My 1997 C5
For several years I’d been thinking of selling my C4 which I’d owned for 18 years and buying a C5.
Priority was a manual and if a convertable even better.
In late 2019 I decided to get a bit more serious and actually start looking.
There were a few on “car sales” but were interstate and nothing in SA. I’d seen a 1997 on the interweb for a while but didn’t think much about it until the dealer dropped the price to something more reasonable. This was late April 2020, in the middle of Covid hysteria so there would be no flying over to have a look. After several phone calls and photos from the dealer, I contacted the WA Corvette Club President to see if he or someone in the club would check it out for me which he was more than happy to do.
The report came back good however there were a few minor issues but overall seemed quite a good car for the price.
A deal was struck, transport organised and by mid May the car was delivered to my parents as I was away fishing.
Upon inspection the car looked OK but needed a bit of TLC. To get through a Regency Pk inspection a couple of things needed sorting. An engineers report, quieter mufflers, removal of window tint plus a few other bits. Graham Hay did all the work, including taking it to inspection for me while Larry provided the stock mufflers. It got through on 1st visit.
Performance mufflers were put back on, taken home where over the next few weeks the interior got a good clean and tidy and I started on the paint. It was OK but needed a good cut and polish. Job done.
First club run comes for the car, reversing down my driveway, door open to line up on the ramps I need to get off steep driveway and OH F!#*. I’ve caught the door edge on my small retaining wall and torn the outer door skin off the frame. Not happy. After sitting down, having a cry (sook)and looking for someone else to blame, I put the car away and arrived at the run start in my work car.
Thanks to Hans who was able to supply another C5 door and again to Graham and possibly his hard working part time apprentice for doing all the work to swap and fix.
Graham has since done a bit more work on the car. The main bit was replacing the air con/heater controller( Thanks Ross for having a spare). The heater was on permanently for so was a bit warm on those hot days. All is good now.
I’ve never really liked the stock wheels and wanted something a bit different to anyone else in the club so purchased a set of Simmons FR1 18 and 19 in rims, They come with blank centres so can be drilled to Corvette specs.
I’m now pretty happy with the car but still have a list of minor cosmetic things to do, however nothing is urgent so just want to enjoy driving it.
The car has done 89000KM, been in Australia since 2003, gone Sydney, Darwin, Perth and now Adelaide. Converted by Geoff Sutherland in NSW and those who have looked at all say it’s a good conversion.
Greg Woods
