Do I want a vette?

Near me there are a couple of C5 ZO6’s for sale for low teens.  If I could get $7,000 for my ‘06 Miata and talk a dude down just a bit I could be in a 68,000 mile blue 2002 ZO6 for a difference of just 4-5 grand.  Worth it?

Do you like Corvettes? They're more than just a bigger Miata.

Have you driven one? They're impressive cars. The performance per dollar is unbeatable. Totally different animal compared to a Miata. I like them quite a bit and am not a "Vette" guy. 

Check with your insurance company. You may be shocked by the insurance rates between a Vette and the Miata. 

Oh hell yes!!!

In reply to clutchsmoke :

Actually I have.  I drove a buddies’ SSP C5Z a couple years ago.  Coming at it from a CSP Miata point of view the handling isn’t as good but the big boy power was a lot of fun.  Besides the added oomph, it seems like a car that I’d be able to take of bigger road trips more comfortably in than the MX-5.  More relaxed gears and a bit more cockpit room.

Equal price I would pick the z06. Sliding scale comes into effect once the prices differ. Also I like it when my wife will drive my fun cars and I’m not sure she’d be comfortable with the power.. but it would be fun to find out. 

If it’s going to be a “sometimes” driver and not every day, you can get a great price on agreed-value insurance through the Museum Agency (NAtional Corvette Museum). 

Anyway, yes. Yes you do want a C5 Z06. Very much. 

If I was in your position and could swing the extra 4-5 large. I'd sure do it

I berkeleying love my FRC. It’s the most well rounded sports car I’ve ever had. Powerful, big grip, easy to drive, and comfortable enough for road trips. 

Do you have the tire budget to race it? That was a pretty big shock to me vs. a Miata. 

That was my first thought as well. Do you have money for consumables?

Eh consumables are not too bad.  Pads and rotors are cheap.  They can knock down 30 MPG on the highway.  And tires are not too bad for street performance tires.  True racing tires get a bit dear, but you also get to drive a C5 Corvette.

We tend to regret the E36 M3 we did not do more so than the E36 M3 we did do. So worse case scenario 5 year plan, what could be the downside?

Vettes are kinda like a hallpass from the wife.

Pete

If it matters to you I think the c5zo6 is probably at or near the bottom of the depreciation curve. I don’t think you will loose money down the road if you tire of it. Worst case you drive it for essentially free for a number of years and then sell it on. 

C5Z's are awesome.  If you want something that's almost as fast with a nicer interior, look at a C6 Z51.  I had one after my Z06 and it was better in a lot of ways.

The price you're talking about for a C5Z seems suspiciously low, though.

Suspiciously low price, my thoughts exactly. How many thousands of dollars in deferred maintenance will you have to spend on this thing the day you bring it home?

Yes

Can confirm. It is a serious sports car that you can comfortably take on road trips. I've done several 4+ hour trips in a Z06.

Some #$$&&$##*(  berking idiot backed into mine with a dually.

The idiot was me.

i might go to the C5R style lights.  

In reply to A 401 CJ :

I personally hate how those lights end up looking, but if i was in your shoes i would strongly consider doing it. 

The sad thing is that those pop ups were always trouble free.  And they STILL work.

It is the pop up lights of the c5 and the softer lines that it has compared to the c6 that I like. The c6 I always thaught was rushed out and the styling got ignored a bit. 

In reply to A 401 CJ :

If you decide to sell let me know. 

I've kicked around selling it.  It was soooo nice.  Straight as a pin.  I hated to start modding it.  Now though, I see this unfortunate accident as an enabler.  I'm not afraid to let it rip and open a full can of mods on it.  I've got to get my MaxJax first though.  It's just so hard to work on otherwise.  

OTOH, the wife likes it and says I should fix it back to stock.