Looking for Z/28 - owner experience and common issues?

[Rxmfn7]

Hey guys,
I'm in the market for a Z/28. I currently have a gen2 GTS viper as my "fun" car, and as much as I love the car I just don't drive it much at all. I've been looking for something that I can use more of a daily while still being able to track. I passed up a C6Z at the time bought my viper, and while I'm happy with the viper that LS7 never quite got out of my head. So getting the opportunity to get one in a car that's a bit larger and a little more DD friendly sounds amazing.
But anyway, I'm basically posting to ask , when buying a used Z28, or even gen5 camaro things in general, is there anything specific to look out for. Common issues, preventative maintenance things to do right away, etc? I have yet to drive one yet, is the suspension on regular roads as bad as the reviews make it out to be? Thanks for any insight!

[kramard]

Where in PA are you? I’m up in the philly area a lot and you could drive my car etc.

Search for threads I’ve started - when I was shopping for mine in late ‘16 I started a similar thread and there were pictures of brakes / pads to ensure you weren’t buying a beat on car.

Quick list:
- rotors should be smooth and not pitted or oxidized
- brake pads will have a little chalky white residue at the rotor if bedded but be substantially discolored if aggressively tracked
- all tracked z/28s I’ve seen have pitted front bumpers (unless pff is on) so another tell there for you
- all rear diffs make low speed (<5 mph) pops and cracks - it’s normal don’t let that scare you
- because ls7 you want to make a personal and informed decision on what type of car to buy. I don’t rev mine past 6500 on track to protect the engine but others might not do the same so just be aware and research the ls7 issues and it’ll help you decide if you want a certified car, modded car or want you to mod your car. Believe there’s been limited z/28 engine issues? I don’t think anyone can say for certain if the issue with the ls7 has been resolved but I don’t think we’ve seen a ton of posts on blown up cars
- the paint is just generally not great - black is hard to keep nice (I two bucket wash, have 5 mits so I’m not contaminating panels etc) and still get swirls so I do an annual polish
- quarters and wheel arches will have rock chips on all cars that dont have protection. Just the way it is with that sticky tire life
- at this point I expect a lot of the trofeo cars to be re-tired but be aware of cracked tires in cold climates if buying from a dealer especially with the blast we had a couple weeks ago.

It’s an amazing car. I’m sure you’ll love it. Hope this helps.

[j o n]

Exterior
-chips on the impact areas of the qtrs/flares from front tires slinging debris
-flares can release from fenders/qtrs, day light shines through
-front splitter is at risk of damage constantly, check that
-if it has a wicker bill on rear spoiler, check for install quality, they were done at dealer and/or private owners
-jack points are easy to damage along with side skirts

Interior
-Alcantara on steering wheel, shifter, dash. They can be cleaned with tooth brush and hot water or alcantara cleaner and look like new again. Common the shifter and steering are hard and matted from hand grease

Wheels/tires/suspension/brakes
-check date codes on tires if on Trofeos, they dry rot fast, many ppl got them replaced under warranty before even buying their cars new
-check brake rotor for damage... chips, knicks they can easily be damaged taking wheels off or tools.
-check brake pads, easy sign of tracking is if pads are white at contact area
-wheels' paint is pretty thin, easy to see scratches/damage

Engine bay
-red stickers on engine vanity covers peel when exposed to significant heat. Low miles and they're peeled could mean track time
-rain tray present for hood extract vent, it is needed to if driving in rain or washing car
-CAI's hood-peice... numerous ppl remove them for aesthetics. Is required to seal CAI properly, keep hot air and water out of filter/motor

Maintenance wise
-10 qts oil
-1 qt rearend fluid
-Alcantara on steering wheel, shifter, dash need cleaned routinely

[MX621]

All great info posted above, I’m in northern DE of you wanted to check one out/go
For a drive. Love gen 2 vipers btw!!

[_Chigga]

Suspension is pretty rough on rough roads, almost made me threw up after eating full and driving home on the rough side of town. But anything else you need to worry about the guys already pretty much listed everything.

[SS-E-YA]

Originally Posted by Rxmfn7

Hey guys,
I'm in the market for a Z/28. I currently have a gen2 GTS viper as my "fun" car, and as much as I love the car I just don't drive it much at all. I've been looking for something that I can use more of a daily while still being able to track. I passed up a C6Z at the time bought my viper, and while I'm happy with the viper that LS7 never quite got out of my head. So getting the opportunity to get one in a car that's a bit larger and a little more DD friendly sounds amazing.
But anyway, I'm basically posting to ask , when buying a used Z28, or even gen5 camaro things in general, is there anything specific to look out for. Common issues, preventative maintenance things to do right away, etc? I have yet to drive one yet, is the suspension on regular roads as bad as the reviews make it out to be? Thanks for any insight!

Pics of viper???

[kramard]

Originally Posted by _Chigga

Suspension is pretty rough on rough roads, almost made me threw up after eating full and driving home on the rough side of town. But anything else you need to worry about the guys already pretty much listed everything.

Very interesting - I know everyone has their threshold for what's tolerable. I say the following without contesting Chigga's opinion - this is just my own thoughts:

I think the z/28 is perfect for a streetable / fun / track car. I think my stock Focus RS is a) stiffer (the Focus RS is substantially and unbearably stiffer in track mode then the z/28 on the worst tires) and b) the dampening in the z/28 is amazing - while it might be stiff - it distributes disruptions in one fluid motion with limited to no "bounce".

Note: Tires make a HUGE difference here - put on a 200TW (or greater) tire and any concerns about harshness should be completely displaced. In the R Compound world, my experience has been: 295 R888R was the harshest, Trofeos can cause decent impacts / and bounces, 305 Supercar 3R were the best but have the least cold grip. Conti DWs were a great DD tire. It goes without saying, avoid hitting any and all pot holes.

On PA roads, I've had no issues but the quality of the roads you normally travel will determine how tolerable the car is. Like I said, the focus is stiffer (even my FiST at low speeds felt stiffer) and the dampening / rebound rates allow the car to settle very quickly without too much bounce. For perspective, the focus RS on supersports in track mode gives me a headache and makes me car sick in less than 5 minutes - I never experienced that in the z/28 on the same roads w/ any tire. I drive mine to and from the track (4 hours each way to VIR) and the same tires I track on and never felt it was a problem.

[1970judge]

The only real complaint i've ever had about my car is, for the first couple of trips the clutch took some getting used to. The OCS is pretty tight. Otherwise, i'll spare the long drawn out story I usually spill about how the way cars SHOULD be built, suffice to say that the Z/28 & ZL11LE is what I believe cars should be from the factory.

[DasBaldDog]

Originally Posted by kramard

Very interesting - I know everyone has their threshold for what's tolerable. I say the following without contesting Chigga's opinion - this is just my own thoughts:

I think the z/28 is perfect for a streetable / fun / track car. I think my stock Focus RS is a) stiffer (the Focus RS is substantially and unbearably stiffer in track mode then the z/28 on the worst tires) and b) the dampening in the z/28 is amazing - while it might be stiff - it distributes disruptions in one fluid motion with limited to no "bounce".

Can confirm, had a 17 Focus RS prior to my Z/28, that thing was atleast 20-30% stiffer even in normal setting.

Neither car is gentle, but the Z is more-so than the FoRS is/was.

[69L48Z27]

I can’t image the ride is any worse or harsher than your Viper.

[_Chigga]

Originally Posted by kramard

Very interesting - I know everyone has their threshold for what's tolerable. I say the following without contesting Chigga's opinion - this is just my own thoughts:

I think the z/28 is perfect for a streetable / fun / track car. I think my stock Focus RS is a) stiffer (the Focus RS is substantially and unbearably stiffer in track mode then the z/28 on the worst tires) and b) the dampening in the z/28 is amazing - while it might be stiff - it distributes disruptions in one fluid motion with limited to no "bounce".

Note: Tires make a HUGE difference here - put on a 200TW (or greater) tire and any concerns about harshness should be completely displaced. In the R Compound world, my experience has been: 295 R888R was the harshest, Trofeos can cause decent impacts / and bounces, 305 Supercar 3R were the best but have the least cold grip. Conti DWs were a great DD tire. It goes without saying, avoid hitting any and all pot holes.

On PA roads, I've had no issues but the quality of the roads you normally travel will determine how tolerable the car is. Like I said, the focus is stiffer (even my FiST at low speeds felt stiffer) and the dampening / rebound rates allow the car to settle very quickly without too much bounce. For perspective, the focus RS on supersports in track mode gives me a headache and makes me car sick in less than 5 minutes - I never experienced that in the z/28 on the same roads w/ any tire. I drive mine to and from the track (4 hours each way to VIR) and the same tires I track on and never felt it was a problem.

That was on a rough road pavement, had like a bump every 15 ft up down up down. But everything else it feels normal.

[Zslash28]

Need to also consider if youll get the AC or non-AC car. With the car being advertised as not having AC, and one speaker for door chime, made it sound like a bare bones track car. The opposite happened and only about 6% of the 1801 produced were ordered without the AC and speaker option.
- not having AC or speaker option makes my wife upset to drive and ride in it. So, its "my" car.

- new tires are a must. 200 TW tires really make the car wake up on the street. But given the tramline and rough ride of the Trofeo, anything was going to make it better on the street.
- There is no stereo Bluetooth, the phone Bluetooth is great, but you'll need a plug in device to get any sound from your phone to play through the car.
- Long road trips are possible, as the seats are comfortable.

[rcandiloro]

The ride is a bit stiff, but not crazy bad. I don't track mine so the ultimate would be to have Mag Ride like the other cars.....

It's a very basic analog car, which I love.....I love the simplicity and rawness of it. No bells and whistles. Pure muscle car that happens to out handle almost anything out there. Seems like a small thing, but I love that the seats aren't powered. It puts a smile on my face every single time I drive it....literally nothing like it.

[Rxmfn7]

Thanks for the replies. I am beginning my search, just trying to decide on color
Surprisingly enough, I don't have any great pictures of the viper. Its a 2000 ACR. Heads/Cam (~520whp/530tq), stoptech big brakes all around, etc.