Have you ever noticed...
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,037
Likes: 120
What I mean is that if you are serious about acceleration get a 4.10 gear set in the final drive. No, I have not done it myself. But I have not heard of anyone who regrets the swap.
Racer
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 299
Likes: 26
From: N. E. Texas
C5z
My '02 C5Z has a billet custom grind cam, long tube headers, aftermarket heads, ported intake, DRM shocks, Callaway DD pipes. It shakes, rattles and rumbles. I'm 68 yrs. old and I creak, groan and grumble. We're both "old school" and are a perfect match. I couldn't be happier, and that's what counts !!!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 6,528
Likes: 752
From: South Dakota
I got a kick out of this thread about people bashing a C5.
Part of it is true. It is getting older, doesn't have some new tech, seats are not very good, styling is subjective, etc.
However, it is a great platform that has good performance, handling, economy, looks, and is just plain fun to drive. The bang for the buck is hard to beat. If you want more performance it is an easy and inexpensive car to make significant improvements. I went with a Vararam, Fast intake manifold, LG headers and B&B exhaust, and a tune. As it sits is about 400 hp, gets over 30 mpg on the highway, and runs in the 12's. I also put on C6 Z51 sway bars and a MGW shifter. It handles great and brings a smile every time I drive it.
Some people bash it for not having the latest tech, etc, but also think about the maintenance. How many of the new features fail when they get older? We are starting to see it on the C5's, but the newer cars will only be worse as they age. Our cars are at a point where there is some tech, but still at a point where they can be maintained by an average DIY mechanic. And the DIC code reading and FOB and tire training are pluses that got lost with the C6.
I think it is kind of funny that the C5's are getting bashed. I also have a C4 and they get bashed every day. I have an LT4 6 speed with some minor mods and it also runs in the 12's. The seats are definitely better than the C5's.
Both the C4 and C5 are inexpensive, reliable, perform great, handle great, good mileage and are great road cars too. For me it is hard to bash something that does so many things well, looks great and is a blast to drive.
Part of it is true. It is getting older, doesn't have some new tech, seats are not very good, styling is subjective, etc.
However, it is a great platform that has good performance, handling, economy, looks, and is just plain fun to drive. The bang for the buck is hard to beat. If you want more performance it is an easy and inexpensive car to make significant improvements. I went with a Vararam, Fast intake manifold, LG headers and B&B exhaust, and a tune. As it sits is about 400 hp, gets over 30 mpg on the highway, and runs in the 12's. I also put on C6 Z51 sway bars and a MGW shifter. It handles great and brings a smile every time I drive it.
Some people bash it for not having the latest tech, etc, but also think about the maintenance. How many of the new features fail when they get older? We are starting to see it on the C5's, but the newer cars will only be worse as they age. Our cars are at a point where there is some tech, but still at a point where they can be maintained by an average DIY mechanic. And the DIC code reading and FOB and tire training are pluses that got lost with the C6.
I think it is kind of funny that the C5's are getting bashed. I also have a C4 and they get bashed every day. I have an LT4 6 speed with some minor mods and it also runs in the 12's. The seats are definitely better than the C5's.
Both the C4 and C5 are inexpensive, reliable, perform great, handle great, good mileage and are great road cars too. For me it is hard to bash something that does so many things well, looks great and is a blast to drive.
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 1,660
Likes: 365
From: SF Bay Area
I got a kick out of this thread about people bashing a C5.
Part of it is true. It is getting older, doesn't have some new tech, seats are not very good, styling is subjective, etc.
However, it is a great platform that has good performance, handling, economy, looks, and is just plain fun to drive. The bang for the buck is hard to beat. If you want more performance it is an easy and inexpensive car to make significant improvements. I went with a Vararam, Fast intake manifold, LG headers and B&B exhaust, and a tune. As it sits is about 400 hp, gets over 30 mpg on the highway, and runs in the 12's. I also put on C6 Z51 sway bars and a MGW shifter. It handles great and brings a smile every time I drive it.
Some people bash it for not having the latest tech, etc, but also think about the maintenance. How many of the new features fail when they get older? We are starting to see it on the C5's, but the newer cars will only be worse as they age. Our cars are at a point where there is some tech, but still at a point where they can be maintained by an average DIY mechanic. And the DIC code reading and FOB and tire training are pluses that got lost with the C6.
I think it is kind of funny that the C5's are getting bashed. I also have a C4 and they get bashed every day. I have an LT4 6 speed with some minor mods and it also runs in the 12's. The seats are definitely better than the C5's.
Both the C4 and C5 are inexpensive, reliable, perform great, handle great, good mileage and are great road cars too. For me it is hard to bash something that does so many things well, looks great and is a blast to drive.
Part of it is true. It is getting older, doesn't have some new tech, seats are not very good, styling is subjective, etc.
However, it is a great platform that has good performance, handling, economy, looks, and is just plain fun to drive. The bang for the buck is hard to beat. If you want more performance it is an easy and inexpensive car to make significant improvements. I went with a Vararam, Fast intake manifold, LG headers and B&B exhaust, and a tune. As it sits is about 400 hp, gets over 30 mpg on the highway, and runs in the 12's. I also put on C6 Z51 sway bars and a MGW shifter. It handles great and brings a smile every time I drive it.
Some people bash it for not having the latest tech, etc, but also think about the maintenance. How many of the new features fail when they get older? We are starting to see it on the C5's, but the newer cars will only be worse as they age. Our cars are at a point where there is some tech, but still at a point where they can be maintained by an average DIY mechanic. And the DIC code reading and FOB and tire training are pluses that got lost with the C6.
I think it is kind of funny that the C5's are getting bashed. I also have a C4 and they get bashed every day. I have an LT4 6 speed with some minor mods and it also runs in the 12's. The seats are definitely better than the C5's.
Both the C4 and C5 are inexpensive, reliable, perform great, handle great, good mileage and are great road cars too. For me it is hard to bash something that does so many things well, looks great and is a blast to drive.
The C5 is a great car for the money, and that is why I drive one as my daily driver. However, that does not prevent me from acknowledging that it has its share of problems. Fortunately, as others have stated, the aftermarket community easily makes up for what GM neglected.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 6,528
Likes: 752
From: South Dakota
That is what this whole thread started from. Here is the OP's first post.
...how the C5 is constantly berated for the aspects of it that are considered dated? For example, people trash it for it's interior all the time, saying it's design is dated, it has cheap materials, and it lacks the tech gizmos of today. Well duh, it was designed 20 years ago, what do they expect? I don't hear people doing this with previous generation Vettes, why do they do it with the C5? They also rag on it because the stock LS1 has such a low output compared to some of today's cars. Again, what do they expect for a 20 year old design? I wonder if they trash the C5 for this stuff because its exterior still looks relatively modern?
Instructor
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 196
Likes: 1
From: ct
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
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
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 198
Likes: 23
From: Boca Raton FL
The C5's sub-par interior was panned even when the cars were new:
http://www.motortrend.com/cars/chevr...-corvette-z06/
With 15-20 years of age, this obviously hasn't improved.
If there’s one place where this super Vette (indeed, all of them) falls flat, it’s the interior. While the seats grip and ergonomics are decent, the materials and finish look like they come from a car costing dramatically less. Its rubber-covered switches feel cheesy, and the speaker grilles can be easily dented by a knee. The leather quality is just average. Yes, we’re glad GM put the money in the motor and chassis, but a car this engaging deserves a higher-quality cabin.
With 15-20 years of age, this obviously hasn't improved.
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 198
Likes: 23
From: Boca Raton FL
Wrapping is different, and involves physically covering the item with a layer of glued-on fabric/vinyl.
There's also plasti-dip, which is a rubberized paint, but the finish you get from it is not as good as what you get from hydrodipping or wrapping.