The autotrader as in particular.

Honest question:
If it was a ZR! or GS that had 300+k miles how much would people put the value at? I guess I never really thought of buying one that high miles.

 

Looking at rebuilding the drive train (at a shop, not DIY) on the GS, probably 3K or so for the motor, 2.5K for the trans, 1.5K for the rear? I have no idea what it would cost for an LT5 rebuild, but probably a lot more than an LT4 or 1.

 

I wonder what a GS or Z with 300k goes for.

I wonder what an LT5 motor rebuild costs.

 

Cars with that many miles probably:

1. have lots of cycles on the headlight motors
2. have lots of cycles and age on the radiators
3. have lots of cycles and age on the body itself
4. have lots of cycles and age on the brake components, master cylinder, etc
5.wiper motors
6.window motors
7. etc

you would have to get said cars for a smoking deal to make it worthwhile. a car that was rust free from California or Arizona might be more tempting, but to get that many miles on a car in the N. East and even other parts of the country, you just know it has had to been driven in all kinds of weather and possibly exposed to salt and other deicers.

 

These are all things that should be replaced in the life of a car that is 20 and been properly maintained. Thats all very minor stuff.

 

I agree 300k is pushing the envelope of how long you can appropriately ask a motor to be good to you..

HOWEVER.. Im my family we have several toyotas/lexus that are well over 300k.. still run very well.

As for value, as we all know, it all about what someone is willing to pay. That being said, it seems a car gets denigrated once its over 100k miles.. tell someone a vette has 175k miles and you would think you informed them its a rolling chassis. Prob be very difficult to sell a vette with 300k because there are so many garage queens available with sub 100k clocks.

I would NOT buy or otherwise obtain a LT5 with 300k miles...

 

 

There is a lot of difference between a car with 300,000 miles that you have maintained yourself -vs- one that has who knows what been done to it. We routinely take our cars to 200,000, but people that live in California, unless you actually spent some time back east here, don't have a basis of reference as to what happens to a car in 300,000 miles from the weather and the hidden damage that most often occurs from exposure.

That is not an attack, nor a criticism, nor a put down, just a statement of fact. Conversely we here have no idea of how well a car from California holds up unless you see one. That is exactly what happened to me. There was a late 80's C4 here for sale, 20K something miles, had been brought in from California. It looked as new underneath. Absolutely pristine. Then I knew why people want cars from California, Arizona, etc.

So it also has to depend on where the car is sourced from in order to get that many miles on it.

Where it is from, how much it costs and then it all depends on how much it costs to rehab one with all that mileage. It usually turns out that unless you can do the work yourself, you should just pay a bit more for a low mileage one as you are going to spend that much anyway once it is all said and done.

 

ouch!

 

Generally speaking, and using 1967 435HP Corvettes as an example, a restored 20K mile car would not necessarily be more valuable that an completely restored 300K mile car. If it is a total restoration, the mileage would be irrelevant. However, if it is a low mileage original in excellent shape, then that car would be more expensive than the restored car regardless of mileage. I would think that the same would be true for 1995 ZR-1s as well. But I don't think we have gotten to the point where anyone has done a restoration of any 1995 ZR-1. I would guess that either we have intact cars still be driven, or the cars have been parted out. As such, I would think any 300K mileage ZR-1 would be assessed based on the current condition which I would think would be quite used at that point and not demand a high market price.

 

9 to 10 grand. 9 to 10 put into a newer machine builds a car light years ahead of a ZR1. Light years. Better suspension, better engine (after all, they were built from what was learned from building the ZR1 to begin with).

I have been watching the auctions, as have many on this forum. C4's as whole, including ZR1's just are not commanding any money. There have been numerous threads lately here on the forum.

The only justification to putting that kind of money into the car is because you have it and you want to and you know it is only for you and you will never get it back.

When I am done, including the price of the car, I will have 23 to 25 into my 96. That includes all new shocks, breaks, DeWitts radiator, Banski suspension, Global West parts, rebuild Dana 44, all the parts I am accumulating for the engine, on and on. There is no one that will pay me what I have into it and just think if I couldn't do the work myself how much I would have into the car.

I would be into low mileage C6 territory due to the fall in Corvette prices lately.

Not all modern oils are safe. The removal of ZDDP (controversies surround this) removed a lot of the anti-wear properties of oil. For gasoline engines with flat tappet camshafts, you need oils that are formulated to take this account. I have to do the same with my diesel tractor made in 1996. It was designed around high-sulfur diesel. Sulfur is a lubricant. I run additional lubricants to prevent damage to the injector pump.

People building, maintaining flat tappet engines, especially ones built for performance have to be aware of this. Beside efficiency, removing zinc (ZDDP) and sulfur from gasoline and diesel is one of the reasons behind roller lifters. Zinc and sulfur are detrimental to catalytic converters.

 

I agree. 10 k in a c5 even will be insane, and they handle it better with better almost everything.

I'm in the same boat. Money in to a car many can look at and hate or love, all love the sound and smell, none would spend to buy it or build it.

 

dang I can't spell breaks should be brakes

 

 

Wouldnt buy anything with 300k on it. 200k is a hell of a lot as it is.
You can have a gorgeous 200k mi car but people still wont wanna pay more than 200k car money .

Value is never ever a thought when I buy a toy, or spend money on it.
Dont let your things own you!

 

ZR1? NFW. They'd want a premium for that motor. There are limited things I will be able to do and hard as it is to get L98 service, I can't imagine how much more difficult it will be to find LT5 motor repair work. Not for 20000 miles or 300000 miles. Pass.

 

Sulfur IS NOT a lubricant. In removing the sulfur, some of the aromatic properties are also removed.

Not technically right. You add lubricity agents to retard the damage to the injector pump and make yourself feel good. See page 10 and 11 of the article by Bosch. At 460 HFFR score, it is rated at 3.5. Worst case scenario with a HFFR score of 525, it hits a score of 4. Maybe estimate a 10% LOSS OF DURABILITY. Loss of durability DOES NOT equate to instant failure. So, all you lose is about 10% of your life since a score of 6 is about 20% loss of durability. So to have full durability (it still dies at some point) vs a slightly sooner demise (note, sooner not instant), you are spending probably more on additives to get the full DURABILITY as opposed to 90 plus % durability. Is it worth it? Let the spreadsheet decide.

https://www.arb.ca.gov/fuels/gasolin...22003bosch.pdf

 

C4 Forum Pricing

84- $1000.
85-88 $2500.
89-91 $3000.
92-96-$4500.

90 ZR-1- $3000.
91 ZR-1 $3500.
92 ZR-1 $4000.
93-95 ZR-1 $5000.

GS $20,000.

No one should pay a penny more because they all look the same, no one wants them, and theyre too hard to get parts for.

 

That is the "buying" pricing in general. When you are selling, you ask for the stars and the moon and when you are buying, you are doing them a favor taking the POS off their hands.

 

Thats about right....