1998 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe

1998 Chevrolet Corvette Hatchback Coupe (Targa Top)White C5 Chevy Vette with forged LS2 LS3 top end & Z51 Z06 upgrades F55 Targa A4 LSX
5/27/17 Listing started. but 50+ detailed pictures coming soon.
I have a beautiful 1998 Corvette for sale. Clean. blue Texas Title in hand. This car is in good condition. and was and still is well loved. I have pointed out the most serious flaws. but I encourage the buyer to fully inspect the vehicle. No warranty expressed or implied. Despite being almost 20 years old. I consistently get compliments on the car's look and condition. Especially considering it has almost 200. 00 miles on the chassis. With that said. it is a used car and is sold AS-IS. The paint condition is decent. there are minor blemishes and scratches. but excellent compared to others for sale of this year. I only fill up using premium gas (typically 93 octane in Texas).

I bought this C5 Corvette out of Nevada in August 2005 with 78k miles. She's been my baby ever since. She was daily driven until 2008. when she became more of a nice weather only car. Since 2012. she's really been more of a toy. As you can see. I've spent a lot of time and money over the years. but she's actually been pretty darn reliable. I wouldn't hesitate to buy another Chevy or GM product based on the past 12 years. However. I moved to Boston. and it's simply not practical to take her with me. If you are looking for a low mileage. original car. this is not for you. But if you appreciate the current LSX technology and performance. I think this car has a sweet mix. There's so much to go over. but I tried to organize the list of modifications as best I could. The car is a 1998 Chevrolet Corvette Hatchback with body colored targa top; Arctic White with gray or pewter interior. A lot of the interior is black and red themed now. The chassis has 193. XX miles at the moment.

I'm trying to be as thorough as possible. and share as much as I can so you'll appreciate this car as I have. I don't want disappointments and I'd be happy to talk to serious buyers if there or questions or you need more information on something before bidding.

Thanks

Steven

(832) 721-9343

Performance:

Motor tuning and dyno work done by Corey Henderson of Henderson Performance Technologies HPT in New Braunfels. TX. Dyno numbers on the current motor: 414HP 406Ft/lb torque with the transmission slipping in 3rd gear. willing to talk ¼ mile performance in person. but should trap into the 120's. It should do well in an autocross or road course event as well with this setup. The dyno is known to be conservative. and I fully expect the motor is making 500+ crank HP.

 

Engine:

I stopped driving the car with the original LS1 in 11/2012 with 189k miles due to a separating harmonic balancer. I was hoping to do an aftermarket heads and cam swap on the original motor. but I didn't like the results of a compression test. I decided I'd rather just build a new motor. This was built with what I deemed the highest value parts based on quality. performance. and cost. As you can see. these aren't cheap parts. and they work well together to extract great performance without getting into anything too exotic. Full motor spec/build sheet available upon request. Installation completed 2/2014. Break in was done over 3. 00 miles with Mobil1 Delvac diesel dino oil. Recently converted back to Mobil1 full synthetic. I've got over $5. 00 in this rebuild. I know I won't get it back out. but the motor is still worth considerably more than what you'll find in most C5's under $15. 00.

 

Highlights:

-              Factory LS2 bare block machined to 4. 002 bore. cleaned and shortblock assembled by Owen's Racing Engines -- Pearland. TX with factory displacement LS1 crankshaft

-              Forged Lunati I-beam connecting rods

-              Mahle Flat Top Pistons with valve reliefs 365ci LS1314005F04

-              Clevite MS-2199P main Bearings and CB-663P rod bearings; Durabond CHP-23T coated cam bearings

-              Factory L92 821 heads reassembled with LS3 lightweight hollow stem intake valves (so essentially full LS3 heads)

-              Comp Cams 7. 400 pushrods

-              Custom spec'ed cam by Patrick Guerra AKA PatG and ground by EPS with ET lobes

-              BTR Brian Tooley Racing dual valvespring kit with titanium retainers

-              Factory rockers arms with Comp Cams 13702 trunion kit

-              Ported LS6 oil pump

-              Comp 650-16 lifters

-              ProComp head studs

-              Racetronix wiring harnesses

-              New gaskets. sealants. fuel filter. some new sensors. tensioners.

-              Solid polyurethane motor mounts

-              ACDelco 9748RR Professional Spark Plug Wire Set

-              LS2 Water pump

-              Center bolt valve covers. coilpack brackets

-              Stainless steel allen head bolt package for external components (water pump. thermostat housing. tensioner mounting. valley cover bolts. header bolts. front cover bolts)

-              LS3 Fuel Rail Covers (FRC) Black with red inset lettering

-              PowerForce Harmonic damper 80033 pinned to crankshaft

 

Intake:

-              L76 Intake manifold with injectors. rails. etc. Dual feed return style fuel system converted for single inlet use.

-              Vararam VR-B2 Intake system

-              Vararam Powerduct

-              LS2 silver plate throttle body with LS7 cartridge style 12576410 MAF in 102mm Spectre 9705 housing

 

Exhaust:

-              Kooks 1 ¾" long tube headers with off road X-pipe (Note; catless system; you may have trouble meeting emissions requirements in your locale based on a visual inspection. though no "check engine light" is showing)

-              Corsa exhaust with Pypes quad tips (I have a set of Corsa GTR tips available for additional cost)

-              Chrome exhaust plate with Corvette flags logo

 

Exterior Lighting:

-              Euro T84 Front headlight housings with Bi-xenon single bulb 6000K HID ballasts and bulbs

-              Euro T89 Red/Clear taillights

-              Clear corner front turn signal housings

-              Headlight motors rebuilt

 

Wheels and tires:

-              Factory 2001 Corvette Z06 wheels 17" & 18" staggered setup. manufactured by Alcoa (stronger and more sought after than the 2002-2004 made by Speedline) -- some have curb rash

-              BFG KDW2 tires all around. Fronts 275/40ZR17 installed 10/16 @192. 7k. Rears 295/35ZR18 installed 3/11 @171. 3k but still look great.

 

Brakes:

-              Factory C5 Z06 red brake calipers with stainless steel lines. dimpled and grooved rotors. Rebled with fresh Motul 600 brake fluid 4/2017

-              C5Z06 rear brake ducts (fully functional) added

 

Transmission and driveline:

-              Yank SS3200 Stall converter. Transgo Shift Kit. PML Deep pan from CT Powertrain

-              Secondary front mounted in-line B&M 70266 transmission cooler with braided stainless lines

-              Differential upgraded with C6 Z06 output shafts and new seals to fix the "leaky butt". Royal Purple Gear Oil

-              Lower mileage CV axles installed

-              Elite Engineering Plate 3/8" Aluminum Ceramic Coated Part #ALC-375-C5 Weight 14. 6 lbs

 

Suspension:

-              C6 Z51 sway bars. Pfadt bushings. and metal end links

-              Originally equipped with the F45 3-mode real time damping active control suspension. converted to the 2003-2004 C5 (2nd version) Magnetic Ride Control F55 2-mode option with electromagnetic shocks. Installed during motor swap in 2015

 

Interior:

-              Blue LED conversion on dual climate control (DCC) HVAC controller

-              Red and blue LED conversion on most controls -- window. door locks. active handling. traction control. adjustable suspension. HUD controls and DIC -- one LED out on DIC

-              Most factory bulbs replaced with LEDs in rearview mirror. cargo area. courtesy lights. etc. -- passenger light in rearview mirror works. but doesn't always make good contact.

-              Custom leather interior sewn by "CARS" in St. Louis installed on factory sport seats. Parchment (tan) and black two-tone pattern. Starting to show some wear in high impact areas. I will include spare original material if you want to have it partially redone.

-              Red perforated leather/black suede center console cover. shift boot. and ebrake boot by Redline Goods.

-              Chrome emergency brake handle

-              Wheelskins EuroTone Red and black steering wheel wrap

-              Rear C5 Corvette flag emblem added to rear console lid/waterfall area.

-              Lloyd's 405HP Z06 red floor mats - some stains. and bottom of mats are starting to peel

-              Chrome Corvette logo sill plates

-              HUD (heads up display) conversion

-              Silver painted instrument cluster bezels

-              Red leather door pull and passenger airbag pull covers

-              Window tint --Llumar 30% sides 15% rear; not flawless installed 7/29/2006; has a few scratches and blemishes particularly on the driver's side window

 

Audio:

-              Pioneer AVIC-Z1 navigation. GPS. CD player with harddrive MP3 storage. Updated maps to AVIC-Z3 equivalent.

-              Pioneer ND-BT1 Bluetooth adapter

-              Pioneer XM GEX-P10XMT -- haven't ever subscribed

-              Pioneer Ipod interface CD-IB100ii

-              Pioneer rear component speakers

-              TopDownTech Accessory Valet for RAP (Retained accessory power) via key fob

-              Backup camera (not functional) -- I've had issues with several models only lasting a few years. Will include a new unit for you to install with sale.

-              PAC ROEM-VET1 harness for Pioneer installation/Bose speaker interface

-              Double DIN radio bezel and HVAC controller moved down -- project was never fully complete. Holes designed for VW/Audi seat heater controls (available upon request). Paint was never sprayed to imitate factory finish. but I will include the cans of black textured paint I have (I think I have the clear too)

 

Cooling: Hyperstat 160* thermostat

 

Body:

- Front bumper repainted by Richey Collision for rock chips/general wear 6/07. It's about time to be redone as the Houston roads have taken their toll. Spider cracks. minor bends and curb/under bumper scrapes visible.

- Front fender lower mounting tabs separating from rocker panel - both sides

- Passenger fender has small crack starting from the bottom of the panel and extending upwards a few inches.

- Rear bumper has a few paint chips and spider veining. Exhaust has left some soot/burned wax on lower section of rear bumper -- most will come out with elbow grease.

- General scratches typical of a 100k mile car. but better than a 200k mile car. Overall paint quality is still decent and shows care taken; garage kept since 2007. regular washing. waxing. and clay bar detailing.

- Undercarriage has some scrapes from road debris. Lower rocker panels have scrapes. particularly the passenger side. Radiator support and front spoilers are far from perfect due to low ground clearance.  

 

Others:

- AC Compressor replaced with a new ACDelco factory unit in 5/2007. System was fully flushed and recharged. but has never been 100%. Currently works fine. but occasionally blows hot air. I've had it diagnosed once or twice since. but the problem never seems to be repeatable. I think I've topped off the R-134a refrigerant once since replacement.

- Power steering pump rebuilt. LS2 power steering pulley. new high pressure line installed with motor swap. Rebuilt steering rack from Lonestar Caliper installed 5/2017. Could use a new outer tie rod end on the passenger side and a 4 wheel alignment.

- Key fobs. TPMS sensors converted to European export RF receiver which has cheaper replacement parts. 2 fobs. and 3 keys included as well as original 1998 Owner's Manual with zipper pouch (cover torn/separating from pages/contents)

 

Known issues:

Review those listed above: interior light bulbs. paint. body. backup camera. a/c. seat wear. nbsp;

- It looks like there's a bit of oil leaking from the top of the motor near the front of the passenger side head. I'd suspect the valve cover; might need new gaskets or may just need retorquing.

- Transmission hasn't been rebuilt in my ownership. It isn't slipping noticeably on the street. however you can see it struggle to hold at WOT on the dyno chart. If you plan on racing or driving the car hard. I'd suggest sending the transmission to RPM for a solid Level IV built to handle 500+HP.

- Exhaust tips tend to move more than I like and don't stay in perfect alignment.  

- Turn signals intermittently fail. This is a known issue and can be temporarily fixed by quickly cycling the hazard switch on and off. The permanent fix is to replace or bypass the emergency hazard switch in the dash.

- Front bumper emblem started cracking and has been partially been removed so it looks more like a C6 emblem than a C5 at the moment.

- Interior center console (rear section) isn't bolted in and the bolt holes have cracked away. Console has a small stress crack in front of lock

- Rear carpet has some staining. Rear cubby cover levers aren't all in perfect condition.

- Covers that surround flip/lever mechanism on leather seats is missing (driver's side) and not installed quite right (passenger's side)

- Small crack (~3/4") in windshield above HUD projector

- Other various minor chips on windshield; none worth specifically mentioning but as a whole there are some

- Wiper arms missing paint in areas (repaint or replace if you're a perfectionist)

- Targa top weather sealant used to leak a bit in the rain on the driver's side. I applied Krytox to lubricate the weatherstripping and it seems better. but it really hasn't been in much rain since to know for sure.

- Driver's side interior door panel - has a bit of the extremely common arm rest "wave" and panel separation (air pocket).

- I keep it on a trickle charger if it's not driven weekly to prevent battery drain.

I also have a lot of parts inventory including original OEM parts and aftermarket parts bought for future projects. I'm willing to work with the buyer on any parts they want (at a reasonable price) when buying the car.

I believe this list is correct. but I didn't have a picture of the sticker in the glove box to confirm factory equipped options:1998 Corvette options:

1YY07 - Base Corvette Sport Coupe
AAB - Memory Package

AG2 - Power Passenger Seat

AQ9 - Sport Seats

B84 - Body Side Moldings

CJ2 - Electronic Dual Zone Air Conditioning

D42 - Luggage Shade and Parcel Net

F45 - Selective Real Time Damping (replaced with 2003-2004 F55 MRC option)

G92 - Performance Axle Ratio (Automatic Trans. Only) 3. 15:1 gears

JL4 - Active Handling System

T96 - Fog Lamps

UN0 - Delco Stereo System with CD (replaced with Pioneer AVIC-Z1)

UV6 - Head Up Instrument Display (retrofitted using GM original parts; HUD N/A from the factory in 98)


Housekeeping/policies/other:I am not interested in trades. Please know that if you have zero feedback you need to contact me prior to bidding or I will delete your bid.
Buyer is responsible for payment and shipping or pick-up arrangements as noted in the auction terms. If transportation from IAH or HOU airports is helpful. I may be able to assist. depending on the time and date. The reserve is super reasonable. Texas buyers will have receive a bill of sale and Form 130-U with the title filled out for the new owner. I will assist out of state buyers with local forms if provided.  
Full payment AND pickup in Seabrook. TX by 1PM Monday June 5 2017 HIGHLY preferred. In this case. no deposit accepted/required. If that's not possible. please coordinate with me by eBay messages or phone at (832) 721-9343 if you make a bid above the reserve to arrange payment and pickup. In this case. A NON REFUNDABLE deposit of $500 via Paypal is due within 24 hours of listing ending.
Payment must be CASH or CASHIERS CHECK. NO MONEY ORDERS. no exceptions.  
Vehicle is available for local inspection Saturday 6/3/17 before the auction end by appointment only. Please call Steven at (832) 721-9343 to arrange a time.
Please if you bid/buy FOLLOW THROUGH; I do not have time to be wasted!  Thank you And no. I do not need help selling it.

On May-27-17 at 21:02:24 PDT. seller added the following information:

Car is from a Non-smoker.

More/higher quality pictures added.

Note: Dyno picture was before exhaust change. Corsa GTR tips not installed/included.

Video walk-around:


 



























































1998 Chevrolet Corvette with LS2 and LS3 Z06 Upgrades

On May-27-17 at 21:07:42 PDT. seller added the following information:

Vehicle inspection and thus registration is NOT current.  

Also published at eBay.com

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