Advice requested
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 44
Likes: 0
From: Colorado Springs CO
Happy new owner - (Was Advice requested)
I've requested that the following car be transferred from Denver to Colorado Springs so I can check it out, and in the meantime I'd like opinions from you folks about the car. To me it looks like it is too good to pass up, but I'm not an expert.
http://www.phillongdenver.com/Vehicl...-CO/1841470163
Thanks,
Wayne
http://www.phillongdenver.com/Vehicl...-CO/1841470163
Thanks,
Wayne
Last edited by Haxzaw; Oct 20, 2012 at 06:11 PM. Reason: Change title
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 44
Likes: 0
From: Colorado Springs CO
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 1,936
Likes: 13
From: Redding California
I don't think the car is priced too high from a dealer......although I'm sure he will come down to $24K.
I wouldn't buy the car because it has the 2:73 axle ratio. I would keep looking and get one with the 3:15 axle ratio.
It also does not have the colored roof panel.
The mileage is great..........but those tires look like the original Good Year run craps, and they are 9 years old and should be replaced. They even look old and cracked in one of the photos. There's a $600-$1,200 expense depending on your choice of tires.
Interesting to hear what you decide.
I wouldn't buy the car because it has the 2:73 axle ratio. I would keep looking and get one with the 3:15 axle ratio.
It also does not have the colored roof panel.
The mileage is great..........but those tires look like the original Good Year run craps, and they are 9 years old and should be replaced. They even look old and cracked in one of the photos. There's a $600-$1,200 expense depending on your choice of tires.
Interesting to hear what you decide.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 985
Likes: 473
From: Roseville MI
Ultimately, only you can decide if the price is right. Most members of this forum would remind you that the adjustable suspension (not on this car) is very expensive to maintain once it begins to fail. (We're talking thousands to replace with new). Check the car carefully (pull the codes if possible) drive it for more than a few miles and make an intelligent decision to buy or pass on the car. Check the sticky at the top of this section and learn the trouble areas of the C5 then look for them on this car. I thought I checked mine pretty close but, the first time my wife road in it she pulled down her visor and the vanity mirror fell into her lap. Good luck and welcome to the madness.
Scott
Scott
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Looks like a very nice car and really low mileage - and I agree that if it is on the original tires, the will need to be replaced. If it doesn't have the 3.15 rear differential, that is a drawback in my book. I would say it is probably a little high on the price - and you can use the fact that the tires will probably need to be replaced as a bargaining chip.
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Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 789
Likes: 4
From: Longmont on the Front Range of Colorful Colorado
Nice car. I just bought an '03 Z06 with 21k miles in Denver for a about three thouand less, private party. I don't think the one you're looking at is too high priced to start the negotiating at. If you look at it and like it make an offer pull the trigger.
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 44
Likes: 0
From: Colorado Springs CO
Thank you all so far for the advice. I checked out the sticky about what to look for, will come in handy. I will check the tires for obvious signs of age, and it will certainly be a good bargaining chip. Nothing to do but wait for the car to arrive locally.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 7,604
Likes: 8
From: Belleville Il
First,,check Kelley Blue Book and the like. Next,,This time of year works in your favor,especially in the Denver area. This is the time of year that Corvettes and sports cars in general start going into hybernation for the most part(I drive mine year round only sitting out the nasty days) and prices should drop accordingly. I bought mine from a small dealer in mid January and got it almost $5K under book!! Looks nice,,,NEGOTIATE hard and have fun!! He eventually HAS to sell it,,you don" HAVE to buy it,GM has made a ton of them. Good luck and have fun!!!
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 3,270
Likes: 29
From: Chilliwack B.C.
Key words above. 
Pro
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 718
Likes: 69
From: North Reading MA
Offer 23k or pay their price if they replace the tires....Thet are reaching end of life regardless of miles assuming they are orig. Might not be a bad idea to negotiate to have the 8 year old fluids replaced too.
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 1,998
Likes: 33
From: somewhere in New Hampshire
Nice looking ride! It amazes me, however, how rapidly the stock seats start to look like crap on a low mileage car. Mine only had 15k on it when I bought it and the leather was all creased like that as well.
Pro
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 622
Likes: 169
From: Montgomery Texas
Lear how to decipher tire date codes:
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tirete...jsp?techid=11&
Anything over seven years old is sketchy, even if the tires have good tread. Per an earlier post, this is probably the only thing the car needs, apart from fresh fluids.
This store is asking a premium price for what appears to be a premium car. This car may have gremlins, however, from sitting so much, so what sort of warranty is being offered?
You may talk them out of a few dollars, but a better strategy would be to negotiate for value added items, such as tires, warranty, window tinting, clear bra (use your imagination). The store will be able to do this stuff relatively cheaply and be more inclined to do this (if any of these things are important to you) then they would to reduce the asking price.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tirete...jsp?techid=11&
Anything over seven years old is sketchy, even if the tires have good tread. Per an earlier post, this is probably the only thing the car needs, apart from fresh fluids.
This store is asking a premium price for what appears to be a premium car. This car may have gremlins, however, from sitting so much, so what sort of warranty is being offered?
You may talk them out of a few dollars, but a better strategy would be to negotiate for value added items, such as tires, warranty, window tinting, clear bra (use your imagination). The store will be able to do this stuff relatively cheaply and be more inclined to do this (if any of these things are important to you) then they would to reduce the asking price.
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 44
Likes: 0
From: Colorado Springs CO
Bought it!
Well, he didn't budge much on price, but gave me 30 months/30K miles of free oil changes, and used his discount code on an aftermarket warranty. At the end I was a tad over where I wanted to be, but with the warranty I can't complain too much. I'll likely replace the tires in the spring, probably with Hankooks - the current tires don't look too bad, no cracks. I do need to decode the date to see if they are old or fresh. Already put about 100 miles on it averaging 24.4mpg according to the DIC - mostly around town, but not too much stop and go. I did some programming of features on the DIC, including turning on the twilight feature, which I don't know yet if I'll keep on. I need to teach the TPMS as there is no reading, and the tires were all way overinflated. Anyway, love the car 
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 1,998
Likes: 33
From: somewhere in New Hampshire
Congrats! I hope you enjoy it for many years. You'll probably want to kill the twilight feature, the lights popping up and down when you pull into a garage, etc. will drive you nuts plus it puts extra wear on the headlight motors which are prone to failure.
I hope you enjoy it for many years. You'll probably want to kill the twilight feature, the lights popping up and down when you pull into a garage, etc. will drive you nuts plus it puts extra wear on the headlight motors which are prone to failure.
