sentry65

iTrader: (11)

what is the build quality supposed to be like? A new car?
It's just something you accept and really doesn't bother me.

zland

I am going to put a different light on all of your troubles. Maybe if you were able to drive the car right now, you would have gotten in a wreck and killed yourself? No one knows why certain things happen and maybe all you are going through has a positive reason behind it you cant see or will ever know?

failsafe306

iTrader: (38)

God must be teaching me patience

sentry65

iTrader: (11)

yeah I kinda agree. You're the most at peace when you realize you really don't have control over all that much - just go with the flow instead of fighting it and stressing over it. I'm sure your friends and family will appreciate it too to see you more relaxed and happy

ZZtopp

iTrader: (1)

No.....but I had mine in 1981....the car was barely two years old and had only 6K on it when I bought it. It was my first sports car and I wanted to love it...and I did for a while. Until I lived with it....and really got to know it.

Grossly misaligned body panels that would embarass a kit car. Door panels and that were either undersized or oversized. Inside door handles that were screwed into nothing but vinyl. A front suspension that could not hold an alignment for more than a month. Wheel bearings that needed replacing every 2000 miles. Guages that failed on regular basis. Power windows that worked occasionally. Console plastic with chrome plating that resembled a cheap toy....poor quality even for that era. T-Tops that always leaked....and squeaked. And that's only a bit of the horror, other than the cacaphony of rattles and creaks caused by the flexy flyer chassis and ill-fitting EVERYTHING.

The car was like this even when almost new, and a very poorly built/designed vehicle even when compared to cars of the same generation.......hardly in the same build-quality ball park as a new Z. The comparison is ludicrous, but I suppose after 30 years, it's probably not much worse.

The good thing is that there is such an aftermarket of Corvette restoration parts, you could probably make the car far better than new if you wanted to. Hell, it's still a Vette.....more mystique than substance, maybe, but fun nevertheless.

sentry65

iTrader: (11)

I'll keep a lookout for those things.

So far it all seems fine to me. I guess you could say I have low expectations for a 30 year old car as far as the car being "perfect"

I think because it's in effect the "3rd car" between my fiance's jeep and my Z, I don't expect it to be flawless and consider any poor fitment or squeek issues to just be part of the character of the car. Somehow the Z feels more robotic and sterile compared to the C3 - that's completely a subjective thing and my own opinion though.

I mean, even the Z has it's share of TSB's and warrenty issues.

ZZtopp

iTrader: (1)

That's funny. Similarly, as people get older, their flaws suddenly become "character."

Enjoy the Vette......believe it or not, I'm actually considering the new Z06. I'll never learn.....

Ghostfd350z

I tint windows for a living, and I have tinted numerous vettes of all years,. build quality on the vettes has not really increased 10 fold., they still rattle and creak, and the interior still isnt all that great. But they are great sports cars, they arent luxury sports cars otherwise the price tag would be 20k more then they are, vettes are a lot of car for the money.

ReV2Red

iTrader: (9)

Sentry, personally i think your wrong. You might be able to go faster than a FI Z in a straight line, but after that 10 second thrill, you wait for half an hour before you get another one. Try taking it to the track and you'll find out what its really worth ($0). On a track, even if you add 100lbs, (which is exagerated) to the front of the Z, with its almost perfect 50-50 weight distribution, will **** all over the old vette
I just dont understand how you can say that a car that maybe does a second faster on a quarter mile can be better than a car that handles like its on rails and would probably do 4-5 seconds faster around a track?

sentry65

iTrader: (11)

this thread is 4 months old so it's hard to care anymore, but

I am failing to find where I ever said the C3 would be better than the Z on a road course.




BTW the Z has 53/47 weight distribution and adding 100 lbs to the front tips it over to 54/46

guess what? The C3's weight distribution in STOCK form is 51/49 and it isn't too hard to remove about 200-250 lbs from the front with a lighter engine, aluminum radiator, aluminum suspension parts, etc etc You can actually take it so extreme that the whole front end of the car can lift up. I have yet to hear about a FI Z with drag radials doing that - hence the C3 having more drag racing potential

yeah I've driven on road courses. The Z does pretty ok there. The C3 corvette won't remotely keep up. At the drag strip it might be a different story though - which is what I was saying before. BTW my Z is set up more for road courses than any other type of driving

Why would I take a "drag car" onto a road course? seriously? My vette isn't built for handling, it's built for straight line. And I never ever ever ever said it'd give the Z a run for it's money on a road course. And I'm not really a drag racer. I don't go there that often cause it kinda feels like a waste of time compared to doing a road course. My C3 is a road car that happens to be pretty fast in a straight line. I haven't gone to the drag strip yet with it yet. My point was that LOTS of people get FI on their Z for faster straight line speed (how many FI people REALLY go on road courses?) and how expensive it is to do on a Z for the off chance that it might do 12's in comparison to someone with a cheap C3 vette, dumps 7-8k into it and does 10's or 11's. Different cars, different purposes

ZZtopp

iTrader: (1)

Here's a thread from the dead.

It's funny how things work out. Sold the Z, now driving a C6. It's the best Corvette I've ever had (number eight). If the intial quality holds up, this will be one fine automobile.

ReV2Red

iTrader: (9)

Ok, i sense a little anger here, i apologise, it just sounded like you were dissing the Z a bit, and this is probably the wrong place to do it. Again i apologise. By the way, if were going into that detail in weight reduction, with motor swaps and all, you could do an SR20 swap and use power house amuse carbon fiber body panels, and im pretty sure you could get the 350 lite as a feather.

sentry65

iTrader: (11)

I dunno, it didn't seem like you read anything I was saying then acting like I don't know anything so sorry if I was a bit harsh. I was trying to get across that the Z is not easy to get fast in the 1/4 mile. People are struggling to reach high 11's with drag radials with a twin turbo and are spending big cash to do it.

Meanwhile, there's NA C3 people who can run 10's with out a lot of effort other than normal NA parts and some weight reduction which isn't hard since any part you put on the car is way lighter than stock.

And when I said engine swap I was talking about putting in an LS1/6 in the car instead of the chevy 350 engine - so it's just as strong unlike the SR20 which is pretty weak compared to a VQ35

failsafe306

iTrader: (38)

Gman2004

iTrader: (8)

what's up with your car? did you get my aquamist yet?

failsafe306

iTrader: (38)

It's up and running, and yes, I have Aquamist! I had to have the ECU reflashed for the large injectors, and the guy at TS who does it was out of the country for a week or so, but we've got the ECU back and the car is up and running now. Tuan is putting miles on it this week and will tune Thursday or Friday, and I'm picking it up this Saturday.

Z BOY

iTrader: (41)

congrats on resolving your problem with your z. i just re-read your first post. you are the second person i've heard of who has had new parts disappear at sgp, and then there was that thread over the weekend about kyle from sgp. big problems over there, apparently.

Gman2004

iTrader: (8)

I've seen both the posts about Kyle and SGP. I am working with SGP right now on my rebuild. Mark and Shawn have been awesome. This is my second time working with them. They have been very fair with their prices and I am happy with the service. If the posts are true then it seems they have fixed things over there.

Krank

iTrader: (3)

I am really thinking about NOT going FI.

By the way, where in OK are you from???

mistaboosta

iTrader: (1)

when you start modding your cars soon or later these things happen to almost everyone. I had them too, lots of friends did too... they teach you patience in expense of money and time. my advice is dont give up and push for it. everything's gonna be alright. best luck for you.