Koufax

I would love to do the homework in person, but other factors in my life are not going to permit it. I will take your other suggestions to heart though, and I thank you for them.

jcsperson

Put a request in the regional section. I'm sure there is a local CF who would be happy to do it.

racebum

well, my point is i would never recommend buying a c5 with no expertise in auto repair. they are just too old and it's expensive to hire it out.

if you make the money to do this sort of thing, my vote would be for a 2008-2013 c6 which can be had for pretty good deals these days

K9Leader

I have a '99 that came with the F45 originally. I couldn't really tell any difference over the three settings. A couple of years ago, I got a good deal on some Z06 shocks so I put them on, even though the F45s still seemed okay. Through this forum, I got lucky to get assistance from Bill Curlee in tuning them out. He and I met up at Carlisle and he used his Tech II.

With the Z06 shocks and anti-sway bars and new metal end links, the handling noticeably improved. Just got back today from a week-long trip to Stockbridge, MA, and Stowe, VT, and did not think the ride was too hard for the New England roads.

I'm with the consensus on this - don't let the F45 be a deterrent.

K9Leader
Red cars are faster. At least, they feel faster.

Koufax

The least expensive C6 convertible with 50k miles or less that I have found is $8k more than I am paying for this car. In the next 4 years, is the C5 going to chew up that much more in repair costs?

65GGvert

I bought a C6, the body style never grew on me like I thought it would. I couldn't pull my codes from the DIC. Didn't like the electronic door handles. Hated the fob in your pocket push the button to start style. To say you can buy a C6 for a little more doesn't necessarily mean you'll be happier. I went back to a C5 and feel much more comfortable, and they still get lots of attention from non-car people who think they are new.
I will go along with the sentiment, don't let the F45 influence you. It may work and you may like it. When and if it fails, you can replace the shocks and disable it. To answer your other question, I can't imagine that you would have to spend even a couple of thousand for repairs on the C5. I've had 5 and they are very dependable, reliable cars. They have a few things that are problematic, but they almost all have reasonable fixes available (after 2001 anyway)

racebum

correct, and resale will be higher when you go to sell it. meanwhile you'll have a newer car

but

if you like the c5 more, none of that matters, you simply buy a nice example and enjoy it

Koufax

I like the C6 a bit more but not a by a lot. I find both quite beautiful in their own way. I prefer the greater sophistication of the C6 and the beauty of the C5. The only C6 that I could afford would be an '05 or an '06. Is 3 or 4 years of relative youth worth a 33% increase in purchase price? Perhaps it is, but my wife, who is second to none in anxiety, would have a stroke if I bought a C6 ... unless I waited until winter, when the prices of convertibles comes down.

So my choice is between a beautiful C5 that I can enjoy now and a sophisticated C6 that I can enjoy next year. Unless the C5 is going to be one headache after another, I am inclined to go for now. (I am 67 years old. My confidence in next year arriving is shaky.)

I have a 2010 Lexus CPO (with 3 years of warranty ahead of it) as a winter beater / summer backup. I don't need the C5 for daily reliability, but I want to be able to take a 200 mile trip without worrying whether I will be able to make it back without being towed. From what I understand after months of reading this forum, the C5 is at least that reliable. But this is only wisdom gleaned from reading a self-selected message board. If others wish to educate me as to the true risk associated with taking on a C5, I am all ears.

When I was a young pup I bought a beautiful Rover TC2000. I took it for a shake-down cruise on the Blue Ridge Parkway. It broke down, I had to get towed, and nobody in North Carolina know how to work on that car. That was the beginning of a long, tempestuous and expensive relationship that ended 4 years later with me abandoning the car on the Ohio Turnpike. (I believe that the statute of limitations has run on that crime.)

If the C5 is like that, then I will wait until winter and buy a C6 when the prices come down. Nothing I have read, however, suggests any resemblance between the Rover and the Corvette. Please educate me if I am wrong.

By the way, I want to say how much I appreciate the wisdom of this crowd. Without this forum, I would never have known how to approach buying a second-hand Corvette. I don't know half as much as those who actually own them, of course, but I know a hell of a lot more than I did 4 months ago when I first came here. Thank you all for that. It has been fun learning and I have enjoyed your company.
.

racebum

based on what you just said a c5 makes sense for you. unless you simply like the c6 body more there's really little difference between an 04 and an 05 regarding reliability. in fact it's easy to argue the 04 is more reliable since it was the perfected c5 and the 05 was the first year c6....which did have a few issues.

this particular car may or may not be the one for you. what i can say is the more you read, the more you learn, and the more you study the cars, the better choice you'll make when it comes to buying.

chuckeb84

Nice options

65GGvert

Of all the thousands and thousands of C5's made, the majority have been driven with no issues. If you read on the forum 20 times that a car had (fill in your own issue), that sounds like a lot. However as a total percentage, it's no more troublesome than any other car. They just don't have a forum to share information on problems and fixes. I'm on my 5th C5 and the only problems I've had are minor. The most difficult to fix so far was the oil pressure sender, and that was fixed by learning here what to do. You need to get over this anxiety stuff and move on. Do you NOT buy a tv because the sound may go out? That has happened on a few of them, you know.

Koufax

I reported the VIN to my local GM dealer. He looked it up and found that there was no warranty work done on the car other than the steering wheel lockout recall. He printed out the build sheet for me to pick up.

I have had no offers from anyone local to assist with the DIC trouble codes, so I plan to make sure that the inspector does this himself. If I understand the matter, step 1 is to collect the codes, step 2 is to clear them, step 3 is to drive the car, step 4 is to read them again. I gather that the ones that show up on the second reading are the ones most likely to be a current problem, and the others might be a sign of trouble or they might be ancient history. Is that correct?

dadaroo

You are correct about the codes. Just make sure he notes under what module heading the codes occur and if they are H, C, or H and C.

Have him view this also.


Once the system has displayed all modules, it goes into the manual mode which allows selection of each module using combinations of Driver Information Center buttons. Manual mode can also be entered during the automatic sequence by pressing any button except E/M. Once the display shows Manual Diagnostics, select a module by pressing the OPTIONS button to go forward or the TRIP button to go back. Once a module is selected, a code is displayed, and if more than one are present; press GAGES to go forward or FUEL to go back.

To exit the diagnostic mode at any time, press E/M.

Koufax

OK, the inspection has been done. Here are the results. First of all, there were 10 diagnostic codes before the road test. None of the codes had an H after them. The inspector then cleared them, drove the car, and then checked. There were no codes after the test. Here are the codes:

PCM - code P1631 (thefte deterrent password incorrect)
TCS module - codes P1214 (sol valve relay contact or sensor) and P1226 (LF wheel excessive spin)
LDCM module - B2214 ??; B2282 and 2284 (battery faults), U1064 (loss of communication with BCM)
RDCM module: B2283 and 2285 (batery faults) and U1064 (loss of communication with BCM)

In addition, the inspector noted the following:

tranmission fluid level sensor shows heavy seepage of fluid. Either the sensor or the seal needs to be replaced.

Driver's seat - left shoulder area - seat moves too much. The prior owner may have been a heavy guy who wore out the left shoulder of the seat grabbing his seat belt.

Right rear storage bin has 3 inches of water and the carpet staples are rusted.

Right and left outer tie rod boots are dry rotted and cracked, but not split.

left headlight motor contines to run for 3 seconds after the headlights close.

Driver's side mirror - top 1/4 inch is very dull. Liquid seeping out?

Shocks - no sign of leaks.

Bushings OK excper for the tie rod boots.

******

Photos suggest that the body is in very good shape.

This is a 12 year old car, I don't expect everything to be perfect. But I am paying a slight premium over NADA pricing, so I expect the car to be in pretty good shape, with no really major repairs needed right away.

What do you make of this report? Walk away? Run away? Go for the gusto and have fun driving this sucker?

3boystoys

Well the TC/ABS light should be ON with the 1214 code. Headlights will new new gears soon if not now. Cheap fix <$200 but the water in the trunk would be a show stopper for me. I say RUN.

Koufax

Thank you for the reply. I thought that this thread had died so I re-posted. A $150 repair bill is not a worry. A $1,500 repair bill is a worry.

Koufax

The inspector did check the codes before and after the test drive, but I never told him to do the second check before turning off the engine. That's the first I've heard of that.

I am worried about the water in the back. No telling where it came from.

3boystoys

I'm betting it's had some body work done and now it leaks water. How much is this thing?

Koufax

He cleared them after the first pull and before the test drive. After the test drive, no codes came up. Befor the test drive, there were 10 codes, but none had an "H" after them.

3boystoys

The 1214 WILL COME BACK!!! Really sounds like your trying to talk yourself into this nightmare. Water in the trunk is NEVER a good sign.