When’s the last time the OP even posted? He probably won’t even buy a c5, and he definitely won’t modify it, y’all are just wasting your time and energy trying to justify your own purchases.

 

I would not consider a stock motor of either, just too many current stock cars out there that can hang with or beat a stock C5 or Z06 Vette. Not hating JMHO

 

Sex on wheels. Z06 all the way

 

Sounds absolutely nasty! Well done. Do you have a build thread for the car? Curious about cam specs, heads, HP numbers, etc.

 

Stock heads ms4 cam 460ish/400 to the tire

 

Crazy numbers for stock 243 heads. I have been obsessing about heads and cams even before buying the car. You have given me much hope my 243 heads are adequate and may be the right option! haha.

And this is why a Z06 is a great choice if performance is your goal!!!!!

 

what's that suppose to mean, I don't know any current STOCK car that can out run or beat my Z, and I do race my Z ay the drags often, what do you run to know this

 

I think guys like me get annoyed when we have to see "oh only a Z06" over and over and over... When the reality is for someone like me. There's very limited value in a Z06 to me. I'm going to literally change everything on the car. Whether it's a z06 or not.

It's not like a Z06 got THE BEST of everything. it got GOOD parts that GM had "at the time". There's certainly room for improvement on a Z06. And if you like a stock Z06... hey. Cool. More power to you.

To me the epitome of an old man corvette is a stock C5. Z06 or not. It does nothing for me. And no matter what i bought, Z06 or coupe or FRC. the entire car was getting worked over. Earlier i got into it with someone over the cooling system. their argument was "stock is enough". Not for me. I have zero interest in leaving my car alone. I have zero interest in saying "it was designed that way so i'm leaving it that way".

so for MY purposes. the Z06 made no sense other than guys saying "ohhhhh it's a z06".

So saying "oh z06 is the only way to go" is probably why there's so much push back. Because while i wouldn't mind a Z06. And i kicked around a few before buying a coupe. I wasn't really all that interested in one. This is very similar to C6 guys not being able to understand someone buying a C5 instead of a C6 haha.

 

ok......

I run a forged, cammed 383 with a supercharger, 342 gears, built/stalled transmission. Those cars and stock Z06’s don’t compete.....that’s the way I wanted it, if a stock Z06 makes you happy, that’s fine but you’re living in the past if you think there are not plenty of new stock cars that can hang with or beat a stock Z06 on the street. I want it over in 3 or 4 seconds. So that’s what I mean.

Btw I said hang with (stay close) or beat, not outrun or beat, those two are the same thing.

 

This whole tortuous topic is the direct result of the mistake made when the Z06 specific pages were merged in with the general C5 pages on this forum. This topic keeps coming up, and people won't leave it alone. We never used to get all these "mine is bigger than yours" postings.

We all have our preferences and trying to convince people their preferences are wrong is a totally pointless exercise.

 

I beg to differ. The merging of the two subforums have nothing to do to it, and has everything to do with someone asking a comparison question and others feeling the need to flex their opinions as fact. A general C5 person might not have crossed over into the Z06 subforum, but Z06 members, which are the ones who seem to feel the need to flex the most, almost definitely cross into C5 general. Had the OP posted in the Z06 section when it was separate, the OP probably would not have gotten many opinions from the general members, while this post in the C5 general section would have almost definitely garnered the same responses.

In any case, continuing to argue without the OP making any input is entirely pointless.

 

Merging was bogus

 

A 6000lb truck vs a 3000 lb performance car. Great comparison my friend. I doubt even a stock c5z has ever been ‘embarrassed’ by a Silverado unless they were half asleep at the wheel.....

 

Yeah those mustangs are so much bigger and heavier. When i was deciding on what car to get I was looking at C5Zs and GT500s. The GT500s are huge in comparison.

 

I will say there's probably not anything youd want to buy that costs 20k and can beat a stock Z. The performance/price ratio is incomparable right now.

 

I bought a 2000 base coup. I then added every Z06 Suspension part or better, added better brakes, added Z06 Cooling ducts, added pfat sway bars, added a blower so my coup was 600hp, added upgrade clutch, massive cam, headers, and lots more I am sure. Had over $30,000 in the car. I sold it for $20,000.

Last week I bought a Z06.

Why... well one reason was the color which wont matter to op. I wanted black not green. I would have wrapped the coup but I had so much money in it already and it wasn't really streetable. It certainly wasn't trackable any more. Nothing would keep it cool. Blew several engines (builders fault). I will not track a blown car any more. The biggest reason I got ride of the coup and got a Z was pride. No mater what I did it wasn't a Z. I wanted a true Z to have a Z. I like to own the top dog cars. I have a 1996 LT4 Z51 because it is the best C4 you can get. (Argue LT5 some where else). Next, year I plan to add a C6Z and I have a 2015 Z28. The coup was always a base model and I simply wanted the real Z at shows, track events and sitting in my garage.

If you go coup... make sure it is the body you want and not the pride of having the big dog of the C5's.
I greatly prefer the Z06. Im shocked how much more power it has stock. If mine really is stock. Im not sure it is about that. Either way the Z is the better car for me. Expensive lesson learned. I'm pretty sure I will never settle for the low model car again. Ill just keep saving till I can get the real one.

 

The 2002+ Z06 have approximately 70+ HP and ft-lbs advantage over a 2000 LS1, plus lower gearing courtesy of the MN12 transmission. Once again, I will disagree about the C5 Z06 being that much better than a base C5 especially when both are built to the same level, but the C6 Z06 is a different story due to the aluminum frame. But to each his own. If you want the best stock C5, Z06 is the way to go. If you plan on engine modding either one, the costs of modding both will be about the same so just pick the preferred body style.

 

Agreed, and it's why I bought one. They're such a bargain. I was considering all sorts of toy cars to replace my Datsun... Z06 was easily the top value proposition. There are great deals to be had now too as I feel they've bottomed in price.

 

Not sure why you quoted me. I was giving the op my impression on both as I have had them both. Actually had $40,000 invested in a base coup and hated that it was not a Z06. Huge mistake not starting with a Z06. My coup was better in every way except one. It didn't have a Z06 badge. Thus every Corvette event some would ask why didnt I get a Z06 or Say something like what you couldn't afford the Z06.

 

1. Seems like you didn't read my response in its entirety.
2. You are very easily swayed by other people's opinions. Which is fine, if that is the way you want to live. I keep getting asked why I don't get my Corvette painted because "it's a waste leaving a Corvette looking like that." I ignore them because I don't want to feel the need to wash and wax my car every time I take it for a spin. It's not a garage queen, it's a high performance beater.