Thinking about buying a C5 which I will keep and will be a future NCRS car.

[Valeria H.]

I have the opportunity to buy a C5 at a so called resonable price so I am told. What are the pit falls of C5's. What do I need to look for. I do not want to buy a car I would not want to hold on to until I cease to exist.
The car is a 2000 with a great sound system.

Any idea what I should be paying for it? I am not sure about the mileage right now but I am assuming it is low and they are motivated sellers.

Sheesh man, I really get down to the point.

I know C5'S are not inculded on this website but who to better ask about the purchase of an additional corvette.

Valeria

[Mike M.]

Re: Thinking about buying a C5 which I will keep and will be a future NCRS car.

Hi Valeria
A lot of members also have the later cars as well.
You should get many responses.
6 speeds and open cars have historically been of higher demand and retain greater value over time.
FWIW, I just did a quick check on E-xxx.
Buy-It-Now 2000 prices seem to range:
4-10 thousand miles-$28K
10-20M - $26-28K
20-30M - $22-25K
30-40K - $20-22K
40-50K - $16-20K
Good Luck and HaND

[Patrick T.]

Re: Thinking about buying a C5 which I will keep and will be a future NCRS car.

There is a member here who I've known for a long time that just bought a one owner 2001 yellow automatic coupe from a used car lot down in Fla. It has <26K miles on it and I think he paid $20K for it. PT

[Warren F.]

Re: Thinking about buying a C5 which I will keep and will be a future NCRS car.

Valeria,

Generally you should look for a 2002, '03 or '04 model in the C5 generation of Corvettes. A lot of changes and updates were done during the '97 to '04 run. The last 3 years are pretty consistant and should be the most trouble free models.
I ordered a 2002 coupe new in late 2002 and have not had any service on it since new.

[Clem Z.]

Re: Thinking about buying a C5 which I will keep and will be a future NCRS car.

i had a new 97,99 and 02 and each one was better in all ways than the one before so buy the latest model you can afford.

[Chuck G.]

Re: Thinking about buying a C5 which I will keep and will be a future NCRS car.

There is a member here who I've known for a long time that just bought a one owner 2001 yellow automatic coupe from a used car lot down in Fla. It has <26K miles on it and I think he paid $20K for it. PT

That member would be me.

2001 Millenium Yellow coupe. 24K miles. One local Florida owner. Paid 20.5K for it. It was traded in for a ............................... Harley Davidson.

This one is an automatic. Before moving to Florida, I sold my 2000 MY convertible. I prefer the automatics. My gear banging days are ALMOST over.

My wife and I wanted a coupe this time, as they have a bit more room for "stuff", and we use this car for trips around Florida. We're also taking it on the NCRS Road Tour to Charlotte.

I had some minor problems with my 2000. A couple of the tire sensors went bad, and I had to replace them. The biggest problem was that the front transverse spring cracked, and the nose of the car was sitting about 2" off the ground. That was replaced under warranty.

Only problem I've had with the 01 is the drivers door module. Won't always unlock the door with the FOB. I'll replace that when I get around to it.

They are WONDERFUL cars. Get close to 30 MPG on trips. They're very comfortable. They're FAST. My 00 would run 13.50's at the drag strip with no modifications.

Chuck

[Tom H.]

Re: Thinking about buying a C5 which I will keep and will be a future NCRS car.

I can tell you I have sold hundreds of C5's. New and used. The 2000 is a great car. No real common issues to speak of. Biggest weak point is the interior durability and the Goodyear Tires. Also Chuck mention door lock modules. Those are starting to be a common issue. Chuck's front spring issue would be very unusual and not something to be too concerned about. Never had that happen. If you are buying a C5, buy the newest one you can afford with the lowest mileage.

Good options are a key to resale as well. Head Up Display is very popular for resale. Z51 is also a nice feature, but not a must.

Best colors for me. Red, Mag Red, Black. Yellow and Blue also do well.

If you are looking at one, feel free to PM me the VIN. I will be glad to check the service history for you and provide you with options and original dealer info if you are interested.

P.S. If you are thinking about the future in NCRS with the car, buy things now while you still can. Like tires, exhaust, and airboxes. Common items that were worn out or changed out when new. Easy to find now, might be tougher in a few years.

The C4 guys are starting to see how hard some replacement parts are to get today.

[Bill M.]

Re: Thinking about buying a C5 which I will keep and will be a future NCRS car.

If you are buying a C5, buy the newest one you can afford with the lowest mileage.

P.S. If you are thinking about the future in NCRS with the car, buy things now while you still can. Like tires, exhaust, and airboxes. Common items that were worn out or changed out when new. Easy to find now, might be tougher in a few years.

The C4 guys are starting to see how hard some replacement parts are to get today.

Agree with low mileage for NCRS judging. Replacement parts may lose points...if you can get replacement parts. (I bought an 8000 mile '92 in 1997 and stored the original wheels and tires for NCRS judging.)

On newest for NCRS judging: My '92 was eligible for judging in 2008. So a 2000 will be eligible in about 2016. Keep that in mind...

[Tom H.]

Re: Thinking about buying a C5 which I will keep and will be a future NCRS car.

My point to getting original parts was really geared towards exhaust and air boxes. Many of these cars had the air box changed and different exhaust installed. It is easy and cheap to find original takeoff airboxes and mufflers now. A few years from now, maybe not so easy.

[John D.]

Re: Thinking about buying a C5 which I will keep and will be a future NCRS car.

Valeria, One of our frequent posters here is Dave Kitch from the Pittsburgh Chapter. Dave has an outstanding 2000 yellow coupe with a 6 speed for sale. It's priced to sell.
If it had an automatic it would be in my driveway.
I am also on the lookout for a nice low mileage C5 in the near future so I can drive it.
Dr. Chucks 2001 is a nice looking ride. Good luck, JD

[Michael W.]

Re: Thinking about buying a C5 which I will keep and will be a future NCRS car.

Hi,

Perhaps I repeat some of the replies given, but I had the same ambition so I took my time and searched the net for a 1 owner and full option car in my desired color combo. I eventually found a:
- 1 owner 99 coupe
- 6-speed
- full option except the Magnesium wheels
- torch red + light oak

The car had 76k miles came with with history, documentation, invoices, you name it. The first owner was an older gentleman and he always parked it inside and she look brand spanking new when i got it.

Meanwhile I had some small repairs like; new clutch kit and a new front window (stone hit it)...so except for the window she is still matching.

Regards,

Mike

OH i paid 17 k $ for it 3 years ago

[Valeria H.]

Re: Thinking about buying a C5 which I will keep and will be a future NCRS car.

As always, you all came through with excellent advice. I will maintain my search and hopefully get a member or two locally to examine any possibilities with me.

The local car in question is in silver and I am not a fan of that color. The sun is really hard on it (even though it would be completely protected most of the time) and it is not as esthetic as the reds blues and yellows. It would probably not be cost effective or judging smart to buy a car and repaint it with another color than the original.

Hopefully I will find a C5 driver before the convention.

Valeria

[Jim D.]

Re: Thinking about buying a C5 which I will keep and will be a future NCRS car.

Check the C5 section of the CorvetteForum. There have been many documented problems with C5's. The majority were fixed by the 2002 model year. The 01's had an oil usage problem due to a new design piston ring that was proven to be the problem. Then there was the column lock problem, and on and on. I bought an 01 brand new and had nothing but problems with it. Also, before you buy one with the Z51 option, drive one. With the run-flat tires, they ride like a truck with 100 PSI in the tires. The first time I took it on the freeway, I thought pieces of the car would fall off it rode so rough.

[Mike M.]

Re: Thinking about buying a C5 which I will keep and will be a future NCRS car.

Patience, Valeria. Too soon to settle.
There are literally hundreds of choices out there, you will find the one to your liking.
Good Luck

[Clem Z.]

Re: Thinking about buying a C5 which I will keep and will be a future NCRS car.

Check the C5 section of the CorvetteForum. There have been many documented problems with C5's. The majority were fixed by the 2002 model year. The 01's had an oil usage problem due to a new design piston ring that was proven to be the problem. Then there was the column lock problem, and on and on. I bought an 01 brand new and had nothing but problems with it. Also, before you buy one with the Z51 option, drive one. With the run-flat tires, they ride like a truck with 100 PSI in the tires. The first time I took it on the freeway, I thought pieces of the car would fall off it rode so rough.

i agree on the bad ride with a Z-51 package. i owned new a 97,99 and a 2002 and i never had the steering lock problem as i believe that was cause by the driver using the steering wheel to pull themselves out of the seat after the wheel was locked and binding the locking pin. my 02 was a early one that had a 01 ZO-6 short block and it did use some oil,about a quart in about 4000 miles which was my oil change window where the other ones used little if any oil between changes. corvettes with a auto trans used less oil than the std shift ZO-6 because most of the oil was pulled past the rings when using a lower gear when off the throttle when down shifting to slow down. i solved the fuel gauge problem by NEVER overfilling the tank. i always stopped filling when the pump shut off because over filling the tank caused the wiper to go on to a unused part of the sender unit and would give a false reading. these are JMHO