2002 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible, Auto, Corsa, Heads Up, Lots of paperwork!

2002 Chevrolet Corvette Corvette Convertible Description

2002 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible

Many of our recent Corvettes have been coupes so it’s a refreshing change to offer this 2002 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible here at MotoeXotica Classic Cars. We are selling this awesome black Vette for a widow to satisfy an estate.

Built in August 2001 at the GM factory in Bowling Green, Kentucky, this car came with the following equipment – Positraction, 2.73 rear end, four-wheel double-wishbone independent suspension with transverse fiberglass leaf springs, speed sensitive, variable assist rack and pinion steering, power four-wheel disc brakes with anti-lock, driver and front passenger airbags, six-way power driver seat, electronic analog gauges with multi-language driver information center, tire pressure monitor sensor, cruise control, power windows, power antenna, heated rear window, intermittent windshield wipers and more.

The car’s black paint is in very good condition, as are the glass panels, including the heated backlight in the convertible top. The car’s lights are also in good order and note that exposed lights replaced the standard, retractable headlights. The car rides on factory, five-spoke alloy wheels, surrounded by Toyo Proxes tires, 245/45ZR17 in front and 275/40ZR18 in rear. The car’s sheet molded compound body panels are straight and solid and the bumpers’ condition matches that of the rest of the body. The Light Oak power-folding top is in good order, too. Driver assist features include air conditioning, power steering, power brakes, power locks, power windows, power mirrors and power seats with memory functions. A previous owner had Corsa Performance axle and crossover pipes installed in 2006.

Inside, the Light Oak bucket seats are in excellent condition while the matching carpet is in very good shape. The two-toned instrument panel (black upper and Light Oak lower) is in very good condition, as is the four-spoke steering wheel, door panels, mirror glass, center console and shift lever. The car comes with dual front airbags and there’s a heads-up display unit in the dash top, which will project vehicle speed and other data (selectable by the driver) without the need to look away from the road ahead. Rounding out the interior is the factory Delco-Bose AM/FM stereo with CD player.

A major change from its predecessor the C4, the C5 featured a hydroformed box frame, a design that offered an improved structural platform, especially for a convertible body style. The transmission was relocated to the rear of the car to form an integrated, rear-mounted transaxle assembly, connected to the all-new LS1 engine via a torque tube — an engine/transmission arrangement enabling a 50-50 weight distribution for improved handling. The 4L60-E automatic transmission carried over from previous models but the manual was replaced by a Borg-Warner T-56 six-speed capable of a 175 mph top speed. Relative to the C4, the new platform and structural design substantially reduced squeaks and rattles.

Aside from cosmetic differences, horsepower boosts and new offerings for optional equipment, there were few fundamental changes from one model year to the next within the production run of the C5. One of the more popular “high-tech” options introduced was a head-up display or HUD, while another innovation was the Active Handling System (first available as an option in 1998, standard on all models by 2001). The C5 was also the first Corvette to incorporate a drive-by-wire throttle; and variable-effort steering, whereby the assist level of the power steering is varied according to vehicle speed (more at lower speeds, less at higher speeds). Also notable, though rarely discussed, the C5 generation was the first model to adopt the parallel or ‘tandem’ windshield wiper configuration, abandoning the opposed configuration that was used on every previous Corvette model since the first in 1953.

In contrast to the reputation of high-performance vehicles for poor fuel economy, the C5 achieves comparatively high EPA ratings of 18/25 mpg (city/highway) with the automatic transmission and 19/28 with the manual transmission, allowing it to avoid the “gas guzzler” tax that was levied against most other vehicles in the Corvette’s class. A number of factors are responsible for this: the relatively light weight of the C5 (a curb weight under 3,300 lbs; Chevrolet omitted the spare tire as a weight-saving measure, relying upon run-flat tires instead); the C5’s low drag coefficient; and the vehicle’s tendency to upshift into the higher gears as soon as possible. The manual transmission’s Computer-Aided Gear Shifting (CAGS) results in an obligatory shift from first gear directly into fourth gear under certain driving conditions; the system can be deactivated through the use of an aftermarket device.

Suspension choices for the base model C5 were limited to the standard suspension (RPO FE1), with options for either the autocross-inspired FE3 Sport Suspension (included with the Z51 Performance & Handling Package and standard on the 1999–2000 FRC); or the F45 Selective Ride Control Suspension, which permitted “on-the-fly” driver selection of different ride characteristics (sport or touring). The C5’s suspension consisted of independent unequal-length double wishbones with transverse fiberglass mono-leaf springs and optional magnetorheological dampers.

The C5 is capable of matching or besting the 0–60 mph acceleration times of some of the world’s premier sports cars, including the Aston Martin DB7 Vantage, and the Ferrari 355. A composite of published performance numbers for the base-model coupé and convertible gives a 0–60 mph time of around 4.5 seconds, and a standing quarter-mile time of around 13.3 seconds at 108 mph (both times for a vehicle equipped with the 6-speed manual transmission).

While the C5 may have been initially criticized for using inexpensive materials and older technology (e.g., composites in body panels and floor boards; an OHV engine; and leaf springs), ostensibly as cost-cutting measures, these components are actually very strong for their relatively light weight (low mass), or have proven reliability. The C5’s modular body panels make excellent use of a lightweight composite material known in the automotive industry as SMC or sheet molded composite, a type of fiberglass that is blended and bonded with plastics. SMC provides better protection against direct blows because it is very stiff and will not dent. The floorboards on the C5 are a composite sandwich of SMC with balsa wood in the middle. Balsa wood was chosen for its extreme stiffness, light weight and excellent sound deadening qualities. The all aluminum LS1 overhead valve engine is much lighter than its cast iron predecessor, the LT1 and provides for a much lower hoodline when compared to an overhead cam design of relative displacement. The composite leaf springs are much lighter and sit much lower than typical coil springs and help provide the C5 with its excellent ride characteristics and distinctive ride height.

Documentation includes approximately $3,800 in service and maintenance receipts, registration and inspection documents and aftermarket part warranties. In July 2014, this car was involved in an accident and sustained damage to the right rear quarter panel. Car was repaired at a local Chevrolet dealer and brought back to factory specifications. Related paperwork is included in the car’s documents.

Competition to this Corvette in 2002 included Maserati’s Spyder Cambiocorsa, Ferrari’s 355, Jaguar’s XKR100 Convertible, Aston Martin’s DB7 Volante, BMW’s M Roadster and Mercedes-Benz’s SL 600.

This car is currently located at our facility in St. Louis, Missouri. Current mileage on the odometer shows 59,975 miles. It is sold as is, where is, on a clean and clear, mileage exempt title. GET OUT AND DRIVE!!!

VIN: 1G1YY32G525103272

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