Gordy M

What are you going to use the car for, if HPDE then find a car you want and make the changes. If autocrossing is your main goal, then Z51 is a must. The 97-00 used the earlier TC/AH hardware and logic while the 01-04 used the second generation with updated hardware. The pre-00 Corvettes had the first gen. Z51 package while all 00-04 had the 2nd generation.

If autocrossing then a 2000+ is the way to go, if you ad anything other than shocks and front sway bar you go to Street Prepared and you will be hopelessly outclassed. In BS trim, you will be highly competitive with all the others in the class.

Regarding the EBCM, the parts for the 2000 and earlier have been discontinued while the parts for the 01+ are starting to fall in the same category. Once a car gets 15+ yrs old eventually all the parts become scarce. Since I have had Corvettes from 1958 on up, driving without TC/AH is not a big deal, you just have to worry about locking up the brakes. In autocrossing I quite often beat all the Z's and C6's with my stock 00. When I have had the TC/AH lights come on it has been accelerometer, wheel bearings, ABS harness, etc problems and not the EBCM. That being said, the higher the mileage on the drivetrain the greater the chance for products wearing out.

mark4cam

I had a modified 86 944 turbo, loved that car. Right up until I blew the engine at Road Atlanta! Then it had to go. I have been looking for another one, but I've got history with Corvettes too, and the aftermarket, maintenance costs, and availability mean I'm definitely going with a C5. Just need to find the right 6-speed car for the right price.

Yep, I'm going to pass on this car. Found an 04 CE that looked nice, until I talked to the guy. He seems straight, but auction car, radiator cracked, only 1 top, too many questions. Found a Z06 I'm going to check out this afternoon. Has a bad 3rd gear synchro, otherwise seems really clean. A rebuilt transmission won't be a bad thing, if I can get the car for the right price.

mark4cam

Autocross and the occasional HPDE, and I do like staying in the stock classes. Definitely not a top tier guy, so I'm not going for championships or anything, just don't want to be last. Been doing it for 20 years and have a lot of fun with it. This car will be my primary driver too, and I live in the mountains, so fun on the local roads is probably the main mission.

FirstC4

Most C5's will only have one 1 top. The take rate on the dual top package was only around 30% on average.

DetroitPlac

Yep.

My car came with the glass top only. Then I found a matching body color top at the scrap yard. I used it for a summer, then put the glass one in for the fall, and it's been in for the last two years. The painted top is just sitting in a cover in my garage. It's really nice on super HOT days, but that's about it.

DetroitPlac

The thing is, with C6 parts bolting on, you can swap on better "stock" parts from the C6 and nobody would be the wiser. If you're not competing in national events, it's a non-issue. If you're considering cars with LT headers and intakes, you're already out of stock class anyway.

DetroitPlac

My 951 got me through so many track days, it was impressive. All over California from Willow Springs to Laguna Seca. That thing was a champ, but took a ton of maintenance to keep it as such.

That's what's great about Corvettes in contrast. Simple maintenance and they'll run hard for a long time.

The Z06 provides a few more benefits over a Z51 on a coupe. Lighter, stiffer, trans gearing, etc...you can't add those on to a coupe really. But you can make a coupe pretty darn close. It's all about the price. There's a premium for the Z06 badges.

FirstC4

I'm just the opposite, I leave the painted top on all the time and never used the glass top. If it's nice out the top is off.

Corvette#2

I'm not convinced the C6 sway bars or springs are better than what comes on a Z51 C5. I drive my car quite aggressively and body roll just isn't an issue. I know forum vendors are always pushing C6 springs and sway bars, but I figured it's for a commercial interest. The spring rates between C5/C6 Z51 are almost identical. Although I gather the C6 rear has a different geometry than the C5.

Shocks are another matter. My motorcycle has factory upgraded ohlins shocks and fork and I've ridden the lower spec model with sachs and the difference is noticeable. But leaf springs and sway bars - stiffer/bigger isn't necessarily better. Can upset steering balance and introduce an under/oversteer situation.

DetroitPlac

Comes down to driver preference and how they like the car setup. I prefer soft springs, stiff shocks, and beefy sway bars. I can accomplish all that with stock parts which is awesome. If you're the type of person that doesn't like tinkering with stuff, then starting with a Z51 or Z06 gets you a bit further along. But it sounds like the OP doesn't mind getting a bit dirty, so I think it's worth pointing out how much you can do to a base car on a budget.

In auto-x, you generally want the largest sway bars possible. Z51 bars are a great start, but C5Z bars are a bit bigger yet. The sweetest spot is the slightly larger than C5Z C6 Z51 rear bar combined with a C6 ZR1 front bar, which is the largest that came on a factory C5/6. The beefy front bar helps with front-end dive in tight corners (which reduces understeer), while the slightly softer rear bar keeps the back end from sliding out too much. Bonus that these are all stock parts, so depending on how competitive you are, you can get away with being in stock classes.

There's a huge menu of stock parts to play with to get the car setup to a driver's preference. I like starting with a low baseline and making incremental improvements to hit the sweet spot. It took me a few years to get my car setup how I like it, but that's part of the fun for me.

mark4cam

Just a quick update, we bought a truck...which is decidedly NOT a Corvette! But we needed a truck too, and just happened on the perfect one for sale so that purchase came first. That does mean the Subaru has to be sold now, before I can pick up the Vette I want. Luckily it has been sold, but the buyer can't pick it up for three weeks - extenuating circumstances which I am fine with.

All that said, I will keep updating this thread. But won't be making a purchase for at least the next three weeks.

Waiting sucks.

mark4cam

Bumping this thread just to say, the Subaru sold, the truck is in the shop, been driving a loaner Ford Focus (which isn't a bad car), and I finally bought a C5! I couldn't have planned it better, found pretty much exactly the car I wanted, which amazed me. I'll post another thread with the details.