c5 - ride height

[PrinceRupert]

mark387mw said:

If you bought and kept this for a couple of years, it’d be 20 years old. Is the flood damage relevant if you know the extent of the damage? And if bought at the right price then resale at the right price.

Having had a C5, and a C6, I still look out for another C5. Simple yet awesome cars.

I am not sure that it would make any difference to the current owner, but I do think it would make it more difficult to sell. Though, of course, you make a good point - if you buy at the right price, you can sell at the right price - the right price obviously being less than a non-flood damaged car.

[PrinceRupert]

So tried to get an insurance quote from A Plan (partnered with CCUK) on the 613hp C5. Basically no chance - nobody would even quote. Apparently try again in a couple of years with 2+ years of lhd experience under my belt and aged 30+ and will have better luck...

Standard it will have to be!

[UTH]

PrinceRupert said:

So tried to get an insurance quote from A Plan (partnered with CCUK) on the 613hp C5. Basically no chance - nobody would even quote. Apparently try again in a couple of years with 2+ years of lhd experience under my belt and aged 30+ and will have better luck...

Standard it will have to be!

You've just made me feel old.
I had no trouble adding my 650bhp C7 Z06 to my policy

[PrinceRupert]

UTH said:

You've just made me feel old.
I had no trouble adding my 650bhp C7 Z06 to my policy

I did wonder whether that was just because it was heavily modified - going from 345bhp to 613bhp.

So I just ran a few quotes on GoCompare - cheapest for a C7 Z06 was £1176 with a blackbox (lol) or £1429 without. Better than for the modified C5 where the cheapest comparison quote I got was £1,587.99 (the only quote that came back) - so at least someone will insure me, but too rich for me!

It mightn't be helped by being parked on a driveway in a London postcode though ...

Edited by PrinceRupert on Tuesday 17th November 16:01

[UTH]

PrinceRupert said:

UTH said:

You've just made me feel old.
I had no trouble adding my 650bhp C7 Z06 to my policy

I did wonder whether that was just because it was heavily modified - going from 345bhp to 613bhp.

So I just ran a few quotes on GoCompare - cheapest for a C7 Z06 was £1176 with a blackbox (lol) or £1429 without. Better than for the modified C5 where the cheapest comparison quote I got was £3,589.39 ... but still not great.

Blimey, that's nuts. Why does it being modified, but to less power than a standard C7 Z06, make it so much more expensive than the C7?
I mean either way those are pretty nasty numbers all round......but I must say I would probably bite the bullet at £1,429 for the C7! Of course that doesn't factor in the likely £70k you'll need to buy one!

[PrinceRupert]

See my edited post - managed to get a slightly lower modified C5 quote on a different comparison site!

I suspect heavily modified is a riskier proposition because it isn't necessarily the case that the rest of the car has been built to suit 613 bhp, but who knows - and in reality the best quotes aren't actually that far apart - just suspect a lot of the mainstream insurers have a blanket no power modifications rules - the best C7 quote was with Admiral, but I only got one modified C5 quote with someone I have never heard of. Apparently if I was 30+ with 2+ years LHD experience the quote for the modified car would probably be in the 600-700 range.

Yes, budget doesn't quite stretch to C7 Z06, think will be looking to spend 11-13k on an unmodified C5! I can insure a standard C5 for closer to 500 a year.

[UTH]

I suppose that all makes sense.

Although the LHD bit is a bit strange......they never asked me that question, and I'd never driven a LHD until the day I drove my Z06 out of the dealership. But I was 35 at the time so maybe that makes all the difference.

[PrinceRupert]

Possibly just the case if you try and insure a heavily modified car through a specialist broker. I can insure a standard LHD C5 for a normal price through mainstream insurers sans LHD experience.

[Benbay001]

Have you tried Brentacre?

I get the impression im a similar age to you (im 28) and i paid £550 for my Z06 for 5000 miles per year. All non power mods are free.

Make sure whatever you buy you check the car fax as i get the impression a huge percentage of the grey import vettes have a carfax history.

Mine wasnt advertised with it, it was only when i asked.

[UTH]

PrinceRupert said:

Possibly just the case if you try and insure a heavily modified car through a specialist broker. I can insure a standard LHD C5 for a normal price through mainstream insurers sans LHD experience.

Gosh, what an annoying minefield it all can be, clearly.

[PrinceRupert]

Benbay001 said:

Have you tried Brentacre?

I get the impression im a similar age to you (im 28) and i paid £550 for my Z06 for 5000 miles per year. All non power mods are free.

Make sure whatever you buy you check the car fax as i get the impression a huge percentage of the grey import vettes have a carfax history.

Mine wasnt advertised with it, it was only when i asked.

Hey - no I only spoke to A-Plan. I am also 28. Around £500 is what I expect to pay for a non modified version. It was the 613bhp SC version that A Plan couldn't quote me on.

Carfax history is something I'll keep in mind thanks.

[Benbay001]

Ive just read your original thread.

The manual isnt as agri as the reports make out.

If its city work that puts you off a manual, then you can just leave in gear. First gear does something like 47 mph, so bimbling between traffic lights in first or second isnt as anti social as some cars.

The shift quality isnt perfect, but certainly not terrible.

Have you ever been in a C5? Once the lockdown lifts im happy to take you out in mine (as a passenger) if you would like.

Im in Southampton.

[PrinceRupert]

Thanks, kind offer - I am in SE London, so not too close, but if either of us are ever nearby the other ... I haven't been in a C5, in fact I am not sure I have even seen one - settled on one as it seems to tick the boxes I am looking for in my next car - which is basically a big V8 in an interesting sports car. I am also considering some other cars - TVRs for example - but the C5 seems to offer a more compelling ownership experience (less needy than a Cerbera for example...).

I would be happy enough with a manual or an auto, given there are not many cars I am just keeping an eye out for a clean car with reasonable mileage at a decent price. The preference for an auto was just the fact I'd read the manual is pretty agricultural and I am in a London suburb so lots of busy roads / stop start.

Edited by PrinceRupert on Tuesday 17th November 17:23

[UTH]

My other car is an Evo 6 with a heavy clutch, and I was SW London for 6 years with it, not sure I ever really found myself wishing I had an Auto even in the heaviest traffic, so don't let the traffic thing make you think you have to go for an Auto.

[Benbay001]

Let me know if you would like to go for a spin.

As long as the roads havnt recently been gritted, i dont mind.

[PrinceRupert]

UTH said:

Gosh, what an annoying minefield it all can be, clearly.

Interestingly it doesn't appear to be the BHP that is the problem. I can insure a 500bhp CL55 for £585 a year or a 572bhp RS6 for £800 a year. It must be a combination of import / LHD / big power. Minefield!

[JONSCZ]

Hi again, 'PR'.
I've just sent you a PM (via email).

[Ph300zx]

PrinceRupert said:

Thanks, kind offer - I am in SE London, so not too close, but if either of us are ever nearby the other ... I haven't been in a C5, in fact I am not sure I have even seen one - settled on one as it seems to tick the boxes I am looking for in my next car - which is basically a big V8 in an interesting sports car. I am also considering some other cars - TVRs for example - but the C5 seems to offer a more compelling ownership experience (less needy than a Cerbera for example...).

I would be happy enough with a manual or an auto, given there are not many cars I am just keeping an eye out for a clean car with reasonable mileage at a decent price. The preference for an auto was just the fact I'd read the manual is pretty agricultural and I am in a London suburb so lots of busy roads / stop start.

Edited by PrinceRupert on Tuesday 17th November 17:23

Just caught up on this, all really good points. Alot of insurers will want experience of high performance cars/LHD first on a modified example. Annoying and I agree doesn't make sense you can insure a C7 with more power for less!

I'm often in SE London at the weekend and happy to show you around mine, it's not standard but I can talk you through all the parts to look out for and take you for a spin. It's a manual C5. I think Ben came down and had a look at mine before he bought that steal of a Z06?

In regards to other V8s, I did exactly the same as you before buying the vette. I was just looking for a V8 and looked at TVRs, Audi's, BMWs and Monaros. Went out in a Monaro, smaller on the inside although very similar feel. My experience was the Vette was just "more" in every respect. They're rarer, they look SO much better than anything else (barring a TVR maybe), parts supply is generally easy when you know where to look and most jobs you can do yourself. Have a look at the US forums as well, as they're far more common there you'll find everything you need to know about every issue and modification possible.

Once you get used to the size and LHD driving around suburban areas is not an issue. The C5 is the same width as a Porsche 911 Turbo (997) so really not that big.

Edited by Ph300zx on Saturday 5th December 09:37

[PrinceRupert]

Ph300zx said:

Just caught up on this, all really good points. Alot of insurers will want experience of high performance cars/LHD first on a modified example. Annoying and I agree doesn't make sense you can insure a C7 with more power for less!

I'm often in SE London at the weekend and happy to show you around mine, it's not standard but I can talk you through all the parts to look out for and take you for a spin. It's a manual C5. I think Ben came down and had a look at mine before he bought that steal of a Z06?

In regards to other V8s, I did exactly the same as you before buying the vette. I was just looking for a V8 and looked at TVRs, Audi's, BMWs and Monaros. Went out in a Monaro, smaller on the inside although very similar feel. My experience was the Vette was just "more" in every respect. They're rarer, they look SO much better than anything else (barring a TVR maybe), parts supply is generally easy when you know where to look and most jobs you can do yourself. Have a look at the US forums as well, as they're far more common there you'll find everything you need to know about every issue and modification possible.

Once you get used to the size and LHD driving around suburban areas is not an issue. The C5 is the same width as a Porsche 911 Turbo (997) so really not that big.

Edited by Ph300zx on Saturday 5th December 09:37

Hi I just saw this message. Do let me know if you're around my neck of the woods (ofc once we are out of tier 4...). I'm still keen on a C5 but now wondering if a c6 would be a better bet (seem not much more expensive than a c5). Also thinking about tvrs but the preference remains a corvette. I doubt I'll be looking to buy for a few months yet, well, depends if I win the argument with my better half about corvette v kitchen!

[Ph300zx]

PrinceRupert said:

Ph300zx said:

Just caught up on this, all really good points. Alot of insurers will want experience of high performance cars/LHD first on a modified example. Annoying and I agree doesn't make sense you can insure a C7 with more power for less!

I'm often in SE London at the weekend and happy to show you around mine, it's not standard but I can talk you through all the parts to look out for and take you for a spin. It's a manual C5. I think Ben came down and had a look at mine before he bought that steal of a Z06?

In regards to other V8s, I did exactly the same as you before buying the vette. I was just looking for a V8 and looked at TVRs, Audi's, BMWs and Monaros. Went out in a Monaro, smaller on the inside although very similar feel. My experience was the Vette was just "more" in every respect. They're rarer, they look SO much better than anything else (barring a TVR maybe), parts supply is generally easy when you know where to look and most jobs you can do yourself. Have a look at the US forums as well, as they're far more common there you'll find everything you need to know about every issue and modification possible.

Once you get used to the size and LHD driving around suburban areas is not an issue. The C5 is the same width as a Porsche 911 Turbo (997) so really not that big.

Edited by Ph300zx on Saturday 5th December 09:37

Hi I just saw this message. Do let me know if you're around my neck of the woods (ofc once we are out of tier 4...). I'm still keen on a C5 but now wondering if a c6 would be a better bet (seem not much more expensive than a c5). Also thinking about tvrs but the preference remains a corvette. I doubt I'll be looking to buy for a few months yet, well, depends if I win the argument with my better half about corvette v kitchen!

Yeah sure, there should be a fair difference between C5/6 in terms of price so perhaps one or the other is over/under priced?

I also looked at TVRs but I decided I liked driving my car rather than looking at it in the garage being fixed 😂