Pondering Corvette
 

Just to have a discussion, but I am leaning toward this after we buy a house in a couple of months but I'm torn. Here are some of the things I have considered:

I have two miatas, one turbo one leather fancy low miles pants... fast miata is probably base C5 automatic fast... ?

...but is always needing tinkering. :fael:

Vette gives both speed and some luxury...

(though I like my '01 SE interior a little more)

NO TINKERING with Vette, ???

if I DID tinker with the Vette, it will be far beyond what I could reasonably do with a Miata. (in a straight line anyway)

Vette would cause $10k -ish note...

Miatas are paid for.

Vette has more space

I don't race

not sure how stupid expensive maintainence will be with Vette.

Damnit! :crx:

Funny you say that.

I just picked up an 04 Vette :party:

My friend just bought an '09 ZHZ, some hertz model. 6 speed flappy paddle gear box and 436hp.

I love it. What an absolute dangerous blast. I would get in so much trouble.

EXACTLY what I want, last of the C5.

Though after test driving a 2009 C6 with a six-speed auto and knowing that the same year's z06 would mean a 427 :skid:

I really think I need to find a 04 z06 manual and cam it! Or wait a few years so that I can get the way nicer interior of the C6 for what the 5s are going for now if the C7 sells well.

(and sorry for making the thread over again, I thought I lost my internet connection earlier! OOPS)

I've coached for the vette club and the C6Z was shockingly similar to my car when it had the turbo. Really easy to drive fast, lots of feedback through the brake pedal, perfectly balanced. C5Zs are good but the gears are way too long for the weak engine.

I've been around Corvettes my whole life. As long as you utilize regular proactive maintenance maintenance schedule, you should have no problem at all. Even neglected, I've seen all corvettes 80s-00s make it way past 100k miles no problem.

Probably the worst problems with C5s are the interior quality (makes a NB look nice) that will literally fall apart and the reoccurring ABS control module failures.

Vlad is in a better position as the later C5 modules are still available from GM; the early ones are not... At all.

V8 miata > corvette.

Not an option, we're talking $25k here. Not that plus the 1000 hours it would take me.

Hmmm. I have driven C5 auto, felt suprisingly slow... drove C6 non Z auto last weekend which has two more gears than its predecessor but the C5 manual would also be 6spd and roughly the same power stock to stock. So, I guess I would have to look at the gearing as I surely dont need the top speed, but the weak motor comment doesn't make sense because we're talking about 400 to 435bhp in a 3400lb car I don't know all that much about your car when it was turboed but I don't think my turbo 92 is taking a C5 z06 or a base C6... ? Cams would get real close to 500 motor keep me in the more affordable C5, and maybe swap a diff? Or, wait a while for the 6 or ...IDK.

[edit] Hustler, I am really just trying to discount what you're saying about the C5 because affording the C6 is a bit off, LOL

You can buy a turnkey V8 miata from FlyinMiata for $35K, I don't think finding one used for $25k is out of the question. Or why not just turbo the SE?

Used V8 miatas:

LS1/LS6 Miata 6 Speed

There are also a lot of V8 RX7's out there like this gorgeous FD. That may well be my choice.

1. Kinda what I figured, and I would/already do with all my cars.

2. AGREE! (C6 is WAY better) and did not know.

3. Have only been looking at '04s, have any insight to the cutoff year on this?

Options, options. Those are still both roughly 20 year old cars though, turboing the SE is the likely other option, I don't really have any interest in someone else's project. (The FD is F'N Awesome looking though!)

I have had such troubble with the MS1 PNP in a street car (read A/C + NA + MS1 = suck or mod a lot ) and am a little worried about it with MS2 in the SE, maybe unwarranted but nobody really hates on the Vette either. I do have an emotional attachment to both of my Miatas, my dad bought one and sold me the other, and he is sick; but was looking at a '04 yellow C5 before he decided he had become too weak to drive it. That is really what got me thinking about them though, they are nice and fast and for the money - is not really far off of what a full turbo build and extras runs in a Miata including the price of the car: The one he had looked at was 12k miles and $23k. Lowend torque and not worrying about punching it from a stop light are intriguing compared to the [don't drag race your turbo Miata] good-sense mantra. Tires, insurance and sales/ttl hikes are obviously not favorable though.

I believe it was 97-00 or 01 so you're 04 should be fine. C5 Z06s are still pretty awesome in my opinion. With a good intake and long tube headers they really wake up. Put in a slightly larger cam with a tune and then they really start to breathe. Though if you have to pass sniffer test for smog, the overlap will give you hell.

To solve your problem:
Turbo the SE.
MS3x
Happiness.

I'd take the FD with the LS anyday over a vette. Those cars are just pure sex.

It's a 3100-3300lb car with driver, tons of tire, and way too big of a ring and pinion, it felt slow. If I had one I'd do shocks, header, huge Wilwoods, R&P swap.

lol don't go driving a c6 or z06 then get into a c5 auto expecting to be impressed.
of course you'll be bored. you are hereby spoiled by newer, better, faster, way more expensive cars.

Pretty much what she said.
I like the vettes, but no way I'd be able to leave one alone as is, even the Z06.

Even the LS1 that I am putting in my Miata is not going in stock.

Speaking of interiors, my 94 interior still looks better than any C5 out there.

C5's are easily my favorite 'vette. Exhaust + Procharger really make them fun.

If you don't track the car and have good self discipline in terms of modifying the cars, I would not try to talk anyone out of a later C5 (manual) whether it was a Z06, an FRC or a base targa. The latter should put down 300 WHP / 300 WTQ on a Dynojet and should trap ~108 MPH bone stock. You can even lower them a little bit on factory suspension.

My previous car:
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1359472664

A Corvette could easily be your daily driver and keep a Miata to tinker with. On separate occassions, with the help of some twine, I put a fully assembled four-burner propane grill and a Christmas tree in the hatch of my targa.


The main reason to talk you out of it is the fact that you'd have to take on debt to acquire it. Normally, I wouldn't let that be a deal-breaker assuming today's super low rate environment (I've got a note on the 3-series with less than 2% interest, fixed) but you also mentioned buying a house.

You could easily end up surprised with a few repairs or upgrades to the house that coust a few thousand dollars each.

This, most of all, is true!

Oh yeah, the absolute first mod, without a doubt, is a set of seats. Dear god those seats were terrible, flopping around, ugh.