LSWON_WS6

alright guys...considering a FRC is cheaper than a z06 wouldnt it be easier to go and buy a FRC over a Z06? im not sure but i believe they are the same weight and the money you save couldnt you go and upgrade the cam and buy bolt--ons and make the same hp number if not MORE than the Z06-........considering.......in some cases Z06 owners go and do a cam upgrade over time anywase; so could it be 'possibly' true thay maybe purchasing a FRC could actually save you???


let me know what you think

99FRC

iTrader: (5)

Technically the answer is "yes", but there were some suspension upgrades that went along with the engine upgrades (stiffer springs, larger sway bars). The major difference between the LS6 and the LS1 were the heads, so if you're doing a heads/cam swap regardless of which model you buy, then you'll really not miss the LS6. If you then swap out the sway bars, you have roughly the same handling and you definitely will save some money. They're both special cars, so you really can't go wrong either way.

Red99TA

iTrader: (11)

Technically if you're just going to swap heads/cam anyways then a regular C5 will outperform a Z06 too. If that 100 pounds of weight is that important and you like the FRC/Z06 body lines then just get a FRC. One thing I don't know is whether or not the FRC came with the same tranny as the Z06. I LOVE this transmission over the T56 in the regular vettes/f-bods.

N4cer

iTrader: (11)

True. The Z06 had a different 1 and 2 ratio.

DTZ06

iTrader: (1)

Actually every gear but 4th is different:



Plus it's stronger. That being said, I think if you're looking for the lightest and stiffest platform to start building on, the FRCs are a fantastic starting point. If you're doing a H/C setup, the engine performance [of a Z06] is now exceeded. Maybe do a DTE 3:73 to make up the gearing and strength.

The suspension is a pretty simple equation too (and you can find Z06 takeoff parts for pretty cheap - recently say springs/shocks/sways/endlinks for like $700, low mileage). Though with the money saved you could do something really killer like a Pfadt coilover setup with their adjustable swaybars.

Out of the box and with simple bolt-ons the Z06 is a killer package, but the more you mod, the less the OEM parts will make a difference. I guess it comes down to the price delta - I would assume a 99 hardtop you could get for a real steal.

pastvertical

iTrader: (1)

if you go frc, more money to dump into modifications .... and you will want to modify..
its gear head nature..

Red99TA

iTrader: (11)

I knew all but 4th were shorter but I didn't realize reverse was shorter too...I guess that's so we can back into the waterbox faster than everyone else

prochargedchevyi

iTrader: (9)

I just picked up a 99' FRC within the last few weeks and I had to make this same mental comparison before my purchase.

Here's how I weighed it:

Depending on what year and color FRC you get, you have to consider the sheer rarity of these cars. Just knowing that there are only 6031 of these cars made is pretty cool, in my opinion. Also, when you start educating people on how these cars were the prototype bodystyle for the Z06, it seems to raise a lot of eyebrows.

Personally, splurging on a real Z06 would have been a waste for me. Since I'm going to dive into the engine anyways, I saved a bunch of money on the initial purchase and took the difference to buy parts. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to own a bonefide Z06, but considering I don't AutoX, the additional suspension mods don't really concern me too much. Considering the deal I got on my FRC, I can buy a set of AFRs, Fast 90/90, Cam, Long-tubes, and cat back, and STILL be less than buying a Z06 outright. It's a simple cost-benefit analysis.

Additionally, with the way the economy is right now, you can pick up a killer deal on an FRC. I got mine with 51k for $15, and it's mint. Even in Florida (very bad economy) C5 Z06's are still in the low-mid 20's. That means I can spend an additional 5-7k on go-fast parts and still be equal to the price of a Z06.

My opinion is, if money isn't an issue; buy the Z06, mod the hell out of it, and call it a day. If you've got a budget in mind and you love the FRC lines, go jump on one and systematically mod it over time.

Good luck

Vincent

stevegrizzle

You cannot be from FL, your response was way too well thought out and logical. We all know logic and thought are not allowed in the sunshine state

I agree with ^. very well put.

O6DODGE

iTrader: (6)

I would go the frc if your are going to be modding it in anyways. Spend the money you saved buying the frc and spend it on parts.

prochargedchevyi

iTrader: (9)

lol...You're right. I moved down from New England in 99' and I've been here ever since.

LSWON_WS6

thank you to all of you for replying.....this was always something i wondered about with dealing with vettes.......keep em' comin everybody

~JOSHUA

iTrader: (92)

In reality... Zo6's aren't all that much more than an FRC (good luck finding one int he first place)

I've seen the same low mile FRC's (I have one in mint shape for sale with 20k miles at my work selling for low $20's) sell for about as much as a similar '01-'02 Zo6.

The guy who found a 50k mile FRC for 15k is a fluke.... good luck getting anything more than a pile of bolts ready to drain your bank account with continuous costly repairs priced in the high teens or less.

Just get the best C5 you can get for the money and go from there... even if it's a regular C5.... unless you just have to have the hardtop body style (and many people hate the FRC look anyways) get what you want.

1SLO6

iTrader: (8)

i agree with all points but many respect that Z06 badge on the side of the vette......

99C5JA

You can find FRC's for significantly less than Z06's, which still command about an $8k premium vs. a coupe or FRC.

The weight difference between platforms depends on the options on the cars in question. My coupe weighs less than 3200lbs wet for instance. The main weight savers on the Z06 were the thinner windshield and the titanium exhaust. A fair number of owners ditch the exhaust which immediately negates part of this advantage.

All C5's are a very stiff platform since it was designed from inception to be a convertible. The FRC/Z06 is the stiffest of the bodystyles, but it's certainly not by the margin we are used to seeing on other platforms. My coupe with a tunnel plate feels as stiff as the '03 Z06 and '99 FRC my friends own. Suspension wise the Z06 (FE4) and the Z51 are very close. The Z06 has slightly bigger bars, different shocks and a different rear spring (they share the same front springs). Some metal endlinks and non runflats will make the Z51 very competitive.

The Z06 M12 has a gearing advantage vs. the standard M6. Though it's important to consider that the M6 with 3.90's or 4.10's yields a better ratio spacing and some Z06 owners actually switch to the M6 because of this. The very low 1st gear in the M12 can also be a disadvantage once you mod the car due to traction issues on street tires.

Power wise the Z06 mainly differs in it's heads and cam. Both of which are very mild when looking at any aftermarket cam or ported head.

The Z06 is a great car. If your plans involve mainly boltons or at most a cam it's a great platform. However if you are planning to build a heads/cam car, then a Z51 FRC or coupe is a better starting point.

BlueB4C

iTrader: (9)

I agree with what everyone on here seems to be saying, if you are going to jump into the engine just get a FRC and save the money for mods. The deals are out there, I picked up a mint black 2000 FRC with a lot of options and only 31,000 miles for $19,500 at the end of April. I wanted a Z06 originally but anything close to it in the way of miles and condition was $24,000+ and located halfway across the country from me. I saved $5000 over a Z06 after taxes and crap which is about what a nice supercharger kit would cost

NEVRLIFT

I bought a '99 FRC with 77K a few weeks ago for $16.5K. It was no brainer for me over the coupe and the Z06 was a good $7-8K more. The coupes I've driven have never drove as well as the hardtops.

I'm probably going to track it more than your average owner so the Z06 parts are slowly trickling in.