Corvette Performance - Z06 worth it?

I'm thinking about buying a C5 vette. I want to put long tube headers and a SC from A&A corvette. Would it be worth the money to buy a Z06 or just a regular C5 since I'll be putting mods on anyway?
Thanks
Jerrad

Z06 is worth it.

Z06...is always gonna be the best bang for the buck.

If your on more of a budget,....find yourself a 99 to 00 fixed roof corvette. Same body style as the Z06...six speed only....light.....minus the shocks...LS6 pieces....shorter gears in the trans(1-3)...exhaust....etc etc.

Z06's nowAdays are well worth it, and easy to find.

Too many options , you don't get with the ZO6 or FRC, FRC was a loss leader model that sold for a msrp under $40,000. The ZO6 was a hot motored version of the same car. No sport seats, serious loss of aerodynamics with the cutoff roofline. why pay a 5k premium for a ZO6, as even a small cammed coupe will out perform it.The fastest C5s are coupes with A-4s, with SC,turbos or nitrous.Don't believe me click on sponsor TEA and check out Brian Tooleys white coupe.Nine second car and he left the A/C and stereo in it.

Get the Z06 you won't regret it, Better heads, cam, exhaust, trans, rear end etc etc.

Too many options , you don't get with the ZO6 or FRC, FRC was a loss leader model that sold for a msrp under $40,000. The ZO6 was a hot motored version of the same car. No sport seats, serious loss of aerodynamics with the cutoff roofline. why pay a 5k premium for a ZO6, as even a small cammed coupe will out perform it.The fastest C5s are coupes with A-4s, with SC,turbos or nitrous.Don't believe me click on sponsor TEA and check out Brian Tooleys white coupe.Nine second car and he left the A/C and stereo in it.
Sorry but I think this is irrelevant. Most people aren't going to make they're car run 9s. And if you're just going to drive it around and enjoy it and occasionally race it. The z06 is a great car. Run 11s stock with some DRs and seat time. An A4 Coupe is going to be lucky to get in the 12s stock on DRs. There are basically stock Z06s with nitrous dry shots running 10s on DRs. If you're going to make a car run 9s you'll have to rebuild the trans anyway, no reason you couldn't throw in an auto if thats your intention. Z06 will still be lighter then any other bodystyle. LPE has a TT FRC that runs 9.50s with a 6-speed. No reason you can't make a 6 speed run good times its just harder on the rear end with slicks. If you're looking for a 9 second car an FBody is a much cheaper way to go.
Get the Z06 and enjoy it, its fast, quiet, handles and looks great. STOCK :D

The original poster said he was going to mod it, I stand by my post, the money saved by going the C5 coupe route will easily make it faster than the ZO6, if he was going to leave it stock, then of course buy the ZO6

I'm thinking about buying a C5 vette. I want to put long tube headers and a SC from A&A corvette. Would it be worth the money to buy a Z06 or just a regular C5 since I'll be putting mods on anyway?
Thanks
Jerrad

If you buy the Z06 would you mod it also?
If you will be modding both cars (identical mods) and are looking for maximum performance the Z06 is the better choice. If you are looking for some of the comforts described in one of the other posts buy the base coupe.
As for the aerodynamical inefficiency of the Z06 -- the Z06 is in fact less aerodynamic than the coupe but will still bang off a raised 7000 rpm rev limiter in 5th gear without a single engine modification so I seriously doubt the small aerodynamic disparity will ever be an issue. :drive:

The Z06 will still be faster mod for mod, the LS6 heads will make more power than LS1 heads if you go cam only, the Ti Catback will save you some cash if you get a header/xpipe system, I seriously doubt the .32 Drag Coef versus .30 is really going to make a difference if you're not a landspeed racer.

But yeah six speeds are slow, especially this one :
http://www.lingenfelter.com/img/press/Kordis6spdtt.mpeg

Go with the regular C5 if you're gonna be modding, because of the difference in insurance rates.

If your going to supercharge? I'd say go for the coupe or the 2000 C5 FRC (or 1999)

I'd recommend finding a car with active handling just as a safe guard. IMO

Good luck.

Get the Z06 if you want the ultimate road racer...as I believe it is superior. Just if your modding anyway...WTF..

Have fun.

Always buy the newest car in the best condition you can afford. With that said if you were to give us a budget number then we could better answer your question. Do you plan to do any road courses or just 1/4mi? These questions need to be answered in order for you to be happy with your purchase. I think Lost's comments are off base. With that thinking buy a Mustang and mod it. Anything can be made to run faster. The base C5 is a great car. The C5Z is even greater.

c5 z51 package will get you closer to zo6 handling for Ive see 97 98 in the mid teens, headers cat back intake cold air, custom program and your putting down more RWHP than a zo6, I put down 356 hp 367 tq where I dynoed they said that stock zo6 would put down around 345, zo6 100lb lighter and better gearing in tranny with m12 but you loose storage, stereo sound with FRC and cant go topless on those hot summer days.

Ive seen several stock z06s put down 360+rwhp. 345 is a weak z06 or a 2001. Hell my 2000 Coupe with just a k&n drop in put down 320rwhp sae.

A lot of people seem to think the Z is just a FRC with the LS6 in it. First off this is wrong. Second, the upgrades that the LS6 has over the LS1 is extreme. Like the LT4 over the LT1. Both are great motors but one is better. Try this thought out, ask yourself why the SCCA T1 division is dominated by the C5Z? Not the C5, not the C6 Z51 but the C5 Z06. Dollar for dollar it is the best bang for buck car on the market still. I have been lucky to own previous Corvettes including a ZR1 before this. Nothing compares to this one (except for the new C6 Z). And I like nothing better than lapping Porsches at the track with a cheaper car. Can you make a base C5 better? Yes, but for less money you could start off with a better platform. There are some real good deals out there in the mid to high $20k's. I would rather do that than to spend $17k on a 97-98 coupe and spend $10k more to get even with the Z's all around performance.

"If you buy the Z06 would you mod it also?"
Yes. I basically want a low 11second car that can be drivin almost daily.

"With that said if you were to give us a budget number then we could better answer your question. Do you plan to do any road courses or just 1/4mi?" I have know idea on a budget yet.(still have some school left in me before I get to spend some money) I would only worry about 1/4 mile.
Thanks for all the replies guys.

I'm thinking about buying a C5 vette. I want to put long tube headers and a SC from A&A corvette. Would it be worth the money to buy a Z06 or just a regular C5 since I'll be putting mods on anyway?
Thanks
Jerrad
Although I genuinly prefer the look of the regular C5 fastback.

i would say go for the Z06, because you know it has all the go faster options on it.

A regular C5 may or may nothave the z51 package and other options. And it gets a real pain trying to find out from the seller, because often they just don't.

Actually the best way to go...since you know you want a supercharged car..?

Go over to www.corvetteforum.com for sale section and just make offers on corvette C5's with superchargers...

Basically you get a supercharged car for the price of a nice clean C5 (without a supercharger or very few dollars extra)

With the C6 Z06 out? The guys who had to have a high power supercharged Corvette are selling their babied and modified S/C Corvettes to buy the new C6 Zo6's...

This would be my suggestion on what to buy..(it doesn't really matter if its a C5 coupe...or C5 Z06...as long as its modified and well cared for)

You can do a search on the owner in the forum to see if he had any isssues during ownership and how he cared for the car.

Thats what I would do anyway.

Good luck..

Actually the best way to go...since you know you want a supercharged car..?

Go over to www.corvetteforum.com for sale section and just make offers on corvette C5's with superchargers...

Basically you get a supercharged car for the price of a nice clean C5 (without a supercharger or very few dollars extra)

With the C6 Z06 out? The guys who had to have a high power supercharged Corvette are selling their babied and modified S/C Corvettes to buy the new C6 Zo6's...

This would be my suggestion on what to buy..(it doesn't really matter if its a C5 coupe...or C5 Z06...as long as its modified and well cared for)

You can do a search on the owner in the forum to see if he had any isssues during ownership and how he cared for the car.

Thats what I would do anyway.

Good luck..


LOL. I like that. "babied and modified"

Just like my car. :)

Haha like the z06 for sale, 'World's fastest z06' 'Never raced or driven in the rain' :)
He was joking or course.

Haha like the z06 for sale, 'World's fastest z06' 'Never raced or driven in the rain' :)
He was joking or course.




:devil:

Well, since your main goal is 1/4mi then get a base C5 or one already modified as stated. The rest of the package that a Z has would not be of any true use to you. Post up which way you go.

Thanks again guy's for the replies. I might go and check out the forsale section like JBsZ06 said. Thanks
Jerrad

This same question could have been asked back in the day...

Should I buy the RS/SS Camaro or just the regular 350? Which would have be been the better buy?

This same question could have been asked back in the day...

Should I buy the RS/SS Camaro or just the regular 350? Which would have be been the better buy?


Excellent point :cheers: DOCT

All depends on what you want.
After driving both cars the decision was clear to me.

If all you're planning to do is 1/4 mile racing, then the Z06 would be a waste. These are built for road racing. If I were you and was set on owning a Vette, I'd start with a base FRC (more rigid, less weight than the coupe). Just make sure to strengthen the output shafts before adding too much HP. The ~$10K you'd save on an FRC over the Z06 could be cam, heads, headers and hardened output shafts (400+ RWHP).

If all you're planning to do is 1/4 mile racing, then the Z06 would be a waste. These are built for road racing. If I were you and was set on owning a Vette, I'd start with a base FRC (more rigid, less weight than the coupe). Just make sure to strengthen the output shafts before adding too much HP. The ~$10K you'd save on an FRC over the Z06 could be cam, heads, headers and hardened output shafts (400+ RWHP).

I understand the logic, but following that logic, if all you're doing is 1/4 mile, the FRC is a waste of money too. Better to save another 10K and get an '00 Z28 to mod. Put the extra money into a forged engine and 12 bolt...

I still say a Z06 is a better buy than an FRC, but that's just my opinion... No insult meant to FRC or coupe owners. If I couldn't have a Z06, either of those would be my second option. I've already got a Z28. :eek2: