One owner, 15,209 original miles. Z51, performance axle, heads-up display, sport seats, and more. Never modified or abused, totally stock, beautifully preserved. C5s don’t get any better than this!
Millennium Yellow was [obviously] one of the new colors introduced for 2000 and it turned out to be an excellent choice. It isn’t subtle and you’re not going to sneak around in this Corvette, but thanks to exceptional care and use only on warm, dry days it still looks almost new. Remarkably, it remains entirely stock with none of the usual bolt-on catalog stuff that a lot of Corvette fans find irresistible, and the clean C5 lines have aged rather well—it is still undeniably a Corvette and most folks don’t realize that it’s approaching drinking age. We’re especially fond of the way the bright yellow paint contrasts with the red taillights, and the rear ¾ view might be the C5’s most attractive angle. Fit and finish on the C5 was extremely good and there’s a very solid sound when you slam the doors. Paint is excellent and it has probably only been wet a handful of times; even the rockers behind the front tires are almost completely unblemished.
The C5 is vastly more user-friendly than the C4 before it, with the biggest difference being the low door sills that make it far easier to climb in and out. There’s plenty of leg room thanks to the transmission moving to the back and once you’re behind the wheel, it’s all-day comfortable. This Corvette is loaded with options, including dual power sport seats, dual-zone A/C, power tilt/telescope wheel, heads-up display, and a remote CD changer. You’ll note there’s almost zero wear on the seats, even on the high-traffic outside bolsters, the carpets are like new, and every button is crisp and bright, not worn and faded like a lot of high-mileage C5s. Key it up and the gauges spin themselves around the dial and the display is configurable to show a variety of secondary functions. Overhead there’s a black canvas convertible top that is similarly well-preserved and stows easily under the rear deck, which, unlike previous Corvettes, doesn’t consume trunk space. Even with the top down, there’s a good-sized storage area out back and it includes a built-in cargo net.
But you don’t buy a Corvette for cargo capacity, you buy it for performance. The now-ubiquitous LS1 V8 debuted in the C5, and in 2001 it got a modest horsepower increase to 350 and torque is a rather robust 360 lb-ft. Today those numbers may not seem massive, but the C5 is nonetheless very fast and more than capable of handling some pretty serious hardware on today’s streets. It’s also bulletproof reliable and with zero modifications or aftermarket “upgrades” this one is very easy to live with. The last 23 years have proven that these engines need little more than gas and oil to live long, healthy lives, so don’t be afraid to dip into the car’s deep reserves of torque. This is how you want your Corvette to look when you buy it.
Some guys might not appreciate the virtues of the Corvette’s quick-shifting 4-speed automatic transmission, but we promise it’s far from a liability in this car. Thanks to the performance axle ratio (3.15 vs. the standard 2.73) the rear-mounted autobox is potent on the roll and turns the C5 into an awesome point-and-shoot machine. It’s enhanced by the Z51 suspension, which is probably the biggest bang for the buck on the options list—not just springs and shocks, but also a power steering oil cooler and heavy-duty sway bar links that improve suspension response without harming ride quality. Note that the undercarriage is extremely clean, including the aluminum subframes and unique balsa wood floors. More importantly, the exhaust is stock, including catalytic converters so it’s 100% legal in all 50 states, and the mufflers are mellow so it’s a great car for road trips. Those gorgeous polished aluminum wheels were actually forgings, making them light and strong, and they’re fitted with OEM-spec Goodyear radials.
Documentation includes the original manuals and window sticker, showing a long list of options and a rather eye-watering price of $52,940 Y2K-era dollars.
Drive one and you’ll understand. These are incredibly polished machines that do everything well. Performance is still thrilling, handling is benign, brakes are powerful, and there are enough electronic aids to keep even inexperienced drivers from getting in trouble. And for the price of a used Honda, there’s just no better way to enjoy the sun in a Corvette than an ultra-clean C5. Call today!
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Harwood Motors always recommends and welcomes personal or professional inspections on any vehicle in our inventory prior to purchase.
