grampi50

I'm looking to buy one that's under $20K, and just from what little looking around I've done, it looks like that would get me a late 90s thru early 2000s model, depending on the mileage/condition. Looking for a bright red one (do they call that Rally Red?) with a 6 speed manual. I read the stickies for new buyers, a lot of good info there. Was just wondering if anyone can offer up any other info that might be good to know. Also, didn't these manual trannies have something in them that basically forced you to shift from 1st to 4th gear when you weren't getting on it pretty hard? And isn't there something you can do to bypass that? Also, what are some good sites for finding Vettes that are for sale? I've looked at autotrader.com, but there's got to be other/better sites for this, I just don't know what they are. Thanks.

RoninC5

Torch Red is the coolest Red IMHO..... You can google that one

You can easily fix the auto shift to 4th. In fact, I would be surprised if you found a car without it.... That was the one and only mod done to mine when I bought it... Compliance parts.com http://www.complianceparts.com/c5cags-skip.html OR there is a device that connects right on the tranny but you have to lift the car for that one.

Look on this site for cars for sale. Some great opportunities out there at the moment. Start here- (https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...s-for-sale-52/) if nothing else you get a feel for what's out there and pricing. I always peek at my local Craigs list. Good luck! Great time to buy.

Pounder

do it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Smoken1

I would recommend 2001 or newer. More parts are still available, for used parts I use vettenuts.net

Koufax

Have fun with your search, don't overthink it, it's a great car. Just figure out what features you want and grab one.

Jeff T.

Pounder

my 99 takes offense to your statement

Smoken1

coia96vette

Been thinking about selling my '04. Don't drive it much since the divorce. It's black on black Z51 auto though. Can send you pics and more details if you are interested.

jdvann

What part of the world do you live in? No info in your profile. Region makes a difference when it comes to pricing.

Vetteman Jack

For around $20K, you should be able to get into an '01+ car that may have a bit over 50K miles on it but is still in very good shape. Be sure to be patient and look at a number of examples. Sometimes one will jump out at you right away, but often it takes some searching to find just the one you want. Be sure you also figure out which colors/options you want too. And don't be afraid to travel a distance to find the right one.

Good luck.

Ducati Guy

Here in NY in April I bought a stock 2001 coupe with 47k on it for 14,000

deejbee

OP. Just for reference, and obviously this will vary by region/country/economy of your area etc..

I found some 2000'ish C5's for about $14k Canadian, which is a touch over $10 000 USD.
We paid about $11500 for our 1999 C5. It has about 90000 miles on it and in surprisingly good condition, but not without some issues. Mostly cosmetic.

So $20k in USD would get you close to a Z06 in my area. You should be able to get a lot of car for that. Before we bought our car we were thinking of getting a 2004 Z06 with about 48000 miles on it and the guy was asking about the equivalent of $19600 USD for it. A steal for a 2004. It was just out of our price range, though.

This is my first C5, and one thing you should be aware of is that if you need parts, some can be difficult to find. Not impossible, but you might have to poke around for awhile to find them.

For example, I have a manual HVAC panel that I wanted to replace as it had a scratch on it. I searched all over the USA and Canada and only found 3 that were in good shape.

You will like these cars. I came from owning a lot of nice cars including LS1 Camaro SS's, Ford Lightning, Dodge RAM SRT-10 and the Vette is the most fun to drive. They are a blast to scoot around in.

FX VETTE

caddman11

You've come to the wrong place if you think anyone on here is going to push you in another direction and you've come to the right place if you are asking questions that only a C5 owner can give. When I was looking, the folks here were so beneficial to me I can't express enough thanks. C5's are great cars and when you listen here, everyone else thinks so too. Good luck with the buy, pick out a good one and enjoy.

steig

Torch Red

leadfoot4

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...ble-value.html

friou

Hello, like one of the posters above I too have owned a bunch of widely varied performance cars during my life. I will agree with others that the C5 is the performance bargain of the century, providing that you choose with care. You've read the stickies, good deal! Some say I'm too cautious but I would suggest that you insist on accident (meaning none) and maintenance records and a full end to end by a good vette shop/tech fluent in C5's. There are a pretty fair number of really nice C5's out there nationwide if you look. Way too many available to settle for a problem car. I would further suggest that you decide exactly what you want in your C5, right down to the color and then go patiently shopping for that car. I can just about guarantee you that its out there. A member above suggested this forums C5's for Sale section and I would add to check "cargurus.com" for a nationwide look at whats available and pricing. You will be surprised at the number of C5's available and the variety. Be demanding, fussy, it'll pay off in the long run. Remember, the hunt is half the fun!! Best wishes and good luck!

grampi50

No offense, but I gotta have a torch red one and a manual tranny...

grampi50

Why do you recommend a 2001 or newer?