Several members here have posted problems and pics of major corrosion caused by road salt and salt-laden air near the beach.

SG Lou posted this a few months ago:
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...-enclosed.html

One member posted several pics of a C5 he bought that had lived near the ocean for several years. The frame was pretty badly corroded to the point that there were large holes in it that he had to repair.

 

Thanks never seen a C5 that bad. Living by the ocean nothing survives!!

But I'm still driving mine all year around! lol I'm not worried about having the C5 out live me. Its only money and a car, they are cheap enough I can buy another low miler from you west coast no salt guys... Keep them nice, clean and warm in the garage for me fellas!!

 

I don't live by the ocean so I can't speak of that but my car with 102k miles I put on since new as my daily driver looks immaculate up on the lift.

I don't have a problem and I'm sure the next owner I eventually sell this car for at whatever the resale value will be ......will be one happy camper.

I just got back from a short drive around the lake to the gym and this car is freakin awesome...

I can't bring myself to sell it....it's just that good. In a few months I'll slap on my snow tires and be ready to rock and roll..I do wash the car every week even in the winter so maybe that's why the undercarriage is so immaculate...next time I have an oil change and it's up on the lift maybe I'll take a photo for you.

GM makes these cares capable of daily driving in all weather conditions...so I'm just taking advantage of that designed in capability to put a smile on my face every day....and guess what...it works! (For me)

Maybe with the new mid engine c8 z51 or whatever the hell they call the production version with a starting price in the mid sixties....I finally give this beauty up.

 

You got me beat...380k miles...your my hero!

These cars are meant to be used....they take a licking and keep in ticking...

People treat these cars like they were fragil Italian or German sports cars and they are not...

One of things I love about corvettes is how strongly they are built. Just change the oil, tires, spark plugs and spark plug wires not to mention brakes and shocks when needed and your good to roll..

I love American built products. They are not finicky weak expensive to maintain and repair vehicles.

I loved my last 2 c5 s so much sometimes I think of rebuying a used c5 z06 for the raw fun of driving it.

Great cars and I love the styling of all c5 s....especially the verts...

They are styling masterpieces although I would put on larger wheels and tires. That's one thing I like to do with each of the two generations. From a styling standpoint larger diameter wheel one size larger is easy since each successive generation has so many take off rims available for almost no money...

Potholes in manhattan and those metal plates are tough on wheels...for me...so I usually pick up a new set every time I need tires...

 

My daily driver. We make about 100 miles per day at a minimum. I live 53 miles from my job. I live in Southern Maryland and I work just outside of Baltimore

 

My commute is about 45 miles each way, but the long way is the fun route.




<edit> My car might look dirty, but she cleans up well.

 

I purchased a one owner 2001 Convertible with 88K on the odometer. It now has over 130K. My car sat for a few years before I purchased it and had needs. The articles and people on this forum helped me sort the car and turn it into a real pleasure to own and USE! If you spend a few bucks getting the car right and sorted they are great and dependable daily drivers. The fuel mileage will surprise you and you will never grow tires of the cars great looks. Drive it and have fun....

 

That is quite the shine! Nice ride!

 

The reality is that you have to live within 1 mile of the ocean to get "salt air". Airborne salt crystals dont travel far on the wind before they fall to earth. I have always lived in coastal cities but never within 1 mile of the ocean and I have never had a rust issue with any car.

 

Two Corvette of the Week worthy rides you got there!
https://www.corvetteforum.com/articl...e-show-one-go/

 

Unfortunately I am not your typical point A to B kind of guy. I bought my '99 with 114k miles. Within the first few months I added CAI, headers, bigger cam, FAST intake, and at 155k miles a different cam and AFR heads. I've swapped clutches a couple times for performance and then to a LS7 clutch for driveability. I broke a shaft in the differential at the dragstrip & rebuilt it myself using a 300M hardened shaft. I damaged the 4th gear synchro at a road race and replaced it with a MN6 core that I rebuilt. I added heads up display along with a Z06 gauge cluster. Added a double din stereo, Corbeau A4 seats, insulation kit, and a bunch more little things (shifter, poly engine mounts, Tick adjustable clutch master..)

Things that I haven't replaced include - engine block, crank, rods, pistons, alternator, fuel pump, fuel filter, starter, A/C compressor.

Yes, I've probably experienced most all of the common C5 issues like steering lock solenoid, wire short in the door harness at the black accordian, pluggage in drain backing up condensate into passenger footwell, sticking clutch pedal at high RPM, falling heads up display. But thanks to this forum, EVERYTHING on these cars is repairable. It just depends on your willingness to put up with driving a low car that only has room for 2 and is a little difficult to climb out of. My willingness has lasted nearly 10 years and counting.

I've also done roughly 12 cam swaps in other people's C5s and C6s, maybe 15 clutch swaps, and half dozen header installs. I'm pretty comfortable under the hood of these cars.

 

I wish I would have done my clutch myself. I just don't have a lift.

 

It does!

 

It's been several years since I last saw your C5, look'n great Ed.
Al ShinyFenders.com

 

Patches,
I wish I could have held on to my C5 when I bought the C7, but convincing my wife I "needed" a C7 was about as far as I could get. I must admit I'm just a little bit jealous. Glad you were able to do it.

 

always use cars i have as daily drivers. if i don't drive it, why would i own it?

if you're wealthy and make enough to have a 6+ car shop and a few cars as race cars or show cars i could see doing different but if i had that kind of cash there are many other cars i would rather have over a c5..actually over corvette in general

 

many cities salt roads. that stuff hangs around for awhile.

many coastal cities also seem to have cars with a lot more rust than what you see inland for whatever reason.

a 100k mile car from ohio will be in far worse shape just because of all the crap on the roads {like salt] than one in my area here in oregon where that stuff is banned. it's not unusual to see 300k mile cars here with no rust. i've came across multiple cars from the midwest with holes in the body with lower mileage, like 10 years old and maybe 100k miles ...

 

interesting topic.. although it doesnt really Matter to the main topic as a c5 wont be old enough for retirement from rust alone... I have no rust thru yet when raise cars in lift notice few things..

1) 03 z06 I had since 02 I drove it thru anyweather... and few trips to the beach... see alot of surface rust...

2) 09 gxp drove thru any rain and to MANY more beach trips ... yet I dont think as much as winter salted Maryland roads.. I see ZERO rust

3) my brothers cts-v came from massachussets and being a 2010 as more rust then the 03 z06

so I really think it comes down to road salt.... I dont think beach cars have more to worry about then cars driven thru the winter in snow territory states....

to the point the discussion I plan on plan on getting a new c7 soon to string it into half million miles in next decade daily commute because from what I see from my c5 and c6 these things are just Rock solid -- My only concern (question?) is how do these 4 cyl shut off engines due after some heavy miles?

 

i think this is the big one and most corvettes aren't operated during the worst weather and are often garaged

 

Not even 10 years. I had a '77 Trans Am that had a hole in the body from rust in 3 years even though I washed it regularly. I was in Iowa at the time.