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I am the brand new owner of an ‘04 z06 and was wondering what tips you have for new owners whether that be driving, maintenance or anything else.
Side note: I came from a ‘98 z3 which was my first and only manual car and the clutch/shifter feel is night and day in how different it is. (as it should be, because it’s a different car)
Last edited by unchainedpond; Mar 5, 2025 at 04:55 PM.
If you don't have maintenance records, flush all fluids and start your own maintenance history. Clutch, brakes, transmission, differential, washer fluid, cooling system, power steering.
Check the udders, if the car has sat outside they are probably full of debris, especially the one on the passenger side. If it fills up it will leak into the passenger floorboard area where the BCM is located.
Keep an eye on the status of your harmonic balancer.
If you plan on modifying it, educate yourself on the differences that the late '03 - '04 had from the rest of the C5s. I believe they have the C6-style fuel system.
The info below is copied/pasted from another post:
97-98 no big changes other than fixes to the initial design (weather stripping etc)
99-00 Center bolt valve covers/heads introduced. PCM design changed, more parameters (better for tuning). HUD is introduced. Active Handling is introduced (cornering assist). FRC body style is introduced (Z51 suspension, 6spd mandatory).
01-04 Active Handling improved. 85mm MAF. Ribs added to rear differential for strength. Torque tube diameter increased. LS6 intake (power increased on base models to 350 vs. 345). Z06 option debuts in '01 with 385hp, power increased to 405hp on '02-'04 models.
Notable Options: Z51 - Available on all models (except Z06). Standard on FRC C5's. Featured a power steering cooler, better sway bars, better shocks, and stiffer leaf springs.
Z06 - featured better flowing cylinder heads (260CFM vs. 230CFM), a more aggressive camshaft, titanium over axle exhaust, lighter wheels, a lower geared transmission (code M12) and a lighter windshield. Only available on the FRC body style. Weight savings of 110-130lbs vs. the average coupe. Z06 specific suspension (which had a slightly bigger front sway bar and slightly stiffer rear spring vs. the Z51). The Z06 package saw a bump in power after its first model year due to a cam change. The Z06 shocks were revised over its run with the '04 shocks being the best.
Notes:
-All C5's had the same brakes for all years. Braking distances vary depending on tires. The only difference Z06 brakes feature are the red caliper finish.
-The base suspension (FE1) is built for ride comfort and offers surprisingly poor handling considering the car it's installed on.
-C5 automatics came with 2 available ratios. A 2.73 and 3.15. The 2.73 rear end hampers acceleration to the point where the car runs high 13's. The 3.15 carries option code G90.
Welcome. There is a wealth of knowledge here about the C5 and now that the C5 platform is closing in on 30 years I suggest reviewing some of the Stickies Threads above that can provide you a lot of information about common issues, fixes, etc. Anything else, just ask as many of us have learned things the hard way.
You're going to feel the additional 300 pounds coming from a Z3, but the car is still light despite that and the relative torque gains vs the Z3 will be noticeable.
Take the first few months to just get used to it. Go through the PM list. Tire age/wear. Fresh fluids. Check the DIC for any codes hanging out. They are great cars as they sit but there is also a very mature aftermarket supporting whatever your interests may be. Amazingly, despite folks traditionally mentioning the 'Corvette Tax' when speaking of any year Corvette, I feel the C5 and even the C6 have essentially mainstreamed as so many parts are interchangeable and the engines are universal across the hobby now. I think the only overly expensive products are certain brand headers and cat-backs, but there are awesome alternatives to those.
I say to every new to them C5 owner, change every single fluid, if it has a fluid, change it. Brake, Coolant, Diff, Transmission, Steering...you'll thank yourself.
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Originally Posted by Dads2kconvertible
If you don't have maintenance records, flush all fluids and start your own maintenance history. Clutch, brakes, transmission, differential, washer fluid, cooling system, power steering.
Check the udders, if the car has sat outside they are probably full of debris, especially the one on the passenger side. If it fills up it will leak into the passenger floorboard area where the BCM is located.
Keep an eye on the status of your harmonic balancer.
Great response. In addition, I would check the condition of all belts and hoses, the brake pads, make sure your tires are relatively new.
inspect the balancer if stock. If not wobbling it is goid. If there is a wobble change it to a Summit Racing SFI Balancer. If good put a witness mark on it so you can tell it has moved.
Drive the car before doing anything. Make sure all is well.
As for mods do what you like don’t get talked into anything you may regret. Note too mods generally don’t add value to the car. So do what you want.
Do get a note book and keep receipts and document all repairs and maintenance and mods. This is added value if you do ever sell. Buyers love records not just Vettes but especially Vettes. It can help mods as it shows just what was done and what parts were used.
Also if you do mods for power the real power is in cams and heads. headers, intakes etc add just a little but are more effective with the cam, heads then a tune. Many spend a lot of money on the easy to install parts with small gains.
-transmission fluid replacement (he replaced it w AMSOIL MTF but told me that it normally takes ATF due to some part in the transmission BUT also said that part wasn’t in this model year of transmissions so running MTF is fine.
- brake pads and rotors all around
- BTR valve springs
- new harmonic balancer
- column lock bypass mod
- skip shift delete
- new clutch master and slave w bleeder line
- idler pully
- ac and drive belt
- a/c condenser
- rebuilt diff with c6 carbon clutch packs
Electrical gremlins show up often, upgrading the main grounding locations is something I do to every car pretty quickly. I have a kit and some shifter options I'll link below. The shifter is the next part that always wants attention. If you want to run a stock shifter I have a couple options that will make the movement of the stick a lot smoother and more precise. If you want to go with a short shifter to reduce the travel of the stick as well I have options for that as well, whatever you decide on make sure you address the box which is the second half of the shifter assembly in these cars; the part that is responsible for a majority of the sloppy, vague feeling of the stick.
This video is a stock shifter that has the stick cut down on the upgraded box.
-transmission fluid replacement (he replaced it w AMSOIL MTF but told me that it normally takes ATF due to some part in the transmission BUT also said that part wasn’t in this model year of transmissions so running MTF is fine.
T56 is a T56, no such thing as certain parts in certain years with these cars but then again it's the internet and everything is correct..
T56 is a T56, no such thing as certain parts in certain years with these cars but then again it's the internet and everything is correct..
The only thing which did change was the factory revision from using the compressed paper synchro rings to using the carbon rings later in C5 production. I don't know the year. Then there was the Z06 with the M12 variant with lower gear ratio and flat cut gears. Its not a stronger box, just a tighter one for road racing. All manual C5s have 3.42 rear end gears, but the M12 gives it the mathematical equivalent to running 3.90s
From the T56's I've been into, up to very early 2001 had paper Synchros. Beyond that was CF stuff.
When you say "flat cut", you may mean straight cut but that's not the case. MN12 T56 in the C5 Z06 has the same internals as a GTO T56. None are straight cut Gears.
Go drive a Muncie M22 car, that's some straight cut goodness.
From the T56's I've been into, up to very early 2001 had paper Synchros. Beyond that was CF stuff.
When you say "flat cut", you may mean straight cut but that's not the case. MN12 T56 in the C5 Z06 has the same internals as a GTO T56. None are straight cut Gears.
Go drive a Muncie M22 car, that's some straight cut goodness.
I'm pretty sure the paper synchros are what the owner was talking about, which is why, according to him, those T56s could only use ATF.
C5 New owner tips
