My vette experiance so far
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 204
Likes: 4
From: Branchburg NJ
My vette experiance so far
OK. So this is my first corvette. I bought it about a month ago with almost 50,000 miles on it. Its a 2003 convertible fully loaded with the F55 suspension and everything else. After driving it around for the past month (made my first payment today!), I've noticed a few things:
1) People constantly are stopping to talk to me at gas stations and parking lots, asking me if its brand new!
2) This thing handles like its on rails. If the Z06 suspension is actually BETTER than the F55, then I should never own one. I know the car can perform better than I'll ever ask of it.
3) The top down at 130 and getting 25mpg is an awesome feeling (on a closed private road of course)
Number one is the best feel good question anyone could ever ask me. I used to feel very uneasy about trading my GTO in for a prior generation vette, but I knew I loved the styling... I just didnt know if the wife and the rest of the world would see it in the same light. I guess they do!
Once small complain though. What is with the control stack in this car?! I thought I bought a 2003 not a 1993 vette!! Oh well. Double din bezel and radio here I come.
In short, if anyone is on the fence about getting a vette.. DO IT! The c5 is an amazing value. I'm 27, and I never thought I'd own one until I was older. I'm glad I bought her.
1) People constantly are stopping to talk to me at gas stations and parking lots, asking me if its brand new!
2) This thing handles like its on rails. If the Z06 suspension is actually BETTER than the F55, then I should never own one. I know the car can perform better than I'll ever ask of it.
3) The top down at 130 and getting 25mpg is an awesome feeling (on a closed private road of course)
Number one is the best feel good question anyone could ever ask me. I used to feel very uneasy about trading my GTO in for a prior generation vette, but I knew I loved the styling... I just didnt know if the wife and the rest of the world would see it in the same light. I guess they do!
Once small complain though. What is with the control stack in this car?! I thought I bought a 2003 not a 1993 vette!! Oh well. Double din bezel and radio here I come.
In short, if anyone is on the fence about getting a vette.. DO IT! The c5 is an amazing value. I'm 27, and I never thought I'd own one until I was older. I'm glad I bought her.
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 19,688
Likes: 523
From: Ideals are peaceful...History is violent...St.Charles, MO.
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (appearance mods)
C5 of Year Winner (appearance mods) 2019
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'12 thru'22
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 2,152
Likes: 1
From: Parkland Florida
St. Jude Donor '09-'10
Congrats on your purchase. I see so much of me (when I first got the car) in your story. Regarding your comment on handling. Upgrading the cornering characteristics of the suspension can have the MOST impact on how much fun the car is to drive without changing more substancial components. It can be as simple as getting thicker sway bars all the way to installing coilovers. In any case I'm guessing at 27 you will want to explore the full range of your cars abilities and that means MODS!!!
Enjoy the car, (if you mod it, and I'm sure you will
) make sure to do your homework on this forum and make a plan as well as goals, there is nothing you could want to do that one of us hasn't already done and most people have done it to perfection.
FYI, be careful with the comments on speed...if it's ilegal to do on the highway it's against this forums policy to talk about here, it can get your thread locked and possibly get you banned.
Enjoy
Jason
Enjoy the car, (if you mod it, and I'm sure you will
) make sure to do your homework on this forum and make a plan as well as goals, there is nothing you could want to do that one of us hasn't already done and most people have done it to perfection.FYI, be careful with the comments on speed...if it's ilegal to do on the highway it's against this forums policy to talk about here, it can get your thread locked and possibly get you banned.
Enjoy
Jason
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,783
Likes: 15
From: Hurricane Alley
The Z51 handles better than the F55. 
Rrrriiiiggghhhhhttt!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 9,369
Likes: 4
From: Zephyrhills, Florida
St. Jude Donor '06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 1,564
Likes: 4
From: Brookfield Wisconsin
I actually bought my Corvette hoping I would get ignored a lot more than I did with my last car, so far I am invisible and nobody asks me anything about my Corvette. My last car was a 1981 Delorean, talk about a car show at every stop I made.
You must be in an area with zero Corvettes to be bothered like that.
Glad you are enjoying the car so much!
Pictures of my Corvette and Delorean can be seen in the link below.
You must be in an area with zero Corvettes to be bothered like that.
Glad you are enjoying the car so much!
Pictures of my Corvette and Delorean can be seen in the link below.
Administrator
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 66,409
Likes: 2,061
From: Bel Air (by way of Fort Worth, TX) Maryland
St. Jude Donor '12 thru '21
OK. So this is my first corvette. I bought it about a month ago with almost 50,000 miles on it. Its a 2003 convertible fully loaded with the F55 suspension and everything else. After driving it around for the past month (made my first payment today!), I've noticed a few things:
1) People constantly are stopping to talk to me at gas stations and parking lots, asking me if its brand new!
2) This thing handles like its on rails. If the Z06 suspension is actually BETTER than the F55, then I should never own one. I know the car can perform better than I'll ever ask of it.
3) The top down at 130 and getting 25mpg is an awesome feeling (on a closed private road of course)
Number one is the best feel good question anyone could ever ask me. I used to feel very uneasy about trading my GTO in for a prior generation vette, but I knew I loved the styling... I just didnt know if the wife and the rest of the world would see it in the same light. I guess they do!
Once small complain though. What is with the control stack in this car?! I thought I bought a 2003 not a 1993 vette!! Oh well. Double din bezel and radio here I come.
In short, if anyone is on the fence about getting a vette.. DO IT! The c5 is an amazing value. I'm 27, and I never thought I'd own one until I was older. I'm glad I bought her.
1) People constantly are stopping to talk to me at gas stations and parking lots, asking me if its brand new!
2) This thing handles like its on rails. If the Z06 suspension is actually BETTER than the F55, then I should never own one. I know the car can perform better than I'll ever ask of it.
3) The top down at 130 and getting 25mpg is an awesome feeling (on a closed private road of course)
Number one is the best feel good question anyone could ever ask me. I used to feel very uneasy about trading my GTO in for a prior generation vette, but I knew I loved the styling... I just didnt know if the wife and the rest of the world would see it in the same light. I guess they do!
Once small complain though. What is with the control stack in this car?! I thought I bought a 2003 not a 1993 vette!! Oh well. Double din bezel and radio here I come.
In short, if anyone is on the fence about getting a vette.. DO IT! The c5 is an amazing value. I'm 27, and I never thought I'd own one until I was older. I'm glad I bought her.
Congrats and look out for the mod bug. I have been able to resist it thus far, but that is because I am moving to another state and will be closing on a new house when I get there and mods cost too much $$$$$$$ that can instead go into my house. Anyway, unless you are putting it on the track, most mods would prove to be waste of money. Peace
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 204
Likes: 4
From: Branchburg NJ
Not to worry, the mod bug has already bitten hard. My last car was an 11 second GTO. Too many issues with the trans in that car. But since I've got a baby on the way, I think I'm going to have to settle on a simple cam (ECS NA) and hopefully low 12s for the time being. 
Just got back from a weekend in Maryland with the car. I couldnt ask for a better car to take on a road trip.
I bet the delorian would get quite a few more stares than the vette, but which one do you like to drive more?
Oh and that closed course is absoulty a 5% downward slope... lol..
One thing I forgot to mention that I love about this car, the community is awesome. I give and get waves from every generation vette on the road. Went to a north east event (still with my paper tags) and fit right it. Never seen a better group of guys than vette owners.
James
Just got back from a weekend in Maryland with the car. I couldnt ask for a better car to take on a road trip.
I bet the delorian would get quite a few more stares than the vette, but which one do you like to drive more?
Oh and that closed course is absoulty a 5% downward slope... lol..
One thing I forgot to mention that I love about this car, the community is awesome. I give and get waves from every generation vette on the road. Went to a north east event (still with my paper tags) and fit right it. Never seen a better group of guys than vette owners.
James
Instructor
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 155
Likes: 1
From: Fenton Michigan
I feel exactly the same way! I just purchased my '97 a month ago too and I am in love. I too thought I would be much older when I purchased my first vette, but I'm 26 and couldn't be happier with my car! It is amazing how much attention you get and my car is 11 years old!