Lifespan of a C5..
12-11-2012, 12:54 PM
#21
Melting Slicks
Member Since: Sep 2012
Location: Fort Myers Beach Florida
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Agreement?
Tons of Chrysler stuff including my 2010 Hemi truck have all had bulletproof engines. I did rebuild a torqueflite I was racing in the early 1970's. I did do an engine swap on my F150 but it never failed, just burned oil over 120k miles.
Last edited by DDaaryl; 12-11-2012 at 12:56 PM.
12-11-2012, 01:28 PM
#22
Drifting
My Vette is a semi-garage-queen. Twenty five K miles in 11 years. To me , it is the epitome of perfect "form follows function" and there are times when I set up a folding chair in my garage and just set and read a good book and admire my car between reading paragraphs. I do not have to be driving it all the time to enjoy it. It IS a work of art and to be admired just as a prize painting or sculpture. I will never sell it unless the C7 is a better work of art and is easier on my eyes. I even had a car pull along side of me on the freeway and ask if it was the new 2014 Vette. I have several friends who are always saying "If you ever want to sell your Vette, please give me first chance". I believe that the C5 is timeless and will be a classic in later years.
12-11-2012, 02:01 PM
#23
Safety Car
All you have to do is look at some of the photographs of some of these C5 with over 100K and you will see a classically designed automobile. No wonder that many of us are asked if it is New when in fact these cars have been around for 15 years. There is not a day that goes by when I take my car out that someone doesn't have something nice to say.. No matter where I park, I get compliments.
Well said Bill. The ultimate compliment will be when someone looks at my 16 year old C5 and asks "Is that the new C7?"
Well said Bill. The ultimate compliment will be when someone looks at my 16 year old C5 and asks "Is that the new C7?"
12-11-2012, 02:11 PM
#24
Safety Car
Okay, something to be said about buying a new car or a car with low miles, knowing is going to be maintenance free for "a while", but triple digits miles, replacing motor and trans and differential, that's getting close to rebuilding the car, and some of you saying drive it till you die? That's love!
Yes, new car payment vs worrying about what's next need to be fix, regardless of my preventative reg. up keep, will my car spend more time in the shop then me driving it? Can I trust my car enough to take it for a long road trip with out being stranded somewhere, those are the main concerns.
Being the car has such a timeless look, and if I'm not sick of it by now, BTW, thanks for everyone comments and pointers, I most likely gonna head over to 100,000 mark here shortly and see how things goes.
12-11-2012, 02:19 PM
#25
Team Owner
Member Since: Mar 2001
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St. Jude Donor '03-'04
Okay, something to be said about buying a new car or a car with low miles, knowing is going to be maintenance free for "a while", but triple digits miles, replacing motor and trans and differential, that's getting close to rebuilding the car, and some of you saying drive it till you die? That's love!
Yes, new car payment vs worrying about what's next need to be fix, regardless of my preventative reg. up keep, will my car spend more time in the shop then me driving it? Can I trust my car enough to take it for a long road trip with out being stranded somewhere, those are the main concerns.
Being the car has such a timeless look, and if I'm not sick of it by now, BTW, thanks for everyone comments and pointers, I most likely gonna head over to 100,000 mark here shortly and see how things goes.
You will see pulleys and tensioners replaced... an occasional alternator, starter, etc you don't see many guys complain about blowing a Trans or a motor. Most of the horror stories Ive seen on here are from guys heavily modding their car. AS Ive said in a few other post the ones that contact me about issues are the ones who have heavily modded their car and either make mistakes in the build or don't use a reputable builder. People who have the most issues are the ones who think they can use regular Dino oil and run 87 octane.. The ones who want to buy cheap brakes, cheap gas, and cheap oil. Because all the legends in their own mind say you can... And the sheep follow blindly. People who putt 42 lbs of air in their tires because it says you can on the side of the tire. People who never use the oil life monitor and run 15,000 mile Dino oil, because it says that on the oil can.
12-11-2012, 02:25 PM
#26
Burning Brakes
Member Since: May 2011
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Try driving the 04 instead of looking at it, that might help.
My 99 had 118,000 miles when I sold it, still runs thru the gears like a champ
12-11-2012, 05:31 PM
#29
Advanced
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C5 Longevity
I have 117,000 miles on my 2004 C5 coupe. I had many problems with it during the first 30,000 miles or so, but since then, the only issues I've had were to replace the passnger side headlamp door motor (at 80,000 miles) and the tire pressure monitor on the rear passenger side has gone bad (they want about $150 to replace and all I do now is hit the reset button to get rid of the DIC message about it). Since I don't want to spend $60,000 to buy a new C6 I'm going to continue to pamper my '04 and love it; change oil every 3,000 miles, keep tire pressure at 30psi, etc.
12-11-2012, 06:02 PM
#31
Pro
Care to share some of the bad news.
12-11-2012, 06:06 PM
#32
Pro
I have many members who PM me from time to time telling of their 400,000 mile C5. Seems like the ones who keep them fairly stock have the most reliability. The car requires very little maintenance.. Big ticket items are motor and trans and differential. Keep that classic design, take care of it. It will serve you well.. A testament to GM engineering. This one was well done. There are hundreds of members here with over 300K, thousands and thousands with 200K. The car is very easy to maintain... We put most of the money into the engine and trans and differential. So the next time you bitch about the quality of the seats consider replacing the leather is 1000 dollars on your 300,000 C5. Buy a new Corvette?? Spend 60,000 dollars. All you have to do is look at some of the photographs of some of these C5 with over 100K and you will see a classically designed automobile. No wonder that many of us are asked if it is New when in fact these cars have been around for 15 years. There is not a day that goes by when I take my car out that someone doesn't have something nice to say.. No matter where I park, I get compliments. Many here will tell you the same thing happens to them...
12-11-2012, 06:39 PM
#33
The ls1 motor is bulletproof. I bought an ls1 camaro with 180k on original motor/trans/diff. Later to find out it had over 200+ passes at the drag strip(wasn't too happy about that). Gave it a tune up and drove it for 10k miles problem free. Seen it recently with over 200+ on it still chugging along. I wouldnt hesitate to buy a well maintained 200k mile corvette for a daily driver.
12-11-2012, 08:19 PM
#34
Le Mans Master
Seems like the ones who keep them fairly stock have the most reliability. The car requires very little maintenance. Big ticket items are motor and trans and differential. Keep that classic design, take care of it. It will serve you well.. A testament to GM engineering. This one was well done.
I have owned 10 "new" Corvettes since I was 21 - most I kept about 4-5 years. My 2001 C5 has been my DD for over 12 years now - looks and runs better than the day I bought it. Still have not seen anything under $150,000 that comes close. For reliability, keeping it close to stock is the key.
I think I may hold the record for GMPP Extended Warranty repairs mostly thanks to the starter breaking off a chunk of the engine block (seen this now on several LS-1s) at 34,000 miles requiring GM to replace the engine. Other than that just nuisance problems mostly. I still hold my breath for the past 5 years every time I crank the engine over hoping the starter issue will never happen again, but that really has little to do with "mileage" I suspect.
I would much rather spend the money to keep this car in like new condition than to get back into the car payment thing again, plus the new Corvettes have priced me out of the game - thankfully they have not come out with anything sexier than the C5 so far IMO.
In fact, I will probably buy a second car next year, just to help me keep the C5 in top shape and retire it as my DD - maybe down to 6 days a week!
12-12-2012, 07:38 AM
#36
Team Owner
With a total of 46,000 miles between the two C5's:
Steering sensor
5 power window motors
three wheel speed sensors
EBCM (24 days in dealer service to repair)
I'll add to the above, as I can remember some of the other issues.
Rear axle seal
AM band on radio quit working
Steering sensor
5 power window motors
three wheel speed sensors
EBCM (24 days in dealer service to repair)
I'll add to the above, as I can remember some of the other issues.
Rear axle seal
AM band on radio quit working
Last edited by Tom/99; 12-12-2012 at 01:40 PM.
12-12-2012, 08:21 AM
#37
Instructor
As long as you have no major frame damage the car can last forever. I still have my 64 Coupe from college, honeymoon, and interning. The only things original on it are the frame, driveshaft, transmission, engine block, all body panels and the driver's window. With 287,000 miles it's become like another family member. Sometimes it just takes having a really good mechanic to fix what is wrong correctly the first time to keep you in love with your car. My C5 Z06 has been very trouble free and with 88,000 it's parked in the garage because it's my favorite body style ever on a Corvette, while my ZR1 is my daily driver. I have four Corvettes and love them all. All it takes is devotion and love of the Corvette to keep these rolling forever. My old friend, Chip Miller, God Bless him, once told me he saw an original owner 1970 Bryar Blue Corvette at Carlisle with 515,000 actual miles owned by a traveling salesman. My problem is I fall in love with my Corvettes and can't sell them. My Corvettes have been MUCH more trouble free than my wife's two Audis!
Last edited by ERDOC; 12-12-2012 at 08:37 AM. Reason: spelling
12-12-2012, 09:52 AM
#38
6th Gear
Member Since: Jul 2011
Location: North Babylon NY
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My C5 has 107,000 plus mi getting rid of my baby would be like putting my dog to sleep that car like my dog is family.I get no greater pleasure than taking it out for a ride and see the look on people faces when they see it especially the dad driving the mini van with the car seat in the rear.
Keep and maintain your maintainance to save on repair cost and enjoy your C5
Keep and maintain your maintainance to save on repair cost and enjoy your C5
12-12-2012, 09:55 AM
#39
Team Owner
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St. Jude Donor '03-'04
For the most part, this is one of the most reliable car designs in the last 50 years.
12-12-2012, 10:25 AM
#40
Racer
I had my mods done at 150k with no concerns.
I would rather spend a little bit of money doing minor repairs, on a car I love, than to have new car payments.
IMO, It is just a teenager at 90K
I would rather spend a little bit of money doing minor repairs, on a car I love, than to have new car payments.
IMO, It is just a teenager at 90K