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From: In a parallel universe. Currently own 2014 Stingray Coupe.
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The really low miles should add a nice premium to the price, but it is still a '98. You can get an estimate on the value by checking sites like edumnds.com, kbb.com, or NADA books.
The other factor is that the low-mile cars sell much quicker and with less haggling...if you've ever sold a car thru private party before, you know this is a valuable consideration
Thanks guys. He drove the wheels off of an '89 and '94, then 6mo after getting the '98, got detached retinas and went downhiil from there. Breaks his heart to sell it, thats why it sat for so long. Car was kept tip top.
Just remember..... all the KBB NADA Edmunds etc etc publications are to be used as guides It says it right in front of an NADA book. There are many other considerations to make when buying cars, especially special interest or super low mile examples.
Thanks for taking the time for your post! I agree that in the end buyer and seller dictate the price. I am just learning to post photos also, this test site helped me. http://forums.corvetteforum.com/testing-68/
just because it has low miles does not make it desirable.
bad things happen to cars that just sit.
seems like a wasted opportunity on the owners part, never enjoying the corvette.
This is not true. Go to KBB...punch in a random year car. Say a 2005, enter it with 75K miles...then go back and enter everything the same except change the miles to 25K..
See the difference?
Would you rather have a car with lower miles or higher? Think about it, the miles cause WAY MORE wear and tear than just sitting.
4K is abnormally low but what are the "bad things that happen to a car that's sitting".???
I'm curious about the mileage issue. At what point does a low-mileage vehicle go from the 'collectible' zone to just being a low-mileage car. I bought my C5 to drive and was unwilling to pay a premium for low mileage. At what point does the low mileage become a nice add-on like an improved sound system or catback system? Don't mean to hijack the thread
I paid $20k for my 17k mile 98 in pristine cond, yet I got FLAMED by several after the purchase.. Some were the same that said to "Jump on it" before the purchase..
4K is abnormally low but what are the "bad things that happen to a car that's sitting".???
Fluids go bad,grease goes bad and gets hardened, seals go bad, rubber starts to deteriorate (dry rot)..etc
if it never gets driven things start to freeze up.
Last edited by ShawnFate; May 17, 2011 at 03:20 PM.
Fluids go bad,grease goes bad and gets hardened, seals go bad, rubber starts to deteriorate (dry rot)..etc
if it never gets driven things start to freeze up.
Costs about $500 to change antifreeze, brake fluid, trans fluid, differential fluid, assuming all are bad.
Hoses and serpentine belt are likely good but are easily checked.
Front and rear oil seals may have hardened and warrant a good look.
If the tires are original, I'd plan for a new set, immediately.
I'd say everything can be brought up to speed for $2000 or so, depending on the deal, it could be a bargain, or not.
Either way, I'd never not buy an older low mileage vette just because it was.
I've heard that 500-1,000 miles per year (or the equivalent run-time in the garage without turning the wheels - as many collectors do) and annual services as recommended in the manual are enough to keep things in great shape. The big thing you want when buying used cars is service records/history. I don't buy a used car without looking into this, whether it has 100 or 100,000 miles, whether it's a ford or a ferrari.
I love buying cars from waxers who eat the initial depreciation, drive the cars very little, and maintain them meticulously. I've had 3 such cars to date (including my current C5) and every one has been amazing. Low mileage shouldn't turn you off to a car by itself, but that doesn't mean you ignore the rest of the typical things you should look into.
Designer Imagines A Corvette That Looks More Like a Corvette Than the Corvette
Slideshow: A Jaguar designer's personal project imagines what a modern front-engined Corvette might look like if Chevrolet revisited the golden age of the Stingray.