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Ive been into cars my whole life, Ive owned older Supras, MR2, Hondas....that was when I lived in the country I moved to a big city a few years ago and a year I finally got a garage for my 2006 Civic Si aka new winter beater. Ive never owend a V8 and always admired Corvettes, mostly the C5.
So this is a summer car, first V8, first Vette, I really love it, after I park it I always have to look back in admiration.
Im very happy with getting a 1997, with 56K on it. I don’t need a Z06 living in the city, I don’t care for dual climate control or HUD or other options as I think they are gimmicky and will probably break in new models, 1997 means I paid much less than the 2002 I was considering. Only mod is has is air filter and c6 shifter kit, I will do no mods to it. I will be daily driving it through fall.
Here are a few thoughts/questions coming from a guy that’s driven smaller imports his whole life.
So much torque at low RPMs!!! Is it bad for the car if I shift below 2000 RPM? Sometimes I wanna shift around 1500 RPM, will this get me better gas mileage?
This car is the longest widest car I've ever owned! I thought it would have a smaller car feel it doesn't, haha.
Steering doesn't feel super tight, is there a good mod for this?
This car scrapes all time and make me sad, requires a very flat road.
This is faster than any car I've owned, I love scarring my passengers in it because most have they've never been in a two seater this fast.
Targa top leaked a little, I put some dielectric grease on it and learned how to seat it better, now it doesn’t leak at all!
CAGS needs to be eliminated
Oil pressure gauge is broken, I think I know how to fix this...the sensor breaks often?
This is something I need help with...I've had this car 2 weeks and about four times all my instruments cluster gauges suddenly max out and then drop...freaks me out. I never happens over a bump, the engine doesn't skip a beat, what could this be?
Ive been into cars my whole life, Ive owned older Supras, MR2, Hondas....that was when I lived in the country I moved to a big city a few years ago and a year I finally got a garage for my 2006 Civic Si aka new winter beater. Ive never owend a V8 and always admired Corvettes, mostly the C5.
So this is a summer car, first V8, first Vette, I really love it, after I park it I always have to look back in admiration.
Im very happy with getting a 1997, with 56K on it. I don’t need a Z06 living in the city, I don’t care for dual climate control or HUD or other options as I think they are gimmicky and will probably break in new models, 1997 means I paid much less than the 2002 I was considering. Only mod is has is air filter and c6 shifter kit, I will do no mods to it. I will be daily driving it through fall.
Here are a few thoughts/questions coming from a guy that’s driven smaller imports his whole life.
So much torque at low RPMs!!! Is it bad for the car if I shift below 2000 RPM? Sometimes I wanna shift around 1500 RPM, will this get me better gas mileage?
This car is the longest widest car I've ever owned! I thought it would have a smaller car feel it doesn't, haha.
Steering doesn't feel super tight, is there a good mod for this?
This car scrapes all time and make me sad, requires a very flat road.
This is faster than any car I've owned, I love scarring my passengers in it because most have they've never been in a two seater this fast.
Targa top leaked a little, I put some dielectric grease on it and learned how to seat it better, now it doesn’t leak at all!
CAGS needs to be eliminated
Oil pressure gauge is broken, I think I know how to fix this...the sensor breaks often?
This is something I need help with...I've had this car 2 weeks and about four times all my instruments cluster gauges suddenly max out and then drop...freaks me out. I never happens over a bump, the engine doesn't skip a beat, what could this be?
Welcome!
1. Shifting below 2000RPM is no problem
2. Its because the car is so low. Corvettes are actually pretty small.
3. Get the car aligned. It will make a diffeeence. Also, check your tie rod ends for wear.
4. Is the car lowered? I scrape on occasion...but definitely not all the time.
5. Yeah...not bad for 350 horses.
6. Might have to replace the weatherstripping.
7. Easy job and cheap part. I think its a 20 dollar part on Amazon.
8. Check the stickies. I think its a relatively common problem.
9. Does it do it when you start the car? Its supposed to.
You need to find out of your car has the steering lock bypassed, I got stranded at movie theater last summer, then I ordered a part called LMC5 from a company in California called Compliance Parts, now I don't have to worry about being stranded by locked column glitch.
I bought the CAGS skip device, same time I ordered the LMC5, from same company, but have been lazy and haven't put it on yet, but apparently it's installed near the battery.
Sometimes I drive and make a left turn, going behind a slow vehicle, it gets me, then I think "I need to install that kit"
These cars get pretty good mpg, especially the manual if you drive it nice.
I'm getting GF's old broke down(been sitting for a year, she got a new Kia Soul) 2007 PT Cruiser, non turbo automatic fixed to be a drive to work beater, on the highway the 5.7 gets 2 mpg better than the 2.4, according to mpg.gov. Haha!
I have a thing about 5th and 6th gears, don't shift into 5th until about 45 mph, and 6th at least 60 mph, while easing car.
Tires are a little pricey, especially run flats.
Mine is still stock also, except for the steering lock bypass, a Katech remote clutch bleeder, and when I stop procrastinating the CAGS bypass.
Welcome, I came from an 07 Civic Si sedan. It's a big difference, mainly the torque.
The Oil Pressure sensor is a pretty common problem, not too bad to replace it, there are lots of options for that. You can cut the cowl or remove the intake manifold to get to it. Relocation isn't a bad idea either, since its a pretty common issue that will come up again. Honestly, I'd pull the cowl and check if anybody has cut a hole for access already. My car was cut by the previous owner, haven't had to replace mine yet, but at least he did the dirty work.
CAGS delete is a pretty simple fix, installs on the transmission in about 10 minutes once you get the car up high enough. These cars scrape, it's just a fact. Consider the lower front air dam a wear item. These cars do feel a bit wide at first, but you quickly get used too, it's much more nimble then a Civic Si once you get the hang of it. A company called Doug Rippie Motorsports makes a solid steering rack bushing that tightened up my steering a bunch, but I'd also do some inspection on the swaybar endlinks/bushings and the tie rods. Any wear is extremely pronounced in these cars. But I'll tell you now, the steering in a C5 is one of it's weaker points as far as driving dynamics. It can be improved, but will always be bit vague. On the bright side, if you can get a handle on how it steers, you'll find these cars are EXTREMELY capable. They grip and handle very very competently. An alignment and tires is always a good idea.
Lastly, use these forums for research, sometimes the answer is a bit hard to find, but trust me, this forum is full of pretty much every C5 issue you could think of. People have been posting on here since the things were brand new rolling out of the factory.
Welcome to the insanity. It sure is a thrill to have such a fun and beautiful car. It puts a smile on my face every time I walk into the garage and see it shinning back at me.
Having lived a few years in Chicago, thinking about driving my vette there stresses me out. I scrape all the time on the close to perfect San Diego roads. Cant imagine dodging those pot holes. That being said, corvette ownership seems well worth it. Buy some braces for the front radiators supports if there arent any on there.
Congrats and welcome to the forum.
I’ve had my C5 for five years now and I still share your enthusiasm every time I look at it. It was a lifetime dream that came true upon retirement for me, and I hope to enjoy it for many years to come, and that you will as well.
I knew nothing about my car as far as working on it when I bought it, but this forum has been amazing in providing information on everything about these cars.
With this forum and a set of service manuals, I’ve done a lot of things to mine to change to my personal liking, and I do all preventative maintenance myself, which saves me a lot of money and is enjoyable.
Enjoy the ride brother!
Got a Vette!!!
