I am new here and just got my first Vette. Maybe someone here will know these answers. Is there an easy way to find out if its had a performance tune? I don't think the exhaust is stock. The mufflers are polished and the outlets are more oval than round. Is it stock or not? Is there an emblem on the hatch like the one on the hood stock? Mine has one and I normally debadge my stuff but I will leave the stock emblems on this and my Sky. Is there an easy way to add XM or a MP3 input to this stereo? I have owned a lot of GM rides but am finding this one has some things that are a little different than the others. I had a 2002 WS6 TA and this car seems much quicker for having more or less the same engine and weight. Is that normal? I am looking for all weather floor mats but would like something other than the ones Corvette Central has. Any suggestions? The car is a 1998 coupe

 

You probably have an Auto A4? If so I would do a swap to 3.42's you will have 2.72's and a mail order tune. This will be a MAJOR performance upgrade and really wake that thing up.

 

I do have the auto A4. It has the performance gear option so it has the 3.15 already.

 

That must have been quite a trick getting a Duamax in your Sky jk

 

Yeah the hood won't close. I used the name Duramax when I joined the Sky forum. I was unaware of these forums at the time and found it googleing protectants for the top. I then used it for the Solstice forum. Then I found the Duramax forum and of course that name was taken so I added the sky to it. I have used the name everywhere since. That would be cool though since my truck is faster than the Sky and weighs twice as much. It would be quick untill the tires caught traction and it twisted the car in half.

 

By the way, welcome to the jungle. What area are you located in?

 

Ravensdale Washington. Its about 45 miles SE of Seattle.

 

Cool, you're only about 30 minutes or so from me.

 

I had to go to Seattle to renew my CPP today. I saw one like mine parked there. The exhaust is not stock. I don't know what it is. The emblems were the same as his (or hers). The wheels were the same style but not chrome. It also has a K&N air filter. I don't know what else was done to it but it's way quicker than my WS6 was so I think there are more mods. Any Ideas how I can find out?

 

Your WS6 is a few hundred pounds heavier than the C-5.

 

No one seems to have answers for you, but it may be possible to hook it up to HP Tuners or another tuner and compare the fuel trims etc. to the stock configurations. ??

 

Exhaust:

Stock exhaust tips are oval trim pieces welded to the tailpipe the same used on some Cadillac models of the same era. I do not think that GM used these on the earlier Corvettes and I do not think they ever offered polished mufflers - they were usually painted black. I would say your exhaust is probably not stock.

Badges:

Yes

MP3 or XM:

I guess it depends on what you call easy. XM radio is no harder to install than it is on any other car - and probably easier. The MP3 (IPod or similar setup) can be incorporated by using a wiring kit that plugs into the back of your stock radio. Some forum vendors sell these and will be there to answer questions if you have issues with the install. You may pay a few more dollars more than you would on the auction site but that help can be extremely valuable. Use the search function on the forum as this is discussed regularly. Here is a link to a discussion on that: http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-p...9-shipped.html

Tune:

This is hard to be certain about. A "tune" can be done by a lot of different people, mail order, hand tuner, to a full dyno tune. You have an A4 transmission. One of the major targets of a tune is the transmission so if it shifts crisply all of the time, your car probably has a tune. If you do not have a tune, this is one of the things you may want to consider as it usually wakes the automatic transmission cars up by changing the torque management and line pressures.

Welcome - and enjoy your new ride.

 

Thankyou for the info. I am thing no tune as the trans feels stock. If by crisp you mean like my trucks Allison shifts min tow haul mode its not like that. It feels like the Sky and the truck in normal mode. If it has a tune and I install a new one will it reset the old tune? I don't want to damage my car. On my Sky I ordered a tuned ECM and installed that. I have the stock one that can be reinstalled.

 

Pictures of your exhaust tips would help us. One of the first things done to modded Corvettes is LT headers. Easy enough to check for, if your car seems faster than it should. Your question about tunes...... you can get mail order tunes from various vendors here on the forum, or take it to a tuner. I've been happy with Tom Wong in Vancouver, and I have to drive from Pasco. I wouldn't spring for a dyno tune, though, if the car isn't modded, especially until you determine what your car's setup is already.

 

I believe the first year model year for chrome exhaust tips was 2000.
Perhaps your system is stock, but from Z-06.
Many put the Z-06 Titanium systems on their car. The are lighter, and sound better.

 

No stock C5 ever came with polished mufflers or chrome wheels, so those are tip-offs to some non-stock parts.

 

Then the wheels were sent to a chrome shop. They are the exact same wheels as I have seen on many C5s except chrome. There is a shop in redmond WA that specializes in that. They even have loaner wheels.

 

Your stereo--- I tried the route to integrate an amp -better speakers and adding sat. radio to the existing Bose system--- At best--it sucked --LOL
I ended up replacing all the Bose stuff with a new head unit with Sat radio-- Ipod ready---two 2 channel amps-- one 12 " wofer in an enclosure all 4 new speakers --The Bose " door speakers have bulit in amps so they have to be removed--and I had to fabricate plates to mount the new front 6" speakers---
Good news is that all the Bose stuff you remove is popular and easily sold---to defray a lot of the cost---My stuff is all mid level type ( Sony Explod) total cost was around $800 but I recovered about $500 of that from selling the Bose equpt--So only spent about $300 for a kick *** stereo---one 4 channel amp would be somwehat cheaper but just as good too--

 

We have a couple XM radios With a spare car kit I have in my employers semi tractor. They are used there and in the truck and Malibu. I even have a spare radio as I got them cheap at a liquidator and got one just for the car kit. I found a car kit on the web at a reasonable price and they have a FM connector and aux input so I will just install that in the console. That way there wont be another subscription to pay for. I am paying for the Sky I drive 6 months out of the year already. Only down side is the radio needs to be on the base for the aux input to work so if I forget it I cant just hook up the Black Berry. I took the kit from my work truck and clipped the FM transmitter that should go on the antenna to the mirror wire and it was fine there. Its close enough to the windshield antenna to work. One of the radios did not have that connector so I put the aux input adapter on the truck and hooked it up that way. The volume is lower than the other funtions and that is annoying.

 

I have placed photos of the exhaust and a rear wheel in the photo album.