Quote:
Originally Posted by Mister Will
I think this is a good place to get this off my chest.
I noticed recently that my local dealership has a 2017 1LE on the lot in the color I like. This is tempting. However it would require that I trade in my S/C C5 Corvette. Sure I could hang onto it and sell it privately. But it doesn't seem like C5's are moving very quickly at the moment. I have been watching sales ads over at Corvetteforum.com and some seem to sit for months. Corvette buyers are finicky.
I have always appreciated the cost effectiveness of the 1LE. Basically a C7 corvette Z51 with a backseat which I could use. It would also be easier to daily drive or just drive more often (I have a current daily driver). My corvette just sits in the garage at the moment and I have to make excuses to drive it. My boy is 5 and too young to ride in the front seat. So if I need to transport him or the whole family (3) the corvette is out. Also the corvette has been highly modified. It drives well but the coilovers are stiff and the lowered profile causes my front air dam to scrap on everything. I cringe every time I see a bump or a dip. But the supercharged engine is a thrill to drive.
I am hesitant to go the ZL1 route because of the high torque of the LT4 engine. Over 500 ft-lbs just off of idle. I know several friend with 5th gen ZL1's and C7 Z06, they say the torque is too much and they are constantly spinning their wheels. But it would mean ultimate performance on par with my Corvette with a back seat.
The 1LE just seems more practical, and would be more fun. Yet, I would no longer have the ultimate power my C5 has, with the ability to challenge all comers (Roush S/C Mustang, Viper, GTR). But the 1LE does seem more reasonable, and practical for the street.
Any thoughts?
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First, never compare or shop prices on corvette forum. The guys there are pretty good for the most part, but almost all of them suffer from the "I don't pay MSRP, I pay CASH!" mentality when buying that seems to also be followed by "My car is worth MSRP+ because of mods" or "I should get more than KBB Excellent value for my 120k mile car with only 5 repaints and 9,000 "small" scratches". I do agree with never paying MSRP, unless it's a brand new model and hard to come by. I ordered both my C7's and at the time I was happy to pay MSRP on the Z51 since everyone else taking orders was marking them up. Still took me 4 months to get the car even though my dealer had allocations, but constraints on carbon fiber parts held me up.
I have purchased new the following Camaro/Corvettes a a 1995 4th Gen Z28, a 1999 4th gen SS, a 2004 C5, a 2011 C6 Grand Sport, a 2014 C7 Z51 and currently have a 2016 C7 Z06/Z07 and the 2017 SS 1LE, and a 2015 Mustang GT Perf. Pack, so I'll give you my opinions.
Keep the C5 if you are happy with the interior. That is the only reason I don't still have one. Otherwise the platform is awesome and you have a supercharger on it to make up for the power increases of today. Add a 1LE as a daily or fun new car. However, with your comments about the coilovers and scraping, it sounds like you might be done with the car. I've been there too, especially with mods (my 1999 SS was FBO, heads and cam, no mufflers and very fast for the time. I drove it very little after the "new" wore off the mods.
If you are 5'10" or taller, at least 1/2 the back seat in the camaro is going to be next to useless as soon as your son grows a bit. Since you still have a C5, I assume you keep cars awhile and don't "need" the next new thing all the time. Go checkout the car, sit in it and setup your seat, then get out and see how much leg room is there in the back. I refer to my backseat in the Camaro as the "coat check". The Mustang really was no better here, so scratch it off the list.
Don't be afraid of the LT4. I have no issues controlling the power in my Z06 unless I am being careless and use the accelerator as an on/off switch in which case you get either traction control bog or a smoke show. That said, would I buy a ZL1? No. I could have, but did not want to. I wanted to keep the Camaro cost lower since I already have the Z06, and the LT1 is an excellent platform. The price of the ZL1 is too close to the GS, which is too close to the discounted price of the Z06 if you don't need a 3LZ....
The 1LE really is pretty magical and blows me away when driving it. This is probably going to sound kind of negative, but it really isn't: The 1LE handles incredibly well for a car that is much larger and heavier than the C5/C6/C7 and I would bet that it handles as good or better in stock trim than your modified C5. Mag Ride has come a LOOOOONG way and the current implementation is awesome. However, the Camaro feels like a land yacht that is sitting about 8" too high when I get in it after driving my C7Z. Driving on the freeway feels weird and oddly similar to the ride height in my Jeep Wrangler Unlimited (mostly kidding). BUT.... the car handles so well in the corners and actually is much easier to get in and out of than any of my Corvettes that this is something I don't want to change. I usually lower every car I own, I have the LG spindles on my Z06 today, but with the 1LE I don't really want to mess with the suspension geometry as it works so well as it is. If there were spindles for it like the C7 I would think about it.
As for your comment "Yet, I would no longer have the ultimate power my C5 has, with the ability to challenge all comers (Roush S/C Mustang, Viper, GTR). But the 1LE does seem more reasonable, and practical for the street.", that is only a couple grand away with a supercharger kit if you really need it and you should best your LS1 numbers unless you have internal mods on the C5.
What exactly are the mods on your C5 and the power output on a dyno, or 1320 times?
In the end, I would tell you to go out today and drive that 1LE and see what your head and your gut say. Just pay attention to the back seat legroom as I mentioned if it is a concern to you.