I'm considering my first Corvette

[DennisC]

I've been driving German cars for 25 years but have pretty much decided to sell my Audi 2.7 turbo and buy a Corvette. I don't really know what to look for in shopping a Corvette. The Chevy dealer has '01 Coupe, 48K miles, $23K asked; red, 6-spd, glass top, std 5.7, handling pkg, side mlds, Goodyears, clean Carfax, same owner since '03. It looks absolutely stunning and seems clean. 30-day warranty. I haven't driven it yet. The only negative I see is that the Armor-All can't hide a dash skin that really looks its age and has signs of starting to crack around the edges.

Does the '01 have any chronic issues that make it a bad idea for a commuter? It would be my daily commuter; 25 miles a day on suburban arterials. We're retiring to N AZ in year or two...are there any high temperature issues?

I'd really appreciate any advise from 'Vette experts on 01 C5 problem areas to look for and what to observe when driving it.

 

[Toms007]

Welcome to the forum. I just bought my 01 a little over a month ago, they are very nice cars. I haven't heard of any real issues with these cars in the heat. Just be aware that they breath from the bottom. When I got mine home and up on the lift, I could see a bunch of junk packed into the upper section of the radiator area. I just took my shop vac and vacuumed it all out.

 

[KANE]

...Does the '01 have any chronic issues that make it a bad idea for a commuter? It would be my daily commuter; 25 miles a day on suburban arterials. We're retiring to N AZ in year or two...are there any high temperature issues?...

As a former C5 owner, I found the cars to be GREAT for daily driving. I drove mine all over Virginia, North Carolina, and even Germany without so much as a problem. I did have an occasional issue with the gas gauge / "low fuel" error (where the gauge would drop to E and the check gauges light would come on), but that was the result of the gas formula in Europe.

I might suggest an automatic if you think you'll spend a lot of time driving in stop & go traffic.

Good luck & enjoy your first Vette!

 

[jj2k]

My only experience with "German" cars was my New Beetle conv (85% built in Mexico). I drive my 2k daily and love it. FL heat is as bad or worse than AZ heat, especially when you add in the humidty we have. In the summer months I use the A/C as much or more than the conv due to the extreme heat. I love the auto air setting in this thing...does a great job of keeping the temperature good. No heat related issues that I've come across.

 

[Eric]

I bought my 98 about 5 years ago (or is it 4?) and it was at best a not well cared for car and had 40k on the clock. Since then I've logged 30k more miles and have done very little besides maintenance and upgrades. It has been the best car I've ever owned in all honesty. Oh and by the way, you'll be amazed at how great the fuel economy is.

There are some issues common with the C5. Among those are:

• the infamous rocking seat - bushings in the seat track may wear and allow the seat to move about 1/8". I fixed mine for about 2 or 3 dollars and a couple hours time.
• Gas gauge on empty - depending on the fuel used, contaminates can cause the sending unit to read improperly. Good news is that when this happens it will always show less than really in the tank so you won't run out. Also, as long as you use something like Chevron Techron every 2500 miles, it's fine. This doesn't happen to all, mine happened to be one.
• Overtightened battery posts can cause acid to leak onto electrical components. Check out the battery tray for any sign of past leakage.

Regarding the heat, I don't live in a desert or anything but I do sit in some of the worst traffic in the country (Wash. DC burbs) and love my AC. When the AC is on the fan(s) run constantly so it runs below 200 usually. The LS1 runs hot naturally anyhow and I've never heard of anyone having heat issues with these cars.

That's all I can think about off the top of my head. Good luck and hopefully I'll be congratulating you on your new Vette soon.

 

[XLR8]

Hi Dennis and welcome to the Corvette Action Center!

The C5 is a great Corvette and a one owner Vette that's been cared for sounds promising.

Check here for a tremendous amount of info:
Corvette Action Center | Tech Center

and here for specific model years:
Corvette Action Center | Tech Center | Model Center

Enjoy the site and your search.
Jane Ann

 

[Eric]

Come to think of it, I don't recall ever seeing a C5 with a cracked dash pad (thought I'm sure it happens). Is it heat-cracked or is it possible it was removed at some point?

- Eric

 

[DennisC]

Dash Skin

Come to think of it, I don't recall ever seeing a C5 with a cracked dash pad (thought I'm sure it happens). Is it heat-cracked or is it possible it was removed at some point?

- Eric

It's not actually not big cracks like a split, but it has that kind of "old vinyl" look. Its shrunk back from around the switches etc and shows some some tiny radial cracks starting in the openings; just enough to look shabby. I suppose its possible that its been removed and reinstalled sloppily too. I had hoped to find dash skins were easy to change and commonly offered but haven't found one yet.

I went back to drive it today and the salesman got a Check Engine light when he started it, so we aborted until the shop checks it tomorrow. Not auspicious.

 

[vett boy]

As long as the car hasn't been beat to death by the previous owner a C5 is a great machine.

 

[65-to-00]

I'd have someone who has nothing to loose take a look at this car.

There are a few "bell ringers" ..... dash looks old and like it was poorly reinstalled? Hmmmmmmmmmmmm? Armor All on ... sounds like they may be putting lipstick on a pig. And ... I personally don't place much stock in "Carfax" .... there are ways to launder and hide damage that won't show up on their radar.

Never ..... never .... fall in love with one like this. Shop around since there are plenty out there for sale and if you miss one .... another will come along. Half the fun is shopping and you get to learn a lot too.

A real keen eye can spot things you and I never will. Right down to changes in the sealants (goop), used between panels .... or the type of screws/bolts used .... a good eye for those details is priceless.

 

[c5y2k]

Make sure to pull the codes from the DIC. Write them down and look them up. The ones with the "h" are history codes "c" is current issues. If nothing else it will give you some history on the cars issues.