Beautiful. A $75,000 GM racecar with a 100,000 mile warranty. And now all these great add ons to go even faster. exhaust systems, headers, remapping the computer chip, air box, lower temp thermostat, then hotter cams, turbo's, superchargers, etc.... I'd like to start adding them all little by little. But then there's that great warranty. How far can you go before you void that great warranty?????????
All kidding aside if you have the 198 mph C6 Z06 I would leave the car alone.
If you have to do something? Change the runflat tires out for some non runflats as I believe that would be the best "MOD" you can do..
The improvement in ride and handling would be apparent to you in everyday driving..
I can't believe guys with the 505 hp C6 Z06 need more power for the street.
As it is I have more than enough hp in my 480hp C5 Z06 and don't need more.
NOW TAKING INTO ACCOUNT A THE 5 YEAR 100K mile drivetrain warranty I'd say its a loser deal to mod the C6 Z06..
Believe me there is alway a compromise when mods are put on any car including the Corvette Z06.
Why make the compromise when the car is already an insanely fast car that can smoke the tires at will?
LEAVE THE CAR ALONE!
Your friend and just one mans opinion.
JB
ZACKLY ! What JB said
In addition to tires,maybe one of your favorite sounding catback exhaust GHL,Borla.or B&B....The car already has a 3 inch exhaust so headers (for $1800-2000 alone will not gain you much if anything.
The Warranty: 3/36 bumper to bumper,100K powertrain with loaner car and roadside assistance.
External stuff like airbox and tuning is usually ok but can dicy/or gray area if have a problem inside the engine...which you probably will not.I believe I have seen posts here touting 20-30 rwhp with air/intake and tuning.
Tiwres,Exhaust & Cags Defeat...Enjoy the car and the warranty
__________________ Montana: So Many Z06 Roads...So Little Time Z06/Z16#1571
Everyone has his/her own reasons for modding a car. I know that JB commonly preaches to keep the Z bonestock and in some cases that's probably a very good idea. JB doesn't take his out on the track or the strip though, so pushing the envelope, so to speak, is not his bag.
Some folks are different and they want that little bit extra, whether it be for the street, track or strip. Each person has their own reasons for doing things.
Now, I also agree that mods for the C6Z are more limited. Headers don't seem to make much power due to the excellent exhaust manifold that comes stock. Exhaust is for sound only with no real power gains.
That leaves only a couple of things a person can do. A rowdier cam can make the Z run and sound pretty good. I saw Jack's (jscraftmaster) car make some very decent gains with the addition of a nice cam.
For NA applications, the stock heads flow very good and I'm not sure you'd want to raise the 11.5:1 CR any higher, so new heads wouldn't do much on an NA setup.
By the same token, the high CR makes FI applications a bit tricky. That doesn't mean that a blower or turbo with very moderate boost or a decent shot of nitrous isn't going to work. You just can't go overboard!
Don't be afraid to mod these cars if that's your thing. Just don't go too crazy and you can get her considerably faster and still keep the engine safe.
Now, the warranty question is a whole 'nother deal. Mostly that depends on the dealership itself and how 'mod friendly' it is. One dealership here in town installed headers and a cam for me themselves about 5 years ago and said they'd honor the warranty. They proved their worth when they replaced (under warranty) a clutch that went out on me at the track several months later.
The dealer I use now is a friend and would allow me to put on Procharger at 4.5 lbs boost and still honor the warranty.
Unfortunately, mod friendly dealers are few and far between and mostly you find yourself dealing with 'the other kind'.
If your racing at the track, at the dragstrip or even autox ing modding a car is valuable even when it comes to the 198mph C6 z06..
And I've done that whole thing... to some degree and its fun...
but with the stock C6 Z06 being such an amazing machine.. I gotta at least ring in at keep the car stock!!!
Enjoy the warranty and all that it affords..
Modding a car and having a dealership be cool are not too hard..
The tough part can be that as time goes on.. and a problem or two crop up that are not catastropic.. its often very hard to track it down on a modded car..(warranty or no warranty.. costing or free...you can sometimes go to the best of the best and whether its a dealership or even expert high reputation tuners.) You want to track down the cause of any issue and just have it resolved..
Sometimes stock cars are easier to resolve issues.. whereas "tuned" cars can mask some of the meathodology (sp) that GM built into the car to track down an issue..
I hope I'm not coming across as some lunatic fringe but as far as I can tell the 505 hp C6 Z06 can do just about anything any sports car enthusiast could want.. (for the street)
Its more I'm so impressed with the C6 Z06 than anything else..
I still say tires or driving school or maybe an air filter or exhaust if you like..
Of course as I roll towards 50 I have less desire for " tuning" and more desire to just enjoy the sports car experience for what it was meant to be..
No right or wrong answer ...just informed choices on the various compromises.
I'm with Mike, don't be afraid to mod as long as you don't go too crazy. Can a dealer deny a warranty claim? The answer is yes. That's the chance you're taking. You have to decide what is best for you.
For me, the decision to mod for more HP was easy. I live, and drag race, at high altitude. The DA is usually above 7500 feet and the power loss is enormous. My intake and exhaust mods only brought me up to 400 actual rwhp (493 SAE rwhp). Still 50 or 60 less than the stock guys at sea level. With a cam, should be close to sea level stock power levels. Today the DA was 7800 feet and I ran a best of 12.2. A stock Z06 ran a best of 12.9 here. That's why we mod.
Well I just brought my 530rwhp/498rwtq cammed and no-cats Z06 to the dealer 2 weeks ago to have this repaired:
The dealer didn't care.
My car has pfadt coilovers, a Katech cam, Kooks headers, K&N airbox, LG manswitch, ported TB and intake, and of course is tuned. While I don't think that I could bring the car in for motor work, I'd have no problem bringing the car back in for anything else.
Besides pushing the envelope I wanted to make this semi-mass produced car unique. It's nice having a car that isn't like every other black Z you see out there.
Plus with a cam these cars can make unbelievable #s! It's a no brainer! Still totally a drivable car, even in stop-and-go traffic, and just blindingly fast!
-N
__________________
Current: 2006 C6 Z 2LZ
Previous: 2003 C5 Z06
DD: 2008 Jeep SRT8 All options
"I only street race in school zones, at 3PM, on Mondays"
I have a conservative tune 12.3 afr. Even so, with a Halltech Killer Bee being my only other mod this car really woke up. Much better throttle response, 20+ rwhp and rwt gain and better fuel economy, if I can keep my foot out of it. Doubt it has created any warranty concerns. Cam and headers would really make this car a scalded cat, but then warranty issues could arise.
While I don't think that I could bring the car in for motor work, I'd have no problem bringing the car back in for anything else.
I agree. Basically, if you modify the piss out of you engine, then that should still have no impact on claims for items such as the radio, power seats, roof delamination, etc. But as far as the engine itself...depends on the dealer.
__________________ "I put a dollar in one of those change machines. Nothing changed." ~George Carlin 4 good Toyo T1Rs - back in business / CAGS Defeat / Tint / Soon to be Lowered / DEAD Braille, now --> Walmart Battery / Seat Bolster Mod / HPDE Checklist
i had the same issue when i recently went in for my oil change, i have 1,100 miles on it and wanted to get the break in oil out of it, i asked them if it would void my warranty if i put on long tube headers and an x-pipe with hi-flo cats and i want to keep the stock exhaust with my mild to wild switch. They said and i quote "not if we do it" so i went back today at lunch to the service department at the local GM dealer and they said they wouldnt warranty the headers but would warranty the labor and not void my 100,000 mile factory warranty. So i was sold. My Headers will be here in 5 days!!!! and soon after the dealer will be installing them. I CAN"T WAIT i dont even care if it doesnt increase the HP, i just want the Muscle sound that puts a smile on my face every time i step on it.. good luck
If i were to do a brand new z i would mod it but to a certain extent.. mostly do mods that if you had a warranty issue you could take back off... for example exhaust, headers, intake, manifold, wires, coils and so forth.. however I dont have a new z so i dont have the warranty to worry about so cam n heads here i come!!!
Modding the C6z to me seems silly w/such a great warranty. I didn't feel that way with the C5Z because it was priced more reasonably w/ less of a warranty. There is quite a premium stepping into the C6z. And 5 yrs/100,000 is built into that and I'm not losing it. I love the car but even discounted I think it's still high. Also you should never assume that your going to break down close to home or near your dealer that you think and hope will take care of you. Killer bee, tune and mabey exhaust for me that's it ,nothing that can't be easily reversed. I can respect anyone who doesn't mind throwing it away though.
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