C5 Z06

JG and I spent a lot of time looking at C5 Z06s this weekend. Today's best performance deal?

Not if the plain C5 has anything to say about it.

No bites on mine at eleven grand - for a car that hit 171 a few weeks ago.

I can't think of a better deal offhand.

What is the current going rate?

Well there was the "C5 for $10,500" thread...

After all the pieces GRM has done on the C5 Z06, my own experiences, and what Danny Popp says about them I have to echo the "best performance bargain" statement. Basically throw a big brake kit on (for brake longevity), oil cooler, trans/diff cooler, really sticky tires, and destroy on track.

What are the differences between a regular c5 and the z06? It seems like for track duty, you need a brake upgrade and there's ton's of bolt ons for the ls1. What are the other big differences? I personally prefer the look of the non fixed roof coupe.

I've shopped them a little lately...and at least around here...they're still in the 25k to 30k range. Just curious as to what prices you are finding. For comparison, i could get an early C5 for around 15k.

I think that they're the best performance deal around. I really kind of wish that I hadn't sold mine. They're reliable, get decent gas mileage, have plenty of room for two, and can go fast as berkeley when you need/want them to.

The Z06 will retain a lot more value than a normal C5. You'll make up the extra spent on the back end. Mine was a cherry with low miles that I paid $21k for. I sold it about a year later for $21k. The Z06 is also the only car I've owned that didn't "need" anything added/changed for DD duty. Don't get a black one. They look awesome for about a day.

DAT ASS

Yes.

I've found multiple at or under $20K. Monsters for the money.

chaparral wrote: Not if the plain C5 has anything to say about it.

Yeah, that's a worthy debate. JG is calling the Fixed Roof Coupe the ringer for A Stock.

No bites at $11k? Wow. I'm a little shocked.

I never liked the appearance of the FRC. That is the main reason I've never been a fan of the C5Z. Now the C6Z.... oh my my.... I'd give my left nut for one of those.

David S. Wallens wrote:

chaparral wrote: Not if the plain C5 has anything to say about it.

Yeah, that's a worthy debate. JG is calling the Fixed Roof Coupe the ringer for A Stock. No bites at $11k? Wow. I'm a little shocked.

I'm more than a little shocked - details? If that was local, I'd probably break my "no more Corvettes" rule.

I'll second the "whats the difference between normal and z06" question- for $10k you could do a lot of work to suspension, brakes, and engine that you may have to do for the z06 anyway. Unless you're talking about a racing class with rules prohibiting these types of changes, or resale.

I'm pretty sure that the C5Z is on it's way to becoming the "add a digit" answer.

What 4 digit sports car value? = Miata
What 4 digit off roader value? = XJ
What 5 digit sports car value = C5Z

Now I want to know the other digits. Three digit sports car? Six digit?

I've got a lot of respect for their ability. That's the LS6 engine, right? I don't think it suffers from the "1.1 G in a left turn and boom" problem like the C6Z does. There's no place for one in my garage, but I'd have a hard time talking someone out of it.

Keith Tanner wrote: Now I want to know the other digits. Three digit sports car? Six digit? I've got a lot of respect for their ability. That's the LS6 engine, right? I don't think it suffers from the "1.1 G in a left turn and boom" problem like the C6Z does. There's no place for one in my garage, but I'd have a hard time talking someone out of it.

Were you saying at one point that the one of the toughest arguments against a Monster Miata is the Z06? i.e. when all is said and done, you've spent the same amount of money and not that much more performance?

Great cars.

I happen to really like the "coup" look with the trunk that the Z06 has. I think it is because I have had so many cars with a glass hatch that I am a bit sick of it. But really it is nit picking on my part.

I test drove a z06 a while back and all I can say is what a car. It was a bone stock one that had been traded in on a new z06. IT had about 65K miles on it but it was tight as a new car. My 924s felt so inferior for a couple weeks after that.

And yes I think they are the performance bargain of the next 5 years.

I actually like the C5 body style better then the newer styling. It looks lower and more streamlined with more curves in the body. It looks like a human with some feeling of style and artistic vision designed it. I also like the flip up headlights. I have never liked the exposed headlights on the later models. The later models also have a body style that looks to have been dictated by an automated CAD program that is reacting to wind tunnel results and fluid dynamic testing. It has that mechanical look / feel that is taking over the current design philosophy as more and more our cars are designed by what the computer says and not by a designer stepping back and looking at it and making it pleasing to the eye.

I've seen well cared for C5Z's with under 50k miles with asking prices of $18k. Clearly the best bang for the buck out there and a dominant car for NASA TT3 time trials.

I don't like using the term "Monster", that implies a Ford engine We call ours the Habu, although we haven't pushed that name much yet. But yes, others certainly have brought up the price of used Z06s vs new FM-built Miatas.

There are some significant differences, though. The FM-built car is new. There's a warranty from GM on the engine. It's a smaller package and one that weighs 650 lbs less. Power will make up for some of that, although a stock LS6 has 75 hp less than the typical engine we use. So "not much more performance" isn't a fair comparison.

That's ignoring the uniqueness factor as well - people will climb over a Corvette to get to a V8 Miata, they're a different sort of beast.

The C6Z, that's a higher target from a performance standpoint. But a good one.

I think I've posted this before, but here goes. When I say standard C5 I mean the glass hatch one. FRC is tougher to come by. This is all off the top of my head btw.

Differences between a Z06 and standard C5:

-Shorter gearing (2nd tops out at 72 perfect for AutoX )

-Wider lighter wheels

-Rear brake cooling ducts

-Z is 3100lbs so it's Lighter (by about 150lbs at least)

-Quicker steering ratio

-Stiffer swaybars

-Titanium catback

-Better shock valving

-LS6 which is underrated and likely makes closer to 420 crank HP

-Thinner glass

-Less sound deadening

-Stiffer chassis with the fixed roof

best value for the money, if i had that kind of cash i'd buy one in a heartbeat

I've been pining/saving for a C5 for a while. Still have a ways to go.

Every now and then I'll see an FRC with the rear brake scoops. I like that look.

In reply to David S. Wallens:

The car's for sale in College Station TX. The underbody has the normal College Station too-deep-drain damage. It has 160,000 miles and is mechanically sound.