AS a Gm engineer I can tell you the C5 is head and shoulders above any c2 or C3... the drive train was primitive and designed to last 60,000 miles.. at least that was the certification standard back then... The C5 LSX motor was certified to 200,000 miles...they also were lucky to get 15 mpg. The C5 gets 28 to 30... Body panels used fiberglass fibers and gel coat. the C2 were loaded with stress cracks, ( because of too much gel coat ) ( 60% gel coat 40 % fibers ) much like peanut brittle ...after a few years... the C3 were better
( 60% fibers 40 % gel... more flexable with less stress cracking) ( but they are poor quality compared to SMC. C5 are seeing 300K and 400 K miles… there is even one with the original unmolested engine at the museum with 775,000
Dave put a larger percentage of the budget into the revolutionary. Drive train... the plastic parts are all less than 1:1 specific gravity.. meaning they are light enough to float... in a specific gravity test panel...Hydroformed Chassis,,400% stronger than a C4... No more open the doors to lift the car. there is so much flex in a C2 and C3, the bodies did not survive the flex. bodies were seamed together... Lots of LSX motors being built to 700 and 800 Hp without issue... there is nothing better about a C2 or C3 when it comes to design. If all the plastic was metal you could not afford the car. and it would not pass the gas guzzler tax which was a primary motivator in designing the C5. Make it lighter and make it with in budget were the two daily design stimulators, by Dave Hill. A C3 is like an 8 track tape player, compared to C5 where streaming audio and video.is the norm.
Just insight from and insider to Corvette design...
Bill

 

Sorry about your quality control issues, but I have to admit my 04 has been spectacular for a 16 year old car. None of the problems you mentioned have happened to me with the exception of the leather seats which seem to wear a little prematurely and a replaced shift cable. It is a shame that everything is made of plastic today but that's how the manufacturers cut costs. They don't want you to own a 16 year old car, they want to sell you a new one. That being said, my car has given me the best bang for the buck for 16 years and counting. Perhaps your car was built on a Friday afternoon before a three day holiday! Best of luck and hope it is just a fluke and you work things out to your satisfaction.

 

Sounds like you need to stick to your old corvettes, or leave corvettes behind and get that Lexus you are raving about.

 

And that's how you win an argument. 😀

 

Not looking to win anything, but thank you.... IM just a Corvette design insider and actually know the facts.. Was not trying to burst any bubbles, but trashing a C5 with old school theory is just That...Old school theory.. it has nothing to do with the actual facts.

 

I still have my (C3)1977 Vette...bought it in 1980 and so many things have gone south over the years ...so instead of complaining about my 1977 Vette problems, i just fixed them and moved on...My '77 is a POS in every way compared to my 2004...seriously,,,
My suggestion would be for you to get rid of your 2004 and buy something you will be happy with or just fix your 2004 problems and move on and enjoy driving it...
Life is too short to be so unhappy with your 2004 Corvette...just sayin...

 

You can burst my bubble anytime you want...

BTW...thanks to ET and his gang at GM.....I got a $100,000+ worth of vehicle(C5) for $50,000+....

 

Man oh man! I would sell that piece of crap!
My 03 vert is in great condition. Drives good, seats are comfortable and runs real good. 35,000 miles on it.
I don't have any of the problems you do.
I just bought a Quickjack 5000 and was going to change out my auto trans shifter bushings because I heard so many bad things but after inspecting them I realized I didn't need to.
Sell your problem car.
By the way, I owned a 1996 C4 and it was not a very good car compared to my C5. No comparison.

 

No one is trashing anything. Settle your dandruff down. Plastic shifter cable ends..? Besides that, the cable mount is cheap plastic that you fasten to a metal ear. Old school huh ? Just get in and drive yours till the shifter breaks.

 

I agree with the original posts' central observation. Though, you can't really compare a '67 Corvette to a '00 - IMO. There's all kinds of performance and safety improvements. But, you can compare the year model to other cars built in the period. I think it's more than fair to say a '67 Corvette was built just as well as any car produced in '67 - but I don't think a '00 was produced to the quality standards of several cars, primarily it's Japanese counterparts - which is why the Lexus is referenced. Albeit an extreme example - I don't think any car was equal to a Lexus in '00 - there were several Japanese cars of better quality than a Corvette.

To me, those are just facts - backed by any quality resource material at the time. Absolutely no offense to Corvettes - that's just what GM bean counters allowed. It was the same with Ford and Chrysler. That said, I believe the quality has improved considerably over the last 20 years - and most domestic models are equal to their German, Japanese, and Korean counterparts - at their respective price points.

 

What argument are you winning? Sounds like no one minds throwing down $500 to fix a design flaw.

 

Jerry, Jerry, Jerry.....i don't have dandruff...all you did was complain, complain, complain about your 04 Vette....I WILL get in and drive mine until the wheels fall off and till the shifter CABLE breaks in another 15 years....stay well Sir...I am out of here...

 

See ya down the road. Have fun👍👍👍

 

You have to relax bro. I was just kidding around because Evil-Twin threw a whole lot of facts at you regarding your comparisons of your older Vettes to your C5.

 

Sounds like its time for you to move on from corvette..

 

My 99 was garaged it's entire life and the emblems cracked just because of age and the interior is of lower quality compared to the better stuff but the cars are great for the money and done right look great.

The car overall is no where near the quality of my 03 Acura RL but I like it better because it is way cooler.... The newer ones to me can have to many issues with electronics that I do not like so in that regard I like a C5.....

 

I think it is terribly unfortunate the OP bought a substandard car. My first Corvette was a split-window and I have had many since including four C5's...three new ones and one used. I also had several C3's and C4's and others past the C5. I have never found the workmanship on the C5 lacking and in fact have always appreciated the strides in quality made by GM through the years. I know the only Corvette generation with a 700,000 mile car at the museum is the C5.

 

I always love ET's perspectives on these cars....such a treat to listen to the experience and history be passed on. I feel he needs some lessons in hand gun tactics, but that's another day. lol

It seems ever generation has it's issues, and let's face it ..... they are a GM car. There is an expected level of shitty plastic, creaks, and inferior leather. There were things on the 3 C3's I helped restore as a teenager that were garbage on each car. The fiber optic system that went to the console NEVER worked nor could truly be fixed and the damn vacuum systems were always plagued with issues due to age. Unless you went to do a frame off restoration where a complete rewire occurred and each system was rebuilt there were always gremlins being chased.

Meanwhile, just tonight I had a wonderful B0026 code pop up and I now need to chase that down and likely replace the clock spring. It's just a GM car....albeit the most fun and awesome GM car ever built.....but in the end it's still just that.

 

This is a classic glass half full or half empty. If I had bought my C5 and paid $40k+ and it started giving me problems right off the bat I’d be pissed. But my experience of owning a 50k mile Vette at purchase for less than a third that much money has made me very happy. Biggest complaint I have is the unending desire to buy more stuff to improve my car. Wouldn’t know about plastic shift cable parts, six speed all the way. If my rear emblem cracked, I have the perfect solution. Remove it and don’t replace it at all! Problem solved. Of course I bought one of those throw away pre 2001 models that have all the issues that 2004 owners never have to worry about.

 

That’s it! I done I’m selling my ‘04 Z06 before the rear emblem cracks and/or The shifter cable takes a ****. With 8,600 miles on it it’s bound to happen once I pull her out from winter storage.

Jerry better check your VIN and make sure you don’t fall into the range of the faulty fuel tank crossover recall. If you do the cracking emblem will be the least of your worries