looking at corvettes, need help.

[st8kfinger]

i know it has nothing to do with lsx based trucks, but any help would be great. im looking into selling my grandprix gtp and dropping some cash on a white 1997-98? corvette with a 6 speed (those are the only years in that body style that i can afford) . i am completely corvette ignorant so dose anyone have any tips on what to look for or stay away from and what a good price would be?, edmunds says between $10,365 and $12,230??? I know that i want a white one and that i want a 6 speed but that is not enough to base my search on, i dont want a lemon or a polished turd. i added some pics. of what i want it to look like. thanks

[zeake]

I thought I wanted to go that route also. I drove a 13k car and it was ragged out bad. Dinging someone elses door with fiberglass doors is really bad. Oil pressure sending units go bad alot. They are a pain to replace. Save up for a C6. That is what I am planning.

[408.Luke]

A 97-98 is a bad idea IMO those years have the "bad" ls1 with the parimiter bolt valve covers, surly u can find a clean 99 for 15 ive seen low mile 99-00 frc c5's go for 18-19.

[zeake]

A 97-98 is a bad idea IMO those years have the "bad" ls1 with the parimiter bolt valve covers, surly u can find a clean 99 for 15 ive seen low mile 99-00 frc c5's go for 18-19.

Yeah dont go for anything less than a 99. I wont go anything less than a 2006. No wonder I dont have one.

[performinnorman]

If you are going to go with 97 or 98, definitely get the 98. With 97 being the first year in the run, it had lots of problems. On top of that, there are design changes in 98 that made the car better. ie. relocation of the abs from the rear of the car to the front. I don't think there's anything wrong with going with a 98 except for the damned wagon wheels that came on those cars. They belonged on a truck, not on a Corvette.

[st8kfinger]

i still have a loan on my avalanche and the car i will be selling is paid off, if i get a vette i will be paying for it in cash $$, I dont want 2 car loans again, so 15k is out of the question. the ones i have seen have a few miles on them but are almost mint. one of my friends has a pair of ls6 heads and i have the ls6 cam so the bad" ls1 with the parimiter bolt valve covers issue "shouldnt be an issue?" 11-12k would be max $$, a vette isnt worth eating the lunch in a cup noodles 3 times a day, are the 98's really that bad?

[408.Luke]

As far as the "bad ls1" i dont know of any differences between the 98 and 99 but then again i only have looked at 99+ cus i want a frc/z06

[truckinL33]

Doesn't the '98 have perimeter bolt valve covers, and then '99 and up hase center bolt?

[RedHeartbeat]

yes, the engine block doesn't have very good breathing, bay to bay, also.