Guys bare with me please I know I have been asking a bunch of questions lately. I have been building my first C4 and have got to a point to where I need to make a decision. Is the C5 a better platform if you are going to race at the 1/8 track on the weekends as well as drive it during the week? The C4 I have now is running real good and other then the drivers seat it is 100%, the car is in the upper 12 second range without spraying. From what you guys have been telling me if I want to go any farther I will have o spend money on the rear end, intake, motor, etc. Does the C5 have a better transmission, rear end? I have been told the LS engine will make much more power with less cost so why is the true story?

 

Too many ambiguous questions to be answered by me alone.

The C5 uses a 4L60E automatic trans same as the later C4's.

They blow out in stock form just the same.

The C5's break halfshafts and the rear diff too.

C4 halfshafts and U-joints seem to hold up to more abuse before failure.

I have watched at least 20 C5 & C6 Vettes blow out the rear diffs & halfshafts at the Illinois tracks.

 

Mod for mod a C5 will make more power than a C4. But, that's not to say you can't make a C4 fast, just takes more money.

With the exception of a hardened output shaft I'm running a stock trans and rear end in my 650hp/600tq C5. With the C5 you need to be careful of wheel hop, that's when most of the damage will occur.

 

I have seen C5's and C6's wheel hop like mad, when this happens stuff breaks. A C5 Z06 went home on a flat bed last time I was at the track. I have never had wheel hop in my C4 or seen any in another C4. I drove my car home.

On the other hand a newer platform is a good thing, more parts available for modifications, bigger aftermarket,more refinement, etc....

C4's have a pretty robust driveline especially stick cars, the ZF6 and D44 are very stout. If you say with the C4 and get serious a conversion to a D44 and a built 4L60 are good ideas. Or go really serious and go solid rear conversion.

IDK, my basically stock LT1 can trap in the 108-109MPH range, fast enough to scare any auto LS1 C5 and make a stick C5 LS1 take notice.

 

I don't understand, what's bad about wheel hop?

 

I have a built 700r4 it is suppose to be rated to 700hp, I ought all the parts off a site vendor and had a local shop put it together.

When I went on a corvette cruise with some of the site members I was told that my car ran real strong for a C4 all the other cars where C6 or C5. At the track I have out run a couple C5 cars and one had a hot cam. All the C5 guys and C6 guys tell me that if I want to race I need to get a newer platform to be competitive. I am ready to spend the money on a 408 small block but only if the car can take it without having to rebuild evey part onhe car.

 

I have a c4 for bracket racing and the first thing we did was put in a dana 44. It is a lot of fun for bracket racing but there is so much more out there with a C5 and the LS platform an aftermarket part perspective, tuning software and tuners themselves.

The c5 early model years are getting dirt cheap. I took an 03 zo6 and put a level 5 RPM auto in it, an ECS Novi2000 kit, headers, an Alky kit, upgraded valve springs and a DTE brace and was running 9.80 @ 140MPH in the 1/4. (On 100 octane no lead)

I went with the zo6 because it has a heavier rear and already was geared at 3.42 and was an LS6 platform.

Not saying that the C4 is not fun to race and reliable but it turning up the wick beyond where you are is a desire the C5 is the better platform.

 

Just my 2$'s, used to be 2cents. Take a look at the ECS "East Coast Supercharging" web site and view the rear suspension improvements offered for the C5. The Independent Rear Suspension we have with our C-4s creats a problem for those of us with high horsepower who go to the drag strip. HIGH HORSEPOWER TO ME MEANS BETWEEN 550-800+rwhp. We reach a certain horsepower level with the C4 and we begin to experience problems. For those of us who have mastered the art of "traction control" we begin to break things. For those of us who haven't, we simply can't gain traction. And I don't mean in only first gear. If you view the C4 time slip section of the Forum and do the research you will discover many of the fastest ETs are held by those who have REPLACED their IRS. I'm currently giving thought to doing the same. However, At this point in my life do I really want to drop close to $7,000.00 in a car that has a street value of that amount. Choices/ choices. Obviously when I began playing with my C4 there were no C5,s
I believe the design of the C5 rear suspension exceeds that of the C4.
Obviously others may differ. All in pleasure and fun.

 

$10-15K in mods (NA)) on a C4 will get in you in the low 7's in the 1/8 mile. A C6 can spend half this and run in the low 7's. Hardly ever see C5's at the track anymore.

Raced a C6 today at 1/8 mile track. His car dyno's at 485 RWHP. MY C4 is maxed out at 445 RWHP (NA). It doesn't matter in bracket racing. These are not trailered Corvettes and are street legal.

 

Modding a c5 will cost less and way less time. The aftermarket, like ecs, supports it much better.

Im diehard c4, but only bc I have so much into it already.

Its definitely possible to mod a c4 as fast or faster than a mod,d c5. A lot of cost and work.

To the poster who mentioned about c5/6 breaking rear ends vs. C4, its possible those cars simply put more power down or hooked up better (due to better rear suspension design or stickier tires) than the majority of c4s racing.

Finally you talk about a weekly driver. C5s are more comfortable.

All that said I would never ever trade in my modd c4

 

the c5 is easier to drive at the limit and communicates much better with you. line of sight is improved and so is chassis feel. the engines are easier to make power with and the rear suspension design doesn't suffer from the problems of the c4. the frame is also considerably stronger, flexes less and as a whole carry more support.

there are enough heavily modded c4s and 5s out there i would never consider building one again. it's not hard to spend 30k on a complete restoration project

 

C5 better overall car but for drag racing Ill take a ZF and Dana44 over that arrangement the C5/6 have any day.

Know what it costs to go through one of those tranny/rearend deals? Holy They will break too when you push them. Wheel hop issue always bugged me.
THey CAN be raced and made reliable if you toss lots of $ but they just werent designed for it.

 

That is BS.

Drop a powerplant 600- 2,000HP and kiss those C5 & C6 vettes goodbye.

Your tail lights will disappear from them in a hurry.

 

which brings up another debate

are we talking about drag racing

street driving

autocross

or road racing

the debate will change depending on the goal

 

The c5 All the way you are nuts if you believe otherwise. if you are in love with the c4 body and styling thats the only reason to stay c4. I could make a list but it would be real long why the c5 is better all around.

 

The C5 is a newer platform, with newer technology, nothing wrong with that. I have a friend tom400 who purchased a C6 z51 6 speed, very fast car, but he disliked it from the go. Tried and c5, did not like it, tried a c4, fell in love with the car. Sold the C6 and bought the C4 He say's its a drivers car, feels like a sports car. But yes it is old school. You can do what I did, change the ECM to sequential fueling, go 500 hp with modern AFR heads, new cam that meets the requirements of a fast but streetable car that runs better than it did new, much better. You can make the Gen 1 a pretty good engine. Bottom line, you can make either one of them fast, and handle pretty good!

The C5 has wheel hop and I have seen them bust the rear end when it does, that's not so good. The LS motors are killer motors that make lots of horsepower with a few mods, and more with boost. The chassis is better and the car is just plain newer.

So strap one on and see what hits your fancy, cause, remember their both Corvettes, and that's what it's all about. I am 68 years old, and I have had 2 C1s a C3 and a C4. I must say the C1 was crap compared to the C4, but you gotta love the C1s....

I have driven 5s and 6s. Both are very nice, almost purchased a C6 but my wife wanted a vert and I wanted the ZO6. We argued for months, then the bottom fell out of the construction market and I could not afford one. Would I have loved it, possibly, but I would bought it for the looks, not the technology. I love my C4, but I must say, it's age is taking a toll and I am replacing a lot of parts, the plastic is brittle, and I can go on, but I still love it. Bottom line, buy what you can afford, and you'll have a good time, with good friends and you can't beat that. Remember that brand new C6 will be a cheap clunker in a few years, but it will still be a Corvette......

 

think he was plagued with wheel hop issues no?
Remember him posting something to that effect if Im thinking of the same guy

 

Check out my sig, but this is a completly stock C4 drivetrain other then the DANA 44 from a stick car (still a C4 part). Low 11's.

If you put in a good 408 it will not break the parts unless you do something stupid.

 

I just want to make the most informed choice this time. My last adventure I wanted to be diffrent and build a 530CI stroker Cadillac engine and I had heads made from raw alum and my intake from raw alum. When it was all said and done I spent a bunch of money to be diffrent and could have done about the same thing with a built 572BBC for half the cost.

I get a picture in my mind of what I would like to do and how it should look and for some reason I see my car with a 6-71 sticking through the hood but I know I could never get it inspected.

 

Holy crap batman, thats alot of money to only go low 7s in the 1/8th. I go mid/upper 7s N/A with less than $2k in mods.
I would be pi$$ed if I spent $15k on mods and only went mid 6s. If I ran 7s I think I'd set the car on fire.