Recent content by hawk02

See post #30. I’m pretty much right there with you when it comes to saving the manuals. My first sports/muscle car was a 2011 Camaro 2SS with the 6-speed auto. I was bored with it after about eight months. The next four cars were all 6-speed manuals—right up until the C8 Corvette. The Blackwing...

I wouldn’t call myself a wealthy car buyer. I’ve simply been practical with my money and have very little debt. It still took me four and a half years to get bored with my C8, but I never quite warmed up to its DCT. Now, after just two weeks with the Porsche, I see why the PDK is considered...

The same goes for Cadillac Blackwings—just about any high-performance car these days comes with a premium price, especially when demand is high. I picked up my 718 for $13K under MSRP, and the car wasn’t even a year old with only 230 miles on it when I first saw it. I felt that was a pretty...

My 718’s in-service date is in October, so technically the car isn’t even a year old yet. When I looked at it last Friday, it only had 230 miles on the odometer. The original owner put it up for sale in April and sold it to a local dealer that specializes in pre-owned performance and luxury cars...

I made it two weeks without a playmate for my 5BW. Last Friday I stumbled into a great deal on a 2024 Porsche 718 Boxster GTS 4.0 — just 230 miles on the clock. I’ve only had it for 24 hours, and I’m still learning all its ins and outs, but wow… it’s already shown me just how rough the C8’s...

About a year ago, I signed up to be notified when the carbon fiber shift knob was back in stock—still waiting on that notification. When I owned my ZL1, I installed their carbon fiber shift knob back in 2018. At the time, it came as a complete setup with the boot and top cap included.

I traded up from a ’17 ZL1 M6 to a ’23 5BW M6 for two main reasons: I love driving a manual gearbox. The Tremec TR-6060 was solid in the ZL1, but it’s even more refined in the Blackwing—tight, precise, and just more rewarding to row through. Long-term value. The manual Blackwings will likely be...

Hey all — I bought my 5BW used, and it came with all black badging. I’ve already swapped out the front and rear emblems for black ones with a colored center, similar to ukcats12’s setup. Mine's a manual, so now adaptive cruise control. I’d like to match the side and rear V badges as well (black...

These are Chinese made headers which is why they are so cheap. There's the potential for inconsistent weld quality and fitment issues. Gaskets and bolts are also considered entry level so many buyers upgrade to better parts during installation. Personally, I spend the extra money to get...

The factory wheel choices for the C8 Stingray are, in my opinion, horrendous. There are some okay choices for the other models but Stingray choices are bad. My C8 went from this (OEM base wheels) to this.

Carbotech is very emphatic that the 1521s ARE NOT for track use.

OP, I’m right there with you. My BW also came with the factory graphite wheels. They’re not terrible, but I’ve been itching to swap them out for something that shows off the calipers more, is easier to clean, and comes in a proper bronze finish. I’ve seriously considered the OEM Tech Bronze...

If your BW is street-only and you’re looking to cut down on brake dust, the Carbotech 1521 pads are a great option. I’ve been running them on my 5BW for about a month and a half, and brake dust is down by roughly 80%. The pads even come slotted for the wear sensors.

You’re right to be cautious, especially after what you experienced with the ZL1. GM has a habit of moving on quickly from low-volume models, and with the industry’s shift toward EVs, parts support—especially for performance cars—can vanish fast. That said, the CT5-V Blackwing’s LT4 engine is a...

I think you did a good job of describing each vehicle. My C8 was a lot of fun when I got it in 2021 because very few people owned one or had even seen a mid-engine Corvette. It was rather special back then to have one. But now that we’re almost into year seven of production, Stingrays—and even...