We’re taking GM’s amazing fiberglass sports car and making it even faster.
Here are the lessons we learned after the engine in our C5 Corvette project car exploded while on track.
As we get ready to install our LS3 into the chassis, we figured this was the perfect time to address one of the big supposed shortcomings of the LS architecture: …
How does the ultimate C5 Corvette track car stack up against the fastest machines around? We enter it in the Ultimate Track Car Challenge to find out.
Is our C5 Corvette Z06 project faster than a C8 Corvette Z51? We go to the FIRM to find out–you know, for science.
Those two holes in the front bumper of our C5 Corvette were creating lift, so we devised a long-term solution to block the openings.
Even though our Corvette is on its farewell tour, it's still just as capable as ever.
Did you know that mounting some race tires isn't the same as mounting street tires?
After replacing the faulty throttle body, we thought our Z06 project car would be back to 100% reliability. We were wrong.
Thanks to some detective work, we finally figure out what was putting our Z06 project car into fault mode–just in time for the Tire Rack Red Hills National Tour.
Learn from us: don't let a forgotten laptop interrupt your on-track fun.
Adding the finishing touches to our Nine Lives Racing front splitter kit.
Our C5 Corvette doesn't easily accept a front splitter. Luckily, Johnny C. from Nine Lives Racing has taken the hard work out of splitter mounting.
Bigger brakes not only increase the pressure of the whole system, but also ensures smoother and more predictable brake application.
The worst time to notice tire rub? Going 125 mph on the banks of Daytona–time for some suspension tweaks.
After racking up nearly 100,000 miles, our Z06 was ready for a new clutch. We left the labor up to the experts at The Vette Doctor, but they were kind …
The factory leaf springs might work on the street, but they have a few drawbacks when driving on the track at speed.
In this Corvett magazine project update, we find a way to make sure the alignment we worked so hard to dial in stays stable.
Sure, just about anyone can get on track with pretty much any car–but if you want to be truly competitive, you're going to need some faster tires.
As it turns out, what you sit on and the steering wheel you grab can have quite the impact in on-track performance.
Fed up after breaking a number of cheaper, OE-style hubs on our C5 Corvette, we finally decided to spend our money on a more permanent solution.
What better way to finish out the 2021 competition year than with the Red Hills Region’s annual Axis vs Allies season finale?
Sometimes, saving money can cost you more in the long run–like the hubs we sued on our Corvette, for example.
What's that? A way to improve our already flawless dry-sump setup? Sign us up.
Hot off the heels of our Solo Nats trophy, we headed to Holley LS Fest to tackle the Road Course Challenge.
We walked away from Solo Nats with a trophy finish and a valuable lesson learned: Don't use old tires.
Look ma, we got ourselves a trophy at Solo Nats!
Before competing at Solo Nats, we needed to replace our Z06's brake pads.
How does a set of Goodyear's new Eagle RS compare to our old BFGoodrich g-Force Rival S tires?
We finished in the top 10, which is great considering our C5 Corvette Z06 didn’t even run as of three weeks ago.
We made it to Time Trials Nationals–and our Corvette is running cooler oil temps, too.
Normally we'd tow the Corvette behind our Toyota Tundra, but this time we borrowed a 2021 Duramax-equipped Suburban.
After putting in some break-in miles, it was time for a final shakedown at Daytona International Speedway.
Putting some break-in miles on our Corvette before the SCCA Time Trials Nationals.
An easy, inexpensive way to get reliable oil temperature readings for our Z06? Sign us up.
The console in our C5 Corvette reached temperatures of 200 degrees Fahrenheit–and that was after a cool-down lap–so we install some exhaust heat shielding from Design Engineering, Inc.
With our dry-sumped LS3 now running, how much power does our Z06 make on the dyno?
We finally get our Corvette started thanks to a Holley Terminator X.
The seats in our Corvette were all but gone. Time to rebuild and refurbish.
Adding non-performance performance mods to our 2004 Chevrolet Corvette Z06: Sticky tires, a fantastic trailer, DIY alignment and easy data.
After our project Corvette became over complicated, we decided to relocate the dry sump tank.
Is the C5 Corvette Z06 today's best performance bargain? We tracked one down for ourselves to find out.
When it comes to clutches, as with buffets, more plates are more better. That's why we went with a twin-clutch setup from Mantic Clutch USA for our 2004 Corvette Z06 …
Inspired by a recent thread on our message board, we thought we’d share our favorite new way of preserving parts during any major disassembly for our Project Z06.
As we prepare for the installation of our LS3 crate engine, we figured that we’d remove the subframes so we could assemble the entire driveline on the floor.
Turns out we would have known how much power our new crate engine from BluePrint Engines made if we had actually read the instructions.
Heat management and high performance work hand in hand. That's why we opted for Swain Tech’s White Lightning ceramic coating for our Project Z06's headers.
We realized that we never addressed the fact that we were replacing our 2004 Corvette Z06’s original, 100,000-mile LS6 with an LS3-based powerplant. So in this update, we're doing just …
Upgrading our Corvette Z06’s fuel pump in order to feed enough E85 to our LS3 engine.
In a previous update, we laid out the basic function of our dry sump system for our C5 Corvette Z06 track car, and now it’s time to start physically laying …
Polishing the internals of a transmission isn’t just cosmetic, it’s a worthwhile performance and reliability operation.
Crack checking your transmissions inner bits can help avoid a possibly catastrophic failure.
Prepping the transmission for bigger and better things.
Lift: Good for planes, bad for race cars.
In-car data systems are priceless.
We prepare for the SCCA Solo Nationals.
Installing headers is a lot of work.
We take an in-depth look at whether or not aero can help you at the track
We find out the hard way what rear downforce can do at speed.
If the computer isn't happy, nothing will be happy.
We help our Z06 breathe more easily.
We install a new intake and fuel injectors onto our Z06.
We install a new oil pan baffle to combat oil starvation.
We eschew the leaf spring for coils.
A new season means new rubber, and this year we didn’t want to make any excuses in the tire department.
We took our project Corvette Z06 out for a day of racing at NCM Motorsports Park and another at Roebling Road.
We install a roll bar and a fire suppression system in our Project Corvette Z06.
Keeping our Corvette cool was easy with the help of a Ron Davis Radiator.
Improving the driver's seat and steering wheel make a world of difference for fast autocross runs.
We perform some much-needed driveline maintenance on our C5 Z06.
We compare the Michelin Super Sport, BFGoodrich Rival S and BFGoodrich R1 on track.
Corvette Z06 brakes are good, but can be made better with a pad upgrade.
We come up with multiple aero options for our project Corvette Z06.
We reupholster our stock seats.
Our project Corvette Z06 took part in the new autocross series.
We're headed to the Tire Rack Fort Myers Match Tour.
Driving a C5 Z06 on the road can get a little uncomfortable.
Ever noticed C5 Corvettes autocrossing with mismatched sets of wheels?
Our project Z06 gets some new brakes.
We made a few minor adjustments and took our project Corvette to an autocross.
Meet the newest Grassroots Motorsports project car.
