Pictures from The BLOCK
When the crew at The BLOCK picked up their Mobil 1/Chevrolet Performance Stingray Z51, they had one mission: build a dream car club racer. While the Corvette Stingray is already a very worthy and capable car out of the box, they wanted to beef it up to mock the modifications of the Corvette that competes in the GTLM class of IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, the C7.R. By mimicking some of the characteristics of the C7.R, they should end up with a sleek and well-performing Vette, which is ultimately what they ended up with.
To start the project, they had some Z06 parts, engineered by Chevrolet Performance to help the Z51 handle track days with more grace. They ordered a Z06 front grille with front camera, this grille was designed for optimal airflow into the radiator and brake cooling ducts. The grille swap resulted in a 17% increase of front-end airflow over the Z51 grille.
They then added the Z06 quarter panel vents for added airflow, 25% more than the Z51 experienced stock, to be exact. These vents have larger openings for more air to travel to the transmission cooler and differential cooler. The Z51 was then fitted with a Z06 spoiler with stage 3 bridge for added style and flare, and added functionality.
Since the C7.R is a very wide vehicle, the team needed to upgrade the body to achieve the wide track stance. To accomplish this, they worked with Stance Craft of Texas to add seven inches of width to the front, and four inches to the rear with their wide body kit. With the increase, they were able to add a fatter wheel and tire combo.
To get the most out of the added wheel-well space, they enlisted fifteen52 to find the best wheel for the Z51. They ended up getting a forged, three-piece Apex RSR wheel that’s made of 6061 aluminum centers and classic stepped lips and barrels to make room for large brakes. These wheels allowed for the use of Pilot Super Sports 345/30/19 tires for the rear and 295/30/19 tires for the front.
In order to bump up the power, the team decided to supercharge the LT1 using a ECS system with Paxton/Novi headunit. The kit is easy to install and delivers power with extreme responsiveness, and they choose to keep it lubricated with Mobil 1 5W-30.
The ECS supercharged inlet pipe runs into a stunning LME polished intake. To help with sound and power, they took their car to KOOKS Headers for long tubes and an x-pipe that runs into the stock mufflers.
Not much was changed on the inside, the Corvettes are so well-done from the factory, you don’t have much to change. They did add a 4-point roll bar from RPM Rollbar, and Custom Stitching Co. added some alcantara lacing on the steering wheel with red centering stripe, and lack up alcantara shift boot.
The finished product was very nicely done, and we can’t wait to hear more from The BLOCK as they put it on a track and drive it. They’ll also be doing some tuning and making dyno runs soon.
Elizabeth is a hardcore horsepower enthusiast with unmatched intensity for making things faster and louder. She wakes up for power and performance and only sleeps to charge up for the next project that’s heading to the track. From autocross to drag racing, Elizabeth is there with you, so stay tuned for her unique perspective on horsepower news, builds, tech info, and installs — with her, it’ll never be boring!
