Deciding between 3 cars

I just started looking to buy a newer car than what I have, 87 and 92, this shouldn't be so bad. It's also gotta have a 6 speed and a V8. Okay a bit more difficult. I could buy an LT1 corvette, the cheapest of the three, an LS1 trans am, and possibly but almost wastefully, a C5. That's at the top of my list but aside from it, I could pay off the LT1 vette much sooner or I could finance the trans am and I'd have to get a warranty with it. The thing is, I'm much more into sports cars but if I can't get the C5, I still want a car that feels new. How does driving the C4 LT1 feel compared to an LS1 F-body? Please help, I'm starting to envy my parent's 04 civic.
Thanks

I have seen C5s for mid $20Ks here locally. They are getting more affordable for the average gear head, but there's the dreaded high insurance premimum. Mine is listed as a secondary car and is insured through a classic auto insurrer (for less than $200 annually).

You can't go wrong w/the C4. For an older car with 135K+ on the clock, mine runs good, rides good and handles excellent. It's an older L98 (TPI) car, I have made a bunch of little modifications and really kept up w/servicing all the mechanicals. I drive the thing on a daily basis (weather permitting/time allowing) I enjoy it so much.
There is no comparison, in comparing it to the Z28 that my wife had. The Z had terrible road noise and crappy seats, but it ran really good. The Vette is an all-around comfortable car. It rides firm (w/new Bilstein shocks), gets excellent gas mileage and it gets attention from the general public. It stays comfortadle even on a several hundred-mile trip. I wouldn't say that performance is outstanding (I could fix that if I really wanted to) but it's no slouch either. The LT1 cars do make more power than a stock L98.

Have you driven a 6 speed F body? If you can't live w/o a manual box it would be ok. For me, in an "every day" car, I would get tired of it real quick. Though they do sound cool. Rowing through the tight gates of a 6 speed takes concentration at first, then it becomes natural.

If you can afford the C5, get it. Each generation gets more refinement. If you like the looks of the C4, then get that one. Just remember that most people drive them hard, and some are ragged out, so don't get the first one that comes along (I shopped for 2 years before I found the right one). If you find one that looks good, inspect it closely. If you drive one, listen for squeaks and rattles (mine has over 135K miles and is almost squeak free), it can tell you a lot on how it was maintained. Search the classified ads and get one from an older adult, it would have been better taken care. Shy away from used car lots, they also tack on an extra price and have more fees (costing you more).

Good luck.

Hey, how'd the tranny swap end up?

I fried the second tranny...so I have more to learn I guess. I'm leaving it at my parents house while I'm at college.

I may get a C5, it's my first choice obviously. I went to a dealer today and saw a black '99 6 speed coupe, 29k miles so 27.9k. If the professional buyer could find one with some more miles, it's gotta go down in the 20's which I could afford. What year Z28 did your wife have?

Just to add, I wasn't going to buy something this new and I did want a car I could pay off in one bite. But I couldn't sell either of my cars...because they hate me, and monthly payments are a lot more realistic than 8-10k on a used car. I'm pissed about it...especially the new tranny breaking already.

DUDE! as you know maybe i drive a 87 firebird formula, and currently i amd driving a very may i stress very a few more times, not taken car of 85 vette. its got ants and roaces in it and the doors insides are rusted and its all beat up, but DANG BRO, that thing handls sooooo nice! especially compared to our f bodys, its amazing how fast you can go whipping around turns and it feels soooooo good. although the seats kinda squeeze your balls. but its so nice to drive i think i might buy it and put that 400 sbc im building in it and clean it up. on a side note its my moms ex boyfriends car and im fixing the brakes and giving it a major major tune up and cleaning it good for him. in return i get to drive it and he pays me. but yeah drive one you will be amazed after driving the fbody for so long!

DUDE! as you know maybe i drive a 87 firebird formula, and currently i amd driving a very may i stress very a few more times, not taken car of 85 vette. its got ants and roaces in it and the doors insides are rusted and its all beat up, but DANG BRO, that thing handls sooooo nice! especially compared to our f bodys, its amazing how fast you can go whipping around turns and it feels soooooo good. although the seats kinda squeeze your balls. but its so nice to drive i think i might buy it and put that 400 sbc im building in it and clean it up. on a side note its my moms ex boyfriends car and im fixing the brakes and giving it a major major tune up and cleaning it good for him. in return i get to drive it and he pays me. but yeah drive one you will be amazed after driving the fbody for so long!

Beat up vette...I've been told to watch out for ANY beat up cars. How many miles does it have...or did the odometer break off?

If you really like it, go for it, just remember if it hasn't been taken care of, it'll need a lot of work.

well its not like beat like that, it just wasnt taken care of, the weatherstripping is all messed up and stuff and its just been sitting outside its whole life, and the inside is only cleaned when i clean it, and it only has 92,000 miles on it. but yeah i would suggest buying one if you wanna spend the money

well its not like beat like that, it just wasnt taken care of, the weatherstripping is all messed up and stuff and its just been sitting outside its whole life, and the inside is only cleaned when i clean it, and it only has 92,000 miles on it. but yeah i would suggest buying one if you wanna spend the money

Well 92k isn't bad at all for a C4. Just that it's been sitting outside and getting stormed on with bad weather stripping. How much rust?

ummm theres not much to rust considering its fiberglass, but the inside of the drivers door is rusting and the door skin is all flexy when you shut the door cause of that. and other then that i dont think theres much rust on any other parts. i havnt really looked.

If there is ANY way possible for you to get a c5 I would jump on it. I had a 02 ws6 and the vette just KILLS it in drivability and fun. It just "feels" sooooo much nicer. The IRS is really nice and they drive so much better than a f-body. I got my C5 for 18K with only 50K miles on it and it is a fixed roof coupe with z-51 suspension and a few mods to go along with it. If you can afford a c5 don't WASTE your money on anything else.

A good friend of mine had a Cross-Fire Vette. That thing was ragged out and looked like hammered shit, but that baby would run.
G.M. puts the best-of-the-best parts into the Corvette. Each proceeding year they made them ride better, run stronger, a built heavier (more durable). The only way to kill one is purely by neglect.

I'm going to fix and drive my nissan for now. Maybe I could wait for C6s to go down in price and buy one in 2009, but the camaro is coming out also so...and who knows what technology we'll have 3 years from now...

My next car may not be a vette though. Thanks for all your help and I hope I helped whoever reads this put their doubts to rest.