Do I want a vette or an fbody?
09-21-2004, 11:04 AM
#1
Staging Lane
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Do I want a vette or an fbody? well I dont have a wealth of cash laying around but I do like the corvette over the fbodys, but the problem is the price differences are high.
other then the obvious looks and things whats really different? from what I can gather up from searching is the fbody is about 300lbs heavier, but seems to get better traction from a different rear end setup or something, they have they same hp, a lot of sites like to say the c5 is slower stock in 1/4, but if I had to guess id say a vette would out do a fbody at a course (like autocross)
im not sure which one I should look into more, vettes 20k and under have a lot of miles on them compared to the fbodys, but getting an fbody how I want is a hard thing to find.
so any thing important I should know? id rather get the faster of the two but if the differences arent to great ill probly just end up hunting for an ss/ws6 some more.
other then the obvious looks and things whats really different? from what I can gather up from searching is the fbody is about 300lbs heavier, but seems to get better traction from a different rear end setup or something, they have they same hp, a lot of sites like to say the c5 is slower stock in 1/4, but if I had to guess id say a vette would out do a fbody at a course (like autocross)
im not sure which one I should look into more, vettes 20k and under have a lot of miles on them compared to the fbodys, but getting an fbody how I want is a hard thing to find.
so any thing important I should know? id rather get the faster of the two but if the differences arent to great ill probly just end up hunting for an ss/ws6 some more.
09-21-2004, 12:58 PM
#2
Originally Posted by generalchaos
well I dont have a wealth of cash laying around but I do like the corvette over the fbodys, but the problem is the price differences are high.
Originally Posted by generalchaos
other then the obvious looks and things whats really different? from what I can gather up from searching is the fbody is about 300lbs heavier, but seems to get better traction from a different rear end setup or something, they have they same hp, a lot of sites like to say the c5 is slower stock in 1/4, but if I had to guess id say a vette would out do a fbody at a course (like autocross)
Originally Posted by generalchaos
im not sure which one I should look into more, vettes 20k and under have a lot of miles on them compared to the fbodys, but getting an fbody how I want is a hard thing to find.
Originally Posted by generalchaos
so any thing important I should know? id rather get the faster of the two but if the differences arent to great ill probly just end up hunting for an ss/ws6 some more.
-Todd
09-21-2004, 01:00 PM
#3
TECH Enthusiast
Well there are several things to consider when choosing between a C5 and an F-body. First off the C5 is not slower in the 1/4 mile vs. a comparably modified F-body. I go drag racing with the local F-body group and mod per mod the C5 is generally .2-.4 quicker. The C5's IRS does give it a handling advantage, but soaks up a little more power vs. the solid axle on an F-body. The C5's chassis is much stiffer than the F-bodys. The overall fit and finish is much nicer than the F-body. The C5 brakes are much better than an F-bodys. The C5's weight distribution is almost perfect due to the rear mounted transmission (another handling advantage). Don't get me wrong, I owned a 96 WS6 T/A and the F-cars are great cars, but the C5 is a superior vehicle and worth the price premium. Plus now is a great time to consider a C5 since the C6 debut will cause their price to plummet over the next few years.
09-21-2004, 02:27 PM
#5
I've owned 4 modded F-bodies still have the 98 Z28 and just picked up a 01 Z06.
In my mind I had the ultimate F-body. An SOM WS6 TA on Fikse's with 420rwhp and the drivetrain mods to back it up. I sold it for a vette an almost cried. If I ever find myself missing it, I drive the Z06 and forget about it
If I were starting from a clean slate I would look at my goals for the car. ULTIMATE Street\Race setup on a budget- I'd buy a 95 LT1 car in EXCELLENT shape for 3700-4500. Mod the hell out of it, you could do a budget forged 383 build up with a blower, then the drive train mods and still probably have less than the cost of a C5 into it.
If I was on a REAL budget but wanted a nice mildly modded street car- I'd go with a low mile 2001 TA, you could probably pick one up for about 12000 and put another 3-4k into it for cam\headers\tuning and have a NICE high 11 low 12 second driver on Nittos or better.
If I was on just a budget and the only mods are bolt ons really. I'd look for a 99 Fixed roof coupe C5. They are always six speeds and are a great value. But an intake and some headers and be done with it.
A good budget go with a 02 C5
A Z06 IS WORTH the extra money there are alot of little things so you could be like me and be poor as hell but buy the Z06 anyways and start looking for mods instead of dinner
In my mind I had the ultimate F-body. An SOM WS6 TA on Fikse's with 420rwhp and the drivetrain mods to back it up. I sold it for a vette an almost cried. If I ever find myself missing it, I drive the Z06 and forget about it
If I were starting from a clean slate I would look at my goals for the car. ULTIMATE Street\Race setup on a budget- I'd buy a 95 LT1 car in EXCELLENT shape for 3700-4500. Mod the hell out of it, you could do a budget forged 383 build up with a blower, then the drive train mods and still probably have less than the cost of a C5 into it.
If I was on a REAL budget but wanted a nice mildly modded street car- I'd go with a low mile 2001 TA, you could probably pick one up for about 12000 and put another 3-4k into it for cam\headers\tuning and have a NICE high 11 low 12 second driver on Nittos or better.
If I was on just a budget and the only mods are bolt ons really. I'd look for a 99 Fixed roof coupe C5. They are always six speeds and are a great value. But an intake and some headers and be done with it.
A good budget go with a 02 C5
A Z06 IS WORTH the extra money there are alot of little things so you could be like me and be poor as hell but buy the Z06 anyways and start looking for mods instead of dinner
09-21-2004, 03:04 PM
#6
Staging Lane
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well I know the ss/ws6 arent really much better but its just one of those things I gotta do for looks ect. Im tired of budget racers because it feels like im riding in a **** mobile, I at least want the car to be good, i dont care if its the fastest street racer around (not going to happen anyway) I still want it to be a all around nice car with a nice sound system, decent ride (I can sacrafice this quite a lot though heh) ect ect.
if I wanted real budget street racer I could do up the talon i already have, but its a POS, id much rather have a nice newer fbody or vette.
but im getting confused, got guys saying the vette is a few tenths faster (id guess from the weight but the rear end setup may cancel that out) and I got other guys saying they are a few tenths slower....
but as I look through classifieds i can find 99 ss camaro in black with 6800 miles on it for 19,500...where as I find a c5 for 20k with almost 60k on it, guess im gonna have to go with the fbody.
if I wanted real budget street racer I could do up the talon i already have, but its a POS, id much rather have a nice newer fbody or vette.
but im getting confused, got guys saying the vette is a few tenths faster (id guess from the weight but the rear end setup may cancel that out) and I got other guys saying they are a few tenths slower....
but as I look through classifieds i can find 99 ss camaro in black with 6800 miles on it for 19,500...where as I find a c5 for 20k with almost 60k on it, guess im gonna have to go with the fbody.
09-21-2004, 03:15 PM
#7
From what you just described buy the vette you will have no regrets. I you look you can find a 98-99 with up 60K in excellent shape for 19-22k. Right now is an excellent time to buy.
Stock for stock the Vettes gets out of the hole better and usually runs better times. When you get REALLY quick a modded F-body suspension is nice, but with rear end your looking at least 3K to get that.
A vette is a nicer car it will hold its value WAY better than any f-body. Its a better performing ALL AROUND car. When I was thinking of selling my Ws6 I asked my tuner about it and he said if you have the means a vette is the only way to go. An F-body is a excellent bang for the buck but its not a vette.
BTW even with those miles I wouldn't pay 20K for a 99SS. A 40K 99 SS is worth about 11-13k if you plan on driving it at all do the math you'll loose your *** in 2 years. Vettes are always worth something, even a 76 driver will go for 6-8K
Stock for stock the Vettes gets out of the hole better and usually runs better times. When you get REALLY quick a modded F-body suspension is nice, but with rear end your looking at least 3K to get that.
A vette is a nicer car it will hold its value WAY better than any f-body. Its a better performing ALL AROUND car. When I was thinking of selling my Ws6 I asked my tuner about it and he said if you have the means a vette is the only way to go. An F-body is a excellent bang for the buck but its not a vette.
BTW even with those miles I wouldn't pay 20K for a 99SS. A 40K 99 SS is worth about 11-13k if you plan on driving it at all do the math you'll loose your *** in 2 years. Vettes are always worth something, even a 76 driver will go for 6-8K
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09-21-2004, 08:57 PM
#10
Originally Posted by Snow Dog
dont forget about insurance costs. i agree with everything else that was posted.
hold on a min., my 6mo. insurance on my 98Z28 for full coverage was $640 something and the vette full coverage is around $410 I was amazed that it was cheaper, I dont understand but I'm not about to complain
unless you want/need to haul people in your car get the vette!
09-21-2004, 09:09 PM
#11
Originally Posted by Assassin
hold on a min., my 6mo. insurance on my 98Z28 for full coverage was $640 something and the vette full coverage is around $410 I was amazed that it was cheaper, I dont understand but I'm not about to complain
unless you want/need to haul people in your car get the vette!
unless you want/need to haul people in your car get the vette!
). 50 year old men don't race. That is what you call a simple explanation lol.-Todd
09-22-2004, 12:06 AM
#12
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Originally Posted by 99C5JA
Well there are several things to consider when choosing between a C5 and an F-body. First off the C5 is not slower in the 1/4 mile vs. a comparably modified F-body. I go drag racing with the local F-body group and mod per mod the C5 is generally .2-.4 quicker. The C5's IRS does give it a handling advantage, but soaks up a little more power vs. the solid axle on an F-body. The C5's chassis is much stiffer than the F-bodys. The overall fit and finish is much nicer than the F-body. The C5 brakes are much better than an F-bodys. The C5's weight distribution is almost perfect due to the rear mounted transmission (another handling advantage). Don't get me wrong, I owned a 96 WS6 T/A and the F-cars are great cars, but the C5 is a superior vehicle and worth the price premium. Plus now is a great time to consider a C5 since the C6 debut will cause their price to plummet over the next few years.
You made some very valid points. It seems that some FBody owners get real defensive about comparisons to the C5. *Not anybody on this thread that I have noticed. I, too, owned an FBody; 2002 NHRA SE TransAm, M6. I enjoyed that TA, but have no regrets on the trade-in for the 2001 C5 Coupe, A4 (3.42) I have now.
BTW, in your comparisons you never mentioned the Z06 (FRC 2001 & up). The Z06 (2002 & up) has 405bhp straight from the factory, along with an upgraded suspension. I have not done any suspension mods to my C5, yet when I do all I'll need is 2004 Z06 suspension parts. My C5 handles far superior on curves compared to the TA I had.
I have done all the bolt-ons, Pro LG LT O/R Header system, G5X-3 (114) cam, and Vigilante 2800 TC with LS1 Edit that has my C5 at around 475bhp; 395.2rwhp/373.8rwtq w/OE Heads.
Good luck on your decision.
09-22-2004, 12:13 AM
#13
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Originally Posted by Assassin
hold on a min., my 6mo. insurance on my 98Z28 for full coverage was $640 something and the vette full coverage is around $410 I was amazed that it was cheaper, I dont understand but I'm not about to complain
unless you want/need to haul people in your car get the vette!
unless you want/need to haul people in your car get the vette!
09-22-2004, 05:16 AM
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Originally Posted by NJVetteGuy
Just buy my C5 and not worry about modding for a while 
"'01 Corvette Coupe Auto Best ET 11.63@115.13 1.54 60' through stock manifolds, cats and pre-cats."
No bolt-ons? What tires, brand & sizes? Surely, you had some kind of DRs to get that good of a 60' time? Yea, somebody needs to buy this baby off you for sure. Damn good timeslip #'s.
09-22-2004, 05:52 AM
#16
wow, well i figured insurance would be higher based on the value of the car alone. if not then thats yet another reason to get a vette. just dont do anythign to make your insurance and everyone elses go up.
09-22-2004, 08:05 AM
#17
Staging Lane
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well the insurances are based on things like average drivers, how often they are in accidents, ect. you usually dont see a vette totaled around a phone poll...
but then again im a kid, not a 50 year old man. I know the vette is better all around, and I like it for that, but the odds of me autocrossing is slim. Id really like to take racing classes and things to make my skills better but not sure if I will. And sadly in the end to 90% of people a car is judged by 1/4 only.
And theres no way theres any decent ss/ws6 around me for 11-13k, they are kind of rare so people are going to sell for high, ideally id like a tripple black M6, but doubt id find it (well I did, 02 ws6 with 80k miles for 18k LOL) and its hard for me to justify spending 20-22k on a car with 50-60k miles on it. And if things go my way....which nobody knows if they will, id get kinda heavy into the mods.
Id definately prefer the hardtop vette (limo tinted with some true dual exhaust ), and im not looking to haul people and things, id rather have 2 seats because then im not the taxi (I always am), thats what ill have a truck for, and I just like 2 seaters better, but im not sure with the cost/miles.
I suppose I need to go get some insurance quotes and look up ls1 longevity, and I definately cant afford a z06 so thats out of the question
but then again im a kid, not a 50 year old man. I know the vette is better all around, and I like it for that, but the odds of me autocrossing is slim. Id really like to take racing classes and things to make my skills better but not sure if I will. And sadly in the end to 90% of people a car is judged by 1/4 only.
And theres no way theres any decent ss/ws6 around me for 11-13k, they are kind of rare so people are going to sell for high, ideally id like a tripple black M6, but doubt id find it (well I did, 02 ws6 with 80k miles for 18k LOL) and its hard for me to justify spending 20-22k on a car with 50-60k miles on it. And if things go my way....which nobody knows if they will, id get kinda heavy into the mods.
Id definately prefer the hardtop vette (limo tinted with some true dual exhaust
), and im not looking to haul people and things, id rather have 2 seats because then im not the taxi (I always am), thats what ill have a truck for, and I just like 2 seaters better, but im not sure with the cost/miles.I suppose I need to go get some insurance quotes and look up ls1 longevity, and I definately cant afford a z06 so thats out of the question
09-22-2004, 04:28 PM
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Originally Posted by Cary
Hey NJVetteGuy,
"'01 Corvette Coupe Auto Best ET 11.63@115.13 1.54 60' through stock manifolds, cats and pre-cats."
No bolt-ons? What tires, brand & sizes? Surely, you had some kind of DRs to get that good of a 60' time? Yea, somebody needs to buy this baby off you for sure. Damn good timeslip #'s.
"'01 Corvette Coupe Auto Best ET 11.63@115.13 1.54 60' through stock manifolds, cats and pre-cats."
No bolt-ons? What tires, brand & sizes? Surely, you had some kind of DRs to get that good of a 60' time? Yea, somebody needs to buy this baby off you for sure. Damn good timeslip #'s.
09-22-2004, 04:46 PM
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Originally Posted by 70T/A400
I currently own both and both have their advantages and disadvantages. The WS6 Trans Am looks better and will handle great. The Corvette is a great sports car that has advantages with the lower weight. Both are GM and are import beaters.
