Hello to all, and thanks for taking the time to read this. I plan to be in the market for a new/used vehicle in late 2005 or early 2006, and I want to make it a monster, whatever it is. I've done some preliminary research on a few vehicles like the 2002 Viper GTS, 2001 M5, and even a 2001 or 2002 S55 AMG. I'm new to this forum, and I'm at the very beginning of gathering C5 Corvette info, so I'm looking for any Corvette Z06 newbie tips anyone can pass along, like certain models to stay away from, "mandatory" engine enhancements (I've seen another forum user with a 500+ HP Z06; WOW+!+!), and wheel packages to look for/stay away from. Basically, gimme whatcha got!

This car will be a pampered treasure , rarely driven , and washed daily , and I'll be upgrading from a 1999 Taurus SHO (SLO). Thanks everyone!

 

What are your goals? Hp? 1/4 mile? Bragging rights?

 

Just do it! The chevy Z06 is the best all around machine on the planet for the money. You mod that with a twin turbo 427 modified and you can't lose anything but money. Nothing will touch you. :flag

That is the ultimate set up and on sale right now so go for it.

 

Well speak of the ! Mr. lager99, you have the car I was speaking of! Thanks for the reply! Let me apologize beforehand for the length of my reply, because I tend to ramble at times, but the truth is in there somewhere...

I don't think bragging rights is the term I want to use; I just want to be able to pull up to any Normal City USA stoplight, see the lane merge 1/4 mile ahead, and not worry about the Neon, or Honda, or Subaru (or more true to life here, Mustang GT/Cobra) that's in the next lane. I realize I can actually do that with a used Viper GTS, but there's an emotional attachment to Corvettes that I've had since I sat in a C4 years ago. And the C5 doesn't have that outrageous, "small *****" appearance that the Viper has. I've substituted with low-end pretenders, but I haven't been able to shake the Vette craving. That's as honestly as I can put it without a shrink. My great-uncle just purchased a yellow convertible C5, and his son was describing to me his feelings. He said "D, I've driven Mercedes, Audis, and BMWs, but that Vette is the fastest thing I've ever driven." And when he said it, he had this blank stare in his eyes like he was having flashbacks. I want that stare.

But to answer your question, it's great to have the option for the gobs of HP that you have and tons of mods, but to be able to do so without jeopardizing the integrity of the vehicle is something special. I already know the Z06 is fast, so the decision about whether or not I upgrade won't be as critical for me because I'll already be able to go much faster than a large percentage of the traffic. So the 1/4 mile times I'm not concerned with, and bragging rights don't interest me much; I want a beautiful, but understated, car, and I want to be able to drive extremely fast to the grocery store. I realize I don't have to do anything to do that, but if there's a tweak or two that's low-impact/high benefit, I might be game. And please, don't get me wrong, no teenage hot-rodding (absolute power corrupts), my goal is to have a potential everyday driver, with insane speed for the times I need to merge into traffic at 130mph. But as I said before, this car will be somewhat pampered, and probably not driven in winter.

 

Believe me, I BADLY want to go for it, but the wife just leased an Escape, and passed on the Envoy. I think secretly, she's hating her decision. That's her fault, because when my time comes, I won't be passing on the Corvette to get the Subaru WRX or Mustang GT. No sir.

You know what 3window, I think you hit the nail right on the head; the key here is value. If money was no object, I'd have a Lamborghini Diablo for every day of the week. But because it is, the Corvette's value quotient is exceptional. Thanks for the reply! :flag

 

The ZO6 is an AWESOME ride! I love mine! Hey, if you can wait, you can buy mine in around 2007 when the 2nd model year of the NEW Zo6 (or whatever they'll be calling it) comes out. I will be trading up to one of those, unless Chevy prices me out of the market!

 

Listen to your Great Uncle, he's got it. I know exactly how he feels, I feel the same way every time I crank up my Z06, even if it is just to idle over to a nearby watering hole. As for performance... any supercar that doesn't respect the performance of a Z06 is in for an ugly surprise.

Although there are faster cars out there, none provide the "bang for the buck" that a Z06 does. If that doesn't convince you, take a minute to compare the depreciation curves of various supercars.

Ok, so there are lots of "logical" reasons to choose a Z06 over the rest. Logic has nothing to do with it. Get behind the wheel of a true American legend, a Z06. Crank it up, get it on, let it out and let it run. Listen to your heart. Then, you will know the truth of your Great Uncle's words.

Dr. Dave Dyer

 

Thank you for the offer Dr. Ron; I'm looking at the spring/summer of 2006. I'm gonna guess that Chevy is going to realize how punishing it would be to introduce a stock 500+hp C6 Z06 and make it 10+ grand cheaper than the Snake. But that's just a layman's guess, what the hell do I know, I went from a GM car that never gave me trouble ('97 Grand Am GT) to a car that brought forth the statement "I tow a LOT of these" ('99 Taurus SHO). So go figure.

 

I gotta tell you Dr. Dave, that's one of the things I'm really yearning for in a car, some type of attachment. The SHO has its following, groups, websites, etc., but the service issues have left me feeling like bought a Taurus, not a special car.

My feelings can best be described this way: I was on my way to Home Depot (Toys 'R Us for guys) and I had just gone through a city intersection, when out of NOWHERE, a C5 convertible cut in front of me doing about 60, then within a space of about 10 feet he slowed down to 35-ish and executed a beautifully composed 90 degree right turn into a gas station. My thoughts were, in this order: (1) That SOB! (2) That was f--king awesome; I have got to get a Corvette.

So I'm still looking for Z06 best practices if anyone has any do's and don'ts that I can apply during my research. Thanks for the response Dr. Dave!