Notices
C5 General General C5 Corvette and C5 Z06 Discussion not covered in Tech

Z06 Mileage?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Oct 18, 2020 | 11:46 PM
  #1  
breybok's Avatar
breybok
Thread Starter
Advanced
10 Year Member
Liked
 
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 64
Likes: 19
From: Grand Forks, North Dakota
Default Z06 Mileage?

I am looking at getting back into a C5. I am looking at a 04 Z06 with 81K miles. What is too many miles on these. They are asking $21k. Thanks in advance for your expert opinions.
Reply
Old Oct 19, 2020 | 08:02 AM
  #2  
slapshot12's Avatar
slapshot12
Drifting
15 Year Member
Veteran: Coast Guard
 
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 1,500
Likes: 51
From: Largo FL
Default

That price seems high to me. I paid $23k for an '03 with 13k a month ago.

Mileage wise, to me it depends on what your plans are for the car and what the maintenance history looks like. If it'll be a weekend cruiser or track car build, I'd be less concerned that if I'd be daily driving it. If there's a good paper trail of maintenance being done, I might consider a higher mileage car. But if there's no records, personally, I'd be a bit hesitant.
Reply
Old Oct 19, 2020 | 08:08 AM
  #3  
Stingroo's Avatar
Stingroo
Safety Car
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Jan 2019
Posts: 4,308
Likes: 3,455
From: Somewhere, Florida
St. Jude Donor '20-'21-'22-'23-'24
Default

That price is high, but the mileage is fine. Properly maintained, these cars can run forever. You just have to look closer to see what KIND of 81,000 miles those were.
Reply
Old Oct 19, 2020 | 08:34 AM
  #4  
Gordy M's Avatar
Gordy M
Melting Slicks
25 Year Member
Active Streak: 30 Days
Conversation Starter
All Eyes On Me
 
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 2,804
Likes: 358
From: Northville, MI
Default

I had a friend whose 02Z was his daily driver, but it was heavily autocrossed and ran several HPDE's every year for the first 10 years of its life. Being a GM engineer, they borrowed his car at 216,000 miles to inspect the engine. They were amazed at how little wear the engine had for the mileage., put it back together and thanked the owner. Today, that is an autocross/HPDE car with close to 270000 miles and still going strong.
Reply
Old Oct 19, 2020 | 09:54 AM
  #5  
2TONE82's Avatar
2TONE82
Melting Slicks
25 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Top Answer: 1
 
Joined: Nov 1999
Posts: 2,461
Likes: 354
From: Madison Alabama
Default

Originally Posted by breybok
I am looking at getting back into a C5. I am looking at a 04 Z06 with 81K miles. What is too many miles on these. They are asking $21k. Thanks in advance for your expert opinions.
I too think (hope?) these cars will run forever or at least for the duration of my time on this earth. Maintenance is key though. As someone mentioned above, I'd like to know if the car was tracked or DD but more important I'd want to see the maintenance records. I've had my Z16 since 2005 and have 15 years worth of oil/filter change, fluid change, battery, tires, etc. records.
Reply
Old Oct 19, 2020 | 10:30 PM
  #6  
breybok's Avatar
breybok
Thread Starter
Advanced
10 Year Member
Liked
 
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 64
Likes: 19
From: Grand Forks, North Dakota
Default

Thanks everyone. This would be a weekend cruiser not a daily. I am up in North Dakota so our driving seasons are short. I was deciding between this Z and a base 05 C6. I am leaning to the Z. The owner is in his 60’s and is the 2nd owner. I’m looking at it tomorrow pending a snowstorm.
Reply
Old Oct 20, 2020 | 07:47 PM
  #7  
Scottrx7tt1's Avatar
Scottrx7tt1
Advanced
 
Joined: Aug 2020
Posts: 49
Likes: 11
Default

At that mileage, that car is a $17k car tops
Reply
Old Oct 20, 2020 | 10:12 PM
  #8  
2TONE82's Avatar
2TONE82
Melting Slicks
25 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Top Answer: 1
 
Joined: Nov 1999
Posts: 2,461
Likes: 354
From: Madison Alabama
Default

Originally Posted by breybok
Thanks everyone. This would be a weekend cruiser not a daily. I am up in North Dakota so our driving seasons are short. I was deciding between this Z and a base 05 C6. I am leaning to the Z. The owner is in his 60’s and is the 2nd owner. I’m looking at it tomorrow pending a snowstorm.
IMHO these are two very different cars. The Z will have a very raw feel to her (which I love), the C6 will be more refined and even though a base, will have more creature comforts than the Z. If possible, recommend you drive both. Bet you come away with that Z06 grin!
Reply
Corvette Stories

The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts

story-0

10 Ugly Corvettes That We Still Kinda Love

 Joe Kucinski
story-1

Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer

 Brett Foote
story-2

10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)

 Michael S. Palmer
story-3

8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-4

10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years

 Joe Kucinski
story-5

How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972

 Joe Kucinski
story-6

Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!

 Michael S. Palmer
story-7

Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!

 Joe Kucinski
story-8

150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter

 Joe Kucinski
story-9

8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time

 Verdad Gallardo
Old Oct 21, 2020 | 07:41 AM
  #9  
slapshot12's Avatar
slapshot12
Drifting
15 Year Member
Veteran: Coast Guard
 
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 1,500
Likes: 51
From: Largo FL
Default

Originally Posted by 2TONE82
IMHO these are two very different cars. The Z will have a very raw feel to her (which I love), the C6 will be more refined and even though a base, will have more creature comforts than the Z. If possible, recommend you drive both. Bet you come away with that Z06 grin!
I couldn't agree more. A "raw feel" is a very good way to describe the Z compared to a base C5, and that's what I like about it. That, and they aren't as common.

Last edited by slapshot12; Oct 21, 2020 at 07:41 AM.
Reply
Old Oct 21, 2020 | 02:38 PM
  #10  
ArmchairArchitect's Avatar
ArmchairArchitect
Banned Scam/Spammer
 
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 4,004
Likes: 3,929
From: Philadelphia PA (Birthplace of the USA, UNESCO World Heritage City)
Default

Originally Posted by Gordy M
I had a friend whose 02Z was his daily driver, but it was heavily autocrossed and ran several HPDE's every year for the first 10 years of its life. Being a GM engineer, they borrowed his car at 216,000 miles to inspect the engine. They were amazed at how little wear the engine had for the mileage., put it back together and thanked the owner. Today, that is an autocross/HPDE car with close to 270000 miles and still going strong.
I would love to know what oil(s) this guy is using (viscosities and brands), both on the street and at the track, and his oil change interval. And any other longevity/durability tips he has for these engines. Mind asking him?

I know these things last forever on their own, but that is impressive for a car driven that hard/abused on a regular basis over a long period of time/miles.

As to the OP's question, 81k miles is nothing for these cars.

Last edited by ArmchairArchitect; Oct 21, 2020 at 02:41 PM.
Reply
Old Oct 22, 2020 | 11:55 AM
  #11  
Nyt_Muves's Avatar
Nyt_Muves
Drifting
10 Year Member
 
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,355
Likes: 139
From: Surprise AZ
Default

I know geography can make a difference, but my best friend decided he needed a C5 after driving mine, Here in AZ we found him a silver C5Z with about 60K miles on it. Super clean. Picked it up for about 16,500. That was just a few months ago.
Reply
Old Oct 22, 2020 | 02:08 PM
  #12  
Vetteman Jack's Avatar
Vetteman Jack
Administrator
Supporting Lifetime
Veteran: Navy
St. Jude 20 Year Donor
25 Year Member
Veteran: Reserves
 
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 368,384
Likes: 24,790
From: In a parallel universe. Currently own 2014 Stingray Coupe.
C7 of the Year - Modified Finalist 2021
MO Events Coordinator
St. Jude Co-Organizer
St. Jude Donor '03 thru '26
NCM Sinkhole Donor
CI 5, 8 & 11 Veteran
Default

Nothing wrong with the mileage if the car has been well maintained and not abused, but IMO the price is very high. To me, the car is a $16-18K ride.
Reply
Old Oct 23, 2020 | 09:18 AM
  #13  
Gordy M's Avatar
Gordy M
Melting Slicks
25 Year Member
Active Streak: 30 Days
Conversation Starter
All Eyes On Me
 
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 2,804
Likes: 358
From: Northville, MI
Default

Being an engineer working at the Tech Center he changed his oil every 3-4000 miles and used Mobil 1, and everything else by the book. Also he only used premium Mobil gas. In the winter he would put on Blizzak snows and drive to work, when the snow was over 6 inches (quit often occurance) he just rented a room at the hotel across the street and had to walk to work once or twice.
Reply
Old Oct 23, 2020 | 11:43 AM
  #14  
wydopnthrtl's Avatar
wydopnthrtl
Drifting
15 Year Member
Conversation Starter
Liked
Loved
 
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,552
Likes: 324
From: Mid Ohio
Default

IMO... it all depends on condition and how those miles were created.

Something else I put stock in is what kinds of roads it saw. Roads in the north are rough and beat cars w/jolts. Those expansion joints and broken pavement shake the whole car. Not just suspension bits.
Reply
Old Oct 23, 2020 | 11:48 AM
  #15  
MWWarlord's Avatar
MWWarlord
Le Mans Master
Supporting Lifetime Gold
Community Builder
Photoriffic
Community Favorite
Top Answer: 5
 
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 5,602
Likes: 3,322
From: Virginia
2021 C5 of the Year Finalist - Modified
St. Jude Donor '21-'22
Default

As others have said the mileage is no issue. However, the price is too high. Definitely drive both cars before you decide.
Reply
Old Oct 23, 2020 | 04:55 PM
  #16  
bud miller's Avatar
bud miller
Melting Slicks
20 Year Member
Conversation Starter
All Eyes On Me
Photogenic
 
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 2,155
Likes: 56
From: Escondido CA
Default 04 z16

bought it 3 mo's ago $19,500 w/70k miles
been great so for far, had tune, w/cai, tightened up a lot of stuff including intake manifold

Reply

Get notified of new replies

To Z06 Mileage?





All times are GMT -4. The time now is 05:08 AM.

story-0
10 Ugly Corvettes That We Still Kinda Love

Slideshow: 10 ugly Corvettes that we still kinda love.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-06-03 10:34:17


VIEW MORE
story-1
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer

A lot of money has changed hands at the online auction house over the years.

By Brett Foote | 2026-06-03 10:21:50


VIEW MORE
story-2
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)

Slideshow: 10 great gifts Corvette enthusiasts actually want for Father's Day!

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-06-03 15:43:40


VIEW MORE
story-3
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems

Slideshow: These are the quirks, annoyances, and oddly lovable problems that every Corvette owner eventually learns to live with.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-05-28 09:31:39


VIEW MORE
story-4
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years

Slideshow: 10 reasons why the C6 Z06 is still a performance benchmark after 20 years.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-27 17:20:09


VIEW MORE
story-5
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972

Slideshow: How much horsepower every Corvette engine lost in 1972.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-27 16:54:53


VIEW MORE
story-6
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!

Slideshow: How to Protect A Convertible Top: 10 DOs & DON'Ts

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-04-03 00:00:00


VIEW MORE
story-7
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!

Slideshow: The 10 most explosive Corvettes ever built based on power-to-weight ratio.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-20 07:23:03


VIEW MORE
story-8
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter

Slideshow: From C1 to C8 we compare every Corvette generation by the numbers.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-12 16:54:12


VIEW MORE
story-9
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time

Slideshow: Some Corvette pace cars became collectible legends, while others perfectly captured the look and attitude of their era.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-11 09:50:51


VIEW MORE