Luckily, I'm concerned with exactly none of that...and thank you

 

I've been thinking about picking up a Z51 as a track *****.

Any issues with tranny/engine temps or valve coking due to GM going DI?

Might get a used 2011 Z06 Carbon since those seem pretty solid (oil starvation during high G left handers notwithstanding).

 

I haven't heard of any BMW-style valve coking, supposedly the engineers put a lot of working into the patented PCV system to help reduce this issue. The manuals are a better choice for heavy track-use per GM. They run hot, but are designed to run hot, here is a chart for the Z06, with the Z51 being very similar.



For the guys worried about engine coolant and oil temps there is already an aftermarket radiator available, lower temp thermostats available, and of course custom fan programming.

 

It gets up to 110* on the track during the summer. External oil/tranny cooler needs wouldn't surprise me.

Did you hear about that oil in the air intake filter issue? Seemed to be related to DI.

http://www.stingrayforums.com/forum/...injection.html

 

It has nothing to do with direction injection, it does have to do with the dry sump oil system; it happened to my car. Basically Chevy's solution has been giving all dry sump models (Z51 & Z06) an additional free oil change (5 instead of 4) with the 1st to be performed at 500 miles. My theory is the oil is over-filled at the factory, but Chevy claims it's the engine assembly lubes breaking down the factory-fill oil's anti-foam agents thereby causing foaming. Initial oil capacity was stated at 10.3 quarts, then revised down to 9.8 quarts, and I honestly think it needs to be revised down again another half-quart. What most of us have been doing is requesting the dealer only puts in 9.0 quarts which puts the oil level right in the middle of the dipstick min & max marks, since then nobody has been experiencing any issues. It's a mess when it happens as you can imagine, but it's all covered under warranty (which entails an oil change, new air filter, and cleaning the intake system).

Regarding tracking in 110F temps, the only way to find out is do it and see what happens. The car has plenty of programmed fail safes so if anything is getting too hot it'll show an error message stating what's over-heating and reduce power accordingly. The engine oil is cooled by engine coolant so reducing coolant temps with the above mentioned methods with also cool the oil. I've only heard of one guy over-heating the Z51 manual transmission (which does have a cooler, so does the rear differential), and his solution was to use header wrap on the exhaust pipes near the transmission; he stated that made a drastic difference and cured his problem.

 

So you personally haven't experienced any issues?

Hard to find examples that are flogged on track and not cruised to Starbucks on Sundays.

 

I have experienced no heat related issues. They do run hotter than previous generations, but that is due to design (new engine, emissions, etc.); I think this is what initially put people into a panic.

 

These are really nice. We're starting to be able to snag them from the auctions with low miles and have had great success selling them very very quickly.

After driving the Z51 Vette, and then the Z06 (in auto and manual) I will say it would be difficult for me to bite the bullet on what is essentially a base model. Even though it is ridiculously nice.

 

For a DD/street car, I personally think the Z51 + Procharger is a better choice than a Z06. I looked at upgrading, but decided if I ever really need another ~200HP I'll probably just slap on a Procharger kit rather than deal with the increased Z06 tire, brake, insurance, and fuel costs.

 

I'm with you there. Of course there is more to it than that, such as resale value / wider body /etc. I just read that you can actually buy a Chevy Cruze for the cost of a brake job + tire replacement on a Z06.

Bang for your buck and long term drivability for someone that's actually going to spend some legitimate time behind the wheel as opposed to have it sit in a garage, I'd do Z51 all the way.

I may purchase one here soon, I'm the internet manager for a Chevy dealer. My owner hates that I drive an import.

 

I have one of those too as my commuter/beater

 

Good call!

I live a whopping 6 minutes from my dealer, so I think I'd be ok just absolutely balling out on one car.

 

I DD'd my Vette right up until someone scratched my mirror housing in my work parking garage; the next weekend I went out and picked up a certified Cruze Eco.