The Corvette Stingray C7.. and C3, C4, C5, and C6. A Personal Review

[Cmicasa the Great]

As an owner of 5 of the 7 generations of Corvettes I feel the need to give some input into where we have come from and where we may be going.

 

 

C3. Codename: Lmas

 

 

I loved this car. 1979 L82 T-Top. 225HP/270lbs of Torque. 0-60 in 6.6 secs, C&D Link  fuel economy that came in at about 15mpg.. on the road.. and looks that were constantly and consistently getting me ass. Well..  it  and my gorgeous smile, beautiful eye-lashes, and way with words… smooth as a butter, and tasty as sweet cream :badass: I was 22 years old (1995)… and was able to afford this because I knu how to hustle.. in more way than one. “sell me the pen?” No *** sell me the pen, the paper, and the mind that came up with the thought.” 

 

This car started off as a shell. A wreck. I went to Bethesda, MD to buy a 1971 Corvette LT1. Got there and the guy, who is most likely dead to the world, as he had to have been about 70 back then, with oxygen tubes and the tank rolling behind him, tells me to look over my shoulder.. I was 5 minutes to late.. the buyer of that car was literally loading it on the roll-back. He then pointed me towards a grey (oxidation, as the car was supposed to be black) 1979 Corvette, with the front fender, ripped above the wheel-well, interior a mess, seats torn, radio gone, carpet dirty, t-top panel interior headliner missing, wheels un-polished, engine blown… AAAARRGH!!! WTF? I had $5,000 in my hand and I hired a roll-back to drive 60 miles to get here from Baltimore. “LOAD HER UP!!!” I said. I had some work to do, because a Vette is a Vette, and I was gonna save her, make her sexy again, make her mine, make her do things for me, to me. Hard work, and my dad and I salvaged this bad boy. After Cam, and complete engine rebuild, I didn’t have access to a Dyno, but I’m pretty sure I was well over the 225HP mark that Chevy had originally shipped her with. Body fixed, repainted in the most pristine Black, new carper, Oyster colored interior, wheels polished, exhaust modded.. OOOOOH the Summer of 1995 was a helluva good time.

 

 

In comes Spring 1996. 

 

My C4, Codename: Root. 

 

 

I was 23. I came across this darling 1995 Auto LT1. 300HP/335lbs of torque. 0-60 in  5.2secs, ¼ 13.7. R&T Review   Corvette in damn near perfect condition. Owner was selling her because of a divorce. I had made a lot of money that year doing this. . doing that…  so I figured I treat myself. The year before he had paid about $40,000 for her.. I got her for $33,000 Cash.. with about 6K on the ODO. In all honesty no work was necessary, but me being me, had to get into her and do a few mods. In the end, we yield a dyno tested 375HP, and she was the fastest thing I had driven in a long time. Handled like a champ. This vehicle was tight. The Z51 suspension/handling package. It’s competitors at the time were the Supra TT, the 3000GT, Mazda RX7, NSX, and even Porsche 911. This car went up against all of them and very seldom let me down. I will say this in remembering. The interior of this car, IMO, came off as superior to the one that would follow in my C5. They were called Sport Seats, and they were more adjustable, better side bolstering. 

 

My C5, Codename: Mary Jane. 

 

 

 

I had this one when I first posted here on Motor Trend Forum way back in 2005, as I had purchased here new in 2000 for a negotiated $45,000. The 1998 MTCOTY, the LS1 and new Body Style brought the Corvette into a new stratosphere of sexy. It had a few bits yanked from the Acura NSX and RX7… but it’s style was still unmistakably CORVETTE. Last of the hidden headlights, the car was a marvel. 345HP/350lbs of torque.. 0-60 mph in 4.8 seconds, and it can deliver a 13.2-second quarter mile at 109.3 mph MOTOR TREND Forum. Of course I modded her so my times would be different. 

 

Awesome Awesom Awesome car. The interior was admittedly cheap.. and IMO, a low point in GM history. The term fisher-price was constantly used, but for the cost… easily forgotten considering the looks of the exterior and complete packaged performance. Handled 10x better than the C4.. even the C4 ZR1. Acceleration was spectacular, and something that I had never thought possible with the C3 and C4.. when U took the top out, a much easier feat considering the C4 U needed a supplied Torx Ratchet, using just three handles, the car’s structural rigidity remained in tact. What I’m saying is whether the tops were in or not, the car was just as solid. In the C3 and C4 (F-Bodies too) if you took the tops out, and hit a bump.. U literally would jitter and shake almost into the next lane if U were moving fast enough. In the C5.. that was gone.  Chevy had engineered the vehicle as a convertible this time to be as rigid and stable as a hardtop. Putting the top in, or in the case of the ‘Vert.. up, only strengthened it even more. Hence the reason why the C5 Z06 and FRC were even better handlers. Outside of the cheaping out on the interior, which still was better than everything outside of Porsche and above territory, the C5 was a virtual luxury sports-car. The C6 would take it to the next level.

 

In comes 2008 C6 Z51.. and the announcement of KATYA 

 

 

 

Motor Trend Forum

Katya came in Feb 2008. We all kno the specs. Stock 436HP/428lbs of torque. 4.1 0-60, and a ¼ in 12.5 115mph. MT Link

 

 

Mine, a 3LT Z51 NPP 6Speed Man.. went to the “Mustang Dyno” Reading out 394.2HP/382.7lbs at the Wheels...  after some slight mods of a Breathless CAI and some TWEAKING to the Computer, came back at 414.6 HP/402LBS AT THE WHEELS. This put the LS3 at about 487 at the fly. 

 

AMAZING!!! The car did everything but fly.. and on one crazy night, me and a whole lotta Makers Mark.. she just may have done that :cool: Do a search for my “Street Racing Chronicles” and U will read about some crazy throw downs, with Mustangs, 911 Turbos.. Vipers… The car was easily the best Corvette ever still considered a base model. Looks wise the, the C5 was smoother, more exotic looking IMO. It just had a certain “Space-Ship” look to it, especially because of the larger rear perception. The C6 went back to the rear of the original C4. It slimmed down in some respects because Chevy wanted to export it to Europe. Performance-wise they slammed damn near everything that came its way. 

 

Example:

 

From a Motor Trend Post by Moi.. back in ’08 after a loss and then a re-match between myself and a now friend of mine’s 911 Turbo:

 

I had him... I swear I had him...from the light him and I took off... I mean the smell of our rubber was a smell that uuuuuuuuuuh... OH LORD it was sweet... Coming out of the cut... in first... shift to 2nd "CHIRP!!!!" ... we are side by side... "CHIRP" into 3rd.... I got him....   

Now this is the most humiliating thing I've ever done...  

 

I got the mofo... in his $115K BRAND NEW 911Turbo... Beautiful Black... Gorgeous 911.... and I and anxious... blood boiling..

I go to shift to 4th... and MISS MY GEAR!!!...   <

"ROOOOEEEERRR!!!!" My baby goes < 

 

I rev all the way up to 6300 RPM at least.... because I MISSED MY GEAR...and he PULLS the EFF AWAY.   

 

When we get to the corner... right before U get to the "Green Turtle" in Westminster... 

 

He says to me, "Daaaaam Son... Learn to shift that thing... then come back and see me..." 

 

Laughs at me and drives away... 

 

as I have my head down.... in SHAME

 

Read more: Motor Trend Forum

 

 

The Rematch:

“When I got home I had to pull up reason for this... I mean despite the extra HP I have received from the RAM Air and the Tune... the guy was still rolling in a  911 Turbo... a car that is more on par with a Z06 than mine... 

I found what could be the explanation tho... FROM Car And Driver....

 

Back in Sept 2006's issue of C&D they tested a Z06 vs F430 vs 911Turbo... The Z06 kicked their asses in almost every performance test but was voted #3 because #1 it was American... #2.. the interior... and #3... the infamous "GOTTA HAVE IT" factor

 

Anyway... looking at the performance numbers might show U the reason... 

 

0-60 for the 911 was 3.4, Z06 3.5, F430 4.1.. BUT... 5-60 for the 911 was 4.6, while the Z06 pulled it in 4.0, and in the 1/4 the Z06 won the race 11/7@123 vs the 911's 11.7@121... the F430 which won the comparo overall came in DEAD last in almost every test... except GOTTA HAVE. :confused: 

 

OK... I don't have a Z06,  but I am only kicking about 30HP less than it... and after taking a look at C&D's test of the 2008 Z51... 

 

The STOCK Z51 pulled the 5-60 mark in 4.8secs... .2 behind the Turbo... with my car not exactly being stock.. and us essentially negating his AWD advantage by rolling to 5mph... I think I came up with the explanation....  :badass: 

 

 

Ironically.. if my Z51 had of been STOCK... and the race had of been between myself an a F430 owner... I would have still cooked his ass, as the F430 and the Z51 have times that are more in favor of the STOCK Z51... even in the 1/4... with the Z51 puling the 1/4 in 12.4@116 while the F430 pulls it in 12.5@116 .

Motor Trend Forum

 

The Birth of SASHA.. C7 Z51, 7Speed Man, NPP, 3LT..

 

 

 

 Ported Throttle Body, CAI.. and the mods stop there. Stock HP at 460/465lbs of torque.. 1.11 g cornering, 0 to 60 in 3.7 seconds,  ironically, when operating as a 3.1-liter V-4, the LT1 produces 126 hp and 221 lb-ft at 3000 rpm which is enough to maintain 90 mph on flat ground. That’s stock. This car has not been dynode.. but the idea is that with the throttle body mod and CAI I should be easily in the same relm as the C6 Z06 in terms of HP. This is definetly faster than Katya was.. seat of the pants.. maybe.. but it comes off the line and accelerated in a way that most AWD supercars wish they could. 

 

Put it to U like this.. I loved my Katya. She did everything U’d see in the raunchiest porno….. but Sasha takes it to the next level. She bring 3 girlfriends to the party… and U don’t need to convince any of them to take it up 9 notches. The Look is more exotic than most Ferraris. The Interior makes Jaguars look like Fords again. The Performance embarrasses fools who spent twice and thrice the price. Quite frankly GM could, and should repackage this, with a bump in base power to about 500.. 8 speed transmission and 7speed man.. even more upscale leather and lace.. ELR looks, and Hard or Soft-Top, no coupe..  They could legitimately charge $75K out the door, in the way they have with the ELR, but to much more success.

[David]

Awesome Read, Thanks for posting.

[A Horse With No Name]

Very awesome read.  I actually like the C2 from 58-62 the best of all corvette Generations, but that does not have near the power of the later cars.

 

Thanks for posting this, excellent read.

[Cmicasa the Great]

Very awesome read.  I actually like the C2 from 58-62 the best of all corvette Generations, but that does not have near the power of the later cars.

 

Thanks for posting this, excellent read.

 

 

Thanks to all. One quick thing though. The "C2" was from 1963-1967. The C1 was from 1953-1962

[Drew Dowdell]

Awesome writeup! Thank you!

[Z-06]

One should own at least one Corvette before leaving the matierialistic existence.

[A Horse With No Name]

Sorry, i meant C1 58 to 62, long day, and nice catch.

 

One more thing to think about, to finish first, first one must finish.  Given how much more reliable the Corvette is than a Ferrari, Cmicasa might have been alone on that starting line against the F430...

One should own at least one Corvette before leaving the materialistic existence.

 

 

Absolutely.  I want a C3 really badly for some reason.

[regfootball]

Nice write up! Sasha!

[Cmicasa the Great]

Bumping this because I don't see a reason for me doing the garage pictures