The bypass kit for the steering lock is great. But, even with it, you can still get the "service steering column lock" message if your battery voltage is low. It is common. If your car sits for a while and it has this message, disconnect the battery cable and charge the battery and reconnect. Most of the time it will fix it.

I'm not a Corvette guy , but good word this car is gorgeous. That chip in the paint is a damn shame, I hope the owner can get that fixed.

All the lightweighting effort on the C5 Z06 Corvette was worth it in the end as it had one of the fastest Nürburgring times and lap times of any production car at the time. "When the C5 Corvette Z06 clocked its 7:56 Ring time, it was a pretty big deal. GM claimed it was the first production car to break past the eight-minute mark."

The book, "All Corvettes are Red" is a great, fast read about the development of the C5. The fixed roof that became the body for the Z06 was originally intended to be an entry level body with limited options and possibly a v6 or i4 as the engine. At some point in the many stops and starts of the program, the decision was made to develop a high performance version as opposed to an entry level version. The development of the fixed roof was already a spend and GM decided to get that money back in the Z06.

Totally beautiful car! I have an 04 convertible and love it. The ZO6 only came in the fixed roof coupe style and not the hatch back. Its cool to hear you love these cars also!! Thanks for showing us around it!!

That rear end/window version is called the FRC for "fixed-roof coupe." I agree the fastback version looks better but the FRC is lighter, which is what makes the Z06 FRC most desirable version of the C5.

Long time subscriber and I finally get to see one of MY cars at the Wizard's shop! I own this year, and color Z06. Mine has 57k on the odometer, and I drive it almost daily. I love it! I have repaired the HUD, HVAC display, disabled the VATS and fixed a broken fuel door switch, and trunk release. They are easy to work on and parts are everywhere.

The C5 Corvette is the greatest Corvette ever made

Dear Car wizard, I am an Iranian in Germany, watching your videos recorded in the US. Haha. I want to thank you sooo much for all this knowledge that you have gathered during years of hard work and now sharing so generously with us. I don't even have a car and am trying to fight my temptation to buy one. But I know if I want to buy one, my watching hours of your videos will help me have a good choice. (I definitely would buy a Toyota, very likely a Verso Haha, cause I have seen how annoyed you become, when some people ask your advice and don't take it seriously ;) ) Thank you so much for your wonderful personality and sharing your valuable knowledge. And be aware that you have a friend in Germany :)

2003 50th Anniversary Z06 in Electron Blue, I lost mine in Hurricane Sandy way back in 2012. Amazing to see her on screen again - I've now joined you in XLR (V) ownership

Total respect to you after hearing "not looking like an insect!"

No other sports car really beats the C5 in terms of value. I've had one for 22+ years.

Not really a Vette guy, but if I were to own one that would be the model. That one is beautiful!

I own a 04Z06. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND everyone w/a M6 trans install a clutch flush kit. It make a huge difference in pedal feel and will make the slave cylinder last longer. (I only drive 4-5k miles a yrs and use dot 4 in it. And I still notice an improvement each time I flush it)

What a beautiful C5! Yep, I had to replace the harmonic balancer on my C6 with an LS2. The initial symptom was the alternator would stop charging when you put your foot down. Good times!

I agree with you. The C5 is much better looking than a new one.

FYI the aftermarket "LMC5 module" is $40 and a permanent fix to the steering wheel lock issue. This is what every C5 owner does.

My dad (who has had a C5 Z06 since new), when the recall was issued, did some research and went straight to the bypass install... didn't bother with GM's fix.

Thanks Wizard for the tour. I’m the third owner of a ‘02 corvette with the manual trans and 100,000 +miles. I love it. There is one thing wrong with this specific car. It ONLY has 15,000 miles on it. It NEEDS to be driven. They are fantastic driving cars and deserve to be driven. I get 28 MPG at 75 MPH.

Great video and beautiful car. Brings back memories of my ‘02 Z06, in the exact same color, Electron Blue metallic. Mine looked exactly the same as this one, with the only exception being the 50th anniversary badges which mine obviously didn’t have. I bought mine new and kept it for 10 years, and loved every minute of driving it. Great track car, and can be easily daily driven too. I can’t believe it was over 20 years ago that I bought it! Time flies.

As a Corvette guy, I feel the C5 Corvette is the best of the newer generations for all around street driving. You have power, looks, decent ride, affordability, and reliability all in one.

I like the fixed roof, not just for looks but it had a trunk.

I love my C5s. I have 3 convertibles, they are the best model to buy. I love how sleek they look with the top down.

I had the exact same '03 Z06 car several years back, right down to the "Electron Blue" paint. Mine showed 15,978 miles on the clock when I bought it up in Northern Virginia. I got a killer deal on it from the original owner. It was absolutely pristine in every respect, just like this Z06. The only problem I had with mine was that I couldn't keep my foot out of it the entire time I owned it! It had tons of power and was very quick. During the three years I owned the car, I put a whopping nearly 2,000 miles on it. This 73-year-old decided to sell it while the market was hot. It was the only Corvette I ever made money on when it was time to sell. I really miss it, now that it's gone, but I, having driven one, I'm convinced the C6 Z06 is really the one to have.

The fixed roof was supposed to be lighter and more rigid. I had a coupe with Z06 rear brake ducts and I did Z06 shocks and sway bars. I wanted the Z06, but also needed the hatch back. That blue is amazing.

Cool C5 Z06! I have a standard C5 coupe, like the Car Wizard prefers as I do, with 6MT and some Z06 upgrades (Z06 wheels and titanium exhaust). Getting close to 110,000 miles, still purrs like a kitten. It's amazing how affordable they are still, even today. It's really the sports car bargain. Awesome cars!

Wizard you and Scott Kramer all the best helping a lot of people out I love honesty😊

Greetings from Finland ! I subscribed to your channel even though I don't own American cars, I've driven many. I myself own a couple of Toyotas, it's nice to watch the work of a professional :-)

Thank you especially for turning on the head lights ! Pop-ups are in every car guy's DNA. Cheers !

I prefer the C6, but, this certainly comes in as a close second. My dad has a '99 corvette, and, I've driven it. Nimble, speedy (not super fast) and reliable. Also, it sounds dang good stock, which most cars (especially of that era) don't.

Beautiful example of a C5 original Z06. I bought my ‘03 Z06 end of ‘02. My son at that time was 13. The car is now his as we made a pact to never sell it. Now has 34k miles and he loves it.

Surprise! The dealership faked safety recall work and billed Chevy. If I had a $1 for every time that happened . . .

Performance-wise, the Corvette Z variants have been right up there with the "more expensive" exotics and in the upper echelons of performance for several generations now. See: C4 ZR1, C5 Z06, C6 Z06, C6 ZR1, etc. etc. Go check out the lap times of these cars compared to Ferraris of the same era.

Wizard, I own a mint 2004 Z06 Z16 Commemorative Edition with 6,050 miles on it. Garage kept and cherry since day 1. Love the car. Just spent a week and 950 miles driving a 2022 C8 Z51, and while it's an awesome car, I wouldn't get rid of my C5 Z06.

I was lucky enough to drive a Vette for my last years of high school… unfortunately it was a Chevette. It didn’t land many chicks, but it was decent enough that my non-car-owning friends didn’t object to their free rides (gas money from them occasionally would’ve been nice!). Thanks for the video.

Cherry for being 20yrs old , these can be had for 14 to 25 k but all of them had more mileage, this owner cherishes his baby, upstate new york

My 1st corvette was a C5 six speed and it was a blast to drive and decent mpg as well! I have had 2 C5s and a C4 and hopefully my C6 Grand Sport will be my last. Thanks for showing us this sweet ride wizard 🧙‍♂️

These corvettes are like mustangs from the 80 and 90s. Super fun and easy to work on! You can do so much if wanted in upgrades easily and affordable! Awesome car!

The fact that you compared a C8 to an insect makes me love you. I love you, and I love my C5. lol

Flush the clutch reservoir. It will shift smoother. Time to change the coolant too.

The C5 Z06 is by far and away the best Corvette ever made. A pure driver's car.

I have a 2002 w 17k , you have to watch the radiator, it’s like a vacuum cleaner and being at an angle things don’t fall off when you stop. I fixed the column lock with a kit from the company,before the recall.

My 97 had a recall on the column lock. I never had it repaired. I have not driven the car on the road for 10 years. I'd forgotten about it until you mentioned it. Thanks

Great looking car, also another well presented video,thank you and Mrs Wizard

Mrs Wizard,that car doesn’t purrrrr down the road it roars 😊

I think my brother's '03 Z06 has 23K miles now. He started driving it again a couple years ago. For the longest time it was stuck at 17K miles. A comfortable touring car. Right after he bought it my daughter and I drove to Florida. The car got better mpg than my Subaru.

C5 used to be my favorite but I recently just made a video that had a c7 and I pretty much fell in love with it!

Nice review Wizard. 👍 FYI, that separator panel that separates the trunk are from the area immediately behind the seats is an aftermarket piece. Also, those mufflers are factory Titanium units, only installed on the Z06 cars.

Lemans Blue is the best color for the C5 C6 vettes.. Fun fact the Z06 body was actually considered the cheap vetted FRC (Fixed Roof Coupe) but when it was realized it had superior structural rigidiy, they made it a Z06. There are 97'-99' (I believe) Manual LS-1 (not LS6) FRC cars that look like the z06 but aren't.

I think the C5 Z06 was only available in the hardtop (fixed roof Coupe) for structural rigidity. Fastback Coupe and convertible not available for C5 Z06.

I have a '03 Z06 27k miles. One thing that must be checked is if it has the original yellow valve springs. If it does - it is an absolute must to change them out. They will break, it will drop a valve and the engine is toast.

I agree on both statements presented in the video. That the C5 is clearly the sweet spot in the corvette line, and that the fastback is the prettiest by far. A retired mechanic was showing me his showroom clean pretty red C5 fastback, and that subtle blue tint that GM uses in their glass, in that big rear window, was just the cherry on top of a remarkably attractive car. However, that style does present a purchasing dilemma, because a convertible is the ultimate expression of a corvette, unless you need to play, " My car is faster than yours" and then most prefer a hard top, like they have never heard of chinstraps for hats. But even driving top down in a C5 , there is no objectionable wind buffeting until around 50 mph. they did a lot of aerodynamic tuning on the car. And if you get yourself an astronaut haircut, no worries at all. I feel the mechanical platform and body design are good enough to invest the money and stewardship it takes to keep my almost 20 year old 03 on the road. Only car I have ever driven where I got pulled over by the law and got let off with a warning. It might have helped my cause that I was on my way after work to check out the space shuttle, which was still at the airport, headed for the museum.

So cool to have this corvette it is such a beautiful car. I am looking to buy another corvette and the C5 is a serious contender. It still has the old school look Thank you Mr, and Mrs, Wizard that car is popping

My dad had a 2000 Corvette. The handling felt FAR superior than my 2001 Camaro!

Really cool to see the current owner is up on the maintenance. As with all older cars and trucks staying ahead of the curve with an honest shop is so important. My wife had a 02 in electron blue, I believe it was called. Not a Z06 but very enjoyable car minus Maintenace cost. As with any performance car you can look forward to run flat tires at $1000 just for the front. Not that you can't run a lighter non run flat but when that it happens out on the road it sucks. Now a days finding corvettes at a low price is great. Just have some extra $ to cover things like this owner. Who got off lucky this time. I love my corvettes, but stuff gets old and Fails like any car. So, find someone who knows corvettes look at your dream car before you buy. It's cheaper in the long run and more miles with smiles THANKS Mr. Wizard for showing a great Corvette!

I absolutely love the C5 Corvette. A very beautiful car even to this day!

Very Nice ride and the C5 is probably my fav Corvette 2 Keep up the Great work Car Wizard...

Very nice car. I got to test drive a used one back in the day and it was awesome. The only car that I have gotten to test drive that I thought was better was a used C6 Z06. Both were too expensive for my budget but it was nice to dream about.

That little paint chip can be fixed with patients and persistence. No problem at all. I have a 50th Anniversary Convertible in Anniversary Red with Champagne wheels and interior - 11,000 miles. 6 speed manual. Love it especially the lights. Mine is all stock - not hacked-up. Great Channel Wizzard. I have had some leaks - engine oil and transaxle seal service.

C5 is GOAT

I love Corvettes, and that C5 is special such that I have to rewatch this vid. Never seen the short rear on one of these, much prefer the hatch window myself. Nice blue, though.💙

I drove one, same color, the year it came out. Only complaint I had, was that the owner had put 16k on it, driving like a granny. So, it smelled funny after I put the clutch to work for a few blocks. Super fun car though. Very responsive, and you can feel exactly what it wants to do. That's very different from what you get in a late model Trans Am. I guess you get what you pay for.

I installed the bypass on my Arctic White 2000 6spd coupe. No issues or dtcs ever. Also installed the skip shift bypass without issues. The ZO6 body style was originally called an FRC or Fixed Roof Coupe. As, unlike the regular hatchback base model, that has the removable targa top, the top is not removable. I definately prefer the hatch for aesthetics as well as practical usage. I've actually slept in the back several times and I'm 6'2" 210 lbs.

I agree Wiz!! I had a C4 and sold it for a C5. 2001 6 speed. It just looks amazing! It’s my fav Corvette also! Pop up headlights look great. Interior looks great! I get compliments every time I take it out. (The car not my ….). One note: The Z06 only came with that odd looking, stunted/abbreviated rear window. If you want the nice, long rear window you have to get a regular C5. Not a Z06 and not a convertible.

Very nice, I have a C5 Z06 that is my track car and it is such a good platform to work from. I do wish it was that pretty color of blue but it'd just get chewed up on track anyways.

I heard the laugh before calling it a "grab bar." She was definitely going to call it the "oh shit grip."

Thanks Car Wizard! Your the groovest!

My favorite was the C4. I just love the look of them and they weren't overloaded with electronics and computer modules. The C8 may look good but it's been a symphony of problems.

Love the C5 Z06 and thanks for the posting this awesome video ! I just started saving up for a Corvette and will be ready by summer of 2024 for a healthy deposit. A C7 was in the plans BUT since COVID, corvette prices have spiked and our out of control. This C5 Z06 is exactly what ill be looking for, well maintained, unmolested, either blue, gray or silver. Maybe black if the condition is excellent. In the Z06, Chevrolet saved about 130 pounds compared to a standard C5 coupe. Thinner glass, lighter titanium exhaust (23 pounds), less insulation, removed the storage covers in the trunk, etc. I wont be tracking it, but for the $ its the best bang for the buck. As i get closer to retirement in 4 to 7 years and the C5 Z is paid off maybe upgrade to a C7, that's if i want to let it go? Excellent options either way...

Love Corvettes!! Just bought my first one in Ireland. It’s a manual C6 and a very very rare beast over here

I'm going to have a vette around this year in the nearing future, glad I learned something today. Thank you!

Lmc5 fixes the steering lock issue permanently. My c5z had both gm fixes done and still had problems as did many other cars so I installed lmc5 to fix that problem

Totally agree I had a C3 and then a C4, but my favorite is the C5, maybe one day I will get one :)

Just sold a '03 C5 so I could get my '08 C6. I agree, the C5 styling looks a bit better, but the C6 is still cool as hell! Moving from an LS1 to an LS3 is huge, plus the 6 speed vs. the C5's 4 speed auto is a big upgrade.

Looks just like my uncle's vette. I got to ride in it once and he put through the paces. I got sucked back into the seat and my butt puckered a bit. It's an amazing machine that does exactly what it's designed to do.

I am a fan of these older, C5 Corvette's.

really nice car, the transaxle gives it a great balance, just one thing, they owners didn’t quite like to drive it :) (low mileage). to be honest I only do like 1500mi / year in my c4, like once a week short drives to a nearby place where I can do some sporty driving, few trips to repair shops and a few to the race track

My favorite as well. I had two of them. I really thinking of getting one to tinker with . Stock to 60 , 4.0 flat and a mid 12 car. Easy bolt on's with a car that weighs roughly 3000 lbs. It was so easy to get 500hp and easy mid 11's. The gas mileage was awesome at 17 and 28 mpg. Z06 was couple only, all performance.

My buddy had two 03 Z06's His 1st one had the column lock problem when we were at Bloomington Gold. He found a bypass kit for sale from a guy at the show and got his beast fixed but he missed the road tour. He pre-emptively bought the bypass kit for his 2nd Z06 so be would never be stranded again.

As a C5 owner, I wouldn't hesitate to do the kit as soon as you have issues. Several times it fails completely without any more warnings, usually leaving the owner stranded.

I got to visit the Vette museum back in 2003. I was able to sit in one of these and I absolutely fell in love with the 03 C5. I've toyed a bit with buying one (especially back in 09) but all the ones I found would pop out of gear under moderate to heavy acceleration, which is apparently a known issue if the cars have been romped on. =\

Thank you Mrs Wizard for all the great interior segments!

i love wizards humor on tyler’s channel , seems like Mrs wizard doesnt let him slide when she is recording 😂😂

What a beaut. I love that blue. The rubber looks aggressive too.

*what Mr. Wizard doesn't realize is that he could sell the donated C8 Corvette and buy four C5 Corvette* 😅🤣😂

Gorgeous car! Love my 09 C6 Z06! As I have 14K miles on the ODO I do like the C5 as well. But love the C6 style a bit more.

The first scale model I built as a kid in the early 80's was a Corvette C3 Stingray & I painted it a colour very similar to that.! Metallic blue has been my favorite car colour ever since.!.... Especially for a Corvette.!!

Wizard, you may find the door control module is the culprit for the lazy lock. I believe they are no longer available and even if you can find one, very expensive. My son’s 2002 Z06 had the same problem on the passenger door. We also replace the door lock assembly first. We found someone in Minnesota that solders in new better relays in the door module very reasonably. Did the trick and has been fine for years.

I have 240,000 miles on my 2002 Camaro SS and it is still great 😊with lots of power 😮

Please also fix the common steering lock issue as preventative maintainance. Very typical and easy to do, but if you're locked out, you have to visit the dealer.

The Hatchback is he reason it took me so long to find my C5. I hate the hatchback and love the Z06 Fixed Roof Coupe look. I couldn't find a low mileage C5 Z06 so I bought a convertible. Very sharp looking with the top up, I love the car but I'm 6'5 and it's a bit tough to get in and out of until you figure out what way works best for you.

the C5 Z06 was only available as a fixed coupe, the hatchback was never offered with the Z06 on the C5

Thinking on getting one of these in a year or so. Got a classic that’s getting finished first but much like the wizard I love the last of the pop up Vettes. Don’t even mind the coups though the hatchbacks definitely outshine the rest.

I had a 99 beautiful car

I have a 2004 that I bought in October 2022 with only 1246 miles. It now has 10k miles and is still perfect. Zero defects. I had the steering lock recall done at the dealership. I didn’t have an issue with the steering lock, but the recall was done for safety reasons. I’ve had two C7 Corvettes. And the C5 is by far my favorite.

I had an Electron Blue 04 Z06. Column lock recall was done, and it failed again. This was only one of many issues with it. So glad to be rid of that pile.

C5 Z06 never had a full hatchback. They have a trunk under the deck lid.

You wouldn't take a free C8 my ass...

Mrs. Wizard is the Bomb! Way to go Weeezard!!!

My favorite vette too The non hatch is called a FRC “fixed roof coupe”. And was lighter and stiffer, so it was used on the Z too. Near perfect cars.