[Chip]

There are some things you might want to be aware of before you pick up your new car. I wanted to start this thread so that previous generation owners as well as those that have not experienced living with a Corvette can share information. I’ll start with one of the most celebrated aspects of Corvette ownership. Put simply, it’s “The Wave” .It is the gesture that has been in place almost as long as the car has been produced by GM. Some say that these days that The Wave is passé and dated. I say nonsense, and hope you share this same sentiment as well. All you need to do is wave at a passing vette, regardless of its generation or age.

The next couple of things are a little more technical in nature, but nothing too difficult. One of these tips will help you prevent damage to your new C-7.

These cars are tricky to jack when they need to be lifted for service. Because the body work is lower than the frame it is very easy to damage it when lifting. Some folks use hockey pucks (really) to place either to the frame or on the lifting arm before lifting. I will post a link below for an aftermarket piece to give everyone an idea of what I am talking about. This is just one style of jacking puck, there are several as well of other ways to protect the bodywork on your new car.
1997-2013 Corvette Aluminum Jacking Pads | Miscellaneous Exterior Accessories | Corvette Parts and Accessories

The next item probably only will show up after your new car has acquired some age on it, or if it is garaged long periods of time. (over winter) The Corvette has a long history using a significant amount of electrical energy while it sits in storage or non-use. The solution is simple. Buy a float charger and keep it plugged in while the car is inactive. Understand that there is a difference between float charger and a trickle charger. You don’t want to use a trickle charger that applies a continual 2 amp charge to your battery. That will cause your battery to boil its electrolyte which will harm your battery. I use a Battery Tender Plus, but you could just as well get the GM offered unit or any other “smart” float charger. Here is a link for Battery Tender:
Home - Batterytender.com

There are many other things that new owners might have questions about as well as lots of tips from those that own a C-6 or earlier gen. Corvette. I hope this thread serves as a place to ask and answer questions about your new ride.

 

[zimm888]

So which product do you recommend for our vettes from that site? There's a few. I guess I wont use my 2amp motorcycle charger lol

 

[Redc7]

Yes please save the wave, I've seen this over the years from new owners who don't understand it's a simple gesture that acknowledges you're both driving something unique and the only true American sports car.

I have a 4 post lift for my corvettes. Makes it easy to polish the exhaust.

 

[Chip]

So which product do you recommend for our vettes from that site? There's a few. I guess I wont use my 2amp motorcycle charger lol

This one, or one like it from another vendor.
Battery Tender Plus - Batterytender.com

 

[Chip]

This gives you a visual on the need for the jacking pucks. The pucks in the link above fit in the holes that can be seen here on the right side. Those support arms on the right side are improperly positioned.

 

[Sinner]

I've owned many wranglers/CJ and I've seen the "wave" drop to almost nothing over the last 18 years but I never knew vettes did this too. Ill keep it going just like I do with my jeep even when 80% of people don't wave.

 

[wareagle92]

I have a question I thought of today while filling up my 4Runner: will I need to use premium gas for my new C7?

 

[Sinner]

I have a question I thought of today while filling up my 4Runner: will I need to use premium gas for my new C7?

I haven't look but being what it is I'm certain it will be premium.

 

[elegant]

Chevrolet states one should use premium, 91 octane or better. Also recommends use of Top Tier gasolines (www.toptiergas.com)

I chuckled when reading the owner's manual when it said the car is not intended to be used for towing purposes.

 

[Chip]

I thought I remembered in one of those early videos that the car could be run on reg., and that the cars ECM would make the proper adjustments to allow for it. Without question the performance would suffer, but it should not be a big deal to top off with reg. if you had to.

 

[Chip]

One other fact for new owners to consider and remember is that this car is low enough to rub, crush, the front air dams and possibly other components. You might find that with this car that speed bumps, driveways, (and in my case) garage entrances now require a more thoughtful & strategic approach. In most cases crossing these obstacles at a 45 degree angle gets the job done without rubbing. The important thing is to develop a “mind set” that you will need to learn to think about these sorts of things to avoid possible damage and the mental stress that goes along with it. If you have an issue of a dip and slope in your driveway entrance there are several possible options available to you. Here is one: Bridjit Curb Ramps - The "No Jar To Your Car", Curb Ramp Solution!
These are pretty pricey though, and you might be able to figure out a more economical solution.

I am going to try these from Home Depot for my issues.
Envirotile 10 in. x 24 in. Flat Profile Grey Stair Tread-MT5000751 at The Home Depot

There are also bolts on the front end which will raise the car a little from it stock settings. I don’t know if using them requires the front end to be re-aligned?

 

[zimm888]

One other fact for new owners to consider and remember is that this car is low enough to rub, crush, the front air dams and possibly other components. You might find that with this car that speed bumps, driveways, (and in my case) garage entrances now require a more thoughtful & strategic approach. In most cases crossing these obstacles at a 45 degree angle gets the job done without rubbing. The important thing is to develop a “mind set” that you will need to learn to think about these sorts of things to avoid possible damage and the mental stress that goes along with it. If you have an issue of a dip and slope in your driveway entrance there are several possible options available to you. Here is one: Bridjit Curb Ramps - The "No Jar To Your Car", Curb Ramp Solution!
These are pretty pricey though, and you might be able to figure out a more economical solution.

I am going to try these from Home Depot for my issues.
Envirotile 10 in. x 24 in. Flat Profile Grey Stair Tread-MT5000751 at The Home Depot

There are also bolts on the front end which will raise the car a little from it stock settings. I don’t know if using them requires the front end to be re-aligned?

Chip, you're the best! But I wish you posted this sooner lol. I just gave a deposit to resurface my asphalt driveway for a cost of $1700. And then I see this Bridjit! I might still need it because they gave me some b.s. that they're probably not allowed to carry over onto the road, which was the reason I called them in the first place. Oh well, nice new driveway and a solution if they don't do fix the problem I'm trying to avoid. Thx

 

[Redc7]

One of the C7's at Carlisle already had a scrap in the lower front right fender.

 

[Redc7]

I thought I remembered in one of those early videos that the car could be run on reg., and that the cars ECM would make the proper adjustments to allow for it. Without question the performance would suffer, but it should not be a big deal to top off with reg. if you had to.

You're right you can as the ECM will adjust timing etc however you will lose some HP. I know they use to use the ping method to determine what kind of gas you're running. However I wouldn't recommend running on regular unless you had to.

 

[Chip]

Zimm; Your welcome. Look at the Envirotile and see if you can fabricate your own "bridge" between the gutter and driveway. They are cheap and flexible and my plan is to create what I need by gluing pieces together. When I went to my local HD they did not stock the pieces that I wanted, but would order what I thought I would need. They had one piece which was square that looked pretty durable and were flexible to boot. I believe they would be a much more economical approach, but would not look as nice as the other product.

 

[redwhtconv]

For those who are concerned with tearing off the front spoilers, I have experenced this in our C6's. The C7 actually has a slightly greater clearance and the Z51 package DOES NOT HAVE the center portion. In my opinion the small plastic air dams are disposal and easy to remove. I take them off my wifes C6 when she goes home to visit her sons. What you may be concerned about is the radiator support. What is being used is the same as what is used on the C6. I Broke mine entering a Red Lobster in Myrtle Beach NC.
The car is a sports car and has reduced underside clearance.

 

[zimm888]

Zimm; Your welcome. Look at the Envirotile and see if you can fabricate your own "bridge" between the gutter and driveway. They are cheap and flexible and my plan is to create what I need by gluing pieces together. When I went to my local HD they did not stock the pieces that I wanted, but would order what I thought I would need. They had one piece which was square that looked pretty durable and were flexible to boot. I believe they would be a much more economical approach, but would not look as nice as the other product.

Bridjit looks like a solid product, and I'm too lazy to build something. They have similar ready made products from other vendors for $70+ as well.

 

[Chip]

Here is another helpful tip I just discovered;
In case you need to jump start your new vette:

The battery is in the rear of the
vehicle. Access to the battery is not
necessary for jump starting. There
are remote positive (+) and negative
(−) terminals under the hood for this
purpose.
See Battery on page 10-30
and Jump Starting on page 10-65 of
the owners manual.

 

[YllwStgr]

This is a great Thread! Only problem is that we shouldn't be comparing the new C7, as the only two things on the vehicle from prior models is the air intake and the clips to hold the roof in place when being stored. I keep thinking I'll go ahead and order these, BUT I'm also thinking will I actually need the jacking pads or will the new C7 come with it's own jack and/or "pads" or installed "pads" of its own. Thoughts?

 

[Georgio51]

Chevrolet states one should use premium, 91 octane or better. Also recommends use of Top Tier gasolines (Top Tier Gasoline)

I chuckled when reading the owner's manual when it said the car is not intended to be used for towing purposes.

Surprised that Sunoco isn't on the list. I always thought their premium was well-respected.