Hi, this is my first post here. I've been interested in Corvettes for a while but just haven't had the money to get into them at all. I'm selling my supercharged 97 Cobra and looking to replace it with a used C5, perhaps a Z06 depending on cost.

I looked through your searches about maintenance on Corvettes but could only find a few responses, so I thought I'd start a fresh thread. Is there anything expensive to owning a Vette beyond the purchase? I always changed my own spark plugs, oil, and fuel filters and payed to have brake jobs done. Is maintenance on Corvettes something I should have the dealer do or is it relatively easy to do myself? Are there any recalls out on these things? Or are there things that are high maintenance and/or break a lot? I'd like to find one for $20k or less so I'm guessing they're going to be from the '97-'98 years which have a few years under their belts.

I greatly appreciate any information you guys and gals can offer. Thanks very much for your time.

 

If you can turn wrenches its not to bad.....the most expensive stuff is tranny related as far as repairs go but it seems most can be done at home if you are mechanically inclined and have the equipment.

good info here http://www.gbvette.com/how.htm


some here: http://www.corvettedoctor.com/

also www.z06vette.com has great tech stuff

 

If you've ever changed plugs in a newer car that was a PITA then your gonna love changing them in the C5 because it's about a 10 minute job this is one of the easiest cars to work on.

 

You may be getting his hopes up a little high on a 10 minute spark plug change.

 

Folks I think we've failed to fully answer the question...
Yes, the urge to spend money on accessories and mods to your Corvette make it prohibitively expensive to own for all except the wealthiest car owners or the craziest!

Good luck with your quest... I don't think you'll regret it...

GUSTO

 

If I were you I would save up enough for a Z06 ,, but I guess I'm biased!

I do all of my own work. If you have problems, there are TONs of people on here that you can post for assistance! The c5 corvette has been one of the best cars that I have ever owned!

The C5 has it's own diagnostics software (you wont be needing an OBDII scanner) and that helps a lot with troubleshooting.

They have their share of issues ie The column lock and clutch related issue but, what car doesnt have issues. i'm quite syre your cobra has it's own set of Ford related problems.

There is a hugh support group here and we will be happy to guide thorugh any bumbs in the road!!

Take a few for a test drive and make sure that your happy. Im quite sure that there are some C5 owners in your area that would be happy to take you for a spirited drive!

Good luck in your purchase.

Bill Curlee

 

 

And i have become very crazy!!! (got 2)

 

Thanks very much for the responses so far. I took a 2003 C5 out last Sunday for a test drive. It was torch red with a black targa top on it and I believe completely stock. Clearly it had far less horsepower than my car, but it still moved VERY well on the road. I attribute that to the better suspension and lighter weight of the car. I used to be very heavily into drag racing and I've gotten away from that a bit so I'm not caring as much about maximum horsepower, but I would like to ask those that have made the switch from a regular C5 to a Z06 how large the difference was in performance?

Also what years was a Z06 produced from '97-'04?

Thanks again fellas!

 

A stock Zo6 will beat up on your cobra as soon as 3rd gear is hit with a good driver so if you want the same performance go with a Z.If you buy a coupe you will want to put in a mild cam(.580ish 224ish 112-114 ish) some long tube headders and an air intake system.Then you can hang with the big guys.I used to be a mustang guy too but as soon as I went for a ride in a C5 it was over,sorry mustang!I would reccomend getting a coupe because they are much cheaper and you can have fun modding(you said you used to like to race)and you can learn alot of new stuff.Good luck and welcome in advance to the club.JER

 

Z06's produced from 2001-2004. Other models are the coupe, convertable, and hardtop. Hardtop (1999 & 2000) or FRC looks like a Z06 in body style but closer to the coupe in performance, it is a little lighter, Z51 suspension but has the LS1 motor. Z06 will out handle and out perform the standard C5. It is about 1 second or a little more faster in the qtr mile, and is significantly faster on a road track.

I suggest you read the stickies in the front of each forum almost all the FAQ's can be found there. Good luck.

 

C5's are 345hp from '97-'99
and 350hp from '00-'04
Zo6's are 385hp in '01
and 405hp from '02-'04

They started making Zo6 Corvettes in 2001. The Zo6 is a fixed roof coupe (FRC) and only comes in that model, no targa top or convertible. It also has an upgraded suspension package.

 

Dang, that was going to be my next question. I'm sold on the targa top version. My S/C Cobra is a convertible and I don't want that this time around, but I love the look of the targa top. Guess I won't be getting a Z06, but I was definitely thinking about it. Thanks again guys for the responses!

 

As far as general routine maintenance is concerned, both C5's I've owned, with my present one being a Z06, have been the most reliable cars I've owned. They have some issues like most cars, but they can be great daily drivers with exceptional gas mileage even, if that's a concern. Pennies per mile, its better than driving my pickup. The only problem you will have is when you start to personalize it. Then it will become expensive because it will be hard to stop. If you start going to Corvette events, you will have to "keep up with the Joneses".

 

I haven't even been to any events and I am doing that already

And Damn, There are a lot of Joneses out there.

 

They are fairly bulletproof. I am on a daily quest to blow my car to pieces and have not yet succeeded. Main things to check for are evidence that the battery leaked and if a stick, how good the clutch is. Leaking batteries burn vacuum lines, ruin the ABS computer and ruin the wiring harness. Clutch swaps suck in these cars. Its do-able on jackstands, but a PITA compared to say a fox body stang or an older musclecar. Don't worry about brakes or tires, you'll probably upgrade them, just factor that into the price.
If you are into handling, you want a Z51 equipped targa coupe or fixed roof coupe. This is a package with different suspension and cooling.
These cars can be made very fast and very reliable with smooth street manners and decent fuel economy.
My car is a common "home-mod" special. To decipher my sig, 98 is the year, M6 is a 6-speed tranny, ECS is East Coast Supercharging, the vendor I get my parts from.
It has CNC big valve heads, a Comp Cams cam, a Z06 intake manifold, ZO6 Titanium exhaust, Finish Line Performance long tube headers, hi-flo cats and X-pipe, a Spec Stage III ceramic clutch wth a Fidanza aluminum flywheel, a VaraRam cold air induction scoops and all dialed in with a program called LS1 Edit. It means a lot of weekends turning wrenches but the car runs great, can be driven anywhere and hauls ***. It represents what 75% of the C5 Tech guys have for a N/A setup.