Your take on C4 and C5 vettes

A step up from what? BTW, the C4 and C5 are pretty much a step down from the C6

 

i love them both... both are great platforms for modding (street or track).

 

Like Wade mentioned, we don't have any idea what you're coming from or what your goals are. Just the same, the C5 is a giant leap forward from the C4. If good examples of both are in your budget, I can't imagine why you'd opt for the C4.

 

+1. Lots of improvements in the C5. If you can afford a C5 over the C4, do it. They are stout cars, and like most American cars, cheap to operate.




Darrell.

 

I have a V6 Camaro and I bet I still drive my car much harder than your father does to his vette Iam on the same path as you and id highly recomend you start out with the "poor mans vette" and go get a Z28 or T/A first before you get a hold of a Corvette of any year.

C4 vettes are great however I would only be interested in them if it was like a Callaway special model or something like that otherwise id highly recomend you stay away from the 89's and below. A couple of years back I almost bought a ZR1 but it was going to kill my insurance as well as break the bank.

C5's are great regardless of what model you like personally I would just take the basic targa top model with the LS1 but if you want something with alittle more kick go pickup a C5 Z06 depending on the bouget and your needs.

What are you talking about? they are the greatest! nothing can be possibly more tuneable than the C4 vettes. Just look at what Callaway did back in 88 which just the base L98 vette and they claim you can build that same car.

 

There would only be a couple of C4 vettes that would interest me: an early ZR1, and perhaps an LT4 coupe blue w/white stripes and gaudy red interior. But neither would be my first choice for Corvettes, or my second or third. The Callaways are interesting, but I'm not sure about actually owning one from a reliability standpoint.

The C5 is a big step up in performance and technology. The C4 is a car designed around 1980, while the C5 is one from the mid-90's. Big differences. The C6 is more like the C5 than the C4 is like the C5, if that makes sense.

If you were going to spend, say $25k on a used sports car, a C5 Z06 is tough to beat.

 

I've never driven a C5, but the '88 C4 I drove was garbage. The horsepower is ample, but GM quality in the '80s was wretched and squeaks and rattles were probably nearing Trabant levels of bad.

The C6 really does seem to have been a major leap forward.

How about a chromed bumper '68-'71 convertible shark? I'm not a Corvette guy, but those are pretty retro cool and you'll never lose money on it.

 

This is the best Corvette advice one could give. The solid axle and mid-year cars are now too much $$, and these are likely next. They are real fun and get all kinds of thumbs up, and you don't look like a gold chain guy, you look like a car guy. Lots of parts avail. Watch out for rust in the frames, especially look for rivet bumps showing up in the fiberglass where it is bonded to the support member in front of the headlights. (The rivets rust and expand) Get a 4 speed with any motor other than the base model and you'll always be able to sell it in a week.

 

Call me crazy, but if you really love all the positive attributes of a mid-engine car like the Fiero... perhaps you should look towards an early NSX as your next step?

I think most C4 vettes are quite a bit below $25k... as are many C5 versions, but someone mentioned that dollar figure & the car that pops into mind in that range for me is the NSX.

 

C5 all the way. If you must get a C4 get a '96 with the LT4. The L98's and earlier were dogs. If it was me, 2002-2004 ZO6.

 

You can get an anniversary Z06 (2003 MY) for $28ish all day long. C4s are well below that price point. As far as an NSX goes to get one in the $25Kish range its gonna have to be an early model and/or have a LOT of miles on it. NSX has held value particularly well so there aren't tons of bargains out there.

To the Original poster, I would hold out on the C5. It is a MAJOR step forward from the C4...and if it fits in your budget I would recommend that you go with a fixed roof coupe car after 2000 they added HP (some model year cars were at 405) and called this the Z06.

 

I've had both, & I don't know exactly what your question is, but if I had to choose between the two, C5 for a million reasons. That's not to say the C4 is a bad car, it's pretty decent, depending on year/model.

 

I have driven a freinds C5 and IMO, it's a rattle trap.

I used to think my ex 81' was a rattle trap and was expecting a little in the way of upgrades but not on his car. Maybe he got a bad one, but lots of rattles, wind and road noise.

My other friends C6 ZO6 is not nearly the rattle trap and wind noise as the C5. The road noise on cement roads is almost unbearable though.

Good luck

 

Well I have a fiero myself an 84 to be exact and I can tell you that with very little modifactions a Fiero GT could run with like an 80's vette. Those 80's L98's where terrible cars id rather have a fiero than a corvette of 84-88 dispite the headaches. Its something alittle "Diffrent" and how many C4 do you see on the streets compared with fieros?. Fieros are fun cars to build I want to turn mine into a certified Civic slayer.

 

The C5 would be the only entry vette I would consider. The C4 chassis is very far behind. The C5 Z06 is a very capable platform. Of course the C6 is bad @$$!

 

I'm with your Dad on this and if you're good with a wrench an interesting choice would be a 308. Think about it... the entry price for a running and (mostly) rust-free project car won't be much different than the C5. Also consider that, mechanically, your Fiero isn't a whole lot different; no power steering, mid-engine, old car, few off-the-shelf parts, etc so the whole thougt process is second nature.

Apples and oranges: the Ferrari is easier to work on but the Fiero's A/C is ten times better.

I owned and maintained an '87 Fiero GT for 12 years so I know where you're at. Plus I installed a full RCC suspension on it as well. http://dwayne9.addr.com/index.html

But, if your thoughts lean towards buying and accessorizing then get the vette and forget everything else I've written

 

Look at C5 Z06's, they were recently in CD for the best car for 25k. 3100lbs 405hp and can easily make 500hp with simple mods is a big deal.

 

On ebay now, a GM V6 powered 1980 308 GTSi. Covers all bases....

 

Just my opinion.... keep the current car running until C6 vettes have depreciated to a level you can afford.

I have owned a C5 convertible for just over four years now and have mixed feelings about it. It's a fast, good handling and looking car for the money. It also seems to suffer from being sourced with some of the worst parts in the GM parts bin. Window regulator, key fob computer, air conditioner compressor, and a bunch of random type stuff has all died on mine at various times. None of it is performance car type stuff, just basic car stuff that should work. The car would have been long gone had the warranty not covered it.

 

Here is the deal. I have both a C4 and a C5 at the present time.

The C4 is a very late production ZR-1 (#401 out of the final 448 cars built in 1995, the last year...).

The C5 is a late production 2004 Z06.

I like the C4 better than the C5. It is just based on subjective things like steering feel, style, engine compartment looks - stuff like that. I have little interest right now in moving up to a C6; not even the new 2009 ZR1. I bought that Z06 as my daily driver, but never really liked it compared to the ZR1. It is now in the hands of my stepson, and I am driving my 1996 Porsche 993 to work.
The ZR-1 and a Testarossa share the collector spots in the garage. My suggestion if you want an inexpensive "collector" Corvette is the best ZR-1 you can find - and keep something else to drive every day.

The old ZR-1 is quite arguably the top of the C4 world (except possibly for expensive tuner cars like Lingenfelter or Callaway)...but I also owned one of the original 1984 stiff suspension models, a 1996 LT4 collectors edition, and a 1996 LT4 plain black coupe. You simply cannot compare early cars (pre 1989) to the late production LT1 and LT4 cars. Many C4 cars were simply driven as daily beaters and treated accordingly. But they were tough, and one of these could make a good daily driver alongside a ZR-1.

James

If you can find a good one - with the right options, a C4 is still a very good car.

 

Owner of a 2001 C5 auto Coupe (targa) ~40k miles.... cost $21k

One of the best $ vs. performance cars you can get.

350hp (with pipe, intake and chip this can get bumped up for not alot of $), very sporty chassis and looks, they can be had from $15k on up. I would recommend a mid model year version, a 2000 or 2001 as there was little/no change with the newer C5's and you are just paying for the lower mileage and model year. Older C5's now have over 150k miles on them. For a bargin you can get one of these, but expect little things to start wearing out as these are now over 10 years old (the C5 started in 1997).

Some here have mentioned build quality... I've yet to run into any rattles or squeaks, or have anything major go "wrong" with the car. And even if something does... you can get parts at yer local Kragen. New starter? Alternator? Even if you do need something from the dealer... its a Chevy dealer, any town with more than 5k people in it is likely to have one.

The C5 can get some great gas mileage if you keep your foot out of it. Mine gets 27mpg on extended freeway runs. Averages out to about 19 around town if driven carefully and in traffic. Get jiggy with it and you can drop into the single digits fast. But then again, when driving it hard mileage is not a concern.

There is lots of storage space in the back under the hatch.

The targa top is a GREAT alternative to the convertible, which gives up much of the storage area to the top. I've yet to really miss the full convertible experience while motoring around the targa off (it stores in the back for ease of configuration change).


I've driven a good representation of the supercars on the market today both on the street and track... and the Corvette doesnt give up much to them. That being said... the Corvette (outside of the C6 Z06 or ZR1) is NOT a supercar. Its an American sports car, for all the good and bad that implies.

But for the $ you are going to be pretty hard pressed to find anything else that will offer the level of performance that the Corvette does, while offering the everyday usability, comfort, reliability, mileage and looks that come with the Corvette.

 

The C5 is a great value as a preowned sports car. Many many corvette owners take great pride in their vehicle. I recommend the corvette forum and shop the used car section.

Depending on the year you can probably find one of the best values in the market.

How much did you plan on spending?

Decide that and then go from their.

Let us know and maybe we can give even better insight..

Owned two c5's. A 99 C5 A4 Z51 and a 2001 Z06. Now I have an 08 C6 Z51.

All great cars.. Good luck.

JB

 

Ive had a C3, C4, C5, & C6 Z06

I prefer the C6 over the C5, C4 is better looking, better interior, like the clamshell hood

C6 Z06 rocks though, best by far