Please talk me out of it...

Well a good friend of mine just bought himself a C5 Vette. Now I have driven plenty of these cars including the Zo6 so I know what there all about. They are a great car and very fun to drive. Fast as hell and can be driven in all weather conditions with out worry of leaks and such. You can park the car anywhere without worrying too much about it..and it does draw a fair amount of attention. It is cheap to maintain(by F-car standards anyway) and parts are just a phone call and 15 minutes away know matter were you may find yourself. His car is a 98 with 123,000km and it is still a very tight car and feels really well screwed together.

Now..I have always loved the Corvette. In fact I have had a few,and I just have never been able to shake the Corvette from my soul. I personaly think the Vette is one of the best cars you can buy for the money. Nothing can even come close really. With a few minor mods you can have a car that will dip into the 12second 1/4 and 0-60 times in the mid 4 second range. Not bad for a car that you can grab for 25-30k for a really nice used one.

Now I need you guys to talk me out of selling the Ferrari to get one. Yes I love the Ferrari. In fact it has been one of the best cars I have ever owned for reliability and the sound of the engine at 7000rpm can't be beat. But the car is old and the performance is not even up to minivan standards anymore. Yes I could throw all kinds of money at it to make it handel like a 360..but what for. It performance capabilities at the time were very good but even then not the best. I love the way the car looks..my favorite of all the Ferrari's baring the 288GTO and of course the king F-40.

I also realize that getting into the Corvette will mean getting into a car that is still falling in price were as the Ferrari will not drop much further then it all ready has. But the Corvette will alway out perform the Ferrari. And I like driving a car that goes as fast as it looks. Insurance will be a little more expensive on th C5 but only because it is a newer car. But again it's not a Ferrari. It will definatly not have the same feel and same sort of soul that the Ferrari gives you. When you drive a Ferrari you feel like your part of something...but the same can be said for the Corvette. It also has a great history and racing behined it. And it continues to dominate right to this day.

The fact that there are a ton on the roads does not really bother me. But getting destroyed by Jeep Cherokees does. You can say "ya but I have a Ferrari" all you want..but at the end of the day you still lost the race and didn't take home the money. Yes Ferrari has a glorious past..but you don't win races with history books and memories either.

But I really think I will greatly miss the Ferrari. I have a funny feeling that after a while I will want the Ferrari back. I need you guys to help me talk myself out of this. I really like the Ferrari but it's performance is just not there but I still really enjoy and love the car...HELP..What do I do?
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Why you are even considering this, is beyond me.

 

Honestly, you should get the Vette, sounds like you already made up your mind anyway, the Vette is a practical car you can take trips in and drive more.

Keep the Vette and get a 12 cylinder later, that way you'll have the performance and looks to go with it.

 

i say sell the injected 308, get the vette and then get an fcar with lots of carbs.

 

Yea, what he said.

 

Buy the Vette and get a TR or 355 after the appeal of the Vette has left. I guarantee you that you will come back to "our side" within 2 years. In 2006 the 355's will be in the $50,000 range and there is no Cherokee gonna touch you my friend.

 

If you want speed and looks, get a Lotus Elise or something. For some reason I can't shake the image that Vettes are driven by people with mullets who live in the backwoods.

Of course for the money, the Vette is one of best bargains out there.

I would say, not knowing your finances, get a 512TR or a used Viper.

Vettes are dime a dozen, but if you like it, its your car, get it, and have fun.

 

I'd say sell the 308 and get a 328. You'd have basically the same styling and feel with about 55 more horsepower in a car that is actually slightly lighter in weight. It still wouldn't match a C5 Corvette, but it would still be a Ferrari!

 

I love Corvettes too. No doubt that for the money, nothing will touch a Corvette, new or used market. But did you really buy a 308 for the performance? I mean, by modern standards a 308 is just not a fast car. But it's still worlds cooler and less common than a Corvette. If you honestly are drag racing Jeep Cherokee's in your free time and you actually need a lot of performance, get the 'vette but you'll be back because you'll miss the Ferrari quickly. Could you stretch just a bit more than the vette and get a 348? Now that thing is still not quite as fast as a C5, but close, and still a Ferrari. Keep one other thing in mind: in 20 years the C5 will be worth squat but your 308 will be worth a hell of a lot more than it is now.

Birdman

 

Get an fcar and a modern car! Just not a new C6... a '97 C5 is $20k around here.

 

My buddy has a 94 Vette & loves it to death. I have driven it a lot. While the car is fast as hell, that is all I like better about it. I would never consider selling a F Car to get it.

 

Hey Slagle, What about your buddy with the Z06??

Tom,
You don't mention the year of the Z06 but it looks like an '02. That is probably the best bang for the buck that is available today. Now that the C6 is out, I think prices will drop even more. Is there any way you can keep the 308 for those top down sunny days and use the Z06 the rest of the time?
I bought my Z06 new for about $50K. It is worth about $30K today. If I had spent $80K for a 355, The 355 would still be worth $80. I think you have all the info.
Good luck,
Rick

 

We don't have many Corvettes down here (SA) so they are somewhat more exotic than in the US. The latest cars look really nice but - they will never be Ferraris... (no disrespect to the General intended). IMHO - keep the 308.

 

I have only driven my buddy Rick's once. I just remember it was no comparison to the F40. lmao I dig the racing belts in the ZR1 - Oh and the race car is pretty cool too.

The Vette is without a doubt the best bang for the buck. I just wouldn't sell an F-car to get one.

 

I have had many vettes. Had a C5. I even restored a big block 1966 roadster. It had 450 hp. Absolutely brutal acceleration and noise to match. It was a very nice car....fun to drive and drew a lot of attention. If what you are after is cheap speed, they are the best.

But after a while the power did not do much for me. Had to watch out for cops too much. Still fun, but there are a lot of powerful, fast cars these days.

I like the F-car more for its individuality and the panache of the thing. Also like the social aspect of the F-car crowd more than the C-car crowd.

If I had my way, I would have both. Ran out of garage space. I definitely do miss the Corvettes.

Mark

 

I've owned a vette also........... I think you will be disappointed if you do this. Then where will you be? Pissed..... If you want another 'vette I suggest you wait until you can keep the Ferrari also. Then when you realise you made a mistake, just drive the Ferrari to get your mind off it.

 

Rent a Vette for the weekend, get it out of your system And trade in the Ferrari for one with carbs, lots of them.

 

Maybe you need to upgrade from 82 308 GTSi to one that wasn't strangled by regulations.

 

True..But I do work on Ferrari's pretty much everyday. I know what the cars can do and what kind of output they have. Anything from a 365GTC4 2+2..right up to a 512TR..I have pretty much driven them all. Now obviously the Ferrari 12's are really nice..but you also have the Ferrari 12 prices to deal with. Which being a mechanic is not so bad..but I do still have to buy the parts which anit cheap..even at trade cost!!

But what I do find is, I'm hesitant to take the Ferrrari anywere when I know I'm going to leave it unattended. I know it's just a 308 but it still draws alot of attention were eve it's parked. With the Vette it is a much more useable car. I could drive it in the winter if I wanted to and I could take it acrross country without worrying too much about it. Now the Ferrari could do the trip but I really wouldn't want to do it in that car.

I think I'm going to have to think about this really hard. I don't want to make a mistake. Maybe I'll borrow the one from the sales department for the night and see if I really like it. Keep the comments comming folks. I still leaning towards the vette.

 

Ryan, my American friends agree with you, but in Canada we don't suffer as much from that general perception of Vette drivers. BTW, we can't buy an Elise in Canada.

Tom, I've driven tons of these and mostly on track. A used Z06 is a fantastic value among sports cars, but it's still no Ferrari. Don't do it! Keep the F-car!

 

I had a '69 big block roadster a few years back...sold it in '99. I got it for a steal in '95, did some resto work and kept it awhile, made a little money on it. It never was a major emotional involvement for me, just too good a deal to pass up. I always liked the '65 and '66 models the best -- I certainly wouldn't mind having a roadster, big or small block, with side exhaust.

Don't want to sound like a snob, but class differences are definitely evident after you've mingled with both the Ferrari and Corvette crowds, and you can be driving a nice example of either for about the same amount of money.

 

Those who have been around this forum long enough will remember this same story with Ed Gault... From his lovely 308 - which he painstakingly refurbished and rebuilt the motor, which was well-documented here - he went (and is still going in) with the Vette.

 

You should buy the Vett. It sounds like you love to enjoy the car and the F-car you have started to wear you down. So, buy the Vett and enjoy it as much as you can.

You can later on come back to buy the newer F-car.

 

Is it possible for both?

 

Yes, I was thinking the exact same thing Peter....

BTW, will be getting the wife an '04 'Vette coupe early next year, so should be able to comment further by then.