Ok, I've read about 5 pages of posts and done a thorough search and have some ?'s still. I have an 03 Cobra I purchased for full price, and though impressed with it as my last two cobras, I'm tired of the poor craftsman ship, noisy rattles, and paying for a $15k motor in a $15k car as a Zer put it.
1) What is the REALISTIC 1/4 et and mph for stock z's?
I know magazines are not accurate and that people embelish thier times often
2) Is there a real diff to justify price between 01 years and 02+?
I'm wanting to stay below $35k
3) Are these cars practical to work on yourself? ie exhaust, lowering, intake?
I'm a novice but have done these in the past to mustangs with no prob.
4) I have read about oil consumption, are there ANY other major issues that have plagued z owners?
5) Ebay and autotrader seem to have high prices for used Z's, what is a realistic price tag for the different years?
Sorry for the newb ?'s but, thanks in advance!

 

[Modified by Dr.Ron, 10:35 PM 7/6/2004]

 

Welcome to the Forum.

 

I sold my 98 Cobra and used most of the proceeds as a down payment on a new 04 Z06. I loved my Cobra...I think it is silly to try and compare the two cars...they are radically different. The Cobra is a great car in it's own right and I am glad to have owned one.

But...now I have a car in my garage that I always dreamed about owning and I can't believe I finally have one. I have been a pretty loyal Ford guy and participated in many Chevy vs. Ford debates. Quite frankly the Vette is the only current Chevy I would consider owning. To be fair Ford has not been exactly knocking my socks off lately either. I was very serious about the new Stang...I am proud of what Ford has done with it and can't wait to see it in person.

All that being said, I haven't really missed my Cobra since picking up the Z. It is one heck of a car and worth a little sacrifice to own. I think that it is awesome that a car like this can be had for relatively little money. To get something comparable of Euro manufacture you have to add $100K to what you pay for the Vette. Unbelievable bang for the buck.

BTW...I stopped at the museum and plant in Bowling Green and was very impressed with the quality control on the Vettte line...very impressed!

 

Having just finished searching for and buying a Z06 using Maryland as my buying state, I can tell you that the 2002 Z06's tend to bottom out at around $36000 and a clean low-mile 2001 bottoms out at $33000.

I bought an 02 for $35500 with 3800 on the clock which I thought was a good deal especially as it was a genuine 02 car and not a 2002MY 2001 if you see what I mean. Prior to that, I found a torch red 02 car in immaculate condition with 10000 on the clock for $36000 but I missed that boat.

The clincher between the 01 and 02 for me was the HUD. No HUD on the 01. The 02 also has a more aggressive cam and sodium filled valves so has more potential IMHO. The rear shock valving also allows the 02 to get out of corners faster but overall, not a whole lot of difference. Of course, the 405hp on the badge had an impact too. Another clincher for me was the weak clutch on the 01.

The hardest thing for me, as a buyer several thousand miles away is just how bad some Americans are at selling cars. They won't tell you anything "Hey, it's a Corvette, what can I say" is not adequate information. They won't go out of their way to assist you - I found a low mile 2001 car owned by a lawyer who wouldn't even e-mail me a picture or drop the car off in Baltimore as he was too busy. So I didn't buy it. In fact, of all the people who I contacted, the most information I could get was "you won't be disappointed".
Here in the UK, they'll tell you the life history of a car and give you a full sales pitch. I think it fair to say these people wern't really Vette enthusiasts.

As to differences, well I've never driven a Mustang but have a modified 1998 Camaro Z28. The two are like chalk and cheese. One feels like a fast sedan, the other feels like a proper hairy-chested sports car.

 

I just purchased a 2001 Z06 on Monday. I worked a heck of a deal on mine ($26.5 + my old C4 with 167,000 miles on it), so it was $ 31.5k total. It has 13,900 miles and was a lease vehicle. The column lock problem was taken care of before the previous owner turned it back in. I don't know if this Z06 has the oil consumption problem or not. I purchased the extended GM warranty, just to make sure. I looked at both the 01 and 02 Z06's. I did not find a single 02 for under $37k. The 01's were going for between $30k-$36k. I don't know if Palm Beach Nissan still has it, but they had an 01 with 37,000 miles discounted down to $31995. It is silver with black interior (same color as I just purchased ). I tried to figure out the price justification as well. This is what I came up with (in my eyes):
1. HUD. Cool thing, but I don't watch the tach, I listen to the motor. As for the speed, I can roughly tell by the motor and gear I am in, so the HUD as cool as it is, didn't do much for me other offer a high priced electronic gadget that could fail.
2. 20 HP more for 2002: After driving the 01, I don't know if I could feel 20 more horses. This thing pins you to the seat when you nail it. Yeah, the extra 20hp would be nice, but for a couple bucks you can bolt on some stuff that would give you this increase.
3. Oil Consumption Issue: Bought the extended warranty, so if this happens within 50,000 miles, I am covered.
4. Color Options: I really liked the Electron Blue offered in 2002, but for South Florida, a lighter color is really better. I fell for the Quicksilver. (First non-white car I have owned since 1989!)

As for 1/4 mile times, I have no idea. I haven't owned it long enough.
Something else you might find interesting...
I had a 92 GT and sold it to buy my 93 Vette. My insurance dropped almost in half with twice the coverage (I was 27 at the time, without a very clean driving record...speeding tickets). I just got my 01 and my insurance went from $690 every 6 months on my 93 to $750 every 6 months with the Z06.
You may find your insurance cheaper on the Vette than the Mustang.

 

Thanks for the info and pics... I'm on the prowl for a red, silver, black, yellow or.... any z06 they're all great... Thanks for the advice!

 

Prices are really falling guys. Here is a 2003 Z for $36K with 7k miles on it. http://z06vette.com/forums/showthread.php?t=62513