Whipitnow

I have seen really smok'in deals on the early C5's, are the 1998's really that bad if some of the items go out and you can not get them like these sencor issues I have been reading about fixed. Is the reason you can get such good deals on the 98-2000 because they have issues the later models do not ?

Thanks for the info...The FRC seem to bring more however.

yetman

I recently bought a 99' FRC with 25k miles. I did not hesitate to pull the trigger on it when I saw it and I looked at many, many vettes over a 6 month period until I found mine. There are no issues with mine whatsoever. Although, I did have all the fluids drained and replaced and new belts. When I bought new wheels for it, I also replaced all four TPMS at the same time. Preventive maintenance is the key when you buy something that is nearly 20 years old.

YetMan

70RT440

Plenty of folks here have bought early cars with no issues. If you want a FRC, its essentially your only option.

I went with a later car as a preventive measure, but these cars are going on 20 years old, so you should probably anticipate some issues no matter what year you buy....and I really wouldnt trust an ultra-low mileage car...sitting can be bad for a car.

Whipitnow

I want to pay cash so I am limited on what to get. I could do half finance and get a nice C6 but the C5 low mileage cars are very available at a good price. I was reading there are some parts on the early ones that were like ridiculous if you could find them.

I do not totally understand what I am reading or these cars yett so just proding. I want something that easy to get parts for and maintain in the long run. I like OLD cars.

Thanks for the help both of you....

Mr. Black

I recently picked up a 1997 with 28k miles on it. It's been largely perfect.

Things are about to change though.

Vetteman Jack

Yes, some parts on the 1997-2000 cars are hard to find and can be expensive even when bought used. But there are plenty of really nice early C5 cars out there. The big advantage to the later cars (2001-2004) is the extensive upgrades that was made to the platform during those years. Sometimes old cars and easy to get parts do not mix well, especially in a low production car like a Corvette.

Whipitnow

Thanks for the help

The thing about it is I can get a nice C5 Z06 but for just a little more I can get a C6 base car 08 plus which IMO is a superior car from my reading for a DD and here the car is made a good bit better.

The car I really should probably buy is a 2010 + GS but I do not want a payment book..... It seems like the hard top C5's are going up in price ?

You just take a look at what people are doing to these in looks and I am like OK that looks pretty bicth'in as well as how the C5 looks in a vert with the top down. I really do think it has better lines than the Vetts that came after it.

Pay more and get a 2001 or newer ? I am looking at a Z06 2001 and I read they are famous oil drinkers......

Whipitnow

I am curious, what is the problem ?

Mr. Black

Poor choice of words I used. No problems expected. MODS! The mod list of parts is starting to stack up in the shop. Nothing too crazy but the power level will be going way up.

Mike98SilVert

Early C5 garage queens are definitely worth buying. The early C5's do not have more issues than the '01-'04. That is a misconception. In fact the late '00's, '01's and late '03-'04's probably had more issues which were serious. Read the stickies at the top. My '99 was a 1658 mile garage queen and has been trouble free since I bought it almost 13 years ago.

Any neglected, beat on heavily tracked or raced car of any make or model is going to give you problems no matter how old or new it is. OEM parts for most 10+ year old cars are probably no longer being produced for or by the manufacturer. The after market makes up for that with popular cars like Corvettes, Camaros, Mustangs etc. There are Corvette salvage vendors that can help you find what you may need. If the car checks out I wouldn't hesitate.

Mike98SilVert

I understood what you meant

Whipitnow

Well good luck with the mods, that is the thing about the 08 plus cars, they are pretty good base wise right out of the box.....

I just saw a 1998 Vert that looked mint and was graged entire life from the report with 60 thou on it sell for 10,000 and I am tempted but eveybody says get a later one 2002 plus....

flyingmfrc

I recently purchased my 2000 FRC with 114,000 miles for under $15,000. You can't buy another hot rod of that quality for that price anywhere. I've gone through everything that needed maintenance, and it runs great. The Z06s are great, but , unless you really need the extra performance and want to pay a little more, the early models are very good. It really depends on what is readily available near you.

449er

I think that if your choice is a C5 vs C6, it comes down to what body style do you prefer?

Exact1

I bought a 1999 C5 earlier this summer. 40k miles, very nice condition.

New belts and pulleys, oil change, new shocks and end links, and an led upgrade to everything but the headlights.

The car runs great and no codes. I'm happy with it.

Route99

As has been discussed, parts for the earlier C5s can be hard to get IF you need them. Many members have had C5s for years and not had any of the hard to find parts even go out. As the 2001-2004 C5s continue to mature there may be issues finding parts for them, too. How well the car has been maintained and how well you will continue to maintain it are big factors in whether the car will be good or not. Be sure and have a reasonable cash reserve ($1500-2500), in case you do need one of the harder to find parts later on.
People will tell you to look for low mileage. Others will say, low mileage is bad for the car since it sits so much. Others will tell you about buying 100,000+ mile C5s and driving them for another 100,000+ miles with no major issues. Bottom line is, most of us are not smart enough to be 100% sure what will or will not happen with a used car we boy {or anything else in life}.
As you are probably aware, there is a 2000 Corvette in the Museum that had over 773,000 miles when the owner donated it. According to the owner he has the original LS1 engine, but is on his second transmission. IIRC, someone pulled a Carfax on his car and not much else was showing other than a tremendously long dealer record of fluid/filter changes. Bummer though - he had to replace his head gaskets at 750,000 miles.
By the way, he traded his '91 Corvette with 342,000 miles on the 2000 Vette.
Ultimately, you need to go with the one that seems right for you.

Whipitnow

Thanks, I am looking. I believe I want a C5 at a good price which should not be to hard here in FL from my research.

The GS C6 is just to much money, if it looked better than a C5 to me I would be all over a C6 but to my eyes it does not...

Nice cars by the way, thanks.......

Ramets

You say you have the cash, remember cash TALKS!! My '03 I picked up one year ago had 20K on the clock and was immaculate. I spent a lot of time looking for flaws, but found none. I had them replace the rotors, ALL fluids, and take those damn run flats off and put new Michelins on. I paid on the high end, but it was still a lot less than they were asking because I had the cash in my pocket. After a full year of ownership I haven't had any problems at all. Planning a west coast road trip next spring that'll take about a month or so. I have no hesitation to drive it anywhere. Just do your homework, don't be in a rush, and be REALLY picky. This is a great time of the year to find a real bargain. I've always enjoyed the hunt almost as much as finding the car I was looking for.

C5 Kirkland

If you do buy a 97-98, there are some things you should be aware of. Keyfobs being the #1 PIA. If you plan to do any modding at all, and want to tune it yourself, you have to change the PCM to a 99-04. A LS6 will save you so much time and money over a LS1.

Talon2006

The only thing I ever had issues finding was a new wiper arm rack. I bought the last one on rockauto a few years ago thankfully.