EDIT: Has also been updated with new thoughts since owning.
I've finally worked my finances around and after about four years of seriously looking I've managed to find the car I've hoped to one day purchase.
It's a 1999 Corvette in color code 23U Nassau Blue. It's a six speed. It's fairly low optioned, but I'll kind of explain why that is the case and why I picked this car.
I've always loved the C5 Corvette since it came out in late 1996. At that time, I was 13 years old. I remember being amazed each time I saw one on the road. Later on in life, around 2001 when I was in high school and which is also ironically when I came into really getting into Fieros, I came across an example that secured my love for the car. A guy's family that went to my school won an out-of-state lottery (Arkansas did not have a state lottery at that time) and with the money he came into he purchased a lot of cars. A Mercedes SUV, a Mercedes convertible. I remember him coming to school almost every day in a different car.
One car he bought was a then "used" 2000 Corvette convertible. This particular car was a Nassau Blue convertible, cream top, with the cream interior, and the automatic four speed. The overall "feel" of the car pretty much sealed it for me, and I was very fortunate at the time for the guy to be open about his car, considering how fan-boy-ish enthusiastic I was about seeing it.
Over the years, I began to formulate what I thought would be the ideal car. I knew about the Z06, but I also learned about the FRCs (Fixed Roof Coupes) which were essentially what the Z06 became but without the Z06 goodies. I figured the FRC would be easier to get into, since they were the cheapest Corvette at the time. My notions did not prove correct, since according to numbers less than 1% of total FRC Corvette production each year received 23U Nassau Blue color code. Basically, people knew what they had, and were charging more for them.
This unfortunately is not an FRC, but it is not a convertible neither. It's the targa coupe, which I can live with.
I then began to really look for these cars, at first playfully, but then more and more serious. I drove a few of them, six speeds and automatics, convertible and coupe, any color I could find.
Options I wanted to be relatively low. My first Fiero, an '84, was relatively low optioned. I wanted my Corvette to be the same, since not only is it less than can go wrong but less I have to deal with overall. What I really wanted though was more creature comforts in the interior compartment. This car does not have the F45 magnetic ride selector. This car also does not have the HUD. Both of those are usually desirable options, but for myself personally they were not important.
The creature comforts are good. This car has the dual climate controls. It also has the ACTUAL CD player in the head unit, not the cassette player or the disk changer in the trunk. It amazed me that the cassette player remained in the C5 up until it's last year of production as an option, but I guess that GM at the time was catering to the market that was buying the car. It has some special floor mats and rear trunk mat. I'm not sure what they are, but I believe they are Lloyds Mats because they're of that quality.
This particular car only optioned with one top, but it was actual body color which is what I wanted. I came to find out that over the years people that received the dual tops sometimes sold one off, since Corvette targa tops go for a good bit of money. Enthusiast means sometimes go out the window when $500-$1,000 for a part is involved. Nassau Blue in particular is sought after by those that maybe don't have the body color top (because it was sold off by a prior owner) or they have just the tinted top. I figure I have an advantage here too because if I do eventually decide I want the tinted top, I can purchase any C5 Corvette tinted top and it'll fit.
I also wanted the six speed. The six speed gets surprisingly good gas mileage, and compared to other sports cars I wanted to pick up, it's very comparable. It shifts very smooth, and the gearing is very direct and affirmative. It doesn't have the leeway my Fiero GT with the Getrag does, but I feel it's more useable shifts. With the torque the Corvette puts out though that's not surprising.
Another issue I was quickly coming across was what I considered ridiculous prices for mileage figures ratios. Many individuals who have these, in any colors and options, somehow believe that a car with over 120,000 miles is somehow worth $15,000. Now I know there is relative value in these cars, but I could not purchase one with over 50,000 miles. Period. And I wasn't paying a ridiculous amount of money for one with that high mileage. Not $17,000. Not $18,000. Not $19,000. You get the idea.
This one has 38,814 miles.
Any actual problems with the car? Well nothing over bad I guess. The only major issue I can find so far after a day of POURING over the car is the passenger seat has a weird issue with the lumbar. It doesn't appear to work properly, and the seat itself kind of rocks forward and back. My wife said this on the way home after buying it, and I had to jump in on that side and rock at it to see what she was talking about (she can't drive a manual transmission, so I couldn't test this while the car was moving). There's also minor scuffing on the driver's seat bolster which is very common, but it's just scuffs, no actual rips in the seats. Otherwise the interior is perfect, and the paint is near perfect too, with the only imperfections in the Nassau Blue being under the front fascia due to bottoming-out scuffs. It also doesn't have the weird issue at the rear fascia where it meets the quarter panel. Sometimes in this area the rear fascia pushes inwards a bit and looks "odd." These Corvettes are constructed a lot like Fieros, so you don't see them with dents or major body damage, just paint scuffs here and there. This car has none of those issues that can be readily seen.
And I won't say what I paid since I believe that's somewhat in bad taste. But know that I paid cash. And paying that cash did not hurt my finances. I nearly have my house paid off, my wife and I have no college debt (we paid it all as we went along). And I just turned thirty one this year (I hoped to get this car when I turned 30, but I was just a tad short). It felt really good honestly. I'll only say I paid as much for this car as I did a well-equipped Ford Fiesta SE hatchback, which is my daily driver (2011 model). I've been working two jobs for the past seven years straight, and really trying to make sure my family doesn't have to live paycheck to paycheck or worry about anything.
My wife has also been very supportive of this overall endeavor and I love her very much for the support she's given me over the 12 years we've been together. My advice to younger men is that find a woman that supports what you do and want, but also be supportive of her first. That pays off in the end. I've tried to give everything to my wife she's ever wanted. But she's now also owed the damned largest ring I can find come our anniversary next year.
There's really a lot more to that story and like any car enthusiast I could go on and on, but I guess that's the real gist of it. I'm still kind of in awe honestly. I guess it hasn't fully sunk in. I never thought that I would make it to this point - to be a car enthusiast and have what you really want. Fieros were one thing for me; I was always stoked about them, and I'll still continue to love and support the Fiero hobby. This however is on a completely different level. And I know it's not a new car, or a really special car, or anything like that, but when you've worked for years toward something and you finally have it, it's an amazing feeling.
My feelings towards the "Corvette Club" at the moment seem to be mixed. I'm not really middle or old aged, so I don't fit within the common demographic of enthusiasts. I also love the Fiero crowd more than any other automotive enthusiast crowd I've been part of. I plan to hang around and offer the sometimes hap-hazard - and potentially incorrect - advice I've always done. I also know some individuals here on PFF own Corvettes, so I look forward to their stories and reactions to their personal cars.
I guess also the story has a further happy ending. The Fiero is still kind of around. Basically I don't have the room for three personal cars. I have four here already (some close family living with me temporarily), and I didn't want a fifth hogging up the space in my four-car driveway and two-car garage. I have actually had the car on the market for a few months now and some inquiries but cold cash talks and none was forthcoming. My brother joked about buying the car one day, I told him I was serious about a Corvette now, and he said he'd buy the Fiero. He drove it for a few days since I wasn't using the car anyway, went and got the cash, and got a Fiero fastback GT with about $4,500 in parts and modifications for a thousand dollars. I think he came out good, since he likely won't find a fastback GT that runs and drives for a grand. Now I can still see the car and know that it's around.
[This message has been edited by Fiero84Freak (edited 08-10-2014).]
Congratulations! I'm impressed by the car, and even more impressed by your focus. I can agree with your decision to go low options, and, in particular, NOT go for a Z06. You were obviously looking for a daily driver, and the Z06's are a little extreme for every day usage. Enjoy it in good health!
I'm well prepared for the inevitable "Why didn't you get a Z06?" questions. I also don't particularly care for the "wagon wheels." However, they are powder coated black, and have Michelin Pilot A/S tires with 90 percent tread. I figure if I eventually want to upgrade to a more modern five spoke setup from a newer Corvette, I can likely obtain "pull offs" with really good tires for a fair amount of money.
I enjoyed your story, I guess you type properly, not with two fingers. I have 3 cars, two in the garage and one in a carport in front of the garage. I hate to start up a car only to move it over so I can pull another car out, pretty well take the car thats in the way.
I haven't had the car long and I'll be honest I probably am not the best individual to ask those type questions but I'll give some impressions over other comparable two-seat, sport coupes.
C5 vs. Fiero:
Power would be a very unfair comparison unless this was comparing it to a swapped Fiero with something like a supercharged or turbocharged 3800. I know what built swapped 3800s can do, so one could probably build a 3800 that could eat this car's lunch for thousands less. The acceleration on the C5 is really good, especially with the six speed. I kind of mentioned it further up that shifts are a bit long but they're trustworthy. There's never a question what gear you are in, and even though the reverse does not have a lock-out, it's far enough away from fifth that you cannot accidentally shift into it going from 4th to 5th. This C5 still has the obligatory 1st to 4th "econo" shift logistics still installed. I have only had it activate once and it did not impede driving so I see no need to remove it.
Interior room I'll be honest, Fiero all the way here. The C5 Corvette has a nice low seating position but with the way the hood is shaped you just kind of always feel like you're sitting up higher than you actually are. It can also feel like your legs are a tad cramped. I feel like the lower seat position and elongated leg space in the Fiero would be better on long trips. The seats in the C5 are good for what they are, but I felt the lower lumbar support is not that great. You have many ways to adjust it, but I could never find the proper setting that "felt" right.
C5 vs. C4:
This is likely the most obvious comparison. I have driven both at various times. I have long seen why when the C5 came out why it was considered such a large step above the C4. In a C4, the passenger just seems to be an after thought of sorts. Room is cramped, and the gauges are laid out in ways that impede the passenger operating anything in the car. My wife likes to play with the radio and adjust temp settings, so I was glad that this C5 not only has the dual climate controls, but also is setup for more passenger accessiblity. The only thing I plan to add to aid in interior space is some sort of extra cup holder space, and their are a few options out there.
Power is not much difference of comparison. If you have a later C4 like a 1996 model you're right by a C5, but if you go further back along the C4 model years you get much lower power outputs. Shifting is not that much different, but I feel more confidant in the C5, which is what I expected. The automatics of later C4 and C5 models are the same four speeds.
There is obviously nothing wrong with C4s. However, they do tend to carry a bit of a stigma for how long the body design was carried on for. By 1996 it was heavily dated. Also considering that post 1993 model C4s are going for roughly the same market prices as early C5s I would just upgrade directly into a C5 if I was seriously considering a C4.
C5 vs 350Z
I thought this would be an appropriate comparison, since early Fairlady Z33s are coming down in price.
If I had to look for what would be considered a "useable" two seat sport coupe, I would probably pick the 350Z. I have only driven an automatic 350Z so I cannot compare manual shift characteristics. I would say that seating feel and overall driver intuition is a bit better in the Z. Also more modern ammenities are a plus. Also despite the large as heck rear strut tower bar both have comparable trunk space.
The only major issue I would have dealing with a 350Z is how deep the tuner market has gotten into them. With a Corvette, they're likely to have been owned by older individuals who will properly maintain them. Purchasing a comparable 350Z could be and probably would be a lot less money obviously, but my concern with improper enthusiast modifications and potential lack luster upkeep on the drivetrain would concern me. I would say if you found a 350Z with good comprehensive history of ownership, I would choose it over the C5.
C5 vs Miata
If you like blasting around in open air convertibles, buy a Miata. Miatas are awesome, and the people that bash Miatas have never driven a Miata. Unfair to compare the two, but more like both cars cater to two very different buyer mind sets. Pick appropriately.
Thanks for the comparison/revies, Fiero84Freak. I was thinking of getting a C5. Love the one the OP bought. Gorgeous. I'd want the same thing...
I love blasting around in my Miata. Just wish it had more balls and looked sexier, like the C5. 'Course, I can blast around all day on $20 worth of gas in the Miata. That'd probably only get me to McDonalds in the C5.
Originally posted by Stubby79: Thanks for the comparison/revies, Fiero84Freak. I was thinking of getting a C5. Love the one the OP bought. Gorgeous. I'd want the same thing...
tl;dr Kidding, that was very well written, but where are the pictures?!? edit: huh. I don't think my work has ever blocked PB links in the past, but I see the white dots where your pictures should be. I'll google image search and pretend they're there.
[This message has been edited by 1988holleyformula (edited 07-09-2014).]
There's a few photos in my original post (Photobucket host). I'll have more forthcoming this weekend when I get a chance to properly detail the car and take it out. Work is a bit overwhelming.
I will say this - and it's a bit of a shameless thread bump.
Insurance on this car was much better than I expected; in all honestly I was utterly shocked. When I was with Nationwide, I had full coverage on my daily driver Fiesta and liability on my Fiero GT. Now I've got a more local insurance rep, and through them by paying annually, I saved $25 a month, AND I have full coverage on both cars. That's right. I'm paying less in insurance for a fully covered C5 Corvette than I was liability on a Fiero.
I don't know how, but all I know is my insurance gal is a magician.
Here are some actual better pictures. These were a bit late in the day (roughly 6:40 PM Central time) so excuse some of the color issues.
This may be the absolute WORST feeling shift knob ever. I'm convinced whoever at GM designed it didn't have a human hand. I'll likely upgrade to a C6 knob or something aftermarket that I can actually grasp like a normal person.
[This message has been edited by Fiero84Freak (edited 07-10-2014).]
I love the vette. great color!! I also like your comparisons... I had a 91 300z and that car was a great 2 seater and fast as I needed it to be and people can make fun of Miats's all they want but I had for a while and DAMN that car was fun to drive. Just a great convertible that you could drive to the end of the earth and would never let you down.
I've always liked Vettes. All of them. But I'm partial to the C3 and C4. Early chrome bumper C3s, and the late (preferably 96) C4. The thing I love about the C4 was it's "special." The clamshell hood, sculpted aluminum suspension, reverse flip headlights, etc. were all little styling touches that made it stand out from other cars. The C5 and later are hands down far superior cars, but there was an art about the C4 that I think they've lost. I didn't care for the gimmicky digital dash of the early C4, but designing the hardware like the suspension, hood, etc. to be both functional and asthetically pleasing is something that is rarely done these days. I respect form over function, but when you can have something function that also has a pleasing form, so much the better.
Congrats! I also went thru a very similar experience when I bought my Vette earlier this year. When I mentioned to the wife that I wanted to buy a Vette, she asked me what would I do with the Fiero? I said sell it. She said okay. I had a serious offer on the Fiero before the week was out, when I told her I had an offer, she said "you can't sell it". When I asked why, she said I spent too much time on it, and no amount of cash could ever replace that. She went on to say go on and buy the Vette.
So I got to keep the Fiero, and drove a new Vette off the show room floor the next day.
I love both cars for different reasons, and quite honestly, the Fiero is fun for different reasons... I get a different thrill when I drive it, versus driving the Vette.
It's great to hear other Corvette stories. Keep them coming.
I drove it to work for the first time today. I'm a lowly guy that works in a historical archives at my day job and I work as an assistant facility manager at a local college at night, so not too many car enthusiasts around. Got a lot of "Crazy you bought a 'Vette" and similar type things - I'm actually the only person at both jobs to have a Corvette of any year. Between jobs I came home and one of my neighbors came over to look at the car. I've already been getting all kinds of crazy Corvette stories; nearly as many as Fiero stories. And in my suburban neighborhood street of 25 houses I'm the only Corvette on the block. People REALLY like the color; I think many people were more in awe of seeing a Corvette painted in that color, since most are usually Torch Red, Silver, or Black, or even Yellow. More common colors. All of it was kind of unexpected, as I've always sort of joked about getting one at some point rather soon, but just kind of blew a lot of people away I guess in actually going through with it.
The cruise-ability of the six speed is utterly amazing. My morning commute is a 15 minute drive straight through the city along an inner artery of the interstate. At a 65 MPH cruising speed, not only was I staying with the flow of traffic, but I was only in fourth gear and pushing just around 2,500-2,600 RPMs. A shift into fifth yielded a 2,000 RPM cruising speed and a shift into six got it as low as 1,600 RPMs. It fascinated me to no end, and I see know why the C5 could achieve a near 28/29 MPG highway figure with the six speed. I have driven other power cars before, but to have that amount of "reserve" power on tap was just mind-blowing. And I keep coming back to the torque factor because it makes the full 350 ft lbs of torque at just 4,400 RPMs; and it takes nearly no effort to get to that RPM speed.
I know there are a lot more powerful cars out there and I'm probably making a really big deal out of something that is not that big, but really you have to experience these type things if you haven't before.
I've learned that 1st gear in this car is near absolutely worthless in most every situation. It has to be babied on nearly every take-off. You can out accelerate most common vehicles in 2nd gear low speed starts, and I put this to test in grid lock during rush hour. Even on low downhill grades you can easily take off from 2nd. My 1st gear take offs and my 1st to 2nds are still a bit rough, but I've got the upper gearing down well. I wear loafers which aren't overly suitable for heel and toe blips on downshifts, but I'm getting better at it. Tomorrow on casual Friday I'll be wearing sneakers so it'll probably be easier to perform foot work.
It also rained. Hard. We had a localized severe thunderstorm come through in the afternoon. The targa top leaked absolutely none whatsoever. The hatch had a very minor leak around the glass to B pillar meet point on the driver's side, and I'm going to try and rectify it at some point over the weekend. My loafers slipped a bit on the clutch. Both the clutch and brake could use a bit more grip on the pedals (they're bare metal on C5s, while the gas pedal is a standard rubber covered pedal).
I went over to my brother's to sign the Fiero's title over. I took him for a spin in it. He's never ridden in a Corvette and really enjoyed the ride. We didn't get it up to past triple digits but did do some serious third and fourth gear pulls at speed. We took it to a side road and performed a couple of 2nd gear slides coming out of corners to activate the traction control a few times. The car is surprisingly predictable when the back end comes out, and it's very easy to control throttle and point the car where you want it. It comes back gradually when the traction control activates, and if you need to just push it back further out you throw more throttle. Very fun.
I will say that overall handling I'm not 100% impressed with. The car corners well, it's drivetrain is well balanced out with the transaxle, and like I said getting the tail loose is easy to control. However it can be unpredictable on standard cornering. It's not that it wanders or there's excessive body roll, but rather you don't really feel like you can test the full cornering ability of the car at all times - basically, it's not always 100% competent. I believe that this can probably be chalked up to the fact that the tires on this car are sub-par compared to OEM, and from other enthusiast Corvettes I've driven I believe that this one probably had the dealer "re-alignment" that most Chevrolet dealers performed on C5s. If you are unaware, Chevrolet "cheated" slightly on the C5 by giving it a rather aggressive alignment to assist with cornering from the factory. The downside was that it accelerated tire wear, and people began to complain when they were wearing tires completely out by around 20k-25k miles. The Z06 apparently has an even more aggressive alignment. The wheel package on all C5s is staggered, and the tire setup makes tire rotation near impossible. The only rotation that can be performed is to remove the wheels and tires, and switch the tires left-to-right and vise versa to the other wheel, and then remount. Chevrolet's "solution" to the issue was simply to provide a more conservative alignment on C5s when owners would bring them in and complain. The less aggressive alignment specs decreased tread wear a bit, but still with the inability to properly rotate wheels and tires in the normal X and cross patterns tire management can be a chore.
The car has it's stock exhaust still on it, and so many people change the exhaust out and honestly now that I've had time in the car I wonder why they do. I had planned out that since I have a non-Z06 without the titanium exhaust, I had chosen a Bassani full exhaust as my first modification. I've heard one C5 locally with it and watched plenty of YouTube videos of the exhaust and picked it as the one to use. It would also be a departure from Magnaflow, Flowmaster, and all the other common exhausts people use. Honestly though, the sound and feel of the stock exhaust is just fine. It enough of a rumble at idle to give a mellow, powerful note, at acceleration it's an affirmative low growl, and at cruising speed it's very civil. I guess that most of the exhaust packages get up on for the sake of more power, since exhaust modifications seem to be effective bolt-ons for the power they yield.
Well had the first major hic-up within five days of ownership.
My C5 suffered the dreaded "SERVICE COLUMN LOCK" warning message. GM recalled all six speed manual and '97-'00 automatic C5s to remedy an issue where the column would lock itself into place. Their "fix" was to install a smaller lock plate (to prevent the pin from extending into the plate) and install a "fuel cut-off" at 2 MPH safety feature. I knew that the recall had been performed because I couldn't lock the column, but my car would not exceed 2 MPH without automatically cutting out.
To ice the cake further, apparently '99 and 2000 model six speeds are most susceptible to having this happen.
Damn.
Luckily I was at my parents house when this happened. However it was on a Saturday so I was a bit P.O.'ed as there was literally nothing I could do. This morning I called a local shop that specializes in LSx engine tuning. They said yeah it's a very common problem, and recommended I purchase an aftermarket unit that bypasses the column lock errors. Fortunately since they have dealt with this problem locally on C5s they had many of the units in stock. $73 later, a two and a half hour lunch, and a near disassembled dash, and now my C5 is running properly again. I go back to my parents later this evening to retrieve it and drive it back home.
Thankfully this didn't happen with the car on the road.
Cool. If you still have my # it's the same as before.
The car is back home. The column lock bypass worked great. Dealing with re-installing the knee kick panel was quite the pain and I probably didn't completely install it back OEM-style but it looks fine. Yet again brought it home in a thunderstorm. I swear maybe some time this month I may actually get to drive it in "normal" conditions and enjoy it properly.
So I’ve had this car now for over a full month and thought I would give some more up to date feed back. It's TL;DR material for sure, so if you stick around I feel sorry for you
Aside from the big hiccup I mentioned some posts back, it’s been a good car. Having to deal with that column lock issue I quickly assimilated myself with taking apart the lower part of the dash, and my first modification to the car was a Corvettes of Houston column lock bypass module.
I’ve also performed my next modification which is a “1st to 4th skip shift” bypass. I had initially said I didn't need this, but I couldn't have been more wrong. Partially to obtain the 28 MPG highway rating six speed manual C5s got and to avoid the gas guzzler tax, GM installed a shift overdrive that would force the driver to automatically shift from 1st to 4th in some situations (i.e., when you baby up to speed from a dead stop). When it comes on, you’re mechanically locked out of second and have to shift into 4th on the down shift motion. Driving around town, this situation simply came on way more than I initially said & anticipated, and it kind of made me feel like I wasn’t able to fully use the manual transmission properly. Now with the skip-shift bypass I can row through all six gears in any driving situation. Getting less gas mileage because of rowing through more gears? Probably. Being able to more effectively control the car's power band. For sure.
The Michelin Pilot A/S tires the prior owner put on this car are junk. God they’re junk. It’s not the tread. It’s just the tires. I had reported I simply thought I wasn’t pushing the car good enough, as this car is supposed to have relatively high cornering limits. No, it’s the tires. They simply inspire no confidence in their ability. Also the alignment has been shifted slightly on the conservative side; likely to save the uni-directional, near-impossible-to-rotate tires’ life. I’m going to have to hold off on tires though. While I can live with the powder-coated “wagon wheels,” I really want to upgrade to a more modern Corvette wheel set, like something from a C6 Z06 or a C6 Grand Sport. And if I do that I would like to purchase tires for those wheels, rather than buy tires for the wagon wheels. I’ve also been checking Craigslist and have noticed that people with base C7 Stingrays are already selling their brand new wheels and tires after upgrading. I may consider those too, since I’ve seen them in the $2,000-$3,000-ish range for pull-offs which isn’t bad.
I did find out that the floor mats and cargo area mat are Lloyds mats as I suspected, and man these things are expensive. They’re the basic black mats, fitted to the interior, with simple C5 logo embroidery. And they were $260. Yeah, two-hundred and sixty dollars. For some reason that just strikes me as excessive. But I'm used to buying $20 floor mat sets from Wal-Mart.
Interior-wise I’ve gotten used to sitting in it. I don’t like how close my position to the dash is (I’m a short guy), but I’m living with it. I’m eventually going to have to replace the seat’s rubber isolators. They have “Corvette rocking seat” syndrome where they shift forward and back under weight transfer. For the passenger I just set the seat as far back as possible so the bolsters would rest against the sides of the car. Rodney Dickman makes some C5 Corvette parts, and is thinking about re-creating parts to repair the seats. If he does I’ll order them from him since I like to support a Fiero-specific vendor even with a Fiero absence in my presence.
Performing a proper heel-toe downshift on this car is not easy. It may be one of the worst cars ever made to try and drive in that manner. I find myself simply just coasting and selecting the proper lower gear when slowing for a corner, rather than performing a heel-toe downshift like I would in my Getrag Fiero. The brake pedal on the C5 is both just too far forward in relation to the accelerator and too close to one another. I’ve found my heel actually hitting the inside of the center console tunnel quite often. The actual act of shifting is fine. Again, the throws are a bit long but very much on the authoritative side and the motions are rather smooth overall. It’s just the footwork really suffers. Doesn’t help that I’m short, but have big feet.
There’s one cup holder in the car but it’s worthless. I’m really not one of those people that cares if people drink in their car(s), as I do it and my wife likes her morning coffee on the way to work. A good scrub and detail job can fix a dirty car. I’m going to purchase a Corvette-specific holder that goes between and behind the seats on the ledge behind the passengers when I muster up the ridiculous amount of $60 to purchase it. I’m starting to learn that items for a Corvette seem to receive a “Corvette surcharge,” as in “Oh you drive a Corvette so obviously you can pay more for stuff” or "Want that logo'ed Corvette license plate frame? That'll be $50 please."
I’m liking the targa more and more, but it’s just so cumbersome to use. It’s not heavy or difficult to hold. It’s just bulky and awkward. I can remove it and put it on fine by myself, but having a helper (wife) makes the process a lot easier. I do like the quasi-convertible/hardtop option though. It’s so much different from a T-top type vehicle, while still giving the thrill of a convertible, and the seating position with the B pillar above the heads helps to keep the sun off.
I’m still loving the Nassau Blue color. It’s a very mature color. It’s not flashy, but it’s also not white or silver or black like 80% of every other car on the road. Plus it’s not red.
Finally, I just have to say that I’m still having difficulty adjusting into the Corvette culture, and I’m not sure I ever will. I don’t know. No offense meant to any older individuals, but I just don’t fit into this crowd at all. I’ve learned more and more that people that own Corvettes that are enthusiasts are older - mostly retired - individuals who tend to really trophy their cars. I’m the type person that yeah I really love my cars, but I also love driving them. I want to put a 100,000 miles on this car. I don’t want it sitting up in my garage to only be taken out on Saturdays or Sundays. I want to tell stories about driving it, not stories about it sitting up. I don’t care if people park close to my car, or ask about it, or if people I know ask about it or want to run an errand it in with me. I also could care less about worthless trophies or being beautified up for a car show. I’m finding it very difficult to join our local state’s primary Corvette club because of issues like this. And it doesn’t help matters to try and find people my age that may have older Corvettes like myself because, well, to be just completely brutally honest and for lack of any better word to use, they’re all kind of douches. Especially in terms of just little everyday things about their cars; "Oh mai gawd!! I parked by mai self away from cars n somebody parkd next to mai car. WAT THE HELL MAN! HE BETTER NOT SCRATCH UP MAI CAR! $!%&@%". Literally it's that kind of stuff that just makes me face palm for people.
Culture is different http://www.digitalcorvettes.com/forums/index.php I find most of my questions are answered there without being told to buy the factory service manual When I ask if I can make a Fiero part work on my Vette they dont pass out and start sending hate mail Also http://www.hotrodders.com is a great place to get answers. Its been less so sense Doc Vette died but there are still lots of good hotrodders on there.
Bypassing the "skip-shift" was the first mod I made to my '02 Z28. I HATED that frickin' skip shift...
Congratulations on the awesome car, sounds like you've earned it!
When I bought my 95 T/A it already had a mail order tune on it with the skip shift deleted. I swapped ECMs with a factory one for a couple days to diagnose some things and those 2-3 days of driving with the skip shift on drove me crazy.
Beautiful color, good luck with it. I myself have been eyeing the C6 ZR1s, their resale value tanked when the C7 Z06 was announced and they're getting quite affordable. 55k should get you into a low mileage one fairly easily, gorgeous car. The C7 with the Z07 package though, what a car
Yeah I will probably purchase a C6 next some ways down the line - I've already told the wife that'll be my next Corvette, and I don't plan on getting rid of this C5 like I did the Fiero to get it so she'll be seeing double some way or another. I can't see myself getting in a new C7 anytime soon simply because I'm unwilling to pay for one. And despite GM selling over 40,000 for this current model year they're going to hold value very well. I'm eyeing a Jetstream Blue Metallic C6 so it would have to be a 2008-2011 model. I figure by 2016-17 early '08 models will be pretty "cheap" since they'll be 10 years old (and we'll be well into the 7th generation). I don't plan to move into a Z06 for the same reasons I didn't get into one with the C5, but anything could change I guess. Also as one could surmise I'm very partial to the color blue; for some reason I just feel that is a Corvette's "proper" color. I just can't stand Torch Red or other common Corvette colors because there's so many of them.
The Z06 package that will be coming out on the new C7 Stingray has already sent individuals to sell their current cars in anticipation for it. It will likely be some years before something similar to what was offered on the C6 like the ZR1 is offered on the C7. By sheer numbers of the upcoming Z06 I cannot see where GM can make any serious improvements above the Z06. However I have yet to drive a new C7 so I cannot comment personally on the C7's abilities.
Just kidding, nice car!
