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First, let me say I miss the C3 forum. You guys were very gracious and helpful when I was restoring my 75. The tenor and attitude of comments here is far different than the forum of the more recent C's. Man, you should see the back and forth in the renderings of the C8 alone.
Sure does seem like this is the more polite crowd. But I digress.
I was wondering what the expert panel here thinks about the C5. I basically sold my C3 to buy a C5 -- and got a beauty...
But now I'm missing the style and old school feel of the 3. While it is possible to own both, I don't really have the garage space for two vettes.
Judging by the forum I'm in, I'd say most of your preference lies in the C3's... but how many of you would trade your C3 for your IDEAL C5?
I understand that the C5 values are more likely to depreciate, but given the upgrades in performance and comfort, maybe there is interest there. This isn't my WTT thread; that's in the right part of the forum. This is my curiosity thread about your C3 for your perfect C5. If you had to have 1, which would it be?
As always thanks in advance for the consideration.
The performance and handling of a C5 vs a C3 is no comparison. The C3 is loud rough and if built right is down right obnoxious, in a good way. The C5 is more like driving your living room sofa. It out handles and outperforms the C3. The C3 looks much better and will garner more attention. If I wanted one to drive every day and for long distance I would opt for the C5 but I have a daily driver for that. To compare the two cars on an even scale is not even fair. Which one would I want does not matter. It is what you prefer. The C5 prices are easy to get into right now and for the performance are a good bang for the buck.
I have actually contemplated trying to trade my '73 for a C5. I am getting close to being finished on my '68 and likely wouldn't drive the '73 much after the '68 is finished and actually only drove my '73 a couple times this past summer. Personally, I like the performance and styling of the C5s. Though, if I did end up with a C5, I would probably let my G8 go onto a different owner as well.
I'll chip in!
I have my fathers C5 stored at my place for a while. It is a 2002 dark red vert with under 20K miles. Drives like new!
I would not swap it for my 69! No way.
I suppose I should also ask, what would you be trading and what would that IDEAL C5 be? For me, probably the Bridgehampton Blue 1970 Big Block Convertible and the 2004 Commemorative Edition Convertible would be the ideals.
I like the C5 (C4 too, for that matter), but I can't honestly say I'd trade for one. That said, I would buy one in a heart beat if I was in the market.
If had time to track a car every weekend, a C5 ZO6 would be a tough deal to beat. I've seen nice cars for $15K on Craigslist.
My ideal C5 would be a donor car to make my C3 better. Sorry, I have no use for them. I'd buy a C7 if I wanted what a C5 would give you over a C3 (like being able to park the car outside in the rain).
You can park Cadillacs outside, too, so you do have room for another C3 in your life!
I had a 97 C5 and loved it. Added Heads and Cam, exhaust etc and just enjoyed the hell out of it. I needed more seats so I sold it for a 2004 GTO that I modified to make 500HP at the wheels. Loved it too but got bored with nothing else to fix. Plus the depreciation on these newer cars just make the whole thing not smart unless you just drive them.
So now I have a 69 that I love and can ticker with all the time. Holds in value unlike a new car. Now it's not a daily driver but I do drive to work now and then.
While it is possible to own both, I don't really have the garage space for two vettes.
If your garage ceiling is tall enough, then you do have room for two Corvettes. Once I had the tracks on my 16x7 door raised to within 6" of the ceiling, I was able to stack my Corvettes using a 4 post lift.
bikespace... Living near the lake in Michigan, I just can't bring myself to leave my cars outside for any lengthy period... Just can't do it. Especially in winter. Not pictured is my Ford Edge, that has to sit out until I bag the C5 and put it in my 1 car detached garage at the back of my property... While it is just a Ford, I still hate leaving it out.
The lift idea has traction... I have to make a sharp left turn to get into that attached garage but I think it is doable. Especially if it's on casters.
All the cars pictured here are just beautiful guys! Love that 69!
The C5 is a FANTASTIC car, one of the best automotive bangs for the buck on the planet. It's a car that you can use every day, rain or shine, performs like a beast and gets great fuel mileage. Comfortable too, and virtually indestructible.
The C3 is a noisy, smelly, woolly mammoth gas guzzler that shakes and rattles and tires you out on a long cruise, can't really be driven every day and requires frequent maintenance. But damn I love them!
We would not trade our 71 coupe for any other generation. IF we were so inclined to procure another Vette (be it an additional one, or a replacement), we would opt for another C3.
Back in '05. I was restoring my beat up '72 and my son had a beautiful black '98 C5, which he bought a few years earlier for $25k. He then bought a yellow '02 Z06 for $35k and I had the opportunity to buy his '98 for a steal at the time, $14k. I drove it week or so trying to decide and ended up passing, not because it wasn't awsesome, but because for an everyday driver, it was too much: too nice, too fast, too wide, too complicated, etc. Plus, if there were any problems, I couldn't fix them myself like on my C3. Driving my '72 was an adventure, still is. Driving the C5 was like a fancy party I didn't want to attend. At the time, the C5 was easily worth more than my C3. Now the tables have turned and a C6 is more comparable. I'll still keep my '72. By the way, the Z06 has lost half its value since then and my '72 has probably doubled in value.
OP, you have a simple capacity problem...I was going to build a detached garage at our home (only have a two car garage there) but then we started looking for a lake house nearby and low and behold we found one with a 30x30 garage...capacity problem solved!
Seriously, I was able to keep them both...two different beasts but each has their own merits and I'm happy. I'm always tempted by New toys and that lift idea posted above intrigues me!
Gotta keep the Caddy. We have a 2 year old... I think people would frown on us throwing him in the trunk of the C5. The Edge is the work horse. The Caddy is the show horse. And the Vette is the race horse... I guess I just need a bigger stable.
Great friend and fellow forum vettehead, Hooah, has offered to house a C3 for me in his new pole-barn. I might have to leave him the keys in case he decides to go topless and not to drive one of his 3 C3's-- they're all coupes... but that'd be fine... Looks like I should start seriously shopping for that 1969-1972 vert.
Gotta keep the Caddy. We have a 2 year old... I think people would frown on us throwing him in the trunk of the C5. The Edge is the work horse. The Caddy is the show horse. And the Vette is the race horse... I guess I just need a bigger stable.
Great friend and fellow forum vettehead, Hooah, has offered to house a C3 for me in his new pole-barn. I might have to leave him the keys in case he decides to go topless and not to drive one of his 3 C3's-- they're all coupes... but that'd be fine... Looks like I should start seriously shopping for that 1969-1972 vert.
Sounds like a solid plan! Lot's of enablers on this site. Good luck with the search!
I understand your desire to keep the Caddy in the garage. Nothing but C3s in mine, though, and I need another two bay or two in case someone gives me a C5. I wouldn't trade either one, though.
10-12-2018, 11:29 AM
C5's for C3's?
