In a few months I plan to be looking for a 2002 - 2004 Z06. As of right now I plan on buying one with under 40K miles. My color selection order is EB, QS, MY, TR (not really interested in Black unless its the perfect deal). I intend to be fully ready to fly to buy and enjoy the drive home for the right Z.

The issue I am struggling with is on modded cars or ones that have had minor repairs from crashes. I have read the rules for buying and selling and have found nothing about asking other members for advice on if a car was a good buy for a dependable daily driver with the mods or repairs.

Rather than derail someones tread or insult anyone when the time comes I would prefer to learn now. Would it be bad form to ask for PMs from other members on the subject of perceptions on a particular Z? I feel that perhaps it would. So my real question is what would be the best way to request mentorship from those more knowledgeable than myself when the time comes?

 

Not sure what you would gain asking people's perception about a particular car that is listed for sale. Only 2 people really know. The seller and the buyer. Now if you want to get advice on what to avoid and what not to avoid you can do that in your own thread.

Here is my advice:

Minor damage doesn't mean much. My 97 had 2 new front fascia's installed on it and the last one was also repaired. Circumstances on the repairs were the first time I hit a bucket blowing across the road, second time I was autocrossing and my foot slipped off the brake pedal onto the gas and I went through and over a tire wall (quite spectacular to observers but no serious damage). The third repair was due to a slipping parking brake and the car drifting into a 1982 Vette front bumper at a speed slower than a leisurely walk. Result no damage to the 82 (not even a pain scratch) but a torn front fascia on the 97.

Depending on how the car is maintained hard usage isn't something to stay away from. I ran the 97 at HPDEs and autocrosses for 6 years. I took special pains to make sure the car was maintained and repaired properly if something went wrong. I sold the car 5 years ago and as late as 2006 the new owner was having fun drag racing the car.

I knew of some low mileage 97s that never saw a repair facility even though they needed repairs because the **** owner was afraid a mechanic would ruin the car. Which one would be a better buy?

You need to verify the car's usage and maintenance history. A lot of time's this cannot be gleaned from reports such as CarFax or GM shop records. The owner should be able to provide receipts for oil changes, parts purchased, receipts for repairs and should be able to provide contact info for shops that have worked on the car. The best way to determine the condition is to make a check list of the things to look at and then go and inspect the car itself. When I drove 150 miles to buy my 03Z I had a checklist and I took 3 hours to check the car including using the owner's lift to get under the car. It is very easy to see condition once you start digging around a car. The details that careless people ignore start to show up in the interior, engine compartment, and exterior. Of course several years of preparing cars for judged car shows and then being a judge at shows taught me what to look for with a quick glance.

Bill

 

Thanks Bill. I've been reading the info provided here: http://forums.corvetteforum.com/showthread.php?t=984927

I'll just keep reading the forums and pick up all I can until the time comes.