Hello Guys and Gals, new to this Corvette World. So, I am looking at this C5 2002 Corvette A4 w/ 135k miles. These are the pictures that was provided. What the seller told me was added:

• Apparently $4k into preventatives and parts including: new suspensions, water pump, new tires, and aftermarket wheels, new battery.
• Another $3k on this sound system? (I've never seen this before; if anyone can tell me if this is a legit system or not, that would be great!)

Some questions I have is:
1) Is this a good deal? (They are asking $15k).
2) Sound system legit?

They also noted that the car is currently in the shop having the gas gauge fix since the gas gauge drops every now and then. Any help or feedback would be appreciated! Thanks in advance!

 

Welcome to the forum! From what is presented here, this looks like a reasonable deal. My advice would be to get a pre-purchase inspection done by a mechanic that is familiar with the C5 Corvette. This is by far the best way to know about any issues the car might have. I would say that the car has a nice aftermarket sound system. However, the general rule of thumb for these cars is that aftermarket modifications do not add any value. It appears that this was a well done professional installation. It includes a double din pioneer head unit which would have also required an aftermarket center console bezel (this one looks like it's made by Metra) to fit in the car. It has a nice looking speaker box. If that is something you're interested in, great! There is no doubt that it is an upgrade over the stock sound system. Another thing that you need to look at is the date code on the tires. With the mileage on this car, I doubt that is was left to sit, but it is always worth checking. If the tires are over 6 years old, they need to be replaced. You can use that to negotiate a lower price. The cars certainly looks nice in pictures. If it has everything that you want, and it checks out with a mechanic then go for it! Also of note, as long as it has been well maintained, 135K miles is not an issue on these cars. There is a C5 in the NCM that has over 77K miles on the original engine. Like any other older car, it will require some upkeep though. Let us know how things turn out.

 

I wouldn't be scared of the miles however, I think the asking is a bit high considering the miles.

For me, that giant speaker box in the back is a negative. Takes up too much room and is a bit of a theft draw.

car looks clean but should be closer to #12K I think.

Where are you located? Lot's of C5's out there for sale.

 

Price a little steep for the miles IMO. Drivers seat looks all wonky

 

The gas gauge won't be fixed fyi

The stereo box is something I've never seen...got a c8 emblem tho

The leather seat cover looks loose and very wrinkly

The concrete looks like something in that household has got some significant oil leaks

If you've got a working left leg consider a 6-speed IMO

 

Price is too high for the miles.
I don't like the stereo.
Can you still store the targa top with that thing in the way?

 

must say, very observant about oil leaks in driveway!

also why in favor of 6 speed?

 

The speaker box is a matter of taste .I don't like it and if the owner installed it themselves hopefully they know a little about wiring and didn't hack it all together. I wouldn't worry about the seat covers, not the best looking fit but with 153K miles they're probably just covering normal wear and tear from getting in and out. Oil spots would concern me a little. My biggest concern in all of this is hopefully they didn't get any paint on the car when they were painting over the license plate!

 

Pass on that there are plenty more fish in the sea (more like $10000)

 

Could you please elaborate a little on why the gas gauge wont be fixed?

 

Wow I didn't even notice the leak!! I would want a 6 speed however finding one around my area is difficult.

 

I live in Oklahoma City. So finding nice one is hard lol

 

Thanks you guys for the replies so far! Some things I wanted to address:

• I believe they are leather seat covers not actual seats.
• All the stuff that was added on, besides the sound system, were done by the Corvette dealership only within last year. I called up the dealership to confirm with the VIN.
• I do want a 6 speed, however finding one is significantly difficult, especially in my area (OKC). For reference, I got beat to in 2 different listings in the pass month within only 1 hour of being up for sale:

1. 2001 C5 Base Bowling Green A4 w/ 35k miles (2 owners, stock) for $18k.
2. 2004 C5 Base Black A4 w/ 35k miles (2 owners, similar mods except no crazy sound system) for $15k.

So, AUTO C5 are getting picked up like hotcakes out here and I'm just not quick enough.
I also been on the lookout for C5 on the C5 sales forum as well and can't really find one that is up my alley.

 

Based on the photos of the car you are looking at; I would not give it second look and move on. It looks like there has been a lot of tasteless work done to it (that's just my take). I don't have anything against someone modifying their cars, but I don't want to buy someone else's mess. In addition to what others have noted (and maybe I am repeating); something appears to be going on with the headlights, there are some foam cushions stuck on the front fenders behind the headlights. Maybe that's legit, but my car doesn't have or need that. The driver's side manual operating **** is missing it's cover- that too might indicate a problem (or past problem). These headlights have small bump stops that wear out over time; I would suspect that foam might have been a workaround- the owner or garage not being familiar with that issue.

The rear exhaust tips aren't right, they should be chrome. The driver's seat foam looks in need of replacement (that's common...I had mine replaced). The upgraded sound system- on that score all I can say is buyer beware- these cars' electronics are not to be fiddled with unless you really know what you are doing. The engine air filter and intake are aftermarket. This could be indicative of someone looking for more performance out of their car...which might (but does not always) mean it was driven hard at some point in its life.

The fuel gauge issue, surprisingly many dealerships aren't aware of this very common issue with the C5 (and many cars of that generation). It could be something very expensive, or as was the case with my car, as simple as adding a few bottles of Techron over the course of several weeks to clean off the sensors in the tank.

All manuals can suffer from column lock issues; mine did; again I was surprised that the dealership was apparently unaware of this issue or the fix (in my case the LMC5 solved that issue).

Lastly, the price strikes me as on the high side for that year and the mileage. I would strongly encourage you to take your time and find a better car; the '01 and newer tend to be the sweet spot for the C5, which isn't to say I'd pass on an older car, but those older cars can have some parts availability issues. There are better C5s out there and you might find prices lower and folks more willing to negotiate in your favor as we get closer to winter (I bought my car in December).

Good luck and happy hunting. Budget accordingly, and keep in mind these cars while almost all of them look very good for their age, nonetheless they do require TLC particularly as the miles add up (I've never spent so much on maintenance and repairs than I have on my '01 manual convertible, now approaching 120,000 miles). With that said, I've never enjoyed owning and driving a car more (+20,000 miles in 4 1/2 years).

 

You can expand your search to other areas. I'm flying out next week to Iowa from NV to pick up a Z06 and going to drive it home.

I could also fly out to inspect the car, do the deal, fly home and have the car shipped. It will cost anywhere from $900 to $1500 to ship it.

 

So, as always, take everything I write with a tremendous grain of salt as I am only a new member of the Corvette club. I really got the bug to buy a C5 last fall. I spent about 6 months looking and was starting to move to the mindset of having to settle /compromise. I had plenty of email alerts going with all the various car sale sites. Then, this past March, exactly what I was looking for popped up about two hours from me. I was up there that afternoon and writing a check.

That is a long way of saying that there are a lot of good c5s out there. As long as you do your homework and know what it is that you really want, You'll now when it is a good deal and won't have to ask anyone if it is time to jump.

Good luck!

 

I want to thank everyone for taking the time to write me back! Can't believe so many are willing to provide helpful info, and based off of everything, I have decided to pass and continue to look for that special C5. Thanks again Community!!

 

Good Decision!

 

Patience pays off! It’s easy to say but sometimes difficult to practice. Like many on this forum, I was struggling to find what I was after but in the end my car found me. You have a wonderful resource here with CF and are being smart in your search. Best of luck to you; soon enough we’ll be helping you pick out a new set of tires

 

You are not that far from Dallas. Expand your search to include the DFW area. take a look at Corvette World(priced a little high, and only sell stock cars). You could also take a look at Corvette Warehouse which typically has decent inventory and C5s. Higher mileage, but pricing is more reasonable.

If you find one in my area and its not too far I can go take a look at it and give you some feedback before you drive/fly down here.