Corvette purchase
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 1,259
Likes: 77
From: Guelph Ontario
Corvette purchase
Hi everybody
I'm in the market for a Corvette. I'm leaning towards an 05 model year.
Mainly I will use it for just driving around and maybe a couple of track days.
Is there any thing that I should be concerned with?
Thanks in advance
Brian
I'm in the market for a Corvette. I'm leaning towards an 05 model year.
Mainly I will use it for just driving around and maybe a couple of track days.
Is there any thing that I should be concerned with?
Thanks in advance
Brian
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 7,155
Likes: 44
From: If you wanna live life on your own terms, you gotta be willing to crash and burn Florida
The a$$ ends are fine. I wouldn't recommend throwing a supercharger on it then some drag-radials, but if you put on full bolt-on's the rears are just fine. I wouldn't put drag radials on it period, but the back is fine unless you are putting out ZO6 plus HP/Torque. I've never had a problem with my 05. If your budget is high enough get an LS3 with more HP and Torque.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 1,259
Likes: 77
From: Guelph Ontario
Good info, I read about the weak differentials. If I track it it will be on a road course not a drag strip. I may track it. Right now it's out of my system.
I'll look at 06's as well
I was also considering 04's, do they have similar drive trains?
Thanks for the advice.
I'll look at 06's as well
I was also considering 04's, do they have similar drive trains?
Thanks for the advice.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 58,500
Likes: 1,825
From: Oklahoma City OK
C6 of Year Finalist (appearance mods) 2019
Spend some time on this forum doing your research, don't be afraid of using the search function and you should be able to get all the info that you would ever need to make an informed purchase.
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Racer
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 276
Likes: 1
From: Cleveland Heights Ohio
Hey from the other side of Lake Erie-
There's a lot of car to be had in an '05 for the money... I found a nice deal on my '09 a couple of years back and went with it since I wanted the LS3. Shop around and maybe don't limit yourself to one model year, you never know what you'll find. My 2 cents.
Good luck.
There's a lot of car to be had in an '05 for the money... I found a nice deal on my '09 a couple of years back and went with it since I wanted the LS3. Shop around and maybe don't limit yourself to one model year, you never know what you'll find. My 2 cents.
Good luck.
Safety Car
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 3,937
Likes: 336
Even though I ended up buying an 05, when I was looking, I test drove a bunch of different years and trim levels. It ended up being between my 05 and a base 08. I bought the 05 because it had so many extra aftermarket mods that I would have needed to add to the 08 that it made the deal too good to pass up. Good luck with your search!
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 57,408
Likes: 164
From: queensbury ny
If you're buying a stick 05 you should read up on DBS. It was a known issue of unexplained dead cars. GM got around to doing some kind of reflash because that seems to be their answer for everything wrong with Vettes.Also,05's still have column lock (also a reflash issued for that too),also done away with in 06,and that can be a problem too and has been in C5's and the 05 year c6. Now, I had an 05 stick and I kept mine on a tender every time it sat even overnight and yet,one Sunday,it was dead as kelsey's nuts because I didn't put the tender on so beware of that. Not the end of the world but it's definitely an 05 condition.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 1,259
Likes: 77
From: Guelph Ontario
Update
I purchased a 2007 Z06. I flew out to New Brunswick and drove it back. What a drive. I got btwn 25-30 mpg. I ended up driving the total distance (1000 miles) in one shot because I couldn't find any hotels that had any rooms. When I got tired I grabbed an hour sleep at a rest stop. The only negative was these cars aren't to comfortable to sleep in.
The car was flawless.
The car was flawless.
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 16,651
Likes: 7,721
From: NJ
if you're on this forum and buy an '05 it better have been the best deal EVER...... knowing what we know about all the common issues they have you'd be nuts to hunt down an '05 imo
no offense to the other poster but my friend owns a very popular hi performance shop that has modded hundreds of vettes and he talked me out of going anywhere near the '05 calling it the one with the "Glass rear".
no offense to the other poster but my friend owns a very popular hi performance shop that has modded hundreds of vettes and he talked me out of going anywhere near the '05 calling it the one with the "Glass rear".
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 7,750
Likes: 172
2015 C6 of the Year Finalist
I purchased a 2007 Z06. I flew out to New Brunswick and drove it back. What a drive. I got btwn 25-30 mpg. I ended up driving the total distance (1000 miles) in one shot because I couldn't find any hotels that had any rooms. When I got tired I grabbed an hour sleep at a rest stop. The only negative was these cars aren't to comfortable to sleep in.
The car was flawless.
The car was flawless.
My general advice is to always purchase the latest model year you can afford, because each year brings improvements.
It appears that is what you've done! Again, good luck!
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 25,105
Likes: 3,156
C6 of Year Finalist (appearance mods) 2019
I think it depends on how you plan to drive it. Keep it stock and the 05 will be just fine. Add power and drive it full out you increase your risk of damage.
Like Hammy said, get the newest year you can with what money you want to spend.
IMHO 07 was the year most bugs were eliminated. Not saying the early years are bad by any means, just that some problems were fixed by the 07 model.
Good luck with your hunt.
Like Hammy said, get the newest year you can with what money you want to spend.
IMHO 07 was the year most bugs were eliminated. Not saying the early years are bad by any means, just that some problems were fixed by the 07 model.
Good luck with your hunt.
