Last year, when the odometer read 90k miles on my, mostly stock, C5 coupe, I began seriously looking at prices for this model. A reasonable price on my car was no more than $13,000. I am keenly aware that Mileage is King when appraising any C4+, and I was clearly and quickly being drained of royalty. I’ve driven the car just less than 40,000 miles since 2007, when I paid $21,000 for a DBGM Z51 A4 coupe in very good condition (needed paint & get rid of that tobacco smell) and equipped with all available optional features except for glass roof panel, selective ride control, mag wheels, CD changer and…something I can’t recall. It has all the rest. Today, $13k will not buy any car that gives me the pleasure of driving, and just looking at my Corvette. Nothing short of $30k is likely to fill those shoes (or pads or tires or whatever), and that sum doesn’t quite fit within my definition of “disposable income”. Particularly when I like this car so much.

Oh, sure, I would probably reduce my expenses by driving any of a number of 60s cars that appeal to a Boomer like me, rather than keep dealing out my credit card every 5,000 miles or so, as I do now. But, would that be enough compensation? A good British sports car is something I’ve never owned. I’ve driven only a couple, but was so impressed with the handling that it was riveting. Not something I can say about a ‘vette. But, will that be enough to balance the loss of instantaneous point-and-shoot lane changes on the freeway? I reasoned that I was too old and too poor to keep switching my “pleasure craft”.

So, I decided to keep the 2000 ‘Vette. I put on my second set of Michelin Pilot Sports. This time, I had them install a set of Bilstein B6 shocks. Abracadabra! It handles and rides the way the journalists said it did, for the first time since I bought it. I was negligent in not doing the shocks sooner. Really negligent. 40,000 miles negligent. I needed and got 4 new rotors with my new brake pads. I replaced the crummy original audio head with a new Kenwood Excelon (I don’t recommend that one, but it’s absolutely an improvement). I included Sirius/XM and forward&back-up cameras. Although the new system has plenty of power, we left the Bose system in place to continue to power the original speakers. The new console required for the double-DIN audio looks great, includes a USB port (replacing the non-functioning cig lighter) and a real cup-holder, and only took lots of trouble to properly adjust to the other original trim.

Now, I’m waiting to let my bank account catch its breath. Then, I will have the fuel pump replaced (yes, drop the tank). I am told this will correct the fuel starvation that occurs under hard acceleration above 90mph (not me, officer) which trips the check-engine light. Like many 2000-2001 models (I’m told), the fuel gauge sensor fails at around 3/8 of a tank, and screams silently at me in the Head Up and the DIC, telling me the tank is empty, until there is a bit less than 1/8 remaining and the gauge magically starts working again. I am promised the new fuel pump will correct the problem. Down the road, my upholstery-care negligence will also appear, with its hand in my pocket. I keep shopping for both original-style leather & replacement padding & new lumbar/side bolster bladders. I can hear the motors running, but…

I will let the steering column height-adjusting lever remain disconnected from the actual steering column (it still works great, it just falls off occasionally). I will continue to fail to get the sucker detailed before the L.A. County freeways and fun-roads destroy its paint finish at the nose.

Man, I look at that car and say to myself, “Nice car. Good choice.” (fist bump).