Floor mats from Lloyd's, and...
Floor mats from Lloyd's, and red accents from Speed Lingerie brighten an otherwise-original C6 cabin.
The result of Bobby's additions and upgrades? A car that surprised a lot of C5/C6 Bash attendees, including our own Alan Colvin. "I've known Alan for a few years, and when he looked at my car, he didn't see a whole bunch of things until it was parked next to a stock one," Bobby says. "He said, 'That's really sort of subtle in red, but it's subtle."
Not subtle is the praise that Bobby gives his '06, especially in one area not normally associated with Corvettes. "Of all the things that I brag about, I brag most of all about the great gas mileage, over and above the looks and handling and everything else," he says. "When the conversation comes up, I always say, "You may not realize it, but these cars get 30 miles a gallon, and more." Bobby adds that filling his '06s tires with nitrogen, instead of compressed air, has helped not only his Vette's fuel mileage. "It probably makes a mile or two a gallon difference," he notes. "But, it's said that nitrogen cuts down on your tire wear by 20-25%, because your tires run cooler. I've had nitrogen in my tires for two years, and I've never had to adjust the tire pressures in 'em-they've remained constant all the time."
If you're in the market for a Corvette, Bobby says how you plan on using it, and which generation it is, are things to think about. "I'm old school, so I like 'em all. But, if you're buying a Corvette, you've got to think about whether you want to restore it and take it to car shows, or you want to drive it and enjoy the performance, reliability and gas mileage of the newer C5s and C6s."
Data File: '06 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe
Owner: Bobby Chestnut, Jasper, Indiana
Body
Modified production 2006 Corvette coupe
Modifications: Starcraft "Lingenfelter" hood, front air dam, rear spoiler and rear tunnel, fender emblems (designed by owner)
Ground-Effects: body panels made by Classic Design Concepts
Bodywork: GM-Bowling Green Assembly Plant
Paint: OEM '06 Corvette Victory Red; Paint preparation and applied by GM-Bowling Green Assembly Plant & Keusch Body Shop
Bobby Chestnut traded his...
Bobby Chestnut traded his LS5-powered '71 Stingray for his daily-drivable 2006 Corvette. Here, he's about to put some more miles on it.
Production '06 Corvette
Suspension: Production '06 Corvette (lowered in rear)
Steering: Production '06 power-assisted rack-and-pinion
Brakes: Production '06 four-wheel disc brakes with ABS and calipers painted red
Wheels: Production '06 Corvette, 18 x 8 1/2 inches in front, 19 x 10 inches in rear
Tires: Production '06 Corvette Goodyear Eagle F1 EMT, P245/40ZR18 front, P285/35ZR19 rear
Engine
Modified GM Powertrain LS2 overhead-valve smallblock V8
Modifications: Vararam ram-air induction, custom ECM programming by Chuck at Corvettes of Westchester, Ossining, New York
Displacement: 364 cubic inches (6.0L)
Compression Ratio: 10.9:1
Cylinder Heads: Production LS2 cast aluminum
Ignition: OEM coil-on-plug
Induction: GM Powertrain electronic fuel injection
Camshaft: Production LS2
Exhaust: Borla stainless steel cat-back exhaust system
Horsepower: 450 @ 5700 rpm (Estimated)
Torque: 500 ft./lbs. @ 5100 rpm (Estimated)
Red-painted disc brake calipers...
Red-painted disc brake calipers are the only upgrade to date inside the wheel wells. "Blacked-out" wheels may go on next.
Production '06 Corvette six-speed manual transaxle
Shifter: Production '06 Corvette, console-mounted
Interior
Modified production 2006 Corvette
Modifications: Custom visor covers, Lloyd's floor mats, Speed Lingerie red shifter/handbrake boots, Escort radar-warning system, GoPro camera system
Seats: Production '06 Corvette sport seats, upholstered in beige leather
Carpets: Production '06 Corvette cut-pile
Instrumentation: OEM '06 Corvette (0-200 mph speedometer, 0-7000 rpm tachometer with 6500 rpm redline, plus fuel level, oil pressure, ammeter and coolant temperature gauges)
Sound System: Production '06 Corvette Delco/Bose AM/FM Stereo/CD
HVAC: Production '06 Corvette heater/defroster/ air conditioner