by "PartyPooper2012" (PartyPooper2012)
Published 05/19/2017 at 10:33
by "PartyPooper2012" (PartyPooper2012)
Published 05/19/2017 at 10:33
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STARS: 1
What am I looking for/Avoiding in a 1997 Corvette?
Obviously leaks and rust and weird noises. Are there known issues with frame/engine/transmission/cooling?
Going to go see one tomorrow. I know nothing about Corvettes. I need to save this one tho. It’s manual.
"Bman76 (hates WS6 hoods, is on his phone and has 4 burners now)" (bman76-4)
05/19/2017 at 10:41, STARS: 2
Bad clutch means dropping the whole rear subframe, because transaxle/torque-tube.
"PartyPooper2012" (PartyPooper2012)
05/19/2017 at 10:43, STARS: 1
Nice. Ad does not say anything about clutch being recently replaced. But the test drive would tell me if the clutch is bad.
"Tripper" (tripe46)
05/19/2017 at 10:45, STARS: 0
My mom has got a 3 pedal C5 (2000 I believe). Headers back too! The only issue she has run into is a dead battery haha. I know the clutch is super expensive, but it’s her second one and I don’t remember any real issues with either.
"PartyPooper2012" (PartyPooper2012)
05/19/2017 at 10:49, STARS: 0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Frj6hr3YVU
"crowmolly" (crowmolly)
05/19/2017 at 10:53, STARS: 1
Be aware 1997-1998 have the least desirable LS engine IIRC. It’s still good, but it has different heads (minor cosmetic differences), a different PCM, and some other early-build stuff.
NOT THAT IT’S A PROBLEM, just that it should not be priced like a 99+.
"PartyPooper2012" (PartyPooper2012)
05/19/2017 at 11:05, STARS: 0
Cosmetic stuff I don’t care too much about. I want me a manual car and this one has low miles. Outside looks nice on pics. Tomorrow I’ll get more personal.
"crowmolly" (crowmolly)
05/19/2017 at 11:20, STARS: 1
Any way you slice it, the LS1/T56 combo is good. Years of abuse by the F-body crowd has proved it.
"ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com" (ita97)
05/19/2017 at 11:27, STARS: 1
Like Bman76 said, beware of the clutch. When that comes up for replacement on a C5 it will cost you a couple of grand. Also take a good look at suspension bushings, lower ball joints and wheel bearings. The lifespan of these components on big boy sports cars tends to be a lot shorter than folks are used to when compared to lesser machinery. It would not be unreasonable to expect them to be considerably worn well before 100k. Having a good suspension shop throw it up on the alignment rack and do a good PPI would probably be money well spent.
"random001" (random001)
05/19/2017 at 12:04, STARS: 0
It’s a lengthy process, but not difficult. I got it down to 8 hours on jack stands on my 2002.
"and 100 more" (nth256)
05/19/2017 at 12:06, STARS: 0
Looking for validation from a society that no longer values manhood.
Avoiding testosterone replacement therapy.
"PartyPooper2012" (PartyPooper2012)
05/19/2017 at 12:39, STARS: 1
huh? I am just following the law
"PartyPooper2012" (PartyPooper2012)
05/19/2017 at 12:41, STARS: 0
yeah. considering the miles and stuff, it should still be original. I’ll find out tomorrow. It won’t be daily driver so if I have to jack it up and tool around with it for a few days, it won’t be a big deal.
"random001" (random001)
05/19/2017 at 12:51, STARS: 0
I should note, I got it down to 8 hours after doing it three times by myself. it’s faster with friends.
But it’s not hard. And C5's are so stupid easy to work on. I miss mine so very much.
Bee Tee Dub, I had 170k miles on mine and the only thing that went wrong was a thermostat went bad. I changed the clutch because I wanted to at first, and my dad melted that one, so I changed it again, then I changed it for tracking...
"Galileo Humpkins (aka MC Clap Yo Handz)" (galileo-humpkins)
05/19/2017 at 13:19, STARS: 0
Not sure what you should be looking for, but I know what you should be avoiding: Corvettes, C3 or later.
Ok, sarcasm aside...I don’t know.
"PartyPooper2012" (PartyPooper2012)
05/19/2017 at 13:25, STARS: 1
nice. My wife claims she knows how to drive stick... so ill use existing one to teach her / refresh her knowledges. once she kills it, ill stick a new one in there and it should last a while.
Plus I get to blame wife for burning out the clutch :-D