Ok I am in the market for a vette and put a deposit for a dealer to find me one perferrably a '02 to 04' I need to know what to look for. Is a Z06 that much faster. The dealer told me that there were some electrical problems with the 01 and 02 models and I would like to know from the owners themselves what problems seem the most persistent. Also would like to know a good sell price for one. I've been quoted 37k for an 03 with 8700 miles on it (not Z06) and would like to know what is a good range for the price.


Also for the mod junkies I want to know how I can get to about 700, 800 and keep it a semi daily driver and about how much it costs to mod one of these puppies. I am driving a BMW M5 right now that has cost a ton to mod with minimal gains. In the past two days I have driven a viper which was a consideration until I drove the c5 today and also the c6 but I didnt like the c6 as much as the c5. I want to get this car looking really sweet so guys if you would please help me .

 

First, I have a a 2002 ZO6. It is much faster and "pure" as a sports car than the standard models, but given you plan heavy mods I would not recommend spending the difference: you'll end up replacing everything anyway, so.

As to the mods, I assume you mean 700 to 800 HP rather than spending $700-$800, which won't buy much.
That much HP in a C5 is entirely possible and how much of a daily driver it remains depends on what you mean.
My car is a case in point. I have replaced just about everything under the hood. The stock motor I sold on e-bay.
I have a 427 cubic inch (actually 428.5) C5R block based engine built professionally (I live in NASCAR country, good builders are easy to find, I got a really really good one) with top-notch aftermarket parts throughout (Crowler crank and rods, and cam and lifter set, CP pistons, Jesel roller rockers, FAST manifold, billet custom 90 mm throttle, etc. Patriot Stage III LS-6 heads with the biggest valves possible, (I'd recommend AFR big port heads, though, not available when I built mine), all Kocks biggest pipe size exhaust, with super super size cats.and much much small stuff, too. I told the engine builder to give a bottom end good up to 800 HP.
Normally aspirated, it made between 485 and 525HP at the rear wheels, depending on the cam (we tried three). ould have had about 10-20 HP more but I built it to only 10.2 compression ratio (see below).
I picked the 485 HP cam for daily driving, equivalent to about 545 HP flywheel. I had the rear wheel wells tubbed (Lingenfelter sells a great kit) and put on 345 drag radials for traction. And important::: a very good tune by someone who really knew what they were
doing. Total cost to that point: about $30K. I doubt it can be done in a quality way for much less if you go 427 cubes.
It was a sweet, sweet set up. 11.4 quarter mile like that. Soft idle, great throttle response.
I then added a Procharger D1SC (the P models cost less but don't produce enough boost), intercoolers, and a host of other mods that were suddenly needed: improved fuel systems, much bigger radiator. Oil cooler. etc. etc. Lots of dyno time getting it tuned, running into more problems. Adding even bigger exhaust (custom), etc.
It is now running very well, but with a "mild" pulley: only 4.5-5 lbs boost.
Result, 595 HP at the rear wheels, equivalent to about 660-675 HP. The car passed inspection and is licensed and I drive it once a week. With the mild cam it idles smooth and chugs in traffic, pulling from only 1200 RPM in 4th with no problems. Get on it though, and it screams: problem is that traction becomes a big point -- it can break the wheels loose on power alone (not dropped clutch, not fast shift) in third if the road is anything but perfect it will. More power would just make it worse. Up to this point the SC cost about another $20K (including all the small stuff and mods). I ruyn 345 drag radials which have as much traction as possible on the street
( and also last only 4K miles on the street, too).
In additi somewhere along the line I spend another $10K on things like hardened halfshafts, custom hood, "Tigershark" from end, battery relocated to the trunk, and on and on . . . and a set of Fkse wheels (18x13 rears cost quite a bit each).
Still, with the low compression ratio, I can go on up with smaller pulleys to about 8-9 lbs: at which point it should be producing another 100-150 HP RWs.
The car is a daily driver, AC, all original interior. But I only driver it about once a week for fun. Just too much tied up in it to have it out in traffic all the time.

If you have a budget, you could cut corners in these places: use a 408 iron block, and buy a short block kit (HP Engineering did the engine in my Camaro drag car- with AFR heads, 11.5 compresison ratio, etc. it was in the car and making 490 Hp RW normally aspirated, for only $10k complete,but it had a mean idle and not a lot of torque down low (but it is a licensed "dialy driver). Then use nitrous rather than a SC. I added a 175 shot system which costs about (about $2000 by the time you sort it out and put in good controls and have the PCM seriously tuned) it mades 640 on the dyno at the RW -- about 710 flywheel.

Realize with this much power in either car, if you abuse it or push it hard you WILL tear up the drivetrain. The vette has never been launched hard, but the Camaro has: its on its third transmission in 1200 miles (this one was a professionally built racing one) and tore up the original rear end (now has a Strange rear end).

 

If you are going boost the fast intake is not the way to go. At our shop we have made numerous dynotests on a 408 with an ati procharger D at 14lbs of boost putting 785 to the wheels. The stock z06 manifold nets HP gains over the FAST manifold. On NA however I highly recommend the FAST manifold.

 

Yeah, I put the FAST on when I had the 427 normally aspirated. It made 507 SAE-corrected RWHP on a slightly conservative dyno with a cam that gave a "near" stock idle and really smooth street power. With the stock manifold it gave only 490.

I just left it on when I had the D1SC put on, but I've realized that its sort of redundant and we're going to take it off and put it on the NA 408 in my son's Camaro (the ZO6 maniufold is on that now and with with a 255 duration .65 lift cam the engine peaks out at 470 at 5500 and then starves for air) and use the ZO6 stock manifold.

QUESTION FOR ANTIVENOMONLINE What pulleys are you using for the Procharger on the 408? I put an underdrive pulley on the crank because it was the only one I could find supplied with the machining to fit over the double roller timing chain we have. I think that means that I am underdriving the SC: I have a 3.4 inch pulley on it now, and get only 4.5-5 lbs of boost: the engine made 507 NA, 485 with a 4.5", about 515 with a 4", 530 or so with a 3.75", and 565RWHP/544RWT with the 3.4" pulley (all through a complete exhaust--Kooks 1 7/8 headers, Supersize cats, 3" H pipe and GHL 2 3/4" flow though mufflers.

I could try a 3.25" pulley but I expect slip at that point (Procharger agrees I might get it).

I'd like to find a stock diameter bottom pulley that fits over the double-roller timing chain and cover so I could just get a better ratio with bigger SC pulleys.

I suppose I could have the stock pulley machined, but do you know anyone who sells these?