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Login to post Forums » Grassroots Motorsports » C6 vs C5 Z06

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Nov. 16, 2011 4:34 p.m. Dusterbd13 Reader

haviong spent considerable seat time in both variants, ill throw my opinion in here:

the c6 is more refined in every way. just so much easier to manage. the car feels more solid, more finished. the c6 z06 will, with competent driver, eat a comprably equipped c5 z06. that being said, i have a few complaints about the c6. no lumbar support, i HATE the elecctric buttons for opening and closing the door, and its got too much in the way of driver band aids. the TCS system truly scares me after my dad totalled his 08 due to a malfunction.

money, shape, and milage being equal, but the c6. even with an auto. GM really worked out the paddle shifts with the c6.

michael
Nov. 16, 2011 6:14 p.m. David S. Wallens Editorial Director

On a semi-related note, we have some C6 track setup tips courtesy of MTI Racing in the next issue.
Nov. 16, 2011 8:57 p.m. Gearheadotaku Dork

buy whichever you have more fun driving. I don't car how great of a lap time you can turn in it. If it doesn't make you smile, it shouldn't be in your garage.
Nov. 16, 2011 9:23 p.m. rotard Reader

I think it'll come down to whichever one I run across first for the best deal. I'm leaning towards the C5Z. It's time for some mad torques in my life.
Nov. 17, 2011 7:28 a.m. a401cj Reader

oh...almost forgot...another niggly: the front air dam on a C5 scrapes on EVERYTHING. I hear this is improved on the C6
Nov. 17, 2011 8:19 a.m. Yavuz Reader

The air dam on the C5 does scrape everything, but thankfully they're cheap to replace when it finally does fall apart on you. I can't speak for the regular C6, but the air dam on the C6Z06 is even worse. The front splitter also scrapes on everything and is unfortunately a bit more expensive than the splitter too.

If you do end up with a C5Z, the first thing you should do (if it hasn't been done already) is buy a column lock bypass. They're only about $40 and completely necessary. The one downfall of the C5 was that the steering column can lock up and cost a fair amount to get fixed at the dealer. The bypass simply makes it so that the steering column never locks and is good preventative maintenance. Otherwise they're very solid cars.
Nov. 17, 2011 9:11 a.m. a401cj Reader

Yavuz wrote:

T

If you do end up with a C5Z, the first thing you should do (if it hasn't been done already) is buy a column lock bypass. They're only about $40 and completely necessary. The one downfall of the C5 was that the steering column can lock up and cost a fair amount to get fixed at the dealer. The bypass simply makes it so that the steering column never locks and is good preventative maintenance. Otherwise they're very solid cars.

^^ this.

if the column does lock prior to installing the bypass however, there is a way out. There is a procedure that sounds a bit brutal but it is effective and doesn't destroy anything. Essentially you grab the wheel at 3 o'clock and put some muscle on it while you turn the ignition key at the same time. You might have to jerk the wheel back and forth a bit too. It WILL unlock. No need to pay for a flatbed to haul it to the stealer. I did this twice on mine before I finally installed the bypass. I found the procedure on one of the C5 forums. I loves me some internet
Nov. 17, 2011 9:42 a.m. rotard Reader

Are there any major differences between the 2002-2004 Z06's, or should that all be relatively close? My favorite magazine, which may have had something of a buyers guide on these, was recycled by an evil, conniving female, lol.
Nov. 17, 2011 9:59 a.m. Bobzilla SuperDork

Buy one of each?
Nov. 17, 2011 11:25 a.m. Brett_Murphy HalfDork

Winston wrote: Would you rather have an E36 M3 or a E46 330i?

I'd take the E46 any day, because I love how they look.

Likewise, I'll take fixed headlights over pop-ups any day of the week now. Yes, I know that pop-ups were part of the Corvette tradition, but I don't care.
Nov. 17, 2011 11:30 a.m. clutchsmoke Reader

Oh and if the car doesn't already have it installed you should pick up a skip shift eliminator. Or make your own. Either way I very much enjoy watching the, "Shift 1 to 4" light illuminate while I select 2nd or 3rd gear.
Nov. 17, 2011 1:16 p.m. rotard Reader

I'm about to go check out a black 2002 Z06 with 46,500 miles. The guy is asking $22k. Any last minute suggestions?
Nov. 17, 2011 4:00 p.m. a401cj Reader

good chance the traction control / active handling / ABS module will die. It's not too hard to access it and send it off to a guy in Missouri IIRC. About $250 for an upgraded one (he installs MOVs to suppress voltage spikes)
Nov. 17, 2011 4:18 p.m. rotard Reader

Phenomenal....so, what should I offer for this thing? Soooo easy to drive.
Nov. 17, 2011 5:01 p.m. ZOO SuperDork

rotard wrote:

Phenomenal....so, what should I offer for this thing? Soooo easy to drive.

Take a quick look on the Corvette forum for a baseline prices. There are sometimes good deals to be had there, too.

Enjoy -- I still miss my C4.
Nov. 17, 2011 5:53 p.m. clutchsmoke Reader

Kinda hard to say what a good offer is since prices vary a lot depending on your region. I'm guessing that since you didn't mention many details the car is 100% stock?
Nov. 18, 2011 8:06 a.m. rotard Reader

Mechanically, the car is stock. He's added a satellite radio receiver and a divider thing for the trunk. He even kept the window sticker. It almost looks as if this guy cleaned every little crevice with a toothbrush. I asked him if anything leaked in the rain, and he gave me a horrified look, lol.
Nov. 18, 2011 8:15 a.m. ZOO SuperDork

Is this the "low" power year?

Not that it matters -- if you can't go fast with 385 horspeower, 400 isn't likely to help you
Nov. 18, 2011 8:54 a.m. rotard Reader

405 HP of goodness.
Nov. 18, 2011 9:00 a.m. a401cj Reader

most performance figures I've seen don't indicate much (if any) difference between the 385 and 405 hp versions. 2001's are priced down significantly though making them the best bang for the buck
Nov. 18, 2011 9:11 a.m. rotard Reader

Really? They all seem to be in the $20-25k range.
Nov. 18, 2011 10:29 a.m. a401cj Reader

i don't have hard evidence to back up my claim right now but I'm pretty sure if you can find a 385 horse '01 model it will cost a few thou less than an '02 to '04. If you plan to mod it anyway you'll never know
Feb. 20, 2012 12:25 p.m. Armitage Reader

Bringing this back from the dead because I'm honestly thinking about the possibility of selling my track rat FD RX-7 in favor of a C5Z. I looked up this thread because the C6 base cars are similarly priced. My question then is this:

For a car that will be predominantly used for track days, would a C5Z or a C6 base be a better choice assuming the same budget (let's say <= $10k) were spent on each model for basic upgrades (suspension, airflow, tuning, etc.)? Would it narrow the gap between the performance of the cars or are there certain aspects of the C5Z that would be enhanced beyond that of the C6? Would they come out as equals? Does the C6 respond better to modification?

Thanks!
Feb. 20, 2012 3:30 p.m. docwyte Reader

$10k is a big budget to spend. On both cars all you really need to do is seats, harnesses, rollbar, oil cooler, brake pads and a set of R compound tires.

I like the way the C6 looks, but the LS6 in the C5 is a more reliable motor on the track, I'd do a baffled oil pan on the C6 to help with oil starvation...
Feb. 20, 2012 3:49 p.m. Giant Purple Snorklewacker SuperDork

I'd save some of that budget for tires too - either choice will be a real wake up call for a guy used to an RX-7's tire diet.

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