“Don’t risk that $20000 motor!”

My GT3-Killer Z06 build has a few loose ends to tie up before I head back to the track, including the installation of my AP Racing by Essex big brake kit, but this time I'm going to drive in an autocross competition instead of the road course, because I've been hearing horror stories about oil starvation in early C6 Z06's due to limited dry sump capacity. What could go wrong?
How Essex came to my rescue when I got scammed on a set of AP Racing brakes: • Big Brake Scam... RESO...

[@Ducati_rider69]

By far my favorite videos to watch on KZbin. I’m always on the lookout for new videos as I build a very similar track car

[@KelMcBeath]

Another awesome video Josh. The LS7 reliability question has intrigued me ever since I choose to buy a C6Z06. The reality is that the engineering in the engine is leagues ahead of anything else at the price point at the time the car was released. But, you cant have everything. If you want to beat on a road car on the track you have to pay the devil. The engines are plenty tough as proven over many many race wins across many countries around the world. There is truth around the issues of valve guide wear, the cause of this is often debated but which of us would trade the 360cfm flow provided by the head design and want a less aggressive valve angle or lift with the trade off in performance that would result. If the answer is yes, maybe this isn't the car for you'? Could the factory have better matched parts to get better longevity? I expect so, but then in race engines I have built and maintained, the likes of lifters, valve springs, exhaust valves and guides have been a 35 to 50 race hour "consumable" anyway. Again, you have to pay the devil for the fun. I have seen plenty of destroyed LS1's, 2's and 3's during my race career with dropped valve seats or valves as well. These engines were not released from the factory with a 7100 redline. I think a big part of the problem is owners generally run LS7's hard for the fun factor and it is not realistic to expect a road car will hang together in race mode without race car maintenance. I have modded my own LS7 with sump baffles, tank baffles, Katech cam, Katech oil pump, C5R timing chain, CHE bronze guides, GM race lifters etc etc for longevity. But in modding the engine, I also pulled the limiter back to 6800rpm and rarely rev it over 6000rpm even on the track. Once modded, the power curve allows you to do this and still go plenty fast. My race / self race funding experience taught me that rpm = $$. Super interested to hear others thoughts on this.

[@JoshVanVeld]

This is a great comment, thanks for posting with your thoughts and experience! When I have the heads reworked there will be an opportunity to upgrade the cam and other parts. What cam specs did you go with and what was the reasoning?

[@KelMcBeath]

@@JoshVanVeld I went with a Katech Torquer 110 cam. I use my car 99% on the road, but as a retired circuit racer naturally I have a spare set of wheels with Hoosier R7's on for our local Corvette club circuit days. The Torquer 110 is not a "hero cam" for big dyno figures but does serve up loads of mid range power (on a Mustang style dyno mine is 550hp/500tq at the wheels) with decent drivability and fuel mileage. When I did all of these mods I also replaced the factory 2 piece hollow stem exhaust valves with Ferrea hollow stem valves and PSI springs. This is another durability mod that keeps the valve train weight down at the same time.

[@cliftonsheldon9134]

I worked in road racing for quite a while. I built a 2006 z06 for Super Touring in SCCA for a customer once. The car had 3,000mi on it when I built it. When I left that job it had 11,000+ mi so about 8000mi of nothing but practice laps, qualifying and racing, often twice a weekend over years. Always ran 98oct track fuel. It never missed a beat and was dead reliable with just upgraded cooling and oil changes after every race weekend. I loved that car and it always performed well.

[@nexus6514]

My nuts been stanky

[@KelMcBeath]

@@cliftonsheldon9134 really interesting. When you prepped the car, was any other engine work done other than the cooling mods?

[@CodeBlueNurburgringAtom]

Great videos! Love watching you progress with the Z.

[@xXDarthBagginsXx]

Making me want to make a trip up to AMS - last time I was up there was years ago (when it opened). Nice build and the c6 can be a monster on the track, can't wait to see the progress continue for this build 👍

[@blairalderton2238]

Just sub'd, as I love great editing and story telling! The car looks great with the track wheels! Sitting in the staging lanes for 30 mins waiting to make a 10 sec 1/4 mile lap sounds about as fun as sitting in line at an autocross event 🤣. Thanks Josh!

[@JoshVanVeld]

Haha thank you! I got my start in motorsports doing endurance racing, so I got used to spending 90 minutes at a time turning laps and then 4 hours of waiting around for the next stint. I guess waiting your turn is part of the game no matter what flavor you choose. 😄

[@metzgerf16]

Another awesome video! Can't wait to see this thing rip once you get the oil issue squared away.

[@alexl9334]

Sick ride bro. Its all about the journey

[@jeremyogburn5888]

Super high quality video man, i love watching

[@JoshVanVeld]

Thanks dude!

[@z06baron6]

Really enjoying the video so far, only 9 minutes in and wanted to share some advise: My 08 Z06 threw a similar code, turned out one of the O2 sensors was faulty. I was very skeptical at first if it was actually an 02 sensor, but I did some electrical testing of one of them and it tested bad, sure enough installed a Denso (I seem to always have look with Denso, most are made in Japan) O2 sensor, fixed it. I even had a fancy code reader that was showing a bad signal from the 02 sensor. I think they are more prone to fail with aftermarket stuff (long tubes, hotter exhaust, less insulation etc). The more and more I learn about the z06, this remains clear: the more and more aftermarket parts you install, the less reliable it is.

[@JoshVanVeld]

Thanks for the tip!

[@RichardMewborn]

I wanted to hop on my computer and say I enjoy your videos thank you for uploading. I appreciate your story telling and editing. You've given me confidence to get a c6 except I doubt id be as hands on as you (I admire your skills both in educating and mechanically wrenching). Anyways, excited to see where you go!

[@JoshVanVeld]

Hey Richard, thank you! It means a lot to me that you've been enjoying the series. I've learned a great deal already from making these videos and there's more to come for sure.

[@stevehenri4719]

I like the way you work organized and neat! Way to go !

[@JoshVanVeld]

Thanks Steve!

[@blerdninja2562]

Great video, I just picked up a 2012 Z06 after watching your videos can't wait to start digging into it.

[@JoshVanVeld]

Congrats!! Hope you love it. What color did you get?

[@blerdninja2562]

@@JoshVanVeld Chevy calls it carbon flash metallic. But I just call it black lol.

[@JoshVanVeld]

@@blerdninja2562 "Fancy Black"

[@_VelociDad]

Slow is smooth and smooth IS fast. Great vid!

[@tjavideo]

Humility coupled with humor, and about racing? Subscribed and excited. I have a lot of catching up to do. Josh, you seem like an awesome person.

[@JoshVanVeld]

Tim, thank you! That really means a lot to me. I've been on a bit of hiatus as a lot of life stuff has been going on and I've had a shop doing some work for Goldie, but I'll be back in action soon.

[@tjavideo]

"I need a soothing mint." Glad I work for myself as I just laughed out loud at my desk. @@JoshVanVeld

[@JoshVanVeld]

@@tjavideo Lol! I was so nervous for some reason. I think it's knowing that there are a bunch of people standing around watching, which isn't really the case in any of the endurance racing I've done.

[@jon350]

I've been following your progress since day-1, and I've got to say, I still love that you're rocking 315 front tires! I'm rolling on the VS-5RS wheels with 315 front, 345 rear and good lord, I'm braking and out-cornering everything so far.... McLaren, Porsch GT2, Huracan STO... I'm laughing all the way to the bank with my C6Z! Keep on posting your journey -- 'this is the way.' =]

[@JoshVanVeld]

Thanks man! Much appreciated! Are you running any aero?

[@jon350]

@@JoshVanVeld At the moment I'm just rocking the standard stuff: ZR1 splitter, side sills, and rear whicker bill... But I've got a set of AJ Hartman canards waiting for a gooseneck 'wang' to finish fabrication. Until you're hitting 80+ aero doesn't do enough -- so you're fine auto-crossing for now.

[@JoshVanVeld]

@@jon350 Not planning to do any more autocross - the build is more geared towards road courses. I'm out at AMP a lot and Road Atlanta is less than an hour away. Haven't decided whether I want to go aero, but I think I need to figure it out before I can pick coilover spring rates.

[@jesterokjones4954]

​@@JoshVanVeldOh man, you're less than an hour from my very favorite track in the world!

[@bill4632]

Take care of the car it will take care of you. My neighbor has over 130k miles on their C6 Z06. Still running great.

[@todddooley793]

Yeah I believe there's a problem with the stock heads. I know RPM motorsports has done a video about the heads. They have a LS7 heads, cam and manifold package good for 650whp. They aren't cheap but one of the best in the business

[@gettnbetter7274]

Thanks for sharing. Kinda like your "authentic" squealy AP brakes and I bet they click like crickets during cooldown, love aluminum hats. 70k miles here on my 2007 LS7, never experienced an oil issue but I'll keep a closer look now at long left handers, the 2007 does only have an 8 quart reservoir. The valves still sing with the same song, I'm always vigilant, their sound will eventually change but it's more of an internet meme to me at this point. I'm pretty confident the clutch will fail me first.

[@thekingofcamo]

Loving the videos brother!

[@chevyracing1080]

You’re on the right track it seems.. pads,fluid and tires should always be your first mods. The car sounds stock and extremely restricted. I’d do at minimum a high flow cat and muffler w/ xpipe and drop in air filter by afe if they still make them.

[@3.2Carrera]

I just subscribed so I look forward to mining your channel. I own older Porsches and Vettes so you have a tall order in front you you but really sky's the limit with your base package. I'm a DIY'er too and enjoyed working with both. I probably prefer working with Porsche just because of the quality of the parts are still mostly from Europe. With my vette I've seen both the GM supply chain as well as most of the aftermarket contaminated with poor offshore parts. It's a shame what's happened to the US suppliers.

[@rpracingproducts]

Just cut the wires and solder them since you will never reinstall the onstar box.

[@JoshVanVeld]

But I need to be able to tell myself I can reinstall it, even if that box is going to sit in my basement until the end of time 😂

[@randallmason9687]

It is just data mining. Trash it!!

[@louiC6Z]

I just did the lingenfelter tank with the Improved racing pan baffle and oil thermostat kit on my '06. The oil starvation with R comps is a real thing especially with your AP kit you could see oil pressure drops under hard braking with the stock tank and pan system. Side note, if you car does have a bad spring and drove home fine, id consider yourself lucky. Since your car is throwing lean codes id say something is definitely on its way out, could be a bad O2 thats been overheated one too many times.

[@JoshVanVeld]

Did you do the pan baffle install yourself? How bad was it? Quickjacks don’t get the car as high as I’d like to mess with the motor from below.

[@louiC6Z]

@@JoshVanVeld I put the car on 4 stands, and lowered the subframe bolts to their last threads and then used a floor jack to jack the motor slightly from the crank hub and then Slid the pan right out. Its not hard but not easy lol but its a common procedure when doing a oil pan at home on these cars. The tank removal and install was super easy.

[@natez0690]

I did the same thing on my ‘08 C6Z but also added the improved racing crank scraper and the Aviaid tank baffle. Never oil starved it. I data logged with HP Tuners and the Track Addict app! Fantastic results on MSR 1.7 in Cresson, TX. Look up “MORDETH’s” recommendations on the Corvette Forum.

[@JoshVanVeld]

@@natez0690 Nice! I’ve seen a lot of those posts. That forum has so much great info.

[@rmdebla]

Add front brake ducts. I did it on my GS w/o removing the bumper cover (yeah, it's some work) but you get 4" of cooling that is siphoned from condenser/radiator but I never saw a cooling issue (engine - you don't run the AC on track!). Me: Took the right hole cutter, some of that race tubing, covers over the OEM cooling scavenge, relocate the horn, AC sensor, kit that can be bought for inner fender OEM duct to wheel. With NT01 rubber on a GS then, I could tail a not so good GT3 driver.

[@trenthickey4483]

Those forged wheels are niiiiiiice!!! 👌🏼

[@jax1079]

Glad to see you taking (for the most part) all the precautions to keep that legendary engine healthy and in one piece. I absolutely LOVE the LS7, and I wish you nothing but long life and happy miles with yours. That said, I’m coming over and setting your exposure for you, and if you say it’s on “Auto,” next time we grab coffee I’m bringing large Italian mafia dudes with me 😂

[@JoshVanVeld]

😂😂😂

[@DoubleBogeyBaker]

This might sound crazy but sometimes your check engine light comes on because the gas cap didn’t get out back on all the way. I’m not sure about corvettes but I know it’s true for a lot of other vehicles

[@srmurc6zo6]

Have not had time to watch the whole video yet so I am unaware of your specific symptoms. Fyi, Some 07s have an issue where they break rocker arms and spit the needle bearings into the motor. It would be a good idea to pull the valve covers and check it out. I would recommend not running the engine until you know where your issues are. You also may have magnetic drain plugs so draining the oil may reveal damage. You can send an oil sample out for analysis as well. Whatever it is, good luck! As always, great vid. I will watch the rest of it tonight.

[@JoshVanVeld]

Thank you! A buddy of mine had a broken rocker and it ended up causing a lifter to rotate, which got destroyed by the came and in turn tore up the block. No fun.

[@srmurc6zo6]

I had one break on an 07 at the track. The car felt a little funny but it didn't seem like anything major (not a dead mis). The next day, I drained my oil and found a few needle bearings stuck to one of the magnetic drain plugs. The roller cage broke on one side of the #2 rocker arm so there was still some tension on the lifter. The car had about 15k miles and was still under the factory warranty as well as having an extended warranty. The dealer told me they would only change the faulty rocker arm and do an oil change. I told them no dice and ripped the engine down myself to find all the chunks of need bearings scattered about. Fyi, lean codes set when the ecm detects a fuel trim reading above 25% for a specific amount of time. Meaning the car is trying to compensate for a lean fuel mixture yet is unsuccessful. There is always a reason for it.

[@JoshVanVeld]

@@srmurc6zo6 Thanks. That’s a horror story for sure.

[@steelwitness]

My dream car is a C6. In my eyes they are the pinnacle of a Corvette. So beautiful.

[@PatrickGotHands]

They are a wannabe c5

[@steelwitness]

@@PatrickGotHands lmao

[@Prodriver33]

Accusump, oil cooler, and a finned cover over the stock oil filter location with lines to two external oil filters from a gas HD Silverado in a more convenient location so changing them is a snap. It will increase oil capacity by a few quarts among many benefits just make sure to get high pressure oil filters (quality brand with over 30psi rating, some cap off at high oil pressure so your not actually filtering)

[@Fremlin]

Use only a six sided socket to remove bleeders. Channel lock only grab in one direction and it wasn’t the way you were doing.

[@Rodiak41]

Where’s the update?! I found your videos while I’m in the midst of shopping for a C6Z… fun to follow your journey as it’s likely the path I’m about to go down. I just wish you’d upload one a week or more haha!

[@JoshVanVeld]

I wish I could crank them out faster! Should be worth the wait.

[@Rodiak41]

@@JoshVanVeld Good to know. Just picked up a yellow 06 z 2 days ago. 530whp. Should be a track monster, and I am definitely taking cues from your build as to what to do with mine!

[@JoshVanVeld]

@@Rodiak41 Congrats! What’s been done to it to make that power?

[@z06baron6]

Hey.. Another actually really important thought I just had.. Especially while messing with brakes: My 2010 Dodge Ram 1500 truck had a rotor replaced one time and they also had to remove the master cylinder to get to something around the engine. Upon installing everything back up and bleeding the system thoroughly the brakes still did not feel as good as they did before.. Turns out after a ton of diagnosing what fixed the problem was this: I had to take it to the dealer (only the dealer can do this) and have them bleed the brakes AND TELL THE ABS MODULE to stay wide open to get out all air bubbles inside it. I had to specifically request they bleed the ABS module, they do not normally do this when bleeding the brakes. They have their fancy computer that they can do this with, after that the brakes felt a world of difference better. I wonder on some of these Z06 if they require the same thing after doing extensive work, my Z06 08 even after brand new fluid and good pads begins to have serious brake pad after only a few medium to hard braking instances, I can even get it to fade around time driving a bit spirited.

[@MSIMark]

If you don't cycle the ABS pump with a scan tool while bleeding, you run the risk of trapping air in the brake hydraulic system. Plus you will never fully purge the old fluid from the system.

[@Lou_sassel315]

I bought an ls7 shortblock running with about 25k miles on it. I have a set of ls3 heads and intake so I think I’m gonna go with those instead of ls7 heads to both save money and avoid the valve issue all together. I know im sacrificing a decent amount of power but it’s going in a 1980 trans am which won’t be a race car by any means. Just something to have fun every weekend and maybe even a daily driver.

[@_slipAngle_]

Hey Josh, eagerly awaiting your next instalment. I am going to tackle bushing install this weekend…. Stock bushings are popping out which cause my front toe to move far IN. Long story short my AR-1’s are toast in the front due to toe wear (120 laps and 600 miles street). I could have gotten another 50-80 laps I think! Question: do you recall when doing your bump steer kit if front toe went IN or OUT as the suspension compressed? Seems my car is lower than stock, so that may also have contributed to my toe wear when cornering. I may be able to reduce that by going up in height a bit. Thanks again for all the videos!

[@JoshVanVeld]

Working on the new one, hopefully I’ll have it soon! Sadly I can’t recall which direction my bump steer went. Cars that are lower exhibit it worse from what I understand. Might be worth considering a bump steer kit to eliminate the dynamic toe, but if you watched my suspension overhaul video it’s a bit of a chore 😅

[@_slipAngle_]

@@JoshVanVeld Yes, I went through that video in detail, and it is really helping with my bushing upgrade. You made it look a bit too easy! In doing the bushings I noticed my stock height adjustment bolt on the front drivers was really deformed, so it was keeping a certain heigh for a while after jacking up car (like when doing an alignment). It would then settle quite a bit after driving. Making alignment change drastically. I have new bolts on order now. P.S. Looking forward to your future vids. I'm thinking "The Six Million Dollar Man" type of thing! haha (you are probably too young to get that one, lol)

[@JoshVanVeld]

@@_slipAngle_ We can rebuild her! 😁 Before my time but I get the reference 🤝

[@TheWolfMatt]

Another great video to add to the books Josh. Goldie has come quite a long way from the time you started this venture and boy is she looking the part with those wheels/tires/brakes installed. Did the cones do any damage to the underside of the Z during the autocross? I'm thinking they might have bounced into a wire under there and may have jarred a connector loose in doing so. These C6Z's have a pretty flat bottom so there's not much to grab onto but that doesn't mean that something wasn't bumped off during your session. I had a similar issue when I did an autocross in my 17 ZL1 where a diff temp sensor came off due to a cone I ran over.

[@JoshVanVeld]

Hey Matt, thanks! Glad you're still enjoying the series. I haven't inspected the underside of the car yet, but it's on my to-do list. I hadn't considered that a cone could dislodge a connector but it makes sense.

[@TheWolfMatt]

@@JoshVanVeld Yeah, some of the GM connectors can come off if hit hard enough. Oh, btw, put a big smile on my face when you said "Slow is smooth but smooth is fast" as I know I had mentioned that in a previous comment. ☺

[@07mjames1]

That brake squeak would drive me nuts!!

[@danielfrazier840]

A zr-1 diff may help with your time attack stuff

[@gabem8119]

Been waiting for you to put the AP brakes on, they look good, your Apex wheels are really nice! Your stock wheels are nice too but don’t like chrome. I don’t like chrome anything.🤷🏻 I recently installed bigger front rotors for my model 3 that I run at autocross, yes, lots of fun, they’re lightweight rotors with aluminum hats similar to your setup but using the stock calipers. I feel better having the bigger rotors for repeated hard braking on larger courses where my speed gets higher. Running the stock pads for now but may change them out to save my stock pads. I also have lightweight wheels and higher performance tires I use for the courses. My last AX event was rained out cause of thunderstorms later that day and didn’t get timed. Ran some fun runs instead. Yeah frustrating since I really wanted to know what I ran and how I compared to other cars. One group got timed before the storms came in.

[@JoshVanVeld]

Any suspension work to your Model 3? I took one out on the road course a while back and it felt really under-sprung for the weight. Monster out of the hole though!

[@gabem8119]

@@JoshVanVeld Yeah, I have lowering springs and bigger sway bars front and back. I got coilovers coming soon to replace the springs in there now. Installing front solid bushings next week. I watched your model 3 vid too, I liked your take on it. Those are heavier and really need suspension mods to make it perform better. Stock is too soft and more for comfort. I have a RWD and weighs about 3500, dual motors are about 4100. RWD's tend to turn in better, not understeer, cause of not having the front motor. OG race cars are RWD!😁 At AX last weekend I was really happy with how it handled.

[@InJasonsGarage]

I love these videos. Got a couple of thoughts if you don't mind me sharing... 1) You have guts to mess around with the OnStar thing, considering the risks of it not starting. Either that or I am paranoid and bought into the internet hype. 2) It is AWESOME that Essex took care of you. 3) I love it when I notice dogs in car videos. I put my dogs in my videos here and there. 😜 4) I learn so much about how to upgrade my car thanks to these videos. Kinda skeered. I like my cars pretty, but they say a car can't be race car and a show car at the same time. 5) 'Bout time you got those killer Apex wheels on your car. I was wondering when they would get put to good use. 6) Unwanted engine sounds...UGH... 7) That little BMW sounded like a caged animal. 8) Watching the next video now....

[@JoshVanVeld]

1) Onstar thing didn't have me worried. Worst-case, plug the box back in. Maybe you read a horror story on the forums that I missed. 2) Couldn't agree more. Essex rules. 3) Noted. Upping the dog content by 5% moving forward. 4) I'm less afraid to work on older cars that aren't perfect. 5) Really wanted to save the Apex wheels until I'd set a reference time on the factory wheels. They transform the look of the car in such a good way. 6) Yeah. Note to self: Never, ever, EVER ignore mysterious noises. 7) There were at least two LS-swapped BMW's there. 8) My condolences... Thanks for the kind words!

[@GasGuzzlerz]

If you ever get the no fobs detected message, there is a place inside the dashboard where you can insert the fob to override

[@yzScott]

I'll be doing that same OnStar delete as soon as my seats arrive. Anticipation... It's been a rough year for supply chain woes.

[@yzScott]

Generally, the oil starvation takes quite a bit more than 1 G. It would be pretty hard to do without slicks and aero. If/when you convert to coil-overs you can do the A.R.E. race pan if you're really worried about it. (It won't clear the transverse leaf).

[@JoshVanVeld]

@@yzScott That makes sense. I bet these cars are ridiculous with real downforce and slicks. Maybe I'll find out someday...

[@yzScott]

I'll have the aero when things finally arrive. I am very curious how noticeable it will be. I am doing the LG Motorsport GT2 wing and biggest splitter plus ZR-1 side skirts. Tires are currently Sport Cup 2 non-runflat.

[@JoshVanVeld]

@@yzScott I originally drew the line at aero with this build, but what are plans for if not to throw them out the window when you get a better idea?

[@yzScott]

@@JoshVanVeld My plan was to do aero last. (though, I'm still holding out for carbon wheels). I wanted to give as few visual clues as possible until all the go-faster was done. Daizy should be less than 3000lbs, more than 820 HP, suspension fully done, and able to get to 150 mph in less than 10 seconds. I'm OK tipping my hand with seats, rollbar, and aero now.

[@MrLowe-on8kc]

I would like to know what tires are you running on your ZO6 and how do they handle on the street, especially when they get wet?

[@lm1174]

New subscriber i a stumbled on to your channel. Over a decade ownership of my C6... best corvette generation ever made. Design / weight / sound cant stand C7s / C8s

[@norman1907]

I bring a lead acid camping battery in my vette. It's not your fancy lithium jackery, but it has jumper cables on it. The flattest my battery ever got it it took 5 mins sitting on the portable battery. The portable battery is 600w output and weighs about 30lbs, it's probably 1/3 the capacity of the car battery. It wasn't that expensive to be able to jump yourself anywhere, it charges off your lighter, I've run a small vacuum off it, but not a regular vacuum sadly, too weak.

[@HomiesOfMars]

That garge floor is beautiful

[@dustinjackson4517]

I’ve had two ls7 z06 and best the bell out of them and never dropped a valve. Had one for 5 years and the one I own now I’ve had for two years.

[@JoshVanVeld]

Nice. Any mods on either motor?

[@bryans3287]

If it's built right, it will be right. LS engines are a phenomenal push rod v eight . obviously address the weak spots.

[@3ducs]

When bleeding brakes go from furthest from the master cylinder to closest. There are self bleeding one-way valves you can use if you don't have that fancy bleeder pump. They come in handy if you, like me, don't have friends.

[@JoshVanVeld]

Thank you! Normally I follow that rule, I think I had forgotten about that new bleed screw on the right rear until I'd partially bled the rest and wanted to make sure there were no bubbles in that caliper. I've used that Motive bleeder so many times over the years that it has more than paid for itself in terms of time saved. But the real champ is that bottle they sell with the wire on it. I'd been using old water bottles but theirs has a perfect soft hose on it to fit over the bleed screw.

[@3ducs]

@@JoshVanVeld Those AP brakes look very good! I put four Wilwood calipers on my '16 Mazda MX-5, a similar kit with brackets, they work great. I'm getting a '16 Jaguar 3.0 S F-Type manual trans coupe this weekend, it has the big brakes with the floating calipers, I'm interested in going with AP or Wilwood calipers eventually.

[@burtonrider316]

Hey. Since you have messed with the suspension on these..lol I have a 13 Grand sport with stock suspension and wheels and tires. I have noticed for instance on on ramps when i get spirited i get a front end scrub kind of like it does at full lock at low speeds. The car especially in the rear is still super planted but the front just starts skipping a bit. happens on both left and right turns. Alignment was just done on it. Not really sure what it could be. Do you think that is just a stock understeer thing? or perhaps some bushings need to be changed? Thanks for the reply if you see this. I have had it happen in higher speed medium turns like on ramps..and some tighter low speed corners..

[@JoshVanVeld]

Is it at stock ride height?

[@JulianVR4]

Why didnt you just notch the seat backet instead of screwing with the onstar box?

[@evcass69]

You could run a pad that heats up quicker for the autox and a track pad for road courses. Pick compatible pad compounds to avoid rebedding... something like a DS2500 & DS 1.11. How does the per wheel (tire & wheel) weight compare to stock?

[@JoshVanVeld]

Good point about pads. I probably won’t run more autocross but I do have street pads that would probably work. Problem is they’re Hawk and probably don’t play nice with the Carbotech race compound. I can’t remember the weight saving off the top of my head but I think I weighed everything individually in this video if you’re willing to scrub through it: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fHuamKZrha2sfKs

[@evcass69]

@Josh Van Veld's Racing Mind Call Carbotech and ask about a compatible pad. I'll check out the other video... just curious about the MOI delta on the wheels.

[@WeinsonFam]

Great video! What bleeder are you using? Thanks!

[@JoshVanVeld]

Thanks! It’s a Motive power bleeder.

[@RippinLyons]

I see your concerns with the car, they are cool but definitely have their issues my buddy’s 06 spun a bearing last year at ls fest with just 22k miles. He just barely got the engine back and it wasn’t cheap haha. They are fun cars though, I owned one for a little bit and didn’t have any issues

[@JoshVanVeld]

Yikes!

[@richarddobreny6664]

The whole point of the dry sump is to not encounter oil starvation, so I’m not sure how a long left sweeper would be a problem. The only problem with LS7’s was springs and valve seats

[@JoshVanVeld]

This thread has some more info if you’re curious: www.corvetteforum.com/forums/c6-corvette-zr1-and-z06/3774194-engine-oil-starvation-under-hi-g-s.html

[@markw365]

The ND2 miata is 2280 with about half a tank, so 865 pounds less, not 750. :)

[@krispribanic9288]

You are going to build a GT3 BEATER,good luck with that.

[@radekpasecny4538]

The AP Racings don't need no brake grease..? 🤔

[@danielmembrillo6472]

AMP is 20 minutes from me! Love AMP and Road Atlanta. What is the next track day you are signed up for? I'd like to join you.

[@rolomaticz5009]

You should just drop an LS3 in there with a supercharger, you'll get 800 BHP for half the ching you're thinking on that custom $44K LS7 and it will actuality be reliable. The LS3 is the best for class and that's why they use them in marine and even prop driven airplane applications. I have one in my 2010 Camaro 2SS with a Tremic 6 speed gear box.

[@nsxr001]

Smart man holding off on track days until the motor is sorted. We are all waiting for the track day where you slaughter GT3s. Almost there! 😊 Just fix the heads first please. WCCH or Katech. Aftermarket heads fail so stay away from them. Around $3k and your set. My valves were nearly all out of spec after 24k old man street miles.

[@corvette412]

Did you happen to weigh the SPARCO seats and mount by chance? Do you know the weight?

[@JoshVanVeld]

No. I’ll put that on my to-do list.

[@marklagasse2012]

Going to super vette Saturday at Days Chevrolet this weekend?

[@larryw5429]

When you drop a valve with it then you will have a nice bill.. Probably be able to buy another car for a few grand more than when the motor self disassembly feature kicks in!

[@JoshVanVeld]

"Self disassembly feature" 🤣🤣🤣The sad reality is that the wisest thing financially would be to remove the aftermarket parts and sell the car. Luckily I have an emotional attachment to the project at this point AND the KZbin aspect gives me added incentive to make unwise financial decisions.

[@camonly849]

I just emailed lingenfelter about their tank. Are those the sparco evo seats you have? If so do you like them?

[@JoshVanVeld]

Sparco QRT-R. I believe they are a bit on the narrow side. They fit me perfectly but can be too snug if you’re bigger.

[@camonly849]

@@JoshVanVeld okay awesome I'll give them a look

[@taylorbott3320]

ok i have to know. what did you use to lift your car up? i need one.

[@JoshVanVeld]

It’s called a QuickJack. Super handy 😀

[@TheRdub82]

When you swap your battery, run a Braille lithium ion battery 🔋. They weigh 9 pounds. The Corvette Racing team run Braille battery. On C5.R C6.R and C7.R program. They are for street cars too

[@Clutch_Kick187]

And they have also burned so many race cars to the ground I can't count.. My best buddy had a fully built fox body with an all aluminum big block, $40k, twin 88 pro mod turbos 15k, rpm turbo 400 12k, 9in rear 8k.. all gone due to a lith battery.. I can't count how many have burnt.. He nearly committed suicide, 5 year project gone after only 3 races..

[@HolaSoyJay]

is there any way you can send me the old brake calipers? or what do you plan to do with them?

[@xpeacemaster]

Yes, if you buy a c6z the best advice anyone can give is pull the ls7 and sell it immeadeatly. Wish I did that before getting oil analysis cus I'm not as asshat 🙃but a lot of people sell their c6z 's knowign the motors been on its way out.

[@JerryCecco]

I found out C7 Corvettes throw CEL due to low voltage from battery....or lose battery...happened to me twice

[@rizall3061]

This video summarizes my current reality. 2009 C6 Z06 with a baby cam 530hp to the wheels AHP ported and fixed heads, now with spun rod bearings; engine to be pulled shipped to American Heritage Performance for a forged block rebuild. Aside from the valve guide issue, the connecting rods have a coating that fragments with heat and track use that binds the rod bearings and breaks them as I am told by Kohle at AHP. Prepare yourself mentally, it will hurt. On another note I also frequent Atlanta Motorsports Park; keep an eye out for me red c6z number 099.

[@JoshVanVeld]

I AM NOT MENTALLY PREPARED FOR THIS. I'll keep an eye out for you at AMP!

[@rizall3061]

@@JoshVanVeld which tire model and sizes are you running?

[@JoshVanVeld]

@@rizall3061 Wheel specs: Front: APEX EC-7RS Forged 18x11" ET38 Anthracite Rear: APEX Forged 18x12.5" ET52 Anthracite Tire specs: Front: Nankang AR-1 - 315/30ZR18 Rear: Nankang AR-1 - 335/30ZR18

[@rizall3061]

@@JoshVanVeld AR-1s are going to be better on a road course for sure. You'll be flying. Doing forget to get a track alignment, will change the way the Z06 behaves positively.

[@Nathan-dh8tc]

Was that water on the course on purpose? That seems very unsafe on a normally dry course.

[@JoshVanVeld]

No it was a puddle from a recent rain. It might have contributed to a couple spins but nothing really dangerous since it was basically at the apex of a corner and you were already slowed down by the time you hit it.

[@therocket280z7]

I'm a little confused because shouldn't a stock c6 z06 be beating up on all gt3s but the 991 and newer 4.0rs'? I remember following Car and Driver, and other magazines, and it was between the z06 and viper, in this era, as to which car did the fastest lap times...

[@JoshVanVeld]

It’s my fault for the confusion, I haven’t been super clear on the goal. Obviously there are going to be a lot of variables at the track, big one being the driver - but all other things being as equal as possible I’d like to be able to out-pace a 991.2. I know it’s possible, just curious to find out how much it’s going to take.

[@therocket280z7]

@@JoshVanVeld Well that seems pretty reasonable. They run Cup 2s stock, so I would start there(because I'm sure they're better than the Nankangs you're running), and the gt3's only significant advantage beyond that is traction coming out of corners. I bet with those tires, and a better rear spoiler(which the gt3 also has stock) you would be there. Because the z06 has a huge power advantage on exit, it's just not as good at putting it down... Anyway, sorry to hear about the engine, cool car.

[@JoshVanVeld]

@@therocket280z7 The Nankangs aren't too far off the Cup 2's. If I get in a real jam I can always throw slicks on it but that might be considered cheating for a street car. I think you're right that aero will be a factor as well. I've got that kicking around in the back of my head.

[@therocket280z7]

@@JoshVanVeld Yeah, they may not be too far off regular Cup 2s, but the gt2 and gt3 get a Porsche specific(as of 7/1/23 around $900 a piece, lol) version of Cup 2 Rs.

[@chumpchangetrader]

Not all autocross is like that. My other channel has some way more fun AutoX runs that span almost 2 miles of track, and speeds up to 65mph. There's also very little time waiting, as the event organizers can hustle 80 drivers through 12-16 runs in a day.

[@danlaur7973]

Why not just shim the bottom of the new seat off of the floor enough to clear the wiring harness instead of tearing out the Onstar system?

[@JoshVanVeld]

The AMT brackets use stud extenders on the factory floor studs and those extenders don't leave enough room for shimming as much as I would have needed to without reducing the number of threads you engage to the point where safety would be questionable.

[@motorgearhead]

Check injector wiring. Unplug, inspect and reconnect. I had similar experience.

[@JoshVanVeld]

I’ll give it a shot, thanks!

[@greywolfgarage5630]

Josh, saw Goldie Sunday at AMP. Was hoping to meet ya.

[@JoshVanVeld]

Sorry I missed you! Hopefully next time.

[@greywolfgarage5630]

@@JoshVanVeld - quick question Josh. When you replaced your hubs did you use the SKF X Tracker hubs? Thanks

[@blackheart1279]

The ls7 was made to be driven hard not treated like a 4 cylinder eco car it has titanium valves for a reason....if you don't drive it hard it builds to much carbon and thus will destroy your engine I am a ls proficient mechanic if your wondering

[@marklagasse2012]

Mine was O2 sensor

[@RAM_C5]

Sounds like a spark issue, check the plugs.

[@tom-coppola]

I've never seen a tighter autocross course with that many cones!

[@JoshVanVeld]

Lol I haven’t done enough autocross to know any better 😅

[@xtnuser5338]

I think it's so tiny just because they had a small parking lot to use. That's what it looks like anyway.

[@tom-coppola]

@@xtnuser5338 Yeah that makes sense. It's still more cones than I've ever seen at an autocross, though!

[@xtnuser5338]

@@tom-coppola Same. I'm guessing they have enough cones for a bigger course, were constrained by that small parking lot, and just thought, "Hell, let's just put them closer together."

[@chumpchangetrader]

code could be a downstream O2 sensor on its way out

[@CheesusSVT]

Love the car in that color. #YellowGang 😸👍

[@CamaroThings]

Here we are for another "LS7 lifter issue does/doesn't exist" video 😂 Factory LS7 is not a fan of life so fix the heads and be happy for life!

[@JoshVanVeld]

😂😂😂 I don't know how I've been sleeping at night without the heads being fixed.

[@anonymous..-]

I don’t have cancer, therefore it must not exist.

[@zmelli]

You should never place a Circuit Board on carpet, it will cause ESD Damage to the microchips. I would have just tried to shim the seat mount to raise the seat a little.

[@JoshVanVeld]

😬Unfortunately the way the stud extenders are designed they don’t leave much room to raise the bracket higher off the floor or else you run out of threads to tighten the bracket. Good quality stuff but I think it was designed around race cars with the carpet fully removed.

[@therealjoshtodd]

curious why you didn't just check to see if it would start without the jumpers

[@JoshVanVeld]

The situation was a little confused by the battery being dead, which was an unexpected plot twist. I was pretty certain given what I’d read that you need jumpers on those wires or the car won’t start. When I plugged it back in, it started right up. Then I realized I hadn’t been careful enough with the jumper pieces I made. I was more confident with the second attempt.

[@christopherhanlon4690]

I'm not a fan of Autocross. They set up the cones narrow to keep the speed slow so a wide body car has a disadvantage. You would be faster in a go-cart. You need a real track for a car like this.

[@boeing900]

All this electronic stuff is such a pain. My sister-in-law just got a new Lexus something SUV. The manual is about as thick as a copy of War and Peace, it's ridiculous. There should be an "old school" option. My fun car is a 760 rwhp, 730 ft.lbs of torque 95 300ZXTT that I've owned since 96. It has none of this crap, runs like a scalded bat out of hell and it's A/C will freeze you out as you watch redeye Hellcats , Z06's, 911's and the like getting small in the rear view. I don't want to have to take a college course just to drive a car, or to whip one.

[@JoshVanVeld]

I hear you! It feels like a lot of new cars are all about adding more bullet points to the marketing-driven feature list. More weight, more nannies, more layers of insulation between you and the driving experience.

[@dirtynate01031]

Going to the track with a lean condition is asking for trouble lol

[@JoshVanVeld]

I was asking for trouble and I got it. Check out today's video if you haven't seen it.

[@garrenturk4093]

I'm late but I wouldn't even drive it UNTIL I got those heads fixed sir..... then start having fun with it.....

[@JoshVanVeld]

Wise advice, sadly I decided to risk it one more time (results in the next video)

[@garrenturk4093]

@@JoshVanVeld ohhhhhh noooo

[@scottjames1904]

What kind of shoes are you wearing? They look cool.

[@JoshVanVeld]

They're by Merrell. Not sure of the model, I got them a couple years ago.

[@joelpierce3940]

Don’t you need to cycle the ABS pump when bleeding? Otherwise nice job.

[@JoshVanVeld]

Honest answer: I don't know. I'm guessing you only need to cycle the pump in order to ensure that you've replaced all the fluid in the system if you're flushing it. To bleed the calipers it shouldn't matter.

[@Airman..]

Btw get yourself a @mechmanalternators asap because your oe is hanging on a thread and runs super hot especially in summer temperature

[@JoshVanVeld]

My buddy Trent told me it was running hot and I needed to replace it. I'll put it on the list.

[@BlacKi-nd4uy]

those heavy tires delete a lot of power in lower speeds. do you think its really that helpfull going above 300mm? i mean the car itselft is not heavy and doesnt need those wide tires. maybe better on the track, but costs time on autocross.

[@JoshVanVeld]

Those wheels and tires are lighter than stock. Definitely worthwhile on a road course, I don’t know enough about autocross to say.

[@petelanzone484]

hmm did i miss the part in the video about anything going on with your engine? Per title of this video

[@wallysalem5373]

Love the video but you are no beating a GT3RS or GT3 on the track. If you’re ever in Florida, we can go to Sebring and I’ll show you how I kill Z06’s in my GT3.

[@JoshVanVeld]

At a certain point, most of it comes down to the driver 😀 Sebring is no joke from what I understand, I've never been there. Hopefully I'll get a chance to take you up on that!

[@Airman..]

Have you fixed Valvegate issue?

[@JoshVanVeld]

Valvegate! Not yet.

[@jimkuball3597]

Why did you replace the bleed screw if you were just taking them off

[@JoshVanVeld]

I only replaced the front calipers, the new bleed screw is on the rear. I'm running stock rear calipers until I decide that I can't stand the mis-matched look. 😅

[@jimkuball3597]

@@JoshVanVeld I do love the yellow c6 .. mine is a 09 z51 convertable in velocity yellow

[@JoshVanVeld]

@@jimkuball3597 Nice! Yellow does look great on these cars. And I've noticed bees seem to love it too! 🤣

[@jimkuball3597]

@Josh Van Veld's Racing Mind I've noticed that the dodge challengers even won't mess with my base corvette, I can't imagine what you're z06 could do

[@ChetanPatelshay]

Have you addressed the heads yet?

[@JoshVanVeld]

Not yet!