If you need a little more reason to buy a C5, here is some more info! kzfaq.info/get/bejne/hruWZcie3cncgnU.html

Very good guide! BUT I'd like to add one thing: Check the faultcodes! Press and hold 4(options) and within 10 seconds press 1(Fuel) four times. Codes will start being displayed. After they are done you can browse through them using 1-4. Exit with 5.

ANY CORVETTE IS. A DREAM OF MINE I HAVE ALWAYS LOVED THIS CAR

I did my homework too, but never knew about the issues with the driveshaft you mentioned. I decided to buy a 2004 because I figured they would have addressed issues on that year by that time. I took my time to find a 46k mile example which was obviously treated well and patience pays off.

I loved my C 5. After 7 years, things started to go bad. Costs were normally 2 to 3 times for a new car. Trying to get parts for a car over 15 years old is almost impossible. The best place to get parts was the junk yard and still is.

Perfect advice for any car buyer. Thanks for sharing your Corvette specific knowledge. I didn't know a few of these things.

Cant believe how much these have gone up in price in the last 2 years

I have owned multiple C5 Coupes and one C5 Z06. Although the C5 Z06 is more money, considerably more now that they are moving closer to collector status, the driving experience is so different that spending the extra money is well worth it. You can still find some gently treated Z06s but they can get pretty pricey if they are one owner garage queens. Given how different the two cars are I would strongly recommend you test drive the C5 Z06 but once you test drive it you won't want the Hatchback.

Thanks for this info. A lot of this did not show up in my googling as I am searching for a C5.

Thanks a lot for this video. I did a lot a research but took your opinions about getting a later model. I found a very nice 2002 with 52k on it. Clean car fax and went to the dealer every 5k miles. Thanks so much for the help.

This is the most useful C5 video in KZfaq platform. Thank you so much for your kind efforts. Regards from Istanbul...

Always loved the C5 Corvette, It really does have such a timeless design! I'm still 50/50 if I should get an 04 model and supercharge it.

I just bought a 2000 with 123k miles and 6 speed. It is in great shape and was only $6800 so I don't care that it is not the ideal year. It is the color I wanted and enough miles that I don't feel bad driving it everywhere. I just took it on a 1000 Mile road trip to Las Vegas and it did great.

Great info , and as a multiple corvette owner over the years , what he says is true. I love my 2003 Z06 , I looked till I found one that was not modified or messed with. I owned a 99 coupe as well at one time. I wished I would have known about this Channel before I had to learn the old fashion way.

I'm going to get a C5. I'm so glad I saw this video. Thanks.

The 97-00 issues are overblown imo. The fear doesn't reflect real numbers from what I've seen. But good to be aware of nonetheless

Great videos you’re making. Very helpful for us looking for a C5 one day. I have seen your posts on the forum as well. I’ve been signed up there since 2007, but only recently came back to it as my search has now re-started after a very long break. Keep them coming! - J

I've had my c-5 for about 35k miles and I got it at 70k. The drivers seat is shot but that's about it. I like running the codes all the time from the drivers seat. I cleaned the radiator and installed a coolit switch to manually turn on the engine fan. Replaced the gears on one headlight. The car is rock solid.

Had my 2000 for 15 years. Street and track. None of the problems claimed in this video.

Great bang for the $ C5 you can modify these like mine is 799 heads port & polished 614 lift comp cam & so many more ops 💯😊✌️

Man, while I appreciate the heads up for people on the 97-2000 issues... they aren’t a write off. I go over a lot on my channel regarding my 97 Corvette it has 197,000 miles now... can’t really hate on a “trouble” year car that is still kicking ass at almost 200k...

Another thing to pay attention to is the rails under the front bumper make sure they haven’t been hit to hard.....the c5 is notoriously known for being difficult when pulling in and out of parking lots and speed bumps, you almost always have to drive in at angles to avoid scraping.

I am glad I purchased a 04 really got lucky at the time just over 2 years ago it only had 27K miles on it.I am the second owner and it was in FL all its life.

I have driven my 2001 C5 as a DD for 19 years (as of today!). All the issues you pointed out were valid, but I would say late 2001 or 2002 is the safest bet. Starting sometime in 2003 they moved the fuel sensors on the tanks which require dropping the tanks to fix (and quite a few had problems) - very expensive repair!

This is literally I guide on the exact car to buy, thanks. I'm one of those car guys who has a decent bit of money to spend on these so i was going to get a garage queen 1997 c5, but now I know to avoid it.

I am looking for a C5 for a birthday gift for my wife. So glad I found your channel. A lot of good info. Thank you for helping me not have buyers remorse and steering me in the right direction. I am looking for a blue conv. automatic and not easy to find in the NW. Thank you again.

I hope to own a blue C5 one day. I love that it's a smooth design, no super outdated flares or jagged edges. It does have pop up lights but who cares. It's also a convertible, can't beat that option going to the lake. This car will age well like the Mclaren F1.

Nice to see another educated local Vette owner. Granted I'm in Crystal and your in Lake St Croix Beach area, but close enough. Great vid!

Great video, thank you for making it. Hopefully I’ll have a c5 Corvette in the next few months!

F. I just bought the 2000 model. But it does have 70K miles and it’s been taken care of while in EXCELLENT condition

i dreamed since kid of 2005 ford mustang GT and corvette C5, but since i ride in corvette C5 and the guy accelerate, i have a crystal souvenir of being soo happy and told me 1 day i will have that car.

You researched the car for three years before you purchased it? Well I would be a fool if I didnt watch your video and not hit the like button.GREAT VIDEO.

Thank you sir! I have been angling for years for a 2002-2004 ZO6. This was very informative.

Great information. The C5 has always been a favorite of mine.

I bought a new 2002 convertible, replaced the top this year...triple black still looks great runs great but the oil pressure sender went which they ingeniously put under the intake manifold, ill get around to it, also the traction control / abs control had to have it fixed, main cost was labor but overall one of the best cars I have ever owned , still is gorgeous and a fun car to drive (oh yeah 6 sd of course)

Great video with the exception of the last tip. If anyone ever asked for a one hour test drive of a car I was selling I would tell them to kick rocks and I would look for another buyer. 15 minutes is plenty of time to get a feel for the car and for issues/CELs to pop up. If i was buying a car, I would feel like a fool for even suggesting I wanted to do that. Also the suggestion to avoid a Z06 model entirely because of modification concerns is pretty laughable.

Great advice, I'm considering a c5 or c6 z06 but I'm weighting the performance vs problems balance between these newer cars with all the performance and electronics to go bad vs the old cars... I plan to keep what I get for a while...

Grab a z06 while you can. I agree, don’t get one that has been modified or raced, but a low mileage, stock z06 is a keeper👍🏼

Thanks for the post. I have a 1953 Chevrolet pickup I intend to rebuild with C5 running gear and suspension. Your post has been helpful in what to look for.

I'm admittedly not a car guy. Vids like this are really helpful.

Just starting to get interested in a Corvette. Your video was the best I've seen. Thanks!

I think you are great......recently bought 50th 2003 convert.....cannot stand the engine noise on cold start...sounds like an old truck till hot

Glad I came across this video, thanks. I actually have started looking for C5 and this helped a lot!!

Great video!! I hope to buy one when I get out of school. The c5 has always been my dream car!

WOW!! Thank you so much!! I had no idea about the C5s like THIS!!! Great video!!

VERY, VERY, informative. Thanks!!!

EBCM, before I wash or detail my 2000 c5 vert, I take it to the grass field near me and hit the brakes and activate my ABS for a few minutes. I'm a big believer they fail because most people don't take there vettes out in shitty enough weather to activate it, there for it seizes and other issues arise. In my experience more problems tend to arise with a car that sits rather than a car that's driven. A body in motion stays in motion. Although my EBCM has had no issues, till now probably, because I'm saying this. Lol... I can make a list a complete page long for all the other issues in 136,000 miles. The worst being a bolt back out in the transmission against the torque converter and locked up the car in a lowes parking lot. 20hrs of my friend and I dropping the bell housing, torque tube, trans and rear. Just to loctite a bolt back in the transmission and one bell housing later.... bell housing had to be drilled and cut to get to the bolt between the torque tube and engine. I'll never buy a vette again, actually it will be Lexus from now on. I'm done with American cars.

I bought the elephant in the room... but its my 4th vette. Follow the same advise. Stay away from any mods. My vette has 4100 one owner miles and I got a great deal. Patience is the key.

Great source of Factual Information... Many Thanks... With the new c8 coming out, plenty of c5's thru c7's hitting the market... Prices are really dropping... Good Luck / Happy Hunting !!!

I've got a cammed 99 frc. No problems. Drive it like you stole it.

Just an FYI. I bought my C5 Z06 Commemorative new in 2004. It has been garage kept. It now has 131,000 miles on it. Still runs like new. Has been up to 171 MPH before I ran out of highway space. LS6 is the finest engine that I have owned. My first Vette was a new 1996. This Z06 has no leaks at all and the factory warranty put in a new oil pump. One minor electrical grounding issue that was repaired by the dealer. Two years ago I installed a new water pump, thermostat, radiator, belts and hoses. I think only one replacement set of brakes since I've owned it. It still gets good gas mileage, when driven conservatively. Once it hit 30 MPG a few years ago. Still get 22+ MPG on highway trips. I bought it to drive, and I have. Tires last me longer than most people get because I don't drive like I used to as a younger man owning 3 MOPARs with 440 Magnums. The HUD still works but the lighting on it has dimmed somewhat over the years. The HVAC display worked intermittently over the past several years and the HVAC control panel AC has completely failed 4 weeks ago. GM has none and they have been discontinued by them. The only choices are to try and repair it yourself or to buy a reconditioned HVAC control panel on line. There are people that repair them. You will pay a substantial CORE charge until you send in your old unit to the repair person, then they refund it to you. I have seen up to a $300 core charge. That's what you're gonna do if you want functional Air conditioning in your Vette. I'm looking into this presently. I'm open to suggestions on any of this though. Great car. I love it and it's a keeper. P.S. I've never had a speeding ticket, but have come close... Enjoy Your C5 Corvette.

I just purchase my C5 99. Didn’t see your video I feel I got a good deal love the car. Being a mechanic I did go thru the car thanks for your video. I’ve own two C3 and the first drive I love the ride. The Technology is great I don’t feel the road as much. 😊. Great Video

Just get a C5 ZO6 and smile. My 2001 ZO6 has 171k and runs as fierce as the day I drove it off the dealer's lot. Not a car, a force of nature!

02-04s hardly ever go up for sale close to me so I jumped on a 98. All good so far

Great video I'm looking at a 2004 right now with only 31k miles

whoops bought a 2000 c5 with 90k miles , rust under the battery, and broken interior door panel

Good general used car buying advice. I also like to tell the seller NOT to fire up the car before I arrive. I've read a lot of grief about the C5 Harmonic Balancer as well. Not sure which years. At least it doesn't have an Optispark. I think the best buying advice for the C5 is to get a C6. For about five minutes during it's 8 year run they made some reliable C5s.

I wanted to buy one but the Corvettes I find, the interiors are falling apart and they have over a 100k miles priced at $20'000 or more. The cars that are in good shape people want almost twice that it crazy you'd think there'd be a little cheaper since there's so many of them.

After owning 5, c5's, here were my issues, with the 99 coupe & vert. service active handling Ebcm, 98 vert. gas gauge had false readings and the A4 shifter would get stuck in park, for afew minutes. The 99 coupe and 98 vert. had hvac vent door issues and a ac control module. Spark plug wires and a headlight switch and a radiator, in the 99 coupe. 04 Z06 needed a oil sending unit and a radiator. The triple blk 98 vert. needed a new shifter, that saved the 6 spd. trans., everything else in that car worked fine...a Dwi driver hit it , while it was PARKED at the house..total loss...all cars were bought used...yes, plus batteries and tires and serpintine belts, all fluids changed and air & gas filters too...I still have 2, the 04 Z06 with 96k miles, and the 99 vert. A4 with 87k miles...I did upgrade to a used 14 c7 vert. A6 with 11k miles.

I'm an ASE CMAT and my '01 w/ 63k C5 had a boatload electrical problems. I have fixed everything... My re-occurring problem was the Ft lights. I have had them apart 3 times! Three nuts and three bolts and the whole "Bucket" comes out. Do not use 3157am bulbs for the DRLS, they melt the housing and break. Use LED's, No heat and they don't break from the vibration from the stiff ft. suspension. $3.50 a pair on EBAY!

Im looking at a good condition 1997 c5. With a 6speed. It is my first car and its just under 100k miles. Im still in training right now but im having my dad check it out. If its as clean as advertised then i will pick it up for $6k... current owner is 6’7 and still growing so he just cant drive it anymore

Thank you. I'm looking to purchase a c5 in the spring.

Oh, the other PRO to the early cars is that they don't have the $700 BCM (body control module computer) that the later cars have. My 2007 Z51 had the BCM take a dump which then kept draining the battery every 3 days. No way to repair it, all you can do is replace it - oh, and it has to be done at a dealership that has the right tool to pair it to the car.

Thanks for the information the car is really nice only 12500 for it

I have a 98. Love the car

I have an 02 vert with 32k at this time, am second owner...bought at 25k miles. Put a few pennies in it and am very happy with it. Nitto G2 tires are the shit my brothers. Zoom zoom

outstanding video quality THANK YOU your loyal sub. I am seriously considering c5 but most likely will hunt for a c6 since I really like there modern feel. Can you create a buying guide for c6? I assume this is asking too much since you researched and spent 3 years looking for a c5. What amazes me is how much smarter the average corvette owner is. They actually care about certain elements of there cars unlike other car owners who dont even understand how there car works.

This was very useful to me. I was sort of thinking that earlier was better because there would be less to go wrong. From the video I am now re-focused to the newer C5 Corvettes

Had a black 97 and the ebcm went out, and the shifter mechanism to take it out of park went out, nice car but too old to be truly reliable Bought a 2012 c6, love it, much more refined and a overall nicer car......in my opinion.

Found a 98 c5 vette One owner with 29000 miles Was thinking about purchasing it Have 2 neighbors that have 98 corvettes and they really take care of theirs said had no issues with the ECBM

Additionally, there are many sellers that will clear the current codes in the DIC, so it will take a longer test drive, to make them pop up again. Anybody purchasing a C5 Corvette should look at the history codes, as the diagnostic system is built in.

Thank you for the lesson 🙏

The 96 LT4 Corvette is the one I would want.

thankyou...I getting ready to start,,well I have been looking for about a year now,,seeking a c5..thanks for the advice..there is a lot of info out there..I will take your advice and go 02 and newer

Dream car from NFS High Stakes. Will definitely buy one soon!

Thanks- some great stuff that I didn’t know

Wow. A great video. Wish you had similar for C6 and C7

Good advice.

I have a showroom condition 02' black C5 coupe that has never been exposed to rain and washed only half a dozen times with only 35K!...I get offers on it at least twice a year...usually as a note left on my windshield ....

99 c5 Corvette owner. No real problems. I believe that the 2000 and up model c5 had problems with the lifters collapsing?

Interesting comment about the z06 in my opinion that's the one you want and avoids almost all of the mechanical defects mentioned you just have to find one

Thanks for the video and the tips

Thanks, it was interesting to know about units don't obvious for non-expert.

Thanks for this. Before I go look at a 2002 c5 z06 with about 44k miles.

I’ve had a 2000 targa and 2003 Z06. Agree fully on the year/electronics issue. That said, the Z06 really doesn’t feel significantly faster.

I want one!

Over all I would agree with your list but no mention of the magnetic ride control? Crazy expensive to repair or delete.

Have never been allotted (1) hour to test out a used vehicle. 25-30min. is more realistic.

You must have gotten taken pretty hard by a junker. My Vett is and has been problem free. Oh ! I forgot, I bought mine new in Bowling Green, Ky. Mine was a 1000 mile executive car. I love it.

I just bought a '99 Convertible with 7500 miles. I have the records. Tires and all fluids were replaced a year ago. You can't look at a book on a car that's in new condition.

I would add that a pre-purchase inspection (PPI) by a garage or mechanic you trust is always well worth the money. If you state you would like to get one at your expense and the owner balks for any reason - walk away.

Looking at C5 Corvettes at the present, good video with lots to think about. 🍻

If your driving a base stock c5 I would t bring up the elephant in the room z06 either 🙄 I have one it’s my first vette and it’s way out in front of a base c5 not to mention looks better with Frc but hey who wants to start off with 60 more hp stock over 345 hp .

Do you think a seller would let a buyer take a 45 minute test ride..My C5 runs perfect..36,000 when purchased too 69,000 no problems..

Thanks for sharing your knowledge. Very useful information!! Take care!

Thanks for this video! I'm looking at 2000 right for $5500 and may pass on it for some the reason you mentioned.

There are actually a ton of ultra low mile, immaculate unmodified Z06s and they are more likely to have been kept in a garage and taken care of than the base model C5s as the years have gone by. I love C5s and fourth gen Camaros but I was not interested in a base model C5 because the Z06 is a much cooler car. I don't see any reason to avoid the Z06.

Nice vid. I own a cammed C6 Z, supercharged running 660whp ( that was before I put the supercharger ), so I’m dyno running in April. I guessing I’ll push 720whp + . All my mods are in my about. -

I love how you just used my car as the thumbnail

2000 triple black 6 spd convertible 60k miles. Love mine