Whereto start with Mods?
 

Ok Here I go, Brand new Vert and already looking for improvements. I must be insane too. Only thing is I don't quite know where to start. I remember back in the 70's changing plugs, rebuilding carbs, and tune ups but I wouldn't even attempt to try anything on my vert. I have discussed this with a number of corvette enthusiasts and this seems to be the general agreement-CAI, headers, namebrand exhaust based on what sound you want, Lower thermostat, low resistant plugs and wires, computer retune,throttle body, and long tubes. Also plan to coat the rotors and color the brake calipers MR. I would appreciate feedback from anyone who has done these mods and have suggestions of do's and don'ts. Mark:shrug01: :shrug01:

I don't know what year Vette you have, but say 90's and up. I would do a cold air intake, catback exhaust, and a good tune. Or for more money you can do Cam, heads and headers.

Chas

The Bad Side
 

You probably already figured out I tend to be long-winded, so get ready. I just went through all this and it's now been done long enough that the new has worn off. Be prepared for some ruminations. :D

You might want to start by reading this. It's another ruminations post I made right after I had the headers and other mods done.

I dunno. Changing out a catback for more sound, sure, that's a no-brainer. If you choose the right one it has no real downsides other than the hole in your wallet. (A Corsa is the right one for you, it's the only one approved by GM, for a reason. I'd get the Pace Car system, the Touring is almost the same as stock. Choose tips to your choice)

But beyond that? Think hard. I mean think long and hard about what you want from your car. Right now you have a BRAND NEW Corvette. Wow. There ain't many things in life cooler than that. I'm here to tell ya, once you start modifying it, it won't be the same car. It won't be that new Corvette again, not ever. That's what happened to mine, which I bought essentially "new". So think hard.

I know, I know, everyone in the forums just gushes about how great all their mods are and how they love 'em and how they can't wait to get more. Uh-huh. Thing is, they never talk about the downsides. They never talk about what got worse on their cars with the mods.

Here's the deal: when you modify a car, in any way at all, YOU are now the automotive engineer. An amateur automotive engineer. In your case, doing your apprenticeship on a brand-new $60k car. While you may well change some of the design decisions to tweak the car to a spec more of your choosing, it is virtually inevitable that in some areas it will get worse.

I'll give ya some examples from my own car. Some of these will seem off-topic, but bear with me.

Lloyd mats: no downsides, great mod. Get the clear plastic overmats to cover the front mats. Yes, it seems silly to buy mats for mats but they work.

Plastic sill protectors. Like these. They do a good job of protecting the sill, but they scratch the paint on the sill at the front edge of the protector. They also get water under them when you wash the car, so you have to take them out first, and then wash and dry them separate, or you get ugly water marks. IOW, they're worth having, but they ain't perfect. A typical mod. :D

"Billiard ball" shift knob. No downsides, love it.

Z06 Titanium catbacks. No downsides (note: not so uncommon with factory parts). Look better, sound better, lighter, exotic, maybe another pony or two. :thumbsup:

Elite Engineering tunnel plate. This was the first mod that had an unpleasant side effect. I put this in when the car was near-new, as I thought it would keep it from getting rattles quite so fast. So far, so good, almost 24k miles and no rattles yet...except for one. I had the plate installed the day before we left for our 10k-mile swing around the Western US last June (note to self: never get mods done just before a long trip). The mechanic got careless and managed to strip one of the attaching bolts out, so had to drill it out and tap it bigger. I was not pleased. But here's the weird one: I never had any shifter rattles before installing the plate, but the shifter has rattled badly ever since. It's enough to make you crazy sometimes. Yeah, yeah, C5s "do that"...but mine never did until that plate was installed. That was the first inkling that modding this car was going to have downsides. Is there some reason why the plate should make the shifter rattle? Beats the heck out of me. They aren't connected and you don't touch the shift mechanism when installing the plate. So then what? Who knows? I theorize that making the bottom of the tunnel stiffer has caused the vibrations of the drivetrain to be less dampened, and this was just enough to excite the shifter mechanism. All I know for sure is that it rattles, and it seemed a lot less like a world-class car once that started. From installing a tunnel plate. Who'd a thunk it?

Elite Engineering radiator screen. Keeps crap out of the radiator. What could be the downside with that, you ask? Well, it no longer allows the front spoiler to rotate back on its hinges when it hits something. So the spoiler is wearing away faster. No biggie, it's like a $20 part, but still...you change it, you're now the engineer, there are Consequences.

After that stuff there was a lull while we went on our trip, and after we got back I was sort of in a daze so didn't drive the car much for a few months other than commuting.

In the fall the driving started again in earnest, and the mod bug bit again. This time we were going to head down the engine mods path, as you are contemplating.

I ordered a Honker, and I ordered the American Racing headers. Both took forever (it seemed) to arrive and I got impatient. I had gotten really tired of the quietness of the Z06 exhaust after hanging around with the folks in TBV. I wanted louder! I wanted more exciting! There was a vendor at the Ultimate Vette Party that had B&B Bullets at a reasonable price. I had read about them and they sounded like what I wanted, so I went ahead and bought a set. Between the pipes and install, call it $700.

Wow! Are these LOUD! At least that was my first impression. I'm more used to them now, but they are freakin' loud, there's no doubt. No more smooth, sophisticated car. No more grown-up car, now it sounds like a "kid's car". No more cruising at a walking pace through state parks, listening to the birds (something the wife and I love to do). No more banging gears without drawing attention. The vibrations can be felt through the seat, steering wheel, and door panels at certain speeds. I suspect they are exciting interior rattles. It's not rattling yet, but the panels are moving and I think it's just a matter of time. It also didn't run quite the same after the install. I think the reduced backpressure was just enough to throw the computer off some. Running through the gears, the Bullets sounded GREAT! Just what I wanted. The rest of the time? Well, there are pluses and minuses. For example: I live in an apartment, and leave for work quite early. I used to let the car warm up pretty well in the morning. Now I feel self-conscious making that much racket at 6 AM, so I fire it up, wait for pressure, and drive very slowly away. Because of that, it's not up to temperature by the time I hit the freeway ramp, so I don't get to do my usual wail up the ramp. Hmmm, those unexpected consequences again.

The came "the big one" (so far), as outlined in that other post. Headers, cold air intake, thermostat, dyno tune. This has various pluses and minuses which I stated there. I will say here that, now that I'm more used to it, I do like the sound. It's just different from what I expected. It is LOUD, and that has downsides as mentioned above, only now it's quite a bit louder. I was surprised the headers made that much difference, but they sure did. Greg predicts that I'll eventually be back to have the Bullets taken off. We'll see.

Biggest downside? My gas mileage has gone in the toilet. I've dropped a solid 4-5 mpg in DIC mileage. A small part of this is the tune, I think, but a much larger part is the change to my driving habits. I used to drive fairly conservatively, and just bang it through the gears (regularly) but then ooze around at 1500. Great mileage that way. Not anymore. Two things are going on with that: it feels so much like a "race car" now I just HAVE to rev it up all the time, just to listen to it. Plus pass everyone. I'm driving a lot faster. Not sure this is a good thing. It's fun, though. I know, I should have more self-control. I wasn't born with much and little more has come my way. Second is that the Bullets + headers have a bad drone between 1500-2000 so I have to keep it above 2000 all the time. On the freeway this is unfortunate because my usual cruising speed is 80, and that works out to 2600 rpm in 5th. Can't hit 6th until 90. Ouch.

Another downside is that it has some trouble idling. The tune needs work. Yes, I could take it back and have it jiggled, but it's a long drive and most of the troubles are when it's cold. I'm just going to get my own tuning software. There's another $750 or so.

The car definitely makes more power, and more torque. Not just on the dyno, but on the street and at the strip. It's alot of fun to drive. But now it has a little more power than the stock clutch can hold. So a clutch upgrade is in the works, and I have to be a little careful until that goes in. It'll run about $2k (premium parts again), plus whatever else I get done at the same time. More Consequences.

Oh, I guess the BIGGEST downside to the last package of mods is that it ended up being $4325 for 27 rwhp. Wow. Ouch. $160/rwhp, PLUS all the downsides mentioned herein. And yet look at it, where was there to cut a lot of money out? Sure, I could have bought lesser quality parts (or maybe I got took, you judge), but I certainly didn't get "ripped off" on anything. I bought popular parts that are on the "most recommended" list and paid fair prices for the parts and install. What's different about me is that I kept track of the costs and published it for all to see. Not too many do that.

Overall, today it's a long way from the smooth, sophisticated, fast car that got great mileage that I bought. A long way. Was the journey worth it, and would I recommend it to others? Hmmmmmmmmm......

In my case I think it's something I "had to do", and needed to get out of my system. I am having a lot of fun with the modded car, and I'm going to go farther with it, but yes, I VERY MUCH regret what I am losing in the process. Modding has definite downsides to more than just your wallet. So the point of all this was not to say "don't mod, it sucks!" but to just show you some of the "dark side" no one talks about, and suggest you consider very carefully. You have a new Corvette, a "virgin" if you'll excuse the analogy, and that's something you can never get back again.

Ok, so now I got most of the whining out of my system. All true, though, so think hard.

Before we can talk about your mods, we have to talk about what your goals are. Do you want all upsides, and no downsides (other than expense)? Do you want to keep that smooth, sophisticated, reliable, rattle-free car? Or do you want to start down the road to Hot Rod? The first is hard, and sets pretty strict limits to what you can do. It requires thought, and restraint. The second is easy, limited only by money, and can be done by anyone. Kids do it every day. Let's call them Plan A and B, respectively.

All that aside, what about your proposed mods? Well, as I said before, a catback is a no-brainer, and again I recommend a Corsa for you. I think they best meet your requirements.

CAI? Mostly a waste of time. Ok for Plan B, not needed or particularly wanted for Plan A. Yes, everybody does them but I am far from convinced they do much. The factory system is excellent. It is slightly restricted due to noise regulations, but some judiciously drilled holes will fix that and make it pretty much as good as any aftermarket system. I doubt there is any aftermarket system short of a full ram-air (like a Vararam) that will make more than 2-3 rwhp over a drilled stocker. If you do decide you want a CAI, the Honker is probably the best, all things considered.. They all "work", most are just tacky-looking as all get out, imnsho (I'm stuck-up, I don't like taillight louvers either). :D The Honker works maybe a little better than average and looks the least cheap and tacky, which is why I bought it. I would not do this mod again. Not close to worth $650, installed. I should have bought a used factory Z06 deal for $25 and drilled it. I don't think C6s have that option. Buy this for the eye-appeal if you want it.

Headers? Required for Plan B, ok for Plan A, so long as you buy good ones. American Racing are the current hot deal. Very, very well-made. Exotic sound. Expensive. I haven't had any trouble with mine such as loosening or leaks. The catback did move around a little so I took it back after a couple weeks and had things adjusted and tightened. This is a "good" mod so far as either Plan goes, and has the most bang of all those you listed, but the gain is still quite mild for what it costs. You're going to probably spend most of $2k, and gain 15-20 rwhp. $100/rwhp plus other downsides such as noise, tuning issues, etc. Up to you.

Plugs & wires? Complete waste of time and $$$. Most replacements are inferior to factory imnsho.

Thermostat? Well, this needs more than just the thermostat to do anything. There's no real horsepower in it , but if you can keep the engine from getting *hot* in traffic you can maybe avoid detonation and hence spark retard, and there is horsepower in that. I put some effort into this one because my first dyno run was on a hot day, had spark retard, and only made 285 rwhp. Eeek! On the other hand, these engines don't run well or make good power if they are run too cold (imo). They ain't smallblock Chebbies.

The car used to run 200-210 when well-cooled, and would sometimes hit as high as 235 in traffic in midsummer. My goals with the mods were to keep it between 180 and 90 all the time, even in adverse conditions. I have achieved that. Here's what we did: Hypertech 180 thermostat (tested on stove), reprogram fans (required for the t-stat change to have any effect), change to 20% Dexcool, 80% distilled water, add 1 bottle Water Wetter. It now runs a steady 182-192 at ALL times. It's actually cooler at the end of a 1/4 mile run than at the start. I'm well-pleased with how this turned out.

Throttle body? Complete waste of money for you. You already have pretty much the best one available.

Tune? I wouldn't get it until you need it. Mine had good and bad sides. Look at it this way: GM invested hundreds or thousands of hours tweaking the car just "so". Your tuner has maybe an hour. Yes, he will get you another 5-10 rwhp, but overall the tune will likely be a little less "polished" It's inevitable...unless you want to pay him for a whole lot of hours.

So that's what I think. If you want to go Plan B and build a Hot Rod, ignore much of this and just go start down the path the same way everyone else does. For Plan A, think hard and plan carefully. Your basic plan can work well, but there will be some bumps along the way, and when its done it will *not* be your stock car plus more power. It'll be your car plus more power plus various niggly bs.

Oh, and we haven't even talked about warranty. Pretty much any mod you can see can give the dealer reason to hassle you over the warranty. Maybe talk to the service manager first and feel him out. Ask at the club about others who are using the same dealer.

If what you want is much more power with the least amount of downsides, buy an LS7 engine and have it installed.

So, now that I've written all that mostly-gloom, am I unhappy I modded my car? No, but then I knew I was heading for Hot Rod. Hot rods are a pita. So, even though I love my hot rod, and I'm having more fun than I ever had with a car before, and I can't stop driving it...I'm also looking somewhat wistfully back over my shoulder at what it was, and has now been lost.

If you read all that, thanks. Good luck!

Thanks again Dave. I need to seriously reconsider my hot rod approach. I would like a beefier sound but not the headaches with it. I will at least consider headers and Corsa with a lower thermostat and fan adjustment.

If you do this stuff, you will also need a tune (imo). I think if you do just those things, plus a set of rear gears, you will have something that is much faster than stock and is approaching the upper limits of what is truly practical and reasonable for a "real" street car. You should also stay out of warranty trouble.

Do you have a stick or an auto? It doesn't matter so much for the '06-7 cars, as even the autos are 6-speeds. Remember that gears are almost the only "free" mod there is, and are probably the single most effective mod you can do. It's torque that pushes you back in the seat, not horsepower. Changing gears *directly* increases the torque you feel in all gears, at all speeds. They have no adverse effects, no affects on warranty or reliability, other than a slight decrease in gas mileage and the need to have the tranny reprogrammed on an auto. Oh, and some gearsets do whine.

Going from 3.15 gears to 4.10 is an instant 30% increase in torque everywhere, all the time. That's just about the same as a 30% larger engine. In your case, that would be like having a 473 ci engine. :D If you started with 3.42s it's a 20% increase, or "only" a 436 ci engine. 4.10s turn smallblocks into big-blocks.

If you buy a complete replacement differential from someone like DTE, you can always swap back to your stock one later if you don't like it. That's what I would do. It's not that much extra to do it that way (imo).

Tell us your current setup and we can run some numbers through the spreadsheet to see what the impact on cruising rpms would be.

Interesting read....... And I can't argue against any points made in it.

When I bought my C5Z, I knew from the start I was going to mod the hell out of it. This was a reversion to my younger high performance days, and I knew there was no stopping it. I am fully satisfied with the twin turbos, and don't think I will go any further with the mods, HOWEVER, if a piston were to go bye-bye, it really wouldn't break my heart too much. That means a new motor, and it WILL be an upgrade.... :hehehe:

Now with that being said, the wife and I bought an '07 C6 Coupe recently. One of the guys here asked me what I was going to do to it to mod it. I told him "nothing at all". At least nothing other than some minor cosmetic stuff. This car is fine just like it is. If something wears out or breaks that is not covered by warranty, then yes, I will get something a bit higher on the quality scale. But beyond that, this car really doesn't NEED the mods, and neither do I nor my wife.

.....Famous last words.......

Hey! Who said that? :lmao:

Well written post by Gannett...pay close attention and think carefully. Mark, as you know we have identical cars and I am in the initial stages of the mods you are considering. While I love my new headers, the car is now throwing codes (CEL). The fix for this is a tune, so here we go! If I should need a warranty repair to the engine, after market headers, cats, and tune could jeapordize the factory warranty. Am now considering taking the headers off and returning to stock for this reason. IMO these cars come equipped from the factory with plenty of TQ and HP for street use. If you want to track the car that is another story...:yesnod:

I'm beginning to think I might leave my car alone. I reall really really thank Dave for his long thorough post, honesty, and brevity. THis is why I love this FORUM so much. I like it even better than CF-some of the guys there think they're all that and the egos are way too big if you get my drift.
Again, Thanks Dave for everything. I hope you don't mind if we talk sometime soon.
Also thanks Beepster. I liked what you did to your vette and yet I see where the headaches can be a Bitch.

Gannett did a great job in providing you with both sides of the story. I agree with him completely!

I have only made one modification to my '01 6 speed vert and that was the exhaust. Although I maybe in the minority here, I really liked the stock C5 exhaust tips. Although a little small based on the size of the rear fascia, I thought the shape was well designed based on the similar shape of the tail lights. That said, I was always a little disappointed with the sound of the stock exhaust. Even when I stuck my foot in it, the exhaust sound just gave me the impression that I was driving a two seater Impala!

So, I just recently (after owning the '01 for over 5 years) changed the exhaust to the Corsa Indy Pace Car with the Pro Tips. This modification gave me the sound I was looking for, without the drawbacks of a lot of the other exhaust systems out there. This exhaust does not drone during any of the normal cruising speeds, so I can still listen to the radio, or have a conversation with a passenger. I was able to pick up the exhaust at Corvette Carlisle on a show special for $825 and the install was pretty easy.

My point is, this is one modification that I would recommend if you are looking for a little more aggressive sound from your ride. So far I have not found a downside to this modification. The one thing I would caution is I do not think I would be happy with the sound if I had also added headers. With the headers and the Pace Cars I think the sound would have been a little over the top for me.

I thought about additional modifications to improve the performance of the '01 vert, but decided I would be much better off leaving it the way it is, enjoying it for what it is (which is no slouch by any means) and I went out and bought a '04 Z06 CE to satisfy my additional need for power. I know this may sound extreme, but you might be surprised in the financial difference between serious hot rodding and buying another hot rod! Just my opinion.

Good luck with whatever decision you make.

Rich

I agree that Corsa Pace Cars (Indys) are a no-downside mod that make the car a lot more fun. Have no fear on that one, Mark. It is a GM-approved accessory, available at GM dealers (don't buy there, I'm just sayin'), will not affect the warranty, and will make the car a lot more fun...except for those bird-watching trips. :D They are not so low-restriction as to throw the tune off, as my Bullets did. I don't know if you've ever looked at them, but Bullets have no mufflers at all, just some kinda-resonators. Essentially straight pipes with bumps. That's why they're loud, and why they're one of the few catbacks that actually shows a decent power gain.

If you can stand the drop in gas mileage and possible whine, gears are a great mod that don't affect *anything* else, and it's likely the dealer would never know.

Those two mods are what I would limit myself to if you're looking at Plan A, but they are also two I would highly recommend if you want more speed, noise, and fun. OTOH, a C6 has a lot of power just as it is.

It's funny how jaded we've become. When I was a kid, the cutoff for the "fast car" bracket at Milan Dragway was 12.70. Virtually every single car in that class was a full-on drag car, huge slicks, open headers, gutted interior, the works. Seriously Fast. Your car goes that fast right now, more than likely, and would get 25+ quiet mpg on the way to the track.

Hey Mark,

Get together at a Corvette gathering and listen to different exhaust sounds. Not only from the outside, but sit inside the car as well. Find the sound you are looking for and go from there.

As far as other MODs. Everyone here has given you some very honest advice.
In my many years of selling computers I met with a lot of people that had a list from a friend of what they needed. It usually turned out to be the friends’ wish list and not what the customer really needed. A lot of folks will have you do things to your car that they wish they could do. Don't build someone else’s dream car at your expense. Do some serious searching for what YOU want and go from there. Keep the factory warranty in mind as well. You never know what may come up and you don't want to jeopardize that too much.

MAKE IT YOUR RIDE!

I'm looking for a used Exhaust for my C6. I had the Corsa touring on my 04 z51, it was like stock until ya got on it! I want something louder, but not TOOO loud, and no drone.

Dont know what would be best?

Chas,

One of the reasons I did not go with the Corsa Touring was because it only sounded slightly louder than my stock exhaust. Now if I was putting headers on then I think the Touring might be what is right for me. But since I elected to not go with headers I wanted something a little more agrressive but was still liveable at cruising speeds. That is why I went with the Corsa Indy's. I will be in Ft. Myers this weekend just for a short stay. If you are going to be in that area anytime between Saturday and Monday evening, I would be more than glad to let you take a look at my setup on my C5.

Just let me know.

Rich

If i had a bought a new car with a warranty on it, i would probably just stick to mods that will help it breath better... a good air intake, and catback. Maybe some other bolt-ons ...then once the warranty is up or close to it go ALL out!!!

Ok I think I am starting to see some possibilities here. I will definitely listen to some different exhaust systems. The Corsa sounds really good from a warranty perspective since they are GM approved accoring to Gannet. How do I look up what gear ratios I have? THis is somewhay out of my league and I'm not sure what to look for or what these ratios mean. I definitely need an education about this area. Are there any GEAR BOOKS FOR DUMMIES out there or is ithis pretty basic stuff? Thanks again Guys for your time and advice. Mark

I was just looking at the Corsa product line. There seems to be 3 options- Z06, Sport, or Touring all of which could be added to a X-tube. If I skip the headers and just wanted a beefier sound without pissing my wife off because she can't hear conversations at cruising, which one can I get away with. Also I am interested in this gear ratio stuff. Also, does the X-tube really do anything or is it hype ware? Mark

Check your option list on your window sticker. See what it says about "axle". Usually it says what the ratio is, even if you have the base axle. Also, what trans do you have?

The Corsas are known for not droning. They are about the only ones that you can pretty much guarantee won't drone. Some others may not. The Touring is not worth bothering with as it is almost like stock. The Z06 only fits Z06 cars, I believe, as they have considerably different exhaust systems on C6s. Gotta love those cutouts! So that leaves the Sport. I guess they don't call it the Pace Car or Indy because it hasn't been used on an Indy Pace Car yet, whereas the C5 versions were. It's probably the same thing, the "loud" exhaust. It should suit you just fine. It should be nearly as quiet as stock when cruising, but quite a bit louder at WOT.

At the end of the day, though, only you can decide about a catback, and probably only after you live with it for a while. There are plenty of guys that have gone through 3 or 4 of them. Thankfully, they are easy to sell on the used market for most of what you paid.

For gearing, what I would do is buy an entire replacement differential from Dynotech Engineering. I mentioned before keeping your stocker, but that was before I saw the C6 core charge. Ouch! Anyway, check this page. I see he has listings for 2005, and 2006-Mr. That leads me to believe there is something "funny" about the C6A6 diff. If so, and if that's what you have, you might be out of luck.

Dave,I have a A6 with Paddles and F55 SUSPENSION. I did not see anything about what axle the vert came with on the window sticker or all my other papers. Is there another way to find out? Thanks for the advice on Dynetech. Also, Is the long tube or X tube part of the system or added as needed?

My 06 A6 has the 2:56 rear gear i think, i always drive it in sport mode.

One of your option codes will tell which rear you have. It will start with a G. I expect you have the base diff, but I don't know what that is on a C6. On a C5 A5 it's a 2.73, which is pretty lazy.

A quick review of the C6 forum on CF reveals that I am out of my depth regarding C6 diffs...and apparently lots of other folks are too. :) Much disagreement and misinformation. Call Phil at Dynotech, and ask him what you have and what your options are. They *know*, because they work on the things every day.

The Corsa is a catback. That is, it's just the rear portion of the exhaust, and does not include the "x-pipe" (a misnomer). That's fine, changing an x-pipe is not cost-effective. If you get longtube headers it will come with a new x-pipe, but other than that leave it alone.

I finally found the info on A6 gearing. Forget my comments on changing the rear gear, that's right out.

The A6 comes with these ratios, 1-6: 4.02, 2.36, 1.53, 1.15, 0.85, 0.67, and a 2.56 rear axle. That yields overall ratios of: 10.29 6.04 3.92 2.94 2.18 1.72
Compare that to a C5 M6, which has overall ratios of: 10.91 7.30 5.33 4.10 3.03 2.05

The A6 is an exceptionally wide-ratio transmission. You really can't change the rear gears without making the top or bottom impractical. If you ever mod the engine, you're going to have to shoot for a very wide power band. It would work slick with a big-inch engine. It wouldn't work well at all with a peaky head/cam setup.

Best bet would be to put a catback on and wait a year or so for the mod scene to settle out. It's too new; let someone else bleed on that edge.

So Dave, Do I just place the Corsa Sport onto my current X pipe or is it better to connect to Corsa long tubes and attach it to the current manifold? If I understand you correctly, the factory could have made a better gear package for that extra torgue and WOW factor. Mark

Looking at the Corsa catalog page here, it looks like you don't have any choice. You have to buy a "full" system with pipes and mufflers, as apparently there is something special about the A6 setup. For the Sport exhaust, get PN 14167.

I don't think there's anything "wrong" with GM's gearing choices, per se. I'd have chosen differently, but then that's part of why I got an M6. :D

I see what you mean Dave. Thanks for clearing this up for me. I wish I could have gotten a M6 but due to a left leg injury, I am unable to handle a clutch with my left foot. So I had to settle for an A6. It's still alot of fun and I don't regret it one bit.
If you ever get down this way, let me know and my wife and I will treat you and your wife to lunch. Anna Maria Island is kind of old Florida and Funky. We can wake up the Island with your B&Bs. :lmao: Mark

Mark,

I guess I did not realize that you are on Anna Maria island. We have good friends that retired there a few years ago. They have a '67 silver and a '00 red and both are verts. Anna Maria is not that large, I am sure you will bump into them at some point.

Rich

WOW...
 

Awesome thread and great posts!!! Lots of info to be had here!:thumbsup:

So are they CorvetteFlorida members yet? :D

Sorry to hear about the injury. Got a couple of those myself.

Nothing to regret on the A6. I drove a couple when we were shopping and I thought they were very cool, one of the best features of the car.

Waddya mean, "if we ever"? It's not far, and we drive a lot. :D

If we can get Rich to get his friends online, maybe we could get a little mini-cruise going here. I've been wanting to do some smaller things with just a few other cars (like 1-4) down around that way. I envisioned something like cruise + meal + some attraction, not necessarily in that order. "Attraction" might be something like Mote Marine Aquarium, Selby Gardens, Caspersen Beach, etc. Some of these are great Corvette destinations, but it gets unwieldy trying to take a bunch of cars there.

As to lunch, ever been to Snook River Grill? :D

I haven't tried the Snook River Grill yet. I do want to take you to Bones-really FUNKY. I haven't met any fellow vettes here yet but a little cruise with 4-5 cars would be fun. It would be a great excuse for me to pick that brain of your! HMMMMMMM. :toetap05:

Did someone mention a road trip and FOOD Nothing like inviting ones self:D . Just playing though, you all have fun!

Oh my, is that my back bone i'm feeling thru my stomache?:lmao:

I think they forgot to mention beer......
http://www.corvetteflorida.com/photo...0/21954962.jpg

:lmao: That'sthe reason I picked Bones. The food is good and there is a coffin in the lobby loaded with cold beer on ice. Yes I said Coffin! Really FUNKY. Ray, Come on down too. I need to meet you and you can meet my goat.:lmao:

Gannet,

I have tried with not much success! I'll keep on them though!

Mr. Bones is a cool place for some Great Ribs. If you folks don't mind a newbie to this forum, I would like to meet and greet if you ever make that dinner ride to Bradenton.

Joe B.

You may be a "Newbie", but now you're a Vette owner who's a member of this forum, and that makes you "Family"!:thumbsup:

~Ray

If this weather ever warms up, I'm ready for Bones. How about you Gannet, Yankedad, Softail or anyone else want to go eat and cruise maybe to Mote Marine sometime? I want it warmer so I can get the top down. Mark

Sure...
 

We're always up for a road trip :vette: and munchies. Kind of a long trip to just "eat and run" though. So, eating and then cruising somewhere would work.
Throw a date our way in the future (when it warms up) and we'll see if we're Available.:thumbsup:

By the way...what is "Mote Marine" exactly?

Anyone else interested????

~Ray

C6 Mods
 

I might suggest that you give me a call. I have been tuning C5/C6's for a decade and I live a stone's throw from you. I have a modified C6 that I drive daily that I would be pleased to take for a spin in. Our work is high quality and we have a fast turn around. You can sit in the shop and watch us it you'd like. We are also sponsor of this web.

Mikes 06c6
 

I agree with most of the posts ive read,first decide what your expectations are for the mods you are looking to achieve are you looking for style foremost or increased performance?dollar wise performance costs are much higher than mere cosmetic up grades.i love my roadster though i would loved to have had a new z06 if it were available in rag top form this is where the decisions were made to build a 500+ horsepower car. all the up grades i have made come at a price it becomes addicting though and now im in the process of supercharging.i have had no regrets with the improvements that have been made the vette puts a smile on my face every time i drive it and it draws a good bit of attention. decide witch direction your are going with your new corvette and enjoy the ride.:thumbsup: :dancer01: