Not4spd

I look at this way. If you are a wanting a Weekend cruiser with factory upgrades you can cruise and or take to the track then the Z06 hands down. Not to mention it will be the one that retains the most value IMO when you go to sell it.

I love my Z06 and I purchased it after test driving a C6. Two different animals with the C6 seemed more fitting as a daily(minus the Z). I can't give you specifics as to the C5Z versus Coupe/Vert debate, bacause I never was interested in them. I however have ridden in a couple of different C5 bases and from what I gathered seem tame.

If I was specifically looking for a C5 to daily then I'd go with an auto non vert hands down.

Dssrocks

I can't see myself going to the track but I do appreciate great performance. I have a heated garage, live in Canada, this will not be a daily driver. I definitely want a 6 speed, you can't seem to give automatics away around here.

rrwirsi

I started looking only after deciding what body style; that being a vert. I made a check list of must haves. Since the car must be outside all the time (wife's car in the garage - 50 years of compromise )and no longer able to crawl under cars for repairs, the car had to be mechanically perfect at purchase. Found it after 6 months of searching. Just take your time and get the car that meets most if not all of your check list items.

Stroker87

if your planing on performance mods (heads, cam and boltons) then any c5 will work for you the base c5 has pretty much the same short block as the z06 cars the only difference is the manual trans m6 base c5 vs m12 zo6, if your not looking to track the car i think you'll be please with either one, you can swap zo6 sway bars and shocks on a base c5 to improve the handling of it, the base c5's have a softer adjustable ride and are quieter on the inside then a zo6

bigcypress

wife has a 2000 coupe and 2004 vert . vert has z51 on it and i was hesitant to buy it , i like the z51 a lot . prefer the coupe because it is quieter that vert and rear vision seems better in coupe . whatever you choose get rid of run flat tires and check out tires on ''tirerack.com'' to find a better tire that fits your driving habits . we did this and found car much quieter .

speedmaster64

For these reasons...

1. 2002 is the sweet spot in terms of best reliability and best price.

2. Coupe is the best of both worlds. It takes me 20 seconds to take the top off and put in the trunk, and the car is transformed.

3. I didn't want to deal with the noise leaks with the vert, I don't like the looks of the car nearly as much when the top is up, there's more interior space in the coupe, and convertibles are far more susceptible to vandalism.

The fixed roof Z06 loses all the fun of open road open roof driving. Here in So Cal I can't imagine sacrificing that.

I put Z06 shocks on mine, Z06 black polished Spyder reproduction wheels from West Coast Corvettes, and the car is rock solid reliable and a blast to drive. I don't need extra HP, don't need nothing. Well...a better radio is probably gonna happen.

Dssrocks

Damn, I see good and bad points for each one. I could be persuaded to any of them. Looks like I will keep watching kijiji and may just make my choice on the best price with the lowest miles/km. Price will definitely make a difference for me. I'm thinking price wise if there was vert, coupe, z06 all 3 2002 all 3 black, all 3 6 speed, all the same condition and km I am thinking price will be:

Lowest $: coupe
Mid $: vert
High $: Z06

My guess is for the low to the high would be about only 5k difference, so they are all very close.

speedmaster64

That's not how I would decide as to which of the three versions to get. I would determine which version I want, then patiently search to find just the right car, and the right owner....My two cents.

Dssrocks

I agree if I actually knew which one I wanted.

Studying4boards

It's a "Z" thing. Coupes or Verts just won't understand.

Actually a Z06 is a LOT more than just 15% hp increase. You need to drive both. Z is a whole different animal.

dauis2

I was in your shoes 2 years ago. I live in Atlanta and was able to go to a dealer that specializes in Vettes. I was able to drive different cars (vert, coupes Z06) with auto and manual transmissions. It helped me a lot. Ended up with a 6 speed vert. Even drove a couple of C6s.

Dssrocks

Funny this is what all Z06 owners say, but along with the HP gains my research says a Z06 has a 0-60 time of 4.5 and the same year coupe is 4.7.

Studying4boards

It's 3.9 for the Z06...I think.

http://www.thesupercars.org/corvette...rvette-c5-z06/

tmirisola

Here's another 0-60 link that has some interesting facts

https://www.0-60specs.com/chevrolet-...te-0-60-times/

friou

A possible for you would be to find a local corvette club and go to their shows or meetings. Club members are usually very sociable, especially if you make it known that you are looking to purchase and join the club. I'm betting you could get a demo ride in the various models! Vette folks love to show off their rides! Best wishes

johnson-rod

Buy a red one. The rest are just mistakes.