Well, I thought I'd scout some C5's. Figured the market is so down I'd find some pretty good deals out there but all I seem to find are cars selling for $2k-$5k over book value. And people think we C4 guys are optimistic about the value of our cars. Guess I'll be sticking with the 88 for another year. . .

 

Some of them are a little clueless about the current state of vette prices. I've run into a few who wanted very high prices that would have caused most buyers to go a C-6.

 

Asking and getting are usually two different things. If you see a C5 (or any car) that you really like, and have the cash to pay for it, make an offer. If the seller says no just give him your phone number and tell him to call you when he's really ready to sell.

 

I know what you're talking about but among the B.S. prices I have seen C5's (it was a black 1998) starting at $8500 for a pretty damn decent car... Keep looking and don't bother with the pipe dream sellers... JMO

 

While looking for a car last year I found many decent C5's within my budget, but ended up getting a C4. I mainly looked on autotrader and autabuy sites and online newspaper ads.

 

The dealers and private owners seem to be running high. Prices will drop if no one buys. Financial intitutions will only lend a set amount on these used cars if at all. Just do your homework before you pull the trigger on any vehicle.

 

I'm not sure where you are looking but you can have a very low mileage C5 Z06 in the low $20's. Also many higher mileage C5s, in the teens.

There are so many deals out there its not even funny. You can't sell anything in today's market unless you are giving it away

I can understand wanting to go to a C5. I have a C5 as well but its nothing special. Ever consider going to a ZR-1? I think you would be happier in the long run.

 

my local dealer had a 08 ZO6 that had been sitting in the showroom for 2 years. They had marked it down 15000 under msrp last time I checked. this is not a good economy for sport cars right now.

 

If the prices their asking are that much over the book they aren't real sellers. Just keep looking you will find the real sellers soon. It does help if you have cash on hand. I found the hunt was almost 1/2 the fun as owning a vette.

 

for a moderately expensive car purchase, people are discovering that loans aren't as low interest as they used to be. A lot of prices reflect the actual true cash value since not everybody wants to finance.

 

Last year was a good year to buy a vette period.

 

Feel free to post links to these 'deals' because I'm just not seeing them. I see older C5s with book values around $12k-$17k listing for $16k-$20k and newer C5s with prices in C6 territory.

Yes, I thought about a ZR-1 and if I found the right one I could be persuaded.

 

What is your price range? I'll help. There is a place in Orlando called H&H Corvettes. They have awesome low mileage Corvettes for fair prices. I almost bought a 2002 C5 Z06 from them for a great price but I couldn't move my 01 C5 even though its super low mileage and was in a collector's garage prior to me owning it. I didn't want to buy a 4th corvette before selling one.

You just need to look and make offers. Make offers on everything you see. Just tell them, I know you are asking $X but I can only afford this $. Let me know if you are interested etc. They will call you. There are few buyers in this market. You see this alot on this forum, people asking a ton of $ for their car but trust me if they need to sell they will and at a much lower price.

I usually take KBB & NADA and then avg those 2 prices for a selling price. I then take all the other considerations into play, mileage, paint, tires etc and make my offer. In this economy though, those rules don't apply because some people are in financial distress. My friend just sold a $30,000 boat she bought 2 years ago for $14,000. She needed $ to put it bluntly. It's all in the wording of the email to the seller, if you use my method its respectful. The method that does not work is when say someone is asking $30,000 and you email and say I'll give you $20,000 Let me know? It's an insult.

Or simply email them on this forum and say, I just wanted to know if that price is negotiable or if you have a bottom line $ you need to get for your car. I am a serious cash buyer. There is so much tire kicking going on, that buyers appreciate someone serious.

Good luck!

 

i just checked on ebay for the model year 2000. of the 44 that had expired only 2 sold. One with 78K for almost 13K and a vert with 75, which was loaded down for 14,700.

I check the C5 section almost daily and there are realistic sellers out there but there are many who are not.

The thing with some folks is they just can't believe they bought a car for 40 some thousand dollars and now it's only worth 12 to 18 tops. A lot of them just believe because it says vette it will always be worth what they bought it for, and that's probably how they convinced their wife.

this is not exclusive to the C5 owners, it covers every gen owner out there. I am sorry but even a 96 LT4 or CE is not worth what a lot of folks are asking for them, especially when you can find a good low mileage C5 for sometimes less than the C4. Maybe to someone it is, but only to those who have more money than they have sense.

But the ones asking a lot of money, ARE NOT SELLING!!!

Even I told my wife the other night if I could get 10K for my 62K mileage extra clean 90 I would take it because it was valued at almost 11K when I bought it. I looked up the value and when I saw 7400, I decided I would keep it.

I was considering going to the LT4 but not if that's all I can get for my 90.

 

I'd stick with Forum and/or Corvette Clubs.

Ebay is too risky unless you really know Corvettes.

If you can swing it buy a C5 in the $20,000-$25,000 range.

A 2002 C5 Z06 would be a good choice.

 

There are a lot of Forum members who have their car on ebay because they aren't selling here. I would imagine this is one of the worst places to sell a vette because most of us already have one.

 

Ok here is an example of a realistic seller.

Low mileage and member is asking $23,000 or offers which leads me to believe you could probably get it for $21,000 if the seller wants it gone. Time is $, possibly payments, insurance, up keep, sometimes a better selling price a year down the road is not always the best deal.

2002 q/s z06 28448 miles perfect condition only mods are c6 z06 shifter
and flowmaster exhaust new mich ps tires tinted windows optima battery.cargo divider.All fluids just changed at 25m pm me with e mail address and I'll send you some pics $ 23,000 offers

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-c...ilver-z06.html

Another awesome 2002 C5 @ $26, basically a new Convertible C5. See if he will go $24 or 25k.

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-c...miles-dfw.html

And before anyone says they are overpriced, you get what you pay for. Those are nice cars. Yeah, you can get one on ebay in the teens with 80,000 mileage and 3 owners, probably hit, paintwork etc. It's just not worth it when you can basically get a new looking low mileage car in the $20's. (even if the body style is not the latest etc)

 

Not sure why people tend to think every car on ebay has a problem, it's just the same people, corvette owners, selling cars. Just click the 'Private Party' and all you'll see is just that, and keeps you from the 'Mickey Mouse Motors'. I've bought and sold 6 cars the past few years, all through ebay.

All the other sites (besides here) ie. autotrader, online ads etc. are a huge waste of time as most ads are paid for 'until the car sells', when the car sells, the site never takes it down (or the seller never notifies).

Ebay and places like this are great places to shop, because there's competition, and the car is available.

The 02 Z mentioned above is priced at Dealer Retail- too high to even work with. Seen them sold here with a few more miles (50k) for $17 and $18k.

Specialized "Vette" stores are way overpriced, great if you don't care about price, but they didn't build, own or maintain these cars, and you usually get LESS information, receipts etc. from these places than you do a good ol fashioned face to face with a private party.

Low mileage isn't all it's cracked up to be, just shows that you've got all the repairs ahead of you. Time kills cars as much as mileage, and a higher mileage, well maintained car is by far a better deal. My 92 I bought 2 years ago from the original owner with 51k orig miles and a 1" thick stack of maintenance receipts. He kept it garaged and covered and still needs some weatherstripping work. I've put 2k miles on it in 2 years, and it now needs an alternator and something with the FX3 suspension. Does it even matter how many miles are on any C3?

That $23k Z will be worth $14 in 3 years once you put 30k miles on it. A 2000 w/ 80k miles bought for $13k will be worth $10k 3 years from now with 110k miles.

So, it's all what you want. A garage queen or a something you're not afraid to drive.

 

I think that about sums it up! I bought mine with 56K. I have over 2K into it and still need to replace the intake gasket. He was a second owner who had the car for over 12 years. So he was a vette guy who sold on ebay.

 

Both Z06's at KBB

http://fresno.craigslist.org/ctd/1630622996.html


http://fresno.craigslist.org/cto/1613081538.html