Are Corvettes Reliable?
 

OK, I'll admit it...I'm completely ignorant about Corvettes. The world of Top Gear has corrupted my mind and I see them as American plastic.

HOWEVER, I'm willing to let that go and open my mind. I've come around to thinking about what car I want next, my Boxster will stay another couple of years (hopefully :)) and then it's time for something new. Two cars I've wanted to really see are the Lotus Elise and the Corvette, say 2000-2005 yearish. Since I've seen amazing handling already, I think it's time for some amazing grunt.

Is anyone here a Corvette owner or has been in the past? How was your experience? Pros/cons? Same goes for Elises.

The C5 version is extemely reliable in my experience. I have owned 4 all told.

Be sure to shop carefully and get the car inspected from the bottom up. Because they are so fast, one can find serious abuse if not careful.

Reliability is relative, but C5 or C6 are reliable cars and pretty cheap to fix when they do break. Before the C5 it's a bit more of a crapshoot. A lot of car for the money though, that's for sure.

C5+ are very very reliable cars. I've spent a lot of time on Corvette forums.

If you don't mind plastic were there should be leather,then you'd love them!

They are so darn easy to tune-up and upgrade new generation parts onto older models. New C6 Zo6 shocks & springs can be put on a c5 chassis for $1.1k installed.... :p

C5 Z06's are really great cars and affordable. (Cost vs. Power vs. Reliability)

One of the local mechanics is running a C5 Z06 with a stroker kit and the things sounds ferocious!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwOtyJnyVws&feature=related

Personally, I'm still holding out a few more years for a 997 Turbo.

A good buddy trades in high line used cars. He's brought over several C5's and C6's for me to drive. Compared to the 987, they seem really big and heavy. I'd kill for the grunt in my Boxster, but I can't see myself enjoying the Vette the way I do my Box.
Personal Opinion.
I do know I would sleep waayyyyyy better at night owning a C5 or 6 out of warranty..................

Parts from NAPA for your sports car...that is a new concept!

The corvettes have done an amazing job of transforming themselves from an American street car to a real Le Mans competitor. They may be heavy but man they have torque for days and I love the sound of them as they turn laps on a road course.

C5 Z06 is an awesome value and reliable as well. A regular C5 is still very very good. They feel like a much bigger car than the Boxster and the steering doesn't have the best feedback, but ultimately they are quicker everywhere once you get familiar with them. C5's have some minor glitches in the reliability dept, but they are solid on the things that really matter.

Put it this way, if it was not a Corvette then I would drive one in a heartbeat, oops that was kind of fruedian.

Having owned 3 Vetts, in the last 17 years I can say ,yes thay are very reliable and easy to work on.

Parts are cheep to buy and easy to get.

I bought my 99 box,when i went to go see a 99 convert, vett,the price on the box.was to good to pass up.I got the box, for $9.400.00 out the door,tax,title,and plates. car had only 50k miles on it and had the 60k mlie service done on it.

I have no problems w/my box. having owned it for almost a year now.it will be a year this April.My only fear I have w/the box. is the IMS,I new about this before I got the car and did my homework on it.

As for the Lotus,I just bought one on Copart in Cal.and it should be here today or tuesday this week it is a 2006 yellow Elise w/8,000 miles on it.

All three cars are great,it is a matter of personal tast,I got my box. because i always wanted to own a Porsche and I am happy w/the car now I am going to own My first Lotus.

Had a 1963 Stingray Convertible, 300hp, 4speed, rear wheel drive of course. This was the American Boxster until some body decided to turn it into a none sports car. Yep, I also had a 1968. They became 2 seater road cars after 1967. Bye bye American Pie. :cheers:

I currently have a 2007 Corvette. This is my 10th Vette and so far they have all been pretty reliable. I agree get it checked out 1st since most are driven hard. Vette lots of straight line speed but nothing beats the handling of my Boxster. Two completely different animals in my opinion. I love each for different reasons.

Sure they're reliable...

Have owned one, the wife has had 3
 

the newer cars are much better than the C3 C4 versions. I'd like to get a C5 Z06 for track days. The C5/C6 is dimensionally closer to the 911 platform than the older versions, but they still feel big.

Crate motors--LS6 (C5 Z06), LS3 (C6) and LS7 (C6 Z06) run roughly $6K for the LS6 and LS3, $13K for the LS7. Rotors are $50 from NAPA.

Our 2.5/2.7L crate motors runs -what--$15K?

Massa:
What happened to that Z?

Guess he had Brakes R Us do his brake job. :cheers:

My neighbor ordered a new Grand Sport and I had thought about purchasing his 2005, but after I drove a 2007 at a local dealer, I decided that I would rather buy another Porsche. The 2007 felt like a cheap rental car. Tons of cheap plastic, uncomfortable seats and so-so handling.

I then drove a 2006 Carrera S and it was a beautiful experience. The sun shined, birds sang, and I knew that there was still good in the world. I really like the look of the new Vettes, but that's about as far as I go with it. The interiors are full of cheap plastic and it felt like a rental car. (I know, I already said that) I've owned some 60's and early 70's Vettes and really enjoyed them, but not as much as a Porsche.

Now my opinion may change when my neighbor brings home his new red Grand Sport, but I'm not counting on it. Maybe I need to drive a ZO6 before I completely write Vettes off.....

I think the original question is are the corvettes reliable?

They are...from 1954 to 1967. No electronics or any other modern devices that cost a bundle to repair. A true American sports car then. :cheers:

lol =)

My 02 C5 was perfectly reliable. I owned it for two years and never did anything but oil changes. My first DE event at VIR was in the C5 and it was a blast.

It was much faster than my Boxster S and the low end torque was simply wonderful. I really liked that car, but I love my Boxster S. You get so much more feedback from the Boxster. All and all, the Vette and the Boxster are both wonderful machines; however, they are completely different experiences.

I would not rule out owning another Vette. It was a very positive experience.

My uncle had a 69 with both tops, factory mags and a four on the floor. The mako body looked cool but the car itself was a very fast rumblebox.

American Pride
 

No one builds a V8 like Chevrolet. The LS motors are bullet proof and crank out tons of power with just a few small mods.

The new LS9 with Eaton TVS Supercharger is going to be balistic!!!!

A lot a car for the money!!

Nice! I used to be think the same thing, growing up my dad had a lot of chevy's including an SS 396. I do have to tell you though, much to my surprise the 5.0 in my Mountaineer has not only been a fantastic motor, it's a rocket. Call me crazy but even with all the truck weight, in 4WD I'm 100% sure I could smoke my Boxster out of the hole with it.

Yeh baby, you could feel the road then. Going 60 felt like a 160. I've built rat rods that you never put foot down...no floor board, all rusted away. It sure was fun back in the 60's. No insurance needed, the cops always wanted to race you. They like showing off their Dodge's with 440's under the hood. Different time and mentality. :cheers:

and how... in so many ways, the people of the current day will never know life without cameras all over the public spaces, being able to smoke and drink, boarding a plane with a friendly hello instead of with half your wardrobe in hand and a courtesy x-ray scan....

I had several C1s and C2s. There were great looking cars, loads of fun. I remember changing a clutch in my driveway on my 63. Tooks us a couple of hours if I remember correctly. My brother did most of the work, I handed him the tools.

:D

the wifey always liked corvettes, but i converted her to porsches. But she likes the power of the cars and i think she drives faster tahn me.

Back in the day, I had a '63 Split Window which I sold within 6 mos (Who knew..??).

I liked the car, but I didn't love the car.

But I really like the C6 and think it belongs in any discussions of the 'best' sports cars available. It is a very good value, especially a year or two old.

Cheers!

Mullikins Corvettes
 

Check out this site. They constantly update. You have David Mulllikin Jr and David Mullikin Sr. This is Juniors site. http://www.mullikinscorvette.com/
Junior is more into the retro-mods and sr more stock. David Sr. has been working on vettes for over 45 years. Most of Seniors work is concorse restorations. Last time I was over their which has been a couple years he was finishing up with two 67 427 big blocks. 435hp 3 deuces. All original matching numbers. They looked like they rolled off the factory line.

Hey guys, I've been busy so I haven't been able to get back to you.

It seems like the consensus is that C5's are pretty reliable. I am looking at C5 Z06's around the state for 25k ish. Seems fair to say they will drop a bit by the time I am gonna sell my Boxster (maybe a good 2 years).

I love my Boxster, but I feel like instead of buying another agile handler, I should try something completely different. I feel like the Corvette is the answer to that, extremely powerful and much simpler (a simple V8 in the front, no mid-engined stuff to worry about).

I suppose I will have to drive one myself and see how it is, but I'm thinking about ride quality (I hear its appalling), MPG, and cheapness as well. I have driven some more recent Chevy's (Cobalt, Malibu, HHR's) from rental agencies and have found it cheap, but not unbearable.

I hear the newer C5 and C6 Corvettes are pretty decent cars, I haven't driven one yet though.
Couple years ago I test drove a 1994 vette and it was awful. Ride quality was atrocious, car felt underpowered, and every bump and road strip caused shudders to come through the cabin. Lots of wind noise and squeaks in the coachwork. Maybe the car I drove was beat up by the previous owner.

@ Lord,

Dude look around the only way you should be paying near 25k for a c5 Zo6 is if it's in pristine,showroom condition.

Here is one for ya!!
 

http://www.playwithcars.com/web/1406/vehicle/431861/1963-Chevrolet-Corvette-V7%20twin%20turbo

This place is just a couple of miles from my office. jay Leno has called a couple times showing interest in the car. This guy has several corvettes.

HUGE fan of small block Chevy's here. Had many, all of which were 100% reliable. I'd definitely own another if I lived in AZ like yourself; all those open highways and freeways are perfect for a Vette. I bet the Boxster feels quite a bit underpowered out there....

Why pass judgment on a car you haven't driven? Take a Z06 for a spin and decide for yourself. That's what I did. Ride quality was just fine. The torque/power is intoxicating. Owners report getting 30 mpg on the highway. Blinkwatt is correct, nice C5Z's can be had for closer to $20k. If you don't climb out of the car after a test drive with a big smile on your face, then either you didn't drive it right or you should shop for a Buick. :) Based on your original statements, I predict a Corvette will be on your short list. It's on mine.

I test drove a 'Vette, along with many other cars when I was shopping last year, you're right about the power, I miss driving a V8 powered car! The main reason I bought a Boxster instead, is the Vette felt much bigger, and I didn't like the shifter at all, very stiff self-centering spring action. I did like the heads-up display though.

A C5 Z06 Vette is definitely within my top 3 car list for the next purchase. But that date like I said could be a couple of years away. Yeah, the main reason I want the vette is because of the power, all the roads here are completely straight and have very little elevation change. This makes the Boxster feel a bit underpowered and boring, as it takes quite a bit of G force to get the Boxster to come alive. I did love driving it up the mountains though, that was definitely worth all the money I've spent repairing the dang thing :P.

It's going to feel like a brute compared to the Boxster and the performance price comprise is phenomenal. I doubt I'll ever get anything more powerful than the Boxster and that's OK, I feel privileged to own it.

I'd like to drive (not own) a Ferrari and a 911 GT3 just once before I check out, I can't see that happenin either though...

When I was shopping for a sport car almost two years ago, I was all over the map before I stumbled into my current 2001S. On my birthday I test drove a 993 and a vette on the same day one same course. The Porsche was first and I was amazed by the handling and speed.

Then I drove the vette...wow...power band quite different...when I punched it at 30 mph I lost traction even with traction control. Made the porsche seem like a small toy,,,The engine is bullet proof...I may still get one some day... Bob

Have owned two Vett's and one Porsche
 

2005 yearish. Since I've seen amazing handling already, I think it's time for some amazing grunt.

Is anyone here a Corvette owner or has been in the past? How was your experience? Pros/cons? Same goes for Elises.[/QUOTE]


Previously owned a C4 and a 2000 C5 Corvette. Currently a 2002 Boxer S. The C4 was not that great in my opinion. I called it my slip and slide. It was fun as I think all Corvettes are fun. My C5 was pretty bullet proof only issue I had was a minor AC issue with the control that directed the flow to the cabin. It somehow was blowing hot air on the passenger side. Six speed trans, very fast, but did not handle nearly as well as the Boxer S, or perhaps better said I could not drive it as well perhaps. This is my first Porsche and I call it my starter Porsche and plan on another probably this year. Great find, 27k on it when I bought it about 34K now. Daily driver with the Tip trans and while I was not looking for that at first this one was too good of a deal to turn down and I will get another Tip or the PDK if I find a decent deal on a 09. I really like the fact you can just drive it in auto and when you want to play the tranny is very responsive. First gear starts are a hoot, probably quicker out of the shute than a Vett for the first 100+ feet or so anyway.
Very different cars and I enjoyed the C5 a lot.. great on trips, fast, great ride ( I did replace the stock shocks with Edlebrooks however which really reduced the plastic rattle in the cabin especially when I ran over those damn road botts) and I thought it was a comfortable car to take on trips. The Boxer is obviously a lot tighter in the cabin but the seats keep you planted and long trips don't present a problem.. just no space for much of anything in the cabin area.
Not saying I will never own a Vett again now that I have discovered Porsche but when I replace this one it will be with another. Probably the Cayman S as I rarely seem to take the top down.. however it is nice on warm Las Vegas evenings. I think you will miss your Boxer if you sell it for a Vett, at first anyway.. but once you get used to your Vett it will grow on you also.. Both are fun cars, Boxer/Porsche repair issues worry me some...more probably due to reading some horror stories on this forum. Like any other forum however there a lot more owners out there who are not even aware of forums.
Good luck on your decision.. don't think you can go wrong with either.
Hal@Ricor