Smartest Battery Charger in the World?
When it comes to Corvette Parts, just about every Corvette owner gets a battery charger. Battery Chargers have come a long way in the last few years and CTEK is certainly leading the charge. They have recently released a line of battery chargers that they coin "the smartest Battery Chargers in the world". I have always associated a Battery Charger as something fairly and clunky, nothing that I would want permanently mounted in my car nor would I feel comfortable leaving it connected to my car, boat, or Motorcycle without supervision. The CTEK Battery Charger will completely change the way you look at battery chargers, guaranteed! The Ctek is rugged, outdoor safe, dust and water proof while still maintaining the sleekest and sexiest look I have ever seen in a battery charger.
It can be mounted in the engine compartment as a permanent addition to your car or just used as a temporary solution during the winter months. Either way, you can leave it connected to your battery all the time without the worry of overcharging or damaging the battery. Unlike other battery chargers, the CTEK Charger does not require the car battery to be disconnected from the car prior to use. The CTEK Battery Charger is perfectly safe to use with your car battery connected to the car. The charger will not damage your vehicles computer or electrical equipment. Once the charger harness is connected to your battery it has quick release clips that allow you to remove and install the charger easily at any time. The charger is spark proof and reverse polarity proof so that you do not have to worry about accidently connecting it backwards, try that with a traditional battery charger.
The CTEK Battery Charger is 100% automatic, just hook it up and turn it on….It does everything else. You can leave it connected for months and months without any concerns. All CTEK chargers come with a 2-5 year guarantee and are shock proof, weather proof, dust proof, and certified for outdoor use. For the money (less than $100 bucks) it is the best darn charger I have ever seen and would recommend it for just about any application. I was so impressed wit the CTEK charger that I installed the CTEK US3300 in my C6 Corvette Z06 permanently.
People sometimes ask, why should you buy a CTEK battery charger instead of one that costs half as much and looks virtually the same (even the product description is the same)? But this is not the whole truth. CTEK products have a unique system (patented functions) not available in other legal battery chargers that can therefore not offer the same performance. As for "copy cats" or forgeries, it is guaranteed that they will not maintain the same standards as a CTEK charger. It is impossible to use the quality materials, hire qualified engineers that produce the right product composition, maintain an even and fine level of quality control while at the same time keeping the price down. The "copy cat" battery chargers do not meet the standards that CTEK enforces and do not guarantee to be non sparking, reverse-polarity proof, and electronics safe.
Corvette C6 Mild to Wild Switch
Starting with the Corvette C6 Z06 and then with the 2006 Corvette C6, GM starting offering a new and cool option called Multi Mode Exhaust or the NPP Exhaust option. A standard feature on all Z06's and an optional feature on 2007+ Corvette C6's, the new exhaust system has the ability to open two of the 4 pipes at 3500+ RPM's and close them below 3500 RPM. This new system gave the Corvette a mean throaty sound under hard acceleration and a more subdued, docile sound at idle and cruising speeds.
Corvette C6 Mild to Wild Switch
But wait, what if you wanted to control the exhaust system manually? So that you could "have your cake and eat it too"..Maybe you like the roar of the V8 all the time or want to hear it sometimes and then not at others. Along comes a new little Corvette Accessory, the Corvette C6 Mild to Wild Exhaust Control Switch. The new device, plugs into your fuse box and gives you the ability to control the exhaust baffles on the C6 Z06, C6 Zr1, and the C6 with the Multimode option at your command.
The installation takes all of 10 mins. All you do is lift your passenger floor board to expose your fuse box, pop out a fuse, pop this device in the place of the fuse, attatch a ground wire, and you are ready to go. Very, very simple....No wires to run or splicing needed. Once it is installed, you can use one of the tiny remotes (comes with two) that comes with the Wild to Wild switch to open and close the system, two positions on and off.
The device really works and seems to last a long time...I have had one installed in my car for almost 2 years and never a hickup. It also works with the C6 Z06 Billy Boat Fusion Exhaust system also. You can listen below to some of the sound clips and you can hear the difference between "Mild and Wild" and see how the system operates with the Exhaust controller switch.
Lloyd’s Floor Mats
When you think of a Corvette, you think of power, elegance, and beauty. A few months after the new Vette is brought home, the inevitable modification bug will get you (nobody is immune). With first modifications, it is usually things that increase the power of the car and ways to differentiate the looks from other Corvettes. Improvements to the interior is also a common desire for new Corvette owners as there is a ton of upgrades you can do to give the Corvette a bit more of an exotic look. Everything from new leather interior accessories from Down South Vettes, carbon fiber interior parts, or (believe it or not) embroidered floor mats from Lloyd Mats. I have had Lloyd floor mats in my different Corvettes over the years (always took them for granite) and am amazed at how good they look and how long they last. I figured that since I have this blog, it would make sense to share my experience with Lloyd floor mats products.
Corvette C6 Front Floor Mats
First off, take a look at the OEM Floor Mats that come with your Corvette. They are ok, but nothing to write home about. It is obvious that the Corvette name was not built on the quality or appearance of their floor mats. Lloyd Corvette Floor mats, when compared side by side with the OEM mats, you will see a huge difference right from the start. The Lloyd Floor Mats are bigger (cover more surface area) and thicker. The OEM mats do not cover the entire floor board, while the Lloyd mats cover the whole floor area. The Lloyd mats also have a no slip backing on the back of the mat and use the factory OEM mat fastening system so you can be 100% confident that the mats are not going to end up bunched up under your feet. So just from a physical functionality and durability standpoint, the Lloyd Mats far surpass the Corvette OEM floor mats. The Lloyd Mats are made with 2 ply nylon yarn (32 oz mats) with a 5/16" pile height, a woven polypropylene backing, and a water resistant latex coating.
Cadillac Floor Mats
Now, we get to the really cool part....All of the Lloyds mats come with factory matching colors for all makes and model Corvettes (not just late models). They have over 4000 patterns for almost any and all car/trucks you can think of including all of the Corvettes. You can also specify what color binding (trim around the edge of the mat) you would like on your floor mats which can really make the interior in your Corvette pop with color. Ok....now the part that really sets the floor mats apart, OEM factory embroidered logos! These are GM approved and licensed logo's that match the original corvette branding for all model years exactly. They also are licensed for almost all other domestic vehicles including Cadillac Floor Mats, Hummer Floor Mats, Dodge Floor Mats, Ford Floor Mats and many more. From an import standpoint, Lloyd is increasing import licensing and have a good collection of import brands logos available with names like Porsche Floor Mats.
Dodge Floor Mats
Oh yeah, I also forgot to mention that Lloyd Mats also makes a Corvette cargo mat, and cargo mats for many other vehicles with the same licensed logos and colors options. All the mats product from Lloyds also come with a 5 year unconditional wear warranty (really no way to go wrong with them) and stunning looks that will cause you to notice other Corvette owners floor mats.
Maybe you want to get some all weather mats for your truck? Checkout Husky Liners
Lloyd Corvette Cargo Mat
Down South Vette Leather Console Cover
When it comes to sports cars, the Corvette is certainly a car that delivers the most sports car bang for your buck. Performance wise vs. cost, the Corvette is very hard to beat. In order for GM to create a car that comes close to exotic sports car performance, they have to save money somewhere. With the Corvette C5 and C6, the interior is an area that I would guess GM decided to save some production costs. Although the interior is pretty nice, it does not have some of the high quality materials you will find in cars of comparable performance statistics (also those same cars cost upwards of $100k). Most of the interior in the Corvette is made with leather look alike products and plastic, hence the reason for this review.
Down South Vettes has made a name for themselves upgrading the quality of the interior in the Corvette. Down South Vettes makes quality hand stitched, real leather interior accessories that really upgrade the interior appearance of your Corvette C6 (still waiting for the C5 offering). They offer leather console covers (complete with an embroidered logo), leather shift knobs, leather shift boots, door panels, and instrument clusters, etc..
I decided to take a closer look at the Down South Vette Leather console cover and see if it as good as other Vette fans had told me.
The one I ordered was ebony with red stitching and the Z06 logo embroidered on the top. It took about 10 days to receive it from the time it was ordered. When I opened the box, I was pleasantly greeted by the smell of real rawhide which permeated my car once installed. I could tell the experience was already starting off on the right foot 
The leather was soft and pliable and the hand stitching looked like it was something you would see in a Ferrari. The embroidered logo was perfectly centered and was not an appliqué but real embroidery which matched the factory logo exactly. The DSVette console cover also has additional padding that was comes in the OEM console cover. Other than the padding and skin change, everything else about the console cover is 100% OEM (hence the reason for a core exchange with every order).
Down South Vette Leather Console Cover
Keeping in mind that GM also sells an upgraded "leather" console cover, I wanted to compare the Down South Vette Console cover to the official GM accessory leather Corvette console cover and to the stock OEM cover. Comparing each cover side by side, there is a definite evolution from best to worst. The stock cover has zero padding and is made with some kind of plastic material. Does not look bad, but certainly looks no different than what you would find in a Silverado or Tahoe (nothing exotic and definitely made of high wear materials). The GM Leather Corvette Console cover is a step up, appears to be real leather, has a nice embroidered logo, but still does not have any padding and the leather appears to be a low grade leather. For the money, the GM Leather console cover is a pretty good upgrade but does not compare to quality of the Down South Vette C6 Corvette Leather Console Cover. Keep in mind that the Down South Console Cover cost about $80 bucks more than the GM version and you need to send in your old console cover after you make the swap but for the additional dollars and even with the headache of a core return the Down South Vette console cover beats everything else I have seen; hands down. The hand stitching across the top really sets it apart from any other leather console cover I have seen.
You can combine the console cover with the Down South Vette Shift boot and the DSVette Shift knob and you really can upgrade the appearance and quality of your Corvette's interior. One more thought, if you happen to be one of the lucky owners of the new 09 Limited Edition Z06, you can also order the console lid with 427 Embroidered on it (how it that for awesome!!!).
427 Console Cover
Welcome to Corvette Parts Review
Welcome to Corvette Parts Review.....A site dedicated to honest feedback on Corvette Parts for late model C5 and C6 Corvettes. Being in the parts business, it allows me the luxury of being able to try many different parts and accessories. Feel free to post your comments and personal opinions about the parts in this Corvette blog.
