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I have been looking at Corvettes for around a year and had a few threads in these forums asking questions and advice. It has been a roller coaster as I have looked at many cars and they either are in much worst shape than the pictures online indicate or mechanics tell me to walk away or forum members tell me I should keep looking. I still think Imissed the boat on the FRC I almost got as now after a year of looking I have a pretty good idea on the cost of these cars and what is out there. For the last few months, one car just kept tweaking my interest and popping up and the Owner was gracious in responding to emails spanning over a few months as I was really looking for a Z06.
In the end I decided to go for something that was inexpensive and had all the boring stuff done, but has all the basics and suspension mods done and is one of the colors I like in the Corvette and is ready for me to do an engine build that I want. It is not so pristine that I would worry all the time parking it in a parking lot, but nice enough to be proud of it and enjoy driving it. So I think I got something that will be fun on date night and cruising around town. Now driving long distance may be another thing as after a 2.5 hour drive home with the car yesterday, I realized how loud it was inside! LOL
So far so good, I have to get use to the shifter, it is a very tight pattern and definitely takes some force to shift, but feels very tight and mecahnical, found myself taking off in third a few times as I thought I had it in first, they are just real close together, but I have barely driven it and will get use to it. Emergency brake cable gone and A/C not working are the two things that I know of that are broke. It is quite different from my built 327 in my 47 Chevy, it revs high, is explosive and has a definite power band, this car is very "torquey", always has power and you end up going faster than you would think real fast, but it is mannered and not scary and is always in control. It sems to be a great handling road car (just loud inside) and really hugs the road and you really have to be squirrelly to get any body roll, it is very stiff and well planted and handles great. My step son who's red Mustang is in some of the pictures below basically said after getting a ride when I got home: "this is visceral, agile and race car like while your 944 Turbo is more precise and nimble feeling, definitely two different cars". I thought it was basically what I have thought before when test driving cars, this car is far more planted than the built C4s I have driven and feels more planted and stiff than some of the C5s I have tried, figure upgraded tunnel plate and C6 Z06 shocks and sway bars are the reason for that. Anyway, that is the take so far.
I figure this winter I may install a cam, LS6 Intake and Heads and then just drive it from then on and enjoy it as I have other projects and I got this to have something fun to drive while I work on other projects. I appreciate everyone who has offered advise on this forum, a great group and now I feel like a real member now that I actually own a Vette!
So basically it is a 1997 Base with 123,000 miles with the following items I can remember:
Vararam VRB2 Intake
MGW Shifter
Borla X pipe & Borla ATAK catback exhaust
Xeon headlights
DBA T3 4000 series slotted rotors
C7 Luk clutch
Tick Performance Adjustable Clutch Master Cylinder and remote bleeder (10K miles)
C6 Z06 Shocks / sway bars
Solid engine / transmission mounts
Elite Engineering 3/8" tunnel plate
Elite Engineering catch can
Touchscreen navigation
Rebuilt torque tube
New Harmonic Balancer
New power steering unit and serviced steering rack
New headlight gears
Re-foamed seat
New seat covers
Updated seat rails
Last edited by TheAllusionist; Apr 29, 2019 at 12:55 AM.
Love the red accents in the cockpit. The red thing to the left in the driveway...….hmmmmm, not diggin' that! lol
It can't help it, it's a Ford! Lol step son's car, I am guilty of helping him get it, not thinking of the repercussions. Now I live with a diehard Ford fanatic....
I thought about silver speed lingerie bra and mirror covers to be unique, but the black theme is working and contrast with red accents well, so thought I would stuck with black.
Now a Corvette Owner
