Whats up people ? New guy here , and new to Vettes , so I have a few questions . I am looking to buy a 98-01 Vette . I was wondering what the costs are of ownership . Are simple maintenance parts more costly just cause its a Vette ? Does a tune up cost more than other "lesser" cars ? I mean , a air filter for my f-150 runs $30 , but for my wifes car only $8 . The 100,000 mile tune for the f-150 is gonna run about a grand . Which is fine . Is the Vette gonna tear me up more than that ?

Also , I test drove a 98(first Vette Ive ever driven) , with 86,000 miles on it . Handled awsome and the power was impressive . Even for a automatic with only 345 H.P. I was impressed . However , I found the ride to be like riding in a old Peterbuilt . Rough and stiff as all hell . Also , the road noise was insane but i guess thats why they have killer sound systems . I know it is a muscle car , so the ride really didnt surprise me much , but that road noise ! ! ! Man , almost unbearable . Is this normal ?
What the hell , I still want one , and in defense of the Vette , I could tell it was not adult owned . There were some detail issues , but really nothing major , I could just tell the car had not been pampered , which may be a factor .
Any way , thanks in advance for any input you all may have .

 

Yes there is a Corvette tax as we call it. Everything is a bit more expensive on Corvettes. The reliability is very good but like most cars, it has a few items that need to be replaced now and then. My 2000 with "standard suspension rides pretty darn good. However, it's a covert and the road surface on certain highways cane be very load inside the car. I believe you'll luv the C5 when you find the right one. I've owned my car for 6 years and put 40,000 miles on it ( it now has 70,000 total) and only have had to put 1 rear axle seal in it ( one of those items I mentioned above. Good luck and good hunting! Ron

 

Mine has 157k miles an runs great ,yes it rides a little rough ,but theres give an take with every car ,do all the maintenance yourself theres alot of help between corvettefourm an digitalcorvette to save some cash !!Go for it!!!!!!!!

 

Welcome to the forum. The road noise you are hearing most likely is the result of the tires - if you have runflats that are not new they tend to get louder as they age. Rough ride could also be the tires.

Much of the maintenance on the Corvette is no different than any other car - and it is pretty easy to do it yourself. There are lots of how-to's here on the forum. When you go to look at the cars, see if you can find out what maintenance has been done to the car - that will tell you how well it has been taken care of. Good luck with your search - and if you want a Corvette Buyer's Checklist - PM me your e-mail address and I'll send it to you.

 

First of all - WELCOME!

To answer a couple of your questions and to address your concerns....

Ride can easily be attributed to OEM Goodyear EMT's. As they wear - the road noise and ride degrades to the point that you think you're in an ox-cart with wooden wheels. There are a number of tire choices that will dramatically improve the ride.

Also - you mentioned that the car had 86K on the clock - it might still have OEM shocks, which can be replaced with a shock like a Bilstein Sport shock.

As far as other maintenance issues - if you are slightly handy, and can read and follow directions and have some handtools with a garage or some place to work on your car, many of the upgrades and installs of things like air intakes, proper jacking of the vehicle etc. can be easily accomplished as D.I.Y. projects. You will learn a lot about the car, and save yourself some money - not to mention the satisfaction of doing it yourself. This forum is a very rich resource for information - to the point if you encounter an issue - it's more than likely been discussed and documented many times over. The search engine on the forum is a little difficult to use sometimes, but there is a ton of information in the archives.

Oil changes are 6.5 qts of synthetic, the car requires premium fuel - but other than that - it's not really any more expensive than any other car.

Good luck in your search for the right car, and the rule of thumb is to buy the lowest mileage, newest car you can afford. The newer models after 2001 had some features that were not even available on the earlier models - nothing against those cars - I own two '98s.

 

The first thing I did was replace the tires with non runflat tires. Improved the ride quality and road noise drastically.

 

I would take another C5 for a test drive if I were you. While mine is newer, I am very impressed with the quality of the ride when I compare it to the C4 I formerly owned and the many C2 and C3's I have driven.

Shocks may be gone and if it had the Good Year Run Flats (EMT on the side walls) you can massively improve ride quality and road noise with either non run flats or any of several other brands of run flat type tires that are reasonably priced. Also the car may have been lowered which detracts from normal ride quality (but some think looks cool )

 

if you can do basic mechanical jobs, the general up keep is not bad. A feared and labor intensive job like the clutch, can be PRICEY. BUT there are so many stinking write-ups here on teh forum for that and other task, you can save alot of $$$ by just DIY.

Here are the big things I would look for in a 98-01. See if it had the column lock repaired from the dealer. VERY common problem, and will leave you stranded. Check to see if water blower out the AC after running awhile, in 99-00 they had a issue w/ not cutting a drain valve correctly and the water would fill up and spill on teh computer, leaving you stranded AGAIN. Look under the rear, see how leaky that rear case is. If it is CAKED and still spilling fresh fluid, then the axel seals are probally shot.

When you go to test drive another one, turn the key on, hold button #4 and press button #1 FOUR times, this will bring up the on board diagnostics. See if there are any codes, PCM= power control (motor) BCM= body control, SDM=airbags & safety devices, those are the big ones.

 

Yeah , like I said , the car truly had not been "pampered" . I mean , I am 50 , and somewhat wise(for a truck driver) , so I can spot a bit of neglect .
Yes , the tires were crap . A mis-matched set of firestones on the front , and goodyears on the back , bald as a babys butt . Original shocks for sure .
I do know what a wrench is , and how to use one , so axle seals , or the like wont be an issue . I Dont think I would take on a clutch though .
Hell or high water , Im gonna buy one anyway . NOT the one I test drove . Which was the first and only one I have driven . Ever .
Like I said it was a 98 with 86,000 for $13,000 . A true "10 footer" . I can get lower miles and better care(even up to a 02-03) for slightly under $20,000 which aint to bad I think .
And thanks for all the great input . Happy to be here . Thanks all .

 

I love my car, but window regulators and headlight accuators ain't cheap if they go out even if you do the work yourself.....

I agree about the runflats, ditch them and it will transform the ride.

 

exactlly, start cruising the for sale section here, there are some killer deals, you may have to drive alittle to pick it up, but you probally will get a better deal and have a better deal w/ a forum member than a dealer.

 

Be patient and don't jump on the first one you see. For me it took a while, and was well worth the wait. I found mine 2 years ago with 9100 miles on it and it was and still smelled new. Today, it has 19000.00 miles and is a 2001 vert. Loving it more and more each day and it well cared for. No issues at all.

 

the road noise is not that bad in my car, its normal compared to other. ride quality sucks, my camry with almost 70k miles is more smooth than my vette with 17k miles

 

Ride performance(handling) was totally AWSOME . Like others have said , performance shocks should kill the *** pounding . The road noise was , like i said , almost unbearable . But , as forum advise goes , better tires should cut that out a bit .
It was the first and only Vette I have ever driven . Not the one I want to buy .
Thanks again guys for quality input .

 

As stated, run flats will quiet the noise. But I've found the fwys and hwys in Oregon are paved in a way that exacerbates road noise. Compared to California, the pavement has a coarse texture that makes the road noise, as you say, almost unbearable.
Maybe this is to maximize traction in freezing conditions. Haven't driven in WA in a while, but I don't remember the road noise to be as bad as OR.

 

Have you checked for the shock stuffers to make sure they have been removed???

 

No I have not, but it's not that bad because I am ridden in other corvette and they are also the same, but corvette ride quality sucks so bad and I am sure u all know this

and to the op u should also know that if u have selective ride control shocks will cost u lot more money, which is the main reason I have not gone to aftermarket shocks since mine only has 17k miles on them

 

I'd like a buyers checklist if you don't mind. I'm a new member and thinking of taking the plunge soon.

 

Very good advice