I Just Bought the Most Overlooked Performance Car of the Year: Here’s How Little I Paid for 350 HP!

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#Chevy #Chevrolet #Corvette

[@TFLclassics]

You Can Watch How We Purchased This Bargain Car Here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oGXRpqGvpq6gic0

[@highbrass7563]

Watched the first video you guys uploaded. Was a killer video! Love to see thise video

[@highbrass7563]

I have a 1997 sunfire coupe that I absolutely whip the fck out of and a corvette is totally what I would aim to purchase

[@bradworkman1854]

5th gen corvette - fd rx7 for tuners 🤷‍♂️ both great 👍

[@staywoke2198]

What jacket is the other dude wearing?

[@ProCoach2373]

I drove my 2001 C5 Convertible to South Dakota and averaged over 27 mpg. Sixth gear at 80+ mph and it was purring at 1500-1800 rpm and cuts through the wind. They were way ahead of their time!

[@darinvee4980]

Exactly, where that guy came up with 18-20 mph on the highway I don't know. It should be known to a car reviewer that they get really good mileage on the highway.

[@noahpickerill3749]

Dang that's insane 😳

[@shaunwalsh85]

You can get 32mpg if you set it at 65 and the car is in great mechanical shape. alignment/wheel balance issues will kill the mpg quick

[@jesterokjones4954]

Hell yeah, nice.

[@MrTumbleweedthehandsome]

@@darinvee4980 18 - 20 was GM's estimate on gas mileage but you are easily able to go well over that

[@Oversight85]

I’m 37 and bought a 2004 Z06 two years ago. Frankly it’s unbelievable for the money. Done all the work myself so far (brakes, seats, all fluids, etc) and it’s all fairly basic. Love the looks, power is all you need, and it’s just.. fun. Going in for a full paint correction and ceramic next month. Huge win all around.

[@nawmean]

How much did you pay?

[@aaronbritt2025]

The C5 Z06 is the bargain of the century. I see them in the mid $20k's all the time. Replace that worn out chin spoiler. It makes a difference in cooling. You guys mentioned fuel economy... LegitStreetCars tuned a manual C5 for lean burn cruising and got 40mpg. That's an economy car that has 350hp.

[@fuze3522]

He tuned it to also have ZO6 power. It might’ve been as much as 400 at the wheels

[@charliedee9276]

I have a 2K auto with 3.42 gears from a manual, knocked down 31.6 mpg last weekend on a 170 mile trip averaging 50 mph for the whole trip. Get around 23 in the city.

[@highlanderc]

Done it a few times. Unbelievable.

[@highlanderc]

@@fuze3522 You won't get 400whp out of a stock C5 with just a tune.... more like 300-310w

[@fuze3522]

@@highlanderc idk maybe the dyno was converting to crank hp. But it was making Zo6 power. Probably 330 wheel

[@Rgh71fish]

I enjoyed my '97 C5 greatly. It went like hell, got phenomenal fuel mielage, and working on it was as easy as building lego, thanks to the simplicity of everything. Its the only car of many that I've owned that I bought back from my original buyer to enjoy it again for a few months. Growing up with a Silverado in the family, that cheap plastic interior in the C5 felt like home to me, in the most nostalgic way.

[@ForeverDownByLaw]

I have a '99 FRC, great car, although small parts are getting harder to find (trim, etc.) First thing I would do is change out the plastic sway bar end links for the later style metal ones. The plastic ones are likely worn out by now and the metal ones make quite an improvement in handling.

[@dennissmith7214]

😳😂😂I had a 99’ FRC……..true story I just moved about 2 months ago and found my old hypertech power programmer…….it’s yours if you want it?! 🤷🏽‍♂️

[@oxg005]

@@dennissmith7214 I have a 99 frc as well. How much are you asking for it?

[@HerpilOG]

@@dennissmith7214does it work with a 98 I’ll take it yolo

[@saintnificent5532]

Yeah, MOOG makes some steel ones that are greaseable....

[@justanotherdrunk]

Had a 99 and a 2000 FRC - best cars of their day!

[@pacsoulpavon9649]

Went on vacation to San Diego California, found a 2000 with 100,000k miles on Craig’s list . Missed my flight but bought it for $6,000!! Drove it all the way to Colorado with my girl, no problems or issues . Made it all the way to Denver Colorado and have enjoyed this car so much ! They do go for about 15-17k over here . Btw mine has “custom paint and interior matching the outside “ I hate it and will be changing a lot on it haha i might twin turbo it soon

[@taronate]

man that's a steal!! can you post a short video of the car so i can see?

[@pacsoulpavon9649]

@@taronate I have a video of it on my shorts . Let me see if I can copy the link

[@Hyvelez]

One of the prettiest Corvettes. Super clean design an it has popup headlights.

[@thomaslouis5626]

I have a 2004 C5, Torch Red color, manual Trans with 53,000 miles. I bought it 6 years ago and did heads and cam from Texas Speed, Borla Stinger exhaust, CAI, MGW shifter, new Synchros, Mcloud Stage 2 clutch. It was dynoed at 460 RWHP.

[@josels1292]

I have a 2003 C5, it’s a garage queen. Being in southern Cali, I believe it’s never seen rain.

[@wydopnthrtl]

04 Z06 here. I've owned it three yrs and love it. No plans to sell or trade it. My mods are a cowl induction hood, full exhaust (LT's), and VR ram intake, tune and other small stuff. Runs mid 12's at the dragstrip (no prep track) and on road trips it averages 27mpg. (30mpg on only freeway @ 70mph)

[@bcsvgabor]

One of my favorite! Thanks for the review. It's a great track car as well! Head up display, variable effort steering, very high body rigidity, transaxle, fuel efficiency. These are all thing which cost a lot of engineer hours in that time and are respectable. Targa top and pop-up headlights +LS1 make it a good weekend cruiser as well

[@joeltravels8983]

I love my six speed convertible

[@stevethomas760]

My brother bought a '03 Z06 new. My daughter and I drove it to Florida and it got better mpg than my Subaru. Not bad for a car that's a beast. Absolutely the most bang for the performance buck

[@nlken7175]

Finally, a real sport's car. Not that overpriced Euro junk.

[@zloj-volk]

I always liked C5, and still think they are beautiful. And reliable powertrain with affordable service and parts make these cars just perfect daily driven sports

[@OmegaGreedAK47]

I just bought a 2000 C5 and I love it so far. It's been a blast making content on it.

[@JaysRandomnessChannel]

I have a 98 convertible. Drove four hours southwest from Dallas to San Angelo TX to visit my son in college for the weekend. 6 speed manual averaging 28 mpg's in 6th gear at the posted speed limit. I love my Vette!!

[@randomfellow6245]

had a 00 FRC that I drove every day, and I never missed an opportunity to play. I drove it in traffic in Atlanta, and around town a lot. I averaged 22 mpg during my ownership, and it blew my mind that I got that good. Got hit one day and totaled it.

[@WTF-sh4is]

I love that the radio dash is shared with the Silverado and suburban. Like the ultimate middle finger from GM!! And here we are nerding out on this great car over 20 years later!!! Jokes on us!!

[@IvanCRF]

The heads-up display is one of the coolest C5 features too

[@BonBon770]

We also found a 99, targa,6 speed,18,000 miles, $18,500. Great car!

[@ericervin4778]

A damn good bargain!!!!! I think it's aging well. I graduated high school in 1996. With that being said, I never cared too much about the design of the C4. But was excited when this generation Vette came out.

[@kevinbryant6459]

Me as well!

[@hakeemsd70m]

The C5 is arguably my favorite Corvette of all time! Those coke bottles curves and popup headlights are simply gorgeous. The original 84-89 C4 was cool looking, but they ruined the styling with the hideous blockly look with the '90 model.

[@ericervin4778]

Since my initial post I bought an 05 C5 Z06. ABSOLUTELY AMAZING CAR!!!! 👍🏾👍🏾❤️

[@truthserum5310]

Cool video. As someone that owns both a 2002 Auto C5 Vert, and a 2004 Commemorative Edition Z06, my advice is to stick with the 2002 - 2004 C5 model years. Lots of great changes in 2002 that make them more reliable and rewarding to own. These overall are fantastic cars. No way I'd ever sell my CE Z06. Another tid bit, you can install a C6 Z06 suspension setup in a regular C5. Springs, shocks, end links, roll bars. I did this on my 2002 Vert, and it makes a world of difference in handling.

[@alenzach]

I just bought my second Vette (2001 vert 6speed). It has the F45 option, will that option make it a headache to basically install all those components you mentioned on it? I came from an 89 6speed with the Z51 option and that car basically had 0 body roll and was probably the stiffest, best handling car I've driven. I want my C5 to get closer to that C4 Z51 stiffness.

[@truthserum5310]

@@alenzach My 2002 Vert had the F45 suspension (of course non functional) All you have to do is get the aftermarket F45 shock simulators sold by several vendors (Corvette Mods is one) and the car will think you have the F45 shocks installed, thus no warning lights on the DIC. Then you can bolt on the C6 Z06 shocks, or any other shock you want. Another option is if you have access to a GM Tech II programmer, you can program out the F45 option in the cars computer, then you'll get no warnings lights, etc when you remove the old F45 shocks. HTH.

[@lucky1169]

Bought my black-on-black 2002 C5 Base six-speed 'Vette a month ago with 39K miles on it. Loving the nostalgia!

[@speedracerjeff]

C5s have gone way back up in price after Covid. Before Covid you could find C5s for as low as $7k running and driving here in So Cal… now they jumped back up several grand.

[@davidr6865]

Yup and the KZbinrs are going to ruin it for everyone now. Just like the old JDM cars

[@Ken-op7sg]

Yes they are going up and will keep climbing.

[@Bcarv615]

They’re in the mid 20’s for a decent one….insane

[@hunterphille1280]

Over the past couple of years I've been considering buying a C5. They're not too expensive to get a solid base and with a newer LS swap the power situation is accounted for. Another reason I've considered the C5 is that I've been a professional upholsterer for almost 22 years now and I have no doubt that I could improve the interior without having to spend thousands on materials and someone who's not me to do the work

[@jdfleetguy28]

Great video guys. Love the modern classic content.

[@mederic999]

I am fine with the interior, I still like the driver-oriented dash.

[@yxcvmk]

5:35 - That kind of control is actually pretty cool as far as I see it: The driver sets the base temperature, and the passenger can say how much warmer/colder he wold like to be compared to the driver.

[@markfrecker2652]

That's true. The passenger can also select the desired temperature - it's just the offset to the driver's temperature setting :-). You just have to look in the manual

[@failingup4907]

I had an 86 Corvette Indy 500 pace car about 25 yrs ago. My brother bought a 2000 Corvette. Both cars were manuals. We obviously didn't have them at the same time. I like the seats and dash on the 86 way more. I have a 2014 Corvette Z51 With a Supercharger , 7 spd manual now, and well.. ;)

[@JB-ej8zy]

I have a c5 zo6 that ive heavily modified but even in its stock form it is a blast and would smoke a lot of modern cars even in its stock form and the base c5 is also fun to drive thanks for the video.

[@jesterokjones4954]

That LS6 is an awesome engine!

[@highlanderc]

@@jesterokjones4954 Mine held a lot of abuse... now has a 8L motor in it....

[@mattcolver1]

We bought a C5 ragtop in 02. We still have it. It really has given us no trouble. It's in the high 90K miles. I'm pretty sure the C5s have hit bottom in value right now and will probably start climbing in value. I would recommend that now is probably a good time to get one.

[@davidray4128]

That car looks really clean. Definately a good deal. The Z06 C5 performance is still great in modern times.

[@MrTumbleweedthehandsome]

i love the z06 see them beat scatpacks all the time and are significantly cheaper and a better platform imo

[@davidray4128]

@@MrTumbleweedthehandsome I have a very clean 03. Great car. Still very respectable performance car 20 years out.

[@donalderickson7698]

Have an 03 50th Anniversary Special Edition for gum. Also had a 69 . Fun

[@GregSr]

I love my 2003 C5 LS1. Now, if I could just stop the massive oil leak at the rear main. Local shops want $1700 to fix it. I'm retired on a fixed income. I'm in no condition to piss away that kind of money on a oil leak.

[@duaneluchsinger5736]

Happened upon one with 15k on the odometer. Bought the car for 10K trading in a 2006 Hyundai Sonata. Put Michelin run flats on it along with later model wheels(mine was a 97) and once I figured out a problem with the accelerator pedal sensor, which, when it would short out, put the car into limp mode, and became progressively worse until I replaced it,this thing with optional 3:15 rear end gears was a blast. Still pulled 26-27 mpg on the road at 70-75. Great car!

[@DoctorHemi]

I have a 2002 Camaro SS and the interior looks similar (stereo is identical). All the Camaros of that era (right down to the base V6s) have a flip out cup holder in roughly the same position as that aftermarket one in this video. It's quite useful and sturdy. I'm surprised GM didn't just put one of those in the Vette.

[@Bpf1893]

I love the C5, IMO one of the best looking vettes. With that said, it’s crazy comparing this to the C8 Z06.

[@failingup4907]

C6 & C7 look better than a C5. I have a C7 now. C5 isn't in the same league. I've had C4,C5,C6,C7. I think the C6 is the most fun to drive.

[@PatrickGotHands]

C6 C7 are just copies of the c5. The c8 is a Camaro not a corvette

[@GetIrked]

AC Delco really got around - I had that identical CD stereo in my 1997 Ford Mustang. Pop the knobs, adjust your audio to your liking, lock it back in. Heck, my 'stang even had a tape deck to go with the CD player. (Millennials are quickly going to Wikipedia to look up "CD player" and "tape deck" 🤣)

[@MarthallersMisadventures]

I had a 99 in pewter metallic silver. That one is in fantastic shape! I factory ordered mine and waited almost 9 months for delivery. At that time it had a state of the art interior.

[@23ofSeptember]

Yeah, I love this generation Corvette. Get one now with low miles before the prices start climbing up!

[@westeed1]

“When it stop working” flipping switch like a 5 yr old. It might stop now. 😂

[@t.s.racing]

The same kid on a airplane sitting behind you, kicking your seat repeatedly.

[@hiwattstack3796]

Nice video. I am the original owner of my 03, Electron Blue Z06, which now has a little over 10k on it. All factory original. Not even window tinting. I have had several real deal big block Chevys in my day, but this little blue meanie will smoke anything else I have ever owned. There are not too many like this left. Enjoy!

[@bradwilliams4921]

I had a 1999 Camaro SS back then and it had the same engine as the Corvette, LS1, but it was tuned differently and had a different cam so it produced 330 hp as compared to the Corvette’s LS1 which had 345 hp. In those days I don’t think Chevrolet made any car faster than the Corvette.

[@trailrunnah8886]

I had one back in the day too, a Pontiac though. A lot of people thought that it was the same engine tune as the Corvette, they just rated the horsepower a little bit lower on paper. I remember a lot of people were dyno testing stock F-Bodies and getting almost 300 HP at the rear wheels, which would work out to about 350 at the crank. My buddy broke into the 12s in his M6 Trans Am with just drag radials and an exhaust cutout. And that's not hearsay either, I literally saw him do it at the racetrack. These LS1 cars were beasts at the time.

[@clevlandblock]

I think the difference was limited to air cleaner and exhaust system restriction vs the Vette. If it were a cam difference, GM would have had to recertify the engine for the SS. Being a low-volume car, I doubt GM would have done that. Besides, before I ordered my 98 C5 back then, I got about every car magazine possible relating to the new LS1, C5, and Camaro and I do not recall any mention of cam change. One difference from the 97-98 C5 however, was the switch to smaller injectors and a returnless fuel line system for the 99 LS1, with a corresponding change in the engine management programming.

[@dougwelch8890]

C5 is a bargain for what you get. I have a Magnetic Red with a 6 speed. I too live in Colorado and you can find me running over Cottonwood Pass every so once and while. But now she's under cover waiting for spring.

[@RJsCave]

You can customize the interior dial knobs like the one you were playing with on the column. They are made in a transparent red plastic. The grey cover comes off when soaked in acetone. Guys would light them up with L.E.D.s or sometimes depending on where they are they would catch some stray dash light from nearby lights. Pontiac used these as well and modders with ponitacs from 1996 to around 2010 who hang around the internet forums found this out

[@MBdrummer3288]

I LOVE IT! I want one man. For sure. Nice video boys.

[@martymcfly6098]

Love my 2001 Coupe with 160k on the clock. Fun to drive every time I get in it. Highway mpg is close to 30.

[@hoodagooboy5981]

Was waiting for someone to talk about MPG. I drove from Denver to Kansas once and averaged 31 mpg.

[@adam-hd7kg]

The Billy Boat exhaust looks and sounds great!

[@jonathanbarney3484]

Nice review! I have a '92 C4 and '97 C5; first years for both the LT1 and LS1 motors. I liked your balance of pros and cons, but overall I think the C5 was a well thought out car. It definitely pulls you into Corvette culture. I'm wearing corvette apparel now! How'd that happen? Am I alone on that?

[@wydopnthrtl]

C5 jacket and C5 mousepad here in Ohio 😉

[@str8upkills60]

Oh really? I thought the c5 came in 98 no?

[@wydopnthrtl]

@@str8upkills60 97

[@jackoff1826]

I've bought corvette shirts and hats...and nearly a watch too, and the corvette boat seemed kinda cool.

[@labf5213]

I got a 97 6-speed a year ago with 175k miles for 6k and no issues, it runs like new.. just gotta do the search and join the fb groups for the best offers. Looking forward to the c4-c5 comparison 🙌🙏

[@markryl-kuchar2373]

I will say this much i had a 2004 pontiac gto which was ls1 powered with a 6 speed manual and I got 25 mpg on a mainly highway trip

[@carrated]

Everyone has known this has been the best bang for the buck performance car for the last 13 years, i got an 02 in 2010 and kept it for 6 years. Sold it for what i paid for it, changed the oil and put a set of tires on it. You can't go wrong with these cars. They run lots of miles too. It also doubles as an economy car. 30 mpg on the freeway. Interior is that of a cavalier.

[@zztop7306]

As soon as I heard the price I knew it had to be the good ol 4l60. Other than that c5s are some of the best bang for buck around. Even the earlier c5 z06s can be had for a decent value

[@smykster007]

Yeah, the manual cost premium is real. They're also much rarer and usually modded/beaten on pretty good.

[@dougpendleton1266]

You guys should be able to have a lot of fun with this car!!

[@SilverTurtleZ28]

C5 models with the 6spd manual were known to get 30+mpg on the highway. This was especially true of the FRC models that were the precursors of the Z06. Light weight + big power + highway gear ratios = fuel savings at the pump.

[@archibaldcunningham2569]

when my 99 FRC was stock I used to average 44MPG at a steady 65 MPH cruise

[@hiighcalibre]

Shame about the automatic, one of the best things about the C5 in manual is how responsive the throttle is. Old school wire throttlebody, N/A, even at low RPMs it just wants to go.

[@victorfraga9374]

Nice! I got a 02 C5 Z06 with 19k miles for $22k a year ago. Its fun to drive and has so much torque at low RPMs. I like Japanese sport cars and have had a couple but always liked Corvettes.

[@alenzach]

Where did you find a z06 for that cheap? In Florida every Z06 that's not ratty is 30k and up.

[@victorfraga9374]

@@alenzach I live in Phoenix AZ and bought it here. My friend's coworker was selling it. He was an old man and was the original owner.

[@ete5706]

I almost bought a silver 2000 with mileage in the mid 60,000s. Couldn’t get the cash in time. $9500. 😢

[@rexgratteaux8655]

Now you guys are into one of the best looking and best corvettes , I love C5 vettes

[@jamesvandyke5874]

I checked my RPO codes for my 2003 Spiral Grey 1sb, both roof options, 12 disk, performance rear gear, sport seats, polished aluminum wheels... got a good one. 1st owner checked all the boxes. I even looked up the date it was rolled off the line with the vin and found out the information is missing from GM records... how curious... seriously enjoy this car

[@johnrenzi95]

I just bought one 97 59k miles and Love it!!!

[@JohnShields-xx1yk]

In my youth we didn't use seatbelts, ever, I know they should be worn but it's just how I grew up, as a toddler standing on the front seat, if we had to stop short I would grab the dashboard, I drove a rig for decades and I've never worn a seatbelt, to this day, I know. But that's just the way I learned. Use a seatbelt. Great video, love that car, always wanted a 1972 Vette when I was 12 that year.

[@EngineersHomestead]

Check out C&S Corvettes for lots of info on the C5. The early ones had several issues (ex: Bosch ABS module). 03-04 seems to be the best bet from reliability. I keep looking for a 03-04 yellow 6 speed.

[@nunyabusiness896]

01-04 actually has more EBCM failures. The early ones were epoxy potted and later ones weren’t, what you fix in the later ones is solder joints that vibrated loose due to lack of epoxy potting. The earlier ones rarely fail. Both types can fail and need replacement for other issues as well. Not a deal maker or breaker either way.

[@EngineersHomestead]

@@nunyabusiness896 interesting, been a while since I researched the years. I thought a couple parts on earlier ones were ebay/junk yard only at this point. As long as it has pop up headlights and a manual, I'm a fan.

[@nunyabusiness896]

@@EngineersHomestead Most sources misrepresent it or don't understand it when it comes to the EBCM. They just read that 01-04 are repairable and don't research further to understand why that is and what is being repaired and the failure rate differences. I've seen polls where it seemed like half of the 01-04 had an EBCM repair in the past whereas only 1 or 2 respondents of 00 or older had an issue that required replacement. Many parts for all years are ebay/junk yard only, but that's fine considering 250k of these were made and more get wrecked and parted out every day. I almost exclusively put eBay parts from scrapped cars/bikes on my cars/bikes and I've had a great experience every time and saved a ton over what they want for new parts. People think eBay is a horror show of untrustworthy junk, but the reality is eBay is stringent as hell and I can't even remember getting something that was poor condition or didn't work, and, if I did, the refund was expedient and without question. You have to keep like a 97% positive review ratio to even stay listed, so people don't mess around, it's customer service #1. Corvettes also have a very strong aftermarket as they age, you can get reproduction parts for 1950's Vettes still, so you just gotta give the aftermarket time to tool up when the OEM stuff runs out. Most of these Vettes are so well kept, though, that having to search a little harder to get one part over 5-10 years of ownership is really not a big deal. I'd overwhelmingly buy the best kept one at a reasonable price over any specific year every time.

[@EngineersHomestead]

@@nunyabusiness896 thanks for the info. Sounds like I can expand my search scope for a C5, the manual trans is my lone hold out.

[@Sb129]

I love the way this generation of Corvette looks

[@KA-te7xk]

C5 best body lines & stealthy look visual going down the road.. 👍💯 Too many people sleep on this model..

[@grantman64]

Swap in some shorter rear end gears (3.42?) and wake that C5 up! My wife had a 1990 Mustang LX 5.0 with the automatic (she doesn't drive stick), and Ford did the same thing that Chevy did with your C5 - put stupidly tall rear end gears in it, which killed the acceleration around town.

[@halofreak1990]

That's for fuel economy. Even with the taller gear ratio for the 4-speed automatic, the 6-speed manual has a slightly better fuel economy. Really don't understand why it took GM so long to put the same amount of gears in their automatic cars, when it's just a better all-round option. You get better fuel economy _and_ performance with that additional set of gears

[@rjoetting7594]

I absolutely love the C5 Corvette unfortunately I don't own one at this time. But I do have a 93 C4 with less than 70,000 miles. It's a great car and a lot of fun to drive. The only thing that bothers me about the C5 is that the 97/2000 years is the traction control, when it goes bad your screwed, Bosh doesn't make it anymore and doesn't make parts to repair it. 2001 and up your good to go can be repair in most cases, and if not can be replaced. And you are absolutely correct about the ride control, the magnetic shocks are only available through Chevrolet and runs on average $750.00 each not including installation.

[@svpracer98]

My dad got a used 2008 c6, and it does feel like a special car to ride around in. But I'd take a manual, z51 c5 as a summer cruiser.

[@jamesengland7461]

I laugh that you find the squishy rear bumper a bad thing. It's a BUMPER! It would be nice if every car had this, and didn't suffer thousands of dollars in damage from minor bumps.

[@terrykrinsky581]

Nice review. In my late 20s, I fortunate to have owned a 97 torch red C5 coupe with the F45 option and 6-speed. Aside from the cheap interior and annoying electric gremlins, it was a solid car mechanically speaking. I put 200,000kms (I’m Canadian) before finally having to sell it. Moved to the east coast and vettes aren’t exactly great in the snow. I miss this car a lot!

[@JVP_thephobic]

With winter tires they are. I daily mines. It's beautiful year around 🥰

[@fritzschoch8345]

Well you went and spilled the beans on it so much like everything else in the classic car world that's cool it won't be overlooked for long. Thank you for that. Dammit. I swear to God these videos are the car equivalent of giving up a good bass fishing hole.....

[@rexgratteaux8655]

The aftermarket will make the C5 a complete monster when it comes time for superchargers and turbo to be installed or a LQ9 transplant

[@christopherrobin1505]

Corvettes are awesome, can't wait for more videos !!!

[@rally4vets]

Nice review. We're considering one of these as an experience car for our Top Dog Championships.

[@jamespell8091]

The things are slippery too. I mean if you ride a motorcycle you reach 30 miles an hour and the wind begins to push you back. Of course when you go faster it pushes more. The same with a car ( I don't understand the police with there high profile vehicles these days). Those corvettes it means a lot. They just slip through the wind better than most cars easily. I tend to appreciate this a lot. I like to tread lightly and move easy with minimal effort. It means a lot to me.

[@highbrass7563]

One of my dream cars. Just saw the video of you guys buying the car

[@marcusrussell8660]

I just bought my fifth corvette it is a low mileage torch red convertible with nearly new chrome wheels and tires, top is less than a month old and it is a manual. So you can complain about the interior but none of my previous corvette’s had maintenance issues. My 911, AMG Mercedes were always in the shop. So I don’t care about the interior. To me a Corvette is not a Chevrolet but a well built sports car. See you at the Corvette Club.

[@dalechristensen3640]

That radio head also was OEM on the ‘96 Tahoe and ‘01 AstroVan.

[@ehiracheta]

Made me miss my C5 Z06! Might make me start looking.

[@the_jarmel]

HAPPY TUESDAY......HAVE A BEAUTIFUL DAY EVERYONE ✌️

[@norisboren5402]

At Tennessee outside field car's auction a 2003 Corvette Z06 with less than 7,000 mi. , torch red & manual shift sold for $30,000 in Nov. 2022. Two young men bought this.

[@halofreak1990]

Wrt the automatic climate control, IIRC from reading the manual, the passenger side is an offset of/to the driver side setting, so it's not entirely useless compared to the driver side option

[@DjKamikazee]

I own a 2000 corvette convertible for almost 2 years and its still a blast to drive

[@golfco4life]

I LOVE the C5 vette! I had an 89 and blew the motor and traded up to a 98 with a 6 spd. Best car i have ever owned! I always thought that the C5 was built around the engine, especially the Z06, where as the c6 and above just stuffed a monster engine in the body and it wants to kill you!

[@darrylsjodin7184]

Nice car! I haven’t driven the C5 base automatic but I have a black and red 03 Z06 in the garage with over 400 stock horse power and of course a 6 speed manual. The power and sound is incredible! I’ve had it for a year, with 74,000 miles on it and has needed a starter, a front wheel bearing, the water pump has started to leak and the abs module needs to be soldered. Normal stuff, but I hear some drive train noises now, whines and clunks, that I didn’t hear last year😅. I hope it’s nothing expensive!

[@Riley_1955]

Looks like you grabbed a heck of a deal......All she needs now is a good looking set of rims and you're good to go.

[@Hoggdoc1946]

My style Vett. The auto trans can be performance tuned and make a big difference.

[@charliedee9276]

I was just given a 2000 auto coupe by my parents. One simple huge improvement is changing the rear gearing. Mine had the optional 3.15 gearing and now has 3.42 gears from a 6 speed. The best thing performance wise to do to an auto. Completely changes the car to down right fast, I have surprised MANY newer cars with it. 0-60 in around 4 flat.

[@wydopnthrtl]

My thoughts exactly for a auto trans. Put a 3.42 or 3.73 in it, long tube headers, high flow cats, and a corsa aftercat, CAI, and a dyno tune. The fun factor will multiply!

[@shaunwalsh85]

I’m actually wanting to drop my gear from the 3.42 in my 6spd to a 3.15 from an auto. I’m building mine for standing mile shootouts/top speed runs

[@charliedee9276]

@@wydopnthrtl Yep. I have also put a Borla cat back and x pipe on, and did the "fliptie" mod. Headers are next then a tune. Next year the engine will be rebuilt in prep for the supercharger.

[@jesterokjones4954]

@@charliedee9276 are you doing the works when you rebuild it, or just putting stock pistons etc. back in it?

[@charliedee9276]

@@jesterokjones4954 doing the rebuild with boost in mind. Will stroke it too.

[@StarGateSG7]

OMG! I'm damn TEMPTED for $14,000 USD ($18,000 CDN) to buy one of these as a sport driver driving the twisty and windy Sea-to-Sky Highway from Vancouver to Whistler! I didn't know the C5's were getting that cheap to buy! I always like Corvettes of any era and something as a weekend sport driver sounds great right about now. V

[@paulmadkow9143]

I had 2 C5s. A 99 coupe and an 03 Z06. That Z06 was my favorite. Also had a 12 C6 coupe. Yeah the interiors of these cars were CHEAP. All my vettes got about 24mpg highway.

[@jb40now47]

GM claimed V-Max was 175mph out of the box. I owned a '98 auto with the standard 2.73 rear gear. Same car as yours, old man owned and maintained. Totally stock save exhaust tips. I personally took mine up to 170mph when I was out of the country 😉 and it "felt" like it had a lot more in it. Extremely reliable and relatively practical as legit sports cars go. They have a few things to look out for that a Google search will fill you in on. IMHO, the C5 is the best bang for the buck performance car available at middle class income levels. Have fun with it, maintain it well. The car will reward you for years to come.

[@kevindavis5966]

Having owned an automatic C6 in the distant past, you will regret not buying a manual. Will NOT get the full Corvette experience without it.

[@christopherwilson7698]

A set of 4:10’s a Tune & intake makes for a pretty fun dependable weekend warrior

[@thebigguy8306]

Thanks guys, good review. Miss the old 350ci/5.7L owned many. Now the Vette in Colorado snow, or we take it down Black Bear Pass

[@BlackRam17]

Been saying this for about five years now, the C5 is the best performance bargain out there.

[@cliffm6566]

The C5 is my favourite Vette, a sweet spot between price, style and performance. But everyone bitches about the interior….why? It’s a 20 year old GM car, so what? It’s durable and has held up well over the years.

[@reallyemptypockets6509]

For the same price as a Polaris Scrambler 1000 you got a bad ass Vette. Needs rims though.

[@golfbravowhiskey8669]

@6:00 the radio you was discussing my little S-10 pick up with the ZR two package of the same year had the exact same radio in it. You would think owning a vet you would get a more premium radio

[@scotturich]

I worked at the dealership when these were out and a optioned corvette like that was was around 48k which if you put in compared to the equivalent 911 was was nearly 80k it was a bargain. Let’s be honest most enteriors from the late 90’s early 2k’s were absolutely horrible.

[@callawaysc6065]

Bought a C5 Z06 with full bolt ons for 16k. It was great. Very well balanced. Regret selling it last year.

[@danziger69]

Owned a 2004 Z16, which was a tremendous car. The interior isn't nearly as awful as everyone says. The door handles and center console are garbage, but that helped the car stay inexpensive. They should have skipped the Mag Ride and automatic transmission.

[@brucesheehe6305]

The cup holder in the 1st generation Aurora is worse than that one! I love my 2003 50th Anniversary Corvette Convertible (anniversary red) - 6 speed manual transmission - has electromagnetic shocks. For the money, it is a great performance car - bang for the buck. Never used my cup holder. Also, this car gets tremendous MPG figures. I get over 28 MPG on a road trip with cruise control. I have had some oil leaks (front and rear), probably caused by not driving enough (stored in Winter).