Bottoming out.
#21
Melting Slicks
Was this a one owner car and what did that owner tell you about any mods done to the car? That is why I always only buy used vettes from the original owner and never a dealer so I know the type of owner that has been driving the car and can see a complete verifiable service record.
#22
Drifting
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Best I came up with was a one lady owned. Found makeup glitter embedded in the steering wheel and some in the trunk. Warranty history showed a battery replacement only. I bought it from one of the nations largest Corvette dealers. I shopped dealer and private owner. Private owner in a lot of ways was a pain to deal with and shop. Loans to be paid off, wouldn't budge on price. No extended service contracts to be bought. If something was wrong couldn't go back on them etc. I got the car for an excellant price, about 4k less then private owners were asking. Paid cost on a Gmpp major guard. Plus two oil changes included in the deal. It also had a fresh set of Firestone run-flats. Stock exhaust,dosen't look like ever off, factory air cleaner housing with factory filter.Didn't look like it had been off. I shopped about three months. Was ready to fly to mid Florida on a red 07 vert with 10k more miles.Then came across this one 45 miles away. I will admit I did not find this forum until after I bought. This forum has been great. Had no clue about the calipers being painted. I did think that was factory. Other then 'bottoming out" so easy Its been trouble free. I've put 7000 miles on it. I could have bought new. Wasn't wanting to take the big depreciation hit on one.
#23
Team Owner
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St. Jude Donor '15
"In honor of jpee"
I'd also suggest you do a search on here. Several have taken the rad. supports off and had them re-welded to stronger than new for less cost than new.
#24
Melting Slicks
So the carfax you mentioned earlier listed only one prior owner? Was it a leased or owned car because that will normally show up on the carfax report?
Hard to figure that a lady owner would have had the car lowered and the calipers painted. In today's world I wouldn't count on the makeup glitter being a reliable clue to the prior owner's gender.
Hard to figure that a lady owner would have had the car lowered and the calipers painted. In today's world I wouldn't count on the makeup glitter being a reliable clue to the prior owner's gender.
Last edited by RJRSW; 05-28-2011 at 08:54 PM.
#25
Drifting
Your car was definitely lowered quite a bit. If I were in your shoes, I'd either ask the dealer to set it back to stock ride hight or I'd raise it myself. The bottoming out may actually be the suspension hitting the bump stops. That doesn't actually do harm to the car, but its bad for the handling characteristics.
- Mark
- Mark
#26
Drifting
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Ride height looked easy after watching the video of how to lower. It can only go up or down two inches. Carfax showed one leased owner. I found dozens of these cars off lease low mileage G.M. certified. Salesman commented about a women driver and then the glitter. Anyway, I'm not going to bother selling dealer if its not a big issue to get it up two inches. Wife and I looked at a number of cars and being lowered didn't obviously jump out. I want to see those ride height bolts. Heck a few other vette owners looked at it and no comment about it being lowered. Looking at front air dam to ground clearance I can see two inches making a decent change. I'll post what I find.
#27
Instructor
Yes it looks lowered, especially in front. The hardly mentioned additional bonus of raising it back to stock height is the suspension will have its full travel to work with. I had my car raised back to stock it was pretty much sitting on the bolts. The ride difference was amazing!
#29
So the carfax you mentioned earlier listed only one prior owner? Was it a leased or owned car because that will normally show up on the carfax report?
Hard to figure that a lady owner would have had the car lowered and the calipers painted. In today's world I wouldn't count on the makeup glitter being a reliable clue to the prior owner's gender.
Hard to figure that a lady owner would have had the car lowered and the calipers painted. In today's world I wouldn't count on the makeup glitter being a reliable clue to the prior owner's gender.
Buying used from a dealer you never really know whe whole story. Chances are pretty low she had it lowered if single. But if spoken for, the hubby or bf probably just had to get out there and tinker with a "lease" car (and the dealer might have gave a pentalty for doing mods on a stock car??)
#30
Not trying to sound sarcastic, but have you tried slowing down! Vettes are notorious for scraping in the front. You enter driveways and speed bumps at an angle or any other irregularity in the road. And most importantly SLOW DOWN when going over it.
Do not know what that little plastic piece is called that you scrape, it sounds terrible but you should not really be hurting anything. That is what it is there for. I have read several comments on this forum before about this.
If you are truely "bottoming out", then I would think you are taking bumps too fast.
Do not know what that little plastic piece is called that you scrape, it sounds terrible but you should not really be hurting anything. That is what it is there for. I have read several comments on this forum before about this.
If you are truely "bottoming out", then I would think you are taking bumps too fast.
Yep, I slow it down and take the angle approach but admit afraid my roof is going to pop off doing that.
#33
Burning Brakes
#35
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Sounds to me like you just need to change your driving habits.
Once you learn to drive the vette you won't have any problems with it anymore. It just take a little time and caution.
Once you learn to drive the vette you won't have any problems with it anymore. It just take a little time and caution.
#36
Melting Slicks
I saw a nice loaded silver 2008 Convert at a large Chevy dealer near me last December that was a lease return. It was in very nice shape and was GM certified with a 12 month bumper to bumper warranty and the asking sale price posted on the car was only $32k but the salesman told me he was sure that they would take $30k if it was offered. That was a good price for a 2008.
Don't forget that you will need to have a 4 wheel realignment done after the car is back to it's normal ride height. That is why it's so hard to believe a woman would have leased the car and then would have gone through the expense to lower the car and then would have had to have a 4 wheel alignment done and then removed all 4 wheels and painted the calipers.
#37
Instructor
The black front air dam is expected to scrape the ground at times. It even says it in the manual. A new one costs 89 bucks from a forum vendor. If your car is lowered it will scrape constantly. Corvettemods sells the air dam ( http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-c...hlight=air+dam)
#39
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You know, when the OP first posted his pics I did not think it looked lowered. But now, thanks to your pics I believe it is. Look at the space in the wheel wells. Especially in the front. OP, I think the experts and the forum have helped yet again. I would look into that and I apologize for just assuming you were taking bumps too fast.
#40
Drifting
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I take bumps and turning into stores much slower then when I drive my other car or truck. It dosen't take but a time or two of "OH CRAP" bang to slow you down. I'm very aware. I saw that video posted n lowering one and I thought I'd want to look at the ride height bolts. If lowered with the ride height bolts 2 inches is hard to notice. Its not much but them again it is.