never heard about the T56 having a "built in flaw". The 'vette tranny is just a t56 mounted at the back, why would it be different from any GTO, Fbody, etc?

edit - for the OP, the price trend I see is that for a average mile car, say up to 80k miles, a base c5 should be in the low to mid 'teens. Z06 is high 'teens, low 20s, and LS2 C6s are mid 20s. Add a few grand for dealer sales of course. You might see prices drop a little in the future once the C7 is available. Definite will see a greater selection for used c5/c6 then.

There are no 'ring problems' in the 97 98 model years.

Because of a redesign, the model year 2001 had some issues that GM replaced the rings if there was excessive oil consumption. Not all cars were affected and surely most that were have been fixed by now.

I know, don't call me Shirley.

[QUOTE=onspeed;1582903282]never heard about the T56 having a "built in flaw". The 'vette tranny is just a t56 mounted at the back, why would it be different from any GTO, Fbody, etc?

The transmission itself is fine; it is the clutch hydraulics problem. The rod that is exposed to the environment picks up the "dust" and then when it moves into the housing, the crap is "washed" off with the clutch (brake) fluid. Do a search on clutch peddle sticking, the whys and the fixes, the ranger method, etc.

[QUOTE=mikes1hog;1582903681]Gotcha. Didn't realize you were talking about the clutch. The post made it sound like I needed to change my tranny fluid 2x/year.

Thanks for all your guys input! It helps a lot. And as for price and all that jazz. My max is 23k , no penny more. I wouldn't be doing any upgrades to the car as soon as I get it. I prefer it to be stock or possible throw some wheels and lower it.

Im not very handy with tools but I'm okay when using them. I have a couple of buddies that are very handy and they can give me insight of whats wrong. And of course I got you guys on here!

Im thinking to wait for the C7 to come and check the prices on the C5's and C6's. I went to go test drive the 1997 Corvette 6 speed with 28k miles on it. I have to say, I feel in love with it but had some minor issues with it. On Highway speed, you can hear the whistle wind noise coming from the targa top. And It is VERY, VERY noticeable. It was driving me CRAZYYY!!!

So I came to a conclusion to get a "Fix Roof Coupe" And plus I've always love the hard tops. If I can find a decent C5z or a FRC, Then my life will be complete.

As you guys stated, I should look at the newer years (2000+) And I believe that it seems to be the right choice. I would like to hear more of what you guys think so I can expand my knowledge here on CorvetteForum and help out otheres.

at 23k you can buy a nice c6 coupe. like a 50k mile 2006-2007 car loaded 3LT.

GM is going to be phasing out c5 parts by 2014 and the car will be two generations old. if you plan on keeping this awhile and can spend that much you'll probably like the refined interior, non hissing top and general improvements of the c6. you'll also have an easy time with parts.

c5's are good deals in the 10-15k price range if you find a nice car but by 20k you have a car that's only attracting c5 die hards that really want the low mile example and don't care about the c6.

if you're going to daily drive this thing or keep it awhile there are a LOT of perks to a c6. it will also be an easier car to sell if you change your mind.

come to think of it. i've never heard a c5 top hiss. granted i have never driven a 5 older than 2001 for anything more than a track pass but i don't recall targa hiss

When I was looking for a vette if I came across a c6 at 23k I would have bought it, even a base. A 3lt for 23? Not in this part of the country. Best I found was a 3lt for 30.

I always get a kick out folks saying you can get something great for a couple of dollars. The facts if you find a bargain, the owner is in a fix for money, needs to unload, and probably was not taking care of the vehicle. Remember that bargains come with a separate price tag. Be very careful 'cause you usually get what you pay for. And like I said before, the hunt for the right car and a righteous price is half the fun of owning a Corvette! Tkae your time.

Make that 2002 or newer.

^^^
Please explain why. =]

not at all. i have seen overpriced heaps and underpriced bargains. all depends on the owners and how in tune they are with the current market

x2 all the upgrades came in 01

when were you looking?

dealer is willing to take 20.9k for this one. it's a 1sb z51 manual. 1sb is the same as 3lt in later years. i called on it and was willing to go 19.5 but they are stuck on 20.9 as the line in the sand. personally speaking i'd rather pay a hair more for the improvements in 2006

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/BASE-...t_15557wt_1165

an 07 with no reserve and no bids at 21.5k

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/C6-LS...ht_29298wt_942

another z51 2005 car sold fro 20.3k here

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2005-...#ht_500wt_1182

you start talking 30k and you can get the ultra low mile and or 2008+ stuff. dealer in san fran has a 2008 with 30k miles for 27k and there's even a 2006 z06 with 70k for 31.9k ask here on the forum.

three weeks ago I bought a beautiful 2001 with 78,000 miles that was showroom nice for $17,000!!!

Keep looking!!!!

The discussion of "worth" is always a fun topic for me.

Over the years I've owned lots of cars ( many Vettes)houses and some other stuff and nothing was truly "Worth" what I paid for it.

But you either pay a price that you are comfortable with and enjoy the item OR you sit in the corner and count your money.

IMO....Enjoy.Don't Sit & Count!

\db2
Carolina

:iagree: I keep telling my buddies when they salivate on my Street Glide and C5 vert and they tell me that I'm much richer than them to open up their stinkin' wallets and let the moths fly free and spend some of those moldy bucks.

I am trying to get 18K for my 2001 coupe. 1 owner,garaged,ec, no mods, M6 pm me :thumbs:

I believe whoever mentioned rings earlier was referring to the separator rings in the transmission. These were later updated to allow for the use of synthetic transmission oil.

As far as the price, what would really scare me is the fact that high mileage 97s sell for considerably under 10k these days. That means each mile you add is costing you a lot more than any other car.

In 2002 you are sure to be out of the oil burning thing. They say it was fixed in 2001, but some still experienced it.

I'd actually stick to 2003/2004 only, if it wasn't for the fact that I love the pewter color, which was stopped in 2002!

By 2003/2004 all the bugs that were going to be fixed, were fixed. And a 2003/2004 can had for pretty much what you will pay for an earlier model year.

wasn't that just the ls6 in 2001? gm decided to use low tension race rings. even those weren't that bad burning a quart per change on average. never gunked up plugs or exhaust valves

GM's bulletin statement said it was only the LS6, but if you read through the many forums there are many, many instances of the same problem with LS1 convertibles and coupes. The problem only seemed to show up during certain driving conditions/rev ranges, and these conditions seemed to be the most easily replicated with manual transmissions. The problem was found to be a piston ring "anomaly" and changes were made for 2002, and the "problem" went away. It was not a problem for all, some people had high oil consumption, others didn't......a lot of it depended on how the car was driven and if it was held at rpms over 3,500 for periods of time.

It may not be a deal breaker when looking for a used C5, but why go there. There are thousands of C5s to choose from, and the later model years have all the bugs fixed, came with many options as standard and can be bought for prices only mildly above earlier years. There's nothing wrong in buying an earlier year C5, there are many beautiful examples out there, but taking the later model year is just a smarter decision.