Scotty2000SS

Might sound like a silly question but I was curious as to how many of you are former FRC guys or vise versa? The FRC is a bit cheaper when compared to the C5Z for numerous reasons.

Was the extra money spent worth it to you?

Monks

I have had plenty of both and liked them all. IMO, The Z is worth the
extra $$. Better block,heads, trans ratios, ect.

I bought a 2000 FRC and raced autocross for a year, it was well set
up and had sticky tires. A buddy bought a new 01 Z06 and gave it to me for the weekend to hotrod around. At the time, I did not think his Z06
was that much better or faster than my FRC.......BUT, in the end I did
buy a 02 Z06.

Russ

Velocity_Vette

A forum member that has a recent thread going is doing just this. He's doing it though because his prior Z06 was in an accident, and acquiring the FRC donor & having both on hand made the process easier. Ultimately he has a fully converted FRC to Z06 specification other than model and VIN designation.

As far as outright converting I'm not sure if the monetary investment is warranted. There are a tremendous amount of Z06 specific items that would eventually add up to a substantial amount; the LS6 specific bits, Z06 gearing and bits in the T56, suspension bits, interior bits, rear duct work, proper wheels, that's really scratching the surface though.

And then ultimately you have to deal with telling everyone you have a conversion of an FRC, which depending on how you take the Corvette hobby can be a "meh" neutral kind of thing or looked down upon entirely. Especially considering how easy it is to get Z06 badges, rear brake vents, and Z06 wheels, throw on an FRC, and try to pass it off.

If you're willing to deal with a "first year" 2001 Z06 it may be a better purchase than an FRC anyway. I've been seeing '99-'00 FRCs beginning to increase in value if they are well taken care of examples. Especially if it's a rare FRC color like Arctic White or Nassau Blue. It may be better to just purchase a Z06 with some miles on it and likely pay the same and possibly even less money than an FRC.

Sinister-one

I have a 2000 FRC. I have made several changes to the suspension, ie... shocks and sway bars the car handles even better !!

Due to no rear air ducts I am running 19x11.5 wheels. I plan on swapping out the engine for a larger cubic inch and probably a SC if I can't reach 450-500 hp NA.....

I was looking for a Z when I purchased my FRC and the Z's at the time were a little pricey. All I can say is..... I LOVE MY FRC and I didn't pay the premium price !

CQRT

[QUOTE=Scotty2000SS;1591513434]Might sound like a silly question but I was curious as to how many of you are former FRC guys or vise versa? The FRC is a bit cheaper when compared to the C5Z for numerous reasons.

Was the extra money spent worth it to you?[/QUOTE]

To do what?

If you're driving it to work or cruising on the weekends- except for the self satisfaction on freeway ramps- I'd say no. For auto-crossing or more serious competitive efforts- maybe so.

But to add stick on air ducts? Please don't.

Scotty2000SS

I'll give you a little background on myself.

I'm coming from a 00 LS1 M6 camaro that ran low 12's in the 1/4 with a cam only set up. I was really disappointed with the car. I didn't do my research when it came to part selection hence the 1/4 mile times.

Fast forward to now.... I'm in the process of gathering parts for my build. I'm pretty much done with getting all the bolt on stuff. I'm focusing on bolt on first and making the car as quick as possible before I think about doing heads or cam. I'm not sure how much can be left on the table when you compare the FRC and the C5Z in drag strip terms. I really like the arctic and speedway white colors. That's one of my deciding factors.

f6john

I kinda sorta had a budget when I was looking for a Corvette. I settled on a hardtop before searching in earnest. 5 years ago Z06 cars were attainable for me but I just didn't want to invest quite that much. Really the only thing I don't have with my FRC is bragging rights on power and possibly resale on down the line. The way I drive and use my car it is perfectly suited to me. I would like to have a 04 Z16 but I am not actively trying to obtain one.

mre1974

With my current list of suspension mods (C6 Z06 shocks, C6 Z06 sways, C5 Z06 leaf springs) and set up CCW Big Street Classics with good rubber I would venture to say that my FRC handles as good, if not better than a stock C5Z. And since I'm eventually going to do heads and a cam on my LS1 I'm not too concerned about the difference between an FRC and C5Z. For me they are both good platforms from the factory and if you plan to mod them go with the least expensive option and spend the savings on mods. Now if you're going to keep it stock and not do anything to it than I would think that the C5Z is the better performer and likely will hold it's value better over time. Since I have no plans to EVER sell my FRC resale is not a concern for me. Interesting thread...should be fun to see other members comments.

Sinister-one

with he said that I highlighted...


And BTW..... my FRC is WHITE !

UniqueDoug

I love my '99 FRC but have gotten an itch to upgrade to a C5Z!

I'm under the impression the FRC and Z have the same block.

nsogiba

as a new FRC owner I just went through this process. I was pretty bent on buying an 02-04 C5Z, with higher miles, to enjoy on weekends and drive to work on nice days. My budget at the time was about 14K, and the cheapest "nice" Z's I could find (around 100K or more miles, clean title, minimal mods, not raced) were hovering around AT LEAST 18K. To get one that was well maintained with less than 100K miles, you were looking at 20K or more, and of course the prices skyrocket from there (don't forget to factor in sales tax and higher insurance!). I paid 11K for my black '00 FRC with 100K; it has an inch thick stack of dealer maintenance records, and needs nothing other than what I want to modify for fun (naturally LS6 intake, Z06 exhaust, headers, shifter). In my mind it made much more financial sense to get the FRC - I am getting 90% of the performance for 50% of the markup of a similar condition Z06.

What's interesting is that most Z06 folks end up modifying theirs anyways with aftermarket stuff (cam, suspension, headers, intake, etc) - so why pay markup for the Z06 bits which will just sit in your basement anyways when you bolt on aftermarket goodies? An FRC with H/C/I is just about the same as a Z06 with H/C/I.

I guess what it really boils down to is your intended use for the car. For those that want a "race ready right out of the box" car, the Z06 will beat the FRC, stock for stock, on the road course and dragstrip, no questions asked. Modified, I think it's honestly a wash. Of course there is the "special" factor; the Z06 will always be "the best one" out of all C5 models offered, in the majority of enthusiasts' eyes - and in my humble opinion I think that's what you're paying for, given how the market looks for those cars nowadays. If your ego can get over the fact that you don't have the badges and brake vents, they are visually identical.

Bottom line - the C5 Z06 is universally referred to as the best performance "bang for your buck" offered in the last 20 years - I think the FRC is even MORE of a bang for the buck than the Z, given its much lower entry price and similar performance.

Scotty2000SS

Talk about a mind reader lol. The more I research and look at the classified section the more I'm learning towards the FRC. My budget is around 20k with taxes and fees. I already have an aftermarket intake, headers, clutch ect. ready to go in as soon as I purchase the car. Most of the cars I've looked at have an interior that's pretty spent. Z06 seats seem to wear pretty quick and I'm all for lighter seats anyways. I saw Toque put some really nice seats in his vette. Maybe it's time to lean more towards the FRC... By the way, my goal is to break into the 10's with the stock cam and heads

nsogiba

^ agreed - again most guys end up ditching the stock heads, cam, etc anyways. What difference does it make if you remove 241s or 243s, or an LS1 cam vs LS6 cam? Either way you install aftermarket stuff.

Again, stock for stock, Z06 is performance and resale king, but for those looking to tinker, it makes sense to save a boatload of cash and get the FRC and mod away.

Vetteman Jack

The FRC has the LS1 block, the Z has the LS6 block. There are some differences.

Here's a couple of documents that compares the C5 coupe and C5 Z06. I know it is not specifically the FRC, but the motor differences should be the same.

NVTHIS

I converted to a C5Z! I think I am the one Velocity Vette is referring to. The FRC and Z06 are the same frame wise. If you plan on modding the car, I would go with the Z06 because you will be one step ahead power wise. If you just like the body and are satisfied with stock power, then I would go with the frc. For me on the other hand it worked out to be the best of both worlds. I was able to obtain a rare Nassau blue frc and make it into a z06. I guess it boils down to also what you are willing to spend. Some frc's are in the price range of a z06. If that's the case, then that's a no brainer. Either way both are fantastic cars that are built on the same platform. One just has upgraded components from the get go.

Scotty2000SS

That's pretty awesome. That sure is a nice color!

How much difference is the trans when comparing the two? I know the different ratios and all but what about the driving experience? Is it that noticeable?

dbgoodwin

Yes. The 400rwhp 6 speed coupe I test drove didn't pull nearly as hard as a stock 01z. I was in the "want to buy a modded FRC or stock z06" club but after that experience I knew I needed the m12. I would venture as far as to say from a fun factor, straight line acceleration in 2nd gear is more brutal in a c5z than 1st gear in a coupe.

Sure if you do heads/cam/intake then change the gears and drop a bunch of money into the suspension it will be as fast, but by the time you change the gearing you will have bridged the gap in price, and still have a less sought after and valuable car.

dbgoodwin

Another thing to consider is resale value. Hopefully stroker87 pipes up with his costs for hci on his z06. People want 243 heads, ls6 intakes, ls6 cams, Ti exhausts, but no one wants base ls1 stuff unless they're going back to stock, and then they want to pay bottom dollar.

Even with the same heads, same cam, same intake, an ls6 will make more power than an ls1. Maybe I'm the opposite of most people, but on the street the c5z is much more fun.

NVTHIS

Thanks! The mn12 provides quicker acceleration. It is noticeable to me. I would drive both and make your decision.

Tuco

Had 2 FRC's and they were both great, at a lot lower price than my current Z06.
I could have kept either and been just fine as I do not race.
I did fall for the Z though.. And for most likely my reason for buying my first 2003 coupe.
Reliability.
I and I am surely not saying the FRC is not reliable, but I do have a lot more piece of mind on my little jaunts with a later year ride.