I was curious if anyone had any insight on the 2002 ZO6 Vette. I currently have a 91' 965 turbo and am looking to possibly replace it. One of the local Chevy dealers around me has an 02' ZO6, silver w/ 26xxx miles on it. Im not too familiar with the C5's except for the crap plastic they use on the interior which is the same as my GMC winter beater haha. If anyone could offer any information it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Brian

 

Unless you plan on building the car for racing in any variation, I would opt for a C6 Z06. The difference is astounding.

 

c5 z06 is a great car....for the money (mid-20's, high 20's) its tough to beat.

the c6 z is another animal...but a c5 z can be modded to hang for less $$

 

I had a 02 for a while
Very fun and fast.

I lowered it (thats a must)

Careful with the bolt on's ... mines couldn't keep any traction for a good launch, but it sounded and looked cool.

Everyone likes Vetts, so i got a ton of cool gas station chats.

It did break more than i would like ... sensor's, one BIG main oil seal leak, plastic parts, shifter. When it started to 450 dollar me to death, I had to give it up.

I think everyone should own a chipped, lowered vett, with loud exhaust one time in their life (its FUN)

Vroom, Vroom

 

I'm attracted to the price point. I'm torn trying to decide if I want to get rid of the Porsche or not though. I've had my fair share of repairs with that car and I actually just had the engine over-hauled last year which was quite a bit of money. I looked at the vette as a cheaper option.

How many miles did you have on when the main seal went?

I appreciate the comments about c6's. I'm sure they're a superior car. They just demand more money than I'm looking to spend at the moment.

 

I have the same family of engine in my car as in the '97-'04 Corvettes, and the rear main seal is not a common problem for these motors. Mechanically, they are reliable (for the performance level) as long as they are stock or close to stock. Like any other car, little things here and there will break with time or use. The C5 Z06's are quite fun, and a great bang-for-your-buck type of car. In stock form, they perform quite well, and get "excellent" fuel economy (28MPG+ on the highway). With the proper modifications, I have seen more than one get 32MPG+ highway, while putting down 400+ RWHP on the dyno.

The big thing to worry about in the C5 Z06 Corvettes is the somewhat-weak rear differential. They are known for breaking due to wheel-hop issues. To replace one is time-consuming and pricey. As far as I know, there are no completely aftermarket ones available - just upgraded/reinforced factory units.

 

You would be hard pressed to find better performance for the money. Handling, braking and acceleration are all top notch. The interiors are plastic and very basic, if you can get past that you are going to have a load of fun for little expenditure. Another advantage is there is huge aftermarket support for the Corvettes, you can personalize and modify to your right foots content, for very reasonable prices. Good luck with your search.

 

This is so true ... i do miss buying cool mods.

I was about to pick up a Roll bar right before I sold the car.

 

I have an 01' Z and I love it, check out corvetteforum.com there is plenty of info and some good faq's there!

 

I talked with a friend of mine who has a C5 Z06. He said the most common issues with them are electrical (i.e. window relays, steering column locks, ABS/Traction control module). The differential isn't a common item to break, apparently (guess it's just the high-HP cars that have issues).

Here are some helpful links which describe some of the most common C5 issues. The first one is rather shocking (I thought they were more reliable than this post indicated):
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-g...l?forum_id=103
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-t...ky-please.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-t...ak-checks.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-t...tion-long.html

X2! CorvetteForum is a great resource. I have been a member there for quite some time.

 

Some of the best bang for the buck! Put in a cam, long tube headers, and a dynotune and you are flying. To step up you add a FAST92 and heads. Monster!

 

I have an 04 and love it. Modding possibilities are endless as mentioned, to include the interior. In 4 years of ownership mine has only been in the shop for performance upgrades.
Have you driven one yet?

 

Awesome car for the price. Quick cheap mod list:

long tubes,x pipe,vararam, COILOVERS,tune.....if you have a REAR DIFF problem,...spend 5500 bucks and buy the ZR1 drivetrain and you will never have another problem again. To compete with a new C6 Z06 your gonna need 500 wheel hp and driving skill.

Great vehicles.....

 

I had the same car for a few years and you pretty much nailed it.
Yea, the interior isn't "corinthian leather", but in my opinion, it looked pretty good, and was functional.
Regarding MPG, my car was making around 600whp, and I was getting near 29mpg on the highway, simply because I spent a bit of time fine-tuning it.
It really depends on your goals for the car.
Sounds like you want a car you can enjoy a few days a week, and the Vette will do it for you, unless you MUST HAVE the nicer Porsche interior.
I put over 60k miles on my car over 4 years, and the ONLY issue I had was finding tires that hooked.
If you plan to drag race the car, I'd say look elsewhere.
If you want a nice looking, light-weight car to have some fun with, it is a great choice.
And personally, I've worked on and driven c6's and c6 z06's, and I would go back to the C5 Z06 in a heartbeat.
I do plan to buy another.

I, personally, never had one electrical issue, except for a loose ground near the headlight, but that was because I loosened it when I was doing some mods.
I also drove this car with the stock AC/Delco battery for 60k+ miles and 4 years, and never had leakage issues, so it may be a fairly isolated problem.
Still had it when I sold it.
Otherwise, I would recommend the car, since they are fun to drive, and if you plan to mod it, you can make all the power you want.
Just don't wheel-hop it and the drive train will be fine.

I do not understand the inclination to sell, however, after putting a good amount of $$$ into the Porsche.
I know it is easy to get bored, but I'd be inclined to keep it.

Good luck with your decision.