Kind of a quiet morning in the office today so I thought some may find it interesting to hear about our C5 and it's journey to and with us. Maybe some of you will be inspired to share your story.

I've been a "car guy" my whole life; buying, building, restoring, racing muscle and drag cars. After a long, bitter and expensive divorce I had been out of it for a while. My ex-wife hated cars and it was one point of contention in our failed marriage. After being single (and broke) for many years I met my current wife and we have been together for 12 years now. She is "car gal" and is nuts about car shows, drag races, etc. Here we are recently at a car show together with our 1971 GMC Sierra Grande number's matching big block/TH400/12-bolt AC truck:



Around 2012 after she and I had been together for a year and our finances were straight again after both of our divorces to previous spouses, and after being away from cars for several years, we bought a 2004 C5 coupe from a local dealer that was traded in by the original owner. If I'm not mistaken it has like 40K miles on it and I planned to use it as a daily driver for a bit until I bought a truck. This was the first Corvette that I had ever owned and I was excited to have something to tinker with again. I did drive it for about a year or so until we bought a truck for me to drive daily and that's when the (addicting) mods began.

We took the car to Ennis to the Motorplex for a Super Chevy event (remember when those were popular?) and ran it bone stock (with our luggage in the back) and it went something like 13.30s. Over time I added ARH LTs, Billy Boat catback (no cats and an x-pipe), Yank SS4000, 3.90s, Vararam CAI, Bogarts, M&H drag radials, Wolfe 6-point roll bar, Stroud 5-point harnesses, and a Tick SNS Stage III cam with supporting springs. We also put a Nitrous Outlet wet kit on with a stand alone fuel cell, Lingenfelter LNC-2000 and NOS mini-progressive controller. The car still has the stock 241 heads, LS6 intake (comes stock on '04s) and retains the factory AC, cruise, heads-up display, etc. NA it made 429 to the wheels and 565 on a 150 shot. Our best time now was 11.2Xs NA in great air but when we sprayed it at the track it would blow through the converter (more on that later) ...







Around 2015 my wife wanted an "old car" with roll up windows, etc. that wasn't so modern so we traded the Corvette to a gentleman for this Chevelle:





The Corvette went to Detroit, Michigan and the guy owned it for 7 years and put about 700 miles on it during that time. It currently has about 54K on the clock. I always missed the car and kept in touch with him over the years. We sold the Chevelle a few years back to a young man in San Francisco, CA who would enjoy it more than us. My wife and I are in our "senior years" and the car did not have AC, heat, radio, wipers, defrost ... but did have a HUGE solid roller and 4" (yes, I said 4") single chamber race Flowmasters so we didn't find it as practical and fun as our GMC.

So ... (almost done, I promise) fast forward to spring of '23. We drove back to Detroit, Michigan from East Texas to bring our C5 back home. I really want to "finish" the car by adding Viking DAs all around, a Circle D 3400-3600 to be able to spray all 150 and it hold, as well as better heads from TSP and a FAST 102 and supporting TB, etc. Goal is to run 10s solidly NA and deep in the 9s on spray while still retaining it's street manners, AC, etc.

I don't plan on selling it anytime soon and it may, in fact, end up with one of our grandsons one day if they don't turn out to be complete knuckleheads.

So, how your story with your C5?

Scott

 

My story. After being w/o a Vette since selling my my 72 Vette T Top in 1996, I could not afford buying a C2 that was my first Vette, 1964 Vert/auto with a hardtop, that I sold in 1975. So, staying within my budget and after research, I decided to focus on the C5 Vert since it was the design that I liked. It took 6 months of looking traveling to 3 states and several road trips within MD, to find and buy the C5 at a GM dealership in PA. My first 2 Vettes did not have creature benefits like A/C, power seats, and power windows. I prefer not to have them since it just just adds possible future maintenance issues for a retired man's fun car.

 

Mine has been a car I always wanted to own but never got one. I wanted a Convertible and in good shape. I have one sports car that I show but I wanted one to drive.

My son graduated College debt free and started a very good job. I told my wife I wanted to buy one now and get a C5 as it was the best of the old and new. I found one nearly right away and at a good price. 31K miles and the car only needed some seat foam and bushings all easy work. I did plugs and fluids just to make sure it is ready and put on repo C7 Z06 wheels. I had a very good trouble free summer and really have enjoyed the car.

I have some other buddies with Vettes and I have been the go to guy to work on them since I am in the Performance and racing market.

I have become very versed in many things C-5-6. Also the old ones too have always been part of what I have worked on.

My show car still attracts much more attention because it is more of something you just never see much while the Vette is the one I just love to drive.

 

Went to the dealer to order an 05 in 2004, first vette, came out with an 04, super deal. They gave me 11k off sticker.

Im the original owner, same 1/4 mile time, stock
13.3 at 103.

since then, added VR intake, LG headers, cats, bullet exhaust, RPM 3.73 gears, yankSS 3200,

best on street tires is 12.5 @ 111.

I road course more, bilstein b6 shocks, c6z51 sway bars, hawk pads and brake fluid.

3.73 and yank3200 work fine on a road course, about 0 converter whine, trans heated to about 227 on the road course, and I have a cooler, running hard, wasn’t babying it.

 

Back in 2018 when I was 29 I had an unfortunate incident which totaled out my "baby", a 2001 Audi A4 1.8T Quattro/manual that I had done everything to. At the time I also had a 2001 Audi S4 Avant (wagon) with manual trans.

So, what to replace the A4 with?? Well, the S4 wagon had 4 doors so it didn't really make sense to replace the A4 with another 4-door car, especially since wife & I were sans-kids.
I remembered reading maybe 10 years prior about the "practicality" of the C5 Corvette (relative to other similar sports cars). Also one of my neighbors growing up (who was also like a 3rd cousin) had a torch red convertible C5 and I recalled how attractive the body lines were.

Well, I started looking into the C5 more and more, and eventually settled with the idea of a C5Z when I saw a video of a dad setting up his C5Z with a carseat for his daughter:
Even managed to find a 2001 C5Z in my parents' neighborhood (12ish minutes from me) with only 56k miles for under $15k !! Convinced my wife it would be a good choice, I wouldn't *need* to do much to it, and bought it.

Of course since then I've spent an incredible number of hours on the C5Z, and have more than doubled what I bought the car for in just parts. I perform all the labor except tire mounting & alignments so that's a lot in parts... But it's been a great ride

Now that I have kids, the C5Z is a little less practical having only 2 seats and occupying a precious garage spot, but my daughter has definitely gotten some seat time in it and I hope my son will too (he's only 5 months old).

 

This C5's is my 3rd Vette. The first one was an 05 DSO C6 ( hince the forum name Burnt C6) I had it for 9 month as my daily driver of 150 miles round trip. hed reaction to some medication and had a seizure and totaled it. after a couple of years without one I picked up a 30K 01 White coupe in 2009 did a few mods to it but not everything I wanted to. I got married and it was the wife's DD for a couple of years. ( theirs was a love hate relationship) LOL traded it in on a FORD SUV . I decided I wanted to autocross and track a car so bought a 3 series BMW that I modded the hell out of. went from the 3 series to a 2020 X6M50i that I modded quite a bit. was getting 600 HP out of her. this was also the wifes DD. ( I see a pattern here) LOL she said it was more vehicle than she wanted as a DD os we sold it back to BMW at a nice proffit. we had picked it up the saturday before the country shut down in 2020 and they gave it to us to get rid of it. since I didn't have anything to play with I went Vette shopping and picked up the Vert with 35K on the clock in mint condition. ( it was a garage queen) on the way to get it first thing the wife asked was what kind of Mods are you going to do to it? then she said I could but a Supercharger on her. not she is putting 600 to the ground and I'm a happy camper. and for the BMW since I'm a Vette guy I just had to do under the hood custom work.

oh the wife won't even back the Vette out of the garage now.

 

I've always been into cars, especially vettes. I got married at 25. When I hit 30 I got the urge to get a Harley. Well, my wife was a nurse at the time, and she said no way to a Harley. I've learned to pick my battles. I said ok, maybe I'll get a vette since I've always admired vettes. She said you can get a vette but no to a Harley. That's all I needed to hear. I spent 12 months looking and found a clean 1987 coupe. Loved it! Over the years I've enjoyed a 70 roadster, 75 coupe, 87 convertible, and now and 04 coupe. I upgraded from the 87 vert to the 04 coupe when I retired at 62. I love the modern comfort and conveniences of the C5.

 

I bought a new 70 vette in 1970. Basic 350 model. Paid $4400.00 new. Kept that a year when I totaled it. Picked up a 71 Ontario Orange 454 and loaded. That car truly scared me. The last night of ownership I was on a street in NYC outside of where I worked and decided to see how much ooomph it had. Brake reved it to 3 grand and it swiveled all the way done 58th street. Fast forward to 2005 and I bought a nassau blue 88 coupe with the doug nash 4+3 tranny. Had it for 2 years until I ht a traffic island and went airborne 75 feet. Needless to say.....toast. Picked up a 2004 Monte Carlo ss supercharged. That was a nice car. traded it in on a Dodge dart gt. Peppy little rascal. It was all black including the tinted windows. Thats when the itch came back. I started looking at vettes and found a yellow 2007 c6 convertible. I enjoyed that for around a year and a half and got interested in C7's. Found a yellow 2015 C7 convertible and traded in the C6. This was in 2019 The C7 had some issues with the transmission and dash separation and also had 99K miles so before getting stuck with a new tranny expense I traded IT in for a 2020 Impala which I still have. Then last december that damn itch came back. I didn't want a C6 and C7's, the 2019's that had no major issues like the earlier models was out of my price range. Look at several C5's and finally found one at a consignment dealer. My current (yes yellow) 2000 C5 six speed, one owner, clean carfax and all service records. Only had 44K miles. It's sitting in my garage now covered. I've only put 4K miles on it since last December.......

 

I'll keep it short and only talk about my first Z06. I had a 1999 Camaro SS and started to go to HPDE events around the east coast and loved it. I got together with a bunch of my Camaro friends from the SSOA (super sport owners association) and we attended Bragg-Smith driving school in Parhump outside of Las Vegas. Scott Settlemire a dear friend of mine was the Camaro brand manager at GM at the time and he showed up there. He took me for a ride in a 2001 Z06 and then my wife. She got out of the car and said if you really like this racing stuff, you have to get rid of the SS and get one of these. I said you are half right since I had done so much suspension and brake work to the SS. I kept the SS and bought a slightly used 2001 Torch Red Z06 and totally enjoyed the track days in that car for years. I am now on my fourth Z06.

 

I inherited mine last year. Both mom and dad worked for GM, mom was in parts distribution and dad was an engineer. They both retired in 2000, and dad working on the C5 ( he was a structures/crash engineer) he bought one as a retirement gift for mom. When dad got sick last year I moved to Florida from Michigan to help him and mom, when I went to the DMV to title my Jeep and Harley mom handed my a signed title...to the Vette. They had decided to give it to me which was a very pleasant surprise.
I have been a hot rodder my entire life, my first design job on the Gen 1 Viper, the OG! That caused a very friendly rivalry between dad and I him being a GM man through and through. I promised him I would take care of it, will most likely pass it to my nephew when that time comes. Here are mom and dad with a pre production Viper I brought home for the weekend. The car was VIN #10, and it hit the wall on the coming Monday morning. And mom about 15 years ago well before letting me have a go at it.

 

Here's mine!
The quick and dirty on my adVETTEure - CorvetteForum - Chevrolet Corvette Forum Discussion
I remember the exact moment my life was ruined by a love for cars. I was 4 years old laying on the floor with my father that was going over the manual for a 56 Ford he was restoring. From that point on I was in the garage whenever he was.
The list of cars I was exposed to thanks to my father was an excellent one:

1. 56 Ford Crown Victoria
2. 65 GTO 4spd
3. 71 Challenger R/T SE 440 six pack
4. 70 Dodge Charger R/T 440
5. 68 Plymouth GTX 440
6. 69 Dodge Charger R/T 440 this car was stunning and a rare spec
7. 68 Dodge Coronet R/T 440 4 spd. This was a full blown restoration as it was identical to the first car my father had bought new and he and my mother were married in it. This was a labour of love.
8. 71 Plymouth GTX
9. 69 Barracuda blown, injected 408, Gear Venders OD (current car)

2017 I believe for a BMWCCA advanced driving techniques course.

Some friends popping by for a visit

Dads C/Gas dragster circa 69-70. 383 Enderle FI.Mom driving the 69 Z28 push car.
To be honest I'm on my 3rd dog and she's changed my life. She now takes priority over EVERYTHING. She's incredible.

 

I was mostly a bike guy all my life, mostly dirtbikes and enduro racing. My 03 Cobra was my first "real" sports car, then I got into AMG's pretty heavy for the last 15 years, still have a Biturbo as my daily. I bought my C5 this year as for the last 2-3 years, I wanted a car I could work on, was relatively cheap and easy to maintain, good powerplant with lots of "growth" options, so C5 fit the bill. Did my homework and settled on a 02 Coupe. Since Jan I have gone through the whole car, replaced shocks all 4 corners, new SS flex lines, new rotors and brake pads. Sent the car up to ECS 2 weeks ago and pick it up tomorrow with the SC and other finishing touches (for now) added and a tune to make it all play nicely. Lastly added a 3.42 rear end before I took it to ECS and I think I will have the perfect fun car that I can maintain for years to come for a reasonable price.

While I appreciate the technology and comfort my AMG gives me, it just isn't the same as that "analog" visceral feeling you get in a C5 railing on the back roads. I love the steering feedback and handling of the C5 and I love the LS platform.

 

My good friend bought a C8 and opted for museum delivery. I flew up to Bowling Green with him to pick it up. We hit up the museum, drove a few laps on the track (in one of their C8s!), and drove it back south. The whole experience was pretty amazing and I became way more interested in Vettes. After a HPDE and several autocrosses in my GTO, I decided that it would be more fun to do all that in something better suited for the task. Of course Corvettes came to mind and the search started. Spent a few weeks looking before I finally found one I liked from a member on here and had it shipped down from Georgia, sight unseen. My intent was to keep it stock-ish and enjoy it as is while slowly modifying, but the mod bug bit hard and things escalated rapidly.

Minutes after delivery...


Few weeks ago with my buddy's C8

 

I likely don't fit well here. Though I have always admired Corvettes, I only considered buying one years ago in my 20's, and decided against it because of the lack of a garage at the time and the astronomical insurance rates (for a 22-year-old aerospace engineer).

I was shopping for a vehicle that was fun to drive, could get reasonable mileage on road trips, and had enough trunk space for those road trips. Nice to haves were a standard transmission and a convertible top, but I would "settle" for one or the other. Several years of researching, test driving, and soul searching brought me to the C5.

I love my car not because it's a "Corvette", but because it is everything I wanted in a daily driver/road trip car and more. The fact that it is brilliant piece of engineering or that it is (in my opinion) the last of the beautiful Corvettes - those are just icing on the cake. And the big bonus: I can actually work on it. I replaced the clutch master cylinder yesterday and have fixed/replaced several other items in the 10 weeks I've owned it, and have a list of other preventative measures I that I will implement in future weeks.

My wife is a "driver" as well, so she appreciates the handling and responsiveness, though she thought I was nuts for buying the C5 at first. ("A 21-year-old car? Seriously?") She wouldn't drive it until I killed the CAGS, then the Bilsteins fixed the awful ride from the crapped-out F55s - now the car is pretty close to heaven. New LS7 clutch last week, then the MC yesterday - the only significant worry left is the harmonic balancer which is showing some bulging. That will be a December or January item.

But I ramble. I'm a car guy/former engineer and I'm brand/model agnostic. The C5 met my specific "wants" and just happened to provide so much more that was unexpected. It's my old '97 Camaro inside, but everything else about it is an order of magnitude better. I'm happy.

 

Very nice. If I was shopping for a C5, the 50th Anniversary model would probably be my top choice. I have a 2000 vert, and the black top and interior are NOT Florida sun friendly!!

 

As long as I posted, here's a bit of my history. I was a Tool and Diemaker for over 40 years in a job shop. I spotted my 2000 vert while visiting my Lawyer, whose office was across the street from the GM dealer who had it on the lot. After many visits to the Lawyer ($$$$ divorce), it was still there. So I moseyed across the street to investigate. Talk about spending BIG $$$$$, and on both sides of the street!! Oh well, 20 years later, the C5 has been paid off for many years, Lawyer, too!! At least when I see my C5, it doesnt cost $$! Well....On second thought......

 

Thank you for your business! The car came out fantastic and pulls really well! I'll have it all cleaned up ready to go for you.

 

During my childhood, my grandfather and I shared a special bond over our 1965 Corvette (as seen in my profile picture and signature). We attended shows, cruised around town, made trips to places like HomeDepot—those experiences forged my deep appreciation for Corvettes. As soon as I was able to afford it, I purchased a 1999 C5 A4 Black Coupe back in early 2022. It was with this car that I delved deeper into the world of Corvettes, immersing myself in the vibrant car scene and expanding my knowledge.

Earlier this year, I inherited the '65 Corvette, officially taking ownership. I decided to part ways with the '99 Coupe and instead acquired an '03 convertible with a 6-speed transmission. Currently, I'm in the process of purchasing another '03 coupe in black/red to match the '65. This journey has been an exciting part of my life—a condensed yet meaningful tale of my adventures in the world of Corvettes and the C5 series.

 

1st car Mustang, then
Mustang GT
SHO Taurus
Mustang GT
Lincoln LS
Mustang Cobra.

Got heavily involved in HPDEs. With tires, brakes, good pads, etc. the Cobra was a blast on track. I beat and beat that thing and it never missed a beat.

Buddy traded his Cobra for a Z06, I drove it and was hooked. The rest is history. The Mustang just can't compete on track with the Corvette, its too nose heavy, and heavy period.

The Corvette is the only Chevy I would ever buy or drive. At heart I am a Ford guy.

If Ford built an affordable 2 seater V8 that could compete with the Corvette I would buy it in a heartbeat (pun intended).

.

 

Ah, you had to kill it with "affordable", LOL!