I've been looking question?
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Instructor
Joined: May 2017
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From: Foley Alabama
I've been looking question?
I've been looking for a 2001-04 ZO6 with less than 60k miles. And I've seen many for sale, however, most have had many owners like 4-8. Why so many owners? Are they race cars just changing hands? Likewise, most have been moved from state to state. Sometimes a number of times. Then ending up mostly in Texas. They just trying to clean up a title and/or mileage? I won't buy one of these, just wondering.....
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Even the newest C5 is coming up on 14 years old so many of them would have multiple owners over the course of that many years. I would agree that 8 owners would be a bit much, but it depends on who the owners were. Sometimes when a car is traded in to a dealer there is a change of ownership recorded even though the dealer is just going to re-sell the car. It wouldn't bother me if a car had 3-4 actual owners in its lifetime as long as the car was in good shape and all maintenance has been performed over the life of the car and was up to date.
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From: Philadelphia PA (Birthplace of the USA, UNESCO World Heritage City)
It'a very common for collector cars like a C5Z to have a high number of owners. Watch this video:
The number of owners has no effect on the quality of the car, if anything I would want a higher number of owners as with each new owner the car has items taken care of, rather than a long time potentially complacent owner.
Also the Carfax or Autocheck would show any reported history such as title or salvage issues along with detailed inspection of the car.
The number of owners has no effect on the quality of the car, if anything I would want a higher number of owners as with each new owner the car has items taken care of, rather than a long time potentially complacent owner.
Also the Carfax or Autocheck would show any reported history such as title or salvage issues along with detailed inspection of the car.
Last edited by ArmchairArchitect; May 24, 2017 at 03:58 PM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 3,399
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From: Havre de Grace Maryland
It took me 6 months+ to find my 04 ride 3 years ago. Every car that had more than 2 owner did not pass my mechanics inspection. Take your time, find a car that has minimal owners and then give to a good mechanic for the inspection. Good luck in your search. 
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 5,278
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From: Kelowna BC
IIRC my 04Z had 4 PO's and maybe 30K? Not a worry if it was more, as long as the car checks out well.
These cars are a number of years old, and many end up not being driven as much as anticipated.
These cars are a number of years old, and many end up not being driven as much as anticipated.
Instructor
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 180
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From: Ontario CA
My '00 A4 coupe has had 6 owners if you were to check Carfax. My wife's son bought it in 2005 with about 52K on it, becoming the 3rd owner. A couple years later he had an A&A supercharger kit put on it followed by a forged motor a couple of years after that. He then got bored and made me a deal on I couldn't refuse. Several months later he said he missed the car so it went back to him, somewhat disappointing me. Fast forward less that 2 years and it was offered to me again with 98K on it but with a fresh trans this time. He serviced it regularly and wasn't afraid to use it plus I did much of the work on the car before I got it both times. Now I keep it well maintained and document all I do to it. Now it will be staying with me as long as I'm here and then probably back to him or his son if I last that long. It now has 110K on it and I intend to keep racking up the miles on it and my '99 vert that I recently became the 3rd owner of.
Last edited by Danlb; May 24, 2017 at 06:29 PM.
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2013
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From: Little Rock Arkansas
This question comes up all the time and the one I believe and follow was one that was answered very well over a decade ago.
A Corvette is a bit of a specialty car and often goes through many owners very early in it's life. Think about what can happen;
- owner decides to sell as they can't afford payments
- owner needs something with more room
- owner upgrades to newer Corvette early (happens quite a bit)
the cycle repeats until the car reaches a depreciation point of acceptability
# of owners doesn't concern me. Car's condition and service history does
A Corvette is a bit of a specialty car and often goes through many owners very early in it's life. Think about what can happen;
- owner decides to sell as they can't afford payments
- owner needs something with more room
- owner upgrades to newer Corvette early (happens quite a bit)
the cycle repeats until the car reaches a depreciation point of acceptability
# of owners doesn't concern me. Car's condition and service history does
Racer
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 434
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From: TINLEY PARK, IL
My dealer found this 2002 Coupe with 2 owners and 24,000 miles on it for me. The first owner put more miles on than the second, but the second did a lot of maintenance on it, like fluids etc.
Although it is not a Z06, when I was looking, I did see several low number of owners, and low miles, Z06's for sale, albeit at a premium price point.
After looking for months, I acquired a great C5.
I believe that if you search long enough, and don't settle for less, you can find a low miles, low number of owner's car.
Good Luck!
-Ray
Although it is not a Z06, when I was looking, I did see several low number of owners, and low miles, Z06's for sale, albeit at a premium price point.
After looking for months, I acquired a great C5.
I believe that if you search long enough, and don't settle for less, you can find a low miles, low number of owner's car.
Good Luck!
-Ray
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Joined: Jan 2017
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From: Marietta, GA
a number of owners would not necessarily bother me. Typically, these are not daily drivers. As a result, low-mileage, expensive toys like these get cycled through various owners pretty quickly. The one caveat to this is maintenance history. It is possible that several owners thoroughly documented the service history of the car. But that history may or may not have carried along with subsequent owners. That is why I typically prefer a private sale car. Dealership salesmen typically know NOTHING about the history of the car. If the car has had multiple owners and a thorough service history is not available, I'd definitely look into having the car gone over by a professional/expert.
Pro
Joined: Mar 2009
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I agree with the others that have said they don't worry about owners, they worry about the condition of the car and carfax history. Very few corvette owners buy a car then plan on keeping for a lifetime. My first vette was and 89....It was in decent shape and affordable. I drove it everyday May-Oct for about two years. Then I got offered decent money from it and dumped it. I got in my 03Z about 8 years ago. I planned on driving it for a while and getting a C6Z when prices became affordable. Doesn't mean I didn't care for either car. I did and do. I drove a C6Z and didn't like it as much as my C5. So at least at the moment I plan on keeping my 03 Z forever but it wasn't the intention when I bought it. New ones are at the point of being so far out of my price range that I never see it happening but who knows what the future will hold.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Oct 1999
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From: Charlotte, NC (formerly Endicott, NY)
I purchased my 03Z in June of 03. At the time it had 18K miles and I was the third owner. The car had originally been purchased by a guy who commuted from Delaware to North Carolina for work. In 6 months he put 18K miles on the car. The second owner put 200 miles on the car in 2 months and then decided to sell it so he could finance a 61 restoration project. I kept the car for 6 years and put another 25K miles on it. I followed that car with an 08Z with 13 K miles. It was 13 months old and again I was the third owner. The first owner only kept it for 2 months the second owner kept it for 11. I kept it for 6.5 years. I put another 30K miles on the car. Both cars saw extensive track duty as I participate in a lot of HPDEs. I think the C5Z had 5K track miles on it when I sold it and the C6Z had around 7K track miles.
Bill
Bill
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Instructor
Joined: May 2017
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From: Foley Alabama
I don't know about a lot of owners and different state reregistration's. My Bother-in-law still has a 63 split-window he bought new. It was the first split-window on the west coast. My neighbor still has his 72 Vette he bought new. Lots of one or two owner cars out there. I might go three owners or even four if the car has lots of details on the background, but not more than four under any condition.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 2,185
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From: Garland TX
Multiple owners never bothered me. My Z IIRC was titled 5 different times before I bought it. It's been a fantastic vehicle the past couple of years and I'm looking forward to several more.
Safety Car
Joined: Dec 2009
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From: Birmingham Al
Check to see how many miles the other owners drove the Corvette . The last owner of my 04 drove in 2 years around 1500 miles .. and it had 7 owners but they never drove the thing 3 years back had 37,000 miles could not had driven it much .. and I checked them out and were car people they took care of the 04. You can find one or two owner ones have to keep looking but going to be more money .. Vettefinders has the last time I looked low mileage C-5s and some one owner ones but not cheap..