Record-breaker LS1: Longest Running Corvette

No Stranger to the Corvette

Mark Blackwell, hailing from Jacksonville, Florida is no stranger to Corvettes.  Before purchasing a new C5 Corvette back in 1999, his previous 'Vette had accumulated roughly 342,000 miles. That in itself is a feat for most vehicles, especially a sports car!  When Mark decided to hang up the keys on his current Corvette, it had 773,338 miles! That distance is a little over thirty-one times around the world (at the equator)! To further show how staggering this mileage really is, Mark could have driven to the moon and back, and still had another 295,000 miles before meeting his current odometer reading!

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Maintenance

This eighteen-year-old car has seen more miles than many other cars, period.  You're probably thinking, "Yeah, but he had four engine changes."  Not so!  This car is on its original engine.  Other than the regular maintenance at standard intervals and a head gasket replacement at 750,000 miles, the only significant work Mr. Blackwell had performed on his C5 was to have the transmission rebuilt twice. Based on a lifespan of 60,000 miles for a set of tires, only 12 sets would have had to be used on this vehicle. Never mind the Check Engine Light.  It's time to retire this baby.

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It Belongs in a Museum

Indiana Jones had been quoted many times stating "It belongs in a museum."  While Dr. Jones spoke of relics from antiquity, Blackwell has a slightly different tune.  Instead of selling his C5 with over a quarter million miles, he opted to donate it to the Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky.  He stated, "If any car deserves to be in a museum, it's this one.  For the miles, it's gone and the things it's done for me." 

"The miles it has gone" breaks down to be an average of 42,963 miles per year.  Fifty weeks per year, because we all need a vacation from time to time, averages out to be 859 miles per week or 171 miles per day.  That's one long commute!  With a top speed of 175, this car could easily cut down the commute time (if there was no posted speed limit).  However, I'm sure a vehicle with this many miles was pampered and driven carefully.

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The Core: GM's Small Block V-8

The 5.7-liter small block V8, known in a former life as the venerable 350, is one known for longevity and power.  Having had a 1975 Blazer 4x4 with 450,000 miles and a 1976 Malibu Chevelle with 250,000 miles, both proved how legendary the 350 CI really was.  In both cases, the engine outlived the rust-riddled bodies.  Fast forward to the fiberglassed Corvette, and you find (for starters, no rust) a strong LS1 engine pumping out 345 horsepower that could eat up the zero to sixty in 4.5 seconds.  That is, assuming it was mated with the six-speed transmission.  This engine is one of the many reasons why the C5 Corvettes are highly sought after.  This is also likely the reason most C5 owners have not parted ways with their Corvette.

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Corvette Values

C5 Corvette owners are holding onto their vehicles.  They're fun, fast, and the LS1 engines are extremely reliable. Blackwell is one of many examples of this occurring. As such, this is slowly driving up the price for the fifth generation Corvettes.  Road & Track correctly predicted this and Hagerty Insurance Company has provided data indicating that for the past 12 months, the value for all C5 Corvettes has only fallen two percent (equivalent to a $400).  Hagerty has also predicted that values could bottom out in 2018, which means that values will start to climb.  The only exception to this are models such as the Z06, 50th Anniversary, and Indy 500 Pace cars as they have begun to appreciate in value ahead of the "normal" Corvettes.  Based on this info, if you've been wanting to buy a Corvette, do it soon!  

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