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I drove my Z for a while at stage III before I removed the cats, and I drove a C5 that belonged to a friend of my dad. The stage III Z will have a very different power curve to it. It's very non-linear, which kind of makes the car feel even faster. When the boost comes on it's just a rush as the acceleration exponentially increases and the tires break loose at 6k rpm. Brakes definitely need replaced on the Z as they don't handle the extra power to well and are prone to fade. Suspension is good, but it might have been better 13 years ago before it was worn. The C5 handled fairly well and had tighter rattle free feel then earlier vettes. There was virtuously no body roll when going around a cul-de-sac or through a corner. When I got it out on a straight away and nailed it though it was a little disappointing. There was a lot of noise, and a consistent but mild force backwards, but I felt like I was waiting for a rush that never came. My heart didn’t even race. At higher speeds the acceleration is even less pronounced in contrast to the Z that wants to accelerate faster, the faster you are going. Granted the car I was driving was an automatic, and my Z is a manual and manuals are always more fun. There is pretty good aftermarket support for both cars, and it is not entirely fair to compare a stock vette to a modified Z. The vettes can be made pretty damn fast with heads cams and a supercharger. I have considered getting one my self and supercharging or turbo charging it, but the thing that has always held me back thus far is this: The C5’s interior. I love the exterior of the corvettes and their heritage, but the interior is horrendously tacky with it’s funky ergonomics, Cyclops air vent and plastic linings. If it weren’t for that I just might have one. On a relative side note, even though it would cost more to fix up your current Z, 16k is more then enough to buy a low mileage (50-60k) Z with nice paint that is already stage III. This is something to consider. Four years ago I almost bought a fairly clean stg V Z with 50k miles for 13k. I ended up spending 15k for a flawless, newer all stock Z with a new paint job. If you do go with the vette (or another Z), I'd try and keep the mileage under 70-80k or you will live to regret it. If throw down another few thousand and get one with lower miles, It will probably save you money in the long run.
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