Fan Friday: Bill Johnson's 2002 Magnetic Red Metallic C5 Corvette Coupe

Bill Johnson's first Corvette was a C3 restomod. His second went the other direction entirely: a 2002 C5 coupe that he describes, in three words, "as pure stock."

Bill is an 81-year-old retired pastor, and his C5 is a clean example of why the fifth generation has such a loyal following. It's finished in Magnetic Red Metallic over a light oak interior, rides on polished five-spoke wheels with crossed-flags center caps, and shows 26,431 miles on the clock. Under the hood is the 5.7-liter LS1 V8 that made the C5 such a sweet driver from day one. Bill says he may add some exhaust work down the road and asked what we'd recommend, which is one of our favorite questions to get.

His timing on the color was good, too. 2002 was the biggest production year of the entire C5 run, with 35,767 Corvettes built, and just 1,609 of them were coupes finished in Magnetic Red Metallic, one of only two extra-cost colors that year. The color wasn't offered at all for 2003, when Anniversary Red took over as the red of the 50th Anniversary cars.

Thanks for sharing your C5 with us, Bill, and for trusting us with the next step. 🏎️

Our Picks for Bill's C5

Bill mentioned he's thinking about exhaust, so this week's picks follow that thread: the bolt-on side of letting a stock LS1 breathe a little easier.

Bi-Modal Axle-Back Exhaust — Butterfly valves let you pick between a quiet note for early mornings and a louder one for the open road, on a bolt-on system made for 1997–2004 base and Z06 cars. The valves need to be wired in, and each system is built to order, so allow 2–4 weeks. → Shop the Bi-Modal Axle-Back Exhaust

C5 Exhaust X-Pipe — A crossover in the center section evens out the exhaust pulses for a deeper, smoother tone, and no emissions components are touched along the way. Installation involves cutting, so it's a good one to hand to your shop, and it's built to order in 2–4 weeks. → Shop the C5 Exhaust X-Pipe

C5 Performance Intake Kit — This is the other half of breathing easier. It comes with a heat shield and a washable, reusable filter, it's made for 2001–2004 base cars, and it typically installs in under 90 minutes. → Shop the C5 Performance Intake Kit

Want to be featured in a future Fan Friday?
We'd love to see your Corvette. Head to our submission form and tell us your story — the car, how you found it, what you've done with it, and what it means to you. Great photos make a huge difference, so bring your best shots. We feature a new Corvette every Friday.

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