How many here own a C5 Corvette?
- Thread starter grampi
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Not an owner. But from my research of the cars of that era, it's pretty good bang for the buck. You will get lots of help over at LS1Tech.com or any of the Vette forums on what to look for. The lack of back seat room was an issue for my so I went with the Firebird/Camaro LS1 of that era. I'd love to get one of the 395-405 hp Z06's 2001-2002. Maybe the best performance bang for the buck though in the $16K-$25K range. I'd prefer a lower mileage version as the NADA/KBB and other guides don't give the true value of those miles. Sweet spot is in the 20K-50K range. My preference is 20K-35K. If it doesn't work out for you, you still still have a less than 40K mile car to sell. Find one with a single owner and a well-documented maintenance history.
I hope your single. I have a good friend that owned an 84' Corvette a longtime ago when he was in his late 20's.
That car got him booty all the time.
That car got him booty all the time.
Great cars. I prefer the Z06 myself and have worked on 5, 3 of them were Z06's. Few little gremlins in them like the steering wheel lock that can be failure prone. Early cars seemed to suffer from oil consumption at least in the ones I worked on 2/5 had rings replaced under warranty one had pistons and rings replaced under warranty. Lots of fun go fast parts available. Of the ones I worked one we built a LS6 for one with 250hp of nitrous one got a 408" stroker and the third that got engine work got heads cam and exhaust. The remaining two got suspension and brake upgrades only. All of the engine work cars made over 440 RWHP, the 408 car made 558 to the tires. Lots of potential! I personally preferred the C6 and I owned a 2008 Z06 with the 427 for 3 years, I loved that engine and that car.
Originally Posted By: FlyNavyP3
Great cars. I prefer the Z06 myself and have worked on 5, 3 of them were Z06's. Few little gremlins in them like the steering wheel lock that can be failure prone. Early cars seemed to suffer from oil consumption at least in the ones I worked on 2/5 had rings replaced under warranty one had pistons and rings replaced under warranty. Lots of fun go fast parts available. Of the ones I worked one we built a LS6 for one with 250hp of nitrous one got a 408" stroker and the third that got engine work got heads cam and exhaust. The remaining two got suspension and brake upgrades only. All of the engine work cars made over 440 RWHP, the 408 car made 558 to the tires. Lots of potential! I personally preferred the C6 and I owned a 2008 Z06 with the 427 for 3 years, I loved that engine and that car.
I've been reading up on them over on the Corvette forum. Seems there is a $40 part to fix the steering column lock issue, I think it's called an LMC5, and it sounds like the '01 models are most prone to oil consumption...I like the C6 too, but it's still out of my price range...I would consider the Z06, but it's only available in an FRC and I like the looks of the hatchback better, so I probably won't be getting a Z...
Great cars. I prefer the Z06 myself and have worked on 5, 3 of them were Z06's. Few little gremlins in them like the steering wheel lock that can be failure prone. Early cars seemed to suffer from oil consumption at least in the ones I worked on 2/5 had rings replaced under warranty one had pistons and rings replaced under warranty. Lots of fun go fast parts available. Of the ones I worked one we built a LS6 for one with 250hp of nitrous one got a 408" stroker and the third that got engine work got heads cam and exhaust. The remaining two got suspension and brake upgrades only. All of the engine work cars made over 440 RWHP, the 408 car made 558 to the tires. Lots of potential! I personally preferred the C6 and I owned a 2008 Z06 with the 427 for 3 years, I loved that engine and that car.
I've been reading up on them over on the Corvette forum. Seems there is a $40 part to fix the steering column lock issue, I think it's called an LMC5, and it sounds like the '01 models are most prone to oil consumption...I like the C6 too, but it's still out of my price range...I would consider the Z06, but it's only available in an FRC and I like the looks of the hatchback better, so I probably won't be getting a Z...
Originally Posted By: skyactiv
I hope your single. I have a good friend that owned an 84' Corvette a longtime ago when he was in his late 20's.
That car got him booty all the time.
I've already got the booty (wife), but my problem is I couldn't get her to ride with me on the bike, so I'm selling it and buying a Vette....she will go with me in the Vette...
I hope your single. I have a good friend that owned an 84' Corvette a longtime ago when he was in his late 20's.
That car got him booty all the time.
I've already got the booty (wife), but my problem is I couldn't get her to ride with me on the bike, so I'm selling it and buying a Vette....she will go with me in the Vette...
I had a torch red 99 that I supercharged 6 speed manual trans. The only thing I had issues w was the tranny seal kept leaking. Other than that, the car is [censored]. Perfect car for me when I was single. Had to sell it when I got married because it I just couldn't really use it w the wife and kids. Plus, in socal, I could never get the most out of the car unless I tracked it and had no time for that. U can get a c5 cheap now that the c7s are out.
I own a 2003 50th Anniversary convertible (ruby red) and a 1994 Admiral Blue Z07 equipped coupe. The C5 is more comfortable and a bit better in quality of interior materials but I still prefer the 1994 for most of my fun. You can get C5's for cheap and I would try to go the 2000+ model years.
Why did you create this thread when you already created a thread asking this exact question a few months ago?
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/4206549/Corvette_owners
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/4206549/Corvette_owners
Originally Posted By: exranger06
Why did you create this thread when you already created a thread asking this exact question a few months ago?
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/4206549/Corvette_owners
I think a better question is, why do you care? This site has moderators, it doesn't need thread police too...
Why did you create this thread when you already created a thread asking this exact question a few months ago?
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/4206549/Corvette_owners
I think a better question is, why do you care? This site has moderators, it doesn't need thread police too...
Originally Posted By: grampi
Originally Posted By: skyactiv
I hope your single. I have a good friend that owned an 84' Corvette a longtime ago when he was in his late 20's.
That car got him booty all the time.
I've already got the booty (wife), but my problem is I couldn't get her to ride with me on the bike, so I'm selling it and buying a Vette....she will go with me in the Vette...
Smart decision to sell bike. Car with seat belts and airbags is much safer, especially with all the idiots on the road.
I also like C5 with removable top. Take your time and you can find low mileage cars with no modifications.
Originally Posted By: skyactiv
I hope your single. I have a good friend that owned an 84' Corvette a longtime ago when he was in his late 20's.
That car got him booty all the time.
I've already got the booty (wife), but my problem is I couldn't get her to ride with me on the bike, so I'm selling it and buying a Vette....she will go with me in the Vette...
Smart decision to sell bike. Car with seat belts and airbags is much safer, especially with all the idiots on the road.
I also like C5 with removable top. Take your time and you can find low mileage cars with no modifications.
Originally Posted By: grampi
Yeah, it seems C5s can be had now for under $20K...some are considerably under, depending on mileage...
Just worked for a client with a cherry 99 in a cool silvery beige. 4900 miles!!! Seriously! 6 speed car to boot. I've owned them and they are generally good and cheap to own...
Yeah, it seems C5s can be had now for under $20K...some are considerably under, depending on mileage...
Just worked for a client with a cherry 99 in a cool silvery beige. 4900 miles!!! Seriously! 6 speed car to boot. I've owned them and they are generally good and cheap to own...
Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
Originally Posted By: grampi
Yeah, it seems C5s can be had now for under $20K...some are considerably under, depending on mileage...
Just worked for a client with a cherry 99 in a cool silvery beige. 4900 miles!!! Seriously! 6 speed car to boot. I've owned them and they are generally good and cheap to own...
4900 miles? Wow, that car wasn't driven much, was it?
Originally Posted By: grampi
Yeah, it seems C5s can be had now for under $20K...some are considerably under, depending on mileage...
Just worked for a client with a cherry 99 in a cool silvery beige. 4900 miles!!! Seriously! 6 speed car to boot. I've owned them and they are generally good and cheap to own...
4900 miles? Wow, that car wasn't driven much, was it?
Originally Posted By: grampi
I'm in the market for one...would like to hear your thoughts on the car...
a couple of hours ago,I was talking to a neighbor that recently sold a c5, and remembered this thread.if you don't mind going into Canada, per Detroit-Windsor, you could get a good price, especially with a favorable exchange rate.
check out southwest Ontario area, per kijiji.ca, and autotrader.ca.import rules would need to be checked out, as well. food for thought.
I'm in the market for one...would like to hear your thoughts on the car...
a couple of hours ago,I was talking to a neighbor that recently sold a c5, and remembered this thread.if you don't mind going into Canada, per Detroit-Windsor, you could get a good price, especially with a favorable exchange rate.
check out southwest Ontario area, per kijiji.ca, and autotrader.ca.import rules would need to be checked out, as well. food for thought.
My brother had a '99 convertible for many years. He bought it from Carmax and was bone stock. I'd probably have left it stock, but he started with a short shifter. Then had it supercharged. Then stuff started breaking because of that and he had to upgrade other parts (clutch, half shafts, etc). It was a fun car. In its final form before he sold it, you could hardly shift it fast enough to keep it off the rev limiter in the first three gears (and the tires were hooked up). I think he had 295-series Nittos on the rear. We went out on a deserted road where he lived in southern Arizona one Christmas. I chickened out at about 138 mph. We had the top down. It was breezy.
Expect a lot of interior rattles and squeaks -- lots of plastic inside that isn't even up to Tupperware's standards. The ride on his was sort of spongey -- it could have used a set of dampers (and it didn't even have 50k miles on it). Maybe that's how they all were, I don't know. And it's why I chickened out at 138 mph -- the car started to wag back and forth a little bit like it was skating on ice. It was underdamped, but I don't know if that was by design or premature wear.
They're excellent performance values, and the basics of the car are good. Again, lots of cheap trim, standard issue of '90s GM cars, but great bargains if you're looking to go fast for cheap.
Expect a lot of interior rattles and squeaks -- lots of plastic inside that isn't even up to Tupperware's standards. The ride on his was sort of spongey -- it could have used a set of dampers (and it didn't even have 50k miles on it). Maybe that's how they all were, I don't know. And it's why I chickened out at 138 mph -- the car started to wag back and forth a little bit like it was skating on ice. It was underdamped, but I don't know if that was by design or premature wear.
They're excellent performance values, and the basics of the car are good. Again, lots of cheap trim, standard issue of '90s GM cars, but great bargains if you're looking to go fast for cheap.
Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
My brother had a '99 convertible for many years. He bought it from Carmax and was bone stock. I'd probably have left it stock, but he started with a short shifter. Then had it supercharged. Then stuff started breaking because of that and he had to upgrade other parts (clutch, half shafts, etc). It was a fun car. In its final form before he sold it, you could hardly shift it fast enough to keep it off the rev limiter in the first three gears (and the tires were hooked up). I think he had 295-series Nittos on the rear. We went out on a deserted road where he lived in southern Arizona one Christmas. I chickened out at about 138 mph. We had the top down. It was breezy.
Expect a lot of interior rattles and squeaks -- lots of plastic inside that isn't even up to Tupperware's standards. The ride on his was sort of spongey -- it could have used a set of dampers (and it didn't even have 50k miles on it). Maybe that's how they all were, I don't know. And it's why I chickened out at 138 mph -- the car started to wag back and forth a little bit like it was skating on ice. It was underdamped, but I don't know if that was by design or premature wear.
They're excellent performance values, and the basics of the car are good. Again, lots of cheap trim, standard issue of '90s GM cars, but great bargains if you're looking to go fast for cheap.
I see a lot of people complain about the interior of the C5. I've driven 5 or 6 different C5s now and I don't get the criticism. Maybe people are comparing it today's car interiors, but compared to other vehicles produced in that era, the C5 interior is fine. It fits like a glove when you get in, and everything is laid out nicely and is right where it needs to be. I also didn't notice any squeaks or rattles in any of the ones I've driven. My only complaint is the leather they use on the seats isn't very durable and it usually wears out fairly soon...other than that, I don't get all of the complaints...
My brother had a '99 convertible for many years. He bought it from Carmax and was bone stock. I'd probably have left it stock, but he started with a short shifter. Then had it supercharged. Then stuff started breaking because of that and he had to upgrade other parts (clutch, half shafts, etc). It was a fun car. In its final form before he sold it, you could hardly shift it fast enough to keep it off the rev limiter in the first three gears (and the tires were hooked up). I think he had 295-series Nittos on the rear. We went out on a deserted road where he lived in southern Arizona one Christmas. I chickened out at about 138 mph. We had the top down. It was breezy.
Expect a lot of interior rattles and squeaks -- lots of plastic inside that isn't even up to Tupperware's standards. The ride on his was sort of spongey -- it could have used a set of dampers (and it didn't even have 50k miles on it). Maybe that's how they all were, I don't know. And it's why I chickened out at 138 mph -- the car started to wag back and forth a little bit like it was skating on ice. It was underdamped, but I don't know if that was by design or premature wear.
They're excellent performance values, and the basics of the car are good. Again, lots of cheap trim, standard issue of '90s GM cars, but great bargains if you're looking to go fast for cheap.
I see a lot of people complain about the interior of the C5. I've driven 5 or 6 different C5s now and I don't get the criticism. Maybe people are comparing it today's car interiors, but compared to other vehicles produced in that era, the C5 interior is fine. It fits like a glove when you get in, and everything is laid out nicely and is right where it needs to be. I also didn't notice any squeaks or rattles in any of the ones I've driven. My only complaint is the leather they use on the seats isn't very durable and it usually wears out fairly soon...other than that, I don't get all of the complaints...
Jason,
It is likely his hi torque setup and aggressive driving was too much for the factory rear end bushings and dampers. Simple upgrades could really help. Not very expensive either.
Just about every high powered IRS car will eventually get a bit loose with age/miles, and these parts even decay when not being driven...
It is likely his hi torque setup and aggressive driving was too much for the factory rear end bushings and dampers. Simple upgrades could really help. Not very expensive either.
Just about every high powered IRS car will eventually get a bit loose with age/miles, and these parts even decay when not being driven...
I'd buy the lowest mileage bone stock 'stripper' model for simplicity and lighter weight, then fit the best suspension and brakes available for that chassis along with some very sticky tyres.
But that would only apply in America - the cars look so ridiculously vulgar and out of place anywhere else in the world that I could never actually bring myself to own one..
But that would only apply in America - the cars look so ridiculously vulgar and out of place anywhere else in the world that I could never actually bring myself to own one..
Originally Posted By: Olas
I'd buy the lowest mileage bone stock 'stripper' model for simplicity and lighter weight, then fit the best suspension and brakes available for that chassis along with some very sticky tyres.
But that would only apply in America - the cars look so ridiculously vulgar and out of place anywhere else in the world that I could never actually bring myself to own one..
Really? I think the C5 is one the most beautiful cars ever produced...
I'd buy the lowest mileage bone stock 'stripper' model for simplicity and lighter weight, then fit the best suspension and brakes available for that chassis along with some very sticky tyres.
But that would only apply in America - the cars look so ridiculously vulgar and out of place anywhere else in the world that I could never actually bring myself to own one..
Really? I think the C5 is one the most beautiful cars ever produced...
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