Yeah, I know - the haters will pull up my "why I sold the C5 and bought a C4" post from 2 years ago. The C4 has pretty much reached the "diminishing returns" point just like the C5 did - any more that I spend on it will never come back.

I've missed the C5 off and on over the last couple of years - it looked great and ran great (almost all the time) but the little nagging problems I had with it (and the larger more expensive ones) really soured me on the model. Now that more time has passed, I've done some digging and found a way to get past those issues.

I've found a "rolling chassis" early coupe near me that I'm going to go look at on Thursday. I've also found a few different crunched C5 Z06's that can be had for dirt cheap. One or two of those that are damaged beyond repair would supply me with all of the later running gear that I want (wide-ratio trans, 3-rib diff, better torque tube and of course the LS6) plus a lot of the small parts I'd need to rebuild the couple. I'd also be able to do things like wide fenders, Radio Flyer Light Cannons, some good seats, a Tiger Shark style rear bumper and paint it Nassau Blue Metallic. Since this would be my secondary project rather than my daily driver I would have time to work on it rather than have to keep it running so that I can go to work the next day. Of course now that I have a real garage instead of living in an apartment things have improved there as well.

I'll also be able to make sure that it doesn't have some of the really bad things that my previous C5 had like auto climate control and the memory package. Fixing the stupid clutch slave won't be a $5000 project since all the drive train will already be out of the car. Speaking of which, while it's out I'm going to see what I can do to build a short shifter that will be quiet like stock (and not rattle like hell the way the notchy aftermarket ones do) but still give crisper, shorter shift throws. I'd like to do C6Z06 brakes and a set of silver C6 GS wheels. Halo tails, all LED lights and a fix for the constant burning out of the DRL's are also on the list.

So, that's my update for now - we'll see what happens. It's just a plan and I tend to plan for a long time and think out loud a lot but that's just me.

 

Hey we all have to plan and dream about 'sumpin. Good luck and hope all goes well if and when you get another C5. You never left the Corvette fold. Greeting, Rob

 

Go for it !!!!!

 

Sounds like a fun project it you have the time and space to do the work. But just for clarification can you be more specific when you say "dirt cheap" regarding crunched Z06's?

Also, don't you mean close ratio transmission referring to the Z06 tranny?

 

It sounds like you have a plan for building your next C5. Go for it!

No hate about the C4 either. I have a C4 and C5's. I like both, but they are different.

 

Sounds like a project to keep you busy for quite a while but the end result could be a great car. Best of luck getting this all together.

 

Dirt cheap in this case meaning in the sub "couple thousand dollars" range.

As for the trans ratios, the gears are lower to start with and have a little more of a drop between gears which is what has traditionally been called a wide-ratio transmission. The reduced OD ratios also help performance (responsiveness). I could care less if it goes 170 or 175 on the top end as I'll never be driving it that fast.

Gear LS1/MM6 LS6/M12
1st Gear 2.66:1 2.97:1
2nd Gear 1.78:1 2.07:1
3rd Gear 1.30:1 1.43:1
4th Gear 1.00:1 1.00:1
5th Gear 0.74:1 0.84:1
6th Gear 0.50:1 0.56:1

 

I would like to some day do an M12 and Z06 rear end swap in my coupe. I am more than happy with the LS1 power, but the tighter gears would be awesome.

 

I'm not a hater, but I would like to offer a different point of view.

To paraphrase another CF poster, these cars are not investments. They are rolling tributes to awesomeness.

I look at mine as a hobby. As such, the returns I get for the money I spend is in the enjoyment I derive from driving it, tinkering with it, cleaning it, polishing it, looking at it, etc.

 

I like your action plan

 

If I were you I'd snap up those Z06 parts cars whether I had a car to use them on or not because they would be super buys!

My memory often fails me, but I always thought that close ratio transmissions had gear sets where there was less of a drop in the ratio from one gear to the next which would tend to keep rpm drop less and help keep the engine in it's power band longer. The actual differences in the amount of drop between the M6 and the M12 is less than I thought and the real advantage comes from the lower gearing over all rather than the spacing.

 

If you swapped out the Z06 trans in place of an LS1 trans in the same car, it would accelerate quicker and have a slightly lower top speed because of the transmission ratios. The wider ratios (especially if you increase the torque output with say - a supercharger ) let the engine use its torque to accelerate you rather than having to try to keep the RPM up in a more "peaky" engine. I prefer a fat torque curve to something that makes power like a 2-stroke.

 

I went to look at the prospective base car today and I think I'm going to pass. It's torn down so far that it's just about a bare frame with suspension and boxes and boxes of parts. Sad, but I'll just keep looking.