Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!

Corvettes and all things about them

18911131439

Comments

  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Okay, thanks. BTW, to WHOM did you ask this question?
  • avolvofanavolvofan Member Posts: 358
    The answer was provided by the Parts Dept. Manager, who indicated that his department processed the warranty claims.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Ah, you know, I wouldn't rely on that source as being totally reliable for an interpretation of the warranty. I'd ask the warranty company representative, the one who actually approves or denies the claims.
  • starrow68starrow68 Member Posts: 1,142
    If it's not in writing it's not worth much in most cases. I think your answer is the same as I heard one other '03 owner provide as well and I'm convinced it's true but again, if I owned it, I'd get it in writing.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    vettes2---sorry but you can't post links to other auto forums. You've been notified of a previous deletion before, but your e-mail in your profile isn't correct so you didn't get the explanation of the rules on "solicitation", unfortunately. Please e-mail me or update your profile with the correct e-mail and let me know you've done this. You have to have a bonafide e-mail to remain in Town Hall or you'll be taken off the list.

    thank you

    Host
  • icanfloicanflo Member Posts: 1
    The answer to the original question of course is YES... Get the MRC...F55... or whatever you want to call it. Know that in 03 models it is only available on the 50th anniversary model, but the ride is well worth the extra expense. I have a contact in the Chevy Biz who is willing to sell one of these for only $1500.00 over invoice. That, I'm sure everyone will agree is a steal. Please let me know if I can help!!! Good Luck!!! And Happy Driving...!
  • avolvofanavolvofan Member Posts: 358
    icanflo, the F55 suspension option is available on non-50th anniversary edition 2003 coupe and convertible models. I have a 2003 non-50th anniversary edition coupe with the F55 suspension. In 50th anniversary edition coupe and convertible models, F55 is included in the 1SC package along with the rest of the 50th anniversary items. In the non-50th anniversary coupe and convertible models, it is available as an option (option code F55).
  • j3studioj3studio Member Posts: 27
    Since every time I ask questions in this forum I get useful answers, I'm going to try again:

    Does anyone know of somewhere to get a nice looking, not obscenely expensive tool kit that would look good in a C5 trunk?

    We're going on our first caravan and everyone suggests a tool kit, but we're picky about what we put in our 50th. Newbies...:)

    By the way, I strongly suggest the F55 suspension. I'm constantly suprised by how comfortable the car is, without seeming to give up anything to the standard suspension in handling. There was absolutely _no_ gritting of teeth involved at any point in the 800 mile plus drive home from the factory, over some not great roads.
  • ruking1ruking1 Member Posts: 19,826
    One small detail, but in my estimation a major problem if something goes wrong and you do need a tool, are jacking pucks(2 to 4 pucks). If you ever need a tow truck or if it is as simple as changing or fixing a flat, chances are the shops you would be using DO NOT have jacking pucks. I would photocopy the jack point and jack stand point page in the service manual. I also would get real familiar with the CORRECT procedure tow truck operators use to hoist the Vette on flat bed (if needs be) So if the tow truck operator than might service YOUR vehicle doesn't know, at least you have the knowledge!

    I would also carry a supply of synthetic oil (1-3 quarts)

    Another thing I do carry is the tire inflator kit for the Z06. If you have a lug nut lock, don't forget the lug nut key.

    A spray bottle with dilute car wash with 100% cotton toweling is very good to have on hand . I use it a lot for insect removal, road splatter etc. I also tour with a front nose bra and that seems to really cut down on the insect issue and NO paint chips!. You can also use the ubiquitous nasty gas station provided squeegee, whereas I would never use that on exposed paint. It also provides a bit a padding for those almost inevitable small stone/ rock incidents.

    I have taken numerous long trips totalling 40k miles in my 2001 Z06 with the above "tools" I also would not get too nuclear with tools because the luggage limits are like 100#s above and beyond two folks, if I have read my technical data correctly.
    If you still feel the need to carry hand tools, since you are caravaning, you can avoid duplication by in effect having everyone care a small part of a pretty substantial tool kit list. Communication will in all likelyhood be by cell phone or CB so you can find the right tools when and if need be.

    A safe and happy trip to you!
  • starrow68starrow68 Member Posts: 1,142
    Something to consider for those who haven't tried it yet. Took a course at the local road race track with a driving school with about half the day on defensive driving techniques and the other half on performance driving with an instructor. Did 3 exercises on avoidence/lane change, skid car, and turn in / apex setting of the line on an autocross course in the morning, riding with instructors and then practice. In the afternoon did the NASCAR track for one session after riding with an instructor in a sedan at speeds that had me just a little pale. Then went out in groups of two with one instructor. He'd drive one car with the owner and the other owner following. Then he'd switch to explain the turns in the other car, first lap slow and then at some speed, wish I was that smooth in my own car. Then he rode with one, the other following and increased speed as we got the line down. Then switch to the other car and lead through the drill again. And two more switches before a break.
       The second session was a repeat with the road course instead of the NASCAR configuration. Sears Point has what seems like a lot of elevation and sweeping into turn one at just over 70, slight brake into turn two to wide open throttle to slight brake into turn 3 is really a kick. Going down hill through 5 into 6 at close to 80, braking hard and then going wide open just past the apex at the bottom and hitting a '00 up the straight is really a blast when you finally get the line correct. Too much else to go on out to the U at turn 11 but you get the idea.
      If you haven't done it, it's a great time. The group of 8 we had included another Vette, a 911 and BMW's, two were M3's. Just what the Corvette was made for.
  • j3studioj3studio Member Posts: 27
    Thanks ruking1 for the good advice - I hadn't thought of the pucks. Gotta read the manual again...
  • firstvettefirstvette Member Posts: 2
    Thanks for all of the advice about the F55 option, and I've decided to get it.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    I like SEARS...it's a very "technical" track so you can learn a lot about what driving skill is really all about. It's a long way from just pointing a car straight ahead and romping on the gas, isn't it?
  • starrow68starrow68 Member Posts: 1,142
    I don't think anyone in the class ever spun out in the afternoon, so no one was really trying to test the limits. Like the instructors said, going home having had fun was the objective and doing it without having any scrapes was a great way to have fun. On the other hand going into a few corners too fast, or seeing where you could get more speed out of the correct line on exit let you know that there was a lot more to it than just romping. I especially liked turn 6 on the road course after dropping off the hill. Getting the feel for where you wanted, some throttle, and then were able to transition to full throttle while still in the sweeper is a real kick. Getting back down for turn 7 on the other hand put a little wear on the brakes going in and on the tires going wide a few time. They asked us to limit the esses to 65mph, but nobody said anything when riding on a few passes closer to 72 mph, which at the end started to feel good. Yes Sears Point is fun even for a novice, hope to do Laguna by some time this fall and see if the bug gets me to drive a little more distance to TH or Buttonwillow at some point.

    However, this weekend I hope to get into the low 13's with a little help from a new exhaust system and having been once before. Straight line seems fun too.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Laguna is also a great track...the corkscrew was my favorite turn #8 I think), although in an open wheel car I was actually getting fuzzy in the head making it through there. #6 is a devil, you can get in trouble there.
  • ruking1ruking1 Member Posts: 19,826
    I sent my 16 year old to Jim Russell's, Highway Survival Class at "Sears Point".

    Best part for me was seeing her eyes light (even with binoculars) at a safe distance!! :) It took the better part of the day for her to wipe that wired on grin after the experience!

    Your experience sounds like the Highway Survival course can be a good base to send her to the school you are describing!!
  • starrow68starrow68 Member Posts: 1,142
    I planned to take the hwy survival course but the neighbor signed up for the performance driving so I did as well. When I called to sign up I asked about taking the survival course before the performance but they said, 'to be honest, the morning of the performance class duplicates much of the survival course'. I'm guessing that doubling the imprint of the survival message before going out on the track at speed might be a great meassage to get across. I'm still grinning!

    Just put a Magnaflow exhaust system on this past week and it does sound nice. Not much louder, but deeper rumble and at cruise speeds I don't get any resonating sound in the car, except on steeper hills when you put it under load. Depending on what is on the CD it can be heard. Just hoping the 15 ponies and 12 ft #'s help tomorrow at the Vette Magic drags @ Sacto. Should be fun since I've now got an idea of what to do from the prior visit.

    Got to see quite a number of vintage vettes at Sears Point today on a complimentary ticket from Jaguar. They had an introduction party on the back of turn 7 with test drives in the XJR, nice ride if you like big sedans. The XK8/R is still too tight to get into for someone 6'2" or over. After putting down the rear, my head hits the top of the door frame 1/2 way from the top of the ear to top of the head, about 1 1/2 inches too tight, requiring a fold and spindle that is painful. The Corvette is amazingly roomy in comparison.
  • cvrinccvrinc Member Posts: 16
    This may have been discussed before and I apologize because I haven't had the time to scroll through all the messages, but is the Corvette going to go with a Manumatic Transmission similar to the 5 speeds for Mercedes that can be down and up shifted by moving the shifter left/right and ultimately shift buttons on the steering wheel? This certainly would be a nice option for the different driving conditions here in Southern California. Thanks in advance.
  • starrow68starrow68 Member Posts: 1,142
    Just got back from a day at the drags, Vette Magic in Sacramento, all day Sunday. About a 180 Vettes running with a lot just there spectating as well, think they said there was about $6M in GM sales on the lot. It was a fun, if hot, day and it was a kick since I got to run against our daughter in her boy friends car. We both did personal bests and I get the ET at 13.46 by .01 and she did 111mph to my 107. Guess old guys can be quick off the line, good thing I did my best ever launch.

    http://photos.yahoo.com/starrow68

    Link to just a few pic's, go to the Vette Magic folder.
  • avolvofanavolvofan Member Posts: 358
    Haven't heard about a possible autoshifting manual transmission along the lines of the BMW SMG system for the Corvette. Maybe in the future, but not in the current crop of rumors for the C6 that I have heard/seen.
  • starrow68starrow68 Member Posts: 1,142
    to put C6 photos in one place:

    http://palmeter.com/CorvetteTimelineW11P06.htm

    Enjoy. Now, what's the HP for '05, that's the real question.
  • gbjerkegbjerke Member Posts: 158
    Lots of rumors out there on the '05 C6 as to horses.
    Seems the consensus is the regular C6 will come in at about 420 HP and they are going to weigh in at about 3100# (the current Z06 weight). If so, it will be one helluva ride for a "standard" Vette. The C6 Z06 will appear a year later (July '05) at a rumored 500 horses and a weight goal of 2900#.
    I have an '01 Z06 and don't keep my fun cars for more than 2-3 years so am contemplating an '03 because of the deep discounts now available...or wait for the '04's which will have early and deep discounts also. (just who is going to buy a 405 hp '04 Z06 when the "standard" Vettes come soon as the next generation C6 with more horses and the same weight?)
    Questions yet to be answered...and please, don't tell me the sane thing to do is to keep my '01 and wait for the C6/C6 Z06. I KNOW that's the sane thing...unfortunately, I've always been a bubble or two off when it comes to fun sleds.
  • sphinx99sphinx99 Member Posts: 776
    I wonder what the price will be. If the fit-and-finish is improved without a marked change in price and that kind of power, people like me (die-hard performance import fans) will become very tempted. I never thought I'd care much for a Corvette, and yet some of the things we're hearing about the C6 are getting me very, very interested.

    The price, IMO, is the important question to me.
  • starrow68starrow68 Member Posts: 1,142
    The performance is only HP per $, so if the price goes too high the value drops. After seeing the Corvette Quarterly pictures of the Z16 package on the '04 I'm thinking that would be a nice ride with some potential for deals as the '05's come on line. But it's all speculation for now. Anything over 350hp right now seems like the Billy Joel song, "You may be right, I may be crazy"; but I'd love to try the Z06 performance on a track since I've now done a little in the Coupe. For now the Coupe with it's 15 extra ponies from the X-Pipe system will have to do. Will probably depend on some dealer getting stuck with an '04 and willing to really deal. Recently you could get an '03 for $5k off which sets the standard IMO. Waiting. Happily!
  • core7884core7884 Member Posts: 3
    I have an issue with my 98 vette that started awhile ago but Ive yet to seriously find out what it is.. As soon as you start to accumulate speed over 15 MPH a loud humm emanates from the rear end and really can be felt throughout the car.. At first I thought it was the gear, but I recently discovered that when I make a sharp right turn the noise completely goes away and it is smooth as silk. If I turn left the noise seems to amplify a bit. Now I dont know what bearings or joints are back there, but I think it may be a worn out bearing or joint of some kind. As you can tell I am not a mechanic but was looking to get some insight on what this problem could possibly be.. Hopefully somebody has an idea.
    Thanks
  • ruking1ruking1 Member Posts: 19,826
    #547
    While you didn't state your mileage and or driving patterns,the problem may be as simple as adding GM friction modifier to your 75w-90 gear oil(less than 4 oz).

    The next level would be to change out the gear oil and/or go up to using synthetic, such as GM synthetic, Redline, Amsoil, Mobil One, Royal Purple etc. While I know for sure the 2001 has GM synthetic 75w-90, I understand that the 98 is probably conventional. Depending on which synthetic you use, also use the above mention friction modifier in 5-6% dilution (4 oz) The acid test would be to do figure 8's (slow speed) with no chatter. You can DIY if you have the time and equipment or at a Corvette specialty shop it can cost 30 dollars shop time(15 min to 30 min), plus parts, 2 qts synthetic 75w-90 gear oil and 4 oz of GM friction modifier. (Most shops will install the parts you bring)
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    core--I'd have your right rear wheel bearing checked first off but I wouldn't rule out a differential problem either.
  • core7884core7884 Member Posts: 3
    Thanks for the responses and ideas. Gives me an idea where to start.. By the way it only has 40,000 miles on it.
  • starrow68starrow68 Member Posts: 1,142
    A week ago, on Saturday morning I was going south on I-5 from Redding, CA and saw about 20+ Corvettes at the outlet stores parking lot along side the freeway. I'm guessing they were an early group heading for the Corvette Caravan to Nashville and the BG plant for July 4th week. Yesterday had reason to talk to a guy in Little Rock and he noted that overnight there were, in his words, over 850 Corvettes in town the prior night all going to Nashville and it made the local news. It seems there will be about 10K Corvettes in that area for the next week or so, should be pretty impressive if anyone has the chance to catch the show.
  • ruking1ruking1 Member Posts: 19,826
    650

    The easiest way to start is to do a series of figure 8's in a parking lot to see if you have differential chatter. If you get chatter on both left and right turns, then almost for sure it is the GM friction modifier issue. If it still has only one side look into the bearing issue.
  • core7884core7884 Member Posts: 3
    Yep I did that.. Turn left and a ton of chatter and noise.. Turn right and nothing.. Smooth as silk.. I am almost positive it is the right rear bearing.. Having it checked out next week..
    Thanks all..
    -Core
  • ruking1ruking1 Member Posts: 19,826
    Let us know what finally corrects the problem!!
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Problem with axle noises is that they transmit very well all along the assembly. Sometimes you have to run the car on a lift and be very patient with detection. Sometimes you need to tear down before you know for sure what's up.
  • bhill2bhill2 Member Posts: 2,466
    I live in the Thousand Oaks area of California, and am planning to buy a Corvette. There are two dealers that represent my closest choices; Courtesy Chevrolet in TO, and Wm. L. Morris in Simi Valley. Does anyone have any opinions on either of them? I would appreciate your sharing any experiences. Thanks.

    2009 BMW 335i, 2003 Corvette cnv. (RIP 2001 Jaguar XK8 cnv and 1985 MB 380SE [the best of the lot])

  • mihlenfeldmihlenfeld Member Posts: 2
    I want to get an Z06 2002 or 2003 new or used? How should i go about it?
    What is a good deal at a dealer for a new 2003 Z06? What are they willing to do?
    What is a good deal for a used 2002 or 2003 Z06 with let's say 10k miles?
    Any recommendations and tips? Plus, it's really tough to find them out there. If you were me, what would you do?
    I don't want to wait until c6
  • mihlenfeldmihlenfeld Member Posts: 2
    There are a couple of 2002 Z06 for around 40k at CARMAX. Good deal to buy there or what is your experience?
  • starrow68starrow68 Member Posts: 1,142
    First off, not all Chevy dealers have Corvettes. Dealers get an allocation based on prior sales which they seem to do a lot to keep. This tends to freeze out dealers that didn't push in the past who now want to make sales. Checking the allocation is one good first step with any dealer. That is, if you can get a straight answer, not all are very forth comming. I got the best info off of Corvetteforum.com back in 2001 when I started looking seriously. That was after local dealers started talking $3.5k to $5k over MSRP with additional markups. I got what I wanted off the internet at $2k under MSRP with no markups. Corvetteactioncenter.com also has good info and links to some of the same dealer contacts.
        Next issue was California delivery and smog. I ordered the car, which I picked up in Montana, with CA smog option. That made no difference since it seems that all cars are now 50 state legal. I just got a smog check on return to CA and got the registration at DMV and paid fees and sales tax at a prescheduled appointment, no hassle. The other option is to get out of state dealer to set up for courtesy delivery at a local dealer, I've seen several cases where people used Cadilac dealers instead of Chevy. FWIW. They seem to want a documentation fee of a couple hundred dollars to process pickup. I've had no issues getting good service at the local Chevy dealer on the Vette.
       Looking around can make a big difference. How much depends on timing, the same local dealer that quoted me $5k over in 2001 was pushing $5k under a few months ago. But this was a good 9 months after you could get that same deal on the internet if you looked around.
  • skeezixskeezix Member Posts: 45
    I have been given a price for a new 2003 quicksilver Z06 (with black interior) from a local dealer who says he only has to get the car here from another location. This will cost an additional $485 for the transport fees. The sticker price for this car is $52,608.00. The price I was given is $46,908.00, which includes a $2000.00 GM rebate. I believe this to be a good price for this car and I am wondering what this forum thinks about it.
  • ruking1ruking1 Member Posts: 19,826
    If indeed the invoice price is app 46,000 then app 44,000 with the 2k GM rebate would be the ticket!
  • starrow68starrow68 Member Posts: 1,142
    The price sounds pretty good. Looking for the best available deals in corvetteforum I came across 2 dealer postings that showed coupes and verts at about $5.5k off and then $2k rebate for total $7.5k. That was what they had in stock.
       Your deal is $5.7k with $.5 add back for $5.2k off. What is local delivery and getting what you want worth? Sounds like you are very close to a deal, especially if it's what you want. That was critical for me, still enjoying it 20+months later and I even own a 2nd Vette now as well. Once to the track and couple times to the drags with a few autocrosses added in and it really can develop a huge smile. Then again just drive it for a touring car and it is superb!
       SAve the Wave!

    BTW, ruking1, any chance you are going to the all Vette Autocross in Marina on Saturday the 12th?
  • ruking1ruking1 Member Posts: 19,826
    Sadly no. I will be out of town !
  • sphinx99sphinx99 Member Posts: 776
    I saw a convertible vette with the Z06's rear brake vents this morning. A few weeks ago, I saw another Vette (blue) with a big aluminum wing. The funny thing about Vettes is that the rear trunk is so high whereas the roofline is low. So, when someone puts a tacky aluminum wing on the trunk lid of a Corvette, you get the unusual effect of having the wing actually sitting HIGHER than the roof!
  • starrow68starrow68 Member Posts: 1,142
    Left out the Vette's. As to the Z06 brake ducts on Coupe's and Vert's I understand that they are functional and actually help brake cooling, may not be true but some think that is the case. It is nice that most Corvette owners don't see any need to trick out the exterior. Most of the mods I've seen and read about are just performance, but with only 350hp it's hard to see the need for the 450 to 550 rwhp I've seen several times at the track. Guess it's a question of learning how to deal with what you have and then the need for more might grow.

       Ok, the wife corrected me, the X-Pipe and new mufflers are supposed to add just over 15hp, and they do look good. :)
  • gmanusmcgmanusmc Member Posts: 699
    Starrow (and all)...My wife and I are about to place our order for a 2004 Mag Red Coupe. We are located in SoCal but are ordering from an east coast dealer and having it drop shipped to a nearby dealer. Reading through your posts on this thread was very informative and probably contributed to our reaching where we are right now in taking the "plunge. Do you have any advice to offer on this process? We will most likely finalize the order in the next few days with a projected delivery of late Aug.

    Thanks in advance, Bill G
    2016 ES350 Lux/Atomic Silver
    2017 Accord Sport CVT Mod Steel Metallic
  • ruking1ruking1 Member Posts: 19,826
    It is truly a unique experience to know that a "car with your name on it" is being built! Mine was ordered and I got a 2001 Z06 pretty much sight unseen. The GM build order system seemed byzantine and I don't think that it has gotten much better :)!

    As I remember the experience, once you get in cue, the key is to keep in fairly close contact with person that you either bought it from or the person who is responsible for monitoring the contact. I bought mine in CA in the Napa Valley, so one other treat was to be able to tour the wine country. While I was getting the winery tour , during the "orientation ride" (sure glad the car knew the way around, "the gals" went to Napa to do real damage at the outlet stores! I had a great experience with a GM dealer and if you want contact information, just send me an e mail.

    Corvette forum has a dealer vendor who writes a newsletter column and it is quite informative both on the process and news about new Corvettes. All the best!
  • starrow68starrow68 Member Posts: 1,142
    The Corvetteforum newsletter from Ken Fichtner in Montana was a great source of info for me before I bought and was why I finally got mine from Ken in Montana. Since we went to Montana and did the pickup I can't comment much on the courtsey delivery option much, other than what I've heard. Ken's crew prep'd the car the day we drove it on a test drive and then washed it again the following morning before we signed all the papers and took off on our 4 days to home. Fantastic service.
       Keeping track of your build as it goes through the GM system is something that helps you get past the worry along the way, at least for me. Again, Ken's news letter info helped. Linking up with your local Corvette club and actually having a few folks show you what to look for on delivery inspection is also a good idea. There were still things I thought about asking after the fact so the more background you get ahead of time the better. Also there are local corvette shows which can provide lots of personal insights if you can track one down. Most Corvette people love to discuss the experience, if you are up to it. ;)
       Last thing is the obvious, easy breakin, early oil change, most recommend magnetic oil drain plug if they aren't standard now. Even with stability and other aids it is easy to lose it some in spite of the massive rubber contacts. Fun when expected but scary when not expected. Then again you can drive it like a touring car and never hear a tire squeal if desired. I have a couple of freeway onramps with good visibility that I now enter without touching the brakes from speed limit and it acts like it's on rails, maintain balance into turn and easy power out to set the rear and the car can amaze you if you turn in correctly, apex and unwind. Oh, btw, a day at a defensive driving class is also a very good idea.

       Ok, I'm curious as well, willing to discuss how much off MSRP they are going for at this point? Sure my $2k off from back before 911 is way out of date. I know what I read but actual deals put it in better perspective. Enjoy the ride, save the wave, and be safe.
  • bhill2bhill2 Member Posts: 2,466
    My wife and I just bought a 50th anniversary convertible and I am a happy camper. Actually, I talked her into going for the 6-speed, so I am a VERY happy camper (can that thing really get 30 mpg on the highway like the instantaneous mileage display indicates or am I fooling myself?) But I digress. Presently, when I put the top up, I leave the ignition on, get out, open the tonneau cover (which lowers the windows), put up the top, get back in, latch the top down, and put the windows up (which is why I left the ignition on). While this is not a big deal, I wondered if anyone had developed a more efficient method.

    Also, while I have your attention, the owners' manual 'recommends' using premium, saying that it will give the best performance. But it then hedges by saying that you actually can burn any high-quality gas in it. I am tentatively assuming that there is a real difference in performance between using premium and using mid-grade, but I invite any information anyone can give me. Thanks.

    2009 BMW 335i, 2003 Corvette cnv. (RIP 2001 Jaguar XK8 cnv and 1985 MB 380SE [the best of the lot])

  • starrow68starrow68 Member Posts: 1,142
    Us guys in Coupe's just pop it off and tuck it in the hatch, really easy. Enjoy the vert!

       As to mileage it is amazing, at one rally this couple in a C5 got over 30 miles per gallon for a 100 mile trek not all on freeway. Back to reality, not many Vette drivers are trying to get good mileage so don't be surprised if some ask, why would you bother. OTOH I've tried to get top mileage several times and gotten close to 24 combined with much on the freeway. All it takes is lots of driving around in 6th even as low as at 35mph, just have to be very easy on the throttle if you need to accelerate, gobs of torque helps. If I stay under 65 on the freeway with very few hills it will get into mid 30's but drops off after that. Crusing at 100mph it still will get close to 22mpg, I've seen a claim of 23 but how would I know? Where could you do that legally?
       As to premium, never considered anything else, I'd hate to hear that sweet purr start knocking and I think that is where you might end up if the octane gets a little low. I've talked to several performance oriented drivers who keep 96 octane around, it is available, to bring up the average from the available 91. YMMV
  • avolvofanavolvofan Member Posts: 358
    While it is possible to run on less than 91 octane, you will have degraded performance. This is due to the knock sensors cutting in and changing the ignition timing in response to pinging. Changed timing results in less power output. So, where once was a quick Corvette on 91 octane, with 89 (or 87 god forbid), you will have a very slow (sluggish) ride. You also run the risk of intake valve deposits with the lower octane gas (less detergent is in the lower octane gas), which brings its own set of problems.

    If it were my Corvette, I would not run anything less than 91 octane.
Sign In or Register to comment.