Scdynachopper

Jackie N

Firstly, if long term value is a priority I'd only look for a Z06. Some folks have qualms about the first year 2001 so 02-04 is safest bet in that regard. They're all hardtop and they're all manual trans.

For colors, it's subjective obviously but for long term value the whites and blues are best. To me, yellow and red are always a tougher sell. Black and silver are safe.

Have fun shopping!

70RT440

If you want something that will hold its value, you'll need to wait another 15-20 years when these stop being "old cars" and start being "classics."

buy what you like and enjoy it. Think of the money you lose on resale as an iijnvestment in your enjoyment.

grantv

If you'll be logging those kinda miles on almost any car, it'll be worthless at the end. Buy what tickles your fancy.

Velocity_Vette

Yeah the issue with your post OP is realistically C5s are not going to appreciate in value for likely another good two decades. It doesn't help that near every C5 owner thinks they need to have something super low mileage and babied, which is lowering the prices of every C5 across the board. Ironically if individuals actually drove their cars more C5s would increase in value, as it would diminish the low mileage cars and start making them bring a realistic premium, all the while giving well used cars a diminished value obviously but they themselves would act as a buffer for people not wanting to pay a premium for a lower mileage car.

If you're really bent on buying a C5 just buy one and drive it. By the time you put 200K miles on it it's going to be just another cheap high mileage C5 you may re-coop some money off of.

You do need to know some other things.

If you're putting 30K miles on a car a year you're likely going to have to change tires yearly. Tires on a C5 on a good run with a really conservative alignment may at the most see 35K; even the good ones. Most are lucky to get 25K-30K miles out of a set. Remember the tires are staggered, and with most tires in this segment of car being uni-directional they're not very easy to rotate. Most owners don't even bother. You'll have to realistically budget $800-$2,000 a year for tires.

Your driving habits are going to see six oil changes a year. If you do the oil changes yourself they're ~$45 if you get a good deal on synthetic and filter. If you go to a dealer or Corvette specialized shop expect an $75-$90 oil change each time.

You would want to get a manual transmission. All Z06 and 99-00 FRC models (what the Z06 is based off of) are manual transmission only. However for the targa and convertible the manual transmission was actually a cost option (~$900) and the ratio overall of manual transmission cars in those models are fairly low, which is making them bring a premium as people realize how flooded the market is with automatics. While it varies by year it's roughly 19%-24% of production that had a manual transmission. The reason why I keep pushing a manual is because interstate driven C5s cruise at 65 MPH turning roughly 1450 RPM and returning 33-34 MPGs stock. The four speed automatic has a VERY difficult time getting into the upper twenties even if babied. There was no way I was getting an automatic, and so I waited for the right six speed.

I'd also suggest that you really read up on issues between the years. Most of that is detailed here on the forum in General and Tech in the stickies. There are things that have and are occurring with pre-2001 cars that can make them seem like good deals. Read up on discontinued parts, EBCM issues, column lock issues, and all the other electrical and headaches these cars can have.

Doug1

Good post Velocity Vette!

I agree totally with grantv also.

Vetteman Jack

Velocity Vette has really covered it well. If you are putting 30K miles per year on the car, the car is not going to hold its value regardless of which model you choose. The Z06 models seem to hold their value a bit better than the coupe/vert.

If I were looking for a C5 and knew that I would be using it as a DD with 30K miles per year the average, I would try and find a nice, low mileage example so that after say 3-4 years you are still under 100K miles on the car.

3sACROWD

I agree with the others that remaining value is not something to consider if putting 30k per year on a Vette. Buy it, drive it, and enjoy it. When you sell it, get what you can and don't look back. Just remember the fun you had.

Here is my real world experience. I drive 40+k miles per year. (20+k on my Z06 and the rest on my truck). My miles are mostly highway. Oil changes are 10,000 miles or the oil life monitor whichever triggers first (generally the OLM still shows over 10% at 10,000 miles). MUST keep on eye on oil level when going that long. I'm usually down a quart at 5,000 miles. Tires can last 30k (Goodyear F1 supercars) - 45k (Continental DWS06) if you drive the Vette like a normal car most of the time. I have the PFADT alignment for street use. Vette has 284k miles and the truck has 125k.

Whatever you do. Buy the car that feels right in all aspects. If your gut isn't feeling it, keep looking. Sometimes you can put your finger on what is causing the consternation other times you can't. Don't talk yourself into a deal.

You may even want to consider a rebuilt or salvage title if you think you will drive it until the wheels fall off. Look for one that has had a decent amount of miles since the repair to know if issues are sorted out or if recent, know what the damage was that caused it to be salvaged. It doesn't take much to push these cars into the totaled category anymore. Just stay away from flood cars.

Good luck in your search.

jz94

70RT440

To answer the questions in your second paragraph, i wanted a convertible. A targa in my eyes was just an oversized sunroof, but a soft top is just one more thing to worry about. Prolonged exposure to SoCal sun will wear it out sooner than later. Also, they can leak and are noisier...not good for a daily.

As for color...around here, the only one that's a tough sell is yellow. Personally, i like black because because its subtly menacing and it makes accents like chrome wheels and red calipers POP, but any color but yellow is a safe bet.

you've gotta be a REAL extrovert to drive a yellow Vette

~Josh

Koufax

Yellow guy here. My vert has been my daily driver for 4 years (but only 8 months per year). It has been a very dependable (and enjoyable) car. I got a manual with 18k miles on the clock. I'm up to 68k now, still going strong. I expect t sell it with 125k or so miles on it and don't expect to get much money for it, but the buyer will be getting a really sweet deal.

Corvette#2

Yeah subjective obviously. But I think red (on a corvette) is always a safe bet..

White, black, and red seem to be the most popular colors. That's what will translate to the easiest resale. Silver is pretty neutral too. People might not love silver but don't hate it either. Yellow is definitely a tougher sell. I like blue, but I personally think it would be less popular than many other colors.

But if OP is seriously planning to buy a 50-80k mile car, drive it 30k a year and resell with 200k on the odometer, resale value is out the window. Just know you'll lose a lot of money. I bought a 6 speed Z51 with 45k miles about 4 years ago. I'll hit 100k this year. And I've put about 4-5k into maintenance over the years. Shocks, ac compressor, harmonic balancer, brakes, new radiator, various gaskets and hoses, a couple sets of tires, plus lots of other small stuff. Combined with the original purchase price, If I were to sell, I would take a bath. It's a depreciating asset, so I don't worry about it. They are fun to drive and do make good commuters IMO. I use mine as a daily driver. It's the only car I own. Life is too short to be driving a Honda.

Doug1

It's funny, I have never bought any vehicle (car or motorcycle) with the idea of resale value. I always dump money into it to fix things and customize. I don't antzy about something until there is basically nothing left to do to it. But then I think about all the time and money put into it that I know I won't get back. Haha. the fun is in the process.

Tsumi

Buy a high mileage car, drive the crap out of it, and don't worry about resale. 30k miles a year, as others have said, is going to tank the resale value. The only C5 Corvettes that are going to be worth anything in 10-20 years will have 20k miles or less. You can realistically get a 150k mile 01-04 C5 coupe for about 8-12k, and when you sell it in 10 years (based on current C4 prices), you will have lost out on maybe $5-8k. By that point, you will have spent well over $10k on maintenance.

IMO the best version for a daily driver is the coupe. IMO the hatchback is the easiest to access the trunk, and you can easily fit oversized stuff in there. I fit a 5 ft standing desk (disassembled of course) into the back of my C5 coupe, and numerous 5 and 6 foot racks that I got from work. Just scoot the passenger chair forward and fold it forward. Can't do that in an FRC (Z06) or convertible.

Tuco

C5's are stout rides. And IMO best bang for buck till this day...
Great gas mileage and performance compared to most car's in that category..
I am on my 5th and loving every minute of it.

Not4spd

While I enjoy my C5Z it is only driven on the weekend in fair weather days. I live in Texas so that's pretty much 12 months out of the year, but I couldn't imagine driving a manual every day especially with the heavy traffic where I live. Have you considered a CTS-V? I use a 2nd gen CTS-V for daily driving commuting and it comes from the factory with 556hp/551tq. Every bit of the power is useable when I want it and it never disappoints from handling to braking. Not to mention the interior is refined and the Recaro seats keep me comfortably planted when I'm having fun.

Tsumi

6L80 C6 Corvette would make more sense than jumping straight to a 2nd gen CTS-V IMO.

laurent_zo6

Don't think about resale value. It's like getting married and already thinking how much the divorce is going to cost you. . Not much to add to all the good points made above. A manual drive is more sporty but if you are going to be in traffic every day an automatic might make more sense. Just take your time in buying, there are plenty to choose from. See you on the road and remember to wave when you see us.

Rob 02

Black looks amazing when clean but near impossible to keep that way, especially if street parked.
I like the '02 model year for the C5.