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I own a 1999 Coupe that is original except for the typical battery & tires. I attend meets and I constantly get told to "Change those Ugly Rims", Change this & change that. The car has 22K miles on it and the vehicle is pretty original pristine inside & out.
IYO what would you consider more valuable in 10 years. A virgin 1999 well maintained coupe or a 1999 Coupe with Mods?
I'd appreciate your opinion what you would rather buy in the future.
In general, a stock car is easier to sell than a modified one and will typically bring a little more money...but of course that depends on the mods that were done.
I would suggest that neither will be a worthy "investment" that will appreciate in terms of dollars.
You bought the Vette to enjoy...so, enjoy it the way YOU want to.
Many people (myself included) get a lot of enjoyment out of planning and doing mods. Many others prefer strictly stock. No right or wrong here.
I will suggest this - if you do want to go the mod route - take the time to develop a theme for your car and mod accordingly. This will come off much better than a Vette that just has a random assortment of unrelated mods.
It's your car. Do whatever you want. If you're getting upset or having thoughts over what people say about your car then you're doing the car hobby wrong.
As with any vehicle that ages, an example in OEM condition would likely be more valuable than a modified one. Modified examples are typically more popular while the vehicle is still relatively new, since modifications can be expensive as a package. Little modifications over time also typically increase difficulty of finding OEM equipped examples of a car.
There are things you can do to keep the car relatively originally while still modifying. You mention wheels. The early C5 wagon wheels are not the most favorable wheels. You can always purchase an aftermarket set and keep the wagon wheels. Or you could upgrade to a newer OEM type wheel.
Ultimately though do what you want to do. I don't worry about what value my car is going to hold years from now. I drive it for the "now".
From: Piedmont, SC Currently Own: 99 Nassau blue FRC. Previously Owned: 84,95,98 Indy Pace,01 Z06
I wouldn't worry so much on the wheels. Sometimes nice upgraded wheels can be a selling point, especially something other than the wagon wheels. Besides you can find them all day long going for fairly cheap. I like modded, but only because I like different. If your going to be selling, then I would limit the mods. I on the other hand, don't anticipate selling mine.
I recently sold my pristine, highly modded '98. I never drove it in the rain or washed it, and it had a little over 27,000 on the odometer. I owned it for over 15 years and really loved it, but I got to the point where I want something a little more subtle and modern. Even though it sold very quickly, I can assure you that you'll never get back what you put into it, which was never my intention anyway. When I started modding it, I planned on keeping it forever and passing it along to #1 son if something happened to me. You have to make the decision based on what you want to do and not on what other people think you should do.
Last edited by DevilDog II; Jan 8, 2016 at 08:21 AM.
When amateur mechanics bolt mail order parts on their nice Corvette they soon find they have problems with emission controls, state inspections, active handling systems, overheating, transmissions and the list goes on. Then good luck finding someone to work on the car. The unmolested vehicle is always a better choice.
In general, a stock car is easier to sell than a modified one and will typically bring a little more money...but of course that depends on the mods that were done.
I would suggest that neither will be a worthy "investment" that will appreciate in terms of dollars.
You bought the Vette to enjoy...so, enjoy it the way YOU want to.
Many people (myself included) get a lot of enjoyment out of planning and doing mods. Many others prefer strictly stock. No right or wrong here.
I will suggest this - if you do want to go the mod route - take the time to develop a theme for your car and mod accordingly. This will come off much better than a Vette that just has a random assortment of unrelated mods.
Yea not many fans of the Ol wagon wheels, and if you can leave it stock and your happy do so...I had to mod the day I bought the car lol and luckily the previous owner swapped out the wagon wheels on my 99.
I struggle with the same question, to mod or not to mod. In the end I decided on modding to may taste but making it all easily reversible if I decide to sell in the future. Keeping all stock parts!
Mods-
1) TI exhaust
2) Double DIN radio
3) Vararam Intake and Airbridge
4) HRE Wheels.
All can be easily removed/replaced back to stock if I decide to sell in the future. But in the meantime I get to make the car mine.
While there are some folks that like their cars as original as possible (the NCRS folks), a C-5 is a long way from becoming a a collector car. As an example the C-4 was introduced as a 84 model at the end of 1983. That is over thirty years ago, and they still have little, if any, collector value. With that said, how long do you think it would take for a C-5 to become a collector piece? Needless to say, there are certain models that bring bigger bucks (C-4 Grand Sport, or ZR-1) but the cars that are pretty much run of the mill production vehicles are just not likely to become show pieces at a car museum.
Enjoy your car, don't worry about other's opinions and live for today.
I am a modder. I purchased my 02 with the intentions to inhance it to my likings. Still working on it and have no plans to sell. But I also appreciate the classic appeal of an all original C5 as well. Do what makes you more comfortable with your car. If a new set of wheels sparks a rejuvenated love for it then go for it. Wheels will not offset the value of the car. Either way it's a work of art.
there is already 2 topics on this on the first page here, anytime you ask a question like that it's going to go back and forth, do what YOU want it's your car !!!! My Car is modded the way I like it, better performance, better shifter, tires and wheels you get the picture !!!!
Like others have said your car do what you want and don't worry about what others say.
For instance, the majority here are appalled by tail light louvers, but I like them and could care less what others think.
Cosmetic and mechanical mods are 2 different things, obviously some mechanical (superchargers-turbos-h/c/i) are major changes where as others like short throw shifters, exhaust, intake are more subdued. Cosmetic, do what YOU like...
And as others have said, even on the higher end models, its a long way to "collector" status and even then unless its in a container direct form the dealer and stored for 30+ years and then sold a Barrett-Jackson
I like to mod a bit (mostly small things and wheels and exhaust) but always keep the stock parts, this way when and if I sell or upgrade I just return it to stock and sell the parts to recoup a little green for the next set of mods. Main thing is to just enjoy your Vette however makes you smile!
Last edited by gilbos440rt; Jan 8, 2016 at 10:00 AM.
'More valuable in 10yrs'?
probably stock. you seldom or never get the mod $$ out of it.
But if you plan to keep it 10yrs, do what you want with it. If mods are kept simple, just keep the stock parts and return to stock when selling.
Orignal/stock C5 will be more valuable. As far as mods are concerned, any performance or appearance mods done to the car will add little to no value to your car. Me personally, I just have to mod my car to my liking. C5's look great in factory form, but appearance mods like wheels, spoilers,splitters, and other little things really make a C5 look even better! But it is your car you can do what you want.
I have a 98 that is stock. Personally, I would much rather buy a clean stock car than one that has been modded.
I would be suspicious that the previous owner messed it up and is now trying to unload their problem onto someone else. Has it been raced, driven hard, or abused? Is it now unreliable and hard to find someone who can service it?
Some cosmetic mods are tasteful, others cartoonish. Of course that is completely subjective. I think the C5 is a very classy design that has aged extremely well.
I don't mind the wagon wheels. I have seen pictures of broken aftermarket wheels. I've never seen a broken wagon wheel. If you do want new wheels, maybe this is an opportunity for 2 sets of tires - summer and winter.
IMO tasteful mods can go a long way, especially ones that improve on the already decent stock set up. Ex) Good looking exhaust, a CAI, sway bars/shocks upgrade, Double din radio & nicer wheels seem all pretty solid upgrades to me...But like others are saying, dont expect to get a return on any of these. The car is there for you to enjoy. If the mod will make you enjoy the ride more then get it done. If not then leave it as is.
A c5 corvette will never be an investment. Do what you want to it and enjoy it. Unless it's a Z06, chances are the car will continue to drop in value based on miles driven and condition. Even a Z06 will loose value based on those things and these cars are to fun to just park in the garage and look at. I recently bought a very low mileage Z06 in perfect condition, and believe me, I paid less than half what the original owner paid for it and he did not get to enjoy it much with such low miles on it. So, do what you want and have fun doing it!
I agree with what others have said, it's your car to enjoy and everyone will have opinions on shoulds and should nots. That being said here is what I've decided for my 02Z. I will never sell it, I tell all it's my daughters car and I'm just driving it till I die. Now I love the orginal look of my EB Z so I chose to do no exterior mods, only interior mod is a c6 shifter (didn't like the stock club). Now underhood is ARH longtubes (ceramic coated for looks and heat) catted xpipe and stock TI cat back, red GM wires and a cam upgrade will be coming soon. That's it, everything else is as it cam from factory. And my car looks different than 98% of cars I see at local cruise ins and shows because my car is very near stock. So to not mod makes mine different than most, and thats why most mod theirs anyway is to be different and their likes. I like mine as is and that is what counts.
As far as value down the road, that only comes into play if it's sold, which as stated earlier, won't happen as long as I'm breathing.
Original or Mod ??
100%
but always keep the stock parts, this way when and if I sell or upgrade I just return it to stock and sell the parts to recoup a little green for the next set of mods. 
