Positives and negatives of tracking your ZL1

GrabTheWheel · 02-05-2018, 06:12 PM

I think the positives are obvious. The car is a riot on track and the ability to pass cars that are 3-4X as expensive is amazing.

The negatives I've experienced so far is the A10 transmission overheats on track after 25 minutes even on a cool 65 degree day. I'm sure I'm not the only one. On the plus side just let the car cool down for 5 to 10 min and you're back out there.

Second, the LED running lights in the front bumper were both dangling out of place after a few track days. When you get the front bumper off you'll discover the way Chevy mounted them from the factory is totally inadequate for hard driving. Although I think I was able to fix it. Again I don't think I'm the only one.

Third, my latest problem is the reflectors in the rear bumper are completely melting from the heat of the exhaust on track. My car is not modified. Anyone else experiencing this? I'm currently waiting for a resolution from my local dealer.

I was expecting to spend a lot of money on tires, pads and fuel but all these other things are frustrating for a car that has 5K miles and 5 days on track. I thought Chevy would have really put this car through it's paces during R&D before being sold to the public. I feel like I'm Chevy's guinea pig to see if the car is really up to track duty!

I know a lot of you will say "should have bought the 1LE" but to be honest not having the back seats fold down was deal breaker for me and my wife really appreciates the Mag ride on date night. Wish Chevy would offer everything as an option. I'd love to have everything from the 1LE aside from the seats that don't fold down and the dampers. I know I can add the other stuff on but I don't think I'll keep the car long enough to bother if it doesn't start holding up to track use better...

Can'tHave2MuchHP · 02-05-2018, 07:55 PM

My opinion on tracking is simple:
Positives: A hell of a lot of fun
Negatives: Lots of maintenance.

If you aren't prepared for damages, wear and tear, and lots of little things that may annoy you, then don't track regularly.

I realize the things you pointed out you see as design flaws, which they may be. The A10 over heating and fog lights are both known idiosyncrasies. If you want a hardcore track care, Manual is ALWAYS the way to go over a torque converter automatic.

Stephen12ZL1 · 02-05-2018, 09:20 PM

My car for some reason has not overheated the A10 even with 30min sessions. VIR has 2 long straights which may aid in cooling. Another A10 ZL1 was there and his temps were much higher than mine in the Cosworth app of data from the PDR. I need to check those DRL as I have 7 track days so far. I don’t think mine are loose. My red reflectors don’t seem to be melted either...my car is stock too. Get the dealer to recheck the tranny fluid level and possibly change the fluid and filter. Track days are rapidly approaching as I have two days coming in March at VIR.

Sooner Cole · 02-05-2018, 09:20 PM

"The negatives I've experienced so far is the A10 transmission overheats on track after 25 minutes even on a cool 65 degree day. I'm sure I'm not the only one."

I've read this from numerous people now, but you will have people come on here and swear it never happened. I don't get why this isn't a bigger deal. This is supposed to be a track car and the A10 is supposed to be the Holy Grail of transmissions.... Maybe it should be a "ask Al" topic?

*Mr. Wyndham* · 02-05-2018, 09:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GrabTheWheel

I think the positives are obvious. The car is a riot on track and the ability to pass cars that are 3-4X as expensive is amazing.

It is certainly something special!

Quote:

Originally Posted by GrabTheWheel

The negatives I've experienced so far is the A10 transmission overheats on track after 25 minutes even on a cool 65 degree day. I'm sure I'm not the only one. On the plus side just let the car cool down for 5 to 10 min and you're back out there.

Just curious, because you'd have to be pushing extremely, ridiculously hard to have this happen, did you have the transmission fluid set to the track level before you went racing?

Quote:

Originally Posted by GrabTheWheel

Second, the LED running lights in the front bumper were both dangling out of place after a few track days. When you get the front bumper off you'll discover the way Chevy mounted them from the factory is totally inadequate for hard driving. Although I think I was able to fix it. Again I don't think I'm the only one.

Did you hit something? I ask, because that happened to me years ago in my 2012...I can't imagine them falling out otherwise. How odd!

We're talking about the vertical strips up front, right?

Quote:

Originally Posted by GrabTheWheel

Third, my latest problem is the reflectors in the rear bumper are completely melting from the heat of the exhaust on track. My car is not modified. Anyone else experiencing this? I'm currently waiting for a resolution from my local dealer.

Also very odd, I haven't seen that happen on mine....yet?

ninetres · 02-05-2018, 11:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 17ZL1Camaro

"The negatives I've experienced so far is the A10 transmission overheats on track after 25 minutes even on a cool 65 degree day. I'm sure I'm not the only one."

I've read this from numerous people now, but you will have people come on here and swear it never happened. I don't get why this isn't a bigger deal. This is supposed to be a track car and the A10 is supposed to be the Holy Grail of transmissions.... Maybe it should be a "ask Al" topic?

+1 for ask Al. The high temps seem to occur in random car (not all a10s), and also unrelated to fluid level.

Gunkk · 02-06-2018, 05:11 AM

From what I read last of summer's posts, it seemed that folks driving hard in tight traffic would sometimes have trans temp issues. I'll wager this was from disrupted air reducing grille pressure, resulting in lower airflow across the horizontally mounted cooler.

Something like the fans in this post might help:
http://www.camaro6.com/forums/showpo...1&postcount=59

GrabTheWheel · 02-06-2018, 07:57 PM

Can'tHave2MuchHP, thanks for your input. I agree with you for the track manual would have been the smarter choice. When I test drove both the auto and the manual on the street I had more fun in the auto so that's what I went with. I really like being able to go all the way through 2nd gear on the street without going to jail. This was my first auto ever and I've always been a manual or nothing guy but I decided to give this new 10 speed a chance. Also I didn't really intend to track the ZL1 so much when I first bought it but once I got it on track I was hooked.

Stephen12ZL1, I'm jealous VIR looks like an amazing (but slightly scary) race track. So glad there are other people out there like you making the most of this amazing machine!

17ZL1Camaro, I'm new to the forum so I'm not familiar with the "Ask Al topic" but I agree this seems like a good question for him to answer.

Mr. Wyndham, I had the car prepped for the track by my local dealer. They did an alignment, swapped oil, brake and diff fluid and they should have adjusted the trans fluid to the proper level. But now I'm starting to have my doubts as to if it was actually done properly.

I'm starting to do all my own maintenance on the car because it's expensive enough to track as it is. Maybe you could post a link to a thread showing how to make sure you've set your trans fluid to the proper track level?

To be 100% honest I did connect with a small animal dead center of my front bumper at a high rate of speed but it was literally atomized on impact. I thoroughly inspected the car after that and the only damage luckily was a very slight crack in the grill which I've since had replaced. So maybe that did have something to do with it but I will say the lights were totally intact after that incident. I think it will depend on what kind of track you drive on that will dictate whether you have this problem. If you're driving a track with big berms like Buttonwilow and you're riding them hard I think you'll have an issue. If not I think you'll be fine. Laguna Seca didn't seem to knock them loose. Hope this helps.

Gunkk, thanks for your input! If I decide to start modifying the car I'll definitely take additional cooling into consideration.

Stephen12ZL1 · 02-06-2018, 09:37 PM

transmission fluid level video...https://youtu.be/dPrP4NQZg6w

02-05-2018, 06:12 PM	#1
GrabTheWheel Drives: 18' ZL1 A10 Join Date: Feb 2018 Location: California Posts: 98	Positives and negatives of tracking your ZL1 I think the positives are obvious. The car is a riot on track and the ability to pass cars that are 3-4X as expensive is amazing. The negatives I've experienced so far is the A10 transmission overheats on track after 25 minutes even on a cool 65 degree day. I'm sure I'm not the only one. On the plus side just let the car cool down for 5 to 10 min and you're back out there. Second, the LED running lights in the front bumper were both dangling out of place after a few track days. When you get the front bumper off you'll discover the way Chevy mounted them from the factory is totally inadequate for hard driving. Although I think I was able to fix it. Again I don't think I'm the only one. Third, my latest problem is the reflectors in the rear bumper are completely melting from the heat of the exhaust on track. My car is not modified. Anyone else experiencing this? I'm currently waiting for a resolution from my local dealer. I was expecting to spend a lot of money on tires, pads and fuel but all these other things are frustrating for a car that has 5K miles and 5 days on track. I thought Chevy would have really put this car through it's paces during R&D before being sold to the public. I feel like I'm Chevy's guinea pig to see if the car is really up to track duty! I know a lot of you will say "should have bought the 1LE" but to be honest not having the back seats fold down was deal breaker for me and my wife really appreciates the Mag ride on date night. Wish Chevy would offer everything as an option. I'd love to have everything from the 1LE aside from the seats that don't fold down and the dampers. I know I can add the other stuff on but I don't think I'll keep the car long enough to bother if it doesn't start holding up to track use better...

02-05-2018, 09:20 PM	#3
Stephen12ZL1 Drives: '21 ZLE A10 Join Date: May 2012 Location: Mechanicsville, VA Posts: 6,808	My car for some reason has not overheated the A10 even with 30min sessions. VIR has 2 long straights which may aid in cooling. Another A10 ZL1 was there and his temps were much higher than mine in the Cosworth app of data from the PDR. I need to check those DRL as I have 7 track days so far. I don’t think mine are loose. My red reflectors don’t seem to be melted either...my car is stock too. Get the dealer to recheck the tranny fluid level and possibly change the fluid and filter. Track days are rapidly approaching as I have two days coming in March at VIR. __________________ '21 ZLE A10 Wild Cherry PDR 2:00.78 VIR Full 10.68@131.69 1.68 60' '17 ZL1 A10 Mosaic Black PDR/Nav 2:03.08 VIR Full 11.003@129.2 1.75 (sold) '15 Z/28 #325 Black a/c & stereo. 2:10.1 VIR Full (sold) '12 ZL1 A6 Black 10.52@131 1.55 60' 2:13 VIR Full (sold)

02-05-2018, 09:20 PM	#4
Sooner Cole Drives: 2019 ZL1-1LE A10 Join Date: Jan 2017 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 512	"The negatives I've experienced so far is the A10 transmission overheats on track after 25 minutes even on a cool 65 degree day. I'm sure I'm not the only one." I've read this from numerous people now, but you will have people come on here and swear it never happened. I don't get why this isn't a bigger deal. This is supposed to be a track car and the A10 is supposed to be the Holy Grail of transmissions.... Maybe it should be a "ask Al" topic? __________________ 19 ZL1-1LE A10

02-06-2018, 05:11 AM	#7
Gunkk Thank you Al Oppenheiser! Drives: Red Hot A10 ZL1 Convertible Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: Sarasota, FL Posts: 4,978 View My Garage	From what I read last of summer's posts, it seemed that folks driving hard in tight traffic would sometimes have trans temp issues. I'll wager this was from disrupted air reducing grille pressure, resulting in lower airflow across the horizontally mounted cooler. Something like the fans in this post might help: http://www.camaro6.com/forums/showpo...1&postcount=59 Attached Images

02-06-2018, 09:37 PM	#9
Stephen12ZL1 Drives: '21 ZLE A10 Join Date: May 2012 Location: Mechanicsville, VA Posts: 6,808	transmission fluid level video...https://youtu.be/dPrP4NQZg6w __________________ '21 ZLE A10 Wild Cherry PDR 2:00.78 VIR Full 10.68@131.69 1.68 60' '17 ZL1 A10 Mosaic Black PDR/Nav 2:03.08 VIR Full 11.003@129.2 1.75 (sold) '15 Z/28 #325 Black a/c & stereo. 2:10.1 VIR Full (sold) '12 ZL1 A6 Black 10.52@131 1.55 60' 2:13 VIR Full (sold)

02-05-2018, 07:55 PM	#2
Can'tHave2MuchHP Drives: Fast Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Michigan Posts: 3,696	My opinion on tracking is simple: Positives: A hell of a lot of fun Negatives: Lots of maintenance. If you aren't prepared for damages, wear and tear, and lots of little things that may annoy you, then don't track regularly. I realize the things you pointed out you see as design flaws, which they may be. The A10 over heating and fog lights are both known idiosyncrasies. If you want a hardcore track care, Manual is ALWAYS the way to go over a torque converter automatic.

02-06-2018, 07:57 PM	#8
GrabTheWheel Drives: 18' ZL1 A10 Join Date: Feb 2018 Location: California Posts: 98	Can'tHave2MuchHP, thanks for your input. I agree with you for the track manual would have been the smarter choice. When I test drove both the auto and the manual on the street I had more fun in the auto so that's what I went with. I really like being able to go all the way through 2nd gear on the street without going to jail. This was my first auto ever and I've always been a manual or nothing guy but I decided to give this new 10 speed a chance. Also I didn't really intend to track the ZL1 so much when I first bought it but once I got it on track I was hooked. Stephen12ZL1, I'm jealous VIR looks like an amazing (but slightly scary) race track. So glad there are other people out there like you making the most of this amazing machine! 17ZL1Camaro, I'm new to the forum so I'm not familiar with the "Ask Al topic" but I agree this seems like a good question for him to answer. Mr. Wyndham, I had the car prepped for the track by my local dealer. They did an alignment, swapped oil, brake and diff fluid and they should have adjusted the trans fluid to the proper level. But now I'm starting to have my doubts as to if it was actually done properly. I'm starting to do all my own maintenance on the car because it's expensive enough to track as it is. Maybe you could post a link to a thread showing how to make sure you've set your trans fluid to the proper track level? To be 100% honest I did connect with a small animal dead center of my front bumper at a high rate of speed but it was literally atomized on impact. I thoroughly inspected the car after that and the only damage luckily was a very slight crack in the grill which I've since had replaced. So maybe that did have something to do with it but I will say the lights were totally intact after that incident. I think it will depend on what kind of track you drive on that will dictate whether you have this problem. If you're driving a track with big berms like Buttonwilow and you're riding them hard I think you'll have an issue. If not I think you'll be fine. Laguna Seca didn't seem to knock them loose. Hope this helps. Gunkk, thanks for your input! If I decide to start modifying the car I'll definitely take additional cooling into consideration.

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