I have been looking for a later C5 the past few weeks and I think I found the one I want to buy. It has all the options I want on it and it looks clean. I started to do some VIN searching. I ran the VIN through several sites it has a spotless carfax but one of the sites shows this car being for sale at a dealer about 6-8 weeks ago for a significant amount of money less than the seller is asking. This person has a nice back story of how the car was passed down from their parent and claims to have all documented history on the car. I want to add they have no clue what equipment the car has on it. I am wondering if I should take a pass on this car.

 

First, I would contact the dealership and verify they had the car and sold it. If true, then use this information in your negotiations if you are so inclined to do so. Although it may get testy. But someone providing false information is definitely a RED FLAG.

 

I'm fine with flipping a car for profit but inventing a whole story isn't trust building. I wasn't going to get a PPI but if I do go for it, I am getting one. The asking price for the car is on the high end of the "market value" but I am confident I can negotiate that to "average market value".

 

Have you actually looked at the car ? Is it far away ?

If it's a genuinely nice car, I would still be interested. But I wouldn't play any games with him.
I'd be direct and let them know you are aware of what it recently sold for, and proceed from there.

They must be asking a lot since you said t's priced significantly higher than what a dealer recently sold it for. Dealers are usually priced on the higher side to begin with, so I'd be leery of paying more than a few grand above that, and only if it's really an exceptional car, that checks all your boxes.

 

You should ALWAYS get a PPI!!! If the car has everything you want, I wouldn't automatically walk away. However, I agree that it wouldn't be a bad idea to as politely as possible call the seller on their BS. Offer him a fair price based on current market value (contingent on a PPI). If it's the right car for the right price, it might be worth dealing with a lying D-bag. Just make sure you have all your ducks in a row. I would also make sure the car isn't stolen, and that the title is clear.

 

It's 5k higher than the advertised price I found from 3/2021.

 

The car is perfect in the pictures that I asked for. I am awaiting the documentation and a video. It is about 300 miles away from me.
Is there a company that does inspections? Or do I schedule something at the nearest chevy dealer?

 

Car sold! One day on the market!

 

Guess it wasn't too high then. Used car prices have really jumped in the past few months.

 

The car was priced right. It's what the person paid for it 6-8 weeks ago that threw me for a loop and it was on the lot for 30+ days. If a 2001-2004 6 speed with good miles goes up for less that 15k it sells instantly. A different 2004 black/black coupe manual came up that had 46k on it for 14.9k. It wasn't on Cargurus for more than 24 hours.

 

Good luck with your search. The right car is out there. Just be patient.

 

MWWarlord makes an excellent point. ALWAYS be sure the car isn't stolen!!! I know of a case of this happening. It was almost 50 years ago, so most details are lost to history. I do recall a few facts though. The guy this happened to was only a casual acquaintance. He had bought a beautiful, fairly new C3 (they were still in production then), and it was stolen. He didn't find out until the State Police showed up at his front door, with a wrecker to impound the car. AllI remember is the guy that bought it didn't go to jail, never got the car back, and had to continue to make payments to the financial institution he financed it through. I don't remember if he was ever reimbursed (probably not), or if the guys he bought it from were convicted. The term "buyer beware" comes to mind! Remember, there were no computers back then, so there weren't as many avenues to verify things. No carfax, etc..

 

Be patient and sign up for the alerts on the car sites. For example join cargurus and get the alerts. Thats how I got mine, I was able to see the ad for a hour or so before it went live. The good ones go fast, I had a few sell while I was on the phone making a deal. Also don't trust pictures or what anyone says. I looked at a car in Palm Beach at a major dealer that has misrepresented the car by a long shot, it needs a clutch, has some sort of power loss feels like it has 200Hp, paint damage, carpets worn, needs tires and they claimed it was show quality. Have to be ready to travel quickly. I drove over 450 miles total to get mine, that was there and back. I prefer private owners but keep your options open.

 

I always run a carfax, google the VIN and find out as much information on my own. For example there is a car on craigslist with very few pictures and the guy was looking for cash or "interesting trades". I ran the VIN through the states web site and he had a lien on the car. How do you trade if you still owe on a car? With the technology in cars today it is very difficult to have a car disappear and stay in this country. When I find the right car I am going to get a PPI at the dealer and have them run a diagnostic. I believe the scan will run the VIN and give accurate miles.

 

I got burned five years ago. I bought a car from a friend of a friend based on a recommendation from a self proclaimed Camaro guru. I didn't look at the car but he did. He missed quite a few obvious things that were missing (air pump, air tubes things like that). It had a Clean carfax, it wasn't modified, low miles etc. The more I tore into the car the worse it was. The most catastrophic thing was when I changed the oil and I started the car up. The motor was knocking. Then I ran the block numbers and the "3 owner all original car" ended up having a motor from a pick up truck in it. After experiencing that I ask a lot of questions, for pictures, videos, documentation, and the VIN. There are a few free sites that you can run the VIN through and they will tell you quite a few things that are similar to Carfax with the extra added bonus of previous sales, and links to government sites where you can check for liens and if the car was ever stolen. I want to avoid dealers for a couple reasons. First reason is I will be taxed differently on a retail vs pp purchase. 10.25% vs a flat fee based on the year. I can get a better car from a pp because I wont have to pay 2000+ in ttl. Second reason is I reached out to a couple of dealers and both of them had all the fees the could legally charge me plus addendums of 800-1500 on top......that i had to pay sales tax on and "white glove" transport that is marked up and also taxed.

 

I found my C5 at a GM Cad dealer 125 miles away. I found them honest and upfront. I knew about C5's and I suspect the dealer did not. I brought a buddy to help me inspect the car. I left the dealership with $300 difference between their 'bottom line' and my offer. Some more negotiations and we split the difference 5 days later by telephone. Also, I bought in September and the car had been setting on their lot for 2 months. I suspect you may have a difficult time finding a bargain at this time of year since this is the prime selling season for Vettes. Good luck with your search for your C5.