hello all, i'm looking to get a vette finally.

i can't decide whether i should go with the ls1 C5 or should i just get the Z?

i guess my main goals are to have a m6 tranny, (the wife refuses to drive a manual transmission) and a very nice, mean sounding cammed vette.

this will be mostly a weekend driver, not a DD at all. not into the drag racing, not into the street racing, i love the looks and sounds of the cars. i've always loved to look at them, here them and watch them go.

i can't decide whether the extra few g's are worth me getting the Z over the none.

what would be the benefits of the Z vs. the LS1 other than the obvious 50 or so hp and tq?

i'd like to potentially hit the 400 rwhp range and i'd be happy.
so i'd be looking at a full exhaust system and a cam for sure.

i can do some of the work myself so i'll save a bit of money on the labor for installs. i take more pride in my ride when i do it myself.

(i'm not cheap, i'm not broke, i have set myself a budget and i intend on sticking with it.)

$ for $, would you guys say i'd be better off getting an LS1 and doing the few mods mentioned above (full exhaust and cam) myself and saving the few g's over the Z, (keep in mind, i'm not looking for more than 400 rwhp and those are the only mods that i care to do.) i would cam anything i get regardless b/c i want the sound, and will also put headers, with cats and a cat back no matter what i end up purchasing.

thanks in advance for the help.

 

Do you like the body style of the Z better than a coupe or Vert? If you plan on modding anyway I would go with a LS1 saving some bucks and put the saved money into mods.

 

i had no idea there was a difference in appearance but i will see what i can find on pics. thanks for the input.

i'm really leaning toward a saving money on the car and spending it on the mods. so as of now im thinking C5 over the Z

 

Do what we did. Buy the wife an auto 'vert, buy yourself a MN6 Z. Problem solved!

 

I have the LS1 C5 MN6 and I love it. It has a nice ride and more storage area. But you will need to mod it out some to get a true 400rwhp. The exhaust on a stock LS1 is not what you would expect from a V8. That was the first think I changed, where as the TI exhaust on a Z is must nicer sounding, but still lacks that sound of a strong American V8.

Seeing it is a weekend driver, I would go for the Z06. You should be able to get the HP you want with less time and money on the Z then a coupe.

Last but not least, Look for one that is in your price range and also go for a lower mileage car. The LS1 will be cheaper then Z, but many times the Z will have less miles on it then a Z, (unless you look at my '01 with 34K)

Good luck

 

Don't forget to take into account the targa top on the regular C5, not available on the fixed roof coupe C5/Z06 bodystyle.

I went w/ the Z06, and it is pretty nice to have something a little "extra special", but a "regular" C5 is pretty hot, so it isn't like it is not an impressive car to start with... I didn't really care about the targa top and couldn't find a nice C5 for as cheap as I wanted compared to the Z06, so I jumped a decent deal on a Z. It really is a beast, to the point I'm not too worried about any mods. Definitely gets it done for a daily driver IMO.

 

Personally I'd go with the coupe. Riding with the targa top off is the best.

 

If you are going to mod the car anyways with exhaust and a cam I would go with the LS1. The targa top is worth while especially if its a weekend cruiser and you do get more storage area. I was supposed to get a Z but I am glad I didnt

Rob

 

well Jellis, I think it really depends on how you are going to use it. You don't have your profile filled out so we can't see wher you live, but if in a nice climate, the coupe with the targa top is hard to beat on a nice day (or evening). A coupe already modded is a great value but even if you have to do the mods, it will come out about even with the higher book value on the Z. If, however, you might do some track time (and I Really recommend that) - the Z has several distinct advantages (weight, rigidity, suspension, close ratio trans) that are difficult or impossible to upgrade at a reasonable cost.

 

Why not just get the Z06 and have all the power you require, in a reliable package right out of the box? Realistically, you will probably end up paying more than the Z06 would have cost if you mod a coupe to have 400hp anyway. I wouldn’t trick myself into thinking I can make a coupe into a Z06 for less. The Z06 is pretty quick as is; no mods are necessary for many people.

As I'm sure you know if you've looked at prices recently, you can likely get a low-mileage 2003-04 Z06 for a relatively cheap $28k or less. Coupe prices vary quite a bit from what I've seen, and some people are asking just as much for a coupe as an otherwise equivalent Z06 (same year/mileage). If you have plenty of money, the car will not be your daily driver, and you want the M6 transmission, I have no idea why you would buy a coupe vs the Z06 unless you want a vert or really have to have the targe top.

I wish I could have gotten a Z06, but I needed an auto (so the fiancé can drive it). Even so, I’m very satisfied with my Z51 A4. But it seems like you want a higher performance car than the stock form coupe. Save yourself the aggravation, money, time and hassle, and just get the Z06- that way you can spend your time driving your car and at the beach rather than turning wrenches all day. Obviously, you could always mod the Z06.

EDIT: Another thing to think about- I've read at least a few posts where people wished they had purchased a Z06 instead of a coupe; I haven't seen a whole lot of posts with people saying they wished they bought a coupe instead of a Z06.

 

I vote for the ZO6!

 

If you want the option of taking the top off go with the C5. If you could care less about taking the top off, then go with the Z06. just my 2 cents

 

LOL @ all you guys saying Im glad I got the C5 !!
I had two C5's bfore My Zo6 and if you ask me I could just never ever ever go back to a regular C5

 

I like my Z06 too much to own anything else.
The body lines are incredible !
The rear window just makes the look.

Its the "Bad ***" version of all the C5's....

There not making this design rear window anymore. I like having something a little different.

Toque

 

Plus more comes on a loaded coupe as far as "luxuries" Personally I cant stand the Z body and the way the window drops off in the back. Plus the seats suck in the Z's. Just my opinion Good luck picking one. Go drive both of them then decide.

 

Either do a ZO6 or a convertible.

 

Jellis you seem like a very logical thinker and also like you have put a lot of thought into your plans for a Corvette. You have said that your two main goals are MN6 transmission and "mean sounding" exhaust. You can easily get both of those things without paying extra for the Z.

Plus you have also stated that no matter what you buy, you DEFINITELY will be doing exhaust and cam mods right? It seems that even if you pay extra for the Z you are still going to put in the time and money to get the sound the way you want it regardless.
Here's a hypothetical situation that maybe illustrates my point better: You're buying a car and it is between a red one and a yellow one. The yellow one is a few thousand dollars more but no matter which one you buy you are going to paint it blue. Why even consider the yellow one?
With the ZO6 I see you paying a premium for things that don't really matter to you. If you wanted to track the car it might be different.

The body style would be the biggest factor that you are dealing with in my opinion. There are major styling differences between the three body types and i would spend some time looking at photos and seeing what you like. The Fixed Roof Coupe (FRC) body of the ZO6 is reason enough to buy it for me, absolutely love it.

Welcome to the forum and i'm sure a lot of people will be willing to offer up opinions and help you out. Good luck with the purchase whatever route you go.

 

Nice comparisom!

 

I also think you'll find that most guys that own a coupe will say get a coupe and those that own a Z will say get a Z06. Personally you can't go wrong with any C5, but there just something about owning a Z06.

 

wow, thanks alot for all of the responses, i didn't expect to see that many.

great reviews and opinions from all of you, i really appreciate it.

while i do live in Houston, Tx it gets quite hot here to say the least.

as for the body differences, i like the Z for the rear glass but, i like the idea of having more room, and with a removable top (the wife really likes that idea).

as for the track, i've spent the last 6 years on road race tracks all around texas, although not in a car but on my bikes, i've had a ton of fun to say the least, i do not plan on tracking the car for more than just a leisurely outing with the wife, she likes to drag her car.

i really don't want to buy a Z just so i can say i have a Z! regardless of what i get, i WILL put exhaust and a cam in the car, so is the extra 2-3g's worth it before i do those two mods??? that's a tuff question that i guess will only be answered by myself after i've made my choice.

i absolutely loved the GTO,
this is after we put it together


this is after the accident


markymark, you're right, with the Z i'd be paying extra for something that doesn't really matter to me.

please keep the comments and opinions coming, they are very helpful in my decision.