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Thread: Budget Baller: C6 Corvette build thread

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    Budget Baller: C6 Corvette build thread

    When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.


    If you've followed my previous thread requesting new-name ideas, you already what this is about. I still don't have a new name but I do have a new (to me) car and it's time to start a build thread, not just an unlimited-budget type either but building on a budget starting with a cheap car and making the most of already accumulated parts, points, coupons, wheelin' and dealin' and of course the invaluable help of my friends.

    A little background first for those unfamiliar: I have gone from Miata to 370Z to an Atomic Orange Vette to an Inferno Orange Grand Sport with every option. Wow, that car was great but everything seem to cost double than all the rest; tires, oil, insurance and of course, car payments.

    While it would have been nice to migrate to a new C7, I had an epiphany recently and decided that I valued my home more along with luxuries like running water, electricity; maybe even dinner out sometime.

    So, I finally grew up (or old) and did what any middle-aged dude is expected to do: I bought another Corvette.



    Now, I know what you're thinking but let me elaborate a little. I was prepared to give up the Grand Sport for something more reasonable, financeable and half the price like a Mustang, 370Z, Camaro and even an NC MX-5 but when I started looking in earnest, I was surprised to see C6 Corvettes in the same price range! I was also surprised to learn that insurance for it was only $20 more than a Miata and $80 less than a 370Z.

    So now I am the proud owner of a new-to-me Corvette and not just any Corvette but a bright red one which officially makes me a clichι but I don't care. Could I have settled for a Corolla, Mazda 2 or Prius instead? Sure but none of them had a V8 and that's kind of the point. I wanted to cut my monthly costs but I'm just middle-aged, not dead. I love, love, love a nasty V8. It's addictive and like my smoking habit, it's hard to quit (although I'm working on the smoking part). That and the fact that I had a ton of aftermarket parts sitting in the storage room helped sway my decision, I admit.



    Allow me to introduce "Hmmmm" That's right, no new name yet but we'll get back to that later. Under the category of Best-Bang-For-The-Buck, is my totally base 2010 Corvette.

    *Fernando Alonso lookalike used for this photo. I look identical but with blond hair.

    No cool, eight-way power-everything seats, no telescoping steering wheel, no touchscreen navigation stereo, no heads-up display, no giant Lambo tires and Brembo brakes but also no car payment the equivalent of a house payment. Well, there is one option it came with that surprised me and that is the removable, transparent roof. Very cool.



    But what's even cooler is that for thousands less than a new Civic and certainly $17 thousand less than the latest RF (Targa top) Miata, I get a performance car with a long performance pedigree, lightweight, composite body, perfect balance (tranny is in the rear) and of course up front is what I still get giddy about: that beautiful LS3 which starts at 435hp. It's the perfect motor for me and my insurance company. Step up to a Z06 and I'm back to double the cost. Oh, did I mention it is also a Targa top?

    So, mint condition, one-owner, always garaged, no accidents, check, check and check. Is it dated? Sure, compared to a C7 but I consider my cheapo C6 like an NB2 in that it got all the upgrades from the original C6 in 2008 including much nicer interior, tranny and motor. The NA is desirable despite the NB. The NB is desirable despite the NC and ND. The C6 is equally sexy despite the C7. Hell, even the C5 is a thing of beauty. You couldn't say that about a Mustang II (showing my age here) but I think you get the point.

    Sounds like everything is coming up cotton candy and unicorns, right? Hell no! Right off the bat, the exhaust is beyond anemic and the suspension is terrible! It's like a cushy Cadillac that looks like sports car for old dudes that don't want to hear that annoying engine...at all...ever. I mean, I ran into Taco Bell and when I came back out, my engine was still running. Don't get the wrong idea though. There is no crappy Corvette, no V6 or 4-cylinder option like the Mustang or Camaro. Every Corvette is a V8 performance car, even the base but I'm coming from a Grand Sport so I noticed the shortcomings immediately.

    And that brings us back to the point of this thread. Now that you have the background, stay tuned for my ongoing upgrades and updates.




    Misc:
    What's a good looking red-head like you doing in a place like this? Coming home with me, that's what!



    Agent☣Orange, it wasn't you. It was me. I just changed, that's all. You'll find someone else.



    It's nothing personal. Don't get all mad!


    No todo que es oro brilla.

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    Individual-1 ☚ ☻ ☛ Agent☣Orange's Avatar
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    In before NCGreaseMonkey ridicules me since he went to bed early like a little Girl Scout BTW...



    No todo que es oro brilla.

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    Antes que todo quiero decir: Muchisimas gracias por AdHoc Garage de Espaρa por todo! No podia hacer nada sin tu ayuda.




    Ad Hoc GARAGE
    http://www.adhocgarage.com

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    No todo que es oro brilla.

  6. #4
    5,000 rpm - there be torque here! MiataQuest's Avatar
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    Spied cruising Miami Beach





    We modify Miata's because we want them to be like a Corvette.
    Viva Detroit
    Last edited by MiataQuest; 05-21-2017 at 07:25 AM.

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    3,000 rpm - starting to feel the power freedomgli's Avatar
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    I love the looks of the Grand Sport but like you said, every Corvette is a V8 sports car. Sounds like you found a real gem. I hope it treats you well.

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    Ninja Messiah kung fu jesus's Avatar
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    I would imagine lower expenses on this Corvette allows you to upgrade the budget for gold chains and chest hair grooming products this model requires?

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    Admin / Pit Boss / Miataholic Phatmiata's Avatar
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    There must be some kind of way outta here
    Said the joker to the thief
    There's too much confusion
    I can't get no relief

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    Individual-1 ☚ ☻ ☛ Agent☣Orange's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by kung fu jesus View Post
    I would imagine lower expenses on this Corvette allows you to upgrade the budget for gold chains and chest hair grooming products this model requires?
    I have no hair left on my head and I purposefully shave my chest hair.



    Quote Originally Posted by freedomgli View Post
    I love the looks of the Grand Sport but like you said, every Corvette is a V8 sports car. Sounds like you found a real gem. I hope it treats you well.
    They are and it is. In fact, if you look up a Flyin' Miata conversion and compare it with an outright, cheapo Corvette, the answer is always Corvette (in this case.)



    Quote Originally Posted by MiataQuest View Post
    Spied cruising Miami Beach

    We modify Miata's because we want them to be like a Corvette.
    Viva Detroit
    I pay people not to let this happen. How'd you get this pict??



    Quote Originally Posted by Phatmiata View Post
    There must be some kind of way outta here
    Said the joker to the thief
    There's too much confusion
    I can't get no relief
    E tu Brutθ?


    No todo que es oro brilla.

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    Individual-1 ☚ ☻ ☛ Agent☣Orange's Avatar
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    UPDATE:

    Once Tristan75 heard about my sucky suspension and exhaust, he jumped on the first flight from Spain to help me fix them and also something called Miatapalooza.


    First, the parts:
    Complete exhaust system from headers to tips. Also pictured is a "tunnel plate" in gold ceramic. More on that later.




    Kooks headers (pronounced like "cooks" as in too many cooks in the kitchen) with catted X pipe and silver ceramic coated - a worthwhile upgrade


    Billy Boat exhaust(yes, haha, that's a thing in the Corvette world)


    The standard, crappy (Cadillac-like) exhaust on a base Corvette has 3" tips but that's just the part you see. Behind the tips is a regular, constricted muffler system to appease old dudes. On a Corvette with "NPP" option, the exhaust is dual mode which means that a pneumatic system is employed to open the inner two tips to allow more flow.

    The guts of the NPP mufflers are different too in that they are direct-to-tip, not just for looks. Around the neighborhood, it's tame but stepping on the gas, the flaps open and it's like a rocket launch. Fortunately, this Billy Boat Fusion exhaust takes that concept a step further with its true 3" innards whereas the stock Corvette NPP exhaust goes from 2.5 inches to 2 inside the mufflers.



    Stock 3" exhaust. Very sad for a Corvette


    No todo que es oro brilla.

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    Individual-1 ☚ ☻ ☛ Agent☣Orange's Avatar
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    The Corvette is arranged with the engine in front and the transmission in the rear (at least until the C8 comes out). To connect the two, Chevy utilizes an aluminum "torque tube" that spans between the two and inside is the actual drive shaft. It is similar to the Miata's PPF in terms of structural bracing. This torque tube sits inside a three-sided tunnel that forms part of the body, hence the center hump. In order to add rigidity, the bottom of the tunnel is finished off with a long "plate" that forms a true box.

    It is pretty thin and body flex is noticeable such as when backing out of the driveway at a steep angle. The frame is still very rigid but with the wafer-thin tunnel plate, some squeaking is still heard which means body flex of course. The aftermarket provides a much thicker tunnel plate in this case and even comes ceramic coated since the exhaust pipes sit barely an inch below the plate



    To address part of the cushy suspension problem is a set of Bilstein Sport shocks. The "Sport" version is of course superior to the stock shocks in performance, even the regular Bilstein and as we all know, are a Miata favorite as well.

    Since the plugs have to come out for the header install, it's the perfect time to replace them with new ones and as we already know from Miata experience, the engineers got it right with the NGKs. In this case, pure stock AC Delco. There have been a lot of whiz-bang super plugs that have come out on the market but after reading stories about resistance problems causing ECM problems, this was an easy call. Besides, racers are using them too so who am I to disagree?



    Last, nothing updates a worn suspension like new shocks so replacing the old, stock shocks are a set of Bilstein Sports which are not only more responsive than the regular Bilsteins but also designed for a lowered Vette which is also in the works. Bilsteins already has a great reputation in the Miata community and likewise here


    No todo que es oro brilla.

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    As I mentioned, Tristan couldn't stand seeing my car in that condition so he made a special trip to rectify the problem right away.

    The first obstacle was getting it off the ground high enough (2 feet) in order to fit the exhaust because it had to go up and over the rear axles



    With my Race Ramp 12" stands, we got it up high enough


    No todo que es oro brilla.

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    Supporting Member fwdtamiya's Avatar
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    You know how to stiffen it up


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    Individual-1 ☚ ☻ ☛ Agent☣Orange's Avatar
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    With the exhaust completely removed, it was a perfect time to replace the wimpy stock tunnel plate with the new one



    Then we moved on the actual header install. The driver side went in no problem but the passenger side a slight interference problem with the starter so we weren't sure if it went in from above or from below. Checking Vette forums mentioned both ways but in the end, it was just a slight bit of force from below that worked here



    Okay, headers are in and looking good


    No todo que es oro brilla.

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