I've had several Vettes over the years but never one with and automatic trans. I found an immaculate 2002 C5 Coupe that's one owner CA. car for $11k. I have two concerns.1.What's the reliability and durability of the automatic transmission and 2. How much should I be worried about the car having 98k miles on it. Any things I should pay close attention too or budget for considering the mileage?
This won't be my daily driver, just miss not having a C5 in the garage.
TIA

 

My 02 is an Auto....54k on it...never had a problem with the tran...

 

Mine is an 01 with 100k on it and the auto tranny is fine. As far as problems, the C5 has its issues and few are actually mileage related. Get a good inspection and if its in good shape go for it.

 

The last one i had is my Avatar, 2001 C5 Convertible. Sold with just under 50k miles on it to another Forum member.
I only put new headlight motors in it besides the usual maintenance.

 

I bought my '01 A4 a little over 7 years ago with 74,000 miles on it. It is now at 106,000 miles, 13 days and around 1,000 miles on the track. I had to replace the rear drive earlier this year because it started to whine, but the transmission is fine.

The A4 car does require cooling modifications if you are going to road course track it.

 

Thanks, I was hoping to hear from owners with the higher mileage cars.
Were you aware of any othere major repairs made to your car by the previous owner?

 

I have an A4 in mine but only 21K miles. No problems to date with the tranny - which to me is not surprising. In addition, not one problem with the car in the 7+ years I have owned it.

 

88k and climbing. Serviced at recommended mileage. works perfect. Mike

 

Hope this is not a jinx but I have an A4 with 145,000 miles.
P. S. Tranny temps are always at least 20 degrees cooler then the average "Forum" tranny temps. The Vette runs an average of 180 degrees between highway and traffic.

 

A4 with 184k, Engine is being rebuilt at the moment, but the trans still seems ok. Shifts a little slow for me, but I've been driving stick for last 13yrs.

 

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Did any C5 have anything besides the A4?

 

Any particular reason your trans temp is what it is? Is an external cooler needed especially in Summer temp traffic conditions?

 

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90k and trans is fine.

 

I have the maintenance history back to 2007, about 50,000 miles on the car. The only items of any significance were brake rotors and replace EBCM.

 

sdspeed might be interested in the following:

I bought this car on August 26, 2009 for my 65th birthday. What a great time I have had with it!

Even though it is coming up on 16 years old, it is still faster than I am and can hold its own with newer cars and younger drivers.

Pam, Thanks for the car.

At the track, the car number is my age. No. 71 was at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on May 16, 2016. Five years before, I was in Driver School at Buttonwillow Raceway, careening around the track in No. 66.

No. 72 was ready to go to Laguna Seca October 28, but it rained and poured, so I wimped out.

I will reschedule.

Still learning.

Jim



I have enjoyed this car more than any car I have ever owned. I am a tinkerer, a repairman, a driver of some disrepute. Minor projects accomplished include the following, most done by me but some, marked with an asterisk, were done by others. It takes six minutes to have the car in the air on jack stands in my garage and then I'm off to do whatever needs to be done.

August 26, 2009- purchased from Pam; Pam, thanks for the car.
September '09- New HVAC Controller
October - New Brass Headlight Gears
- Auxilliary Satellite Radio Receiver
December - Replace Park Brake Lever, Adjust. park brakes
- Iridium Spark Plugs, wires
- Screen under cowl to permanently keep mice OUT
January '10- Four Wheel Alignment *
February - Water Pump
March - Clean and dielectric grease all grounds
May - Auxiliary emergency hood release cables
- Pulley and tensioner bearings, two belts
July - Redline Lube in differential
- Insulate interior floors
August - Ignition Switch *
September - Blower Motor *
October - Water Pump #2
March '11- Flush Brakes
- TRACK DAY 1, No. 66 at Buttonwillow Raceway
May - Brake Pads *
July - B&M transmission Pan, Redline Fluid
August - TRACK DAY 2, No. 66 at Buttonwillow Raceway
October - Sway bar links, clean and grease sway bar bushings
January '12- Oil Pressure Sender Unit
March - Rear tires, Michelin Pilot Sport, non runflat, two TPM senders*
- TRACK DAY 3 No. 67 at Buttonwillow Raceway
- Front tires. Michelin Pilot sport, two TPM senders*
- TRACK DAY 4, No. 67 at Buttonwillow Raceway
May - Secondary Air Check Valves *
- Last significant rattle, creak, squeak FIXED!
June - Tow Hook Receiver, Tow Hook
July- Dec -Diagnosis, Doctors, Hospital, Operation and Recovery
March '13- Flush Brakes
- TRACK DAY 5, No. 68 at Laguna Seca
May - Ignition Switch #2*
- TRACK DAY 6, No. 68 at Buttonwillow Raceway
June - Friction Master Ceramic Brake Pads
August - Check front alignment, add smidgeon of toe in*
- Flush Brakes, AET Super Blue racing brake fluid
September - DeWitts racing radiator, hoses and Surge tank installed
- Change transmission fluid and filter
October - TRACK DAY 7, No. 69 at Laguna Seca
December - Hawk HP Plus brake pads
January '14 - TRACK DAY 8, No. 69 at Laguna Seca
April - Rebuild Front Calipers, flush brakes, install speed bleeders
May - Replace four slightly bent wheels with exact same used good wheels*
July - TRACK DAY 9, No. 69 at Laguna Seca
December - Auxiliary transmission cooler and fluid thermostat
- New front Michelin Super Sport tires*
- TRACK DAY 10, No. 70 at Laguna Seca
April '15 - Flush Brakes, AET Typ 200
May - Hook up engine oil cooler
- Insulate tie rod ends and lower ball joints
June - TRACK DAY 11, No. 70 at Laguna Seca
- New Michelin Pilot Super sport tires on rear
- Corvette turns 100,000 miles, 800 miles on the track
September - TRACK DAY 12, No. 71 at Buttonwillow Raceway
April '16 - New 3.73 RPM rear drive with Wavetrac differential, new shift cable*
- Doug Rippie Motorsports Bilstein Shock Absorbers all four corners
- Reprogram Power Control Module*
- Flush Brakes, AET Typ 200, 500 mile lube change on rear drive
May - Change transmission fluid and filter
- TRACK DAY 13, No. 71 at Laguna Seca

 

Sounds like the days when I had my 64'. When it wasn't on the track it was taking me work to feed the dream. Thank You!