ok im new to vette's.

SO i was wondering wat years c5 hard a targa roof?
What years were z06 and can you tell from the exterior?
What is HUD and how does it work etc.?
What years hard the adjustible suspension wat does it do and is it worth it?

so wats the ideal year to buy and speding the least amount of money


thanks!

 

Welcome! I'm pretty new too, and I'm sure like me you'll learn everything you want to and more here.

To answer your questions:

Every year C5 was offered in a coupe with removable targa top. Z06 were offered in the C5 body style from 01-04. You can tell very easily from the exterior, if not from the badges or dark gray painted rims, by just the shape. All Z06 models are FRC (fixed roof coupes), have a much shorter roofline, and have an actual trunk (not a hatch). If you are looking at a Z most people will say buy 02-04 as they seem to hold their value a little better because of the power increase and addition of standard features. HUD stands for heads-up display which means several of the gagues (you can pick but most commonly tach, speed, and fuel maybe) are projected into the line of sight in the windshield. I personally love this feature on my car. I'm not exactly sure when the adjustable F45 suspension became an option, though I know it was definately available 2000 and later. It lets you control your damping rates to allow for a stiffer or softer ride. Some people like it, I didn't want it due to the costs of replacing any parts that could go bad. If you want the adjustability, go for it.

Everyone will tell you to get the newest, lowest mileage C5 that you can afford. Personally I wanted a 2001 as it was the least expensive C5 that had many of the revisions previous years didn't.

Good luck finding what you want.

 

With regard to the F45 package, it works very well in areas where the roads are broken and bumpy - you can definitely feel the difference switching between the 3 settings.

I believe the F45 was offered starting in 1997 up until 2000 or 2001 (maybe 2002, someone pipe in) when the F55 suspension package took over, which has only 2 settings for rate of change, but is a better system with a more distinct effect - at least thats what I've been told.

 

So all c5's are targa other than frc and convetrible.

So can u get the z06 motor in a reagular c5?

Wat have been the hp increases year by year?

So hows is the suspension is that an option or standard so if u dont have that how stiff is the suspension compare to the ones with the settings??

Was the HUD an option or standard

 

Yes, if it isn't a vert or hardtop you can take it out! Best of both worlds.

The HP increased by year are:
C5 97-00 345HP, 01-04 350HP
Z06 01 385HP 02-04 405HP (pretty sure, but not absolute)

Can you get the Z06 motor (LS6)in a regular C5? Sure...but..it's basically the same motor with a different heads and intake. There are a few more differences, but the major are the aforementioned. With all the money you would spend on getting it into another car, you would be better served just buying a Z06 or buying superior mods for the C5.

The Z55/51/45 suspensions were optional. They offered magnetic ride control which is basically metal particles suspended in the shock fluid that, when magnetized(by the user through the switch), offer different ride and performance characteristics. Also, a few other upgraded suspension components were added.

HUD is an option. I have it on mine and love it. Get's a good reaction out of people the first time they see it also. It displays a linear graph of your RPM's, your speed, and you can cycle through other readings such as, fuel, oil temp etc. There are aftermarket HUD's you can get and install also.

I bought an 01' navy blue coupe MN6 with 30K on the odometer and I feel I got a pretty good deal at 23,000. Sure it had a few things wrong (leaky exhaust, missing front emblem) but it only took 150.00 to fix that and that makes a great deal!

 

i meant ls6 motor on a regular c5 as a factory option?

SO i guess im gonna get a 2001 targa with HUD andstill iffy on the suspension. Maybe blue since is a bit easier then black to maintain, wat other blue colors were there for wat years?

 

Take some time and read the "sticky" thread (Weights, measures...) at the top of this section. It will answer lots of your questions, and some you haven't thought of yet.

Welcome to the board....

 

Not sure on the colors, other than there is an "electron blue", and "nassau blue" but not sure what years. My navy blue car is still a pain to keep clean in colorado. I washed it yesterday and it's dusty already. Looks great, but still dusty. Doesn't matter though, I'll wash it again...

No, you can't get an ls6 in a regualr c5. It's strictly used in the Z06.

 

HUD looks like this.

 

Are the seats the same in all years?

so in the end is it worth to get a 01+ since they did all the motor upgrades etc.

or just get a 98-00 to save money?

 

No. The LS6 engine is exclusive to the Z06 package.

 

Welcome to the Forum ...and good luck finding the right C5!

 

Welcome to the forum...
...the right C5 is out there...

...and then you can personalize your vette too

That makes it more right

 

There are seat differences. They are not just standard; they are optional. There are the normal seats, and then there are sport seats. You can identify the sport variety by the gap between the headrest and the rest of the seat. As for your other question, get the newest, lowest mileage vette you can afford. The newer, the more problems were worked out and improvements made. By and large, 01 and up have the most significant upgrades.

 

well, the Z06 and 01-02 T/As and Z28/SS

 

WTF? I owned a T/A and there never was an LS6 offered. The only difference between a z28 and an SS and a Ws6 TA is the the intake ducting and exhaust (both by SLP). A 400 horse TA or SS, stock? Yeah right.

 

http://www.ls1tech.com/forums/showpo...86&postcount=8

"15% of 01s and 25% of 02's got the LS6 Block"

And i have yet to see a stock C5 Z06 dyno at 400 hp either.
EDIT:
Some good info about LS1 vs LS6 in here too
http://www.ls1tech.com/forums/showth...ght=ls6+number

 

good luck with finding the right vette. Once you get one, you'll be hooked forever.

 

There are virtually no differences year to year on C5's. They are all Corvettes. Most people do not mod their cars and they have ample power. For those of us who want more oomph, low cost mods to intake and exhaust boost power output greatly and eliminate any year to year HP differences. There will be more car to car variations than there will be year to year. Z06 ( The LS6 motor) has improved breathing via cam, heads, and weight savings that improve power to weight ratio plus handling options to make it more of a track car. They are quicker than a stock C5 but there are some VERY fast c5's out there that can spank a Z06. Modding a small block engine can become a disease as they respond so well to the attention. The time to quit is when the wallet is empty and food seems expensive.

The advice - seek a clean, low mileage car that has the options you want. Good clean cars are out there. Many of these cars are garage queens.

 

Yep....Forget what year you are looking at...Buy the car that has what you are looking for...or at least does not have what you are not looking for...

Example

I wanted:
1. a 6 speed car
2. Convertible
3. Z51 suspension

I definately did not want:
1. another Black car
2. No automatic Tranny
3. No coupes
4. any car that needed new tires

I could live with:
a car with the protective strip on the door

Pretty simple list....

Only ruled out all 97's and all coupes
I had no limits on how many miles the car had on it
I had no budget...

I had sold my 95 ..., still had 4 other Corvettes in the Garage so I was never "vettless" and it still took me
6 months to find my 1998...which honesty is much older
then I thougt I would buy..but with 19,000 miles on it
plus the aftermarket wheels and exhaust etc it not only talked to me IT SCREAMED.


Bob G.
64 72 & 98 Verts
76 & 79 Coupes