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I hadn't driven my "beater", 140K mile 2002 C5 in a while but today was a beautiful day and I had to run in to town to grab a couple things so I thought I'd take the car. While there, I stopped by my brother's place and his daughter's husband was there with a Saleen Mustang convertible that belongs to his aunt (confusing? ). Anyway, my niece wanted to ride in my Vette so her husband and mom rode in the Mustang and we went for a fun drive. The Mustang is '99 with a supercharged 4.6 so I figured he'd be a little faster than me. He was ahead of me but couldn't pull away. I was able to stay on his back bumper the whole time which surprised me a bit.
Anyway, I had forgotten how wonderful these cars are to drive. I had been thinking about selling my C5 and my C3 and buying a newer, low miles C6 or C7 but after today, I am quite happy with the C5. I do think I'm going to go with 4.10 gears and an exhaust but that's it.
Oh, and a random question for vert owners. How do you keep your ballcap from blowing off with the top down?
Beautiful C5, beautiful country.....not Central Texas, but magnificent in it own right....both the car and the country....have a happy, respectful Memorial Day!
“With its standard 4.6L, Two-Valve modular engine, Saleen bumped horsepower output on its non-supercharged S281 to 285 hp up from the ’98 model’s 225 by using underdrive pulleys, a new exhaust system, and a new fuel calibration. Also available is the blown version of the S281 which adds Saleen’s new roots supercharger and boosts power to the tune of 350 hp. The blower makes use of an air-to-water cooler, mounted below the supercharger, which considerably reduces the air-charge temperature. As for other engine enhancements, Saleen’s cast 356-T6 aluminum manifold also helps reduce weight at the front of the car and dissipate heat.”
So same horsepower of C5, too bad it doesn’t list torque.
Nice pictures. Your C5 looks great. 4.10 gears and an aftermarket exhaust will surely make it a different car yet keeping the one you grew attached to. Personalizing always keeps things new and exciting.
I kept my last Corvette nearly 14 years.
I've got a convertible and haven't lost my cap yet! First thing, you owe it to your car to replace the sun visors (I noticed the dog ear on your driver's side visor), the visors can deflect some of the wind, windows up help quite a bit too; then snug the ball cap just a tad.
I'm admittedly biased because I own a convertible, I do believe the C5 convertible is the best of the breed. The driving experience, top down is absolutely sublime. My wife and I spent several hours top down on a 180 mile day trip yesterday and I can't wait for the next trip!
So glad to hear you got to get out and enjoy your car. This thread reminds me of just how slow my '95 mustang was (although I didn't think so at the time). Mine was by no means a Saleen, and it was not supercharged. I LOVE my supercharged C5 vert. I hadn't even considered until just now that I could blow the doors off of a 90's era Saleen. I have always wondered how I'd do lined up against a Terminator mustang though.
As far as losing my hat, that's only happened once. Normally, I have my hat pretty snug, and it isn't an issue at all. The one time I lost it, I leaned out the side to see if I was clear to pass the car in front of me. The moment the top of my head cleared the edge of the windshield WHOOSH...GONE. It's too bad I really liked that hat. My new favorite hat is actually a Corvette hat. I keep it in the car, and wear it whenever I have the top down. I've had no issues at all keeping it on even during triple digit trips to Mexico. Sometimes, I might have a bit of an issue if there's a really strong cross wind. Putting the windows up solves that problem.
Enjoy your C5! it is still a great car. I love driving, looking at, and taking care of mine. As an added bonus, I get compliments on it all the time. The C5 is timeless!
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). Anyway, my niece wanted to ride in my Vette so her husband and mom rode in the Mustang and we went for a fun drive. The Mustang is '99 with a supercharged 4.6 so I figured he'd be a little faster than me. He was ahead of me but couldn't pull away. I was able to stay on his back bumper the whole time which surprised me a bit.
