Found a C5 but...
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 73,568
Likes: 33
From: Somewhere in Mo
St. Jude Donor '09-'10, '14
Yeah i contributed to your C4 thread. My wife likes the looks of the C4 better than the C5 but she hates riding in it. Which is cool by me because I have an excuse to buy a C5, which she likes riding in.
Anyway,
I found a FRC 30 miles from me with an asking price of 15.5 and 65K on the clock I'm in the process of buying.
On this car for that price I would run as fast as I could. there are way better deals out there. To me that car is a 10K car with those miles in this economy and this time of year.
There are way better deals right here on the forum. If shipping is a problem, then tell the owner they'll have to bring it to you. If people want to sell their cars they have to be innovative in this market, period!
Anyway,
I found a FRC 30 miles from me with an asking price of 15.5 and 65K on the clock I'm in the process of buying.
On this car for that price I would run as fast as I could. there are way better deals out there. To me that car is a 10K car with those miles in this economy and this time of year.
There are way better deals right here on the forum. If shipping is a problem, then tell the owner they'll have to bring it to you. If people want to sell their cars they have to be innovative in this market, period!
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 789
Likes: 4
From: Longmont on the Front Range of Colorful Colorado
I am going to look at a '01 vert auto with 42K for $14,500. It is not the exact car I want, but if it checks out it is probably a good buy. I think there are deals to be found, especially this time of year. I would be a bit concerned buying a car with 135K on it, not for the motor, but for the wear and tear on suspension, electrical, etc. JMHO.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 3,476
Likes: 91
From: Between Tally and Gatorville ,Florida
As others have said on this forum. You can alway find a track car with 20k miles that had the Cxxp run out of them. when I was looking I came across a few of these type cars.
They'll return them back to stock and sell them as low mileage cars.
In some forum you will see in the for sale section where people are trading ther racing parts for stock parts. What's up with that?
I bought my 98 with 90k for $11,500 last summer, I had some concern with the mileage, but it had great records and it's in great condition, needed nothing. It now has 96k,run Strong and I'm very happy with it.
They'll return them back to stock and sell them as low mileage cars.
In some forum you will see in the for sale section where people are trading ther racing parts for stock parts. What's up with that?
I bought my 98 with 90k for $11,500 last summer, I had some concern with the mileage, but it had great records and it's in great condition, needed nothing. It now has 96k,run Strong and I'm very happy with it.
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 3,787
Likes: 2
From: Wildomar CA
Thanks for the input so far. I'm gonna check it out and drive it first of next week but I'm not an impulse buyer and finding a 99-02 vert with 70-80k on it for $11-12k is not impossible so I might wait it out for a while longer and see what shows up in the area. I'm still soliciting any input from anybody on the forum, especially someone that has bought a high mileage car and what they have been through. I can turn a wrench and replace parts but I'm in no position to drop a new engine into something that's not paid for. I'm not poverty stricken and have owned corvettes before so I understand maintenance issues. A few hundred bucks here and there won't kill me, but engine rebuilds and the like couldn't happen until the car was paid for. That's what is eating me about the mileage. Whoever owned this car lived behind the wheel for it to only be an '04. One ofmy xj6's is a '95 and It's basically my dd and it's only got 109,000 on it.
My 02 with 78k had lights going off everywhere and I'm pretty sure it made the previous owner sell it for less than he would have liked, based on who he had looking at the car. I pretty much fixed everything for free, but an average Joe Blow who new little about working on cars would have taken it to a dealer and been absolutely hosed, so again high mileage depends on your capabilities.
I have no doubt that a dealer would have charged no less than $3000 to fix the things I fixed for free because I did research on the problems. C5s tend to get picky with low batteries or corroded grounds.
Last edited by Z06Electron; Jan 8, 2011 at 02:52 PM.
Racer
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 394
Likes: 71
From: Miami Florida
with that many miles just be aware of components are running at their end of life cycle including:
alternator
gaskets (head, rear main, etc.)
probably going to need a transmission fluid/filter change immediately
plugs
i heard the magneto shocks (or whatever they are called) on the 2004 are like $3000 for a set
whatever is clever, but i would maybe expand your search to neighboring states. personally, i would drive 500 miles to get the car i really wanted.
alternator
gaskets (head, rear main, etc.)
probably going to need a transmission fluid/filter change immediately
plugs
i heard the magneto shocks (or whatever they are called) on the 2004 are like $3000 for a set
whatever is clever, but i would maybe expand your search to neighboring states. personally, i would drive 500 miles to get the car i really wanted.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 278
Likes: 1
From: Ware Shoals SC
You guys are great Thanks so much for the input and opinions. As I stated before, I'probably gonna look athe car but I think I'll hold outa while longer for a little lower mileage. I do want a vert since this is replacing a Mercedes SLK that was plagued with electrical problems and I've never been without having one "topless" car in the stable, but I'll take a targa any day if I can find the right price/mileage combination here in the southeast. Living between Charlotte and Atlanta doesn't hurt either. I think sooner or later the right one will turn up and I'll be back asking opinions.
Once again, thanks for the input and if I do get in this car and can't get out, I'll post pics.
Once again, thanks for the input and if I do get in this car and can't get out, I'll post pics.
Instructor
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 185
Likes: 1
From: Greenville NC
Safety Car
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 4,237
Likes: 11
From: Lacombe Louisiana
Your wife is the first person I have ever heard of who prefers the look of a C4 over a C5!!! EVER!!!! 
Yeah i contributed to your C4 thread. My wife likes the looks of the C4 better than the C5 but she hates riding in it. Which is cool by me because I have an excuse to buy a C5, which she likes riding in.
Anyway,
I found a FRC 30 miles from me with an asking price of 15.5 and 65K on the clock I'm in the process of buying.
On this car for that price I would run as fast as I could. there are way better deals out there. To me that car is a 10K car with those miles in this economy and this time of year.
There are way better deals right here on the forum. If shipping is a problem, then tell the owner they'll have to bring it to you. If people want to sell their cars they have to be innovative in this market, period!
Anyway,
I found a FRC 30 miles from me with an asking price of 15.5 and 65K on the clock I'm in the process of buying.
On this car for that price I would run as fast as I could. there are way better deals out there. To me that car is a 10K car with those miles in this economy and this time of year.
There are way better deals right here on the forum. If shipping is a problem, then tell the owner they'll have to bring it to you. If people want to sell their cars they have to be innovative in this market, period!
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Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 73,568
Likes: 33
From: Somewhere in Mo
St. Jude Donor '09-'10, '14
She likes the FRC and the Z06 best. The coupes make the butt look big so she says and I have to agree with her assessment.
But she's not a car person so she doesn't let the HP and the newer of them cloud what she thinks.
Last edited by RetiredSFC 97; Jan 9, 2011 at 11:43 AM.
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 1,517
Likes: 159
From: Lafayette Louisiana
I love my '04 CE 'vert. Here's a couple of things you might check. 1) Has the top been replaced? Back corner of side windows tends to drag across edge of top and will eventually fray it. Window can be adjusted to minimize this. 2) There was a warranty extension issued for fuel leak problem. Extension was for 10yr or 100K miles. That would put this car out of the extended warranty. Problem only affected a certain vin range of the '04s. Make sure problem has either been fixed or you're not in the applicable vin range. Mine has 70K miles and still feels tight and crisp as new. I have no doubt it will still be so at 135K. Here's a thread to check out on the fuel problem. Good luck!
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-g...read-this.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-g...read-this.html
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 11,199
Likes: 1,139
From: Santa Rosa Beach FL
but I wouldn't mind having another low mileage 35th Anniv either. Had a rare 4+3 version and they look sharp. Of course any Vette looks sharp if it looks new.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 6,882
Likes: 234
From: Bangkok, Thailand
I just bought my C5 almost 2 weeks ago for 16, but it's a 6 speed Z51 car with gray leather and had just under 53K miles on it. GORGEOUS Nassau Blue was the deal-maker for me, along with all the other good stuff.
Right now is certainly a buyers market. I just had a guy call me yesterdya on a C5 I had considered that was closer to me when the buyer couldn't get the cash. That's the big problem right now so if you have cash, you have a big bargaining chip.
I'd sure skip this one in favor of one for the same price or maybe slightly more with half (or less) the miles this one has. No reason to pay extra for something with high miles. Sure, the engines will goo 300K, but wear in the drivetrain, wheel bearings, switches, sensors, door hinges, all that stuff - better off to just hold out for a low miles one.
I don't know what state you're in, but on the West Coast the prices seem to be better. I was pretty determined to get one in that particular blue and that limited me to only a few cars in the country, but if you're open to several different colors, that is a LOT for sale out there. www.searchtempest.com is your friend
Right now is certainly a buyers market. I just had a guy call me yesterdya on a C5 I had considered that was closer to me when the buyer couldn't get the cash. That's the big problem right now so if you have cash, you have a big bargaining chip.
I'd sure skip this one in favor of one for the same price or maybe slightly more with half (or less) the miles this one has. No reason to pay extra for something with high miles. Sure, the engines will goo 300K, but wear in the drivetrain, wheel bearings, switches, sensors, door hinges, all that stuff - better off to just hold out for a low miles one.
I don't know what state you're in, but on the West Coast the prices seem to be better. I was pretty determined to get one in that particular blue and that limited me to only a few cars in the country, but if you're open to several different colors, that is a LOT for sale out there. www.searchtempest.com is your friend
Racer
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 452
Likes: 0
From: Ashburn VA
Look in the c5's for sale section. I know of a few cars that are on there now that are much lower mileage. You might pay a little more but savings in the long run might make up for it. I bought my '99 coupe this year with 70k for $16.5. It had a few mods that I would have done anyway so I felt that i got a good deal.
This one is beautiful! A little more money though.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-c...t-6-speed.html
If you are trying to have a low buy in price though, these cars are pretty reliable with the high mileage as long as they have been cared for.
This one is beautiful! A little more money though.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-c...t-6-speed.html
If you are trying to have a low buy in price though, these cars are pretty reliable with the high mileage as long as they have been cared for.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 278
Likes: 1
From: Ware Shoals SC
I love my '04 CE 'vert. Here's a couple of things you might check. 1) Has the top been replaced? Back corner of side windows tends to drag across edge of top and will eventually fray it. Window can be adjusted to minimize this. 2) There was a warranty extension issued for fuel leak problem. Extension was for 10yr or 100K miles. That would put this car out of the extended warranty. Problem only affected a certain vin range of the '04s. Make sure problem has either been fixed or you're not in the applicable vin range. Mine has 70K miles and still feels tight and crisp as new. I have no doubt it will still be so at 135K. Here's a thread to check out on the fuel problem. Good luck!
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-g...read-this.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-g...read-this.html
it's a siren luring me into the rocks!
