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I am looking into buying my first corvette after wanting one for ever. I am on a budget so i am trying to spend my money most wisley. I seen a 1997 base coupe with 6 spees 30k miles for 13 grand i can buyout right. I also seen a 2004 zo6 for 18500 40k miles i would be about 5 grand short on. Should i get a loan and get zo6? Or get a loan on the diffrence i have and a c6. The c6 seem to be considerably more esp for an ls3. I plan to supercharge it with an ecs and do up the exhaust in the spring. I would weekend drive it mostly track it once or twice a year. Would like to possibly run low 11 to high 10 maybe. Want to keep it driveable and safe for longevity. What would be my best option i dont plan to resell car prob keep forever.
Last edited by Bird69jay; Aug 19, 2017 at 05:56 PM.
Buy the low miles base... Get some experience with it but keep it stock, just do fluids and necessary maintenance.... Sell it in 2 years and get most of your money back... Then move up to Z06 or GS, etc...
Buy the low miles base... Get some experience with it but keep it stock, just do fluids and necessary maintenance.... Sell it in 2 years and get most of your money back... Then move up to Z06 or GS, etc...
Dont take a loan out for your first Vette.
Have you thought about a C4? You can get a MINT C4 for under $10k and they are loads of fun... I dont think the C6 is worth the money especially since its a step down in the looks department from a C5 (in my opinion).
A lot of guys think if they Pay a little more and get the base c6 from the first couple years of production that they will be happy . The thing is the 05 and 06 had several problems . The first few years of any model should be avoided because they still are working the bugs out in many cases .
Thanks for info so far. I am leaning toward the z just always wanted one. Price and miles of the base are enticing though. I wonder if z deal to good to be true also but i have seen similar around here for a thousand more. What do you mean 2001 - 2002. Those are better years? Base or z? My brother had a c4 he sold to a friend last year for good deal but i wanted to get an ls engine. Wish i could afford ls3 models but i think i would be stretching myself out to get one. Maybe once im done with my degree i will get a c6z.
The Z06 has more performance, but the coupe has -- to me at any rate -- more usable space. I'd agree with others that point you away from early production years. My 99 has pretty much the full list of ****ling issues: seat rock, horn switch, acid eaten vacuum lines, etc. For $13K (or thereabouts) you can get a very nice C5, an immaculate C4, or a well used C6 that isn't as good looking (though I may be slightly biased).
Do, do, do read the list of issues in the stickies section. Tells you what you need to know, particularly how to read the OBD codes to see if there are significant things in store...
From: Arlington Va Current ride 04 vert, previous vettes: 69 vert, 77 resto mod
financing old cars is never a good idea. take your time and buy the one that matches all of your needs and desires. there are lots of c5s out there and absolutely no need to rush into a purchase. any one that is beat up just stay away from. there are lots of garage queens out there just look for one of those and you will be happy. good luck.
Fwiw.
1.5 years ago I financed pretty much everything and bought my first vette, a $10k 100k mile 99 z51 manual coupe. Been a daily driver and even tho I've had a lot of the issues (rotted vaccum lines, seat rock, oil pressure sensor, etc) I do my own work so that helps the maintenance costs and I've enjoyed every minute. There is a noticeable difference between a base and a z (my dad bought an 01 z after I brought mine home) but it's not a huge step.
not the smartest idea having payments on a 17+ year old vehicle, but the monthly payment is pretty low (~250) and I paid off a bunch in the beginning so I'm doing alright, my first loan and they say you need to build credit somehow, corvette seemed better then a credit card lol
nobody needs one of these, so go with the 'want' factor definitely drive both. Get what you realy want the first time, pmts on 5k is nothing. Either way eventually youll be fixing something so make sure you got what you really wanted otherwise it will bug the hell out of ya.
Cars that old I'd rather have one with a few more miles on it but those are good prices. I have a 1997 C5 with a lot miles and it still runs good. Previous owners took good care of it. It's been around the block a few times too (like some women I know) lol
Don't buy a c4 .i don't care how nice it is .. I say that not because it's a piece of junk or looks old school but because the c5 was revolutionary in design and light years ahead of its predecessor in every category . Your going to get many modern day features and sport car technology by sticking with a c5 .the ls1 engine is an amazing platform capable of huge gains and it's bulletproof . I would get the newest c5 you can afford with the lowest miles . A private owner with service records and no mods is best . I bought my 2000 coupe with 30k on it for 14,900 and it was a great value considering it's condition . Normally financing an older car is a bad idea but this isn't an ordinary car ! It's a corvette a part of American history and culture , this is a car your grandkids will drive some day . Pay the extra now and have no regrets . It will be worth it down the road .
Last edited by Lexybird; Aug 20, 2017 at 07:21 AM.
Great cars but... with any car 15-20 years old you should have a couple grand in reserve just in case. You don't want to have an issue and leave the car sit while waiting for the cash to get it fixed. They're nice to look at but driving is where the fun is.
Don't buy a c4 .i don't care how nice it is .. I say that not because it's a piece of junk or looks old school but because the c5 was revolutionary in design and light years ahead of its predecessor in every category . Your going to get many modern day features and sport car technology by sticking with a c5 .the ls1 engine is an amazing platform capable of huge gains and it's bulletproof . I would get the newest c5 you can afford with the lowest miles . A private owner with service records and no mods is best . I bought my 2000 coupe with 30k on it for 14,900 and it was a great value considering it's condition . Normally financing an older car is a bad idea but this isn't an ordinary car ! It's a corvette a part of American history and culture , this is a car your grandkids will drive some day . Pay the extra now and have no regrets . It will be worth it down the road .
Nice '00! I would only add to your post that it's okay to finance an older vehicle like the C5, I would just keep amount to less than half the value of the car...the rest I would pay in cash...
From: In a parallel universe. Currently own 2014 Stingray Coupe.
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If it were me, as long as the Z06 checks out both cosmetically and mechanically, I'd lean towards that one. The 2001 and newer C5s had a lot of updates made to the platform compared to the '00 and earlier models. Plus some parts are more readily available and/or fixable than the earlier models.
Help with decision on corvette purchase.
Dont take a loan out for your first Vette.
