autolover

I am really confused on which one to get! I am going to use it as a daily driver, but I do not drive many miles each day. I would only get a six speed. The dealer has good discounts on coupes and verts, but only a very small discount on the ZO6. I love power, but I also like the top down about 1/2 the year. Is there a very obvious difference in power? I do not race, but of course I pick my moments to fly. If there is a huge difference in performance, I would probably get the ZO6, but if the power difference is not great, I would probably get the Vert! Help!!!!!!!!!!!! :confused:

EdwardETraylorIII

Autolover,

Not long ago I was in your shoes!

THey are both great cars.

Yes, there is a considerable <noticeable> power difference!

I opted for the convertable and mods (just go buy a set of heads/cam) and you can have more power than a Z06 and the top down!

I've never thought twice about my decision! Go for what you want! :D

LT1GMC

Just go drive a Z06, you will not have any confusion about which one to get then! Besides, there are good discounts on Z06's now.

Lawdogg

Acceleration numbers are quite different. Check out the 0 to 150 mph times. If you will track the car at all, get the Z06. If not, get what you like. :chevy

mozin

You are asking this question in the Z06 section so do not expect to get a good C5 owner sampling. :confused:

If you buy the Z06 you can never put the top down.

If you buy the coupe you can take the top off but not on a trip where you are carrying luggage. Besides, the wind is more of a problem in the coupe with the top off than the convertible with the entire top down. :(

Buy the convertible to have it all. If you need more power you can always buy more. :rolleyes: For me the added power in the Z06 is not worth the trade-offs.

JMHO

Tom

Mover

To me there is a noticable performance and handling difference. Also, I am not a top-down guy anyway. For me it was a no-brainer. But you can't go wrong no matter what you pick :seeya

Dean McManis

The Z06 is a really cool car, but the one thing it lacks (along with the ZR-1) is a convertible version.
It's understandable that people who don't care about convertibles, and prefer the extra light weight and structural body strength would prefer the Z06.
But personally I've always preferred convertibles, so I'd get a C5 vert and mod it.

-Dean.

kewlbrz

The Z06 is a wonderful car from the factory, but

Money no issue, getting the ragtop and modding it is the way to go.

Or get a Z06 and send it to carvaggio for a convertible conversion.

It doesnt take much to go beyond the Z06 in performance in every way.

The convertible is much closer to the Z06 in weight than the coupe is. Remember the C5 was built from the ground up to be a ragtop.

Get swaybars (T1 etc...) and shocks etc, upgrade your tires, do heads and cam, and you will dominate a stock Z06 at the track.

Take a look at SW's white 99 hardtop FRC. He has heads and cam and a little suspension work. At he is beating the best setups in autocross by 5 seconds.


[Modified by kewlbrz, 10:52 PM 8/5/2001]

Guest

I agree with mozin, I would get the Vert then mod...My 2000 coupe was plenty fast, with just lite mod's..

autolover

Thanks for all the advice! I think will go with the vert and mod it. Can anyone give me specific mods which will not void the warranty? Try to give me specific brands to use, since I am still a novice.

kewlbrz

Your entire warranty cant legally be voided. However the parts you replace and anything they can directly effect can be.

For example adding headers is normally not an issue.

Without taking the valve covers off, and without going with nitrous you should expect to get up to around 340 - 345 rwhp. That would mean cold air system, headers etc.

You could add a cam after doing all your typical bolt ons and be at 360 - 390 rwhp.

Add stage II heads and you would be in the 400 - 430 rwhp range.

Check with all the major players. MTI, ARE etc...

They will typically offer warranties on the work they perform, to pick up where your GM warranty wouldnt.


[Modified by kewlbrz, 10:51 PM 8/5/2001]

Jeff Kirk

One thing you may want to consider is if you're into the autocrosses, drags, etc. I had a convertible and loved it, but I was stuck trying to find a decent rollbar to make it NHRA acceptable. They're out there, I just wanted to make sure I could find something that wouldn't take away the convertible's sweet lines.

food for thought.

Corvette SSX

The tradeoff here is that if you get a vert and modify it to Z06 performance, you'll have a hard time finding a place to legally use it's power. NHRA drag strips and most road courses won't let you compete without a roll bar/cage. To me the choice is the Z06 if you're looking for performance.

I find it intersting that there are so many vert owners hanging out in the Z06 section.

autolover

I see cold air intake can increase hp to around 20hp. Adding headers, such as corsa would add about how much hp?? I also see x-pipes by Bassani or Corsa, and they add about 4-6 hp. Do headers or X-pipes affect the exhaust sound as well as increase hp? I see that "west coast corvette" offers a package for $739 and supossedly increases hp up to 35hp. This kit includes Vortex ram air,WCC power duct,1000cfm mass air sensor,178" thermostat,coolant by-pass kit,Hypertech power programmer III, and fuel pressure regulator. What is all this???? Will this affect the Warranty? It seem like a good price for 35 hp increase!!!! :confused:

kewlbrz

Mabey because its a C5, and all corvettes are cool?


[Modified by kewlbrz, 10:53 PM 8/5/2001]

Roy Romano

I am in somewhat the same shoes as you. I have had my eyes on the C5s for a while now and am getting closer to making a purchase.

I am defintely a performance nut, but I am not so much in it for the straight line performance as I am pushing the car toward its limits through the twisties.

I had really been seriously considering the convertible, because I love driving any convertible and the rag top C5s are really good looking. I was asking myself, "Can I live without the added performance of the Z06?" I think I was starting to lean toward the convertible, until last weekend.....

Last weekend I swapped my Audi with a friend who has a convertible Mustang GT. I used to own a hatchback GT ('88), so it brought back some memories. His GT was in really nice shape, and after about 30 minutes behind the wheel I started to "feel" comfortable with it, almost like an old hat. Anyway, I used to really drive my 'stang, and was comfortable dialing my way through turns with a little oversteer and the throttle. But for some reason, I just couldn't get that same level of comfort driving this convertible through the corners. I guess the lack of a top made me a little uncomfortable... I just didn't feel safe.... It may be just because my Audi is faster and handles much better, so I am used to that, but I think if I had my own old GT I would have been more comfortable.

I still want a convertible, but I think I am leaning toward the Z06, because I know I will be more comfortable driving it the way it was meant to be driven, and there won't be the obstacles in taking it to track events.

-RR

C5TECH

Different cars! IMO, Vert. is a timeless classic. Just no way to compare to open air. Get a Vert. with Z51, lower car, add a few mods and at WOT you will be happy with the wind blowing. Z06 is a brute and fast but...

egregious

We vert owners are here because we love ALL vettes, not just the models we happen to own...

Whatever you do, don't make a decision based on driving a Mustang GT conv. I had a '99 GT Vert for about 6 months. It's not even apples and oranges. It's like apples and...slugs. The C5 was built from scratch to be a roadster. As such, it's characteristics are nothing like any other typical convertible.

I would LOVE to have a Z06, but am not willing to give up my top-down driving! Maybe, one day, Chevy will give us the ability to have our cake and eat it too....a Z06 Convertible!!! In the meantime, buy a vert and start modding!

Dean McManis

ZR-1s and Z06s represent the top of the Corvette food chain, so it's fun to read info about them here.

I'll second the remark that the Mustang is a poor example to judge Corvette convertibles by.
I have a '92 Mustang 5.0 convertible, and it is a great car, seating 4 comfortably, and it's peppy and handles fairly well.

But my Vette convertible is a different animal with a much more balanced performance capability in a straight line and in the curves.
You can drive it quite a bit faster without extra effort, and it feels much more solid and capable, and the C5s are even better in this regard.

If having no roof on the car feels more vulnerable, or if you are going to be regularly racing the car, a hard top makes more sense.
And with a ZR-1 and Z06 this is the only option.

I'd get the C5 convertible and mod it, but I just love convertibles.

-Dean.



[Modified by Dean McManis, 4:07 PM 8/8/2001]

jay1970

Z06 is far better ride than convertible. I used to have convertible, I had few minor problems with that like leaking roof, rattle noise. New Z06 is fine so far.


[Modified by jay1970, 5:18 PM 8/8/2001]