Thinking about buying a C5
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 6,480
Likes: 555
Thinking about buying a C5
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.
Racer
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 479
Likes: 44
From: Northern Colorado
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.
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.
Last edited by RoninC5; Sep 16, 2016 at 03:17 PM.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
Administrator
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 368,136
Likes: 24,733
From: In a parallel universe. Currently own 2014 Stingray Coupe.
C7 of the Year - Modified Finalist 2021
MO Events Coordinator
St. Jude Co-Organizer
St. Jude Donor '03 thru '25
NCM Sinkhole Donor
CI 5, 8 & 11 Veteran
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.
Good luck.
Racer
Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 310
Likes: 25
From: Edmonton AB
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.
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.
Racer
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 259
Likes: 40
From: Summerville, SC
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.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 87,337
Likes: 1,590
From: Western NY
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 2,398
Likes: 768
From: jefferson texas
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!
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 6,480
Likes: 555