Daily Driver.
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Daily Driver.
I am new here guys, My Name is Steve.
I am considering a C5 for a daily, I drive 100mi per day and all of it is highway, the last bit is twisty mountains
. I would like to also track the car, I live right in the middle of Fontana and CVR so its got to do track duty maybe 3-5 times per year.
I am not convinced to spend the extra 5-6 grand for a Z because Ill most likely buy coilovers, cam, full exhaust, wheels, tires, tune, and prob heads.
I basically am going to mod it where its around 450whp but must be reliable and still cruise nicely and get decent mileage..
I have been around z06's a lot and I have driven 3-4, one happened to be S/C 600ish at the wheels and felt like it handled the power really well.
I don't know that starting with a Z if I am going to mod it past that and take most of the parts that make it a z off anyway?? Does anyone have any insight on this?
p.s. I have no smog where I live so it makes that convenient.
Thanks -Steve
I am considering a C5 for a daily, I drive 100mi per day and all of it is highway, the last bit is twisty mountains
. I would like to also track the car, I live right in the middle of Fontana and CVR so its got to do track duty maybe 3-5 times per year.I am not convinced to spend the extra 5-6 grand for a Z because Ill most likely buy coilovers, cam, full exhaust, wheels, tires, tune, and prob heads.
I basically am going to mod it where its around 450whp but must be reliable and still cruise nicely and get decent mileage..
I have been around z06's a lot and I have driven 3-4, one happened to be S/C 600ish at the wheels and felt like it handled the power really well.
I don't know that starting with a Z if I am going to mod it past that and take most of the parts that make it a z off anyway?? Does anyone have any insight on this?
p.s. I have no smog where I live so it makes that convenient.
Thanks -Steve
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 1,883
Likes: 76
From: Portland OR
moding to 450 and reliable will cost money. I have put 30k on my car in a year (my daily 80+ miles a day) and love it. But every time I start talking to people about getting more power, it's more time turning wrenches that I would rather be driving.
I can say one of the things I love about my car is I've only had to do oil changes so far, but I know I will be spending some money this winter. But my money is going into suspension and brakes, I'm happy with my 0-60mph street performance at this point.
I can say one of the things I love about my car is I've only had to do oil changes so far, but I know I will be spending some money this winter. But my money is going into suspension and brakes, I'm happy with my 0-60mph street performance at this point.
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 1,740
Likes: 5
From: Central FL
Honestly man..i would not drive 100 miles a day in a Corvette unless you're rich enough to not care about gas mileage, wear and tear parts and depreciation...it just makes no sense. Personally if i were you i would save the $5k for a Z06 get an 01-02 Coupe, modded to your liking+removeable roof and get yourself a decent cheap 4 cylinder beater for your commute to work that will pay for itself in no time in gas alone and cheaper to maintain=extra money in your pocket for more mods for the Corvette 
Keep the Mileage off the Vette and use it as a weekend toy and occasional drive to work if you want and you can also insure it as as a "pleasure vehicle" and get a multi car discount and insurance wont cost you any more then having the vette alone if you basic insure it..I've done this several times when I had a long commute to work and especially when I sold the cars was so glad I did
Keep the Mileage off the Vette and use it as a weekend toy and occasional drive to work if you want and you can also insure it as as a "pleasure vehicle" and get a multi car discount and insurance wont cost you any more then having the vette alone if you basic insure it..I've done this several times when I had a long commute to work and especially when I sold the cars was so glad I did
Last edited by F&Yb0dluvr; Oct 10, 2014 at 01:04 PM.
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Nothing wrong with having a Vette as a daily driver - they are comfortable, reliable and get very good gas mileage. Not sure I would want one with a lot of performance mods on it for a DD though.
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 1,883
Likes: 76
From: Portland OR
I average 26mpg on my commute, my truck only gets about 15mpg and I can tell you the Vette is a lot funner to drive than my Silverado. 
<edit> You might one of those owners that only drives his car on the weekends in nice weather no more than 50 miles. I can't find enough reasons to drive my damn car.
<edit> You might one of those owners that only drives his car on the weekends in nice weather no more than 50 miles. I can't find enough reasons to drive my damn car.
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Joined: Oct 2014
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Honestly man..i would not drive 100 miles a day in a Corvette unless you're rich enough to not care about gas mileage, wear and tear parts and depreciation...it just makes no sense. Personally if i were you i would save the $5k for a Z06 get an 01-02 Coupe, modded to your liking+removeable roof and get yourself a decent cheap 4 cylinder beater for your commute to work that will pay for itself in no time in gas alone and cheaper to maintain=extra money in your pocket for more mods for the Corvette
Keep the Mileage off the Vette and use it as a weekend toy and occasional drive to work if you want and you can also insure it as as a "pleasure vehicle" and get a multi car discount and insurance wont cost you any more then having the vette alone if you basic insure it..I've done this several times when I had a long commute to work and especially when I sold the cars was so glad I did
Keep the Mileage off the Vette and use it as a weekend toy and occasional drive to work if you want and you can also insure it as as a "pleasure vehicle" and get a multi car discount and insurance wont cost you any more then having the vette alone if you basic insure it..I've done this several times when I had a long commute to work and especially when I sold the cars was so glad I did
My buddies S/C vette had coilovers and it rode really nice. mind you I have good roads where I am at so I might be jaded.
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Thread Starter
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Joined: Oct 2014
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moding to 450 and reliable will cost money. I have put 30k on my car in a year (my daily 80+ miles a day) and love it. But every time I start talking to people about getting more power, it's more time turning wrenches that I would rather be driving.
I can say one of the things I love about my car is I've only had to do oil changes so far, but I know I will be spending some money this winter. But my money is going into suspension and brakes, I'm happy with my 0-60mph street performance at this point.
I can say one of the things I love about my car is I've only had to do oil changes so far, but I know I will be spending some money this winter. But my money is going into suspension and brakes, I'm happy with my 0-60mph street performance at this point.
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 1,740
Likes: 5
From: Central FL
True but a 500 mile a week commute in a 450+rwhp Vette that gets around 20 mpg average using premium compared to 4 cylinder car that gets 32 mpg using regular gas is about $2500 in gas alone for the year..in 5 years its $12500 and thats if gas stays the same proce which of course it wont! If you start with a car with 60-70kmi you pay $15k for and decide to sell it in 5 years you will have a car with over 200kmi(including weekend miles) thats probably worth less then half what you paid..no a beater wont be free of maintenance but parts are AlOT cheaper and depreciation wont take as big a hit with higher mileage if you decide to sell it
Last edited by F&Yb0dluvr; Oct 10, 2014 at 02:04 PM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 9,488
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From: Knoxville Tn
I drive a 2001 as my DD, and it gets better gas mileage than any of my other cars. (by a long shot) (Caddy, Silverado, another 2001 Vette).
I just bought a V-6 Impala the jury is still out on it's mileage.
BTW, I get 19-2o MPG around town, and over 27 on the highway. Like it or not, I run regular gas in my DD Vette.
I just bought a V-6 Impala the jury is still out on it's mileage.
BTW, I get 19-2o MPG around town, and over 27 on the highway. Like it or not, I run regular gas in my DD Vette.
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 1,740
Likes: 5
From: Central FL
Yes my 01 gets great mileage..at 65mph in 6th the DIC says 32mpg and i average 23 mpg a tank with probably a 50/50 split however comparing it to a 4 cylinder that runs regular does add up
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 1,943
Likes: 4
From: Lawrenceburg KY
I drive my Z06 around 100 miles a day during 2/3 of the year up here and am modding it toward being more of a track/street car. It gets 25 mpg, not 30+ (30+ requires going 55 mph on a flat road in 6th gear, I generally go 70 and we have hills up here which hurt the mpg too).
In hindsight I would have started with a higher mileage base coupe. It would have saved a significant amount of money and been better to use on a daily basis thanks to the hatchback, targa, and slightly better aero+gearing making for slightly better mpg AND slightly better track performance.
Get a base coupe for $15k and put on LG coilovers and sways for $3k, wilwood brakes with ZR1 spindles for $3500, z06 exhaust for $500, and have a better street+track car by far.
In hindsight I would have started with a higher mileage base coupe. It would have saved a significant amount of money and been better to use on a daily basis thanks to the hatchback, targa, and slightly better aero+gearing making for slightly better mpg AND slightly better track performance.
Get a base coupe for $15k and put on LG coilovers and sways for $3k, wilwood brakes with ZR1 spindles for $3500, z06 exhaust for $500, and have a better street+track car by far.
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 4,260
Likes: 429
From: Houston TX
True but a 500 mile a week commute in a 450+rwhp Vette that gets around 20 mpg average using premium compared to 4 cylinder car that gets 32 mpg using regular gas is about $2500 in gas alone for the year..in 5 years its $12500 and thats if gas stays the same proce which of course it wont! If you start with a car with 60-70kmi you pay $15k for and decide to sell it in 5 years you will have a car with over 200kmi(including weekend miles) thats probably worth less then half what you paid..no a beater wont be free of maintenance but parts are AlOT cheaper and depreciation wont take as big a hit with higher mileage if you decide to sell it
I learned this lesson the hard way but here goes. When I had a VW Jetta TDI as a commuter car, the only time I smiled was at the pump. I hated that car except for when I figured up the fuel economy. After getting rid of it for a 335i, which I wanted in the first place, I'm happy all the time while driving it and only unhappy when calculating the fuel economy of each tank. Life is too short to drive boring cars, get what you want and enjoy it.
Last edited by Black 02; Oct 10, 2014 at 03:30 PM.
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 1,943
Likes: 4
From: Lawrenceburg KY
Also the only thing expensive on a vette is tires, but you can easily fix that:
Get a second set of wheels and use your 4x front 17x8.5's for cheap street tires and your 4x rear 18x9.5's for cheap track tires.
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 1,740
Likes: 5
From: Central FL
If he is spending that much time in the car, then he might as well drive what he wants. Yes, it's cheaper to drive a beater car, but they are no fun and your dignity is worth more than a small amount of savings at the pump. I learned this lesson the hard way but here goes. When I had a VW Jetta TDI as a commuter car, the only time I smiled was at the pump. I hated that car except for when I figured up the fuel economy. After getting rid of it for a 335i, which I wanted in the first place, I'm happy all the time while driving it and only unhappy when calculating the fuel economy of each tank. Life is too short to drive boring cars, get what you want and enjoy it.
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 1,740
Likes: 5
From: Central FL
OP where are you located? Will you keep the Corvette garage kept/covered? I know here in Florida if i were to pull my baby out of the nice covered cool garage its in to drive it 100 miles every day so it can get full of stone chips and then park it outside for 8 hours to bake in the hot sun would be insanity yet i know plenty of people who do something like that
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 3,473
Likes: 691
From: West Virginia
C'mon, what's the point of having a fun car if you only take it out on weekends? I bought my C5 new and it was my commuter car until I bagged an early out package. And yes, we had an economical 4 cylinder at the same time, but it was so BORING!!! Why would I chose to drive some POS econobox over a Vette? So, apart from the days there was snow and ice on the roads, when FWD and all weather tires worked well, the Vette got exercised every day - and my pact with myself was that somewhere on my daily commute, the pedal would be hard down.......
And, once you accept that, as a Vette owner, the price you pay for your gas is merely an entertainment tax, life's decisions get simpler.
p.s. the advantage of the coupe is that you can take it to Home Depot and happily thread 8' studs into it. Besides personally I never liked the FRC body style (sorry guys) - I've always preferred a fast back over a notch back.
And, once you accept that, as a Vette owner, the price you pay for your gas is merely an entertainment tax, life's decisions get simpler.
p.s. the advantage of the coupe is that you can take it to Home Depot and happily thread 8' studs into it. Besides personally I never liked the FRC body style (sorry guys) - I've always preferred a fast back over a notch back.
Last edited by jackthelad; Oct 10, 2014 at 04:40 PM.
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 4,260
Likes: 429
From: Houston TX
Is a Corvette really that much more enjoyable though with the cruise set at 70 for 100 miles a day? We're not talking "spirited" driving or taking your SO out on a date to a nice restaurant..the more miles you put on it just to commute the greater chance you have of it giving you problems for when you'd REALLY like to use it we are talking about 11-17 year old cars with most having over 50kmi..500 miles a week just to commute to put on one is excessive imo..sure its his car and he can drive it however much he wants but he may regret it when time to sell or if something major mechanical happens or the condition really starts to deteriorate..
Why would he regret it when it comes time to sell? Because it may be worth a few hundred less than other cars due to slightly higher mileage? If so, it just means he enjoyed it and got his money's worth out of the car.