C6 Z06, C7 Z51 or Shelby GT350? or may be something else altogether?

Hi guys, another what car thread..sorry. If you have a budget of around $45-50K, not in a hurry (i.e., can wait for the price to come down a bit), are considering C6 Z06, C7 Z51 and Shelby GT350, use case mainly  for fun car to do autocross in street class and a few track days a year total driven probably about 1,500 miles a year at most, somewhat reliable and can hold its value well (in normal time, not this crazy Covid-induce time) which one would you choose and why?  Should I consider a 2020 Supra as well? Anything I am missing in this category and price range?

If I were to get a C6 Z06 I'll make sure that the head has been fixed. Resale value is not the highest priority but I feel like the C6 Z06 will hold its value better compared to a C7 Z51 but the C7 is just such a nicer car overall compared to the C6.

I understand used car prices are through the roof right now so I don't mind waiting until this winter or next spring.

Thanks guys.

Your'e not in a rush, go drive a few examples of each and see which one puts the biggest smile on your face. The Supra is auto only IIRC, whether that matters. 

I don't know.  :) No personal experience, but a C6 Z06 weighs 3150lbs vs. 3450lbs (C7) vs. 3750lbs (GT350) and most of it's depreciation is behind the C6 Z06. It's the fastest in a straight line. While the C6 look has aged a bit, I think it's a bit more sophisticated looking than the C7. Both the C6 Z06 and the GT350 have pretty special engines. That said newer cars keep getting better to drive as time passes.

I would go out right now and buy an RS3 and damn the depreciation, because want to grab them before the flying-mile types ruin them all with mods.

gawd....  I know they run about 12.2 @ 120 stock, but 0-150 (240km/h) in under 21 seconds!

But that's my personal automotive kink.  Five cylinder music, DSG, and all wheel drive, in a small chassis.

I'm in a similar spot- my dream has been an Elise, and I will have one. Even though they are slower than any of your listed. 

Sucks that Hagerty values them at 28k and 32k for the standard and SC, respectively, which is waaaaaaaaaaaaay low.

GT350 all day long. But that is just my opinion with what you have thought of. 

Seeing as the GT350’s beat their bearings to death when driven in anger...

search GT350 engine problems.

In reply to racerfink :

Boss 302s ('69-70) had piston skirt cracking issues.

A Boss 302 with its original engine is worth a LOT of money, because the vast majority of them had their engines replaced at some point.

Just sayin'...

One of the Corvettes!

Better driving cars imo

In reply to racerfink :

Why can't manufacturer get it right? Oil leak/consumption issue with the Voodoo engine and cylinder head issue for C6 Z06...smh..

In reply to ea_sport :

Sometimes when you push the limits, they push back.

C7 Z51 out of that group, but I would also look at what I could get in a Cayman for that money.  ZL1 Camaro if you want totally bonkers, crazy fast.

I've not driven a C6ZO6, but some say they are difficult to drive at the edge of the envelope.  Plus, head issues.  Plus, our C6 Z51 was a POS.

GT350s have pretty well known engine issues.

Based on not much of anything in particular I'm guessing the matrix is something like this

Reliability: GT350 < C6 ZO6 < C7 Z51

Quality: C6 ZO6 < GT350 < C7 Z51

"Special-ness": C7 Z51 < C6 ZO6 < GT350

The C7  is going to be the most common. It's going to be better built than the C6, and parts are likely cheaper/easier to come by, but it's not going to be as "special" and will depreciate the most. Since the engine isn't as unique, I'm guessing it's a bit more reliable and cheaper to own long term.

The C6 Z is the oldest of the bunch obviously, so finding one that's clean might be harder. The head issues can be fixed. The worst of the depreciation has likely already passed, so the finances might make some sense when considering resale and total cost of ownership. "Special" engine and manual trans combo is desirable. I personally think they look better than the C7 but YMMV.

The GT350 is a "special" feeling car like the C6 ZO6, but screwed together better and not as plastic-y. I'm not sure how much more they might depreciate, but I doubt they fall too far. The engine issues aren't really something with a fairly simple fix like the C6 ZO6 valve guides. But at just 1500 miles per year, how likely would one be to run into those issues?

Bigger picture, we're about 10-15 years out from ICEs really becoming thin on the ground in the new vehicle market. I'm curious to see how that impacts values of "Special" ICE cars and trucks. I'd expect more common ICEs to lose a lot of appeal and value, but I think the truly special cars with special engines, and manual transmissions that offer a driving experience that's much more analog will be the ones that hold their value better than most. I suppose the $50k question is, will enough people really want them to support strong prices, or will people say "Why should I deal with all of that hassle and effort and maintenance and noise just to go slower than my EV?"

ea_sport said:

In reply to racerfink :

Why can't manufacturer get it right? Oil leak/consumption issue with the Voodoo engine and cylinder head issue for C6 Z06...smh..

Don't forget valvetrain issues with the C7. They have AFM and so have all the issues the trucks have. We had a C7 with about 12,000 gentle miles that turned a couple pushrods into bananas. 

Personally, I'd go with the GT350 out of those choices.  Mostly for the "special-ness" factor.  Partly because the Mustang is slightly more usable as a car than Vette.  Of course, my problem with cars in that budget range is there is a strong part of me that would rather build/buy a resto-mod vintage Mustang built for the same functions.  Won't be as fast or as comfortable, but should be a whole 'lot easier to keep running as well as being cheaper to insure, register and being vintage with classic registration, wouldn't need annual inspections. Granted, the latter two are applicable more for where I live in PA, but those factors definitely play a part in my "fun vehicle" choices.

Consider the Camaro ZL1. Less issues than the 3 cars you listed.

Another vote for the RS3.  I drove one Sunday at the local autocross and in the rain I was 4th overall (the three ahead of me were in the dry and first place was also the RS3).   It beat all the Corvettes, a new Supra, a BSP ND, and many other seriously fast cars.

(on Michelins )

In reply to Ian F (Forum Supporter) :

Here in NoVA I also have annual safety inspection so a 25+ year old car that doesn't have to go through annual safety inspection is a plus for me. However, finding resto-mod vintage Mustang is probably gonna be even harder. If I were to go that route I should also look for Factory Five or Superformance Cobra replica since practicality is really low on the requirement list.

In reply to ea_sport :

Have you looked at newish Jaguars?  They too come with powerful supercharged V8's. Have a good reputation for reliability, and can be had in the price range you're talking about. 
   Not only can they handle they do so in a civilized fashion. Without beating the driver to death. 

racerfink said:

Seeing as the GT350’s beat their bearings to death when driven in anger...

search GT350 engine problems.

And drink oil like crazy too. I've read some guys reporting as much as 1qt+ per 500 miles.

In reply to Pete. (l33t FS) :

I also have a strong desire for one. Especially if we got the hatch here. What a useful, fast, sleeper. 

frenchyd said:

In reply to ea_sport :

Have you looked at newish Jaguars?  They too come with powerful supercharged V8's. Have a good reputation for reliability, and can be had in the price range you're talking about. 
   Not only can they handle they do so in a civilized fashion. Without beating the driver to death. 

They still rank near the bottom in pretty much any reliability ranking you can find. Although they're now ahead of Alfa and Land Rover, so they've got that going for them, which is nice

In reply to ea_sport :

I was going to bring both of those up.

The smart money is a C6 Grand Sport with a mild cam. It's a robust package for track work, without the Z06 tax

I own a C6 Z06 that I track and have driven a C7 base, never driven a GT350. I will say the C7 is nicer in terms of interior and features. I believe you can get a Z51 with the PDR which is pretty cool. The LT1 has good power but I love the LS7 so much more. It pulls stronger and is much more raucous than the C7. There is a good aftermarket for both cars and for your price range you will have no problem finding a nice car. There are a ton of low mile, babied cars out there. Having to do the heads on the LS7 sucks but there are a ton of vendors and you can always add more power when replacing them. I say test drive both and see which suits your needs. I think both are great and it just comes down to preferences.

If you have to have a Mustang, the 2011 or so Boss 302 would be better than the GT350.