Corvette Parts Blog

C6 Corvette Sprint Booster

In January we introduced the C6 Corvette Sprint Booster Power Converter to all of our customers. The Sprint Booster, which offered outstanding throttle response improvements over the stock C6 Corvette setup has since be redesigned and is now available for both automatic and manual equipped C6, Z06, ZR1, and Grand Sport Corvettes. The key addition to the redesigned Sprint Booster is the ability to choose from three different acceleration programs; stock, acceleration program one, and acceleration program two. With the stock setting, your Corvette will perform as it did before the Sprint Booster was ever installed on the car. Step it up a notch with acceleration program one and now you will see an improved throttle response ideal for moderately aggressive driving. If program one isn’t enough switch your Corvette’s Sprint Booster to acceleration program two and be prepared for an even greater throttle response that is recommended for aggressive driving.

C6 Corvette Sprint Booster Installed

The C6 Corvette Sprint Booster Power Converter comes from the factory set to acceleration program two. You will know that the Sprint Booster is set on program two by a red LED indicator light that will appear on the switch. By simply pressing the button once you can switch back to the factory settings (LED light turns off) and once more will activate acceleration program one (LED light turns green). Once the desired program is set you can either leave the switch connected to the Sprint Booster, which will allow for quick program changes or remove the switch entirely. The Sprint Booster is designed to be able to adjust on the fly so you can cycle through the different acceleration programs while driving. This is the advantage you lose if the switch is removed. Be aware that you should not change programs with the Corvette’s accelerator pedal depressed because the behavior of the accelerator pedal will be instantly changed.

Installation of the Sprint Booster and switch requires double sided tape and a single tie wrap that is included in the box. Simply insert the Sprint Booster into the accelerator pedal, plug the switch into the white socket of the Sprint Booster, mount the switch on the dash using the double sided tape, and secure the excess wire so it will not interfere with your foot or motion of the pedals. Detailed instructions are also included in the box.

The Sprint Booster is not designed to add horsepower to your Corvette but it will increase the throttle response allowing for much quicker acceleration out of turns or from a stop. With one installed, you can count on faster lap times at the track or better reaction times at the drag strip.

C6 Corvette Sprint Booster features and advantages include:

• Easy installation
• Detailed installation instructions
• Multiple acceleration programs
• Acceleration adjustments on the fly
• Works with or without switch connected
• Two year warranty

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C6 Sprint Booster

We are always looking to take advantage of every square inch of the C6 Corvette. One way to see that this happens is to install a Corvette Sprint Booster Power Converter. The sprint booster will eliminate the delay between your gas pedal and the throttle body that is common on all drive by wire systems. The sprint booster changes the opening rate at which your Corvette’s Throttle Body opens in relation to the gas pedal operation and decreases the amount of time to achieve full throttle. This helps reaction times at the drag strip, and also helps to accelerate quicker out of turns on the road course. The C6 Corvette sprint booster gives real time control over the acceleration of your Corvette’s Engine and the best part is that it fits all 2006 and later Corvettes including the Z06 and ZR1.

Sprint Booster Graph

The sprint booster requires a simple plug-n-play installation that takes just a few minutes and delivers instant response throughout the C6 Corvette’s power band making accelerating and rev matching incredibly more fun. In the data graph to the right you can see the test car in red, which had the sprint booster installed, accelerated at a much faster pace then the same test car without the sprint booster through each test run. There is no doubt that by adding this sprint booster to any C6, Z06 or ZR1 Corvette that the car will reach full throttle at a significantly faster pace then the stock setup, allowing you to take off and accelerate out of turns at a much faster pace.

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Why clunk your Corvette when you can restore it with Zip Corvette and keep it forever. New Corvette Parts are abundantly available for all generations of Corvettes. The C4 in the video below, which was unfortunately traded in to the cash for clunkers program, probably could have been restored and brought back to pristine condition with not too much money. Instead now there is one more Corvette off the road, and one less customer out there for our small Corvette Parts business. These cars are much more then just some old gas guzzling clunker, they are American icons and it hurts to watch this happen. Hopefully this owner traded it in for a new C6 Corvette.

At Zip you can get just about anything for your C4 Corvette from factory engine tune up parts, to aluminum radiators or replacement body panels. Some of the oldest C4 Corvettes are now 25 years old so replacement Corvette Parts are going to be needed more and more. Here are some of the most popular C4 Corvette Parts we can provide today:

Cash For Clunkers, Corvette Engine

A common failure on many C5 Corvettes with even slight modifications is the power steering pulley. The stock, plastic pulleys were not designed to withstand the added horsepower and rpms, which many Corvettes are exposed to after several modifications. This on top of the fact that some of the OEM plastic pulleys are now 12 years old could leave you with a weak point under your Corvette’s hood.

Corvette Power Steering Pulley

Zip Corvette’s very own Billet Power Steering Pulley replaces the stock pulley with a much more dependable, better looking part. Machined from 6061-T6 Billet Aluminum, this 10 spoke highly polished pulley will add brilliance to the front of your Corvette’s Engine. With the addition of this pulley you will be able to add the performance modifications of your choice, without the result of a broken power steering pulley. Exclusive to Zip Corvette, this pulley is manufactured in the United States and will install on C5 & C6 Corvettes.

Another excellent Corvette Part at a low price, exclusively from Zip Corvette.

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As with many low riding vehicles, C4 Corvettes are prone to getting cracks and chips in the lower air dam. Though most of the damage goes unnoticed, it can have a direct effect on the performance of your Corvette’s Cooling System.

C4 Corvette Lower Air Dams

The purpose of a C4 Corvette Lower Air Dam is to direct air flow into the radiator cavity which begins the process of cooling your Corvette’s engine. If the first stage of the cooling process is interrupted by a cracked or chipped lower air dam, the engine will not perform like it should. The reason for this is simple; lower air dams are designed a specific way causing the air flow to move smoothly into your Corvette’s engine. More cool, smooth air means more horsepower. Without a correct lower air dam, less air will be directed into the engine ultimately leading to horsepower decreases.

At Zip Corvette, we have everything needed to replace the lower air dams for all C4 Corvettes. Our 1984-1990 reproduction air dam kits are available in both the first and second designs. The first design air dams came without stiffening ribs and were used on 1984-85E and 1987-90 W/O Z51 Corvettes. The second design air dams came with stiffening ribs and were originally used on 1985L-86 and 1987-90 w/Z51 Corvettes. All 1991-1996 Corvettes used the same lower air dams.

When replacing your Corvette’s Lower Air Dams take notice of the lower outer retainers, the lower center retainer and the air dam mounting hardware. If any of these components look a little beat up, we have reproduction retainers and hardware kits to mount original style air dams on 1984-1996 Corvettes.

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This Corvette Restoration Tip is brought to you by Zip Corvette and can be found in Zip’s free Corvette Parts & Accessories Catalogs – request one online today.

About 80 years ago, while evaluating the effects on gasoline of various heavy metals, scientists discovered that the addition of tetra-ethyl-lead reduced knocking in automobile engines. Lead also had the added benefit of providing lubrication inside the combustion chambers, which was particularly helpful for the exhaust valves and their seats. Because of these beneficial properties, a minimum number of adverse side effects and its low cost, lead became a staple in gas for nearly 50 years.

All of that changed in the early 1970s, when oil companies began phasing lead out because it was incompatible with the catalytic converters that automakers were required to install. By the late 1970s leaded fuel was becoming quite rare and a few years after that it essentially vanished. This is not a problem for newer cars, which have been engineered to run on unleaded fuel, but can be troublesome for many of the older cars still on the road. While the increased anti-knock properties that lead imparted to gasoline have been addressed with various other additives, the same is not true for lead’s lubricating benefit. Newer engines have been designed to operate without the combustion chamber lubrication that lead provided but older engines are susceptible to certain damage without this lubrication. In particular, the exhaust valves and their seats are vulnerable to accelerated deterioration when an older engine is run on unleaded fuel.

There are two ways to address this problem. The first is with the addition of lead or lead substitute to the fuel in your tank. This creates an ongoing expense and is a little bit of a nuisance but is probably the best solution for cars that are driven infrequently. The second way to deal with the absence of lead is to modify your engine so that it does not require upper cylinder lubrication. This is done with the installation of stainless steel valves and hardened valve seat inserts.

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