Down to two contenders.. which Vette to get?

[Steve1968LS2]

Hey.. that rhymed..

Anyways.. my great 'Vette search is almost over.. Most of you talked me into going with a C5 and now it's down to two contenders..

The first is an '99 Pewter FRC with 69,000 miles on it.. no hud or many options but it does have a Borla exhaust and aftermarket intake (and 2000 wheels). Vince checked it out for me and it's a nice ride. 400 miles away in NorCal. Has maint paperwork, but mismatched tires (front and back different)..

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.js...en&cardist=300


Second car is a 2000 Silver Coupe with 52k miles.. has hud and a host of factory options and aftermarket stuff (you can see them in the add).. 70 miles away in San Diego.

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.js...=en&cardist=96


I had really wanted an FRC, but the coupe seems to be the better car. I could care less about the Targa deal and I liked the FRC due to less weight and a stiffer chassis. But, I will be driving on the street more than the track and I am sure both will be fun to drive.

I am really stuck so what do I do? Ask my online bretheren.. deal or no deal? (and on which one)..

Oh, I can get either car for right around $20k.

[Damn True]

HUD shmud.

The FRC hands down.

The chassis will be stiffer, the car will be lighter. It will also be quieter and less likely to leak a few years down the road. I wouldn't sweat the tires for reasons apparent to some.

....and Vince and I can bring it to you. We can make sure the tires are good and used up by taking a few hours to "rest" at Buttonwillow on the way down.

[zbugger]

lol... I say FRC too, but mainly because of the coolness factor. Although the lower mileage is more tempting, everyone and his brother has the standard 'Vette.

Oh, and True, feel free to take my spot as Vince's road trip tagalong.

edit: Oh yeah, Steve, you might want to check out the GM Performance Parts catalog. The one with the orange Chevelle on the cover. There's some nice suspension parts you could use on it in there.

[6'9"Witha69]

The FRC would make a better dual purpose, but the 2000 looks a little nicer and has a little morecool factor.

I voted FRC for functional purposes.

[enzo]

what is the KBB on each - seems to me that the 2000 is newer and less miles, no? if that's the case you need to ask yourself - Best value? no matter what you buy it is a depreciating asset. The FRC may be cooler - but for everyday driving who really cares - you already have a Camaro for the cool factor and performance - I like buying used cars at the best value available, besides silver is cooler than pewter - my two pennies (slight pun intended)

[Steve1968LS2]

what is the KBB on each - seems to me that the 2000 is newer and less miles, no? if that's the case you need to ask yourself - Best value? no matter what you buy it is a depreciating asset. The FRC may be cooler - but for everyday driving who really cares - you already have a Camaro for the cool factor and performance - I like buying used cars at the best value available, besides silver is cooler than pewter - my two pennies (slight pun intended)

Technically the '00 is a better value (going by KBB.com) BUT.. FRC's are much harder to find and therefor carry a premium. The financial side of me says by the '00 since it will be almost as fast and hold value better.. the car-guy side of me says buy the FRC since it's lighter, stiffer and looks better.

And everyone knows pewter is better than silver..

[kmcanally]

FRC for sure...you can't sling a dead cat without hitting half a dozen plain jane C5's.

[trapin]

FRC....I love the hard tops. Hatchbacks are for sissies.

[srh3trinity]

I vote FRC, I have always been more partial to them, but they both look great, the HUD is cool, but I hardly used it after a couple of days. Good luck with the choice.

[MrQuick]

I say F the vettes and buy my Nova!! he heeee

[lowfat69]

Coming from an Aussie who knows nuthin about Vettes the Fixed Roof looks cooler IMO

[rob07002]

I'd have to go with the FRC... The 2000 does look to be a slightly better deal but the FRC wins hands down in styling, and performance....

[dgumoe]

FRC....I love the hard tops. Hatchbacks are for sissies.

lol, tell that to my father. im partial to the FRC myself, but the old man wanted the hatchback. its grown on me. i say go for the hatch version, better value. besides its an ls1, all you have to do to catch up the z06 is spit on it and itll make more power. oh yeah, the HUD is a novelty for retirees who think theyre in an F-16. we used his once, turned it off, hasnt been on again in 6 months. whoops, thats not even a z06, hells bells man, throw an exhuast system on the coupe and you'd be right there with the FRC

[Joey_H]

Get the FRC!! I bought one in June of last year with 38K miles (a 99, currently with 44K miles) and couldn't be happier. I didn't fit well in the coupe (my head would hit where the top latches) and the FRC had a teensy bit more head room. And as some said its a limited production car (two years only), so it stands out in any Corvette gathering, and they hold their value a bit better. I've had people tell me the coupes can be creaky, my FRC is nice and quiet and creak and rattle-free. As for HUD and bi-level air conditioning, that's just foo-foo stuff that costs a fortune to repair when it breaks. One more vote for the FRC! If you go to the Hooters gathering in Ontario this Sunday (see the Non-Racing Events section) you can check out my Torch Red FRC in person.

[EFI69Cam]

I have a 99 FRC. The dealers around here will tell you the coupes are worth more, due to the low interest in the FRC when it was new.
I remember looking at them, and the jackasses had marked them up over MSRP when they were new, no wonder why people did not want them.

The FRC is the car guys Corvette.

[ProTouringNyc]

I have two friends with both and there is a big difference coupe much tighter less road noise and less wind noise i driven both Targa and Coupe and from my point of veiw, hand down the coupe you know your gonna jazz it up with aftermarket goodies so why settle

[USAZR1]

IMO,the FRC is the way to go,,a much more desireable Corvette.

[Steve1968LS2]

And to add more drama to the mix I just got a line on a '04 GTO.. 14K miles and UNDER $20k.. makes me sorry for the guys that bought them new.. lol

We are working on kids so the backseat would be handy and the interior is leaps and bounds better then the US GM stuff.. with a 6-speed I could still hit open track day when Penny is inop.. hmmmm

Oh, as for the Vettes.. I've decided I would only buy an FRC.. I am just not a coupe guy, no matter how good a deal it is..

So it's between a 6 year old vette or a 2 year old GTO with 22% of the miles and a warranty.. for less $$.. hmmm

One of the two will be at the next track day.. the question is which one.. lol

[alcino]

Get the GTO. Its more practical. Plus I have a chance of staying up with it at the track.

[Steve1968LS2]

Get the GTO. Its more practical. Plus I have a chance of staying up with it at the track.

Ha! I've seen your car perform.. I don't think you're THAT worried..

I test drove an '06 today just for kicks.. I know it has 50hp over the '04 but still a nice ride.. the interior really is as nice as they say, super high quality.

I think I scared the salesman during the test drive.. lol.. They kept playing up the fact that "it has a corvette engine".. I said "or does the Vette have a GTO engine????"

There's a red one with the red interior for $19k.. that just seems so damn cheap for an almost new car the stickered over $30k.. back seat was pretty decent as well.. wheels are ugly but I could always stick the track tires on them and get diff ones for daily driving..

And so the shopping continues..