Erniep

Hello C6 owners,I am almost ready to sell my C4 and purchase a C6. I will probably look for a 2005 or a 2006. Are there any years I should stay away from? Or things that I should look out for? Any information would be much appreciated. thanks....

hrt vlv

Think newer. 6.0 harmonic balancer issues. revised steering, 6.2 motor and many more upgrades to list. I like my 09 z51 pkg. 3lt.

RicK T

Other than the '05, it's really easier if you post questions about a specific car you're interested in. They're all generally reliable but do have some specific issues.

Regarding the '05's, check this recent discussion, specifically my post #7 and the OP's follow up posts on page 2:

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...liability.html

Hameister

Improvements are made year after year.
You will never go wrong if you simply purchase the very latest model year you can afford.

Torchsport

If you can swing it go for at least a 2008.

Welcome to the C6 section.

joeking

I always have to laugh when I hear people say don't buy an 05 06 or 07 Corvette. Really? Fast forward a few years it will be the same story. Don't buy the C7 2013 2014 or 2015 Corvette because they have problems. Or...dont buy a 97, 98 , or 99 Corvette. Generally the first few years of a new generation are not as good as the later ones but they are still good cars and generally less expensive. Do not buy a 1953 Covette or a 1968 Corvette or a 1963 Corvette they were the first years and not any good at all. If anything ever goes wrong with them they cannot ever be repaired properly and must go to the auto crusher immediately. The 05 Corvette I bought with 1,000 miles in 05 is still in great shape and I have only replaced the tires and battery and an electric clip that was under warranty. The car now has 43,000 miles. Do not be afraid to buy any year of the Corvette.

RJRSW

I have owned 25 vettes from all of the first 6 generations and out of those 4 of them were first year cars. Without exception those four were the most troublesome and had the most quality related problems. The last one was in 1984 and since then I have waited for the 3rd year of a new generation to avoid the headaches and problems.

I bought a 63 split window brand new and regretted it after one week, it was hot, noisy and the split window design looked cool but was horrible for drivability. Every time I see someone wishing they had one I cringe. There was a good reason the split window design was gone in the second year.

There were a lot of changes and improvements when the 2006 came out including a stronger drive line, 6 speed automatic, nicer and smaller steering wheel, got rid of the shark tale XM antenna and a few more. My 2007 3LT Z51 convert turned 8 years old last month and to date the only thing other than normal maintenance was the gas trunks that hold open the trunk were getting weak and I replaced them.

Erniep

Thank you for all the great comments.

reasonable suspicion

Dont get an 05. Get an 08 if you can swing it.

irok

more 6.2 LS3's harmonic balancers failed than on any engine

1rusty1

I love the 05-07 or 08 and above threads. JMO: buy the newest car with the least miles that is within your budget. If that's an 05, great. It's what I own and it's a great Vette.

I drove every year and every option C6 when I was looking and the best value for the money was the one I ended up with. There was an 08 coupe that was right up there but it was not a convertible so the 05 won out. The search is half the fun! enjoy and let us know what you end up with.

Jayhawk62

Hi Ernie p, Having made that jump (C-4 to C-6) (1987 to 2006) I know you will "feel the difference".

My '87 cost me $1600 one month for a main seal between the transmission and engine and that did it.

My 2006 is great so far.......but I bought it from a dealer and paid for a service policy. Effectively I paid +/- $21000 for the car including the policy; the car had 27,895 miles on it and it is pristine. It does NOT have all the "bells and whistles".......

It has power to scare me (I am 75 years old) and will move a lot better than the '87. Try to find a car that was taken care of.....most probably by a person able to afford or have the expertise to take care of it.

Enjoy the new experience..

1bdvet

I had C4, sold it and bought 05, put 28,000 miles no issues, the shifter problem was fixed before I bought it, and enjoy driving this car, night and day from C4. If you get to buy any car, check history, look to see what concerns it had was repaired.

VA50th

I could have sworn my 2013 is a C6.

Hameister

He's talking about the very, very, very end of run 2013.

69 L46 4 Speed

I was waiting to see when someone would bring that up.

I have owned a 69 4 speed roadster, 99 6 speed, convertible and now the 13 GS 6 speed convertible. I had minor issues with the 69 and the 99 that were basically normal for any car that is driven more than occasionally. What ever car you get just make sure to check it out thoroughly.

Larry/car

I had a 95 convertible, and a C6 coupe, both complemented each other. Traded the C6 the for a C7. The C7 is so advanced I sold the C4 too. The 2006 C6 is a great car, I had no trouble the seven years that I owned it. Can't say that about the C7, interior leather seat backs were replaced under warranty and currently I don't have Chevrolet MyLink. Back to the dealer tomorrow.

Patman

It's all luck of the draw, I had an 84 Corvette and it was a nightmare car, but my second Vette was a 98 that I drove for 9 years and it had 133k on it when I sold it and it was nearly trouble free for the time I owned it. I have had my 2005 for a year and a half now and it has been reasonably reliable for me so far as well (had to change one cat and had two shocks fail)

I agree that when you buy a used Corvette you should try and get the newest one you can afford, but I also don't think that someone should be scared off by an earlier model if it's priced well and has the color/options that they want. I really couldn't afford anything newer than an 05, and this car is EXACTLY what I wanted, so I jumped all over it and don't regret it one bit. And even with those couple of repairs I have needed, I still saved money over buying an 06 or 07.

Old Ben

I sold my '92 coupe a couple months ago and bought an '05,M6,lt3 vert with 135k miles. While looking I drove and looked at about a half a dozen C6's. Different years and mileage.

I decided on the '05 as it was the right color with the right options and was a vert. It is as tight as the newer models and runs fine. The price of $18k was not bad either.


It has all the power that I need as I do not intend to race it. Could never understand the need for 600hp cars that will be driven only on the street.

The most important thing is to get it fully cheched out as others have recommended.

Good luck with your search and purchase.

Erniep

Thanks again for all the responses. I have about six more payments on my truck. When they are done, I will sell my 94 Vette and use that money for a down payment on the c6. I appreciate all the info that you guys have given me.