I am picking up a 2004 machine silver z06 on weds. Excellent condition garage queen ready to be driven.

 

Greyman your gonna crap when your getting used to the torque compared to an s! You really can't beat it. Moddiction man those headlights are an easy fix! Get some beautiful carbon fiber inlayed bubbles with projectors for $500. The interior isn't even close to the disasaster that was the 80s! My friend has an 88 Vette and THAT is a bad interior. In fact by contrast its not a lot different than the s2k. I'm throwing on a aluminum ball shift knob from Hurst to help. The radio face plate is the worst but it is reliable and VERY easy to use!

 

Yeah true. I'll have to take one for a spin soon. They look too dated but maybe with some nice wheels and lowered a little etc it would ride me over before a c6 Z.

They can be made crazy fast fairly easily which is nice!

 

big time! Im with you on a c6z but the price gap is a good chunk right now, let some old fella keep it in his garage for a few more years and fyi you can lower the c5z by just turning bolts that'll get you a free 1-1.5'' drop, eibach makes longer bolts to get you as low as you want! the z06 wheels arent bad but the wheel gap is. Def drive one! the shifter is actually great, you will think gear 1 to 2 is a super long throw compared to the s2k and it is, but you get used to it, ive ordered a new knob which will help, and worst case you can do a short shifter for a little extra. Just put on Bridgestone Potenza re760 sports today, they look fantastic in this width and are sticky as hell! total $ after install = $897 so dont worry about tire cost, my mpg after 2 weeks 30% city 70% freeway is 21+ and car insurance isnt much of a jup from the s2k either, im 25. Really good cost/benifit analysis when upgrading from the s!

 

Funny, when I priced insurance for me, vettes were a bit cheaper... but S prices have come down quite a bit and vette body repairs still arent cheap, I should take another look.
I love the C5Z, but I constantly find myself on that slippery craigslist slope:
ooo C5Z for 15K! Aww kinda high miles and modded, hmm, oo 18K, aww red and kinda high miles, ooo 20K, aww black paint looks swirly, oh snap, perfect, low miles, silver, photo of car infront of older dude's garage, 25k! Man so much car... oh look 2007 C6 Z51 for 27k, that interior is better than the C5, wait 27K... a few grand more and I can get an ls3 08 vette. (and then I usually spin off into other new cars and yadda yadda) Ah 30K, aren't I in the market for a house right now?
I swear I play this game like once a month, lol.

 

C5Z's may not be the latest and greatest, but they actually have some advantages over C6's if you want to track them or if you enjoy working on your own car. I'm looking at them right now, unless I can get that 38K C6 Z06 in the other thread!

 

I think the lowest you want to go for a Corvette you actually want to drive is $20K+. But yeah, we all do it

 

Haha yup I'm In the same boat. I am seriously looking at the LS3 3LT Z51 corvettes now. Think I will go for one of those before the Z06 to save me lots of mod money for the corvette.

I was just reading up on the lowering bolts. Pretty awesome!

 

You cant be afraid to travel if your looking for a Z, very limited numbers unless you live in the south, im here in oregon and i got lucky only driving 2 hours. I actually flew to San Jose to look at a z that turned out shity.

I paid $23k for my yellow Z (minty) with 29k miles.

 

def cant hate the c6 z51! good choice and similar price range as a Z, but i like the exclusivity! I would have taken a c6 z51 if the price was right tho.