This 2008 Z06 Has Gone From Lean to Mean

MarisaMarisa Clark of La Mirada, California is just 28 years young and is the proud owner of an awesome, almost gothic looking 2008 Chevrolet Corvette Z06. We only get to feature a few cars each year that are owned by women, and we always look forward to seeing a car built from their perspective. Whether you’re into show-and-shines, drag racing, road racing, or anything in between, the asphalt makes for a level playing field between the sexes.

We asked how Clark felt about being the “odd woman out” and she replied, “I don’t think there are many girls who are into Corvettes, so I like to think I am unique in that way. I wouldn’t go so far as to say I am obsessed with the car, but the car does take up a lot of my free time and money. I didn’t really grow up with any family members who strongly influenced my love for cars. My uncle is a Ford guy and has a very impressive collection, but as a child I wasn’t around it too much, so my love for cars is kind of a mystery, and I don’t think it will slow down anytime soon.”

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Clark reported that the car had an original sales price of around $50,000, though she purchased it for much less from the original owner. Since then she has put about $7,000 into her beloved Z06, which is named Vanessa in case you were wondering. Clark also mentioned that for the most part, she completed all of the modifications at once so her car was only out of commission for a little under two weeks. The car was finished to its current state on February 17, 2015.

A Corvette Lifestyle

It never seems to fail that each Corvette enthusiast we run across has loved Vettes for sometime, and often remembers a particular time as a child or young adult that they fell in love with America’s sports car. As we mentioned earlier, Clark is relatively young still, but has had the Vette bug for sometime. She mentioned, “I have always had an interest in Corvettes and knew I wanted to purchase one. I looked for about a year and a half before purchasing my Z06 back in June of 2013.”

A year and a half spent shopping for a car may seem exhausting or even ridiculous to some folks, but we completely understand… sometimes it just takes time to find that perfect ride. We were curious as to Clark’s motivation to select this particular Vette and she was happy to fill us in.

“I wanted a fun car I could take out on the weekends and do track events with. I participate in a half-mile event held a few times a year called Shift-Se3ctor. I’ve met a lot of really good people because of the car, and have gotten to experience the ‘car world’ in other parts of the county. The Corvette community is pretty close, and some cars serve as an inspiration or goal to me for my own car to one day achieve.”

Clark didn’t waste any time when it came to starting the customization process, “Generally, I find stock cars to be pretty boring. As far as selecting a Z06 goes… for the money it’s hard to find a car with the same level of performance and such a great sound,” Clark explained.

We can’t argue with her on that one, as this continues to be a valid argument even when comparing an all new Z07 Package equipped C7 Z06 with much of the exotic market, it’s just a tough performance-value to compete with.

She continued, “The car is a total package to me, so it’s hard to narrow it down to just one aspect. The part that gets everyone’s attention though is the idle of the cam and the exhaust note that it produces. I could listen to it all day.”

We all love Corvettes for a number of different reasons, but for Clark it seems rather simple, “The car is my baby, and it is treated better than some people’s children–just kidding I hope–I’m a low-key kind of person for the most part, but the car gets a lot of attention everywhere I go. It’s a good conversation starter, and I love when people ask me to rev it or they give me props for being a girl with a very ‘non-girly’ car.”

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The Specifics

IMG_9809The car is currently sporting a full set of Forgestar CF10s with 19×10.5-inch wheels up front, and 20×12-inch wheels in the rear. Assuming Clark does her job behind the wheel, this Z06 stays well planted thanks to the Michelin Pilot Sport tires on all four corners.

Those of you with a keen eye for the C6 Z06 may have noticed the ride height is a little lower than normal, partially contributing to the clean yet aggressive stance. KW V3 coilovers were put to the task here which have even added some handling consistency when Clark finds herself winding through a Southern Californian canyon road.

To increase the looks and help direct airflow, Katech front and rear carbon fiber spoilers were added. Aside from some window tint, the final aesthetic change was painting the brake calipers a rich, dark purple which bring in that bit of gothic je ne sais quoi.

While the original motor was replaced under warranty, it is still effectively a 2008 Chevrolet LS7. Aftermarket goodies include: a custom pair of heads from West Coast Cylinder Heads, and a custom ground cam by Cam Motion. Exhaust gasses are carried away thanks to set of American Racing 1 7/8-inch headers and X-pipe, which ultimately exit through a Corsa exhaust system.

HP Tuners was utilized for tuning software which was performed along with the other performance modifications at Cunningham Motorsports, in Murrieta, California. After everything was complete, the car produced 540 hp and 500 lb-ft of torque at the rear wheels. Considering this cars weighs in at about 3,100 pounds, you can imagine the acceleration potential.

Unfortunately Clark has yet to get an official quarter-mile time since the latest modifications, but she said she will be doing so shortly. She also wanted to give a special thanks to Cunningham Motorsports (CMS) who performed the work on the car. Clark mentioned, “They provided great customer service and quality work, I truly would recommend them to anyone.”

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A Little More To It

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Corvette Online: “The car looks great, but do you have any plans for further customization?”

Marisa Clark: “Well, it is a work in progress for me, there are so many more things I will change over the years. I plan on keeping it for a long time.”

CO: “A lot of Corvette owners like to leave their cars the way they rolled out of Bowling Green, what prompted your changes?”

IMG_9806MC: “I wanted it to be faster, along with having the assurance that I will not drop a valve (again). I also thought my current power level would be enough, but after going to events like TX2K, I realize I have a long way to go with the car. The very first thing that was done to the car was the exhaust. I had Corsa mufflers put on so I had a nice sound to tide me over until I was able to get the heads and cam installed.”

CO: “Has the vehicle ever been in an accident? If so what happened?”

MC: “No, thank god! Luckily for me, nothing negative happened during the build process. When the car was with its previous owner, the motor was replaced under warranty and according to those at CMS, the dealership did a sloppy job putting everything back together. They noted several loose bolts in a number of concerning places, so they went over the entire car to ensure it was good to go before they started the engine work. Now I know it’s even better than when I first got it!”

CO: “How did you get into Corvettes?”

MC: “I have been into cars since I was a small child. I had a Barbie Powerwheels Corvette when I was four years old, which then turned into a model Corvette when I was in junior high. I have always loved the look of them and when the C6 came out I was in love. The timing was right when my car popped up and I just had to jump on the deal. In my opinion, it’s hard to find something of similar performance for the money. Not to mention, maintenance is not too bad when compared to other vehicles.

CO: “How often do you take your Corvette out for a drive, and why?”

MC: “For me, my Vette is not driven daily. Sometimes I may go a month or so without driving it, but I always look forward to the time I have with Vanessa.”

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This Corvette certainly isn’t red, to say the least it has had every possible piece of chrome removed from it, and we know it isn’t every person’s particular cup of tea. That being said, we really dig it, and if you had the opportunity to get to know the owner, we think you would too.

Should Clark decide to tip the scales to an extreme build at some point, you can bet we will keep y’all posted and if chrome and red really are your thing; keep any eye out for another C6 that’s sure to be right up your alley here on Corvette Online.

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About the author

Brent Davis

Brent was born and raised in Southern California. After earning a Bachelors Degree in business marketing from California State University San Marcos, and a project management certificate from the University of California at San Diego, he decided to turn a lifelong passion for automobiles and motorsports into a career. Brent has a specific passion for diesel-powered and all-terrain vehicles that have helped him haul and recover recreational toys over the years.
Read My Articles

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