NEW UPDATE: WILL BE GETTING VETTE IN 2-3 WEEKS!!! PROBABLY FEBRUARY 1st!!!

- '02 C5 LS1 Red Hatchback Targa Top (only 39k miles )

already has...

- 6 speed w/ hurst short shift
-z06 chrome wheels
-borla exh (H-pipe installed, also will throw in the x-pipe hes got layin around)
-blackwing intake
-4.10 gears
-woofer+amp+heads up display
-lowered an inch



I've decived to put $1,500 into the car (im only 17 dont got too much money )

Question is... WHAT DO I SPEND IT ON??



I'm looking for gains in HP/TQ, top-of-the-line throttle response, maybe a little better mileage (its a daily driver, cant afford the toys yet ).

I live in Southern-California, any ideas where the best tunes are??? And what should i spend the other $1,100-1200 on???

Thanks it'd be great for some feedback

 

How long have the 4:10s been in the car? Those are pretty steep for a stock engine. 39K miles with those gears would mean that engine has done a lot of turning. For a daily driver those gears will kill you. The car with the stock 3:42s will get very good gas mileage on the highway (28 to 32) but with 4:10s you are going to be eating high test. If the engine and drive train are in good shape (???? what type of useage did the car see with those gears ????) the first thing I would do is go back to stock gearing.

Bill

 

Why not get familiar with the car for a while and make sure that it doesn't require any repairs. Those gears might be an indication of how hard that car has been run. Find out what the maintenance has been and if you need to spend some money on changing all of the fluids. A complete fluid service; engine oil, trans, diff, clutch, coolant, brakes and power steering can run quite a few bucks but you can save $500+ if you DIY. It's cheap insurance and will give you peace of mind.

A Brake fluild change / flush is recommended every two years and the same goes for the clutch fluid since it absorbs water over time. Depending how long the 4.10's have been in service and how the car was run you may want to change out the differential fluid in case of metalic deposits but generally the differential fluid is good for around 50,000 miles. It also wouldn't hurt to remove the old power steering fluid and replace it (use a baster and suck out the old fluid from the reservoir & refill). Coolant change / flush is recommended every five years. Make sure to use 50/50 DexCool and distilled water only. You should also inspect the serpentine belt, it's about due for replacement at that mileage if it wasn't replaced already. While you are at it, also change the fuel filter and remove, clean and re-oil the Blackwing (be sure to use the Blackwing cleaning/oiling kit only, and do not over oil the filtering media).

Then I would suggest setting more money aside for things like alignment, brakes, clutch, tires, etc. Those things will add up above and well beyond $1,500 very quickly. Have you priced a set of new tires or a having to replace the clutch, pressure plate and flywheel?

Congrats and good luck with your C5
Enjoy it but respect the power, especially with 4.10's.

 

I would also lay off the mods at first. Get all the fluids changed...fix whatever needs to be fixed. Eventually, you'll want to go faster anyways...but for now enjoy the power of your C5 as it is!

 

Honestly, I would suggest that you use some of that money for some high speed driving lessons - something like Spring Mountain could save your life...

 

The idea of waiting a while before jumping into the mod game is not a bad one. Make sure the car is problem free before spending all your cash on go-fast goodies. And being 17, the suggestion of a high-performance driving school is a good one. You can always learn something new that will make you a better driver.

 

410 rear gear and good MPG do not belong in the same post!
Save that extra money. You'll need it. Learn the car 1st.

Good luck

 

May hold on to some of it to pay a few speeding tickets. There easy to get.

 

Thanks everyone for the advice keep it coming!!!

Do you know of any decent driving schools in southern california??? Particulary stunt/drag??

 

Ok great lol yeah i dont mean good gas mileage like 30+, but at the same time i cant afford a ride with highway lower than 20...yet

yeah ive test-driven it twice...full throttle in 1st and 2nd smokes the tires

 

LOL, you're 17 years old and getting a car like this? My advice is twofold:
1) be sure that you have good health insurance (to cover the medical bills if you injure yourself in this car)
2) save all your extra money to pay speeding and other moving-violation fines (i.e., "exhibition of speed", etc)

I speak from experience, as I purchased my very first car at the age of 19 (back in 1970), and that car was a 1967 SS396 Chevelle. It hurt me fiscally and physically, lol.

Good luck with yours. Be careful...................

-

 

With 4.10 gears it should smokem' pretty good! Save the extra money for speeding tickets and insurance!

Like the others said, live with the car a while. I've had mine for over a year and haven't done anything to it yet. It does have exhaust and some other stuff already but now I'm getting ready to do FAST intake, LT's, 90MM TB etc. I am familiar enough with the car so I'll really be able to tel how much difference these mods make. If I did them right after I got the car I wouldn't really know.

Hang out with other Vette guys for more input. Find a local shop with good references and they can steer you in the right direction. I'm dealing with Ryne at Cunningham Motorsports in Lake Elsinore. There are others on here as well.

 

You Dog!!! A vette at 17... sweet. I went to Newport Harbor High many years ago and there was a red stingray in the parking lot driven by a senior that we all envied. That was when there was still "poor" people living in the area.

 

did you really? haha im going to Harbor right now im a senior...what year did u graduate?

 

1970... It goes by fast, enjoy it!!!!

 

that school exists? I thought it was just in "The OC" series

 

Funny... I grew up in the "OC" before it was the "OC". Orange groves, Avocado groves, bean fields, strawberry fields. A really great place. Now it sucks.

 

have u priced car insurance yet???? off the chart expensive

 

Oh no its real...trust me man haha...theres so much a$$ running around its ridiculous. I actually know one of the girls in that show pretty well, they are all smokin hot.

Now if i could just get one of them in my vette...

 

haha your either going to be very surprised or not going to believe me when it tell you this...

but my es300 right now ('91 lexus-family car) costs me about $670 every 6 months, about $1,350 a year (my good grades get me about $350 off a year).

I've already talked to an insurance agent, and with the EXACT same insurance I have now (which is darn good), the vette will be $801 every 6 months...

only $1600 a year!!! i couldnt believe it hahaha