STI_MECE

I have a 10,000 mile commemorative edition Z06. All the fluids, beside oil (yearly) have not been changed in 10 years. I plan on going through and doing a full fluid exchange, while also going one step further and putting a binder together with receipts. Now beyond doing basic maintenance, is there a proper way to replace parts with new OEM parts just to ensure the longevity of the engine and my own piece of mind? I would like to do the water pump,T-Stat, serpentine belt, even though they show no sign of age. Is there an "official" way to go about making these repairs? ie taking pictures of the old part on the car, then taking pictures of the new and old side by side, then installing the new one with pictures?

I am just looking for what might be the best practices, I will definitely be storing the original parts. If I had no intention of selling this vehicle later on down the road, I would not go this far in detail. But something tells me these cars will be invaluable as time goes on, and something like a binder showing the maintenance history of it would make it much more valuable. At least in the sense of, you know your buying a car that was taken care, and who know exactly what has been done and when. And if the value doesnt go anywhere, maybe I can at least break even.

billschroeder5842

STI- Congrats on your CE. I too, have a 04 CE with 22k so I agree with you!

Unless you feel like spending money, I would not worry about parts availability going forward. Other than trim packages, our CEs are Z06s and C5s at heart and there is plenty of parts available for the foreseeable future.

The "proper way" to install any parts or make repairs can be found in a FSM (field service manual) which I'd highly recommend you pick up the two volume set. They are a bit pricey but completely worth it.

Also, drive your car as often as you can. You have a low mileage car, but the difference in value between 10k and a clean 40k version is not gazillions and you be missing out on a lot of fun.

yellow2007

Picked up my 2000 back in December with 44k on the clock. Changed oil, clutch fluid, brake fluid, rear differential lube and coolant for peace of mind. A "catalog" of repairs is an awesome idea and one that I use religiously. I go so far as to log when I add a bottle of techron to the fuel system. It's a nice feeling knowing when the last maintenance was done.

Congrats on the acquisition.....now go enjoy miles of smiles........

MWWarlord

Sounds like you're taking good care of the car. A binder will be nice for the new owner when you sell it. I agree that you should drive it though. When you take inflation into consideration, even if you sell it for what you originally bought it for, you're still losing money. You're better off driving and enjoying the car.

yellow2007

There's a dealer near me with a 2004 black Z06 with 12K miles and he's asking 27K. Not sure what you paid for yours but this could serve as a benchmark. Car is in amazing shape and had I not bought my C5.....it'd be in my garage

STI_MECE

Thanks all!

Oh I will definitely enjoy it. It's primary use are Auto-X and going to open track days. Most of the time, the car will be hauled in on a trailer to the events, not that I don't think the vette is more than capable of doing double duty, but to also keep the miles as low as possible. But this should also atest to the fact on why I feel like proper maintenance is key, I know I can get more life out of the water pump, T stat, etc but I feel like playing with fire whenever I do want to put in on the track.

STI_MECE

27k for 12k miles sounds low and a good deal....so its either not stock, something is wrong with it, or he doesnt know what he has. about 98% of the time when it comes to car deals if its to good to be true then it probably is. I really dont see a price difference between CE's and regular 04 vette's, yet.

I use bring a trailer to watch car values, and I have purchased several high end cars off there and the process was pretty seamless. There was a CE that sold yesterday for 34.5k with 17k miles, mind you it had a few appearance changes like badges and such. The ones that are completely stock, minus the original tires are the ones that bring top dollar every time. The value drops exponentially the further it is from stock.

I paid 40k all in for mine. But it was well taken care of and it was driven. The seller had to make room for his C8. Hagerty also helps with judging prices. And lastly, the only thing really matters is what the car sells for, the market is the sell price. You can wake up tomorrow and all our vettes could be worth a million bucks just cause the market says so.

indebt

I wouldn't worry about replacing those parts. I'd start driving it and enjoy it. If autocrossing, sure there's stuff to change out depending on how serious you want to get, but I wouldn't worry about those if they look fine. I love the Z16 cars. Sold my 23k mile one last year. Truly special one of a kind cars!!

vette4fl

Every piece of rubber and plastic on your car is 20ish years old and in many cases needs to be replaced; especially those parts having mechanical duties.

Here’s a list of tools and parts to help you get started. This covers the entire cooling system, harmonic balancer, pulleys, tensioners, belts, and nearly all of the original OEM constant tension spring clamps. Let me know when you have this section completed and we can move on to the driveline…. 👍

Ps. The prices shown have likely gone up since I bought them, and some parts may be out of production by now. Good hunting!

hyperv6

Do not try to make a collector car out of this car. It is a foolish path.

the C5 was made in great numbers and generally the only rare thing are paint and trim combos often not very popular ones.

The premium value is what you paid for low miles.

these cars are still another 40 years before some odd models go up in value. To be honest the one yo keep would be a low mile stock Z06 as they are often modified.

The rest there are just tons of them.

I have one local at $24k now with 9k miles. Red Convertible that will need some investment like tires and fluids before you drive it.

The C5 just never had a COPO like model.

Now a C6 Grand Sport coupe in the late years was built in a special way vs others that made it a prime track car. The later ZR1 models and the coming C8 GTC customer cars will command special attention but in the numbers being built now and standardization. Just enjoy the car. You will be better off and still see about the same return on the investment.

JALLEN4

I guess that is what makes it a horse race but there are a large number of people who do this for a living that would disagree with your analysis. In the collector world a C5 Z06 is considered a rising star. They consider it collectible today...not 40 years from now.

ChiliPepperGarage

Not sure about this. I do think a C5Z is holding its value but I don't think I'd call it a collector car yet. At least not like an L88 or LT1 C3 or C2. I think the reason they are desirable is because of the bang for the buck, not necessarily their rarity or overall performance (compared to the performance of a C6Z or C7Z).

What do you think my '02 Z with 33K miles all original is worth now and what will it be a year from now?

JALLEN4

I guess it really comes down to what your definition of "collector car" is. I would certainly agree that "bang for the buck" is a large part of the car's value. I have been doing this for more than fifty years now and was a new car dealer for forty. The first non-collectible Corvette I bought was a split window for $2500 when people thought it was actually just a one year mistake. To me, anything more than 20 years old, appealing to enthusiasts, and rising in value would have to be in consideration for collectible status.

As to your car, I have a 12,000 mile '02 Z06 that I just turned down $35,000 for. The differences would be the mileage bonus and the color desirability whichever way that falls. I do have a complete book of all services since new, original paperwork, everything that came with it, and a damage free history. On a one year in the future basis, I think it is a very hard thing to predict. I do though think on a five year basis, they are going to be breaking fifty grand.

I also will predict there are those on the forum that will say that is crazy, you can buy all kinds of them for 20 thousand, and they are going down next year. I don't know why but that has been true since I first was on the forum. Many folks here rooting for cheaper prices!

ztheusa

You are going to want to do this....... because the stock light bulbs get really hot and the sockets get burned.
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...novations.html

hyperv6

You said just as I the Z06 is a rising star but not yet to major collectable. It is the one to buy now as it will hold more value. I pointed that out in my post.

The ones to drive the market will be lower Mile un modified cars will hold star value as they are even becoming harder to find now. But the high mile modified cars will be more based on condition and just how they were modified.

But make no mistake I agree the Z06 C5 will remain the better value but it is never going to be a big dollar car like some of the COPO as there were so many made. Also later models with even more power.

The blessing of the. Corvette is so many remain they are affordable. The curse is so many of most models are made they never will bring big money. Right now the Z06 is a down right bargain for what you get compared to high valued cars.

Not my opinion just market values and volumes of C5 models available in good condition. So many were driven on nice days wiped with a microfiber towel and put away.

Once this car in used condition gets over the original sticker price in used value that will be a win.

Then we have the wild card in the future. the green movement and the EPA are beating the racing and car hobby badly. How is that going to affect how we use the cars and their values.

Look up the RPM act and just look at what they want to do to racing at the EPA. I would guess over 1/3 of the cars here could be removed not only from the roads but also the track if the EPA continues as they have. But that is another issue.

I make my living in the performance industry and racing industry so not only is my hobby at risk but my work. Sadly too few people really understand how serious this is.

68Malibu383

If you're going to be driving it some, I would consider replacing all of the coolant hoses. There are actually quite a few. Also replace the thermostat. I've had them stick closed on multiple cars over the years. I would not bother replacing the water pump. Just change coolant every so often.

Retain all original parts including hoses if you are considering this to be a future collectible car.

ChiliPepperGarage

Sorry to highjack the OP's thread here but this is an interesting subject. Other than the lower miles, my car is nothing special. Torch red and all stock. What makes it desirable to me is the bang for the buck so if these cars get to $50K then it seems that they no longer provide the bang for the buck anymore as you can get into a C7 for that money as well as many other better performing (and perhaps better built) cars.

I'd love to see that kind of increase in value though. I occasionally think about selling mine as I don't drive it a whole lot but if I knew it would appreciate significantly in a short period of time I would hang onto it for sure.

Vetteman Jack

I think you are on the correct path by replacing all the fluids (especially the coolant and brake), replace the hoses and the belts and check over all other components for working status. I would not just go replacing things like the water pump unless you see signs of a problem.

Creating a maintenance binder is a good idea, not only to keep track of what you have done and when, but also for documentation to any potential subsequent owner should you at some point decide to sell the car.

Good luck with your 2004 and get out and drive the car - it will put a huge smile on your face.

c5arlen

Drive the car. It's a Chevy. Seams as many don't. Stories abound with folks and their low mileage C5 who are a scared to drive the car.😟 These cars drive nicely! 😏Think ABOUT putting MILES... ON THE CAR.... 🙄Don't want to drive the Corvette? Get a Farrari... to not drive it. 🤨

vette4fl

Auto X is, uh, interesting, but nothing says freedom more than oval dirt track. I’d put some plastic down over the carpets, but other than that, a good rinse back at home should be fine. Another benefit is that since the radiator will be packed full of track dirt, getting a new water pump is really moot. Make sure to get some good pics trading paint in the turns for great garage wall art. Prospective collectors will find this track history simply exquisite adding great value. Nothing sells a car better’n a great story!




Or not, and stay off the track and keep it sanitary and original…