Z06 owner with some general questions???

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

I think the Z06 is a fine car. But I hate GM because with all the money and blind faith customers they have their marketing strategy is still to produce more hype than performance. GM needs to do more than offer badging as an option. The jerks even dumped the Fbody. Idiots. They’ve been building the same boring NA 350 for 50 years and they seem perfectly happy to stay just barely in front of Ford and don’t seem to care about getting their butts beat by Dodge’s 488cid V10 for the past 11 years. The Viper, both old and new, demolishes all Vettes. And if Ford produces the GT40 then it’s “bye-bye Generic Motors.” Hell, the supercharged Mustang Cobra draws a bigger crowd than any Vette does.

There is a large number of Viper purist that are disappointed in the styling of the new Viper. Hopefully for the next generation, Dodge will go back to radical and say “Screw the whimps” that made complaints like “a true convertible”, “NGR”, “noisy”, “daily driver” and my favorite whimp comment “For 70K you would think…”

Speed and cubic inches first
Style second
Creature comforts – worthless. Provide a stereo jack and a speaker hole and let people put their own system in if they want it.

 

[Vic]

Hi, and welcome! I like Corvettes, but of course, I like my Viper more. What else would you expect? Ha ha, little joke there.

If you've got your Z06 down to 2982 pounds, and assuming its 405 hp, then you've got 7.36 pounds/HP, which is just about the same as a stock Gen2 Viper. So I bet it hauls pretty good!

Myself, I'm contemplating the Roe S/C with VEC2, which would put me at something close to 5 pounds/HP.

I like mostly all sports cars, no matter what brand. Different cars have different things to like about them. (or not) Cars are like automotive art, sculptures in metal and plastic. Its all good!

 

[VIPR GTS]

There is alot written about the z06 being faster due to the electronics that help it go fast without as much room for driver error. The handling is very good and for average drivers it is probably much faster with all of the computer aids. The styling is starting to look a little dated but it probably still is ahead of the Viper in the performance per dollar area.
The problem is, Gen 1 and Gen 11 Vipers have CHARACTER, that is an area the the Corvette just falls on its face. Nice cars for the money, very quick, and at least one at every traffic light, common in other words.

 

[Roadkill]

I'm a recent Viper owner myself and looked at the vette's prior to going the Dodge way.. The styling just wasn't there in the Corvettes.. I'm a gen I/II fan myself, Even if the viper was slower, I'd have gone with it. Corvettes sorta remind me of the type of car you'd buy if you were an old codger.. lots of comfort while still offering good power, but certainly never providing the visceral joy that looking at a viper brings.

 

[Fred(DrivingSchool)Kinder]

2003 cars:

Pro - Very Good Performance for $$$. Great on an autocross with the active handling doing a lot the work when at the limit.

Con - pretty common, Track performance(acceleration and braking) lacking, Viper is still King of The Hill.

Vette Rag Top is not close in performance to the Viper Rag Top. The Viper Rag top will out perform the ZO6 coupe in every measure of performance

 

[KenricGTS]

I think the Z06 is one hell of a car for the money. Vettes just look too common and not as **** and mean looking as a Gen 1 2 Viper. I think the Z06 option should be offered on the better looking lift top coupe. I really think GM should produce a limited edtion C5R like the GT2 Viper. The Viper is a true exotic car. The Vette is a nice car just not an exotic. Kenric

 

[George Murray]

One buys a 'Vette when his roofing business starts showing a profit after 25 years, he's controlled his Budweiser intake to where he can function in business, and his kids have graduated from the Vo-Tech and Beauty academies.

First and foremost, a 'Vette is a Chevy.

 

[Bugeater]

Hey George,
I just bought a house in Virginia Beach (under contract) - I will have to meet up somewhere in the near-future! Have hung out with Tony couple times...

On subject: I think the Z06 is the best performance car you can buy in america for the money. I owned a C5 convertible and loved it. I moved on because I wanted a car that offered the same characteristics (power/performance/handling) and wanted the next step in these areas, plus unequalled style, bigblock torque, rarity, and the owner passion associated with the dodge viper) I have found the last point to be the biggest eye-opener.

Generally, I think you see mutual respect from each side's owners, especially the ones that compete against one another on the strip or the roadcoarse.

 

[RX VIPER]

I like the Z06. It's a better 'bang for the buck' for sure. The style is getting a bit dated, and it would be nice when I see one on the road that it was more obvious it's a Z06 vs. the C5. In '93 when I got out of college, a Vette is what I could afford. I've been to the 'Bloomington Gold' with the Corvette Club and had tons of fun, but the Viper Club is in a different league. It's not the money. I know a lot of Vette owners could afford to buy a Viper, but they're not for everyone. Some don't like having crowds of people gather around your car at gas stations and parking lots. Some people just want a good looking performance car. The Viper is outrageous. I'm not dissing your Vette. Quite the opposite. I do respect the Z06. If I didn't have two kids and another on the way I'd like one for my daily driver. In 1956 GM was already making over 3,000 a year. Dodge doesn't even make 1/2 that many Vipers now per year. Sounds like you've got a really nice car there. A lot of current Viper owners have owned a Vette at one time or another. You mentioned the history of the Vette as one of your purchase reasons. Well I hope hissssstory (snake humor)repeats itself like a lot of previous Vette owners for you and there is a Viper in your future. I don't think there is a Viper owner who has regretted making the switch.

 

[spdrcrj]

I have a C4 Corvette and love it just as much....well....more than the day I bought it. It was my first dip in the semi-exotic car pool so it has some sentimental value too, and lots of memories. Im currently looking to pick up a '97 blue and white GTS or '90 Ferrari 348 at the end of the year. Im looking somewhere other than the Corvette for the same reason some other guys mentioned, exclusivity. Corvettes are commonplace now due to their daily livability. It just doesnt mean as much to own a Corvette nowadays. I'll tell you though, even when I get something new, I'm keeping the Vette too.

 

[Supercharged Vipermad]

Hey George,
I just bought a house in Virginia Beach (under contract) - I will have to meet up somewhere in the near-future! Have hung out with Tony couple times...

NOT TRUE!!! Seriously...glad to see you found a house John! Now...all we need is some nice weather and we can all come over and christen the driveway with some 13" wide stripes!!! LOL

Hijack over.....

 

[joe117]

I think you went off track, so to speak, when you started doing mods to your ZO6.
"my z has a intake, H/C package, headers, exhaust, comp. brakes, lowered, T1 suspension, beefed up internals, and has been further lightened."
*You probably spent enough so that the ZO6 was no longer a bargain.
*The mods probably made the car a little less comfortable and practical, noise, reduced streetability, reliability.
*A ZO6 is a good car but I think you probably took away some of the points that it has going for it when you started to mod it.

 

[joe117]

To the guys that down the C4/C5 series Vettes in favor of the 63 split window or some other of that era, you may like the looks of a 63-67 but try to make one do anything as well as a C4/C5. All the talk about big blocks and FI and all the other crud that one hears is just so much ledgend.
The reality is that thay were great cars for their day but they are not in the same ball park when compaired to modern cars.
And plese tell me, what is a "1963 split window fuely ZO6"?

 

[George Murray]

Bugeater & Vipermad...we'll definitely have to get together around here...hopefully we'll get a few days of nice weather and we can set up a cruise or something.

I'm very active with the local Mopar Club, and they have some nice activities planned. I'll email you both when I have a chance to look at the club schedule, or you can look yourselves at www.tidewatermoparclub.com

Looking forward to meeting you both! George

 

[BigCarrot]

Corvette for creature comfort and convenience!

Viper for EVERYTHING else!

 

[MR VENOM]

Are you a daily driver? Not sure of the split on vipers, but seem to garnish that most are not (mine is not). As far as charisma, style, and the "display" of brute force, it is hard to beat a Viper. Rent one, be calm (difficult) and watch the people "watch" you. I, as I am sure others, do not see vipers except rarely. I drive (my other car) about 40K miles per year, own a viper, and when I do see one it still turns my head. You have to have the passion; otherwise you will be caught in the passionate world of auto lovers and their continous...........emotions. Best of luck. You gotta want it!

 

[joe117]

What do you mean by this? "gm really needs to make the vette what it us to be"
I think todays Corvette handles better and is faster than any production Corvette ever made. You don't think the old ones were faster do you?

 

[Supercharged Vipermad]

Hmmmm, I really need to put the :troll: smilie back! Stand by one.... LOL!

 

[NOMERCY]

I chose a Z06 and modded the hell out of it. I was actually getting ready to buy an 00 GTS and the salesman pissed me off. The rest is history. I have ordered an 04 SRT so later this year I will be fortunate enough to have two of Americas finest.

BTW here is some videos and pics of a Z06 that combine the best of old school(sound/power) and new school (technology and style)

http://www.racingflix.com/featuredride.asp?f=2

 

[Steve Ferguson]

As a former Vett owner I am glad GM offers some "performance" version, I thought it was way overdue. But after driving a Z06 I found it to be bland and uninspiring. It was fast, but it still looks too much like a stock C5, and after driving a truly limited production car like the Viper, the Z06 experience just didn't add up too much. I know the Z06 is faster than my 67 427/435 HP Vett, but it sure didn't feel as special. The only other drawback is that it is GM, and I have very bitter feelings since as a 3 time Vett owner I had a brutal arbitration battle with GM on my last Vett.

 

[joe117]

Steve,
Sound's bad, what did they do?

 

[Steve Ferguson]

I had a 89 convert that would not stay running unless the foot was on the gas pedal. Anytime you lifted the car just died. I also had a 67 big block and 75 convert in the garage. So I would say I was a real big fan. Anyway, after 5 attempts to fix the problem, (they even had a tech come up from Bowling Green to try), and no change, They told me to find a new one and that we would swap cars. That sounded great. But They asked if I would bring the one that didn't run so the dealer could evaluate the value. So I drove 40 miles to a dealer that had the one I wanted and had to deal with my Vett dying every chance it got. The dealer looked at the car and told me the rep would call me the next day.

Well the next day comes and so does the call. The rep tells me "just give us your vett and we will give you the new one. Oh yea, by the way, we also need a check for $12,000". Needless to say I got a little pissy and basically MF'd him for about 15 minutes, at which time I informed him that not only would I see them in court, but I also would eliminate my garage of ALL vett's. to that he said "fine, I will see you in court".

I found out I could go to the BBB and that they would hold an arbitration hearing. So I did and I won. GM had to refund all of the purchase price less $1,500 or $100 per month I had the car.

 

[joe117]

I guess this was back in 89 and you bought the car new. They did try to **** you around. I'm glad you got them in arbitration. It sound's like the deal you got was fair, that is if you don't count all the hassle, and if you financed the car during those 15 months, you were out all the interest. I wonder why they didn't just pull the engine and give you a new one rather than swap cars? Of course, if I had a new Vette I'm not sure I'd want them swapping an engine at that point

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

GM had to refund all of the purchase price less $1,500 or $100 per month I had the car.

It was the only thing you could do and you may have won, but I can imagine the aggravation it caused you. And to them it was nothing more than a piss in the ocean.

 

[Steve Ferguson]

It aggravated me a bit, but it made my life better! I then got a 300ZX TT, a 911, and then the Viper. Life has been great! I guess I owe them jerks a big thank you?

 

[HOTRODJOHN]

The 02 Z06 is the quickest "production" vette ever, and by the way 93viper, the 02 Z06 will beat the 63 Fuelie to 60 mph, in the quarter, top end, in the turns, braking and also get a true 27 mpg with the a/c turned on. The z06 is an awesome car (Im a little biased because Ive got one). GM got more horse per cube than Dodge while still retaining good gas mileage efficiency. The Viper is just so much more stunning looking and exclusive vs. the vette. When I got a 97 C5 when it was first released in 97 that car got a lot of looks and attention just like my Viper does now. GM has built so many of them now that they are everywhere...

 

[Speedstyle]

i just dont like the look of the new one. i know its got more motor but its got no looks.

If you haven't seen one in person you can't base you opinion on photos. The pictures do not do it justice. The more you see its sleek lines, the more you will love it. With the announcement of the aftermarket hardtop as well, theres nothing not to love.

 

[Fred(DrivingSchool)Kinder]

One "Plastic Pig"(and that is what I called it when new) a 69 was enough for me. I played with that car for many years. It was a love hate relationship. It was a 427 T-Top, which I purchased instead of a 67, 427 AC Cobra(first Major $$ Mistake). After a few months of ownership I got my doors blown off by a 426 Hemi. Things wehn down hill from there 2 engines later ending with a 454 LS7(opened chambered) it would run pretty good. But a stock GenII would give that Vette with slicks all it wanted. There was an informal group of Vette owners that would meet at the peir(Erie,PA 1969-1971), socilaize, BS, Street RAce, etc. I did not like the fiber glass stress cracks that seemed to never stop, It had many noises from the body to frame stressing over anything but flat surfaces. Had no desire to buy another Vette. The SRT-10 will be my 5th Viper. Loved my first 96RT(purchased mid. Dec. of 95) Red. and waiting for my 03.