.... and it’s back after a hat trick in Corvette Car care.
Phase 1: Front bumper and side mirror respray + front camera replacement at Innovative Auto in Tempe, AZ
Phase 2: Replacement/refreshed full front PPF + full ceramic coat refresh + redoing side, front and rear tint to street legal levels (I got pulled over for this, tint was 5%) - at Hyer Quality Detail in Tempe, AZ
Phase 3: Cooling and performance mods at Cordes Performance Racing in (you guessed it) Tempe, AZ.
And it’s finally back, just in time for me to put it and its summer tires away for the upcoming Sedona winter. I have maybe about a month max before temps start to dip continuously under 40F. For Arizona it’s still not that bad, but since I have a daily that works a lot better on all seasons, I’m just going to keep it on a trickle charger until temps are back up for Michelin summers. Once these Super Sports are worn all the way through, I’ll probably go back to Cup 2s.
Here is the Cordes mod parts list:
** Due to Covid logistics, these did not make it in time for the install, but are on their way.
Prospeed C7/z oil cooler kit**
C7Z 2019 Radiator**
Amp billet thermostat housing w/ moto-rad 160 element
CPR C7Z ice tank ice/expansion tank
CPR C7Z Heat Exchanger + extra S/C Coolant
CPR C7 5'’ cold air intake
CPR LT4 pulley kit 2.3
ARH Headers 2' w/ black ceramic powder coat of headers
Mighty mouse catch can
c7z dsx tuning mild Flex Fuel kit - up to e40
NGK LTR7IX-11 6510 plugs
Dyno Tune w/baseline for comparo
All this is good for 616 whp on 91 or a max 667 whp on E40. I know you can look up tons of Vettes that lay down thousands of horsepower, but this puts me within shooting distance of ZR1 territory without any of the overheating cruft. I feel pretty good about that, and it’s still completely useable power - enough to overwhelm the Traction Control if I choose.
Gone are the random moments of knock due to way too high intake temps. Gone are the mild throttle hesitations during high-push pulls. Gone is the crack in the front camera, the pitted spots on the paint from the meteor shower I drove through, gone is the throttle lag and any semblance of peace and quiet from the engine.
The modded engine noise DOES put me out of reach of Arizona Motorsports Park which has a very explicitly defined noise decibel limit. But it sounds great, angry as hell, and isn’t too obnoxious in quiet mode.
I’m just glad to have it back after coordinating moving it around Tempe from 120 miles away.
It pretty much seals the deal that a C8 is probably out of the books until the C8 Z06 arrives and spends about a year making the rounds. While the car was getting its hair did, I did rent a C8 Stingray 2LT for a day to see if I could live with it, if it was the paradigm shift that the journos promised it was.
Later on, I’ll be posting a review of the day I spent with the C8, but for now, I am very happy with this C7 goodness.
Happy Halloween Oppo.
PS RIP Sean Connery
Edit: Here is a slideshow of some of my most favourite pics of the car