Really! I saw it yesterday, and I'm interested to see if your response to that is the same as mine was.

I have been seeing a blue Z06 sitting outside a repair shop on US-90 in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, for a week or so. Since I'll soon be in the market for a C5 Z06, I stopped. Although there is no sign on it, it is for sale. Specifically, I wanted to see the storage space in the car, since I travel with luggage, laptop, cameras, and, sometimes lights for my photography.

First thing I asked was what year it was, and I was told '97. My response was a restrained "Huh?" I didn't choke or spit or anything. I said I thought the Z06 was only built from 2001-2004, and they showed me the sticker on the driver's door - said the car was manufactured some month in '97. Interesting.

The car was a little rough - guy said he had a new wheel on order, but that he could not find the heads-up display unit for the dash, where there was an ugly hole and crack; plastic bits were loose or missing throughout; carpet was dirty; seats were worn more than you'd expect for the mileage. I looked the car over, and I am suspicious that it's a Katrina car that's been cleaned up, so I'm not interested in it, especially at $23,500 even if the 62,000 miles on the odo is accurate. Seeing the Carfax would be interesting but I suspect this guy won't be providing it.

My thoughts are that there's a sticker on the door of this car that came from another car, and the guy selling it really has no idea that a 1997 Z06 might raise questions. The car has been at this shop, but the guy operates a used car lot on one of the highways coming into Bay St. Louis - not a very impressive place with low quality cars.

So, I'm interested in your comments.

Mike

 

That's an insane price. I paid a few hundred more for my 03 C5Z with 11,878 miles on it in near mint condition.

 

Is it even a FRC or just a coupe? Either way not a Z or not a 97.

 

It's a real Z06 body, so I think it was once a Z. I didn't look at the engine, but I'm not sure I'd know it yet - I'm still learning (the FAQs are quite helpful). I can't be sure what it is, though, not with that door sticker. I'd like to find out the VIN and see what it works out to be, but I think I'd rather spend my time looking for something I think is legitimate.

I agree with the comment on the price - if this is a real Z06 and not a water damaged car, it's condition makes it worth something less than $15,000 - my guess. But there's too much to do to it to make it nice, and I've seen some nice looking cars for under $20,000 on cars.com.

 

I agree Didnt happen. A "Special Z06" coming out TWO years before the release of the FRC body AND FOUR years before the Z06's LS6 valve train...sorry man.
Nate

 

P.S. walk away from this one.

 

Guess I need to spend more time with the FAQs - not sure what the FRC body is - was the fixed head coupe used before the Z06? If so, I guess I never noticed. Yup, more time with the FAQs is in order as soon as I'm done trying to convince my local politicians that they need to organize a beach cleanup before any oil gets here on the Mississippi Coast.

PS: Already taken that advice - it's not a car I'll be buying.

 

The FRC was made in '99 and '00. The C5 Z06 was '01 - '04 only. It is not a Z06 if it was built in '97. Get the VIN:

Position Description Code

1 Country the car was manufactured in 1 = USA

2 Corporation that built the car G = GM

3 Make of the car 1 = Chevrolet

4 Car line or series Y = Y-body series

5 Additional information about the Vette Usually a Y but a Z = ZR1

6 Body style 1 = two door coupe, 3 = convertible

7 Restraint system 2 = 1 plus driver and passenger front airbags

8 Engine type S = LS6, G = LS1

9 Randomly generated check digit 0 - 9

10 Model year GM decided to give the car V = 1997, W = 1998, X = 1999, Y = 2000,
1 = 2001, 2 = 2002, 3 = 2003, 4 = 2004

11 Assembly plant or location 5 = Bowling Green

12 to 17 Production sequence number

 

The Z06 is a FRC body style. The FRC was a base corvette (cheaper than the coupe and convertible) in '99 and '00. In 2001 they decided to make the lighter, more performance based platform and brought back the performance RPO form 1963 - Z06. Think of them as convertible bodies with non-removable hard tops, or fixed roofs. That is the quick and dirty of it.

 

You'll have to go back and take some pictures for us. Dash and engine too. Just curious as to what it really is. It sure isn’t a Z06

 

would love to see pics as well. I always enjoy people trying to fake a z06.

 

No such animal.

 

Thanks Speed Racer, that's great info, and I'll keep the VIN info handy as I look at cars.

I'll see if I can get the VIN and some pix, but if this guy is trying to pass off a hurricane damaged car as something it's not, he might get a bit ugly if he thinks I'm getting to far into his scheme. I don't know that's what he's doing, but I became very suspicious when he said it was a '97 and quickly showed me that sticker on the door - a bit too quickly.

But stay tuned, and I'll see what info I can get.

 

don't walk away. run like hell.

 

Two things are happening here. this guy thinks hes pulling your p***k and hes probably selling an FRC. No its not a 97 since the the FRC first came out in 99. At the time GM thought they would open a new market buy selling a "stripper" vette but the response was lukewarm The only people who were interested were the autocross/dragstrip crowd since the FRC had no more power than the coupe/convertble. To recoupe the investment on the hardtop, the ZO6 was born in 2001 with real out of the box performance. If this guy is telling you its a 97 AND its a hardtop, I agree with the other member who thinks its Katrina bait. Doesnt sound like a deal to me. KEEP LOOKIN!!

 

this will make it easy for you to know whether it was an frc or coupe. when you looked in the cargo area, did the whole back window come up, or just a little trunk lid?

 

Probably was hit and they just put a door off a '97 on it.

Either way, that's a stupid price.

 

I call BS all the way around on this one....

 

No HUD in 97 or 98. Someone's yankin' your chain on this one. Run away. Get yourself a copy of the Corvette Black Book and keep it with you while shopping. I keep a copy in each car and on my computer desks at home and at work.