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Hey guys! New member and first time poster! Completely unexpected I ended up in possession of a 2000 FRC Pre-Production Pilot car, that was not only a containment vehicle, but also was the first 2000 pre-production FRC produced ( total of 18 pre production cars manufactured, of those only 4 were FRC’s) as well. It is vin number #00007. A lot of this info is still being uncovered daily as I’m able to reconnect with prior members who were part of the C5 project as GM archives, and NCM were not a ton of help as it was a pre-production car and a lot of the records were not kept from 2000 prior, and no photos or videos have been discovered yet. If this kind of stuff doesn’t interest you, no reason continuing as it will just go over my possession and how I ended up with the car. Any help or contact info will be greatly appreciated. No I don’t think it’s worth a ton of money, just genuinely interested in the history and backstory of the car.
So the search for a C5 began with my wife telling me she didn’t want me tracking my current Camaro due to its value and also deciding I was looking to race Spec Corvette. After a extended period of time searching I happened to stumble on, what I thought at the time, a absolutely killer deal on a black 2000 FRC, under 100k miles, good shape, very close to stock corvette that would be nearly perfect for what I had planned for it. Being in NY, and the car located in Delaware logistics were a slight issue. The car was priced at what I would consider a “once in every 10 year” deal and after a couple phone calls with the prior owner, clean title, clean carfax ect, we decided this was the one. On top of it, He was willing to trailer me up the car. WOW.
Car arrived up to our shop, and after the car being in very good cosmetic condition like it was described, driving the car and everything was tight, and ran exactly how a strong, good condition car should we decided to pull the trigger and finish the transaction. We officially own our First Corvette! But the first oddity at the time is found. When we plugged in the scan tool the car was showing it was a 1999, even though clearly the title was marked as a 2000. At the time I chalked it up as the computer burnt out, and was replaced with a prior model year. No worries as it ran completely fine!
A few weeks go by and looking a little closer into the carfax I noticed it said it was listed as a Manufacturer Vehicle until Summer of 2001, never seeing this before I posted on a FB page if anyone has ever seen anything like that.. a few members recommended to check the Vin as it could of just been a very early built 2000 car or a parts bin special. They also posted a model year build timeline for 2000 corvette production. Going out to the garage I find the next interesting part vin number# 00007, built in March of 99… nearly 4 months prior to the first production 2000 C5 came off the line. At this point is when I knew I had something special.. just in time as I was going to start gutting the car to become a race car the day prior LoL.
the next 3 weeks we’re spent doing as much research as I could, reaching out to NCM, GM archives, and a few others with minimal but not a ton of luck. What I did come away with is the car has both RPO code WDO ( containment vehicle), and WD1 ( pre production Pilot car), NCM confirmed the first 18 cars ( lowest amount of pre production cars for the entire C5 run) were Pilot cars of different uses and jobs, and of that 4 of them were FRC’s. After some additional research we found out that my vin#00007 was the first FRC built of the other 3 pre production cars.
The unknowns is that GM or NCM doesn’t know what this car was used for, there is no records of the car included no vehicle invoice, no photos, no press releases, no videos, and also why this car was produced in 3/99 but was held on to untill 6/2001 which was not only significantly longer then GM holds onto most Pilot cars, but that the Z06 came out nearly a year prior so this was a obsolete model with legitimately zero use.
With that being said, any contacts to reach out to or info on this car that isn’t speculation would be greatly appreciated! Also the biggest dilemma is what to do with this car. I can’t with good conscience rip this car apart now, and possibly wreck it.. so I think this may actually become a “freshing up” restoration project. I will still drive it and enjoy it on nice days and hopefully pass this story around to others! Hope you guys enjoy!
The VIN on my '00 FRC is 1G1YY12G4Y5112397 - so I had # 12397 that year?
I don’t think it’s quite that simple, your vin is associated with a JOB#. It looks like yours would of been built between November10th-11th and somewhere between job# 12,263-12,414 for MY2000
Hard to say what it was used for unless you can find someone connected to the program that may have records.
A friend of mine got a prototype C5 a few years ago and it was stickered not for sale as it was a test vehicle or some kind of language like this. The best we could find it was used for drive line testing and tuning. What specific they did was lost to history. The window sticker was the golden ticket.
Many pilots are taken and driven to find assembly problems and are audited. Some are sent to be crash tested or used in other test before they are destroyed. Some end up donated to education schools. If the museum has no records you may reach out to someone from the Corvette program back then and see if they can remember what they did on the early FRC models. Being it was a big departure they may actually remember this one.
If they can help they may lead to someone that can. I have done research on prototype items from GM and it can take time but often one leads leads to another but you do find out some info. I even got the engineering drawings for the 1990 Fiero part I needed.
Might look up history on the FRC and start with the names closest connected to it. Some may be at GM yet some may be retired but Google is your friend. Many are still with the program like Tadge. He could be a good place to start.
Hard to say what it was used for unless you can find someone connected to the program that may have records.
A friend of mine got a prototype C5 a few years ago and it was stickered not for sale as it was a test vehicle or some kind of language like this. The best we could find it was used for drive line testing and tuning. What specific they did was lost to history. The window sticker was the golden ticket.
Many pilots are taken and driven to find assembly problems and are audited. Some are sent to be crash tested or used in other test before they are destroyed. Some end up donated to education schools. If the museum has no records you may reach out to someone from the Corvette program back then and see if they can remember what they did on the early FRC models. Being it was a big departure they may actually remember this one.
If they can help they may lead to someone that can. I have done research on prototype items from GM and it can take time but often one leads leads to another but you do find out some info. I even got the engineering drawings for the 1990 Fiero part I needed.
Might look up history on the FRC and start with the names closest connected to it. Some may be at GM yet some may be retired but Google is your friend. Many are still with the program like Tadge. He could be a good place to start.
Thank you for that info and advice, I know it won’t be a quick process to find out any of the info, Tadge is an extremely difficult man to get ahold of. Unfortunately haven’t gotten a point of contact for him to get any info from him.
I was able to get ahold of John Heinricy who was an engineer on the project but unfortunately didn’t have any info on the specific car. Being such a small amount of pre production FRC’s I’d assume they were all used extensively with whatever tasks they needed from them. Just wish I had some additional backstory on this one being the first one off the line, and such a early number car.
Thank you for that info and advice, I know it won’t be a quick process to find out any of the info, Tadge is an extremely difficult man to get ahold of. Unfortunately haven’t gotten a point of contact for him to get any info from him.
I was able to get ahold of John Heinricy who was an engineer on the project but unfortunately didn’t have any info on the specific car. Being such a small amount of pre production FRC’s I’d assume they were all used extensively with whatever tasks they needed from them. Just wish I had some additional backstory on this one being the first one off the line, and such a early number car.
No it is not easy. I thought I would get no where on the Prototype Fiero emblem but all of a sudden I got the engineering drawing from Jon Albert. He was in charge of the ID package and later on ended up on the C5 designing the interior.
Also keep in mind while we may love detail on these cars they are just another car to them many times.
As for value I am not sure if it adds much of yet. I just saw a 2002 GS for sale in Ohio. The Vin 000001was I think $36k. I thought it was a great buy. It was part of the Bob McDorman collection.
It would be a great buy for a special Corvette.
Keep trying as it only takes on person who has access to records.
FYI. I contacted the GM supplier and they gave me like 11 more emblems they had. I was going to ask what they were going to do with the. And they sent them to me.
As for more contacts try to read up in the book All Corvettes are Red. There are all the names who worked on the C5. One of them may be able to help. You just need one.
Same at the plant. Might see if they have anything where it was shipped.
Great story and good find.. hope you get more info on it.. I m guessing the previous owner was of no help and whoever he got it from..
unfortunately not =( he had zero idea.. tried to reach back out to him to tell him what I found and he never responded LoL same for the owner prior to him.
No it is not easy. I thought I would get no where on the Prototype Fiero emblem but all of a sudden I got the engineering drawing from Jon Albert. He was in charge of the ID package and later on ended up on the C5 designing the interior.
Also keep in mind while we may love detail on these cars they are just another car to them many times.
As for value I am not sure if it adds much of yet. I just saw a 2002 GS for sale in Ohio. The Vin 000001was I think $36k. I thought it was a great buy. It was part of the Bob McDorman collection.
It would be a great buy for a special Corvette.
Keep trying as it only takes on person who has access to records.
FYI. I contacted the GM supplier and they gave me like 11 more emblems they had. I was going to ask what they were going to do with the. And they sent them to me.
As for more contacts try to read up in the book All Corvettes are Red. There are all the names who worked on the C5. One of them may be able to help. You just need one.
Same at the plant. Might see if they have anything where it was shipped.
Totally understand, like you said this was another day at work with deadlines and people breathing down their back.. actually probably not a good time or experience lol
Im kinda hoping someone who is on here any possibility browsing may see this any have a “friend of a friend” or something along those lines to help.
I have that book on order currently, even just to learn more about the C5’s back story!
Out of curiosity, what is a 2002 GS?
Thanks for your response and everyone else on this Thread for your interest and help!
I think the C5 GS was only made in 1997 for the C5. I remember seeing a member here who has a silver C5 GS Vette. I’m pretty sure it rare. I’m assuming it’s a “one year only” car.
Originally Posted by hyperv6
No it is not easy. I thought I would get no where on the Prototype Fiero emblem but all of a sudden I got the engineering drawing from Jon Albert. He was in charge of the ID package and later on ended up on the C5 designing the interior.
Also keep in mind while we may love detail on these cars they are just another car to them many times.
As for value I am not sure if it adds much of yet. I just saw a 2002 GS for sale in Ohio. The Vin 000001was I think $36k. I thought it was a great buy. It was part of the Bob McDorman collection.
It would be a great buy for a special Corvette.
Keep trying as it only takes on person who has access to records.
FYI. I contacted the GM supplier and they gave me like 11 more emblems they had. I was going to ask what they were going to do with the. And they sent them to me.
As for more contacts try to read up in the book All Corvettes are Red. There are all the names who worked on the C5. One of them may be able to help. You just need one.
Same at the plant. Might see if they have anything where it was shipped.
I think the C5 GS was only made in 1997 for the C5. I remember seeing a member here who has a silver C5 GS Vette. I’m pretty sure it rare. I’m assuming it’s a “one year only” car.
Typically in corvette “lingo” when someone says “GS” they are referring to a Grand Sport. There were NO Grand Sports in the C5 generation.. they were brought back in ‘96 on the C4 in limited production and these are quite valuable (relative to other C4 Vettes) and very rare (1,000 produced I believe). Then the name returned late in the C6 and again in the C7 generation run as a replacement for the Z51 package essentially with Z06 wide body and brakes…The C6 & C7 generation Grand Sports are not a limited or rare version by any means.
I don’t doubt your information. I appreciate the clarification on the GS years. You learn something new everyday.
Originally Posted by Tyler_RN_EMT
Typically in corvette “lingo” when someone says “GS” they are referring to a Grand Sport. There were NO Grand Sports in the C5 generation.. they were brought back in ‘96 on the C4 in limited production and these are quite valuable (relative to other C4 Vettes) and very rare (1,000 produced I believe). Then the name returned late in the C6 and again in the C7 generation run as a replacement for the Z51 package essentially with Z06 wide body and brakes…The C6 & C7 generation Grand Sports are not a limited or rare version by any means.
I’m no expert but I can’t think of any real differences between 99 and 2000 production Corvettes. I’m thinking that even the options available were the same. This being a Pilot car, I would be looking for things that weren’t offered on any 2000 model production car. Such as, could it have a Z06 block, suspension pieces, what about a SP diff? They kept this car past the Z06 introduction date, so maybe there are a few things hidden in there somewhere?
I think the C5 GS was only made in 1997 for the C5. I remember seeing a member here who has a silver C5 GS Vette. I’m pretty sure it rare. I’m assuming it’s a “one year only” car.
While we'd all love to find a special prototype on craigslist, the reality is that prototypes are generally non-saleable vehicles. Cars are often built ahead of regular production that are for evaluation purposes. There may be nothing special about them, no special purpose, other than "let's run these new parts down the assembly line" then the car may be driven by program managers, engineers, etc as part of an evaluation fleet. They may keep an evaluation vehicle for a few thousand miles, or they may keep it for years. Even if it has an early vin for a 2000, this probably would be considered a pilot car for the FRC model, but not a pre-production or prototype because it has a regular production vin and C5's were in production.
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Pre-Production FRC Vin#00007
