1998 Corvette Convertible | Retro Review

The only way to make an already perfect C5 Corvette better. Get em while they're still reasonably priced!
Show 1703 | Original Airdate 09-24-1997
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[@BAYAREA_PizzaParty]

Would like to thank MotorWeek for being the only channel I know where I definitely won’t see an ad before the video.

[@pizzaearthpancakesandother2549]

Ur welcome Jade!

[@ravipeiris4388]

Quarter of a century later, in 2023, the car still looks stunning!

[@mikewozawski1634]

Yup, I love almost all corvettes Im not the biggest of the c7 has to be the right spec to look good. But c1-c6 I love them all

[@V8AmericanMuscleCar]

It will always look stunning.

[@faugrad]

Quarter of a century? You are right! Feels like yesterday when this came out and I read the article about this Corvette in Motor Trend.

[@valerianportus7409]

I've had a 2000 Soft top for years. It's now approaching 50k miles. I've had to replace tires, harmonic balancer, Idler pulley and remount the window. That's it in 23 years.

[@TURBOBEATZZZ]

Timeless...

[@pmafterdark]

Notice how John's the one that gets to drive this one lol.

[@dohc1067]

At this point in time, classic Corvette performance and styling. I still see these 25 year old models. Still looks fresh. 😮

[@8bitDNA]

The fact you said fresh ages you

[@MarkMeadows90]

My father in law still has his 2002 Corvette coupe. He loves it!

[@sAppStar56]

The magnesium wheel option is shown on the black car. The red has the standard wheels.

[@MS3DALE]

@@DStabs720 Nope, the black one has the magnesium wheels.

[@ilvron7515]

My favourite Corvette from old Need for Speed

[@kanob6440]

Yup! That's why it'll always be my favorite corvette

[@4HBirtcher]

Nice to see the host check a car out instead of letting other people do it!

[@MPMeterman]

John’s a Vette guy.

[@rodmunch69]

I owned a '98 Vette convertible back in the early 00's, great car, really fun to drive AFTER I replaced the runflats. The car was used, but only had like 25k miles on it, but whenever I drove in any sort of rain the car the would slip and slide all over the place, was basically undriveable. I didn't even think about the tires being an issue since they looked new - but finally saw people talking about how those early runflats would just go bad and get hard and lose traction. So I bit the bullet, got the best wet traction tire I could find, the legendary Goodyear GSD3, and my God, it was like a totally new car. You could drive that thing in water as if the roads were dry, and on dry roads, you could do anything and it wouldn't lose traction. It was a stunning reversal. Prior to the Vette, the previous fast cars I owned were old muscle cars, and they also slid all over the place, so I actually thought it was normal - except for reviews like this raving about the handling. Anywho, if you have runflats, and a sports car, and things don't seem right, replace those junk tires with good summer tires, and you'll have a totally new car. Since I owned that Vette, every car I get, if I plan on keeping it for more than a year or two, I'll put new high end summer sports tires on it, and in literally every case it's made the car handle dramatically better.

[@FloridaBiker-t3b]

What did you do for a spare ?

[@JaysRandomnessChannel]

​@@FloridaBiker-t3bI myself bought a used 17" front wheel. I have this convertible and don't plan on doing any racing or anything. I have a lightweight aluminum floor jack and four way lug wrench in a bag. I feel more comfortable knowing I can change a blowout or something while I'm out and about.

[@stratfordbaby]

So you can get into the trunk with the top down just behind the seats. Lovely.

[@Cheezwizzz]

For a mass produced car, it’s certainly a head turner

[@pontiacGXPfan]

The C5 has aged very well and you rarely hear about dumb drivers crashing them leaving car meets

[@90boiler]

The most elegant Corvette

[@VideoAmericanStyle]

Oh, how I lusted after these as a teenager. 🤤

[@ReviveAndDrive-mk1]

Such an awesome car❤

[@jeffsloane8628]

Have one with a 6 speed and love it!

[@trevagraham1605]

LS1 Baby!!!!

[@emilianocruz11]

Made in bowlin Green Kentucky from 1998 ❤❤❤❤

[@jimmycline4778]

3k for those wheels, I have two full sets, my buddy’s dad died and he sold the 2nd set to me in new condition for 100 dollars!

[@zzoinks]

I didn't know that this car was that old. I seen them but would have assumed they were like early 2000s

[@Dungzoo]

I would take a later model C5 over an 05-07 C6. I think.

[@rodmunch69]

I owned a C5 convertible back in the early 00s, and I'd take the C6 - it looks a little better and more importantly it has a better interior. The C5 interior was fine when it was new, but when I got rid of mine in like 2005, it was already starting to show its age from the cheap GM materials. Don't get me wrong, the car was great, but that interior, by modern standards, is pretty rough. The C6 was a really nice step up in quality.

[@gilgonzalez5902]

@@rodmunch69yea but the C6 is almost double the price on the used market considering just how cheap the C5 is. C5’s are barely even more expensive than late C4’s which is nuts because the C5 was a big improvement. Best Corvette bargain by far.

[@rodmunch69]

@@gilgonzalez5902 he didn't say 'for the money' - also prices where I live are just based on year and mileage, there doesn't seem to be any premium on the model. Obviously a 2013 with 40k miles is going to cost a lot more than a 1998 with 100k miles on it - but a 2004 and 2005 with similar miles cost almost the same. Again, I've owned a C5, and still own a C3 and been a big Corvette fan since I was a kid, so I'm very aware of all the differences between the models, and I agree with you, the leap between the C4 and C5 is huge, but the leap between the C3 and C4 was even bigger. While the the C6 is basically a more refined C5, with, as I said, a much better interior.

[@walterbrob]

Been looking near and far and haven’t found that ‘04/05 as cheap as a ‘98

[@rodmunch69]

@@walterbrob I was saying a '04, which is C5, and a '05, which is a C6, if they are in similar condition with similar miles cost about the same. Also, shockingly, the '98's around here in Florida, cost nearly as much as an '05 - there's not a big price difference despite the age between the two, and in the last couple of years they've gone up in price quite a bit.

[@Fleetwoodjohn]

The wheels pictured during the magnesium mention are not. Those are stockers. Magnesium were thinner spokes and way better looking.

[@kevinw7319]

The magnesium wheels were pictured on the black car at the intro. They look so much better than the stock ones.

[@Apurv22able]

Stone cold is pouring cement on Mr McMahon’s Corvette

[@KenanTurkiye]

I'll buy 7, one for each day of the week, where do I pay? :)

[@27Zangle]

I am actually thinking about purcahsing one of these with a manual in summer 2025. I would next summer but we want a newer family car first and thinking about getting an ATV since they're street legal in my state. I like the C4 and C6 better but the C5 is such a good value and it still looks fantastic.

[@dimaslopez-dejesus2371]

1998 Chevrolet Corvette convertible it’s been for over 45 years.

[@RomanJockMCO]

Huh? 2023 - 1998 = 25 years

[@dimaslopez-dejesus2371]

@@RomanJockMCO Since 1953, over 70 years of Corvette. 25 years? Oh gosh that’s hilarious. From 1998 to 2023.

[@RomanJockMCO]

@@dimaslopez-dejesus2371I misunderstood your original comment. You claimed that it's been over 45 years for the Corvette convertible which isn't true. Chevrolet dropped the convertible after 1975 until 1986. Moreover claiming that it's been for over 45 years isn't true either as over means more than 45 years. 1998 - 1953 is 45, not over 45. Hilarious!

[@KenanTurkiye]

I want the years, months, weeks, days, hours, minutes, seconds calculated properly before I give The Bickering King Award

[@RomanJockMCO]

@@KenanTurkiye Why give up something you've earned?

[@texan176]

Timeless design on this generation. It went wrong with C7 design which was ugly. C8 is sort of like the 2003 BMW 745i where everyone says it is so high tech and beautiful but it is a pig.

[@Sebastian_Dinwiddie]

Just last week I was on the highway. Changed lanes without checking my blind spot. Done side swiped a circus tent! 😋

[@circusclown9690]

Probably a CLOWN 🤡 inside 🤣🤣😂😂

[@TURBOBEATZZZ]

😅😅😅

[@dalewasson5919]

Vin Diesel used one to jump off a bridge

[@fijitears]

I promise I’ll have one one day! I’m 21 and I could’ve had one years ago if I was smarter with my money lol.

[@gxdjoeybaby07]

slightly disappointed that the cute guy didn't manhandle the shifter in this review

[@RageousMode]

$3000 option for those wheels. I mean, that's how much you can expect to pay for a wheel + option package now in 2023 but at least wheels look great now. Those are just a basic 5 spoke design.

[@flightwriterNG]

You were paying for the lower unsprung weight of magnesium construction, not so much the design.

[@gavinvalentino1313]

The wheels John is whining about on the red car are *NOT* the magnesium option, ironically. They're the standard issue aluminum.

[@nathanwood3860]

Did you guys ever review the hennessey vipers?

[@davidaubin3902]

I’d take this or Boxster

[@davidbaron6647]

nice

[@bwcastillo]

Neat

[@thegamingchannel9899]

I have a circus tent! Does anyone in the comments have a C5 Corvette convertible?

[@DStabs720]

Take me back…

[@PhillyDee215]

Im surprised the brake package wasn't larger

[@danv8717]

The C5 was a light car it didn't need bigger brakes.

[@PhillyDee215]

@@danv8717 right....makes sense....but still though

[@walterbrob]

$3000.00 for those atrocious wagon wheels?

[@realazduffman]

First view!

[@wavelength1970]

hard to believe my S4 is faster than this....someone is fibbing about their horsepower numbers

[@moejr1974]

S4 what? Audi? Lotus Esprit?

[@moejr1974]

S4 what? Audi? Lotus Esprit?

[@wavelength1970]

@@moejr1974 B8 Audi S4, faster 0-60 and pretty close in 1/4 mile according to Motorweek

[@JerroldSullivan-nt7qj]

Sad that a 89’ sho can stop shorter.