I have never really been a Corvette guy but..........

The solution is clearly either a vette powered miata

or a vette powered elise , depending on your budget

Those look hellish to work on.

If you are that worried about what other people think then my guess is that you already have some serious self esteem issues

OSULemon wrote:

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: I don't want one. I'm not sure why. They ARE THEE performance bargain of the century so far. They are fairly bullet proof. Still... Buying one is like being a fan of the NY Yankees or Dallas Cowboys. Even when the team is actually really great... everyone on that bandwagon is an shiny happy person. berkeley the Yankees. berkeley the Cowboys and berkeley the Corvette. Back an underdog fer chrissakes. And get off my berkeleying lawn.

I feel the same way, and I have several hangups about it that keep me from purchasing one right now. 1. They are mostly driven by balding old men taking their wives to Sunday brunch (Corvettes in general, not just Z06's) 2. Everyone knows that they are fast. There are no base models to disguise to the commoners that it may be a performance model, such as the Mustangs or Camaros. 3. Driving one puts you at risk of looking like you have serious self-esteem issues. The Miata is so far on the other side of the bar when it comes to not looking like a showoff that it makes it hard to switch over. You might get the gay hairdresser comments with the Miata, but nobody will think you're trying to compensate for anything. In short, I'm more afraid of the Corvette's sterotypes than the Miata's. Weird, I know. Performance-wise, it makes absolute sense.

In reply to Carro Atrezzi:

You've got that right.

In reply to Giant Purple Snorklewacker: Damn! I didn't read what you wrote!

I drive a Hyundai Elantra. A blue one. I care nothing of peopled opinions.

I prefer the Elise in theory but wonder if a regular C5 gives 95% awesome for 40% $$.

I couldn't find a Z06 in my area but here's a regular one for a good (or really good) price.

http://wilmington.craigslist.org/cto/4547663619.html

Here's a C4 for a potentially good price.

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/cto/4554021284.html

I notice that no one on here talks about the C4 very much so I may be one of the few that may pick up one for cheap in a while to terrorize my local autocross club.

15k. Has rebuild title and mods, so right up my alley.

http://nashville.craigslist.org/cto/4516337924.html

In reply to Mr_Clutch42:

I have an 88 c4. They are a lot of fun for the money, but c5s are way easier to tune. They just plug their laptop up and I still have to burn chips.

I was about to mention a C4 would be nice. Cheaper and you could use the extra money on mods, but what Cotton says about the pain of tuning I'm second guessing.

also outside of 'car guys' they are all the same car to most people. You'd be amazed at how many people can't yell the difference between a Miata an Elise a Corvette a Viper or a Ferrari. Seriously the are all two seated sports cars so are all the same.

Carro Atrezzi wrote: If you are that worried about what other people think then my guess is that you already have some serious self esteem issues

OSULemon wrote:

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: I don't want one. I'm not sure why. They ARE THEE performance bargain of the century so far. They are fairly bullet proof. Still... Buying one is like being a fan of the NY Yankees or Dallas Cowboys. Even when the team is actually really great... everyone on that bandwagon is an shiny happy person. berkeley the Yankees. berkeley the Cowboys and berkeley the Corvette. Back an underdog fer chrissakes. And get off my berkeleying lawn.

I feel the same way, and I have several hangups about it that keep me from purchasing one right now. 1. They are mostly driven by balding old men taking their wives to Sunday brunch (Corvettes in general, not just Z06's) 2. Everyone knows that they are fast. There are no base models to disguise to the commoners that it may be a performance model, such as the Mustangs or Camaros. 3. Driving one puts you at risk of looking like you have serious self-esteem issues. The Miata is so far on the other side of the bar when it comes to not looking like a showoff that it makes it hard to switch over. You might get the gay hairdresser comments with the Miata, but nobody will think you're trying to compensate for anything. In short, I'm more afraid of the Corvette's sterotypes than the Miata's. Weird, I know. Performance-wise, it makes absolute sense.

nocones wrote: I prefer the Elise in theory but wonder if a regular C5 gives 95% awesome for 40% $$.

It would. Additionally, the top comes off and stores in the cavernous trunk.

Had an Elise (that's my avatar). I'd take a ZO6 over it every day of the week. The Elise just asks for too many compromises for my intended uses.

In my experience there are two prevailing attitudes:

1) Those who appreciate Z06s

2) Those who enjoy going slower for more money

Over the last year and a half I have rapidly switched vehichles from NA miata, to S52 powered e30 and now to a C5 Z06 (purchased a week before this thread was started)

and I have to say after switching the last couple cars looking for something I couldn't quite find for me this ticks all the boxes.

While its much wider than the miata its eagerness to change direction and go where pointed on an auto-x course is similar to a miata and unlike anything else I've driven besides a miata (but this could just be my opinion as someone whose formerly always turned econoboxes into "sportsboxes")

its raw power is similar to the s52 e30 but with an extra dose of caffeine, the instantaneous pull in any gear without hesitation is intoxicating. but unlike the e30 this is quieter, more refined, no bugs still to be sorted and the A/C works for when I'm driving home from a 95+ degree day at the track. even better? it doesn't sound like a ticking time bomb after a day of abuse like the S52 always did.

for as much internet hate as I always see on the C5 and corvettes in general I wonder how many people have actually driven one? while the interior isn't Audi soft touch quality its not bad by my standards and everyone thats taken a ride has complimented the smooth ride over rough pavement. It certainly won't compare to a new car but compared to my mid 2000's vw and bmw daily drivers its much nicer in both ride and lack of interior rattles.

And even though its 8 years old it still has that new car smell and only 19k miles on it! after living in a heated/air conditioned garage for its whole life.

My fear with owning a high horsepower car is that I'll turn into an shiny happy person. Even with my A6 biturbo, I was not driving very courteously. My Miata has a nice mix of great handling and lots of redline shifting before hitting the speed limit. Since it doesn't have the power to pass at the smallest openings, I don't, but I would with the Audi, and even more so with a C5. I don't do any racing or driving events of any kind so I think I need to stay with slow cars driven fast and not vise versa.

stoneydude wrote: I was about to mention a C4 would be nice. Cheaper and you could use the extra money on mods, but what Cotton says about the pain of tuning I'm second guessing.

yeah, you just have to keep in mind those extra steps. Datalog, make changes, remove ecu, burn chip, replace ecu, and test. Half the time I leave my ecu in the floorboard, so it's easy to get to...passengers are always like "wtf is that?" and I'm like "don't kick the box! lol".There are burners that connect to the ecu and let you burn the chips live, and I actually bought one, but it's pretty clunky...works though. Most of the time I still find myself pulling the chip out to burn it, but the live tuning would help on the dyno when time is money during a tuning session.

Here it is: https://www.moates.net/apu1-autoprom-package-usb-version-p-54.html

I'm still jealous of the c5 guys and they single cable tuning setup....when I get mine out it looks like an octopus in my seat!! Still I have much less money in mine than even a ratty c5.

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: I don't want one. I'm not sure why. They ARE THEE performance bargain of the century so far. They are fairly bullet proof. Still... Buying one is like being a fan of the NY Yankees or Dallas Cowboys. Even when the team is actually really great... everyone on that bandwagon is an shiny happy person. berkeley the Yankees. berkeley the Cowboys and berkeley the Corvette. Back an underdog fer chrissakes. And get off my berkeleying lawn.

I don't believe in "underdog" inanimate objects. Cars are tools. I don't believe in using a lightweight hammer to drive framing nails, and I don't believe it makes you more virtuous if you do it.

I'd settle for a C5 Z51.

Oh, and Notches on Foxes are hot. Not on vettes. Ever.

dculberson wrote: Cars are tools.

Not these cars. They are toys. The C5 is a fantastic performance bargain as a street car going to the track. It's great - change tires and pads and go wicked fast in beginner to advanced run groups and be the big fish in the small pond. I just don't particularly find them as enjoyable to drive as some of the other options in the "very fast street car" category.

When the real race cars come out to play - you still have a lot of work to do to a C5 to keep pace (as you do in any car) with things that might look like a CRX or old BMW... and then it's not a civil street car anymore and it wasn't such a bargain afterall.

Cotton wrote:

stoneydude wrote: I was about to mention a C4 would be nice. Cheaper and you could use the extra money on mods, but what Cotton says about the pain of tuning I'm second guessing.

yeah, you just have to keep in mind those extra steps. Datalog, make changes, remove ecu, burn chip, replace ecu, and test. Half the time I leave my ecu in the floorboard, so it's easy to get to...passengers are always like "wtf is that?" and I'm like "don't kick the box! lol".There are burners that connect to the ecu and let you burn the chips live, and I actually bought one, but it's pretty clunky...works though. Most of the time I still find myself pulling the chip out to burn it, but the live tuning would help on the dyno when time is money during a tuning session. Here it is: https://www.moates.net/apu1-autoprom-package-usb-version-p-54.html I'm still jealous of the c5 guys and they single cable tuning setup....when I get mine out it looks like an octopus in my seat!! Still I have much less money in mine than even a ratty c5.

Why not just go standalone? That was my original plan to go MS on the car.

dculberson wrote:

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: I don't want one. I'm not sure why. They ARE THEE performance bargain of the century so far. They are fairly bullet proof. Still... Buying one is like being a fan of the NY Yankees or Dallas Cowboys. Even when the team is actually really great... everyone on that bandwagon is an shiny happy person. berkeley the Yankees. berkeley the Cowboys and berkeley the Corvette. Back an underdog fer chrissakes. And get off my berkeleying lawn.

I don't believe in "underdog" inanimate objects. Cars are tools. I don't believe in using a lightweight hammer to drive framing nails, and I don't believe it makes you more virtuous if you do it.

HAH! love the underdog hammer, i'll have to go find mine and start using it.

I have to ask though - do you prefer the looks of one hammer over another?

nocones wrote: I drive a Hyundai Elantra. A blue one. I care nothing of peopled opinions. I prefer the Elise in theory but wonder if a regular C5 gives 95% awesome for 40% $$.

I like the theory of the Elise, but I do not bend in the right places to fit my 6' 230lb body into one. So I'll take a C5/6. I raced Hyundai's before it was cool and before they offered cool cars and still race a friggin Kia. Do you really think I give 2 E36 M3s what someone else thinks about what I drive? How shallow do you have to be to let someone's opinion on how you look stop them from having the car that makes them happy? I seriously don't get it.

carbon wrote: The solution is clearly either a vette powered miata

Doesn't look like a Miata to me. Google says it's a Skyline. But it does look like someone trashed the rigidity of the front end

Let's use this example instead.

I've got a lot of respect for Z06s. Not an easy car to keep up with. I'm too cheap to pay for their consumables at the track, though.

Bobzilla wrote:

Cotton wrote:

stoneydude wrote: I was about to mention a C4 would be nice. Cheaper and you could use the extra money on mods, but what Cotton says about the pain of tuning I'm second guessing.

yeah, you just have to keep in mind those extra steps. Datalog, make changes, remove ecu, burn chip, replace ecu, and test. Half the time I leave my ecu in the floorboard, so it's easy to get to...passengers are always like "wtf is that?" and I'm like "don't kick the box! lol".There are burners that connect to the ecu and let you burn the chips live, and I actually bought one, but it's pretty clunky...works though. Most of the time I still find myself pulling the chip out to burn it, but the live tuning would help on the dyno when time is money during a tuning session. Here it is: https://www.moates.net/apu1-autoprom-package-usb-version-p-54.html I'm still jealous of the c5 guys and they single cable tuning setup....when I get mine out it looks like an octopus in my seat!! Still I have much less money in mine than even a ratty c5.

Why not just go standalone? That was my original plan to go MS on the car.

Seems like a lot of trouble to go to as opposed to burning the occasional chip. I could be wrong though....never messed with MS.

It's pretty well sorted now, so I don't anticipate any more major tune changes and will probably even shove the ecu back in the dash. I'm just waiting for the aluminum flywheel to go in, and wrapping up the nitrous install, before finally hitting the dyno.