[Z06] Looking at an '03 Z and some others
10-12-2015, 01:59 PM
#2
Moderator
That's a fair price. Check the blue book to be sure.
I just got an 04 zo6 and love it. Paid 21.5 at a dealer. 66k miles bone stock and clean as a whistle.
My insurance went down because it was my third car. Also home owners discount. Quantity discount for sure.
I just got an 04 zo6 and love it. Paid 21.5 at a dealer. 66k miles bone stock and clean as a whistle.
My insurance went down because it was my third car. Also home owners discount. Quantity discount for sure.
10-12-2015, 03:35 PM
#3
Race Director
Member Since: Jan 2001
Location: P-town Baby! Virginia
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one test drive in a C5Z06 and you will have answered your own question! They are awesome and you should definetly own one! If the Z you are looking at checks out and is what you want...offer them 20k then walk if they they don't accept your offer. As I have said before....winter is coming, the holidays and another year.....and there are plenty of vettes out there for sale....so you need a good price esp w 48k miles.....not that that is high or anything else implied....but there are plenty of vettes out there w less miles for less money...so keep that in mind. But...this Z sounds clean and is local...so there is something to be said for that. 
10-12-2015, 06:51 PM
#5
Moderator
You need to get on one to really appreciate what they can do. Which is a lot. The engine needs to be rev'd to really get the most out of it. Just driving between 2-3k RPM is only the start of the fun. Run it up to 6k in the first 4 gears and feel that rear end jumping around. Fun as hell. Plus taking fast and hard turns is a blast. It drives like it's on rails. Those dealers play hard ball so you have to play right back. Keep bugging them as it gets colder.
Oh yeah, you'll want the skip shift eliminator right away. That skip shift drove me nuts. No idea how the original owner drove it for 66k miles without the eliminator. I could only take a week of it. I also installed the lock column bypass (LMC5).
Oh yeah, you'll want the skip shift eliminator right away. That skip shift drove me nuts. No idea how the original owner drove it for 66k miles without the eliminator. I could only take a week of it. I also installed the lock column bypass (LMC5).
Last edited by Zjoe6; 10-12-2015 at 06:58 PM.
10-12-2015, 07:15 PM
#6
Melting Slicks
I came from a 05 GTO and should have bought the Z06 to begin with. Test drive both and I can almost guarantee you will chose the Z over the GTO. Not to mention parts are expensive as hell on the GTO(not referring to the engine).
10-13-2015, 09:18 AM
#8
Racer
I bought my first vette 2yrs ago, a 02EB z06. And love the raw power feel of the car. Was on the fence also. Back in the day had a few camaros, bb mopars, and even a ford mustang. Always made them good running street cars. That said, I was 50 and finally in position with life to add another big boy toy. Looked at and drove challengers, (had a 71 440 4sp back in the day) but when I started researching the vettes and fell in love with the c5 z l, I took one for a test drive and loved the feel of the drive. And the power and quickness is different than any other performance car I ever had. It's American sports & and muscle car all in one package. And the first time I put it in competitive driving mode, and launched at 2500, ran 1-3 gears to 6500 and banged 4th, It put a smile on my face like no other had. The power delivery is so smooth and strong that it is decievingly fast. You will not be disappointed if you chose a z06.
10-14-2015, 05:59 AM
#10
Racer
So what I want to know is what's up with that shift pattern? I have driven my Altima for 2 full years and never once done a 3-2 shift, and I've been winding the gears out completely before and shifting quick. I naturally just pull straight back on the shifter, but for whatever reason on the GTO I drove it seemed like it wanted to go towards the 2 (Unbeknownst to me who thought it was going into 4th). I read some guys with 4th gen Camaros saying they had to pull to the right just a bit as they shift to 4th. Anyone else observe this being needed on C5/C5Z/GTO/Camaro/etc.? I still feel like an idiot for letting it happen, to the point I don't even really want to look at it anymore, but is that a common GM thing or was it maybe something on that car? That kind of experience is so negative to me it makes me want to stay far away from it.
I've driven an Audi S4, Eclipse GS-T, a few Mustang GTs, 350z, and a dozen other cars, and not in any of those (most were test drives) did I ever do a 3-2 shift. Ever. Except I did something similar in a 4th gen Camaro SS.
I've driven an Audi S4, Eclipse GS-T, a few Mustang GTs, 350z, and a dozen other cars, and not in any of those (most were test drives) did I ever do a 3-2 shift. Ever. Except I did something similar in a 4th gen Camaro SS.
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Z06 Zephyr (11-29-2015)
10-14-2015, 07:21 AM
#11
Out of all the cars you mention, none will give you better performance and value for your money than the Z06. And none of them regardless of price will be as fast as a bone stock Z.
I drove a 370Z and a base C6 coupe and neither did much for me. The rest on your list, with the exception of the Sti, are also rans IMHO. Meh.......
Shakey
I drove a 370Z and a base C6 coupe and neither did much for me. The rest on your list, with the exception of the Sti, are also rans IMHO. Meh.......
Shakey
10-14-2015, 12:22 PM
#15
I'm not trying to mislead here, I like the looks, sound and feel of a Corvette but I'm just asking about the transmission. Did it get better on the C6? I just can't imagine a car (especially a sports car) having a 6-speed that feels so clunky. This can't possibly be why there are so many automatic Corvettes is it?
At every turn you seem to talk yourself out of a vette and into something else. Maybe you should cross corvette off your list and keep looking......
Shakey
10-14-2015, 02:31 PM
#17
Melting Slicks
I've owned 3 c5z's, an e90 m3 and a 350z (all sticks) and imho, the 350z had the best tranny/clutch combo out of the bunch. I don't think the c5z is hard to drive by any means though.
At the end of the day, if you don't love the c5z, you won't be happy. I loved my 350z when I had it so I know you won't be unhappy if you go that route. I say skip the vette and find something you love.
At the end of the day, if you don't love the c5z, you won't be happy. I loved my 350z when I had it so I know you won't be unhappy if you go that route. I say skip the vette and find something you love.
10-14-2015, 02:33 PM
#18
Well, there's the rub. I want to love a Corvette, I always have but just never drove any of them. I'm just not spending $20k +/- for a car if I don't love it. It's around 4 times what I paid for my Altima, so I want to make sure I love it and there's no regret or remorse from buying it. I'm starting to wonder if the answer isn't just that I should look for a C6 instead of a C5. I always liked the looks of the C5, and they're much more affordable. C6's start at the top of my price range and then go way out of it the further up you go.
If I don't like or want a Corvette, then I'm kind of at a loss. I felt like all the options I put on my list above that I was considering were just alternatives to a Corvette that may be more practical but were less powerful and gave up other things that a Vette does not. I'm only talking myself out of something I don't 100% love. But I don't 100% love my car either, I'm not sure if there is any car I would. Something luxurious, fast, looks good, runs smooth, and handles great. But for the kind of money that kind of car would cost, I doubt I'd be happy then knowing what I spent on it.
If I don't like or want a Corvette, then I'm kind of at a loss. I felt like all the options I put on my list above that I was considering were just alternatives to a Corvette that may be more practical but were less powerful and gave up other things that a Vette does not. I'm only talking myself out of something I don't 100% love. But I don't 100% love my car either, I'm not sure if there is any car I would. Something luxurious, fast, looks good, runs smooth, and handles great. But for the kind of money that kind of car would cost, I doubt I'd be happy then knowing what I spent on it.
Shakey
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Z06 Zephyr (11-29-2015)
10-14-2015, 03:18 PM
#19
Le Mans Master
IMHO:
C5Z is a GREAT car. The others on your list are all nice enough, but do not compare. The C6 is a nice one as well, but honestly i'd take an 03-04 C5Z over a base C6.
C5Z pros:
- reasonable cost of entry
- lots of cheap mods available for power, handling, looks
- very reliable
- very good mpg's
- light, 3100lbs, very well balanced
- still very fast even compared to modern standards, even box stock. 0-60 about 4.0, quarter mile in the low 12's. That's quick.
- someone else has taken all the depreciation. Take care of it, and it will depreciate very slowly from now on.
- It is a 'real' track ready car. Fully sorted brakes, cooling, etc from the factory.
C5Z cons:
- seats... I can't stand them, not sporty. Worthwile to spend $1k on real seats.
- stock gearshift - I dislike the stock **** and length of stock shifter. both are easy fixes.
Good luck!
C5Z is a GREAT car. The others on your list are all nice enough, but do not compare. The C6 is a nice one as well, but honestly i'd take an 03-04 C5Z over a base C6.
C5Z pros:
- reasonable cost of entry
- lots of cheap mods available for power, handling, looks
- very reliable
- very good mpg's
- light, 3100lbs, very well balanced
- still very fast even compared to modern standards, even box stock. 0-60 about 4.0, quarter mile in the low 12's. That's quick.
- someone else has taken all the depreciation. Take care of it, and it will depreciate very slowly from now on.
- It is a 'real' track ready car. Fully sorted brakes, cooling, etc from the factory.
C5Z cons:
- seats... I can't stand them, not sporty. Worthwile to spend $1k on real seats.
- stock gearshift - I dislike the stock **** and length of stock shifter. both are easy fixes.
Good luck!
10-15-2015, 01:13 AM
#20
Melting Slicks
My advice is to drive before you buy. That price is not bad on a 03 Z06 with 48K miles, if the car is in very good condition with good tires and brakes. Good dealerships will normally stand behind their sales, so that may be an incentive to buy from a dealer. Get them to give you a limited warranty as part of the purchase. If they balk, walk.
Before you buy any one of them, test drive the ones you like best. Go on roads that present opportunities to run a spirited pace ( up to 80 MPH at least), hit some curvy back roads to check out how they handle, and then drive like you normally would. Since you are new to high performance cars, I would NOT recommend turning off traction control or you may find it more than you can handle. With traction off, these cars will slip out the rear end when they are nailed, like a granny on a sheet of ice.
Before your spirited runs, make sure the oil temps are up. Lots of people hurt the life of their motors (on any car), by nailing them before the oil temps gets up normal operating temps.
If I were you, then of course, it is no contest between the cars you listed, the C5 Z06 wins hands down. However, I am not you and only you can determine which car fits you best.
Let us know your decision, Z06 or not.
Best of luck.
Before you buy any one of them, test drive the ones you like best. Go on roads that present opportunities to run a spirited pace ( up to 80 MPH at least), hit some curvy back roads to check out how they handle, and then drive like you normally would. Since you are new to high performance cars, I would NOT recommend turning off traction control or you may find it more than you can handle. With traction off, these cars will slip out the rear end when they are nailed, like a granny on a sheet of ice.
Before your spirited runs, make sure the oil temps are up. Lots of people hurt the life of their motors (on any car), by nailing them before the oil temps gets up normal operating temps.
If I were you, then of course, it is no contest between the cars you listed, the C5 Z06 wins hands down. However, I am not you and only you can determine which car fits you best.
Let us know your decision, Z06 or not.
Best of luck.
Last edited by bikeriderga; 10-15-2015 at 01:16 AM.