But i have a couple of concerns about the car that im picking up this week

So I'm gonna be picking up my c5 this week, and it has side mouldings like this one . Are those just stuck on? can they be easily removed and how? Why did some c5s have em and others didnt?

also, how reliable are the cars? this one has 38k on the clock and has been and is completely stock. i dont plan on going big power, maybe just intake/header/exhaust.... the ls1 is pretty reliable no? and the trans as well?

has anyone driven their vettes in the winter? i figure, if i got blizzacks and some sandbags, i maybe can make it work? i had a friend from michigan who had a ws6 t/a and he had blizzacks and sandbags and he said it was fine. i know vettes aren't suppoes to be driven in the snow.. but.. u think i can make it work? i figure that bottom lip (brush gaurd) has to come off, it's just bolted on, no?

lastly, any known common problems i should look out for before purchasing this car? thanks guys, any help is much appreciated!!

 

you already bought the car?

 

This should help-- http://forums.corvetteforum.com/showthread.php?t=984927

 

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/showthread.php?t=984927

 

I always wanted to know what those things were for. Yes they come off. But you lose all your off-road brush protection.

They are pretty reliable cars, generally. Read the post mentioned before for lots of good info.

 

Your emergency could be resolved by reading some of the current threads.

 

This is an emergency? I'd hate to know what a break down would be considered.

 

Almost a spit take here. The tragedy would have been double. Good Hess Cabernet and expensive laptop screen. Thanks though for the laugh.

 

Being from Michigan at one time I would still drive my corvette everyday there too, except 8+ inches of snow. I drive up and over a mountain everyday and have not had problems with ice, snow or rain. Be smart, be careful and use the traction control. I have 97K on my 2000 and will hit 100K before the end of the year. I might suggest searching the threads to answer some of your other fears both spoken and not spoken. I also would suggest not to buy any car that you have not become familiar with (not in the Biblical way) Make sure you are going to be happy with the purchase and I guarantee that owning this car is going to make you very happy for a long time. It will also make your hip pocket lighter after you decide to do more mods than you have mentioned. Good luck and have fun.

 

 

thanks for the link and all the help guys!!! carfax just came back clean on this puppy!


no one has yet answered if u can remove the side moulding yet? i wonder if it'll have some sort of uneven fading... hm....

 

Easy, and simple to do. Use some goof-off and squirt it on top - let it sit a few min. - use 30 lb. test fishing line and in a sawing motion, saw them off (wear gloves) - remove remaining glue with your thumb in a pushing motion - compound and wax - about 1 hour complete.

 

Good luck...


Edit...OK sorry I was a little harsh on you. I would be excited and asking questions too if I knew about the forum BEFORE I got my Vette. Unfortunately...I didn't. Use the forum to your advantage...there's lots to learn. Oh and they're very reliable!!!

 

White is the BEST.....

 

Sure, but with you having removed the front "brush guard" as you called it, you'll even get more scratches when you go 4x4'ing.

 

You can remove them but they also have aerodynamic effects. I have seen reports of wind tunnel tests done where the side moldings help to maintain laminar flow on the side of the car, which prevents air from spiling over the side of the hood at the base of the windshield and cuts the amount of air that gets under the car, thereby creating more downforce on the rear of the car above 100 MPH. I would leave them on.

 

Maybe keep the "brush guard" and add a lift kit and some knobbies.
As was mentioned above, you might want to read more posts and do some searches on subjects. Emergency???

 

Yeah, big emergency!

 

Give the guy a break - he's excited about his purchase. Try to think back what it was like when you bought your first Vette. Tons of questions pop into your mind, and I don't know about all of you, but there was even some second guessing and doubt on my part.

To answer your question joegengsta - those things on the side of the car are body side moldings. It was an option on all three body styles, some like them others hate them, rarely is there any middle ground. They will come off, and it's pretty easy. there are literally dozens of threads on this topic, try a search using Body Side Molding Removal or BSM removal as the search criteria.

Reliability - it really depends how you maintain the car and how you drive it. If you plan on making 1/4 mile passes every weekend - you'll see some reliability issues. If you plan on driving the car on the street and you don't beat the crap out of it - you should enjoy the car for many years. There are some issues with rocking seats, leaking rear ends, and so forth - but overall I've found it to be a very reliable and extremely enjoyable car to drive and own.

Your comment on the "brush guard" - I assume you mean the rubber air dam under the bumper. The intent of that is to direct air into the radiator. It was made of a flexible material and the center section is on a hinged spring - knowing that you will scrape the car on curbs and speed bumps. Take those things at an angle slowly and learn to live with that scraping sound. When the rubber pieces wear out (and they will) they aren't that expensive to replace.

As far as driving a powerful rear drive vehicle in snow and ice - snow tires will help - they make the EMT's in a mud and snow configuration if you can find them. But the biggest issue is the ground clearance, even with not lowering the car as many of us do - there isn't a lot of clearance underneath. More than a couple of inches of snow will stop you. A freshly plowed road ought to be okay - I just wouldn't be looking at driving on any snow more than about three or four inches.

Relax - and good luck with getting the car - post up some pics when you get it!

 

Randy made me think a little...I changed my post above.

That's post #13