C5 prices... ???
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 210
Likes: 2
From: Ca
C5 prices... ???
I wont even try to pretend I know anything about the corvette market but from what I am observing in my vette hunt is quite odd. I see a lot of 02-03 very clean low mile(25-45k) Z06's for around $30-32k. Yet I also see plenty standard auto coupes and verts the same year and same miles for just about the same price. Also I see high mile z06's for low 20's and the same for frc's with the same miles....... Same chasis with a lower grade motor and tranny for the same price as its "big brother"? something just doesnt seem right to me.
Pro
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 673
Likes: 0
From: Central Connecticut
Z06 prices and vert prices are gonna run about the same, with coupes slightly below them, i think its a function of the original sticker prices adjusted for age and such. It's easy to overpay also, because vette owners love their cars so much, they are somtimes unrealistic in what the value is. Take your time and wait for the right one. Also, find a vette shop that can take a look at the car you choose before ya buy it.
Last edited by always717; Jun 2, 2007 at 02:00 AM.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 210
Likes: 2
From: Ca
I see how vert and z06 prices would be more but what I dont get is that why wouldnt you buy a z06 if purchasing used considering what you get.. hmmm a standard 04 vette for $30,000 or a 03 z06 in the same condition for the same price? same interior and roughly the same chasis just one has better drive train.
Pro
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 673
Likes: 0
From: Central Connecticut
I wouldnt buy a coupe for the same price. As far as the vert verus a z06, its what your preference is. When i bought mine, i really wanted the performance of the Z, but always wanted a vert. I went with the vert, can always beef up the hp, although with intake & exhaust, seem to have enought power, well enough for now. When i see a Z, kinda wish i got one, but if i got the Z, id wish i had a vert. So i guess the answer is buy 2!
Racer
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 320
Likes: 8
From: Bay Area, California
I have noticed the same thing regarding c5 prices. Everyone has their reasons for choosing the models they have. I think most people will justify why they bought theirs. Each model has unique features that attract buyers. For me it was the lines of the coupe and the removable top. If the Z06 had a removable top I would have been all over it.
You can mod any of the three to be smoking fast! Look around, you'll know when you have found the car for you. Good luck in your search!
You can mod any of the three to be smoking fast! Look around, you'll know when you have found the car for you. Good luck in your search!
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 2,696
Likes: 0
From: Columbia, Raleigh The Southeast
People can't come to terms that there's a new kid on the block who's prices aren't exactly staying steady either. C5s will probably plummet once the LS3 C6s come out. I agree about the prices being damn near the same for the coupe/vert/z06. Most of the time, a FRC or z06 is cheaper than a regular coupe! But then again, there was a for sale thread in the C4 section where a person wanted ~28K for their 80k LT1 C4. Get real Vette owners. 
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Drifting
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 1,682
Likes: 2
From: Plano Texas
St. Jude Donor '08
I wont even try to pretend I know anything about the corvette market but from what I am observing in my vette hunt is quite odd. I see a lot of 02-03 very clean low mile(25-45k) Z06's for around $30-32k. Yet I also see plenty standard auto coupes and verts the same year and same miles for just about the same price. Also I see high mile z06's for low 20's and the same for frc's with the same miles....... Same chasis with a lower grade motor and tranny for the same price as its "big brother"? something just doesnt seem right to me.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 210
Likes: 2
From: Ca
that price is about right, 30-32k for the Z06, but it is a bit high for the 02-03 coupes with low miles. I bought my 2002 electron blue coupe for $27.5k. has auto, heads up, memory seats, glass top, had the factory tape deck at the time with the 12 disc changer, ride control, just about every option really. it had 27,000 miles on it when I bought it a few months ago. paint was excellent, runflat tires had very little wear. You should be able to find something close to that 27k price range for a coupe in good condition.
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Verts and Z06 should be priced about the same but coupes should be lower. I agree that some owners price their cars unrealistically - have seen that happen around here alot.
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,407
Likes: 46
From: Tampa FL
The only thing I like about the Z06 is the motor.
Everything else is not good to me.
For example:
- muffler - I can buy this used, and I did
- seats - they suck, sport seats are much better
- FRC look - you either love it or dont want it
- suspenstion - I just wanted the sway bars and got them
- wheels - everyone has Z06 rims
- M6 - I live in Tampa and traffic is so bad and for a daily driver I require an automatic
- No removable top or convertible
The Z06 is for a niche market of which I am not a part.
Everything else is not good to me.
For example:
- muffler - I can buy this used, and I did
- seats - they suck, sport seats are much better
- FRC look - you either love it or dont want it
- suspenstion - I just wanted the sway bars and got them
- wheels - everyone has Z06 rims
- M6 - I live in Tampa and traffic is so bad and for a daily driver I require an automatic
- No removable top or convertible
The Z06 is for a niche market of which I am not a part.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 886
Likes: 87
From: Largo FL
The only thing I like about the Z06 is the motor.
Everything else is not good to me.
For example:
- muffler - I can buy this used, and I did
- seats - they suck, sport seats are much better
- FRC look - you either love it or dont want it
- suspenstion - I just wanted the sway bars and got them
- wheels - everyone has Z06 rims
- M6 - I live in Tampa and traffic is so bad and for a daily driver I require an automatic
- No removable top or convertible
The Z06 is for a niche market of which I am not a part.
Everything else is not good to me.
For example:
- muffler - I can buy this used, and I did
- seats - they suck, sport seats are much better
- FRC look - you either love it or dont want it
- suspenstion - I just wanted the sway bars and got them
- wheels - everyone has Z06 rims
- M6 - I live in Tampa and traffic is so bad and for a daily driver I require an automatic
- No removable top or convertible
The Z06 is for a niche market of which I am not a part.
Safety Car
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 3,799
Likes: 1
From: Northern Virginia
St. Jude Donor '08
If you are in the market for a C5 suggest you pick up the July issue of Road & Track. They have an article about the C5 including buying tips. Might find it helpful.
The keys to buying the right vette for you are:
Know exactly how you plan to use the car. Not only now but in the future. If you get an automatic and then find out you like HPDEs you are going to be unhappy.
Test drive each of the versions and years of the vettes you are interested in. There are some subtle and not so subtle changes between model years. Figure out what options you want the car to have.
Deal only with sellers that are both competent and have integrity. Know the history of the car before you buy. I would even suggest having the car inspected by a knowledgeable corvette specialist before buying.
A lot of these cars have been bought and sold many times, and have been modded and de-modded along the way. It's really important to know what you are buying. Better to pay a higher price for a known quantity then an unknown quantity.
Good luck in your search. Be patient and as objective as possible.
If you want to learn more about models and options, etc try a visit to this site.
http://www.corvetteactioncenter.com/specs/
The keys to buying the right vette for you are:
Know exactly how you plan to use the car. Not only now but in the future. If you get an automatic and then find out you like HPDEs you are going to be unhappy.
Test drive each of the versions and years of the vettes you are interested in. There are some subtle and not so subtle changes between model years. Figure out what options you want the car to have.
Deal only with sellers that are both competent and have integrity. Know the history of the car before you buy. I would even suggest having the car inspected by a knowledgeable corvette specialist before buying.
A lot of these cars have been bought and sold many times, and have been modded and de-modded along the way. It's really important to know what you are buying. Better to pay a higher price for a known quantity then an unknown quantity.
Good luck in your search. Be patient and as objective as possible.
If you want to learn more about models and options, etc try a visit to this site.
http://www.corvetteactioncenter.com/specs/
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 1,682
Likes: 2
From: Plano Texas
St. Jude Donor '08
because I like the coupe body style better than the z06 (z06 has no trunk hardly, no removeable top), and I wanted an automatic. the car that I found had every option that I wanted, the color I wanted, etc... it was perfect for me. the z06's that I saw at the time were not the same price. they were 30-35k
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 6,774
Likes: 363
From: Midland TX
The only thing I like about the Z06 is the motor.
Everything else is not good to me.
For example:
- muffler - I can buy this used, and I did
- seats - they suck, sport seats are much better
- FRC look - you either love it or dont want it
- suspenstion - I just wanted the sway bars and got them
- wheels - everyone has Z06 rims
- M6 - I live in Tampa and traffic is so bad and for a daily driver I require an automatic
- No removable top or convertible
The Z06 is for a niche market of which I am not a part.
Everything else is not good to me.
For example:
- muffler - I can buy this used, and I did
- seats - they suck, sport seats are much better
- FRC look - you either love it or dont want it
- suspenstion - I just wanted the sway bars and got them
- wheels - everyone has Z06 rims
- M6 - I live in Tampa and traffic is so bad and for a daily driver I require an automatic
- No removable top or convertible
The Z06 is for a niche market of which I am not a part.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 210
Likes: 2
From: Ca
I want the most performance for my money possible, still make it streetable and I want a frc bodied car. my budget is $30,000 otd so the most I can spend would be about 27-28. I would never even consider a auto and never a vert, so it comes down to a clean 01 Z06, a higher miles 02 Z, or a frc and spend the extra money on mods.