Im new here but I have been reading these fourms for a few mounths . Sold the boat but I need a toy. I owned a 1969 vett in the early seventys. The c-5s look great took the wife for a drive in one and she liked it. The only problem is she wants a convertable I like the removable hard top. I guess a vett is a vett.
We like to travel. Will the convertable hold our luggage and a set of golf clubs ? The big question is are the c-5s reliable enough to take long trips ? Also I have noticed that prices are all over the board. And are most sellers , including dealers asking to much for the corvetts? What percentage should I try to get down to?
As for the 1969 I sold it, and the new owner wraped it around a telephone pole a week after buying it from me.

Doug O

 

The C5 is a great road car. As for storage space, it does have a trunk, but I would not say that you will get golf clubs and luggage in it for a trip. A coupe has a large area for that.

I have a coupe and love it. The roadsters are nice also, but I live in west central Florida (Tampa Bay area), and the sun is just to much for me to have a roadster. Limited time in the year to truly enjoy the drop top.

Good luck, and try and get one from 2001 on up. Nothing really wrong with the 97-00, but in 01 Chevy made a lot on improvements to the C5.

 

I have a C5 coupe - best of both worlds, take the hard top off and you have a targa style convertable - put it on and you have a hardtop..

I keep my top off most of the year and enjoy the wind in what's left of my hair!!

 

I've had my 01 coupe for less than a year, but the wife and I took the Vette on vacation last year. Golf clubs, two large suitcases, cooler, computer, camera bag, wife's craft bag, detailing bag, etc. We were full, but not uncomfortable. These cars are great road cars, unlike my first vette (a 1964 coupe back in the early 70's).

 

The coupe definitely has more storage space, but both coupe and vert. will be limited with the top off or down.

A vert. has room for two small or one large suitcase plus a set of golf clubs. Probably get a couple of larger suitcases and the clubs in a coupe.

Can't go wrong with either one, just depends on your travel habits, etc.

Good Luck

Nick

 

I also have a C5 coupe with a targa top. I wanted a vert my buddy who has one is on his second top and he said if he was to buy another it would be coupe. To much wind noise for me with top up.
And I agree 2001--2004 is the best choice. I bought mine 2001 with 19,000 miles last year from a 78 year old man it was 1 owner $18,900. Take your time and check book price befor you buy Best of luck

 

Thanks for the replys. The wife and i travel light, she takes a medium suit case, me a duffle bag and golf clubs.
We are looking at a 2002 blue convertable, 12500 miles asking 25500.
It is in great condition. Also every thing is stock. If its still for sale after are kitchen remodle. I think I will make an offer. Would 23000 be an insult or a good place to start. It is at a small dealer in central Pa area. Kitchen will be finished first week of april. I want the vett more than I want the kitchen but I promissed.

Doug O

 

Take a look at kbb.com before you make your offer.

..rickko..
PS. The C5 is a great car! Storage space is NOT one of the convertible's strong suits unless you compare it the XLR. Then its like owning an SUV!

 

Might find the following thread interesting.

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-g...ngths-etc.html

Lots of info on vette models.

http://www.corvetteactioncenter.com/specs/

For pricing info you can also look at completed auctions are ebay to see the prices people asked and whether the car sold or not.

FWIW, the coupe seems like a good compromise given your stated plans for using it. Verts tend to command a premuim over the coupes and fixed roof coupes.

 

With a vert,,you can travel,,but as you stated,,it better be light,,and the top will need to be UP!! We have an FRC,,which has the same trunk,,but naturally a fixed roof. Right off,,the clubs,,even with a smaller bag takes a large portion of the space,,with a vert,,that would about do it if the top went down..In the FRC we have the trunk divider,,but have some room in front of the clubs,,,,and have room for some small soft bags behind the seats,in front of the divider. Now one option would be to get one of the small light weight collapsible bag ,and spread the clubs out flat on the floor and tuck the bag in the corner. As for comfort,,my wife says it is one of the more comfortable road vehicles we've had.This runs the gamut from compact cars,,minivans and our F-150 Super Crew. An added bonus,,at least with the stick shift,,is mileage.We routinely run from the St.Louis area to Atlanta(the wife's sister). In warm weather,,2 adults,,fully packed and running in the left lane(wink wink) we knock down actual calculated MPG of 29-30 !! Cold weather knocks it back 1 or 2!! More room in the targa top coupe,,but you can,,with careful planning and packing ,,can hit the road in any of them!! Heck ,,with enough bungee cords,,you can carry golf clubs on a motorcycle,,ask me how I know!!

 

The 25.5 is definitely high for an 02.
23 is not a place to start, it's a place to finish. You could easily make the argument that 23 is too high.
We can get quite a bit in the trunk of our convertible.
Personally, I can't see owning anything else.
Good luck.

 

You will not be disappointed with a C5!!!

 

i have an 04 CE vert and we do use it to travel some with. i have been able to put a golf bag and two mid sized suitcases in the car (trunk) very comfortably with even a bit of room to spare for my wife's shopping, lol! (you learn really quickly how much you can get in the "storage" compartments under the trunk floor, lol!) admittedly you can't put a staff bag and 2 large cases in it, and you can't travel with the top down with the trunk full (the golf bag will fit nicely into the top down "well" preventing lowering it). it would be no different with a targa or removable roof as you would still need to store it someplace taking up a bit of the luggage area.

i live in south florida and couldn't think of not owning a convertible. it gets used all year long and the smile never leaves my face all year long, lol!

i have a 78 pace car also with t tops and at least to me, it just isn't the same as a convertible.

 

A 2002 Coupe in Stock form will be one of the most reliable cars on the road.
I wouldn't know which to choose for reliability between a vette and lexus, really

 

The coupe can hold quite a bit.

C5 Gen purists will probably cringed and accuse me of the utmost sin, but it holds a lot

 

Where the heck is the Bud/Heineken/ Sam Adams??

 

Haha, yeah, definitely a vital piece missing. I'll have to fill it up next time.

 

I can understand questioning the reliability of a C5 after reading some of these posts but you are basically only hearing the "problems". My son bought a 99 five years ago and from the Washington DC area we have driven to Key West twice, California into Mexico then up the California coast ( I then flew home, had to work). He continued on into Canada (in December) and back here. The car had 19,000 miles on it when he bought it and now has 123,000. No major issues, never had to be towed. I just bought a 97 with 59,000 in November and will be happy if it is half as reliable. By the way, the lady I bought my coupe from only had the top off once because she said it was "to windy".

 

I hope this info is helpful to you. I have a '99 vert. My wife and I do a lot of road trips in the fair weather months....we both love to travel in it. Our longest trip so far is about 2500 miles. I have the Z51 (the firmest suspension other than the Z06) and it is a very comfortable and surprisingly roomy (I'm 6'3" tall) road car (we're in our 60's, so comfort is important). We travel with the top down almost all of the time. The trunk space is great (for a convertible). We travel with two good sized suitcase/duffles and a soft cooler in the trunk. Odds and ends (eg the several pairs of shoes my wife likes to bring along on trips) can go in the storage compartments under the trunk floor. We have also traveled with smaller bags and two regular-sized carry golf bags ( using the "ultra-light", smaller size golf bags would give you even more packing flexiblity). The coupe has more trunk space, but I wouldn't trade a vert for a coupe unless I was going to drive it regularly in rainy weather. 'Verts are more expensive than coupes, so factor that into your equation. Either one will put a smile on your face. Have fun!

 

And the lady is correct. The wind turbulence in a coupe with the top off will “kick the $hit out of you” if you take it over 60 MPH. I’ll take the top off for local cruising, but for most highway drives I’ll keep the top on.

BTW, I never had an issue with luggage space in my coupe….there’s plenty of room in a coupe.