Thinking about a C5 FRC or Z06... what to do? - 2003-04 Mach 1 Registry Owners Club

TRmachwon · 06-24-2011, 04:15 PM

I suppose I'm at a cross roads here. Always wanted a C5 but they were slightly out of my price range when I got the Mach. I own the Mach, it has 78k miles on it, it's in great mechanical condition, and I'm about $3000 deep in mods. I'm still looking for more grip and of course more power (of course I'm sure I'll be saying the same thing after owning a faster car for a year).

If I keep the Mach I'll end up spending at least another $2000 on suspension parts (tubular K setup and torque arm), $1500 on upgraded brakes, $300 for a baffled oil pan, and god knows how much for more power. LTs and a tuner are a must and then either pay a boatload for cams/intake and MAYBE be happy, or a similar amount for a Vortech S trim setup and praying the bottom end doesn't grenade and have to figure out how to keep it cool on the road course when I start doing HPDEs (after college). I don't really mind spending a bit more on suspension parts that can eventually be removed and sold separately but trying to make more power seems like an expensive rabbit hole that I'll never be able to get any money back from.

OR I could sell the Mach and buy a ~60k mile C5 Z06. This means about 8k in debt. Bolt ons seems to net a car that traps ~117 without the added heat of forced induction and the lateral grip is insane. Suspension design, chassis, motor placement, weight, and aerodynamics are all superior to the Mustang. Better gas mileage and cheaper insurance is a nice plus to. Cost of ownership... not so nice. Seems like nearly a grand in labor alone for a clutch job, I've seen them break torque tubes, they eat hubs, they still need upgraded brakes, the battery can drip acid on the ECU, and the motors have oil starvation issues. Probably forgetting some stuff there to.

I guess what I'm looking for is someone to talk me out of buying a new car

Anyone here ever own/drive a C5Z?

mach007 · 06-24-2011, 04:23 PM

Get it! LOL

mach1metalhead · 06-24-2011, 04:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TRmachwon

OR I could sell the Mach and buy a ~60k mile C5 Z06. This means about 8k in debt (not terrible when you consider the amount of car that is buying you...). Bolt ons seems to net a car that traps ~117 without the added heat of forced induction and the lateral grip is insane. Suspension design, chassis, motor placement, weight, and aerodynamics are all superior to the Mustang. Better gas mileage and cheaper insurance is a nice plus to. Cost of ownership... not so nice. Seems like nearly a grand in labor alone for a clutch job (learn to do it yourself, or find a local car club with someone who can give you a hand), I've seen them break torque tubes (this can happen with any car with a lot of torque, spend some money and reenforce it.), they eat hubs (i've never heard of this, so i cannot comment), they still need upgraded brakes (not necessarily, and most definitely not right away), the battery can drip acid on the ECU (get a gel cell battery like an optima battery that won't leak), and the motors have oil starvation issues (i have to imagine there is a fix for this...). Probably forgetting some stuff there to.

my suggestion would be to keep the Mach as i couldn't even imagine selling my Mach, but should you go the way of the Bowtie, there are some ideas on how to over come your "cons"...

jpilone · 06-24-2011, 04:38 PM

C5 Z06's are cheaper to insure?? I work at a chevy dealer as a service writer, we see many C5 Z06's come through here, never seen busted torque tubes, but plenty of hubs.. I wouldn't say the suspension is superior.. a transverse composite leaf springs??

Just a light car with beefy innards..

indianpeter · 06-24-2011, 04:38 PM

i work at a Cadillac dealership, we have had several used Z-06 vettes thru here, including a red 08 with 3k miles here right now that we are trying to get 50k for...i always drive 'em all

,one of my "perks" here!! i can honestly say that you cannot come away from these cars without being impressed, they are STUPID fast..but... i would NOT want to "live with one" for long.. the clutches all feel like they got 'em out of a cavalier, and they ride VERY harshly....
i've got 20"s on my mach,AND it's dropped 1.5"..so i know harsh
oh and the rear tires have an expected life of under 10k, if you don't smoke 'em

(yeah right) and they are 500-600 bucks EACH...
i guess it's all a question of what you're looking for, but IMHO there is no way you could really use this car on a daily basis and truely enjoy it..
on a track though, different story..

jpilone · 06-24-2011, 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by indianpeter

i work at a Cadillac dealership, we have had several used Z-06 vettes thru here, including a red 08 with 3k miles here right now that we are trying to get 50k for...i always drive 'em all

,one of my "perks" here!! i can honestly say that you cannot come away from these cars without being impressed, they are STUPID fast..but... i would NOT want to "live with one" for long.. the clutches all feel like they got 'em out of a cavalier, and they ride VERY harshly....
i've got 20"s on my mach,AND it's dropped 1.5"..so i know harsh
oh and the rear tires have an expected life of under 10k, if you don't smoke 'em

(yeah right) and they are 500-600 bucks EACH...
i guess it's all a question of what you're looking for, but IMHO there is no way you could really use this car on a daily basis and truely enjoy it..
on a track though, different story..

No, he's talking about the 2001-2004 Z06, the 2006+ Z06 is an animal that I love!

The '04 and older are a bit more timid, and affordable, great bang for the buck

TRmachwon · 06-24-2011, 04:45 PM

My car will end up with 450f/350r coilover springs on race spec dampers so ride quality is a non issue. I'll also end up on the same grip/life level 275+ wide 18" tires all around, so tire pricing will be similar to that of a vette. Already looked at brake pricing and it's similar to the GT500 brakes that will end up on my Mach.

As far as insurance, a 99 FRC was $900/year cheaper than the Mach. I can't imagine an 01 Z06 costing much more that a 99 FRC. They're all driven by 50 year old men.

StevesTorchRed · 06-24-2011, 07:14 PM

I've thought about this before. The main thing that keeps stopping me, is I'd hate to have to bust my ***** out at every car meet to prove I didn't have a needle ****.

Mach828 · 06-24-2011, 07:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StevesTorchRed

I've thought about this before. The main thing that keeps stopping me, is I'd hate to have to bust my ***** out at every car meet to prove I didn't have a needle ****.

hahahahaha

Maybe thats why the OP is buying one? JK JK JK

I dunno, if you get a Vette you won't be happy with it, you'll want to mod it, and then in the end you'll realize just buying the Vette didn't really get you were you wanted to be anyways.

2k4mach · 06-24-2011, 08:48 PM

I've never regretted getting the vette.

Sent from my PG41200

BADNBLUE · 06-24-2011, 09:37 PM

Go for it! If I was in a better financial situation you better believe I wouldnt have gotten rid of mine.

311-420 · 06-24-2011, 11:31 PM

My biggest complaints about my '02 z06 were:

1. Tangled-up feeling gear box
2. Scraped on every fuking bump in the road
3. People always asking how someone my age could afford it
4. Mods/labor is stupid expensive

If you get one, be careful pushing it too hard. It can be difficult (impossible even) to reel the back end back in when it gets away.

wutang61 · 06-27-2011, 01:33 PM

i would say get the zo6. im sure it wouldn't be hard to find one with a few bolt ons.

06-24-2011, 04:15 PM	#1
TRmachwon Parking Lot Racer Join Date: May 2008 Location: Cherry Hill, NJ Posts: 790	Thinking about a C5 FRC or Z06... what to do? I suppose I'm at a cross roads here. Always wanted a C5 but they were slightly out of my price range when I got the Mach. I own the Mach, it has 78k miles on it, it's in great mechanical condition, and I'm about $3000 deep in mods. I'm still looking for more grip and of course more power (of course I'm sure I'll be saying the same thing after owning a faster car for a year). If I keep the Mach I'll end up spending at least another $2000 on suspension parts (tubular K setup and torque arm), $1500 on upgraded brakes, $300 for a baffled oil pan, and god knows how much for more power. LTs and a tuner are a must and then either pay a boatload for cams/intake and MAYBE be happy, or a similar amount for a Vortech S trim setup and praying the bottom end doesn't grenade and have to figure out how to keep it cool on the road course when I start doing HPDEs (after college). I don't really mind spending a bit more on suspension parts that can eventually be removed and sold separately but trying to make more power seems like an expensive rabbit hole that I'll never be able to get any money back from. OR I could sell the Mach and buy a ~60k mile C5 Z06. This means about 8k in debt. Bolt ons seems to net a car that traps ~117 without the added heat of forced induction and the lateral grip is insane. Suspension design, chassis, motor placement, weight, and aerodynamics are all superior to the Mustang. Better gas mileage and cheaper insurance is a nice plus to. Cost of ownership... not so nice. Seems like nearly a grand in labor alone for a clutch job, I've seen them break torque tubes, they eat hubs, they still need upgraded brakes, the battery can drip acid on the ECU, and the motors have oil starvation issues. Probably forgetting some stuff there to. I guess what I'm looking for is someone to talk me out of buying a new car Anyone here ever own/drive a C5Z? __________________ 2004 Mach 1 Maximum Motorsports Equipped

06-24-2011, 04:23 PM	#2
mach007 Registered User Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Palm Springs, Cali Posts: 291	Re: Thinking about a C5 FRC or Z06... what to do? Get it! LOL __________________ JLT RAI Air Diverter JLT PCV Filters 3/8 Intake Spacer Super 44's CB Steeda UDP's MM Caster Camber Plates MM Swaybar Endlinks MM Rear LCA's MM Aluminum Rack Bushings MM Front LCA poly bushings Steeda X2's and Bumpsteer MM Poly Swaybar bushings MM FLSFC's H&R SS with Poly ISO's Tokico Dspec's 275/40/17 & 315/35/17 Nitto NT555R's

06-24-2011, 04:38 PM	#4
jpilone Uncertified Gynocologist Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Boca Raton, FL Posts: 738	Re: Thinking about a C5 FRC or Z06... what to do? C5 Z06's are cheaper to insure?? I work at a chevy dealer as a service writer, we see many C5 Z06's come through here, never seen busted torque tubes, but plenty of hubs.. I wouldn't say the suspension is superior.. a transverse composite leaf springs?? Just a light car with beefy innards.. __________________ '04 Mach 1/5-Speed/CO SOLD 10/31/15! '16 S550 GT 5.0 Traded 7/28/16 '16 Shelby GT350 Track Package/White/Blue Stripes!

06-24-2011, 04:38 PM	#5
indianpeter Registered User Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: taxachusetts Posts: 93	Re: Thinking about a C5 FRC or Z06... what to do? i work at a Cadillac dealership, we have had several used Z-06 vettes thru here, including a red 08 with 3k miles here right now that we are trying to get 50k for...i always drive 'em all ,one of my "perks" here!! i can honestly say that you cannot come away from these cars without being impressed, they are STUPID fast..but... i would NOT want to "live with one" for long.. the clutches all feel like they got 'em out of a cavalier, and they ride VERY harshly.... i've got 20"s on my mach,AND it's dropped 1.5"..so i know harsh oh and the rear tires have an expected life of under 10k, if you don't smoke 'em (yeah right) and they are 500-600 bucks EACH... i guess it's all a question of what you're looking for, but IMHO there is no way you could really use this car on a daily basis and truely enjoy it.. on a track though, different story.. __________________ "guns kill people the same way pens write stupid laws"

06-24-2011, 04:45 PM	#7
TRmachwon Parking Lot Racer Join Date: May 2008 Location: Cherry Hill, NJ Posts: 790	Re: Thinking about a C5 FRC or Z06... what to do? My car will end up with 450f/350r coilover springs on race spec dampers so ride quality is a non issue. I'll also end up on the same grip/life level 275+ wide 18" tires all around, so tire pricing will be similar to that of a vette. Already looked at brake pricing and it's similar to the GT500 brakes that will end up on my Mach. As far as insurance, a 99 FRC was $900/year cheaper than the Mach. I can't imagine an 01 Z06 costing much more that a 99 FRC. They're all driven by 50 year old men. __________________ 2004 Mach 1 Maximum Motorsports Equipped

06-24-2011, 07:14 PM	#8
StevesTorchRed Registered User Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Bowie, MD Posts: 531	Re: Thinking about a C5 FRC or Z06... what to do? I've thought about this before. The main thing that keeps stopping me, is I'd hate to have to bust my *** out at every car meet to prove I didn't have a needle **.

06-24-2011, 08:48 PM	#10
2k4mach LuLz Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Cedar Park, TX Posts: 19,294	I've never regretted getting the vette. Sent from my PG41200 __________________ 11 Sterling gray GT500 coupe 08 Silver Z06 1058rwhp/1073rwt @ 15psi 14 Silver Q50S Vortech blown 04 DSG Mach 1 (stolen) 03 OW Mach 1 (sitting in a field rotting away)

06-24-2011, 09:37 PM	#11
BADNBLUE Registered User Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Joliet, IL Posts: 412	Re: Thinking about a C5 FRC or Z06... what to do? Go for it! If I was in a better financial situation you better believe I wouldnt have gotten rid of mine. __________________ gone but not forgotten:03 AB MACH1 stock ,99 GT nos,cai,tb,exhaust,b&mproripper 4.10s 05,00,and a 98vett ,03 cobra 475rwhp! 99TA 99formula, 88notch, 93lightning 94formula, all with way 2 many mods! CURRENT RIDES:03 zinc yellow mach1 not stock anymore!

06-24-2011, 11:31 PM	#12
311-420 Can't be bridled Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 7,006	Re: Thinking about a C5 FRC or Z06... what to do? My biggest complaints about my '02 z06 were: 1. Tangled-up feeling gear box 2. Scraped on every fuking bump in the road 3. People always asking how someone my age could afford it 4. Mods/labor is stupid expensive If you get one, be careful pushing it too hard. It can be difficult (impossible even) to reel the back end back in when it gets away. __________________ 2004 Mach 1 #6956 5spd w/IUP Eaton swap, longtubes, built 3.73 SRA 452hp/409tq dynojet🏁

06-27-2011, 01:33 PM	#13
wutang61 CAT MASTA! Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Vero Beach, Florida Posts: 3,406	Re: Thinking about a C5 FRC or Z06... what to do? i would say get the zo6. im sure it wouldn't be hard to find one with a few bolt ons. __________________ 04' Torched *6-speed* Build Date: 02/25/2004 Ported Eaton @7psi Viper T-56 Built 8.8,4.10's 441/402

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