ULTIMATEORANGESS

iTrader: (4)

if you can afford a C5 get one. just remember whatever you get will probably need some repairs at some point so make sure have money left over.

RPM WS6

iTrader: (3)

A top-tier 4th gen F-body will still go for $10-15k, with some specific examples selling for even higher. So with that in mind, I would expect an average condition C5 to still be worth mid-teens and really nice ones to go up from there. A $20k C6 is going to be a much more worn/beat car than what you'd get with a comparably priced, or probably even slightly cheaper, C5. I'd prioritize "nicer" over "newer" with your available funds. A C6 is cool, but if you can get a significantly lower mileage and lesser worn C5 for the same or less, this is a much better move IMO.

If your budget is limited to $10k, I would take a pass on the C5. A $10k C5 is a below average example, at least based on the prices in my area, though a $10k F-body would be a premium example that would likely need less work in the near future. Some people just want to have a Corvette, but personally I'd rather have a "nice" F-body than a "rough/below average" C5 - assuming your budget only allows for the lower end C5 examples.

AnotherWs6

iTrader: (17)

kinda gay. just sayin. but youve been into cars for a long time, two years so nevermind.

front2back

Well, it's not limited to $10k in full, if I wait until next summer, make a lot more money than I did last summer, then I could get something in the mid-teens. Which is why I was considering a C5. C6 is out of the question at this point since I couldn't handle them. Yes, I realize C6 Corvettes are easy to learn stick in but I'd have to finance and all of that other crap.

If I were to buy now heck yeah it would be an F-body. However, like I said I could manage an up to $10k one but I'm holding out since I don't have those funds atm. Again I have about $6.5k to pay right now, then I'd have to sell my car to make up some of the difference and afford stuff. Once I get like $8k in my account and it makes sense to buy, I'll probably get one. My friend with the Z/28 is really harping on me to get one. He usually asks about once a week when I'm going to buy one and that when he was 18 and his Camaro was $18k he got it and I should be able to too. Well when he bought his Camaro he could finance it since it was only 5 y/o, I can't do that. He also says that any good F-body can be had for $6k. While I'd love to believe that, the only F-bodies I see for that cheap have a broken A/C and have had to had a few panels replaced because of an accident. All the ones on Craigslist or in the classifieds here are always about $8-$10k. Yes I know those are just list prices and they don't actually sale for that much, but that means I'd have to be the only obo offer for them to sale it. So while I'd love to buy one now like he wants me too, I'm going to wait until I have more.

RPM WS6

iTrader: (3)

It's easy to spend someone else's money. Tell your friend that if he's really this bothered by your vehicular situation that he should contribute to the fund and make an immediate purchase possible. If he's unwilling to do this, then it's time for him to sit down and be quiet.

You can probably find a decent 4th gen for ~$6k in your area; not a high trim level car in really nice shape and not a garage queen, but something decent. $6k won't get you a very nice one in my region, but again most of the non-garage queens with any significant mileage on them have been beat by the foul Great Lakes weather at this point. But regardless, if $6500 is the current limit of your funds, I would not recommend buying a $6k car that's 13+ years old since there is no telling what sort of work it might need in the near future. Don't bankrupt yourself, especially for an old car.

front2back

Well, it's the limit of what I have in the bank to straight up withdraw and pay for right now. As soon as I sell my current car that's an easy $4-5k I'd get and that would cover any necessary repairs or whatever the case may be. However, I don't want to take that plunge yet since I won't be able to drive the car anyways since I'm at college. That's why I'm waiting just a few months so I have more money to spend and when it makes more sense to buy.

front2back

Well, it looks like the A/C compressor just went out on my Camry today, even though my mechanic said my A/C was okay back in July. Not only that but I'm sure there's a leak somewhere in the system too. I checked the fuses and yeah they were okay so it's not the problem.

I think this might be life trying to tell me I need an F-body.

SouthernRex

That's all life ever tells me. I'm on my third. (Still own the first one I bought, just need to repair it.)

2edybrd

Hey all,
I will admit upfront it has been a good seven years since I owned a GTO, and before that a 99 Trans Am, but here's what I know from hotrodding both cars and putting over 100k miles on them.

GTO-RPM WS6 said earlier in the thread that suspensions on the GTO were a concern - they are-the way the radius rods and control arms are set up is very scary to me. Once I had the front lower control arm replaced (Factory unit) ten miles down the road after a 100 mph blast and the rod pushed through the mount up front. In effect the entire left side tire was now on a swing arm front to back that was toeing in and out to the point the tire rubbed THROUGH the sheet metal at the front of the wheel well... I'm just glad that did not happen during that high speed blast. I would have been toast.

Radius Rod bushings are a liquid filled whatever that also receive a huge amount of pressure under braking, which blows them out quickly and gives the car that shaking wheel feel when braking - so those need to be fixed.

The engine is a dream to access and work on...can't say more about that...just awesome. No clearance issues at all with long tube headers. A rear sway bar and good tires and the car was a good handler. BAD drag racer though.All I did with the clutch when it wore out was a simple LS7 clutch kit. With a cam and headers, it was a great combo. Best drag time I got was a 13.01 at 104, but I never really wanted to drag race that car, the back roads was where I preferred to play around

The Trans Am was an auto and I ended up changing out the entire suspension over a few years and ended up with a Global West torque arm, SLP front and rear sways, SLP Bilstein and eibach combo package, Spohn LCA's and panhard and LG Motorsports subframes welded in. On stock sized rims, this combo handled very well and the car held the corners so well that I scraped the ground effects on the drivers side in a turn one day.

Speed wise, al I did was build up the transmission and put an SY3500 stall in...Still blew out the transmission every two years...like clockwork. This was my drag racer and my best time with this combo was 12.8 at 108.5 with a 1.78 60foot

I guess what I am saying is decide what would put the perma grin on your face and get the car that will accomplish that.

Today, instead of getting the hot rod, I decided that a Jeep Wrangler will put the grin on my face