The Ongoing Tales of Red Zed

New Tires: Michelin Pilot Sport 4S

Red Zed was sold to me with nearly new Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 4 run flats.  I drove the Car and Driver Loop in Hocking Hills more than once with those tires.  I was impressed with their lateral grip; I wasn't nearly as impressed with their longitudinal grip.  Whether it's rational or not, I wanted proper summer rubber.  So I got it.

I had four new MPS4S's installed. Then I went to Sonic Temple for all four days of the festival's duration and didn't drive the car.

Last week I went to the Car and Driver Loop twice.  I've gotten to know that road well enough that I can toss the car around.  My observations about the MPS4S's relative to the A/S 4's:

• Marginally more lateral grip.  Since I don't have enough practice or confidence to run the car near its limit, I probably found no *practical* difference.  I suspect that there is an absolute difference.
• Noticeably improved longitudinal grip.  The car is into ABS less frequently, and it feels considerably less slippy when hammering it in a straight line.
• Better transitional behavior. The MPS4S is noteworthy because it's a communicative tire, telling you when it's losing grip and regaining it.  I experienced this when replacing my Focus ST's Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2's with MPS4S, and I experienced it again in the Vette.

I got an unexpected bonus: better on-center steering feel when cruising on a highway.  With the A/S 4's, this car had no feeling at all and I was perpetually frustrated.  The MPS4S's don't have a lot of on-center feel, but it's more than zero, so I'm a lot more comfortable.  Since Red Zed is a daily driver, I'm a lot happier.

What impresses me the most about the Pilot Sport A/S tires of today is how much better they are overall than the summer rubber of 10 years ago at being a summer tire while also being something you can drive year round.

That said, there is of course a corresponding increase in performance of today's summer tire and they do work better. The car itself unfortunately has a very lazy steering ratio. I had to do a lot of turning to hustle that car through slaloms. I wonder if that was ever changed in the later models?

I've been driving Red Zed a lot and going to a lot of meets, especially the local Cars & Coffee about 5 miles from home, every Saturday morning.  I've met some new friends.  Owning a Z06 gives you a lot of cache and I'd be lying if I said I didn't like it.  In fact, I love it.

This car has Penske double-adjustable canister shocks on it.  They're great.  But a while I noticed that they sit with direct line-of-sight to the exhaust manifolds, and that they were quite toasty when I touched them.  Last weekend I installed heat blankets around the canisters and remounted them in the same location.  I don't have pictures; perhaps I could take a couple.

I don't know if the shock canisters ever get really hot. I don't know if elevated fluid temps degrade performance or longevity of the shocks.  But I know that the heat barrier makes me happy, which is why I did it!

Oh, I forgot to say that I've been researching engine oil thermostats.  The oil in this car never gets much above 165F in normal driving during the summer.  When I drove the car home from CT in February, the oil temp at cruising speed was around or under 140F. 

I think the engine oil thermostat will be a project after the car is in the garage for the winter.  Right now, I'm having waaaaaay too much fun using it as a daily driver and a weekly-ish corner carver in Hocking Hills.

Improved racing makes a great oil cooler and a thermostat for it as well. 
 

sounds like you might have a lower temp thermostat.  I'd recommend putting the stock one in. They're made to run at the factory setting and a lower one won't make it run cooler if it starts to get hot. 

The LS7 doesn't have any engine oil thermostat at all, but it has a very effective engine oil cooler. The result is chronically cool oil temps, which is why I want to install a thermostat, which will enforce a minimum temperature.

DaveInColumbus said:

I've been driving Red Zed a lot and going to a lot of meets, especially the local Cars & Coffee about 5 miles from home, every Saturday morning.  I've met some new friends.  Owning a Z06 gives you a lot of cache and I'd be lying if I said I didn't like it.  In fact, I love it.

Mine is my first "grown up" car and I forget that a lot of people see them as serious cars. Every time someone starts talking to me I'm surprised. Especially it they've got a cool car. I was getting gas a couple months ago and a guy in a 911 started asking questions and it took a minute to register that I wasn't in my usual E36 M3box. That's more fun than I expected. 

Red Zed: In the Garage for the Winter

It's been a long time since I last provided a Red Zed update.  Last Sunday, I put Red Zed into a garage at one of my rental properties for the winter.  (My residence doesn't have a garage.)  I discovered an infestation of mice in that garage, so I've been waging war on the mice this week, but that's a story for later.

This was my first year owning a Corvette.  Recap: I bought the car in February 2023 (this year) and used it as my primary daily driver until roughly late September, when a rental property rehab project meant I was driving something else a lot.  I think I drove the car over 8,000 this year.  What do I think?

• It doesn't suck to drive a Corvette to work.  Or anywhere else, for that matter.
• In August, I took it on my annual multi-day trip to Tail of the Dragon.  More about that later.
• The sound never gets old.
• It costs a lot to run this car.  Tires will about 10 cents per mile.  Insurance is high because I have a teenage driver in the house.  It burns a non-trivial amount of gasoline. And the engine guzzles oil.  But when I close the door and the LS7 comes to life, it's all worth it.
• I attended many car meets this year, probably over 20.  The Z06 is a car that people always want to talk about, and I love talking about it.

I have some winter projects:

• Replace the headlamp lenses.  I got a pair of new headlamp lenses.  Actually, I got two pairs because of a BOGO sale.  So I'll be removing the front bumper cover to remove the headlamps.  I'll take the headlamps to my house and replace the lens covers in the comfort of the Dave Cave.
• Repair the HUD.  The HUD has a broken hinge.  I'll pull the steering wheel, pull the IP and lower cover, cut the HVAC duct, and remove the HUD.  I'll repair the broken hinge and fortify the good hinge, and reinstall it.
• Install an engine oil thermostat, maybe.  I'm thinking about it because I'd like warmer oil temps for regular driving.  Removing the front bumper cover for the headlamp lens replacement will ease installation of the thermostat.
• Install a rear camera, maybe.  I'd like a rear camera like most other C6 drivers.  I don't know if I really want to do the work to run its wiring from the back of the car to the stereo.
• Replace the steering wheel, maybe.  The leather on my wheel is smooth and there are spots where it is worn through.  If I can find one I like at a price I want to pay, I'll replace it.  If not, I'll put the old one back on when the HUD is done.

My August 2023 Tail of the Dragon Trip in Red Zed

This was the sixth straight year I took a multi-day trip to Tail of the Dragon with my car friends.  The prior five years, I drove my beloved 2015 Focus ST but hey, I now own a Z06.  You know what car made the trip: Red Zed.

I arrived on a Friday night about 10 PM.  One of my car buddies had already checked in to our apartment in Robbinsville, and he agreed to meet at the boat ramp on the north/west end of the Tail.  He has a 2017 Chevy SS (6MT, of course) and we were eager to run.  Due to prior years, we've grown accustomed to driving the Tail at night.  There is additional workload because visibility is impaired by the utter darkness but we've learned to deal with it.

We headed south/east toward the North Carolina end.  I was behind the SS and I could tell immediately that he was holding me up.  We made it all the to the motorcycle resort and pulled into the parking lot.  I confess that I was in awe of the car and the adrenaline was flowing.

I had enjoyed Red Zed up to that point: daily driving, and multiple evenings on the Car & Driver Loop in Hocking Hills.  But I didn't know if I really *liked* it.  It's a brutal car, given its suspension modifications.  The seats are unsupportive.  The steering is slow and lacks on-center feel.  At one point I may have thought "What have I done?"  But all it took was one trip, in one direction, on the Tail to make my decision.  I *love* this car.  All that brutality changes into control and predictability when you really hustle.  The harder you toss it left and right, the more composed it becomes.

I asked if my buddy wanted to do another lap: north and then back south.  He said he was tired and maybe didn't really want to do it, but he asked if I did, and I said yes, I did.  So he agreed.  I also said I would lead this time so I could drive at what I thought was Red Zed's more natural pace.  So up the hill we went into the darkness.

I lost him after a mile or so.  This was natural.  My car weighs at least 600 fewer pounds and has larger tires, so I have a natural pace that the SS doesn't.  I drove all the way to the overlook and waited.  One minute passed, no SS.  Two minutes passed, no SS.  Hmmmm... I said "I'm gonna wait five minutes and if the SS doesn't show up, I'm going back to see what's up."  I figured my buddy was tired and turned around to go back to the motorcycle resort.

I got to within 3.5 miles of the resort and, upon coming around a corner, he was standing next to the SS, which was parked on the outside of a turn.  He informed me that he'd overdriven the car on a damp turn and left the roadway.  The car hit an embankment and broke the RF suspension.  Drat.

Long story short: we were up most the night dealing with AAA, who was unable to deliver a tow truck despite two commitments from drivers who reneged.  Of course, there is no cell service on the Tail, so we played the waiting game until it was apparent the driver wasn't coming, and returned to Robbinsville.

In the morning, I aired our problem with some other friends who frequent the Tail.  One of them had needed a tow truck driver earlier that year, and found a local who did a great job.  My buddy called him, and they agreed on a significant price to have the car towed back to the northern Atlanta area to a dealer who would repair the SS.  I was sad.  The car would be fixed, but my dear friend, who I only see once per year on this trip, left and didn't come back.

The remaining days were filled with lots of driving.  Look, the Focus ST is quick car and I got quick in it.  But I had to relearn how to drive, and I won't tell you that I was driving very well at the end of the trip, because I wasn't.  BUT... I answered an important question.

When you want to hustle the car, an early question you must answer is "How do I get this car to rotate?"  The Corvette rotates on throttle, which is the opposite of the ST, which readily rotates off the throttle and returns to usual FWD understeer as soon as you apply any power.  I had to learn to trust the rear end to stick while applying power out of the apex.  Oh my, but it sticks.

A good time was had by all, except for my buddy with the SS.  I look forward to at least one trip next year.  I intend to take Red Zed, but my wife just gave me permission to acquire a used Miata if I complete some longstanding house projects.  We'll see which car goes to the Tail.

DaveInColumbus said:

And the engine guzzles oil.  

I hope this just refers to the fact that it has a 10.5 quart capacity and 3000 mile oil changes are a bit spendy. I'd hate to think it was burning oil.