And what better way to do so by looking at Corvettes. C5 Z06, to be exact. I've owned mainly Japanese cars and a few German cars, but have really wanted to experience American V8 power married to excellent handling. I wasn't one of those who had Scholastic Book Fair posters of Corvettes in my bedroom walls, but have always respected what these vehicles were capable of doing.

My parents originally only bought American cars when they first came to the States, and iconic ones too. And old late 70s Buick, then a Chevette, then a Plymouth Reliant, then a Ford Taurus 4cyl, then a Plymouth Grand Voyager, then a Mazda B2300 (rebranded Ford Ranger). The experiences we had with the Taurus transmission as well as the Grand Voyager's transmission ultimately steered them towards Japanese cars, and I followed suit as well.

I picked "CorvetteForum.com" over the myriad of other Corvette forums through random stumbling to learn more about the model. I'm looking to own not to collect, but more so to drive and take it to the track once in a while. I'm looking at 2004, and either Torch Red (that color!) or the Z16 (that carbon fiber hood!). I'm guessing maintenance matters more than miles, and am hoping to absorb more knowledge and hopefully acquire one in the future.

 

Welcome, and do your homework well, before buying, they are certainly performance rides, with lot of power, and maintaining them isn't cheap, but worth it.

 

Thanks, and yes, definitely researching whatever I can come across.

You mentioned the car being expensive to maintain? In what ways? I don't plan on making this a daily driver, more so a three seasons car that'll share time with my other cars. I work on my own cars, and looking forward to seeing how upkeep on this will be in the future.

 

Welcome, sounds like a great plan. I moved you here for further discussion.. we have an extensive C5 section , check it out if you have not done so yet

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...s-1997-2004-2/

Check these sections out as well... good luck

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...ette-topics-8/

 

Well let's start with the age. Depending on what year you get a C5 is anywhere from 21-29 years old. I'm sure you can do the math on rubber, plastics, bearings, fabric, seals, etc. Many parts are obsolete, so you are searching for reproduction(often does not exist), used, or NOS. Finding a 1-2 owner bone-stock garage kept C5 is your best bet. Plenty of good choices out there is you are patient.

 

Welcome!!

 

I'd look at 2002-04 Z06s if that's your call: the 2004 has some weirdly unique parts and very few advantages compared to slightly older cars, and there's a lot more inventory across 3 years than 2004 only. If you're looking for a less involved project: look at C6 Grand Sport manuals, for a newer car with a bunch of meaningful upgrades (dry sump, widebody, better brakes, etc).

Expect to do fluids, belts and tensioners, brakes (pads, fluid), and probably tires for any car you buy. The stock stereo and seats are terrible, and are moderate effort & research to modernize. For mild track use: if you're running sticky tires you may want C7 upper front control arms or bushings and camber lockout plates to avoid problems at 1.3g+, you'll probably need an oil cooler for long sessions in warm temps, and you probably want a remote clutch bleeder.

On track, it feels like a big, fast Miata. It's a fun car with reasonable cargo space, but full of 20+ year old plastic and rubber that has all oxidized and needs attention.

 

Thanks for all the great tips. I'm pretty familiar with old plastics, but a C5 Vette would be much newer than the other cars in the garage. Surprisingly, I thought aftermarket support would be huge for such an iconic car. I have a 1991 Honda Prelude, and struggle on replacement parts for it, definitely lots of improvisation and customizing. Then I have a 1997 Miata, which I'm grateful for the aftermarket. Then, a 1995 300ZX, which sort of falls into the middle. And then a 1994 Mazda Lantis (great grandfather to the Mazda 3), which has common parts with the USDM Mazda Protege. As mentioned, more familiar with Japanese cars, and looking to venture into American realm.

You bring up a good point on the 2004 versus the other three years. I had been pretty fixated on 2004 and all the focus on GM refining the shocks, which made me rule out the other years. Besides the shocks, and some other suspension bushing updates, were there other areas that saw upgrades? I've reading that the 2004 shock tweaks helped refine city road bumps.

Yes, I look at the seats and wonder how much more cost cutting could GM apply towards the department. The plastics are not the best, but is overall fit and finish good? And it's a 1.5DIN radio, that'll be a new one for me. I'm not planning on modding, more so looking to enjoy and baseline, and then go from there.

 

lost me at Honda Prelude

 

I miss my '01 Prelude. Fun car. IMO the C5 is easier to work on than a 5th gen Prelude or Z32 300zx.

The late fuel system which started mid year 2003 is more of a pain to change the pump than the earlier design but doable. I would not be scared to own a '04. I'd be more concerned with a 2000 or earlier car with the price and more limited repairability of the early EBCMs.

Some C5Zs are prone to break valve springs. Swapping out the valve springs with new GM springs isn't terribly expensive or hard to do.

Weatherstripping and drip rails can crack and are out of production. The aftermarket may have stepped up with the weatherstripping.

If you replace a clutch, add a remote bleeder and take the torque tube apart to inspect the bearings and couplers.

The C5 overall is a reliable platform with a large aftermarket, Corvette specific salvage yards and community to support where GM is no longer offering parts.


If you want to get in the weeds inspecting a car, a few ideas that are somewhat chassis specific:
Check the rocker below the rear brake vents in front of the wheels for curb damage.
check the headliner for water damage near the window, around the visor mount.
Front radiator support for running into curbs/scraping
Pull the cover to check the passenger floorboard fuse panel for any corrosion.
Check the udders for leaves, gunk etc. Good clean your c5 udders.

 

A ‘95 Fairlady, nice! Is it a TT or 2+2? The c5z is a fun car to own. I can speak to the window trim rails cracking/leaking. Not fun to fix but rewarding when it’s actually done. For how old the platform is now, it is still an amazing feeling when you take a turn at speed and it feels like your one rails

 

Wow. Why does the earlier comment about expensive and hard to maintain sound pretty, well, odd if not wrong?

Between RockAuto, the Forum, Ebay or the myriad FB pages such as C5 Modified I have always been able to find good replacement parts if needed.

I will say that as with any car they are always going to be cheaper if you do your own work. Brakes. Oil. Etc. It goes without saying. And while a 20 to 28 year old car can present with different maintenance needs or damage from prior owners I can say the C5 is incredibly durable.

The forum is a great resource both for the mass of current members and for the historic information found in posts. Google is the more effective search function for the Forum vs the built in search tab though.


You mentioned track events. If you ever decide to add power to the car which might require changing the fuel pump.... I suggest avoiding the 03.5 to 04 as they have the later C6 style fuel system which places the fuel hat at the top of the tank and makes an un-fun job just miserable. Your optimal target is going to be 01 to 03.5, or 02 to 04. You cannot go wrong with any of those.

Buying tips:
- Don't rush in! The market will provide. If you can patiently wait 3 to 6 months to find the RIGHT combo of color / miles / condition / parts... you can save tons and get more out of the car.
- Drive a few before buying so you get to know the options, the general condition differences, and even how they drive.
- Connect with your local Corvette Club. They will be happy to help with the buying experience usually.

You're up in Boston. I'm in CT. If you ever need a hand or look at one in my direction reach out. I am on my 3rd and 4th C5s now and have torn through enough of them to spot issues.

You mentioned track fun. This is the first year I am also looking at this as an option. I'll definitely be picking up some events at Thompson in CT which is about halfway from my locale to Boston. If you get a car and start looking into events let me know.

 

There is tons of aftermarket support for these cars, in fact several vendors are still developing new products for the platform (eg, lots of new lighting options). And obviously the LSX engines have ridiculous support and aftermarket options, more so than any other engine in the world. For hard to find parts, people are mostly referring to the ECBM module, some of the window/roof rubber seals, and the steering wheel position sensor.

For the 1.5 DIN stereo there are 3 main options, either go with a single DIN plus a filler kit, or do a Metra double DIN console, or go with a 'sort of' 1.5 DIN (many including myself did a Joying stereo, there is a good thread on the forum about it). For seats, some do C7 or even C8 seats, while others replace the foams and leather on the stock seats like I did.

I also had some Japanese and euro cars in my day, including an '84 300ZX Turbo, an '89 240SX, and a '90 Audi 90q. Loved them all, but the Vette is in another league. GM did what it could to bring amazing performance on a budget, and most owners have been upgrading them ever since.

 

Wow, thanks much for the insight and tribal knowledge. Definitely jotting notes to help refine my selection. Noted on all the inspections areas. Yes, in Boston Metro, and since it's salted road season, all the Vettes are in the garage. Come spring I'll look to test drive, I'm sure that requires cash in hand.

Is the 2004 fuel pump a weak link in general? I have seen mixed feedback from folks acknowledging its backwards design, while others push back on saying it's a stout system that generally does not require much attention. I've also read a few owners complaining about the fuel level sensor and how it eventually fails.

How does the overall stock shifter feel? It looks pretty tall, and I've read many owners upgrading to the "MGW," or a C6 shifter?

I'm a subscriber to Grassroots Motorsports, and read through their C5 Z06 buyers guide, among others. Yes, I'm "book knowledgeable" with the valve springs, and how GM gradually phased them out towards the end of this model run, hence another reason I'm biased towards 2004. But, it looks like replacement valve springs shouldn't be too expensive, and maybe something I could factor into if I come across negotiations.

Yes, I used to track my Miata a bit; this was when my family and I lived back in CA. I've taken my Miata to Thunderhill, Buttonwillow, Laguna Seca, as well as Sears Point. I've never so much focused on raw power, more so on locking down apexes, and therefore I was able to sometimes keep up or pass some in more powerful cars. I've taken the 300ZX (normally aspirated) to Thunderhill once, but didn't find as much enjoyment as in the Miata. I was also much more careful with pushing that car to the limits, as it was more of the garage queen. Out here in New England I've been to Palmer and Thompson, both very fun.

From reading the responses, I think it's "safe" to expand my search to latter 2003, as I also really like Electron Blue. I appreciate the Commemorative Edition mainly for the carbon fiber hood and celebration of the C5-R, but the stripes seem to interrupt the blue, to each their own. Aforementioned Torch Red is also very nice, if not ready for Officer Bob to point the speed radar at.

This is great; I can upload pictures without having to throw them into a URL first. Definitely makes sharing images a lot more straightforward, especially for those who don't care to store everything on the cloud. I've inserted pics of my other others, FWIW.

 

Stock shifter is totally fine tbh. Long easy throws are fine. Shifters are a preference topic though and I am definitely one who is biased. Top three are MGW, Tick, and Callaway in my opinion. The first and third can be mounted to an upgraded tub which is absolutely worth the money from TMODcustoms.

Fuel pumps on the C5 are not known to fail. The crossover neck on the tank itself in 03.5/04 IS.

Springs are cheap insurance to upgrade. Particularly if you're going to track it. Pac1218s all the way. Affordable and an easy replacement if tech friendly.

Obviously step one of owning a new to you C5 is to address maintenance or repairs first.

Factory seats, if you'll be tracking the car, do not hold the driver in place well.

Factory Z suspension is pretty good. My opinion is that ALL C5s should have come with Z51 as a baseline minimum or the Z06. Often overlooked.... Replace the end links early on.

You're going to have fun. Z06 power is an absolute hoot. It is at the same time a lot of power and not. But a whole different world from your prior experiences.

 

Agreed with Tusc, The other issue not mentioned is the harmonic balancer. Many have been replaced again a DIYer can do it and it is well documented.

Compared to what the C5 competed against the C5 isn't very expensive to maintain. Majority of issues are a 1 time fix not something you have to check every so many miles. Take care of the car and it likely takes care of you.

Nice collection of cars, I'd add a Montego Blue FD RX7 but I am a fan of green and blue green cars.

 

Also if want to track the car, check the autocross and road race section here as well as the various Facebook groups for the topic.

If that is the goal for the car, you may save some money buying a car with some HPDE prep.

 

Hi, thanks for the replies and comments. Yes, also read about the harmonic balancer.

Going to ask something that might get some flaming; what are your thoughts on a rebuilt titled Z06? Obviously one that is hopefully limited to cosmetic damage, and has been repaired? These days it seems like any sort of damage sends the car into "salvaged" territory. I'm honestly not looking to buy to invest, but I've had my fair share of experience with salvage titled cars.

I like the "one and done" comment, gives you the piece of mind. Hence looking at these cars: bulletproof powertrains, strong HVAC, plethora of aftermarket support.

The Miata is actually Montego Blue, and I had it repainted back in 2021 after all the years of element exposure. That's also a reason why I didn't worry about the Miata going up to the limit back in the day, as the paint was already toast.

That's not reflection on the hood, but clear coat oxidation.

 

If you have experience with the salvage title process for your state, I would not be any more concerned than other cars. Do you homework ask for documentation, pictures, get the correct disount for the branded title, all the things you would do with any salvage title vehicle.

It is amazing how all 4 fenders can be removed from the C5 with bolts.

The C5 isn't a traditional full frame car but is closer to it than most unibody cars today. Racers as a result have rebuilt some rather badly wrecked cars. C5s have been totalled for cracking the rear tub which is the large fiberglass/composite material piece which is the floor for the trunk (over simplify a bit but I think you get the idea). A competent body guy can repair the car but insurance wouldn't want to pay the labor and risk finding deeper damage.

 

Not traditional in the sense that it was the strongest frame structure ever for corvette. Truly a full framed car with an innovative and unique manufacturing process for that time.