Well my Camaro is sold! Now im moving onto the 2nd half of my plan which is going and getting a vette. I went and checked out and 03 with 30k miles. The TOB is already starting to whine. I didnt see any leaks either and the body is in great shape. One concern i had was that the shifter is VERY nochy. Is that normal? Im basing my experience off my T-56 Camaro. Also, is there anything else that I should be looking for in the car? For example, the center console wouldnt open all the way because of the passenger seat, and the cup holder lid was broke. But what other things should i be looking at? Thanks.

 

pull harder on the lid (you have to pull up), it will open. stock shifter should not be notchy, but is hard to get into 1st and reverse sometimes (normal). not sure what do you refer to as far as "TOB".

check for leaks on the transaxle. get the codes (if any) from the computer history (you do not need a reader, should be able to easily find a procedure, search for " C5 codes on DIC") and post them here if you have a concern. get the VIN to a GM dealer and check service history (you may need consent from the owner for this)

check the color of clutch fluid in the reservoir. solid black = possible issues in the future.

 

Thanks. The TOB is the Throw out bearing in the clutch. You know that grinding noise that you might get when you let the clutch out.

 

if it is more of a rattling noise when you start the car from the stop in 1st/2nd gear, this is normal as well - even the owner's video has a clip of it.

 

No, its a small grinding noise from when the car is running and you let the clutch out in neutral.

 

that is likely an issue

 

TOB bearing shouldn't whine. A rattle when release clutch is normal. Especally if you shut the car without pressing in the clutch. Also noticeable noise difference when idleing with or without the clutch in. Shifters are notchy in these cars. Only sometimes it's notchy when going into 1st. Change tranny fluid may help. Center console will open, pull up and out, it's a weird design took a couple of weeks for me to figure out. Cup holder lid is no big deal, its brittle like the ash trays on the firebirds.

 

The drivetrain can appear to be noisey at lower speeds if you're not used to it...it is normal though. I would attribute this to GM removing the sound deading material to reduce weight on the C5Z's.

 

Get it!!All easy fixes... I too stepped up from years of being an Fbod enthusiast. Now that i am back into a Corvette, i highly doubt i will ever go back to an fbod. JMO!

 

Well I just looked at another one today from a private party guy. This one drove MUCH nicer than the other one and only has 15k miles. But this one is rather underprised, and I think for good reason. Somehow in only 15k miles, the brake fluid, and clutch fluid have turned black, there is a light coating of grime/ gunk where the head and block meet, the engine bay is filthy, and somehow the passenger side front fender gap between the door doesnt line up perfectly and one of the alignment holes for the fender has been widened. There was also mild curb rash and the tires are quite warn. The guy swears up and down that it hasnt been in an accident and everything is factory stock with the extended GMPP Major Guard warranty untill Feb/2010. But he got a little indignant when i started asking about some of the small blemishes.

So I'm a little "if-y' on that one, because it drove nice, but there are many signs that point to hard miles and even previous body damage. But the guy is a total idiot. He doesnt know anything about the car and was very shady when it came to having paper work. He claimed to have all the paperwork for it, but didnt want to go get it because it was all spread out and different places. Plus the guy is loaded. He told me he paid cash for the when it was new. Heres the link.
http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.js...standard=false

What are your thoughts?

 

Anyone?

 

fenders are very easy to knock out of alignment, it takes one lifting "accident" to do that. easily fixable. 15k miles is a stretch on OEM tires.

it sounds like brake and clutch fluids have never been serviced, they will darken with time as well as with use. with only 15 k miles on the car there is a good chance lack of maintinance did not do any permanent damage to the hydraulic systems (yet).

as far as car being driven hard, no good way to find out. uneven tire wear? get the car warm and see if transmission still shifts smoothly, especially 3 to 4 and back. these transmissions do not like being abused, however the motor will take just about anything before it lets go.

as far as accidents go, check for paint color matching on all panels except the bumpers (those never match perfectly, even from the factory), preferrably in natural light.

 

New owner of a used 03 Z06 here.

This small grinding noise can sound like the tranny is about to fall out of the friggin car on some. Mine doesn't do it at all till it gets hot. If it decides to do it while on any kind of incline it drives me crazy. I can't believe GM would pass this off as "inherent to the design". It's obviously a tolerance issue of some sort because it changes with temperature. That means something is either getting larger or smaller and causing the noise. Mine is bad enough I will not rest until I try to find and fix it.

That steering wheel locking issue is another . Just remember when it happens to pull hard right on the wheel while turning on the key and it should unlock.

 

Ive never had an issue with steering lock when i went on test drives, but i know what you mean. My Camaro used to do that every once in a while.

 

Good luck with your search, the C5Z is an awesome car. I would try to find one with the lowest mileage and in the best condition possible. Have the car inspected as a lot of these cars have been tracked or spent their life 1/4 mile at a time.

 

Well I found one that still has a GM Major Guard Warranty left until Feb. So I think im guna buy that one and then have the dealer check it out and clean it up while it is still under warranty. So even if it was beaten, anything that is broke or diying will be replaced for free.

 

Build a good rapport with your service writer at the local dealership. I had a BMW with an extended warranty, and I had a great relationship with my service writer. Not only would I get anything broken replaced under warranty, but my service writer would also look to replace anything that typically fails around the time the extened warranty expires (whether it was broken or not). That's how those guys make a paycheck...generating work for the service department.

 

Yea and that is also how auto manufactures fold!!

 

No...union labor and pension payouts that exceed current employee payroll is how to fold a manufacturer.

 

It helps to do a carfax as well.