tprice

Half way in the market for a 2003 Vette, have been for some time but still have not pulled the trigger.

I am wanting the 03 since it is 50th anniversary and really like(Admiral (wife)does too) the Anniversary red models

Trying to keep my budget under 18K but would go 20 for the right car

I have found a local 03 one owner but only thing holding me back is 90K miles, seems I can find a lot of them with less, way less,than 50 K miles but price is going to jump up 4-5K

This will, IF I ever do buy, be garage queen and not a daily driver but it is something I will plan on holding onto for a long time

Years ago that 100K mark was a death blow to car values but it I now think nothing of 100K, in fact my 2 company cares have 139K each and I don't see replacing them for a couple more years and even Admiral has 100+ on her Trailblazer and again we are not even considering replacing

And for some of you car guys is there anything to look for in the 03 Vette as far as issues or know problems

I turn 50 years old this year and Admiral is wanting to get me a 50th Anniversary Vette for my 50th Birthday

tprice

By the way the one I have found locally is a convertible and a one owner car

guido7834

My 2002 has 72,000 miles and people ask me if its a "new car". It's garaged and not a daily driver. I maintain it and think it will look good and operate well for well over 100,000 miles. So if you find the right car that has been well maintained and you keep it that way, I would spend what you can afford. Just do your homework.

Tom/99

I bought my 04 coupe new in May 2004. I never expected to see 20,000 miles on it. It now has 26,000 miles. That's way to many miles on a car for my liking.

ggroller

I've seen cars that have 10,000 miles on them and look like crap and cars with 70,000 miles on them that look like new.

It all depends on how well the car is cared for. Mileage is just a number on the dash board in my opinion.

I just had someone ask how old my Z was the other day. When I told him 10 years he couldn't believe it.

sfc rick

Mileage is no longer the deathblow it was once considered. Technology progressed to the point that engines GM built (LS Series) became the benchmark of quality. My car is 100,000 miles plus, and it still looks new! Of course there will always be maintaince THAT must be done, but that's normal.

Like one poster already mentioned...I saw a new C6 coupe last year that almost made me throw up from disgust! The young college girl who drove it turned a beautiful C6 into a real trash dumpster with the smell of a real landfill. The only thing missing were the buzzards circling overhead, only because they couldn't fly fast enough to keep up with her.

jrose7004

When I buy any used car, I won't buy one with over 40K on it but that's just me. I think 100K is the new 50K but I wouldn't buy one with that many on it.

tprice

Thanks for the help

DSTURBD

I would say that if this is the model you want, it's local, and you can verify that it is a one-owner well cared-for car, then you need to take a good look at it.

I just bought my second '99 coupe and was looking for the cleanest, best conditioned one I could find. Budget was more of a factor for me so I was searching Auto Trader, etc. I knew that I was going to look at higher mileage cars as well and that the key is how well it was cared for.

I ended up driving 600 miles to Salt Lake City to pick this one up as it was absolutely the RIGHT car among the choices and is pristine!!

My last one ('99) had 80,000 on it when I let it go and was still absolutely like a new car. So is my present one and I picked it up with 68,930 mi. on it.

Same as others here have posted, (mine has the late model thin spoke chrome OEM wheels on it so) I defy anyone to tell whether it is a '97, or an'04!!!!! Yes, there will be minor maintenance issues as with ANY car, but you are not taking a big new-car depreciation hit, and you will be able to enjoy it in a much more stress free manner if you aren't broke from overpaying for it!!!

Just do your homework and pull the trigger on the one that is right for more than one or two reasons.

And happy 50th!!! This one was a present to myself for my 56th!!

DSTURBD

dgrant3830

100K miles, the engine is just getting broke in. The whole story is on how the original owner and/or following owners treated and maintained the car. If the care was cared for, it will be a good deal based upon whatever you think its worth in overall price vs year/model/mileage. The old thing about 100K miles being major hit, is in the eyes of a dealer so they can under-bid the car for trade-in value, therefore rendering the car worth less than we know it is.
My '99 with 326K miles and that I just the other day, gave back to my son for the 2nd time, would easily look and run great against a similar C-5 with 10K miles. Just know and understand that nothing lasts forever. Things will happen with higher mileage cars as parts do wear out eventually.

Sonny71

Happy upcoming 50th
I think $20,000 is unrealistic for a low mileage AE, if your lucky $22,500 will get you an Anniversary Red with under 40,000 miles on it. I paid a little over that for my convert last Oct. after a couple of month of searching. You can find nice '03s -- just not the AE for 20.

Vetteman Jack

Some good advice here - how well the car has been maintained is really the key to how long of a life it can have. I personally have not bought a car with more than 50K miles, but that's not to say one with more is not a good vehicle. Just be sure you thoroughly check out any vehicle you buy - and not a bad idea to have a trusted mechanic look it over.

If you'd like some information on what to look for, including a Corvette Buyers Checklist, PM me your e-mail address.

guido7834

You are joking, right. Either that or you must have OCD or something.......

jason999

326,000 miles! Wow!! What work have you done to the car? Do you ever drive it hard?

Endeka

How much money do you have? Can you do repairs yourself? These are big factors. If you're handy with basic repairs, the difference between a 50,000 mile car and a 90,000 mile car will not be very large. If you're not, it will. Also, remember that a DD will accrue between 12,000 and 20,000 miles/year. Every, say, 15000 miles is one year less the car will last. Is that worth the price? You tell me.

For myself, I'm DDing my car in all weather. It's my only car, and thanks to depreciation, it was considerably less than what I could afford. I did this because I love the C5, and know I've got the money to keep it up nice. I didn't want to stretch for a car and then have to miss preventative repairs because the initial cost was so high. Think about that too-If you get a moderate mileage 99 rather than a low milage 04, the price difference (about $10,000) will pay for a new engine ($4,500), new transmission ($2,000), new Diff ($2,000) and new clutch ($1,200). That is, mutatis mutandis, a completely new car, and that doesn't factor in the years of use you'll get out of the 80,000 mile 99 before it craps out.

If I could make a crazy suggestion, I'd say to go big or go home-either get a 50,000 mile or less car, or else a 120,000 or more car. I have this theory, which I unfortunately have no data to back up, that between say 75,000 and 95,000, crap starts to go wrong with the car (fuel pumps, diff, clutch, etc.) If you can find one with 120K that's got new rotors, new fuel pumps, and a new clutch, I'd take that in a heartbeat over an 80K with none of those things.

robert miller

Funny.. . Robert

dgrant3830

There has been lots of items replaced but the largest and main problem was the fact that I received a Borg Warner transmission with the car new when in fact, it should have received a Tremec. After the third major failure of the trans, I gave up and put in a Tremec and no problems with that since. The other thing that really just wore out was a lifter(s) at 274K miles, at which time, I took down the top end and replaced everything other than the camshaft, on the top end. The bottom end has not been apart.

No, the miles on it were easy DD freeway miles, commuting type thing. I can tell you though that if I got on it, it'll get up a fly as if it was new! Everything works. My son now has it back as of a couple of days ago.

Mike94ZLT1

Some of you guys are downright silly about mileage. If it runs good, drives good and looks good, who cares? Although, I have a feeling that the same people who are leery of mileage are the same people who are afraid of getting their cars wet.

KALAWAY

Are you serious?

swpowell

I bought my 03 anniversary red three years ago. At the time it had 88,000 +/- miles. I looked at a ton of vettes and the one I bought look like new. The Interior was perfect, paint was far better than average and once I buffed it out looked new too. Most people think it is a much newer car and think it must have cost an arm and a leg.
I paid $18,500 not a daily driver and now has 105K +/-. No rattles, Runs great and gets lots of positive comments.
Buy what you like but just check it out and most of all have fun