Good evening everyone!

My name is Joe and I'm looking at picking up my 2nd C5 Corvette. Unfortunately, my first C5 I owned was over 10 years ago and I have since been out of the Corvette loop. I apologize about this kind of post as I'm sure this forum is constantly flooded with similar topics. For what it's worth I have been reading up online, but always prefer and appreciate real world experience from current owners.

My first Corvette was a '99 FRC and I loved it. Timing on me owning that car was not ideal so I sold the car. I'm eyeballing another '99 FRC as I love the body style and am not looking to spend enough to buy a Z06. This will be a weekend car, so many of the concerns about daily driving are not a concern of mine.

I test drove the '99 I've had my eye on and loved it. I currently own a 2001 Mustang GT and the Vette was superior in just about every category.

First question…What are some things I need to look out for when purchasing a 16 year old Corvette? It drove like a new car when I took it out for the test drive. The only thing I noticed was some vibration/noise from the shifter (aftermarket) which seems common.

Second question…It seems KBB value is incredibly low compared to what these cars are selling for. It really seems mileage and condition drive the market (as it should). Here are the specs on the car. Please let me know if it seems like a fair price.

1999 Corvette FRC
34k miles
Clean Carfax/no accidents
Torch Red, Black Interior, 6-speed
Most noteworthy modifications are a Borla cat-back and chrome Z06 wheels. It has quite a few exterior and engine accessories, but many of them would be removed after I purchased the car.

I talked the seller down to $15,500. I figure there's at least a couple hundred worth of modifications I can sell to get closer to $15,000. Does this seem right for this car? The car itself is immaculate. Only one tiny blemish on the hood and a few rub marks on the seats.

Thank you for reading! I look forward to everyone's knowledge and input.

 

Start here by reading this sticky. It has plenty of helpful info:

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...ion-files.html

 

If it's as nice a car as you say and the tires are good I say go for it! I wish I could buy my "99" back for $15000
P.S. KBB is a joke! The dealers don't seem to ask KBB prices when they have o Corvette for sale.
Good luck

 

Seems to be a fair price...not the deal of the century, but not bad either. If it is what you want - go for it!

 

That car does sound like a nice one and the price is not too bad for a low mileage '99.

Oh, check with a source like NADA for pricing - it is usually more realistic than KBB.

 

I'm about the furthest thing from an expert, but after doing lots of reading here decided on a couple rules before my first purchase last year. So far I haven't had a single problem.


- go for 2001 or later for general reliability
- go for base model rather than z06
- go for 30K-50K mile car (to maximize chance that factory defects have already been sorted out).
- garage queen (as spotless as possible all around, no water stains)
- as few modifications as possible (to reduce chance car has been beaten on)
- as few owners as possible
- automatic (to reduce chance car and engine have been beaten on)

obviously not steadfast rules, you never really know, but just like all things in life it's about probability