The $45,000 Red Corvette Dilemma

4968 Views 89 Replies 41 Participants Last post by thetopdog, 17 h ago

ValidUsername

Discussion Starter · 8 d ago

3

Hello TCL,

First time creating a thread (I think), so here goes:

I've been contemplating a fun weekend car for awhile now. I've bounced around with various options but keep coming back to Corvettes, as both of my parents owned red C3 Corvettes back in the 70's and the Corvette has been my favorite sports car since I was a kid.

I have a budget of about $45,000 with flexibility either way, it would purely be a weekend car for backroad trips with my wife or the occasional vacation. My dilemma lies in what generation to go for, I'll make my (perhaps inaccurate) case for each below:

C5 Z06

- The car I grew up lusting for, the C5 always appears in my head when I envision a Corvette. I've long heard about how the C5 Z06 is a performance bargain, and of my options I've found them to be the most affordable with the fewest miles. Of concern to me is the interior, I know well these are from the days of Chevrolet going to the GM plastic parts bin.

C6 Grand Sport / Z06

- These still catch my eye on the road, the wide, low stance just looks good to me. I was a passenger in a Z06 for a test drive once and still haven't forgotten the feeling, of my options it would likely be the most performance-oriented (I think), and also give me the most top-of-the-mountain halo car emotional bond. I don't really have a "con" to offer for this option other than it might be a bit hardcore for what I envision, but I feel that's a silly concern in the Corvette market.

C7 / C7 Z51

- I visited the Bowling Green plant in 2014 when these were brand new, and recall them sitting in the lobby of the Corvette Museum all roped off waiting for their owners. It being the newest of my options is a plus, and I don't hate the idea of an automatic as I recall Chevy making lots of noise about how good they are in these cars. The optional aero add-ons spoiled the look of the base car a bit for me though, to my eye these look a touch plain without the race car splitters and valences.

So there it is, thanks ahead of time for any feedback. If I'm missing the mark completely let me know, a Corvette tops the list but I'm open to other suggestions!

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compy222

· #61 · 6 d ago

zmt2 said:
Oh, wouldn't be my vote necessarily; but if you can find one that's not in a bejorted colletor's stable, a 427 is a great weekend car being LS7 and drop top:

View attachment 290159

A few years ago someone local had one listed in the 30s and I occasionally kick myself for not picking it up.

love these cars, but very hard to find now. ZR1's are fun too from that vintage, i remember seeing a few of those down into the mid-40s during the pandemic...would have been a great buy.

from a collector's perspective, i think the C7GS is probably the one to snag right now. you can find a decent one under 60k and the last of the really well sorted, front engine, manual, cars without the cooling issues the C7Z had, will be very valuable long term. the widebody C7's look particularly mean.

after a long read through the thread and rereading your original post, i still come back to the C7 Z51 probably being the best car to live with and most enjoyable on the weekends. we live in one of the greatest concentrations of corvettes in the world - Metro Detroit...there are 974 corvettes on autotrader right now within 200 miles of my house. 206 are manuals. there are only a couple C7s that are Z51s under 50k.

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HI SPEED

· #62 · 6 d ago

I like to look at c6 Vettes the most.

I think the styling has gotten even better with age, especially the wide body cars. One of the sexiest designs of any American car in the modern era IMHO.

However I would probably rather own a c7, for the reasons others have mentioned.

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thetopdog

· #63 · 6 d ago

Goose_925 said:
To add my two cents to the original poster's question, my choice would be a C7 Stingray based on the options above. I would much rather spend a road trip in the interior of a C7 than a C5 or C6, and I really like the looks of a C7, even in base trim. I also think the suspension of the track-focused C5/C6 models would be a bit of a burden on the street, compared to a suppler base model C7 (I could be talking out of my a** on that point though, as I have no experience behind the wheel of any Corvette).

Having owned both a C6 and C7, I can confirm that the ride quality of the C7 is light years beyond that of the C6. It's not even close

zmt2

· #64 · 6 d ago

nothing constructive to add, but...

🎵45k 'vette!🎵

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ValidUsername

Discussion Starter · #65 · 6 d ago

Thanks for all the feedback everyone, it is all exactly the kind of insight I was seeking with regards to the right car for my use case. As of now I'm leaning C7 for the comfort and refinement mentioned in this thread, seems like the best touring car of the options which, when I think about it, is what I'm probably looking for. Planning on test driving a local C7 this weekend to get a feel, and then beginning to search in earnest to find the right one. I'll be sure to pop back here when the time comes!

I'll also keep an eye on the thread, so keep it alive for as long as feels useful, the posts have been super helpful.

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paradigmGT

· #66 · 6 d ago

C6Z or C7. $45k is too much for a C5Z unless you are looking extremely low mileage, never to be driven car.

I am very happy with my 2022 Camaro 1LE for $45k. Mag ride, LT1 motor, Tremec 6-speed, Recaro seats, its a blast to drive. Kind of wish I went with a ZL1 though.

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compy222

· #67 · 6 d ago

paradigmGT said:
I am very happy with my 2022 Camaro 1LE for $45k. Mag ride, LT1 motor, Tremec 6-speed, Recaro seats, its a blast to drive. Kind of wish I went with a ZL1 though.

I was going to mention this as well, these are very comfortable cars, fast, all the right options, and a true drivers car. While it doesn’t say corvette, it sure feels a world better than most C5s and C6s I’ve driven. I’d also note that C&D turned into lap times at VIR within a second or two of the 11LE and C7 Z51.

An SS ‘vert is worth considering too if you want a convertible touring type car.

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2 doors

· #68 · 5 d ago

paradigmGT said:
I am very happy with my 2022 Camaro 1LE for $45k. Mag ride, LT1 motor, Tremec 6-speed, Recaro seats, its a blast to drive. Kind of wish I went with a ZL1 though.

compy222 said:
I was going to mention this as well, these are very comfortable cars, fast, all the right options, and a true drivers car. While it doesn’t say corvette, it sure feels a world better than most C5s and C6s I’ve driven. I’d also note that C&D turned into lap times at VIR within a second or two of the 11LE and C7 Z51.

An SS ‘vert is worth considering too if you want a convertible touring type car.

This is like the OP asking, "Where can I get a good steak around here?" And you guys answer, "McDonalds"

Just kidding. 6th gen Camaros are supremely capable and very fast, no doubt. Still a different animal though.

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Juiced6.3

· #69 · 5 d ago

paradigmGT said:
C6Z or C7. $45k is too much for a C5Z unless you are looking extremely low mileage, never to be driven car.

I am very happy with my 2022 Camaro 1LE for $45k. Mag ride, LT1 motor, Tremec 6-speed, Recaro seats, its a blast to drive. Kind of wish I went with a ZL1 though.

Used 6th gen ZL1s dip into the high 40s but most are solidly in the 50k range for a 17-18 MY
Still, can't go wrong with either transmission in it.
Drop top available
650hp

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LT1M21Stingray

· #70 · 5 d ago

2 doors said:
This is like the OP asking, "Where can I get a good steak around here?" And you guys answer, "McDonalds"

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ValidUsername

Discussion Starter · #71 · 5 d ago

I had Camaros on the table for awhile and am glad to know it’s an option, though I think if this road ends with a Chevrolet it’ll be a Corvette.

To turn the steak metaphor from McDonald’s to Morton’s though I could however use help in being talked out of an ‘08 or ‘09 V8 Vantage, I knew they were down on the depreciation curve but I didn’t realize to what degree, even at super low mileage.

Please tell me lots of things about how preventative maintenance will bankrupt my wallet and my soul, before any repairs even enter the picture. Or talk about how a Corvette would be a better carefree driver to put miles on. I need badly to hear these things lol, and it doesn’t help that I already made the mistake of showing the wife a picture of the Aston so she’s cast her vote.

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thetopdog

· #72 · 5 d ago

ValidUsername said:
Thanks for all the feedback everyone, it is all exactly the kind of insight I was seeking with regards to the right car for my use case. As of now I'm leaning C7 for the comfort and refinement mentioned in this thread, seems like the best touring car of the options which, when I think about it, is what I'm probably looking for. Planning on test driving a local C7 this weekend to get a feel, and then beginning to search in earnest to find the right one. I'll be sure to pop back here when the time comes!

I'll also keep an eye on the thread, so keep it alive for as long as feels useful, the posts have been super helpful.

If you're anywhere near LA you can drive mine. I'm also open to selling it if you're interested

2 doors

· #73 · 5 d ago

ValidUsername said:
To turn the steak metaphor from McDonald’s to Morton’s though I could however use help in being talked out of an ‘08 or ‘09 V8 Vantage, I knew they were down on the depreciation curve but I didn’t realize to what degree, even at super low mileage.

Please tell me lots of things about how preventative maintenance will bankrupt my wallet and my soul, before any repairs even enter the picture. Or talk about how a Corvette would be a better carefree driver to put miles on. I need badly to hear these things lol, and it doesn’t help that I already made the mistake of showing the wife a picture of the Aston so she’s cast her vote.

Well, if V8 powered British coupes are also candidates, I'll offer up my favorite: Jaguar XK and XK-R. It's not quite Morton's. Maybe more like if Outback was British and not "Australian". Here's a picture of a red one for your consideration...

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BltByKrmn

· #74 · 5 d ago

I've personally owned a 98 and 99 C5, a close friend owned a very fast modded C6, and my Dad owns a C7 Z51. C7 Z51 all day long, it's not even close for me.

DerSpiegel

· #75 · 5 d ago

ValidUsername said:
To turn the steak metaphor from McDonald’s to Morton’s though I could however use help in being talked out of an ‘08 or ‘09 V8 Vantage, I knew they were down on the depreciation curve but I didn’t realize to what degree, even at super low mileage.

Please tell me lots of things about how preventative maintenance will bankrupt my wallet and my soul, before any repairs even enter the picture. Or talk about how a Corvette would be a better carefree driver to put miles on. I need badly to hear these things lol, and it doesn’t help that I already made the mistake of showing the wife a picture of the Aston so she’s cast her vote.

Here ya go, Doug will take care of that for you in just under 5 mins. You're welcome.

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ValidUsername

Discussion Starter · #76 · 5 d ago

thetopdog said:
If you're anywhere near LA you can drive mine. I'm also open to selling it if you're interested

That's an awesome offer, unfortunately I'm on the wrong coast. Thanks though!

2 doors said:
Well, if V8 powered British coupes are also candidates, I'll offer up my favorite: Jaguar XK and XK-R. It's not quite Morton's. Maybe more like if Outback was British and not "Australian". Here's a picture of a red one for your consideration...

Those had been on the table, I even found some F-Types. Looks good in red, I must say.

DerSpiegel said:
Here ya go, Doug will take care of that for you in just under 5 mins. You're welcome.

I somehow forgot about Doug's experience, that's exactly what I needed to see. Back to the world of local C7s I go, may have already found a winner that I'll look at this weekend.

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MLB123

· #77 · 5 d ago

I personally don't care for the c6 because of the headlights. I've always thought they made the car look like someone put some cheap aftermarket ones in it. I feel that pop-up headlights are synonymous with the Corvette. The c7 of course doesn't have them but the ones they do have work perfectly with the body style of the car. JMO. Good luck in finding the perfect one for you whichever you decide upon!

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Karl_1340

· #78 · 5 d ago

MLB123 said:
I personally don't care for the c6 because of the headlights. I've always thought they made the car look like someone put some cheap aftermarket ones in it. I feel that pop-up headlights are synonymous with the Corvette. The c7 of course doesn't have them but the ones they do have work perfectly with the body style of the car. JMO. Good luck in finding the perfect one for you whichever you decide upon!

The C6 is let down by the headlights, interior, Cobalt steering wheel and rear bumper flex. It is not ugly, but it is the least attractive Corvette.
Every other generation looked better than a Chevy. The C6 just looks like a Chevy.

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4MotionMongrel

· #79 · 4 d ago

I'm not a "Corvette guy" so to speak

C5 Z06 examples:

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/3ac02a90-701b-43c5-97bc-5de3b0fa4ffb/?aff=atempest&CMP=atempest&utm_source=AutoTempest&utm_medium=TRP&utm_campaign=atempest

https://www.hemmings.com/listing/2002-chevrolet-corvette-269945?utm_source=autotempest&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=autotempest_premium_classifieds

C6 Z06:

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/99c3fc80-54d1-4eb5-9b4e-0a5d21cf9534/?aff=atempest&CMP=atempest&utm_source=AutoTempest&utm_medium=TRP&utm_campaign=atempest

The wild card...OG ZR1

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/b44352b8-9080-402f-a3ab-47f9f992b242/?aff=atempest&CMP=atempest&utm_source=AutoTempest&utm_medium=TRP&utm_campaign=atempest

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/8a73739b-bd6b-4470-b7ff-57ed70da7cc4/?aff=atempest&CMP=atempest&utm_source=AutoTempest&utm_medium=TRP&utm_campaign=atempest

I'd be happy to have any one of these in my garage but I know merely the basics as far as Corvette lore is concerned.

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Elite_Deforce

· #80 · 4 d ago

2 doors said:
Well, if V8 powered British coupes are also candidates, I'll offer up my favorite: Jaguar XK and XK-R. It's not quite Morton's. Maybe more like if Outback was British and not "Australian". Here's a picture of a red one for your consideration...

I knew someone who went through two of these. Super beautiful, but very poorly put together, like any JLR of that era.

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