Another good place to start looking is at Corvette shows. They usually have a for sale section, and you can browse through them while having a good time at a show. If you buy from a dealer or Chevrolet store, ask about a warranty, and take a look at purchasing an extended warranty because the electronics in a Corvette can get pricey when it comes time for repairs.
Aftermarket is a Buzz
I recently bought a '97 and am in need of some help. First, the battery box is missing and I am looking to replace it. Is this something that can be found in the aftermarket or is this a salvage item? Second, the fuel pump makes a noise that can be heard in the passenger compartment. I have been told this is a common issue with the earlier C5s. Is there a fix for this? Thanks for the help.Michael Sizemore, Maryland
As far as the battery box goes, you can purchase them from aftermarket companies like Eckler's Corvette, 800/284-3906, or Mid America Motorworks, 866/866-0856. They both carry standard Corvette parts for replacement or restoration of older Corvettes, especially since Chevrolet discontinues certain parts after a period of time. Another place to find parts like that would be the larger Corvette shows in your area. usually they will have vendors for new and used parts for Corvettes, and there are a couple Corvette salvage companies that always go to them
The early year C5 Corvettes always seemed to have noisy fuel pumps-a buzzing noise that can drive you crazy. Chevrolet came out with a few revisions to the pump assemblies, and the new pumps seem to be a lot quieter than the originals. The new GM part number for that pump is a 89047745. It is a complete fuel-pump assembly with a sending unit for the fuel gauge and retails for about $570 from GM. Lingenfelter Performance (260/724-2552) sells a performance pump and canister assembly for C5 Corvettes that comes without the sending unit and sells for about $300.
Make sure whoever you take it to for the repair (hopefully, a qualified Corvette repair facility) has installed a fuel-pump assembly in a C5 Corvette before. The C5 and C6 use plastic fuel tanks. for the C5, there is a special torque wrench (GM PN J42940) for the screws that hold the assembly into the tank to ensure you won't over torque the tank and distort it, then you will possibly have a fuel leak on your hands. Also, it is a little tricky removing the assembly and reinstalling it into the tank since it has very little clearance for the assembly.