How many here own a C5 Corvette?

[A_Harman]

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.


Drat! What am I doing wrong? Did the mojo only work with '84 Corvette's or does it extend to '85's?

 

[DoubleWasp]

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.


Must have been wear.

One of the magazines took a Lingenfelter turbo'd C5 with stock suspension and Penske shocks to 249mph on a track.

This was quite a shocking feat, especially so soon after the Don Schroeder incident.

 

[mjoekingz28]

Originally Posted By: grampi
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..other than that, I don't get all of the complaints...




It seems they werent cared for. Some folks just get in then go, whilst some folks prepare the car by cleaning it and wiping it down and making sure the drivetrain is up to normal operating temperature before goosing it a lil'.

 

[Hokiefyd]

Originally Posted By: grampi
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...


Mine's not a complaint, but an observation...an observation that the money you spend for the car is for speed and handling, not for interior refinement. If you like the interior quality, then it's all good!

 

[grampi]

Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
Originally Posted By: grampi
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...


Mine's not a complaint, but an observation...an observation that the money you spend for the car is for speed and handling, not for interior refinement. If you like the interior quality, then it's all good!


I wouldn't say the C5s interior is one of the greatest I've ever seen, but I also don't think it deserves the criticism it gets either...I think too many people compare it to the interiors of today's cars, which isn't a fair comparison considering the C5 interior was designed 20 years ago...

 

[mjoekingz28]

Its okay grampi. You dont have to defend it. Simple and elegant, to me, sure beats extravagant at least most of the time. When you are inside, the road gets your attention- not funky styling, bright lights or expensive bells and whistles. It is America's sportcar.

The Kentucky folks can put out a car that rivals the best anyone could muster.


Beat em at the dragstrip-check
Beat em on the road course- check
Top end mph- check again
Mpg on the way home (28hwy)- check
$50,000 OTD pricing versus $100,000-$1,000,000--- check
Reliable, simple to mantain-check
Daily driver and tame for around town use- sometimes

 

[grampi]

Originally Posted By: mjoekingz28
Its okay grampi. You dont have to defend it. Simple and elegant, to me, sure beats extravagant at least most of the time. When you are inside, the road gets your attention- not funky styling, bright lights or expensive bells and whistles. It is America's sportcar.

The Kentucky folks can put out a car that rivals the best anyone could muster.


Beat em at the dragstrip-check
Beat em on the road course- check
Top end mph- check again
Mpg on the way home (28hwy)- check
$50,000 OTD pricing versus $100,000-$1,000,000--- check
Reliable, simple to mantain-check
Daily driver and tame for around town use- sometimes


Nicely put!

 

[fdcg27]

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..


Vulgar?
As compared to a typical Ferrari of today or a similar model from Lambo as well as some Porsches, the Corvette looks quite refined and elegant.
The fact that a Z06 is also faster is but icing on the cake.
It would be a little vulgar to import a Corvette and laugh at most European performance cars on unlimited speed roads.
GM may not always look terribly competent, but they've always known how to build a reliable machine with world-class performance.

 

[ls1mike]

So I don't have a C5, but I run in GM LSx circles so I see plenty and the build quality of my WS6 is very similar.
It was 35,000 new. It has held up well to a very pleasant beating. With few issues or rattles.

Yeah it has some plastic...Every car does, but lets face it you don't buy a C5 or a car like my WS6 because you are worried about the vents.

You buy it because you like speed.
You buy it to embarrass cars that cost more.
You buy it for the all aluminum V8, pushrod beast.
You buy it because you don't mind a rattle here or there.
You buy it to feel connected to the road.
You buy it for the feeling of rowing through 6 gears and grabbing rubber in 3 of them.
You buy it because it is cheap and easy to maintain.
You buy because it does not have to sit in the garage.
You buy it because when you are bored with it upgrades are CHEAP.
You but it for you, not anyone else. If people don't like it? Well that is their problem.

So let people complain...Just smile the next time you are headed down the road with the top off in the summer showing them your taillights.
They will get over it, you don't have to.

 

[ls1mike]

Originally Posted By: fdcg27
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..


Vulgar?
As compared to a typical Ferrari of today or a similar model from Lambo as well as some Porsches, the Corvette looks quite refined and elegant.
The fact that a Z06 is also faster is but icing on the cake.
It would be a little vulgar to import a Corvette and laugh at most European performance cars on unlimited speed roads.
GM may not always look terribly competent, but they've always known how to build a reliable machine with world-class performance.

I tend to agree, and I like a lot of your post Olas, but you are driving what I consider to be a refined door stop...No offense man but beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

 

[clinebarger]

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..


C5 Corvettes have EXCELLENT brakes, 60-0mph is under 110 feet, Good Shocks/Dampers & good tires are a must!