Built for Speed
The 107th Running of the Indianapolis 500 is only a few short weeks away, when we can all look forward to this year’s pace car leading us into the green flag. Last year’s race featured the 2023 Chevy Corvette C8 Z06 as its pace car. SweetCars recently took on a detailing job for a local car collector who purchased this sleek 2023 C8 Z06 with the Z07 performance package. Immediately after taking delivery from Chevrolet, he tasked us with transforming it into a replica of the 106th Indy 500 pace car so he could add to his collection of other pace cars.
The Z07 package is designed to help the Z06 go faster, stop better, and turn harder. To do that, engineers emphasized upgrading the aerodynamics, tires, and brakes. The car this customer brought in is an extremely rare 70th anniversary model. We believe there are roughly only 100 of these currently in existence, and we serviced one of them at SweetCars!
Ready for Race Day
First things first, before we could apply any of the paint protection film, we needed to add the signature pace car stripes. SweetCars general manager Michael Barney had the privilege of installing these decals himself.
The owner told us that, while he primarily wants this car for display in his collection, he still expects it will still see some track time. Our team’s goal was to protect this Corvette from the harshness of the road, keeping it in pristine, collection-ready condition. Collectors are always hunting for “clean” collectibles without evidence of paint repair work, which is why we made it our priority to pull out all the stops when applying PPF, shielding the paint from future rock chips, scratches, and scuffs.
We immediately noticed the new Z06/Z07 body panels were similar in some areas, but vastly different in other areas when comparing to the standard C8 Corvette we were familiar with. That unique shape required extra problem-solving steps when applying the full-vehicle SunTek Reaction paint protection package to the car. To add even more durability, our detailing team added layers of Ceramic Pro PPF/Vinyl Base and PPF/Vinyl Topcoat protection.
We were sure to not neglect the inside either, coating it with a full Ceramic Pro textile treatment. Then, to protect the interior from harmful UV rays, SweetCars teamed up with Integrity Auto Glass to install SunTek Evolve window tint. We elected to go with 70% tint for the entire windshield and 20% tint for the side and back window glass, blocking up to 96% of UV rays.
The result? A perfect, well-protected replica of last year’s Indy 500 pace car. We at SweetCars found it incredibly rewarding to work on such a unique and fun project, and we’re thrilled the owner will be able to treasure this car for many race days to come.
Let us help take your car to the next level. No matter what you need, we’re here to help! We can help match you with the perfect car, protect your investment, or customize your vehicle however you like. Please give us a call at (260) 207-2277 or stop into SweetCars today.
