2006 Corvette

**asshanson** · 06-06-2011

As many of you know I recently purchased a 2006 Corvette coupe. It's a 3LT options car which is the fully loaded version with a transparent roof, bose system, heated seats (for all the winter driving), heads up display, etc. The only real option to add is the navigation, which this car didn't have, just the standard 6 disc changer. Here is a list of the performance and appearance mods the previous owner performed this past winter.

Performance
- 427 forged stroked LS3 shortblock (Eagle rods/crank, Mahle pistons, details and receipts available), 11.5:1 cr
- FAST 102 intake
- LS3 heads
- PatrickG Custom grind cam (239/247, .610/.632, 114+2)
- Comp chrome moly 7.425 pushrods
- TEA dual valvesprings w/ ti retainers
- LS7 lifters
- SLP underdrive pulley
- Monster Stage 4 Clutch w/ Lightweight Billet Flywheel and Remote Bleeder
- Built T56
- Rebuilt torque tube
- Z06 engine oil cooler
- Dewitts heavy duty radiator
- OBX 1 3/4" stainless Headers/Midpipes
- Corsa Sport axleback
- K&N CAI
- Z06 fuel pump assembly
- 57LB FAST injectors
- Stainless brake lines

Exterior
- IForged TE10 18x9.5, 19x11 wheels
- Nitto Invo 275 front, 305 rear
- 30% tint
- RPI Designs Taillight and Sidemarker blackout kit
- Extra set of 4 C5Z rear wheels w/ Pirelli slicks
- Lowering bolts installed front and rear, lowered an inch

There are a few changes I wanted to make to the car, first of all being the nav. I found a crazy deal on a stock navigation head unit for $300 including the entire bose amp and speakers. I should be able to sell the 6 disc changer and bose setup for at least $300 so basically a free upgrade.
Here is the base unit:

And here is the nav installed, took about an hour since everything was plug and play:

Nav in the heads up:

Next up on the list is the exhaust. Right now it has OBX 1 3/4" headers and 2.5" X pipe and exhaust, which people tell me is too small now that the motor is a 427. The other issue is that the car has a loud drone at 1500-1700 rpms which is pretty common for aftermarket exhausts on these cars. Chris Carey recently posted a vid of the dual mode mufflers they're installing on Evos, well the same thing comes stock on the z06 cars. They have vacuum actuators that open and close 2 of the 4 exhaust valves and makes it a straight pipe under high load. So I decided to buy a set of 3" z06 mufflers. Again, I'll be able to sell the Corsa Sport exhaust for more than I paid for the z06 mufflers and it will be quiet at cruise and really loud when I want it to be. Eventually I'll get some larger headers and mid pipes on the car too. I'll post vids of the "mild to wild" exhaust when I get it installed.

The other upgrade I plan to do in the next few months is Z51 swaybars. $200 for the Z51 front and rear kit from GM which greatly reduces body roll and improves handling according to reviews.

Possible future plans:
102mm TB and MAS to match the intake manifold
Port the intake manifold and coat it satin black for a stock look
MAYBE some better flowing heads, but this is a long ways off, over a year at least
ZR1/Z06/GrandSport widebody conversion and wider rims/tires

Pics:

**Halon** · 06-06-2011

Targa top is secks! Love the car man, I'm jealous! Any ideas as to why it made a little less than you expected?

**goodhart** · 06-06-2011

JIMP

That nav is bad ass!

**Kracka** · 06-06-2011

Looks mean!

dsmdion · 06-06-2011

That car is incredible

Super Bleeder!! · 06-06-2011

Yummmm

**Murlo26** · 06-06-2011

YES T TOP FTW! Looks awesome man.

What kind of power does it put down...traction problems?

I know my dads stock c6 has traction issues not sure how bad modded ones get.

**Halon** · 06-06-2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by Murlo26

YES T TOP FTW!

???

98gstaherns · 06-06-2011

Holy Shit that thing looks nice!

**scheides** · 06-06-2011

Badass dude! I'm sad I didn't get a ride at the dyno day; you were giving plenty though.

Oh, and you left out the part about how it sounds like a rawring freight train at WOT!

**asshanson** · 06-06-2011

T is for Targa maybe?

Car made 475hp at DB with the stock air filter and running a point rich at 11.5:1. We suspected it was also missing a little with the stock plugs and wires, so I went a step colder and gapped them down from .055 to .045 and got some nice MSD high temp wires. I also had the o2 issues fixed at Doug Rippie this past week and got it retuned with the K&N air intake that came with the car so now I'm guessing the car makes in the low 500's. This is still about 20hp lower than it should be because of the small exhaust that's on the car, I'll get that figured out in the next month or so. If I get aftermarket heads, TB, porting intake, etc, I'm probably looking at spending $4k and high 500's for power. Not ready to drop that kind of cash for quite some time.

It does have a pretty big cam in it, 15* of overlap which makes idle nice and lopey but a bitch to drive in rush hour or parking lots. Or really anything under 1500 rpms and light throttle is jerky. The Monster stage 4 six puck grabby clutch doesn't help either, it's actually somewhat difficult to drive at first.

It has obvious traction issues in 1st, and in 2nd on a hard shift or at high rpm from a roll. However, the 305 wide Invos do pretty well compared to the stock runflats in 285 width from what I've read.

**Goat Blower** · 06-07-2011

Yeah, I'm not sure where the t-top reference came from, they haven't had those since 1982.

Mod list looks awesome, I'm starting to think a C6 is in my future, probably stock. I'm actually a little sick of modded cars. Cars are so good from the factory now, that modding just isn't what it used to be. Or maybe I'm just getting old.