit Racing® Viton Valve Seals
Summit Racing SME-143009 - Summit Racing® Valve Locks (Collets)
A valve holder https://www.summitracing.com/parts/lil-19700 just a simple air line that screws into the spark plug hole, compressed air then stops the valves from dropping into the cylinders when the valve locks and springs are removed.
Trick Flow® Chromoly Pushrods TFS-21407400 https://www.summitracing.com/parts/tfs-21407400
I also ordered a set of cooler, LS7 spark plugs and replacement AC Delco RR silicone leads, to replace a few I had broken when trying to remove them (I'll change them all).
Had my budget been greater I'd have gone for titanium springs caps too, but decided to stick with the stock ones. None of these parts will gain me any extra power, but all the ingredients are in place should I choose to add a hotter camshaft at a later date (no plans to though).
The spark plugs and leads were still out due to removing the broken exhaust studs. I removed the rocker covers, rockers and pushrods. The original springs are yellow.
With my fingers constantly covered in oil my photo taking was a bit limited. This shows part of the 'Three Mirrors' brand spring compressor (excellent) having removed the old spring and collets and I've just pulled off an old valve stem seal.
Every part I removed was in perfect condition, no wear visible after 214,000 miles. There was some carbon/oil build up under some of the seals, but no harm seems to have come of it.
New and old valve springs.
Spring specs. They are fine with my stock cam and will support a 'warm' cam, but nothing too wild.
New and old pushrods.
Some of the guides had described using a blob of grease to stick the new collets in place to the shaft of the valve, so that as you release tension on the spring compressor tool they stay in place. I didn't need to do that, they stayed pretty well, I used my drill/driver to slowly unwind the nut on the tool. A magnet caught the odd one that fell out.
The rocker upgrade kit comprised of new centres, roller bearings and clips on each end to keep everything in place. The oem rocker bearings by comparison are pressed in and can walk their way out in extreme cases. I am very glad the Summit kit I bought came with their bearing removal and refitting tool. Used with a vice the job was straightforward, if a little production line like. The instructions recommended a particular grease for bedding in, I wish they'd included some, instead i used thick moly grease for CV joints.
A finished rocker, with clips on the ends to keep the roller bearings in place.
A box of old bits removed from the engine.
Last night I bolted the rockers back in to the correct 22lbft torque with locktite, that's as far as I've got. I'll hopefully finish the car at the weekend and report back.
Edited by Fishy Dave on Tuesday 12th January 22:55
Well, my two trips to collect the shopping from Sainsburys are hardly a comprehensive review, but it's given me enough to go on.
First time I drove the car I actually thought I had a fault, the vibration pulling away and at low revs made me think the engine or transmission was actually touching the chassis. No, the engine mounts are just as good at transmitting vibrations as you'd reported Mr Tidy.
The sum of the changes combined actually make it feel like a different car, it's going to take a few laps to get used to it again.
The ride is firmer, but is not bad at all. I wish I could have changed just the shocks or the bushings and driven it for a while, to have better appreciated their individual contributions. For now I am using the factory recommended settings on the KW's, but will experiment in the warmer months when/if the lockdown ends. I'm currently awaiting a reply from KW UK, having passed on detailed feedback about instructions, settings and 'ease' of adjustment.......
There is slightly less popping from the exhausts on deceleration, which was expected now that the manifolds seal correctly, still enough to bring on a childish grin though.
I'd like to report a bit more power SturdyHSV, but with greasy roads and the car likely to attract the wrong kind of attention I didn't go too crazy. Oh and the gear lever barely moves, perhaps down the the torque tube as you mentioned. Thanks for your suggestion about using the TDC method to stop the valves falling in the cylinders, the challenge with the C6 is that the steering rack blocks access to the main pulley bolt and the rack is a PITA to move.
Nice to see a bit of snow last week, first time I've seen any in Wiltshire for two years.
My spending to finish the month of January has thankfully been restricted, to just £11 of finest Chinese ebay produce. To protect the spark plug leads the Corvette comes with alloy tubes. Sure enough, they have done their job, only they get in the way when trying to remove the plug leads, with the leads almost always tearing. This time I replaced the tubes with some heat resistant socks.
First time I drove the car I actually thought I had a fault, the vibration pulling away and at low revs made me think the engine or transmission was actually touching the chassis. No, the engine mounts are just as good at transmitting vibrations as you'd reported Mr Tidy.
The sum of the changes combined actually make it feel like a different car, it's going to take a few laps to get used to it again. The ride is firmer, but is not bad at all. I wish I could have changed just the shocks or the bushings and driven it for a while, to have better appreciated their individual contributions. For now I am using the factory recommended settings on the KW's, but will experiment in the warmer months when/if the lockdown ends. I'm currently awaiting a reply from KW UK, having passed on detailed feedback about instructions, settings and 'ease' of adjustment.......
There is slightly less popping from the exhausts on deceleration, which was expected now that the manifolds seal correctly, still enough to bring on a childish grin though.
I'd like to report a bit more power SturdyHSV, but with greasy roads and the car likely to attract the wrong kind of attention I didn't go too crazy. Oh and the gear lever barely moves, perhaps down the the torque tube as you mentioned. Thanks for your suggestion about using the TDC method to stop the valves falling in the cylinders, the challenge with the C6 is that the steering rack blocks access to the main pulley bolt and the rack is a PITA to move.
Nice to see a bit of snow last week, first time I've seen any in Wiltshire for two years.
My spending to finish the month of January has thankfully been restricted, to just £11 of finest Chinese ebay produce. To protect the spark plug leads the Corvette comes with alloy tubes. Sure enough, they have done their job, only they get in the way when trying to remove the plug leads, with the leads almost always tearing. This time I replaced the tubes with some heat resistant socks.
F1natic said:
Completely random question but I don't suppose any of you C6 guys happen to know the length of the C6 fuel pump? I am using one in my build and am struggling to find any decent dimensional info on the web. Thanks.
No, sorry, a quick question on the US Corvette forum would probably get you an answer though. Like you, I've googled for ten minutes but can't find dimensions. 
What is the build?I've now covered enough road miles on the KW V3 dampers to know that I'm happy with their performance. I'll write a full review in the near future, as KW have been superb and have redesigned them following feedback, now adjustment is much easier.
I'm signed up for the Super Lap Scotland Championship this year, with the first double header round on 19th/20th June (inc. reverse direction!). http://www.superlapscotland.co.uk/ The drive from Wiltshire to Knockhill/Croft is going to clock up some miles this year, but I really enjoyed the one round I did last year, so will make a proper effort in 2021.
I've given up trying to find anywhere that would re-chrome the original set of alloys, so gave Full Dip vinyl coating a try for the first time. Before doing this, I bought a new set of Nankang AR1 (thanks Matty Evans), if the track is dry they should improve my lap times over the Yokohama AD08R I had been using.
Going back to the wheels, I chose vinyl spray rather than paint as if I didn't like the colour I could start again for not much cost. I bought a similar kit to this, but the gloss version: https://www.matt-pack.co.uk/fulldip-wheel-kit-meta...
It was pretty easy to do, I used a pack of playing cards to mask off the tyres and painted only the faces. I'm not sure how long it will stick to the Chrome, especially with the heat from the brakes.
Salt damage
Having cleaned, dried and 'pre-dipped' the wheels faces I slotted the playing cards in between the tyres and wheels. Warming the vinyl dip you start with light coats of black, getting heavier.
Moving on to the bronze.
I ran in to a problem with one of the aerosols not having any propellant. Matt Pack were superb, no quibble (having checked the can was warm and well shaken), they couriered out another can and I continued.
I'm not sure, what do you think? These are my track wheels only, so I've changed back to the silver 'polished' set for the road.
The lights are pretty good as standard, with Xenon dipped beam, but the main beam are only halogen. I'd upgraded the front fog lights to LED last year, when I thought I would be competing in the darkness in Time Attack. The fog lights and main beams circuits are wired in such a way so that only one set of lights work at the same time. I added some fuse board taps, with a diode so that when I 'flash' or hold main beam on the front fogs are activated, it's made a quite a difference on dark country words.
The next project was to sort out the active handling (stability control). Each press of the button cycles through all on, traction off, 'competitive driving mode' and lastly all off. On a dry track I always drive with all aids off, BUT, twice I have experienced the car throwing an error message and trying to regain control. This almost caused an accident at Castle Combe.
The fault could be one of a number of sensors, so most of the track guys disconnect the steering position sensor plug which disables the system. However, in wet weather on the roads the safety systems are effective and the location for the plug is impossible to reach whilst driving. Studying the wiring diagrams I wired in a small rocker switch, so I now know that on a dry track off really means off!
Having fitted the KW shocks it was time to set the corner weights, with a borrowed set of scales from a CSCC member.
50 litres of water, 25kg of lead plus an extinguisher equals my weight.
This is the 'before', which shows pretty good cross weights, but by moving the ride heights around with 19mm rake I was able to further improve things (I forget to take an after photo but have all the info on a spreadsheet). Since I last weighed the car two years ago I had changed the seats, lightweight flywheel and battery, this saved me 16kgs (I however had put on 1kg), not much saving, but it all helps.
As part of the SLS Championship I required a fresh dyno run, signed by the operator. Would the new, stiffer pushrods and springs make any difference compared to the 399 bhp it produced at the flywheel a year ago?
Using HP tuners I asked Leighton (Circuit Motorsport/Sabre Tuning) to alter the temps that the radiator fan comes on, plus adjust the tables that pull timing at such safe temperatures. There is almost nothing to gain by live mapping these cars, until a cam or headers are added.
The end result was a loss of both torque and about 12 bhp. It could be that the engine is getting tired, or more likely it was internal engine heat when load was applied on the rollers (it felt good on the road with Leighton logging parameters on his laptop).
I'm not worried, it still feels quick enough and I just don't have the budget for any upgrades, so the engine will remain stock. 215,000 miles and counting.
I've been writing a children's book, based on the adventures I've enjoyed with my Corvette (Clive) and photos I've taken. I'm on my third printed draft now, it should be ready for sale in a couple of months.
I'll report back with a comprehensive review and photos of the new design KW shocks soon.
I'm signed up for the Super Lap Scotland Championship this year, with the first double header round on 19th/20th June (inc. reverse direction!). http://www.superlapscotland.co.uk/ The drive from Wiltshire to Knockhill/Croft is going to clock up some miles this year, but I really enjoyed the one round I did last year, so will make a proper effort in 2021.
I've given up trying to find anywhere that would re-chrome the original set of alloys, so gave Full Dip vinyl coating a try for the first time. Before doing this, I bought a new set of Nankang AR1 (thanks Matty Evans), if the track is dry they should improve my lap times over the Yokohama AD08R I had been using.
Going back to the wheels, I chose vinyl spray rather than paint as if I didn't like the colour I could start again for not much cost. I bought a similar kit to this, but the gloss version: https://www.matt-pack.co.uk/fulldip-wheel-kit-meta...
It was pretty easy to do, I used a pack of playing cards to mask off the tyres and painted only the faces. I'm not sure how long it will stick to the Chrome, especially with the heat from the brakes.
Salt damage
Having cleaned, dried and 'pre-dipped' the wheels faces I slotted the playing cards in between the tyres and wheels. Warming the vinyl dip you start with light coats of black, getting heavier.
Moving on to the bronze.
I ran in to a problem with one of the aerosols not having any propellant. Matt Pack were superb, no quibble (having checked the can was warm and well shaken), they couriered out another can and I continued.
I'm not sure, what do you think? These are my track wheels only, so I've changed back to the silver 'polished' set for the road.
The lights are pretty good as standard, with Xenon dipped beam, but the main beam are only halogen. I'd upgraded the front fog lights to LED last year, when I thought I would be competing in the darkness in Time Attack. The fog lights and main beams circuits are wired in such a way so that only one set of lights work at the same time. I added some fuse board taps, with a diode so that when I 'flash' or hold main beam on the front fogs are activated, it's made a quite a difference on dark country words.
The next project was to sort out the active handling (stability control). Each press of the button cycles through all on, traction off, 'competitive driving mode' and lastly all off. On a dry track I always drive with all aids off, BUT, twice I have experienced the car throwing an error message and trying to regain control. This almost caused an accident at Castle Combe.
The fault could be one of a number of sensors, so most of the track guys disconnect the steering position sensor plug which disables the system. However, in wet weather on the roads the safety systems are effective and the location for the plug is impossible to reach whilst driving. Studying the wiring diagrams I wired in a small rocker switch, so I now know that on a dry track off really means off!
Having fitted the KW shocks it was time to set the corner weights, with a borrowed set of scales from a CSCC member.
50 litres of water, 25kg of lead plus an extinguisher equals my weight.
This is the 'before', which shows pretty good cross weights, but by moving the ride heights around with 19mm rake I was able to further improve things (I forget to take an after photo but have all the info on a spreadsheet). Since I last weighed the car two years ago I had changed the seats, lightweight flywheel and battery, this saved me 16kgs (I however had put on 1kg), not much saving, but it all helps.
As part of the SLS Championship I required a fresh dyno run, signed by the operator. Would the new, stiffer pushrods and springs make any difference compared to the 399 bhp it produced at the flywheel a year ago?
Using HP tuners I asked Leighton (Circuit Motorsport/Sabre Tuning) to alter the temps that the radiator fan comes on, plus adjust the tables that pull timing at such safe temperatures. There is almost nothing to gain by live mapping these cars, until a cam or headers are added.
The end result was a loss of both torque and about 12 bhp. It could be that the engine is getting tired, or more likely it was internal engine heat when load was applied on the rollers (it felt good on the road with Leighton logging parameters on his laptop).
I'm not worried, it still feels quick enough and I just don't have the budget for any upgrades, so the engine will remain stock. 215,000 miles and counting.
I've been writing a children's book, based on the adventures I've enjoyed with my Corvette (Clive) and photos I've taken. I'm on my third printed draft now, it should be ready for sale in a couple of months.
I'll report back with a comprehensive review and photos of the new design KW shocks soon.
Edited by Fishy Dave on Monday 3rd May 15:41
Edited by Fishy Dave on Saturday 8th May 12:35
Jakg said:
Isn't this putting twice as much load on the headlight wiring?
I've done the same on a previous car using a relay and a feed from the battery but this looks much simpler.
A good point, but no extra load (well, nothing significant) doing it this way. I've done the same on a previous car using a relay and a feed from the battery but this looks much simpler.
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums/c6-corvette-g...
Shnozz said:
Top work as always. Have to say though I prefer the silver wheels - that photo of red/silver just looks so right. Big want still. As I said over on the Vette forum, prices seem to have risen a fair bit in the last year across the globe for these, much to my frustration. If you hear of a manual targa coming for sale on any forums you frequent, please give me a heads up.
I'm with you, I think I prefer the silver wheels too. I'm likely going to have some vinyl applied for the time I compete, so the coloured wheels will probably blend in better then. Yes, I'll keep an eye out for a cheap C6 manual, but they seem scarce. Aside from mine I can't remember seeing much below $15,000 (that hadn't previously been written off).
Oh, I have had to order a new indicator from the States after a Collie ran full tilt into my car. Fortunately the Dog ran off with fairly minimal injuries and the company responsible for letting the Dog escape may cover the cost.
I fitted a new oem indicator to replace the one the runaway dog broke, for the princely sum of about £20 delivered from the States. I do love the price of Corvette parts.
I modified one of the twirly KW rebound adjusters, removing the short allen key for a longer, 2mm ball end allen, so I can better reach the rear damper adjusters.
As the Vette seems to act as a particularly effective vacuum cleaner I invested in a 'Radiator Genie'. A pair of identical wands, one to direct water through the A/c Condensor, the other to direct compressed air. Not cheap at about £35 from the States, but the reviews are good, I'll report back once I have sourced an adaptor for a Euro airline and get around to using it.
Heat management. Never a problem on the road, but those who have followed this thread for some time will know I've tried a few things to keep oil and water temps down on the track. Perhaps the most divisive was cutting a hole in the bonnet/hood and inserting a BMW M2CS vent. It has helped with water temps (in conjunction with the other changes I've made), but it is quite small in area, sticks up a little too high, and it was a bit too wide and therefore bent at the edges.
Because I'd cut such a wide hole it was a job to find a functional vent that I liked the look of and that filled in the hole.
I gambled and ordered a used C7 vent and i should have guessed but it was too small.
When funds allowed and after some research I ordered this one and hoped for the best: https://trackspecmotorsports.com/bmw-e90-e92-cente...
The profile and dimensions appeared to match, the challenge would be bending the edges to form the creases in the C6 bonnet.
It arrived in good time and was well packaged.
I popped out the old BMW vent and covered it with the card template the new vent came with.
PPE on and sleeves taped up so I didn't itch with composite shavings the angle grinding commenced!
I painted the exposed edges with Victory Red paint, the painters 3M tape having done a good job at stopping the paint from flaking.
The edges hung over the bonnet creases/bulge as expected and as was necessary to cover the old hole. A series of gentle bends in the vice (rubber protecting the surfaces) saw it form the shape of the bonnet to an acceptable standard. I drilled and rivetted it in place, with washers on the back so it won't pull through.
Given the choice of starting again with a new bonnet I'm very happy with the end result, but feel free to give your honest opinion.
The vent starts about 10cm/4" behind the radiator and continues to the leading edge of the block. It should be in a low pressure zone, I'll report back in June at its next track outing.
I modified one of the twirly KW rebound adjusters, removing the short allen key for a longer, 2mm ball end allen, so I can better reach the rear damper adjusters.
As the Vette seems to act as a particularly effective vacuum cleaner I invested in a 'Radiator Genie'. A pair of identical wands, one to direct water through the A/c Condensor, the other to direct compressed air. Not cheap at about £35 from the States, but the reviews are good, I'll report back once I have sourced an adaptor for a Euro airline and get around to using it.
Heat management. Never a problem on the road, but those who have followed this thread for some time will know I've tried a few things to keep oil and water temps down on the track. Perhaps the most divisive was cutting a hole in the bonnet/hood and inserting a BMW M2CS vent. It has helped with water temps (in conjunction with the other changes I've made), but it is quite small in area, sticks up a little too high, and it was a bit too wide and therefore bent at the edges.
Because I'd cut such a wide hole it was a job to find a functional vent that I liked the look of and that filled in the hole.
I gambled and ordered a used C7 vent and i should have guessed but it was too small.
When funds allowed and after some research I ordered this one and hoped for the best: https://trackspecmotorsports.com/bmw-e90-e92-cente...
The profile and dimensions appeared to match, the challenge would be bending the edges to form the creases in the C6 bonnet.
It arrived in good time and was well packaged.
I popped out the old BMW vent and covered it with the card template the new vent came with.
PPE on and sleeves taped up so I didn't itch with composite shavings the angle grinding commenced!
I painted the exposed edges with Victory Red paint, the painters 3M tape having done a good job at stopping the paint from flaking.
The edges hung over the bonnet creases/bulge as expected and as was necessary to cover the old hole. A series of gentle bends in the vice (rubber protecting the surfaces) saw it form the shape of the bonnet to an acceptable standard. I drilled and rivetted it in place, with washers on the back so it won't pull through.
Given the choice of starting again with a new bonnet I'm very happy with the end result, but feel free to give your honest opinion.
The vent starts about 10cm/4" behind the radiator and continues to the leading edge of the block. It should be in a low pressure zone, I'll report back in June at its next track outing.
SturdyHSV said:
Looks good, better than the M2CS one, and good work getting it in there as well, very tidy job 
Forgive me if I've missed it but are you not running an oil cooler?
I've just fitted one to my Monaro behind a thermostat, no idea if it'll be of any use and as it hasn't seen any track use yet probably overkill, but I thought I'd fit it whilst the car is in bits, I used an Improved Racing adapter, lovely bit of kit
Thanks, I'm really pleased with it and so relieved it just covers the previous hole too.Forgive me if I've missed it but are you not running an oil cooler?
I've just fitted one to my Monaro behind a thermostat, no idea if it'll be of any use and as it hasn't seen any track use yet probably overkill, but I thought I'd fit it whilst the car is in bits, I used an Improved Racing adapter, lovely bit of kit
I'm running the Improved Racing oil cooler kit, with the same stat/take off as you. Others have had similar issues, an interesting discussion here: https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums/autocrossing-...
The 'mouth' of the C6 is quite small and the a/c condensor, full width oil cooler and thicker radiator do restrict airflow a fair bit. I'm hoping the large vent will help as I'd like to keep the oil temps below 260F on track, if possible.
Shnozz said:
And in price watch, KGF Classics (known to be pricey to be fair) have a 2008 red C6 (not Z06!) for £35k just come up for sale. Barmy!
Wow, yes, even high mileage C5 and C6 'base' models have bottomed out and risen in the States. UK prices look to be about the same (aside from the one you mentioned), it's just finding the right spec which is difficult here. Not content with chopping a hole in the bodywork I've had vinyl designed and applied, with colours and a little inspiration from the Brabham BT46 'Fan Car'.
It's in readiness for a season of the Super Lap Scotland Championship, beginning on 19th/20th June. The vinyl will come off in the future when/if I decide to stop competing. I'm really pleased with the level of care that Olly and Stew from https://www.ocdvaleting.com/ took, being as careful at the end of the 12 hour day as at the start. All the vinyl was hand cut, remarkable how they achieved such symmetry by eye and stretching vinyl. I sadly had no time or budget to let Olly do his paint preparation work, so it still bears the fine marks of 215,000 miles of grit and cold water washing.
Still to go on is a pair of stickers for Mintex, a Corvette Racing sunstrip when it arrives from the States and two Championship decals..
The rear lacks cohesiveness, being a late idea of mine to add the colours from that angle, but overall I'm pleased.
It's in readiness for a season of the Super Lap Scotland Championship, beginning on 19th/20th June. The vinyl will come off in the future when/if I decide to stop competing. I'm really pleased with the level of care that Olly and Stew from https://www.ocdvaleting.com/ took, being as careful at the end of the 12 hour day as at the start. All the vinyl was hand cut, remarkable how they achieved such symmetry by eye and stretching vinyl. I sadly had no time or budget to let Olly do his paint preparation work, so it still bears the fine marks of 215,000 miles of grit and cold water washing.
Still to go on is a pair of stickers for Mintex, a Corvette Racing sunstrip when it arrives from the States and two Championship decals..
The rear lacks cohesiveness, being a late idea of mine to add the colours from that angle, but overall I'm pleased.
Edited by Fishy Dave on Tuesday 8th June 16:38
My wife thinks this may be where I had the livery idea from!
My Android head unit decided to fail, so a new one was purchased from Auto Pumpkin, this one, with old school cd player: https://www.autopumpkin.co.uk/collections/new-head...
Fitting was fun, I thinned out the birds nest of wiring.
Mintex have been working hard to make me a new set of F4R pads, but they weren't quite ready in time so am making do with EBC RP1. New temperature strips and disc paint added.
Another oil and filter change, swap the wheels fitted with new Nankang AR-1's and I was ready to head north to Scotland.
A week ago the Corvette and I competed in rounds 1 and 2 of Super Lap Scotland, at Knockhill. https://www.facebook.com/SuperlapScotland
My aim was to experience driving anti-clockwise for the first time and to win class D (upto 265bhp per tonne). With new shocks and tyres since my first attempt last year I was hoping to find a 2 second a lap improvement. With one class rival blowing up in testing and another adding ballast to move down a class, it was just 3 of us in class D; an odd mix of Corvette, track focussed 2.4 litre Civic Type R and classic Lotus Elan.
Leave behind wet weather in Wiltshire, the drive up got more interesting once I approached Shap and beyond on the M74, stopping at Tebay services of course.
I got to the circuit late on Friday afternoon, applied the few required Championship stickers, stiffened up the KW shocks and headed for the Premier Inn in warm sunshine, with a dry forecast for Saturday. What do you think of the bronze wheels now?
Inevitably it rained, just before or during every session, except the final, not a great way to learn a new circuit. Driving a familiar circuit in the other direction changes everything! Looking back I should have pushed harder, but most people can say that.
In the end I finished 1st in class in 'qualifying' (semi-final) but finished 2nd in class in the final Super Lap, the Civic beat me by just 4/1000ths of a second! He drove well, the two cars making for surprisingly equal advisories, he has just 265bhp but weighs 500kg less than me. At a longer circuit I'd fancy my chances, but Knockhill being so twisty doesn't give me the chance to put the power down for long enough.
After the competition I explored 25 minutes north, to Gleneagles. The staff were happy for me to stop and take photos. The drive to and from was fun, but once again I find that Scotland frustrates, with almost no stopping places for photos.
Next day was dry, against the initial forecast and both the car and I were happier about this, especially rotating around the more familiar clockwise direction.
My times were up on last year, around 1.2 seconds better actually, not as much as hoped, but I was saving it for the afternoon final run
The Westfield behind me is a monster, lapping ten seconds faster than the Corvette, with twin Turbo LS7 V8 power no less.
My qualifying time (worth an extra point) was again fastest in class, with a Mr Whippy to celebrate. I didn't stay outside for long before the Midges made me dive for cover.
The Midges were a sign that the weather was turning, sure enough it rained hard before the final. With no spare tyres I just had to get on with it.
I crossed the line first in class by just over a second, woo hoo. I soon found there was a problem
During that final run, where cars are set off individually at intervals (unlike in all previous sessions where we are all circulating together), the Civic had caught the Elan at the final hairpin and been delayed. A re-run was correctly permitted 15 minutes later, but, this would naturally give an advantage as the driver had by then experienced the grip levels and it was a drying track. My rival, Marc, drove well, beating my time by a second. So, I came away with two second places, not as much time gained (compared to last year) as I'd hoped, but it was still great fun. The shocks are doing a good job of controlling the softish Z51 monoleaf springs on track, but are still comfy on the roads with a quick twiddle of adjustment. Coolant temps were the best (lowest) to date, at 211F peak, although I was limiting the number of hot laps at a time and the ambient temps barely reached 20C/68F. The larger bonnet louver does seem effective, with a large amount of heat haze escaping at idle.
The long drive home was not too bad, passing 216,000 miles along the way. I've entered the next two rounds on 24th/25th July if anyone wants to come along?
I'm struggling to remove the brake dust from the Fulldip bronze coating, any tips? On the upside it didn't melt with the heat from the brakes, which passed 560C on the disks.
Enjoy the video:
Edited by Fishy Dave on Monday 28th June 19:50
F1natic said:
Brilliant write up as usual, loved how you kept your foot in at 3:29! What camber do you run F & R?
Thanks, a bit of oversteer is still a giggle after all these years. I'm running -1.2 rear, the most I can get out of the stock eccentric adjusters. At the front I now have -2.4, although I think I should go for a little more than this as my soft springs still allow quite a lot of roll.
I had some good news today. There is a parallel championship that I entered for road legal cars and it looks like I was the highest place car across all classes. Therefore I have two first place trophies to collect, yey.
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