One Lean and Clean Z06 From The Sunshine State

C6 Z06Those of you who have been following us for a while know that we love to share Corvettes of all generations. It allows us the opportunity to stretch our photography legs a bit, while spending time around fellow fans and the cars we love so much – America’s sports car.

We sincerely enjoy the opportunity to showcase enthusiasts’ cars, and owners are beyond excited to have their pride and joy featured as such. Additionally, the rest of us Corvette fans can learn from their builds, and to help select or design cues for our own builds. Ultimately the car features are a perk of the job for many of us, though we don’t always shoot the cars ourselves.

This feature, from the sunshine state, was actually shot by the owner. We think he did a wonderful job, and figured it was worth sharing what one man’s ideal C6 Z06 looks like.

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The Man

The car is owned by John Edwards of Naples, Florida and was completed to the point that you see here in 2014. We asked John to share with us how he originally got into Corvettes, and when the passion began. “As a kid I just always preferred ‘Vettes compared to other muscle and sports cars that I saw driving around,” John said. “I was at a car show in 2007 and there was a Z06 on display, at that moment I knew I had to have one someday.”

Most of the enthusiasts we speak to can remember the defining moment that they caught the bug, and it is always interesting to hear what that was from other car lovers. We know that many ‘Vette lovers prefer to stick with the factory options and preserve the car the way it rolled off the showroom floor. Some owners, however, prefer to put their own touches on their cars and we asked John what his reasoning was for customizing his Z06.

John explained, “A lot of Vettes are pretty much the same which can become a little boring at times, so I wanted one that would without a doubt, stand out from the rest. I believe I have achieved that. I think Corvettes are some of the best cars out there to modify since there is a never ending amount of choices in parts and modifications. While I have seen my share of modded Z06s, I have yet to see one just like mine. I believe I have the right balance of modifications to make this one unique.”

We appreciate anyone who ventures down the path of modifying their vehicle, though this was not the first adventure for John, who previously customized a 1993 Kenworth truck – talk about customization on a grand scale!

“This car will never see a race track, as it is predominately a show car, which I display around the state of Florida at various events, I really enjoy doing the show car circuit. Anyone who does these shows knows it is a tremendous amount of work to get them show-prepped and ready, especially in the Florida heat.” John also mentioned that he has accumulated more than 70 trophies with his Z06 over the years.

Car modifications are often a learn-as-you-go hobby, and sometimes it takes seeing the final result to know whether or not you made the right call – sometimes it is just the nature of creative work. Fortunately, John feels like he hit a home run. “If I were to redo this particular car, there is nothing I would do differently at this time. I am very satisfied with where it’s at now, and everything went according to plan with my particular modifications,” John said. Speaking of modifications, let’s size up this Corvette a bit and see exactly what it’s comprised of.

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Corvette Online: What is the favorite modification or aspect of your car?

John Edwards: It’s tough to single out just one mod since I like all of them so much, but you just can’t beat the feeling of such raw power that comes from a 600 horsepower LS7.

CO: What was your first modification to the Corvette?

JE: When I first bought the car, I started to do different engine bay dress-up items, after that I moved to the interior, then the exterior. After many changes of each section I finally settled on what you see now.

CO: How often do your drive your ‘Vette, is it your daily driver?

JE: The ‘Vette is driven only a few times a month. Being predominately a show car, it must stay in pristine condition at all times.

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The Machine

The car is relatively stock performance-wise, and while it still wears the factory LS7 heads, the valves and valve-springs have been upgraded. Bolted to the factory heads are a pair of Kooks 1 7/8-inch stainless headers. Shifting has been improved with a MGW shifter, making sure those gearbox transitions are short and firm. While John has not ran his car down the 1320, he reports that the car is good for 204 mph, and the last dyno run resulted in a pass of 523 rwhp and 499 lb-ft of torque at the rear wheels.

 

As you can see, the engine bay is filled with stainless steel dress-up parts, some of which are one-off creations, and were supplied by American Car Craft. All of the red interior pieces you see here were painted by Gerber collision, and the seat covers were ordered through LeatherSeats.com. Furthermore, the two-tone head liner, A-pillars, sun visors, and speaker enclosures, are all wrapped in leather by Clanton customs.

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For the tire and wheel package, John decided to maintain the factory equipped GM five-spoke chrome wheels. Up front, 18×9.5-inch wheels are wrapped in a 285/35R18, and 19×12-inch wheels sit out back wrapped in 345/30R19, Michelin Pilot Super Sports were selected to keep this Corvette planted to the road.

Slowing down this high-powered, 3,200 pound car are two-piece, light-weight rotors built by Race Rotors, equipped with ceramic pads from EBC. Most people who love cars, love adding power – and we know the feeling. That being said, brake upgrades are often overlooked but can make a world of difference, and with so many options they can add a nice aesthetic as well.

The wildly-painted hoodliner was airbrushed by Steve Ray, and looks right at home in Florida with that beautiful tropical sky. The custom storage box was built by John and painted Victory Red to match the rest of the car. Not a bad way to conceal all of those last-minute detailing products and microfiber cloths when you’re at a show. The finishing touch for this build is the OEM front splitter, designed for the ZR1.

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Final Thoughts

It is not everyday that you get to see a custom Corvette driving down the road, much less a customized one like John’s. As with most topics, we know that some people are particular to a specific generation, or the classics versus the modern, or even the famed modified versus stock argument.

The point of bringing this up is that we all have different styles, that’s what keeps it interesting. There is a chance that this Z06 may not be your cup of tea, but then again, many of you will think its great. The very center of car customization lies behind the principal that it enables all of us to express ourselves, and set our car apart from the others that once appeared identical. Even if just for a moment, we hope you can appreciate what one man’s perfect C6 Z06 looks like.

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About the author

Brent Davis

Brent was born and raised in Southern California. After earning a Bachelors Degree in business marketing from California State University San Marcos, and a project management certificate from the University of California at San Diego, he decided to turn a lifelong passion for automobiles and motorsports into a career. Brent has a specific passion for diesel-powered and all-terrain vehicles that have helped him haul and recover recreational toys over the years.
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