Ducati Guy

I am still searching for my first ever C5. My budget has me looking at the early years. 97' 98' 99' 2000. Have seen and driven two 99's. Am considering looking at a low mileage (44k) 97'

Is there any difference worth noting between a 97' and 98' and 99'?

TIA , Graham

Smoken1

I would look for 01+ due to parts availability and some of the electronics being able to be fixed/repaired.

Rico7142

Although there are quite a few members with those year cars that absolutely love them, have had little or no majors issues at all.

Christian327

I own a 99, hindsight, I should have waited to find a 01+...love my car but the thought of having some parts irreplaceable scares me a little. Plus you get an extra 5hp... But if you can find a 99 or 2000, find one with hud & active handling/competition mode ability. That gives it a nice upgrade from the others imo.

Vetteman Jack

This might help you out:

Ducati Guy

Thanks, But cannot open the link

Ducati Guy

[QUOTE=8VETTE7;1591902447]You need an application that can open a Microsoft Word document to be able to see it.

I converted it to PDF so try this one. Most people have a PDF reader:


Attachment 47968633[/QUOT

Excellent. Very, very helpful. Am currently looking at a 99' with some very nice mods. 87K mikes. Also a 97', stock with only 44K miles. This helped make my decision.

Looks like i am not giving up anything of note by going after the 97' vs the 99'. Yes the 99' has great mods. But you can always add to a car. but you cannot take miles off a car.

thanks a bunch.

bikeriderga

Rather than looking at model years specifically, posting your budget amount might be a better option.

The big problem with the < 2000 cars is the availability of the EBCM modules. They simply are not available, period. In addition, 01 up saw some significant improvements over the earlier year models.

Note: Not saying that there was anything wrong with the 97 - 2000. But the availability of parts has to be taken into consideration when making a purchase.

ericdwong

I agree, go with 01+. ECBM is a big one. The PCM itself is too- after 01+ C5s used the same PCM as v8 trucks, Camaros etc. I have a 98 and while my ECBM has hasn't failed yet, my PCM did due to salt corrosion. Had to find a used one whereas the "411" PCMs are available everywhere and have much more tuning and processing capacity. Also- earlier C5s don't have Active handling, plus the engine blocks aren't as upgradable (thin piston walls- can't bore them without darton sleeves, which at that point you might as well use a different block completely). Lots of other minor changes too- stronger power steering bracket, different valley cover design, etc etc.

What $ you may save on an earlier C5 can be easily wiped out by an unavailable part or having/wanting to upgrade/retrofit. The only "advantage" a 97-98 has is the return style fuel line, which may aid in a super high HP install, but otherwise, get the newest one you can.

Sounds like the 97 you're looking at has super low miles. Hope you're getting a good deal! Also, it really depends on what you're going to do with it. If you're going to keep it stock and drive it gently, you'll likely be OK. If you plan on modifying the hell out of it, go newer.

Ducati Guy

Excellent response. My budget is max $15,000. Here in the northeast that limits me to the years i mentioned. Most of the cars i have looked into have at least 75k on them. Many over 85k.

The term "good deal" is relative to the area you live. Here in the northeast prices are higher than most of the country. But with shipping from far away and other related expenses it comes out about the same buying here rather than elsewhere for less $. And even getting a car inspected remotely does not compare to seeing and driving it before buying.

The 97' only has 44k on it. And the current owner is the 2nd owner who has had it since 2009 and only put 15 k on it. Barely used. It is completely stock. I have no need or desire for any serious mods. . Wheels, exhaust, and cold air intake. So the car will remain almost completely stock.

I am not a wild and crazy kid looking to burn through tires. So the car will be used gently. And as of now before I see and drive the car (if I do) it seems that it has had a gentle life up until now.

So, bottom line. It seems that since there is no major difference that would affect my ownership of a 97' vs a 99' that the lower mileage car should win out.

The responses I have gotten on this matter have been and continue to be extremely helpful. Thanks to all and keep em coming.

Velocity_Vette

To answer your question on specifics, there are a good deal of mechanical variances from 1997 leading up to the 2000 year model. This, in addition to the aforementioned issues with the EBCMs, is why pre-2001 models are beginning to see a downturn in value although I believe that they are near reaching the lowest they will get; it’s only going to get harder to find good low-mileage C5s which will push values back up. After 2001 hit, C5s really became streamlined and there were very few changes other than to increase power or correct minor issues, which has helped with the 2001-2004 buying argument.

Some of the specific differences are as follows;

- Starting in 2001 all C5s received the LS6 intake manifold, even non-Z06 cars. This helped add a few HPs.

- Starting in 1999, fuel delivery changed over to a return-less style. The way you can tell the difference at a glance is 1997 and 1998 cars will have two braided hoses going into the passenger side fuel rail cover. All post 1998 cars will have one braided hose.

- 1997 and 1998 cars have a unique ABS setup that was changed for the 1999 year model. You can see this easily because the setup is mounted behind the rear differential. This creates some unique challenges when dealing with all pre-2001 ABS module servicing.

- All pre-2001 cars have a unique steering wheel position sensor that is no longer made. It may be more of a problem than the EBCM issue since you can still drive the car just fine should issues arise. However a failing steering wheel position sensor can cause drivability issues including limiting the car’s speed it can travel.

- 1997, 1998, and some early 1999 model cars cannot be retrofitted easily with a HUD. Starting in later 1999, the gauge clusters carried provisions for HUD installation even if the car did not receive a HUD option. Earlier gauges can be retrofitted as has been shown here on the forum but it requires disassembly and knowledge of soldering.

- All pre-2001 cars, automatic or manual, will be subjected to potential column lock issues. You will have to check that the car has had these recalls performed, and if so or not, that a column lock bypass (CLB) like the LMC5 is installed. 2001-2004 automatics received the smaller “euro” lock plate and did not require the mechanical portions of the recall (all manual cars except some later 2004s will be subjected to column lock recalls). I REALLY suggest that you perform a tremendous amount of research on the column lock issues as it a problem that heavily affects C5 owners and a dealer is not going to be able to help you much and/or will really take all your money trying to “fix” it. I’ll admit I have some relative ignorance on the issue too, but as someone who was affected by the column lock issues the second week of ownership I REALLY push this on potential C5 buyers.

- All pre-2000 cars do not have the ability to turn off the passenger side air bag. This became a feature during the 2000 year cycle. At one point GM offered a retro-fit kit for C5s without the switch, but it has been long discontinued. If you have a need to not have the passenger side air bag on, like taking a small child along with you, you cannot safely put them into a C5 that doesn’t have a properly de-activated air bag. Also you cannot simply pull a fuse or similar. The passenger side belt was also changed for cars equipped with the cutoff switch and is a dual function belt designed to work in conjunction with the switch. Thus retrofitting an earlier car that does not have the switch is now quite a chore (i.e. $$$).

- 1999 itself is a bit of an “odd” year because there are some smaller unique issues that differentiated itself from the 97/98 and 2000-2004 cycles, primarily wiring.


I gave this advice in another recent thread that I followed when buying my car; buy the C5 that needs the least amount of work possible that is what you want - and if at all possible also the newest. Replacement items for a C5 can get expensive; a lot of it is “sticker shock” that a lot of people aren’t used it. If the car needs tires, budget $800-$1,400. If the car needs anything in the interior, go ahead and price it now as replacement parts are expensive. I wanted an original Nassau Blue car (limiting myself to ’97-2000 cars), six speed, with black interior, under 50K miles. I did find what I wanted. I’ve had no major issues out of my ’99 that I use as a daily except the aforementioned column lock issue I suffered from as I didn’t do the research properly. If I do end up suffering from something I’ll pay for it or try and fix it. Simple as that. It's what you'll have to deal with as a C5 owner. The other thing to remember is these cars are old. The youngest C5 is now 12 years old. That's a long time for a car in an age where cars change hands quite frequently.

RoninC5

I found my 99 locally. 2 owners, last one for 12 years. 39K miles, great shape and under your budget. The column lock has been addresses and the ECBM (along with pads etc) were replaced last April by previous owner at a dealer. So far, no issues but I'm a new owner too- just a couple months. I had it checked out at two places. One was a visual on a lift, the other a Chevy dealer. For me, a 99 filled the perfect niche. I saw 04's going for as high as 25K. Mine is not a DD and I'm not a DIY which are major factors now that I know a little more...

Arodman

I would go with the best value for your money. I have a 98 with 36k mileage 3 owners. No issues except for basic maintenance and a few extras I put in
Obviously the later models will would be better with the refinements but for the price nothing wrong with earlier models!

Mike94ZLT1

I have a 99, and I've owned it for 12 years now. It's been an extremely reliable car and wouldn't hesitate to purchase another.

I personally wouldn't buy a 97 or 98, there were some changes (mostly the to the engine and wiring) that were done in 99+.

ericdwong

OP if it makes you feel any better my 98 has 205k miles on it, daily driven since 2002 until about 6 months ago when I parked it to do a "almost frame up". I just pulled the engine (it was still running BTW) mainly to do "while I'm in there... might as well...." with a heads and cam project.

Biggest failure I had was the slave cylinder dying, which I wound up changing myself. The PCM also died, but I was still able to limp the car home- and that was because of corrosion from salt driving and never cleaning it (I will now!) since it was hidden under the right front splash fender liner. The only time the car got towed (due to not starting- not illegal parking ) was the ground wire to the fuel pump came off. That was my fault for not securing its clamp after a clutch job and it eventually broke off.

If you wind up driving the car in the snow, better pressure wash the crap out of the bottom and each spring. The salt gets stuck in nooks and crannies and corrodes parts.

Frank4202

I myself have a 97 with 60,000 miles. No electronic problems so far **knock on wood**

goombadi99

I have a 98 with some power adders and I wouldn't change it for the world. I don't understand the mentality sometimes of people. Your needs may differ from mine on why I wanted a c5. Some parts are hard to locate, sure. That wouldn't stop me from purchasing a1969 camaro lol. I bought mine because I love it. And yes I understand I'm comparing apples to oranges but I'm a mechanic so all the possible quark's don't bother me. I'll address them Should they ever arise .

Fcar 98

1998, All i do is drive it. I have personal knowledge of three 98 C5's and known have the problems that get so well spoken about. Cant denied the problems but just like any used car it is a roll of the dice. One other thing, some of what is stated above is not totally correct. Over time you will learn the gentleman to rely on

goombadi99

Let me rephrase my earlier comment. I have my reasons for purchasing my 1998. While Ill love the year the newer years have some nice improvements. If you are not mechanically inclined or if money is tight you might be better off with an 01 or newer. That's not to say that there is more than enough people on this forum to help walk you through repairs. I got a great deal on my 98 because alot of people overlook them for issues that some people have with these particular years. I didn't personally care too much because I was going to be modifying it so much anyway . even after all the modifications I have done I'm at 95000 miles and have not had any of the electrical gremlins that some have. Some people have had zero issues while others have had some. Let's face it. They all do. If you find what you want for a good price buy it and enjoy it.

Mike98SilVert

I have a '99 for over 10 years and drive it daily. Aside from 2 window regulators and the brake master cylinder the cars has performed flawlessly. These items typically fail on every brand car made.
I really maintain my car well and it in return has given me trouble free service. The interior, exterior, under hood and under carriage all still look new. People who don't know cars think my car is new. It's all in the way you take care of the car. There are some unavailable new OEM parts and what manufacturer continues to supply all parts for 12+ year old cars, but you can can find forum vendors who repair them or sell used replacement parts and eventually some aftermarket replacements should become available.
I suggest buying a car with fewest owners with service records and one that you can visually tell that it was well cared for regardless of its model year. Mileage and heavy modifications should also be a factor. Install a column lock bypass or LCM if one is not installed in the car you choose. I installed the LCM before any issues. 2001 and newer C5's with automatic transmissions only, do not have the column lock issues. All manual trans C5's will eventually have the column lock issue. It is mostly prevalent in cars with the battery not being charged frequently and the voltage falls below 12.2, it's also a good idea to get an AGM battery and one with Reserve Capacity of 120 or more.

This link will give you the info that you need:

http://www.corvetteactioncenter.com/...999/index.html

Select the model year in the center of the page and also look around the site and research technical service bulletins as well.