I'm currently looking for a corvette, and I hope that I will be able to find one early next year. What I really need advice on is whether or not to sell my current car when I find the corvette.

I drive a 2005 Chevy Aveo that I bought three years ago with 30k miles on it for $3000, with a salvage title. The car is kind of pathetic and has some dings and scrapes on the body but gets good gas mileage. I'm thinking of selling it because it keeps breaking down, and I think that it's not worth it to keep it. Here is a list of the things that I've had to fix on it. It's got less than 60k miles on it.

- catalytic converter failed around 40k miles. $300
- timing belt broke at 48k miles and I had to replace the cylinder heads and other garbage $1600
-Starter motor died a few months ago $300
-power steering leaking through rack and pinion, needs to be replaced soon $600

It seems to be falling apart on me, and I'm considering just having the corvette. I think that I could get around 4-5k for it. I could use this money to get a slightly lower mileage or newer corvette, or I could save it in case something needs to be fixed.

Do you think that I should:

A) Keep the Aveo and get the Corvette.
B) Sell the Aveo and only drive a Corvette with extra $.
C) Sell the Aveo and get a Corvette and another beater/winter car.
D) Don't Buy a Corvette at all*

*Option D) void in the continental U.S.

Also, what kind of problems would I run into with only driving a corvette. I currently have only one car anyway, so the only difference I can see is:
- More gas $, insurance, and maintenance.
- Poor rain driving, no snow driving.
- Less trunk space/ passenger space.

Thanks in advance for the advice.

 

C)
Get a cheaper c5 & get fwd car or 4x4

I bought mine with 104k and got an excellent deal. Still runs awesome (6spd)

 

In Springfield you get some significant snowfalls each year - a Vette isn't going to do really well in that kind of weather. If you want a Vette that's great, but have a beater vehicle (FWD car or 4WD truck) to get you through the winter months. Just make sure whatever beater car you buy is in reasonably good condition so you don't get pinned down by maintenance costs.

 

I was thinking the same thing. It doesn't even have to have four wheel drive, the aveo is actually great in snow. It just seems like this car is a bit of a lemon for the miles it has. I'm lucky I got it so cheap, otherwise I'd be toast by now. I'm thinking something like a civic or some other super reliable car.

I don't mind driving the vette year round (not in the snow obviously), but other than the weather and not having a backup car, I don't see any crippling disadvantages of only owning a vette. It's also cheaper to insure and maintain only one car.

 

I think you're being optimistic on the value of a salvaged title 05 Aveo, I would keep the Aveo and just use it for winter and rain and drive the vette as a daily when weather permits.

 

& E) Don't Buy a Civic :puke:

 

Maybe so, but economy cars have been given a bit of a boost from the economy. It's not even the value of the car that concerns me, it's the possibility that it will keep draining my money in repairs. I talked to the shop that did most of my repairs and they said that aveos are not designed very well.

You could make the argument that I've fixed it so now it will run fine. But who knows what will break next? Is it just me or does $3000 in repairs alone on a car with 40-60k miles seem a bit high?

 

1.sell the aveo
2.Buy a Corvette and a daily driver subaru.
3.Walk around for a while, kill some innocents
4.????
5.PROFIT!!!

 

my combo is C5 vette and an 01 jeep cherokee 4x4. 4.0 inline 6 is reliable, 4 wheel drive on a jeep reliable. interior parts are built by dodge...........so, well, yeah. But, it will go where I want it to, go when ever I want it to, and if it does break is rather easy to work on. Great combo. Cherokees can also be found for not too much money.

 

you should get rid of that aveo like quick. ive worked at several large chevy gmc dealers and if i recall correctly the aveos used a large portion of what daewoo was and there isnt anymore daewoo. you cant even buy parts for them anymore. now the new aveos are different they got the similar but smaller ecotec version out of the cobalt. aveos were out of the shop day and night for repairs. that being said sell it and move on to and i hate to say this an import car. nothing beats a civic or camry or accord. then you can find the vette that you want.

take it from me i know cause i live right on the snow belt. you need a good reliable car for the winter and you need to be able to handle not being able to drive the vette while its snowing lol

 

I wouldn't want the vette as my only car. Too many situations where I don't want to drive it. Mine is super low and tends to get the wrong kind of attention in certain situations (downtown at night, certain parking instances) I also like to know the area I am driving in because of entrance ramps to parking lots, speed bumps, road construction, etc that would ruin the car, or get me stuck.

The vette will be quite a step up from the Aveo

 

I think that's what I may end up doing. I got the same impression from the repair shop about the Aveo. Thanks for the advice.

I wouldn't be able to lower my vette much if at all. I'm not saying I wouldn't care about the vette, but I won't let a little rain or salt on the road keep me from driving it.

My aveo is only my first car, so I'm pretty excited to be able to afford a vette. The aveo is so pathetically underpowered it almost makes me cry when people go slowly when entering the highway, and up hills.

 

Please tell me you didn't use Cherokee and reliable in the same sentence ... The same car that gets exhaust leaks at the stop if a hat in addition to other well documented recurring issues

 

Find a higher mileage c5, theyve come down drastically in price and find a 4x4 blazer/s10 or something.my 4.3L blazer took a hell of beating from me and the ignorant things I did

 

Sell your beater and get a cheap truck...

 

You gotta have a second vehicle of some kind. There are all kinds of reasons/events that will pop up that you would rather not be driving the Vette. Weather is only one of them. Somebody mentioned a Blazer or S10 pick up with the 4.3 motor. It's one of the best motors GM came up with. If you could find a decent vehicle with one of those motors, you would be good to go for a second vehicle.

 

The vette is an excellent DD. I had the vette as my only car for quite some time. It saw all kinds of weather conditions including light snow. I have a truck now so the vette doesn't get taken out in really nasty weather anymore, but I still drive it every day.

You don't NEED another car, but if you can afford one it would be a good idea. The vette will not go in heavy snow, but it'll work in pretty much anything else...

 

Where are you getting 5k for an Aveo with a salvage title? I think you're going to be surprised to find out that hardly anyone will want your car, let alone for that kind of money. If you can find a buyer, more power to you, but I just think it'll be really hard to get rid of. Consequently, I say just keep it and use it as your winter beater. You know it's history to an extent, what has been repaired, and what needs repaired. Any <$5k car out there is going to bring a lot of uncertainties, unknowns, and repairs down the road. At least with your Aveo, you know what you've got. You definitely cannot DD a C5 in Midwest winters.

So, I guess I choose option A.

 

I did. Is the interior reliable? not at all. Exhaust leaks do not keep it from running. The 4.0 is bullet proof, a very proven engine. The rest of the drivetrain (at least the expensive stuff) is good. Ask a lot of the ones that are majorly broken, and you will find they broke down by going places that most of us will not need to go. That is like saying a vette is not reliable because the oil pressure sensor fails.

 

Wait on the Vette.

Get some reliable transportation and take care of it. If you think your repairs have been expensive so far, start pricing Vette repairs, hell, start pricing maintenance items.