$2,000 Clutch?!? The CAR WIZARD shows just why this job costs sooooo much on this 2001 C5 Corvette

[@donaldbarton5755]

Wow, that's my car on KZbin. I really love that car.

[@zippySquirrelface]

"We get it"

[@dimepiece8855]

Can I love your car too ? 😘

[@donaldbarton5755]

Sure, from afar.

[@BenLiftsStuff]

I've often wondered if the Car Wizard gets permission from the owner to put their car in a video? I mean me personally I wouldn't mind but if someone has certain mods and things they might want them shown publicly or something. I've noticed he is always very careful not to be too critical of changes he doesn't like/agree with. I love your car too. Not many of them here in Australia but I used to own a heavily modified LS1 powered ute, and I miss it badly.

[@donaldbarton5755]

One of the things I like about the car is the gas/mileage or is it petrol/kilometer? Anyway, it gets about 24 mpg in the city and about 32 mpg on the highway. My car is bone stock, I've found it's hard enough keeping any car stock let alone modifying it.

[@jarheadcharlie2315]

If this is the worst case for a 20 year old car w/ 200k. I'm okay with it.

[@jake82dixon]

C5 is the way to go

[@steveseattle6791]

No doubt!

[@Name-vu1kn]

Though that's true I think its important to remember that the car was in the shop for a totally different problem. The customer did not come in for a bad clutch, they came in for an oil leak. So a car like this will likely have/ or has had a number of surprise $2k repairs. That's tough for most people to fund. The older it gets the more that will need to be repaired.

[@melissabarton9836]

@@Name-vu1kn it is my dad’s Corvette. The RMS was going to cost around $1500 so he said replace the clutch at the same time because they would already be in there. Most of the work done on this car is done by my dad himself.

[@steveseattle6791]

@@Name-vu1kn That clutch was cooked. The leak may have caused it, but a clutch every 200k miles isn't bad. If someone isn't in the position for a $2k repair...a 20 year old American sports car with 200k on it probably isn't the best idea in the first place. I think most of these are weekend toys not daily drivers these days.

[@jsz2619]

Wizard, you forgot to tell us how the owner feels about this car. I mean if it's got over 200k miles and he's willing to spend that much to get it fixed then he must really love this car.

[@Evil12monks]

If your not willing to spend that type of money to fix it then you're driving the wrong vehicle.

[@hmuench64]

The C5 is an iconic american sportscar. I can fully understand the owner!

[@HillBillyBrown]

@Beelzebot that’s definitely still worth loads even at that and with that mileage.

[@rilakrilak5]

i have an 01 Z06 still on factory clutch at 160k. my total repairs on this car has been water pump and a oil pressure sensor.... then this year i did the power steering rack. dealer quoted me $2400... did myself for $300 with a used rack off a 60k mile car. 4 hours out 4 hours in.

[@matte8441]

I work at a shop and have customers who are really passionate about their cars. One of my loyal customers is an older gentleman with a BMW 760li. It’s nearing 200k miles and as per every high mileage BMW, he has sunk thousands into it. But he doesn’t seem to care about the repair costs and he doesn’t want to get another car.

[@Derek-xr3uq]

I’m not a big corvette guy, but seeing the condition of that undercarriage at 200k was incredibly impressive.

[@bassplayer2011ify]

Most of what is exposed to the elements is either aluminum or fiber glass, so you don't have to worry to much about rust. Same goes for all corvettes from the 4th gen and up.

[@captainslapahoe9540]

First person ever to say that.

[@IndependenceCityMotoring]

A 773,000 mile C5 Corvette on original motor/no rebuilds was recently donated to the Corvette museum. And many other owners with hundreds of thousands of miles- remarkable for a sports car. These motors last literally forever.

[@recyclespinning9839]

Amazing, been thinking about a Corvette. , never had one, only drove a co-worker's 1980s

[@NeverTalkToCops1]

Outlier. Myth.

[@irvvalenzuen3135]

Had an Ls1 corvette. Got it at a young age and I beat it to hell. Not proud of it but thing went more than 80k+ miles without needing anything mechanical . First fix was a radiator replacement since I hit rocks going 100+ . Miss that car !!!

[@LakeHowellDigitalVideo]

Lol, there is a reason everyone swaps in LS motors into other cars, moron.

[@Torrious]

@@NeverTalkToCops1 Shutup, hater

[@SoDiezl350]

I started this job about a month ago. Due to corona I didn’t have anyone to help me, so I decided to drop the front and rear subframe with the engine and trans together. Of course the downside is I got sucked into the while I’m in there mentality and now I find myself waiting for the block to get machined and my new rotating assembly to get balanced.

[@cambo1200]

So the dude loves his car, he has every right to be and more power to him!

[@OFFICIALNATHANBLADE]

Same, kinda sounded rude to me.

[@ragingraven7915]

That's cool and all, but you don't need to constantly say it. We get it, you love the car, good for you. I love my Civic, but I don't go saying it all the time. Hell, I don't even say that when I take to a shop.

[@cambo1200]

@@ragingraven7915 You come to my shop, you’re welcome to brag up your Civic all you want. I try to encourage anyone with a passion for cars, especially the younger generation.

[@faustusTVR]

@@ragingraven7915 With you there, I'd keep that one a secret too.

[@sophiahsu1284]

Yeah, I agree. You can tell he loves his car just by looking at the under carriage. I respect people that LOVE their cars regardless of how many times they say it.

[@Daveandbillie]

I did a video of my c5z clutch job on jack stands and wood cribbing using an $80 transmission jack from Harbor Freight. I had one person help me lower the assembly but I installed it by myself. Worked great.

[@amoni1959]

I love how u explain why it cost so much. It makes so much sense to everyone.

[@OMGWTFLOLSMH]

Except $2k is not all that much after watching some of these major repairs on YT.

[@shrayesraman5192]

Yeah I was under the impression that corvettes were some of the most reliable powerful sports cars

[@aleksiesko885]

@@shrayesraman5192 clutch has nothing to do with reliability

[@philllsxga.7737]

@@aleksiesko885 ahhh it's part of the drain train...

[@Xaiborg]

@@philllsxga.7737 Lol it is part of the drive train, not drain train. But no, it is a wearable part. When your bushings or brake pads go out, that doesnt mean your car is unreliable...

[@GregSr]

Your video hit the nail on the head for me. I have a stock 2003 C5 Corvette (automatic) with 153,000 miles. The rear engine seal is leaking a lot. I'm glad there is no clutch getting soaked in oil. I recently got a quote from a local repair shop to fix the leak - $1700. Ouch! Except for the leak, this Vette has been very reliable. I plan on keeping it. I just need to scrape $1700 together to get it fixed. 8-(

[@HansensUniverseT-A]

It's easy to tell that this vehicles is owned by a responsible owner, looks like it's in excellent shape, these corvettes were built stout, i like how it's kept clean and original, no cheesy wheels or anything.

[@HansensUniverseT-A]

@MrHemi4spd Likely due to the oil leak...

[@macgroober1396]

About those sway bar end links; they're made of plastic and the go-to is to replace them with Z06 versions. They're aluminum and a bit more durable.

[@Blue_Flame_Raptor]

Jackstand Jimmy could get it done in half and hour when he's all hyped up on bartle skeet

[@E_tiBEAMERBOY]

Jackstand Jimmy😂😂

[@urdnotdank2642]

I see you're also a man of class hell yeah brother 🦅🦅

[@messemphanger]

Mechanic Steve from facebook could also do this in the cold and in the dirt.

[@praisedtimon]

a man of culture i see,

[@jorgey4]

I'm desensitized to this having seen them tear Leroy apart multiple times over quarantine.

[@robborto]

I’m doing this by myself in my gravel driveway and currently have it on stands with the rear pulled waiting for parts. I was worried at first after watching dozens of KZbin videos, but it’s actually shockingly easy. Aside from the exhaust, wires, brake lines and parking brake cables there’s only 17 bolts holding the whole rear in, and it all slid out on a floor jack.

[@fiteboss]

I've done this a couple of times on my C5 by myself. It really isn't difficult. Hint, support the subframe then lift the body off of it instead of lifting the entire car up then dropping the subframe.

[@shimon2476]

Exactly not that hard on the ground with Jack's and no 2 post lift.

[@Oldguynotbald]

I am currently looking at a 1999 coupe, and was wondering if it could be done that way. Did you replace the seal (as he did) in this video?

[@nicke2307]

You really shouldn't do that cuz you can end up flipping the car the weight distribution is going to shift immensely

[@melissabarton9836]

This is my dad’s car! I cannot believe I happened upon this video. Crazy!

[@thescout4313]

Does he really love his car?

[@melissabarton9836]

He really really does. We don’t even touch it. Lol

[@thescout4313]

@@melissabarton9836 oh man, that's why it stays so nice. Glad he still likes it 20 years later

[@BA-gn3qb]

Big Tech is spying on you. Hence the KZbin video in your recommendations to watch. Scary. Ain't it. 😳

[@bendino9016]

@@BA-gn3qb as scary as facebook and Google and amazon mining your data since you clicked accept on the user agreement? Lol just part of 21st century life I guess...

[@bobkloth57]

Hey Car Wizard, You do such a thorough job when working on a customer’s car. You treat the customer’s car as if it belonged to you or your wife. That is awesome. Nice video

[@charliedee9276]

I just picked up a 2000 auto coupe from my parents who are the original owners, 110,000 miles. Dad was a GM engineer who really took good care of the car. I plan on leaving it alone and putting another 100,000 on it.

[@stevemonkey6666]

"It's beefy and girthy" 😁

[@s99614]

Giggidy!

[@jjmarz1001]

That's what Mrs Wizard said.

[@sleepyhollow783]

I envy that transaxle setup... 😢😭

[@jamesdeane6052]

Shame on you boy!

[@leninmi7579]

Get outta my Head 😂

[@ttgk8506]

I think the c5 and 6 are great looking cars. Still look relatively modern all these years later

[@theroyalcrownedtiger2946]

The C5/C6 Corvette was very ahead of it's time, when it was made / assembled, way back then.

[@666cemetaryslut]

Then you get inside and it looks like a Sunfire/Cobalt.

[@theroyalcrownedtiger2946]

@@666cemetaryslut : I was speaking about everything else, aside from the interior, outer body styling, engine, etc. The inside is ok, but could have been better. The Corvette inside has likeness to the other GM automobiles, but bit more similar to the J Body platforms, Cavalier, Sunbird, Sunfire, Cobalt, but the dash has little more likeness than the other aspects of the interior. The Corvette came with leather seats, and the economy cars came with cloth seats.

[@theroyalcrownedtiger2946]

@@666cemetaryslut : I still like the Corvette.

[@666cemetaryslut]

@@theroyalcrownedtiger2946 I know. I was just being a dick. I always thought it was funny that the C6 and base Cobalt share the same steering wheel.

[@robertkountz5866]

Beefy and girth? He has been around Tyler to much.....lol

[@blaXkgh0st]

13:51

[@sleepyhollow783]

I envy that transaxle...😢

[@eppyz]

Or around Mighty Car Mods too much haha

[@TimHoppen]

@@eppyz first step, jack up your car.

[@elbarto4394]

Now I have to get this car. Lol

[@ethansprofile6670]

It's great to have someone who's honest and knowledgeable. Thanks

[@kevinv3082]

That is really impressive how clean it is with that many miles. For the cost of a used C5 and what you get for it I’d take the $2k hit for a clutch. Great episode, Wizard!

[@dynamarkets]

The vast majority of people certainly don't appreciate, or even care, about the intricacies of the car's components and systems. They just take it for granted without giving it a second thought. I'm not in that majority. I appreciate my vehicles and have a sense of profound respect for the professionals that work on them. More power to ya' Car Wizard, rock on!

[@Sprocketboy1956]

I really enjoyed the explanations in this video. I have a 2008 C6, the first manual car I have ever owned, and have used it for long trips. Easy to shift and I am careful not to abuse the clutch but 200,000 miles on an original one really shows how well driven the car has been. Given what I spend on fixing my 3 Series BMW, $2000 does not seem too bad for the work involved here. I enjoy watching Hoovie's Garage and the Car Wizard as they delve into the insanely complicated and expensive problems with interesting cars but my Corvette, no garage queen, has great performance and causes me no stress. I can understand why the owner of this C5 really really loves his car!

[@chrisfreemesser5707]

Kudos to the owner of that Corvette....20 years old and it's immaculate underneath. Guy must love his car or something ;)

[@OMGWTFLOLSMH]

Just don't drive in poor weather and they stay reasonably clean underneath. Many sports cars like this are fairweather cars only. Otherwise they stay parked in the garage.

[@kevin9c1]

Kinda looked to have snow tires on it....

[@mp-wf9ek]

$2000 for all that work isn't terrible. NYC mechanics would screw you over much worse. Edit: I wasn't expecting to get this many replies and likes! Any other Wizard and Hoovie fans living in New York City? I'm a young Jeep enthusiast living in Brooklyn until my future FDNY/NYPD career takes off! I daily drive my 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited 4.7 V8, 2011 Grand Cherokee Laredo wheels all else stock. Relatively clean for a NYC tank. Sad seeing it get beat up here but that's why I don't own a new car.

[@electronicengineer]

You know it ! ! !

[@AlCasa52]

Charge you 5k

[@rollydoucet8909]

Labor rates vary. I think they go by "Charge whatever your market will bear"

[@OMGWTFLOLSMH]

That's a Mercedes or BMW regular service.

[@joshuapatton2387]

Lots of big dealerships in west michigan want over $100/HR. That's why I stick with older vehicles that are easier to work on. I have a 95 Silverado K1500 coming up from Anaheim, California this week. The truck is a 2 owner that spent its whole life in South L.A.

[@stevenpdxedu]

Yes the customer pays more, but then has a completely sorted car that will go many many more miles before needing anything else. Peace of mind is well worth having. It's why people seek you out. Thanks Wizard.

[@donaldbarton5755]

Yes, thanks Wizard.

[@matteosti1]

I’ve had to do this, for a 10$ pilot bearing, on my c5 z06. I also replaced the clutch flywheel and throw out bearing with a ls7 one.

[@electronicengineer]

That was forward thinking. Good call. As the Car Wizard explained, the labor is the same, since it is all taken apart for the pilot bearing anyway. You do have the "up-front cost" of replacing the throwout bearing, clutch disc, and pressure plate, BUT... You will absolutely save money in the long run, assuming that you are planning on keeping the C5 vette. The C5 is my favorite Corvette too, btw. Nice car! Fred

[@miguelrosario7302]

Awesome video, Wizard! I just bought a 2004 Corvette in January 2023 (same color and body style as the car you worked on) with 104k miles on it, My mechanic told me all about the effort needed to do what you did (I'm having the driver side fuel tank replaced because it's leaking); but, it's another thing to actually see the transaxle-torque tube-driveshaft assembly removed and sitting on the floor. This is a big job! The harmonic balancer is wobbling; so, I have that repair to look forward to next. Keep 'em coming - your videos are great!🤓

[@Cal94]

C5 is my fave Vette aesthetics wise, and you can't change my mind.

[@Brianlikescars]

As someone who’s had every generation… I don’t disagree. The main problem is the interior is aaaaaaass, 😂. I think the c7 is my favorite now as a total package, the c8 is a monster but the fun for me has always been the rear hatch cargo space…

[@codeyleonard5826]

I actually did this job on my garage floor with car on jack stands. Lowered rear cradle down with a transmission jack. Definitely wasn't easy but it is possible. Also no reason to disconnect rear brakes. I took calipers off and let them hang. Just unclip brake lines from rear cradle and they can stay in the car while everything else drops.

[@gp500fan]

What can he say? The owner has a very lovable car.

[@danieledwards1081]

It's all about the beefyness and girth and length 🤣🤣🤣

[@WarriorsPhoto]

What I enjoyed was your calm demeanor about working on the car and LS engines. Hopefully I won't have to do something like that but when I do I'll have a reference video.

[@flobp2381]

While everything is out, might as well replace the fuel filter, too,

[@waynemorgan5733]

I thought same thing when I saw that.

[@AlbertoMartinez-nx7hr]

Not necessarily the fuel filter can easily be done by just dropping the exhaust

[@james10165]

Agree. We had rebuild the transmission for a customer who has one of these, and he assured us nothing else was wrong with the car. After putting everything back and road testing the car sure enough it starts to die out. Had to drop the subframe again and replace both fuel pumps and fuel hoses.

[@Miata822]

Good mechanics are priceless. I took my Miata in for a pre-track day weekend inspection at my local high end mechanic (Sam & Joe's European Cars in Arlington Texas). While Miatas are in no way their specialty and I am reasonably handy at spinning my own wrenches I trust them to see whatever I might have missed. They found a serious crack in an aftermarket sway bar I had installed. The crack was within the bushing where a quick driveway crawl would haver have seen it. Losing a sway bar on track is no laughing matter. Every city has a good mechanic. It's well worth your time to find the one hearest to you.

[@Shane-Singleton]

Can confirm. I had the transmission (manual) rebuild in my 2001 Corvette and it was ~$2500. Put in a new clutch at the same time because it was $0 additional labor since the whole back half was coming out.

[@10072018]

I did this same job on mine. At home. By myself. On jack stands.

[@kiriakis..]

You have saved 1500$ if you put a good quality Luk clutch kit and i bet you didn't spend 15 hours replacing it😉

[@10072018]

@@kiriakis.. Monster stage 2, lightweight flywheel, new slave with remote bleeder, and adjustable master cylinder. Also replaced all transaxle seals while everything was apart.

[@vinny6_9]

@@10072018 did you drop the whole rear-end lik CW or just the driveshaft?

[@10072018]

@@vinny6_9 It doesn't work like that, you have to drop everything. Only thing I did different was removed the calipers and left everyting in place so I wouldn't have to bleed the brake system.

[@vinny6_9]

@@10072018 yeah, doesn't sound like fun at all...

[@glowtail3744]

2001 c5 corvette in pristine condition Just needs a battery

[@KrisThatsit]

I know what I have no lowballers cash only

[@uzivatel56]

Rare color for production month.

[@105OUTLAW1]

Yeah you can see it today but there’s a guy coming later that offered me over asking price.

[@MS-mr4zm]

Even a C5 corvette is just so ahead of the standard everyday vehicle when it comes to a pure performance platform

[@DimensionMachine]

For 20 years old that is one clean car underneath, the owner clearly does love it. I have an 02 myself so this was interesting to me. I knew it was an involved job but you really shed some light on it. Wondering if you gave any consideration to the carrier bearings for the prop shaft inside of the torque tube? it seems like on a 200k mile car they may be at the end of their life. Also what about the rubber coupler bushings for the torque tube? Thanks for the vid!

[@boogitybear2283]

Your Corvette was the best era of Corvettes ever made.

[@calebniederhofer6529]

@@boogitybear2283 It is personal preference. I disagree.

[@taylorbott3320]

@@calebniederhofer6529 then what's better? You can't beat the pop ups. I have a 03

[@ZZ48UUP]

As a C5 owner (99) with a manual transmission, I found this very informative. Thank you

[@gdubya83]

My choice for a coupe is that bodystyle. The Donut channel had one of those in the Pop Up Up and Down Headlights music video. Decent fuel mileage on it is a plus. At least that disassembly was not as torn to pieces as the recent Range Rover interior fix

[@witereaper21]

I’ve done this at home in two afternoons after work...On jack stands. Only thing I needed an extra set of hands was to align the whole assembly back in place. It is bulky ! Overall a straight forward job

[@mrmojorisin4387]

Change the fuel filter while it is easy to get at now!!!!

[@libradrag0n]

O2 sensors too.

[@theundergroundlairofthesqu9261]

And those rear shocks.

[@theundergroundlairofthesqu9261]

P.S. On second thought, now that I've seen those front shocks, I'm not sure they're original. They are quite clean.

[@melissabarton9836]

@@theundergroundlairofthesqu9261 it's my dads car and they are new. ;)

[@wernerdanler2742]

In 1971, in Wichita, I bought a 1963 Pontiac Tempest coup with a 326 ci engine, that had a transaxle with a torque tube. It had single arm suspension but I don't remember now if it had leaf springs or coil springs. The weak point on them was that the driveshaft was flexible. The previous owner was an old friend, and actually employer back in the 60s, warned me against buying it from the dealer he had traded it in to for some other car because of that drive shaft. I never had any trouble with that and I actually LOVED that car. Lol The plastic bushing that held the front of the shift rod up came apart and it was irreplaceable. What a neat little car that was!

[@thefalloutshelter7799]

Looks pretty good for 200k miles

[@1EVILZ06]

I know right that’s a grocery getter. 😂

[@hacatan24]

Wondering how interior is.. usually interior never holds up... Exterior does because it's fiberglass or i think it's polyurethane now

[@billsmith2212]

The only torque tube I worked on was a 1963 Rambler Station Wagon , 3 on the tree , straight six . Someone was a little aggressive on the clutch . There were also some defective clutch discs . We were able to have it on jack stands and roll the differential back enough without disconnecting the brake line and do the job . I was in a Chevy dealer about 20 years ago . A Corvette needed a fuel pump . They had to remove the trans axle to drop the gas tank ! Sick ! If you want that toy , you pay BIG TIME !

[@someguy5035]

Had 1 C5 and 3 C6s. Excellent cars. Very little maintenance, especially considering the performance you get.

[@faustin289]

Thank you for giving me a hint of what's wrong with me because every time I come from the repair shop I always find something else that needs fixing. It feels like my car is playing games with me.

[@calebs5469]

Congratulations on your success car wizard, I can only imagine the future for you!

[@EMHOVIOUS]

That was really cool to see taken apart, i've had one of these cars for over 10 years and have wondered about removing the torque tube, the bottom cover plate keeps everything hidden but also really clean. 2k for this job with parts totally worth it.

[@melvingibson4525]

After seeing the amount of engineering that went into this and the fact that it stood up to 200,000 miles, I have a new found respect for the people who made this car. Thanks for showing us this wizard.

[@pianofry1138]

GM the only company who make their sports cars more reliable than their sedans.

[@mrlt1151]

@@pianofry1138 My parents had a 99 grand am. It went 240k before the odometer gave up. I drove it in college for 3 years after that. I gave it back to them and they used it lightly until deciding to scrap it even though it was still running. That car got 2 wheel bearings, an alternator, and an intake manifold gasket. All of that work came after 200k miles. Most people who buy GM are cost shoppers, and they don't keep up with maintaining the car.

[@gunshipproduct2]

@@mrlt1151 SHHHHH, dont tell them that! Let them keep thinking all GMs are garbage. It allows us to buy them cheap and drive them till the wheels fall off. You wont change people's mind anyways, brand loyalty is blind.

[@OMGWTFLOLSMH]

@@mrlt1151 - Sometimes you get lucky. I've probably owned a dozen GMs, including 3 Corvettes. Most of them were reliable, just junky feeling and often poorly designed.

[@bultech]

My Porsche 968 has a similar setup. With the difference that you can slide the shaft backwards and take out the clutch and flywheel out sideways . There is a opening in the bellhousing. It just takes a couple of bolts. It is brilliant, easy and fast.

[@Onlooker71]

13:51 The wizard finally cracked a joke that made me laugh out loud! Too funny.

[@drunkenhobo8020]

Even better when you realise he's sitting on a pile of nuts.

[@RustOnWheels]

@@drunkenhobo8020 Is that a squirrel or are you happy to see me?

[@mfwebpea2935]

That's your wife

[@davepaturno4290]

I had a 2001 C5 for 13 years, and it had differential leaks, rear main seal leaks, and lots of other issues. What surprises me is that the gasket you show looks like a combo silicone o-ring/gasket that should last a long time. Was that one the first one - possibly not. My C5 had less than 50,000 miles when it needed that.

[@j.d.8593]

The Car Wizard: "You need a lift to do this job" Rob Dahm: "Ha! I Rotary swapped and changed the rear end of C5 on jackstands!" 🤣🤣🤣

[@Cynsham]

@npc 117 make it seem harder than it is? more like show all the clueless people on the internet who defer critical maintenance on their car just because they look at the price tag and they have no concept of the actual work involved in fixing it

[@andrewbryl]

I had an 05 and always was worried about the clutch job but I sold it before it had any issues. Thanks for the video!

[@Chudhole]

Well now I can’t unsee that! I think the c5 is my favorite of the modern vettes.

[@98triffid]

How do they drift? The c4 was very frightening. Infinite grip, infinite grip, oh look I can see the people behind me. It never caused me any repair stress though.

[@Chudhole]

@@98triffid ha I had this issue with my 1984 s10. The right speed and slippery roads and suddenly I would be looking at the traffic behind me. I loved that truck but dang was it light in the rear.

[@98triffid]

@@Chudhole if you spend a bit more you can get a car that will inform you when it has lost traction. c4s and c5s...nope

[@ddischiave]

It is unfortunate that the automotive designers aren't asked to maintain what they design. I suspect the designs would change for the better. The Wizard does a nice job showing us what professional mechanics have to go through to repair your cars. I've read a number of comments on this video's thread that mentions the scarity of parts for vintage cars. While it is true that it is sometimes difficult to source parts for many vintage cars, that isn't the case for Corvettes. There are many Corvette specific parts suppliers. The Internet has made it so much easier to get parts. I have two vintage Corvettes and have never had an issue getting parts, right down to OEM nuts, bolts, washers and screws. Now the price for them is another matter, but at least they are available.

[@williamconrad1087]

The more miles on your Corvette the more you love it.

[@jamesjoyce2528]

These videos are great. Anyone purchasing a used anything needs to watch and learn.

[@forbeshutton5487]

When a car passing on the street makes you go "man, I'd love to drive that car", remember there is a big difference in price and stress level between driving and owning.

[@Evil12monks]

That's the truth

[@sparnb5602]

My c5 is gonna cost me 2k this week

[@98triffid]

Honestly I cannot agree. They may cost more to repair or fuel, but that's really all

[@HolweckStage89]

Classics make this even worse. Especially rare or imported because you then have the headache of sourcing parts added to the mix.. knowing that your 40+ year old vehicle has been degrading in areas you may not have seen previously, and hunting those down without the help of a scan tool. Lots of fun too if you're a hobbyist or tinkerer!

[@98triffid]

That is a very fair point and one I was not seeking to make but so be it. I own (and have owned) a number of vehicles for which parts are....difficult. My Supra is one such animal. Toyota occasionally has what I need but I haunt message boards and ebay for the rest. I have done the same for other cars but a C5 is common enough that you shouldn't need to stoop to my level

[@trunksbriefs8434]

Hey wizard, please keep showing us common issues on different cars and things best to replace "while in there" during some normal repairs. That is helping me a lot, since I am new working in a dealership pricing cars to buy and also learning to turn wrenches on my project car!

[@thereissomecoolstuff]

"I LUUUUUUVE MY CAR" Midwest accent. Thanks for showing a Vette wizard

[@corvus00]

Car Wizard, as a Corvette owner I know what your customer is telling you. I am 'that guy' too. I love my Corvette too and I probably tell too many people that too often. I say this to tell you that I totally empathize with you and the Vette guy :-)

[@taunuslunatic404]

You can install polyurethane bushings while you're there.

[@jonsingle1614]

Only the good ones....the crappy ones will cause plenty of damage

[@SpecialKLSX]

"While you're in there" Is a great way to make the bill triple in price.

[@taunuslunatic404]

@@jonsingle1614 Of course. I'd only use first quality ones.

[@taunuslunatic404]

@@SpecialKLSX It would be cheaper than disassembling the whole suspension to replace them in two years.

[@theundergroundlairofthesqu9261]

@@SpecialKLSX And save money in the future, if you're keeping it.

[@WCGwkf]

That's the cleanest underbody I've ever seen for a car with that many miles. Looks new!

[@greathornedowl3644]

Thank you, Wizard and Mrs. Thought the opening line would be "Ops! I dropped my transmission."

[@Swarm509]

Great video for anyone who goes to test drive a C4 vette and feels that the clutch might be worn out, or see oil stains under car from the rear of the engine. Defiantly something worth trying to knock some money off the asking price for.

[@lcmm55]

Beefy and girthy, you dirty wizard.

[@electronicengineer]

LMAO!!!

[@michaeltyniec7010]

And the way he was sitting on the transmission while saying it. . . Priceless.

[@codyhickman7335]

He was in the Army, hes bound to have somewhat of a great sense of humor.

[@Glen-t7x]

I like how you go that extra mile and give the car a safety check to see if there is anything else that needs fixing 👍🏻

[@miguelelasmar]

Wizard. You’re a class act.

[@Co1eTrain84]

i did a clutch job and torque tube rebuild on my 1998 C5 Corvette. I did the work myself on jackstands. I did a slave cylinder remote bleeder on mine. Not a terrible job but not the easiest either. Changed the rear main while i was in there as well as updating the oil barbell behind the rear cover. My clutch was fine i had just did a cam and some other mods and the stock one started to not hold well on upper RPM's. To be expected when you add 25% more power on stock drivetrain components.

[@ssom7291ify]

Thanks Mr & Mrs Wizard!

[@SonnyGTA]

I’ll NEVER change my mind on how awesome C5 Corvettes are!!

[@danowolf]

13:50 this is what you see when you go in to pay the bill.

[@tabajaralabs]

he should deliver bills to hoovie this way...

[@danielsetareh3513]

It's beefy and girthy though

[@hottubz1965]

LOL

[@ajg1915]

C5 manual cars had lots of issues with clutches and slave cylinders. I've owned a few and use to do my own work. BTW, you don't have to disconnect the brake lines, you just remove the rear calipers and pop the metal brake lines from the rear subframe, and use some bungee cords to hold them up. I would go with an automatic over a manual in the C5 for those looking to buy one.

[@ScottJ175]

Mrs. Wizard says "Ugh! What are you, 13?" :)

[@emiliosman820]

Wow what a headache BUT 200k on a vette! That's fantastic and it looks so clean! That is a very impressive sports car IMO!

[@IndependenceCityMotoring]

How about talking about why it's designed/engineered this way? To achieve 50/50 weight distribution.

[@Saltysailor83]

My ‘03 Z06 needed the same thing. I paid well over 2K, but still worth it! I LOVE MY CAR!!! Inspections lead to sales, but works Great on your reputation as a Good, sincere Tech.

[@flaagan]

Makes me glad my '01 C5 was an automatic, settled for it being supercharged to 501 rwhp. Now my '14 C7 Z51 is a manual trans, currently at 80k miles and still on the original clutch. That said, it's not nearly as big a deal as wizard makes it out to be, a good set of tires for a C5 is a grand or more.

[@DustyPearl-13]

"Automatic Transmission" does not go together with " sports car", at least IMHO

[@d.michaelpratt5987]

Great channel. One of the things that I like is that the Wizard carefully explains why seemingly simple repairs cost so much. And another thing, illustrated by this video, the Wizard tells us why doing a bit more work on the sway bar link is a good thing for the customer and (unabashedly) for the shop. It's a cliché that this is a "win/win" situation, but in this video, it certainly is!

[@tbirdboy]

Mr Wizard: "it's beefy and girthy" Mrs. Wizard. 😐 "No it's not"

[@hmuench64]

I love the C5 and this one in red will be classic in the future. Great that you take care of it!

[@the-quintessenz]

13:57 That's how you project your power :-)

[@donaldbarton5755]

Omega Auto Clinic and Magic Mike checked the torque tube and associated hardware and found one bearing needed to be replaced, the rubber donuts were in very good condition. Thanks guys.

[@jessefreeman553]

I remember from wheeler dealer when ed had to do a clutch job on one

[@Mikegastaldo]

I'm impressed with how great everything looks on that vette.. exhaust brake lines undercarriage all look like a much newer car...

[@vector6977]

Take it to Cleetus, they can take those out in an hour.

[@martinda7446]

Yeah...Took him two hours to unbox the parts. Be serious.

[@martinda7446]

Literally.

[@supersabrosinho]

Previous owner took my TL to Cletus for a clutch before he sold it to me... There wasn't a wire harness that wasn't mangled/cut/ or ripped out. Rusty bolts? Torched em off and left weld slag everywhere. Never take a car you love to Cletus!

[@michaeltyniec7010]

I love that the owner put 200K miles on this car. The under carriage was immaculate and I'm curious if the original clutch got him all the way to 200K.

[@toeslider92]

Wizard: It’s not like you’re going to be taking this whole assembly out of the car 12 times to do maintenance. Cleetus: Hold my Dew...

[@nfsfanAndrew]

Determination can do a lot. Definately not a fun way to do it though :P

[@wickedmuffin76]

I have an AWD RAV4. Around 45k miles I had an oil change and they didn't fully seat the transfer case drain plug, not too long after the t-case ran dry and was damaged. Took it back (dealership) and they agreed to replace the t-case under warranty. A couple days later I realized I left something I needed in the car, so I went to get it and saw the body up on a lift and the whole drivetrain on the ground. They got it all back together though, I still have the car, 22 years and 18x,xxx miles and still doing fine.

[@BBW4MEPLZ]

Anyone notice Wizards confidence on camera getting significantly higher?

[@garethonthetube]

Somebody has been "producing" these vids a bit and it shows.

[@jez_stephensanotherapex5921]

Love it Car Wizard! Those manual LS1s may have had 375 lbs ft in 2001. Pretty significant, even by today's standards. I'd LOVE that car too. . .

[@351cleavland]

Shop advertising photo @ 14:20. "We promise to be gentle."

[@P1983sche]

This is set up a lot like my 944. Very well balanced. My clutch was a bear to replace, but I got her done.

[@tabajaralabs]

¨Look at the size of that thing!"

[@jerrycann6374]

That makes me appreciate my 86 Grand Prix with a 5 speed, takes me a few hours to change the clutch...:)