IJCOBRA

Hi I recently purchased a triple black 2001 C5 Corvette convertible/6-speed with a 500 WHP low mile 427 for my 41st birthday.


14 Liters and 1000+ Horsepower


My performance vehicle history/experience:
- 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT-8. Has been my daily driver since 2013. It has a 500 AWHP 426 stroker.
- 1990 Mustang GT convertible 5-speed (Foxbody). Mostly stock except MGW shifter, 3.73 gears, exhaust, and Maximum Motorsports suspension. Had for 10 years; sold when I bought my SRT.
- 1995 Mustang Cobra 2-top convertible (stock).
- 1985 Mazda RX-7 GSL-SE (stock). Had as a teenager.

How I ended up with the Vette:
My Jeep gets about 10 MPG and I wanted something that gets better mileage for commuting. I also do not like only having 1 vehicle because it is a pain when I need to get work done on it, and still have to go to work. It just makes me have to take days off work, or pressure myself or the shop to rush. I also like the security of if 1 vehicle breaks down, I have another. I also wanted something that compliments yet contrasts my Jeep. I missed shifting, RWD burnouts, power slides, and wanted a convertible.

I test drove several "more economical" vehicles including Mini Coopers, Miatas, Focus St, Fiesta ST, and Miatas, but all the 4-cylinders (even turbo) seemed completely underpowered and gutless. I almost bought a nice '93 Mustang GT convertible with a supercharger, but decided against it as I had already been there done that. I never really considered a Corvette before. They just seemed too impractical. Over the top. I felt I needed backseats. I never liked the long nose of the GM performance cars (Camaro/Vette), but it started to grow on me. I do really like the pop-up headlights, as it reminded me of my old RX-7. I like 90's sports cars in general: RX-7, Supra, 300Z, etc. The C5 shares the smooth round lines of those cars. I started seriously looking into the C5 and the prices have fallen into the honest man range. I could get a C5 for the same price as a used Miata! I decided on this particular C5 because it has a 7.0L just like my Jeep. It indeed compliments and contrasts my Jeep perfectly.





My Vette:
It has a LS3 based 427 stroker and a big cam.

Exterior/Interior:
Looks amazing! My wife keeps commenting on how low it sits. It is about half the height of her Impala. I love the view out the front, especially when the headlights are up. They are almost like guides while driving. I don't think there is anything on the exterior that I need to change. Possibly swapping the wheel center caps from the Cree logo to the C5 logo. Headlight output isn't the best and I may upgrade the lenses to HID projectors for the low-beams. The blind spots are atrocious, and I am not sure what I am going to do about that. The side mirrors are small and I feel like I'm not seeing as much as I should. The previous owner put those circle mini-mirrors on the rear-view mirrors, which I feel just blocks more of the mirror and doesn't help. I have a feeling that someday I am going to change lanes right into someone so I change lanes cautiously and look all around like a crazy person hearing voices in their head. I like the seats, and have them adjusted to hug my waist which is nice, but thigh bolstering could be better. Also, the seatback is so high that it hits the bill of my hat when I wear it backwards, which is what I always do because I drive a convertible! My Mustang seats were lower and I didn't have this annoying problem. I like the layout of the interior, and am ok with the quality of materials despite how much everyone rags on it. I'm not that fancy. The center console and transmission tunnel definitely need some sound deadening. I love the HUD and am becoming very attached to using it, and will miss it on every other vehicle I drive. The windows are high up on the doors, which is the same on most newer cars, but on the Fox Mustang they are lower and it is much more comfortable/natural to rest your arm on the window ledge. I do not like how the seats tilt forwards a few degrees with zero resistance. Top down this car is awesome. Wind and wind noise are bearable and the blind spots are gone. I wish the top was powered, or at least didn't require you to get out of the vehicle. The pass-through of the waterfall that goes all the way to the trunk is silly, and Chevy should have installed cubbies or something to block this off. I am having VetteNuts build a subwoofer box to put here. The stereo is unimpressive, but that was expected. I replaced it with the VetteNuts double-DIN, 5-channel amp, and JL Audio front components (stock location). Now it rocks! I also got their "half" sound deadening kit which seems to have improved the transmission tunnel noise. The trunk is shockingly large and I did not expect that. The exhaust is pretty subdued but gets louder with accelerator and RPM. I installed QTP electric cutouts because I have them on my Jeep and they are awesome. And they are awesome on the Corvette, but sound different than the Jeep.





Powertrain:
The power is almost too much. I can't floor it in 1st, 2nd, or 3rd gears or it will spin. I drop to 4th when at speed and it accelerates so fast that I run out of room before I expect. I can only accelerate for short bursts. This thing is a monster on the highway; it just eats it up. I can even accelerate adequately in 5th and 6th; I didn't expect that. The adage that "driving a slow car fast is more fun than driving a fast car slow" has some merit. I "under-accelerated" a VW Golf at a red light because I just spun 1st & 2nd. That was embarrassing. This Corvette is the definition of why my Jeep is the king of stoplight to stoplight racing. I can just mash the gas to the floor in the Jeep and it launches under full power with almost no wheel spin on street tires. I am positive that above a 40MPH roll the Vette would annihilate it. I suspect that my tires are a large part of my traction issues (Hankook Ventus V12 Evo 285/35/19R 245/40/18F), and I plan on upgrading to stickier and wider ones. I was geting a bouncing idle from time to time (oscillated from 2000-400RPM less and less, eventually steadying at 900RPM), and it bucks when below 1500 RPM. I took it to Horsepower Solutions in Newport News, VA and they did a dyno tune which produced 530RWHP. Handing me my keys and saying "it is a night and day difference", well, I couldn't tell any difference. The bouncing idle remained and it killed when coming to a stop even more than before. I took it back and they discovered the ported throttle body did not seal shut properly, and the blade would actually push backwards an inch or so. They replaced that with a $600 stock LS2 throttle body from the dealership which has improved the bouncing idle and dying when coming to a stop. However, they did not re-tune it with the new throttle body so I can not guarantee it still makes 530 or that it is optimally tuned. Seems a little slower than before. After spending over $3000 there I am tired of giving them money.





Drivetrain:
The clutch pedal is a bit harder than I would like, and the dual stage clutch makes a whirling racket from the center console. This has died down with the sound deadening install somewhat. I'm not a fan of the shift action. Very rigid gates and I never know if I am in 1st or 3rd. Can't tell by looking at the shifter. Thankfully the lockout has been removed. I have a Hurst shifter but I drove a buddy's '03 with a MGW and it was similar. Zero play and hard to move the shifter in any direction really. Perhaps I'm just used to Mustang's T-5 shifter with its easy shifts, side-to-side play in neutral, and upward pressure going straight into 3rd. My factory shift **** was loose and rattled like crazy when slipping the clutch, but I have replaced it with a ball shifter which I love. I wrote this a month ago and am just now getting around to posting it, and have since gotten much more accustomed to the shift action and clutch.





Suspension:
I have Bilstein shocks and the front end was lowered a bit. It was too low for my driveway and the headers scraped badly. I have since had it raised to factory height. I do like the feeling of the suspension and steering. Taught but compliant. Much less jarring than my Mustangs, or even my Jeep. The traction control seems very well sorted, and kicks in as needed without screwing things up or making things worse. The traction control in my Jeep is a mess, and it is best to just turn it OFF all the time. My Mustang didn't even have traction control. I've only had the Vette for a short time and am not comfortable enough with it yet to do anything wild, but I will say that the full suspension I put in my Mustang was very "hard" yet controllable and predictable. I could at will do rear-end drifts at every turn, on-ramps, etc. I have no doubt the suspension in the Vette is far superior; I just need more experience with it. I do notice than when I'm doing sweeping turns (as in an on/off ramp) if there is any imperfection in the road the back end seems to twitch in a very concerning and surprising way. I don't like that. Researching suspension upgrades...





The car has been in the shop (Horsepower Solutions or Audio One) for most of the time I have owned it and I just picked-it up from having the stereo installed yesterday (3 week install!). Just waiting on a nice day to take it out and enjoy it! Possible road trip Monday to Charlottesville with the wife.




I plan to do some 3D emblems on the steering wheel and entry sill. Not much left to do except suspension.

Here are the mods as listed in the ad I purchased it from:

---

SENIOR Adult owned for 7 years - Never raced , never red lined
Why am I selling? purchassed 2017 Corvette
No hit body with all original panels
LS3 - 427 cubic inch stroker motor with 507 rear wheel HP 502 max torque. .
Copy of dyno sheet available and verifiable.
The comparable flywheel horsepower is somewhere between 600 - 630 HP. Because it is naturally aspirated, the power is there all the time.
By comparison, the Corvette C7 Z06 puts out 650 HP flywheel horsepower with a supercharger. Depending on what equation you use, the loss of power to the rear wheels puts it somewhere between 520 - 550 HP, and the additional power is available when you engage the supercharger.

Engine built by Spartan LSX Performance
This car is a monster with manners.
Triple black convertible. Top is in excellent shape. Paint is very good
6- speed manual with Hurst short throw shifter
Cray wheels - rear tires very good - front tires will need replacement in next 5 - 8K.
Interior is in excellent condition.

New parts as of October 2015:
LS3 engine from Hinson Motorsports
Cam Motion 232 - 242 @ .50 duration 115 lobe separation 629/629 lift 111 intake centerline
Heads CNC'd by Advanced induction, Concord, NC
7.35 Comp Cam Chromoly pushrods
LS3 rocker studs, trunion and rocker bolts
LS3 intake, injectors and throttle body (ported)
Walbro 255lph fuel pump
Dewitts 2 core radiator
LS2 oil pan
LS7 aluminum flywheel
Mcleod RST 2 piece clutch
underdrive pulley
LS6 ML valve springs
Full PCM recalibration
sway bar
starter
tie rods
plug wires
power steering pump
idler pulley
motor mounts
rotors and brake pads
Bilstein shocks
power antenna
windshield wiper motor
12 disc CD changer
Titanium Z06 exhaust
Powder coated long tube headers
Vararam cold air induction system
over $18,000 spent on engine and upgrades

Everything on the car works except in dash CD:
all in working order:
Dual zone A/C
power windows
power sterring
power seats
all gauges
cruise control
headlamp motors
power door locks
heads up display
12 disc CD changer
Interior is excellent - dash, door panels, leather seats, carpet, floor mats - all excellent
Ghost Corvette emblem in hood


7,000 miles since completion of all work described above. 106,xxx miles on odometer

Driving from Atlanta to Panama City Beach the highway gas mileage is 28 MPG !!

Vetteman Jack

4XLR8N

Wow, quite a C5 you got there!

Welcome to the asylum...

knewblewkorvette

Quite the monster you got there. We are very close to the same HP as my 99 puts down 528 rwhp. But I would definetly choose your NA setup over my SC setup. Nothing like a 427!

Why so long? With the equipment you listed it should take two days.

1bdvet

Nice ride, and color!

DDaaryl

There is no substitute for horsepower!

IJCOBRA

C5 Kirkland

I took it to Horsepower Solutions in Newport News, VA and they did a dyno tune which produced 530RWHP. Handing me my keys and saying "it is a night and day difference", well, I couldn't tell any difference. The bouncing idle remained and it killed when coming to a stop even more than before. I took it back and they discovered the ported throttle body did not seal shut properly, and the blade would actually push backwards an inch or so. They replaced that with a $600 stock LS2 throttle body from the dealership which has improved the bouncing idle and dying when coming to a stop. However, they did not re-tune it with the new throttle body so I can not guarantee it still makes 530 or that it is optimally tuned. Seems a little slower than before. After spending over $3000 there I am tired of giving them money.

So $3,000 for a single dyno tune, a new throttle body, and labor?? That is insane.

IJCOBRA

IJCOBRA

Irish31

Great write-up. Fun to read all the details. Man.....your car looks freakin' fantastic. Welcome to the asylum.

Black72GTS

Nice write up. Hello to another Georgia C5 member!

druz06

Nice find and well done car! I am in Williamsburg w an 04 Z06. There is a Corvette group in VA beach I think but maybe we can meet sometime in the middle. I don't fit the old demographic either being 41 and not 81 lol. I have been to the annual gathering at Zip Corvette last 2 years and it was big too.

IJCOBRA

IJCOBRA

Thanks! That was the prior owner's plates. He lived outside Atlanta. I flew there, picked the car up, and drove it back. I Photoshopped the plate # out but stupidly uploaded the original.

I have Minnesota plates.

IJCOBRA

I took the Vette to Charlottesville and back yesterday. Zero traffic the whole time until hitting the always present backup going into the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel towards Norfolk (at 10 pm). It killed 3 times total the whole trip (RPM crash when getting off the gas or pushing in the clutch when coming to a stop or making a turn). I need to take it in again and have it re-tuned, hopefully for the last time ever.

Gotubch

Perhaps you should try a different tuner?

IJCOBRA

I would but the other one in town doesn't want to get involved.

Gotubch

There are numerous tuners in the Hampton Roads area.

IJCOBRA

Any recommendations?