Amontekong

I am looking to buy my first Corvette. I'm eyeballing a 2006 coupe. But, it's on the east coast (7 hours away) and I am in Cleveland, Ohio. I am wondering if I bought an inspection service and had it shipped via trailer service, would I be pretty safe without seeing anything besides the online pictures?

I don't relish the idea of driving 7-8 hours (with friend driving back) there or riding 11 hours on a bus to drive it back myself. But, what makes most sense to you?

What process would you advise? Any help will be much appreciated.

I almost forgot to mention the Carfax shows a "minor damage" rear-end hit. Should this be a deal breaker? It is being sold at a Mercedes Benz dealer

Mike44665

Move on, it already smells. Carfax only reports what they are told.

User Omega

Without knowing the asking price or any details about the car, no one can help you make any choices. There are options. You could have the dealer take an oil sample and send it off, maybe have an independent inspection done etc.

I personally would not buy it because of the damage record.

PAULEB07

extrapilot

I would look elsewhere, plenty of inventory on the market.
Here's my standard check list;
Check Harmonic crankshaft balancer for out of roundness and belt chirping noise.
Check for oil pan seeping issues, some seep but never leave a mark on the ground.
Pull the dip stick and note the color of the oil, as it should be light brown to a darker brown, but not gray, this could indicate metallic particles in the oil.
Check the radiator lower supports in the front as they can get damaged from close encounters with a curb and can break the welds loose.
Check for strong fuel odors around the left rear tire, as some have developed a fuel leaks at the left side fuel tank and/or the fuel pump assembly.
While idling the car, there should not be unusual rattling noises coming from underneath the car, as torque tube bearings and couplers can be bad with higher mileage cars.
While driving and releasing the clutch, be sure that transition is smooth with no chattering.
Stock clutches can last over a 100k miles, provided the operators have not abused it up until then.
Car should road test without squeaks and rattles, as I find mine as very quiet, only issue is the that targa tops can creak and is usually a easy fix.
Also the end links have been known to clunk over bumps, but another easy fix
Rear diff have been know to make chattering noises when turning sharply, but usually a gear oil change with the correct oil can solve this issue.
Axle nuts sometimes will become loose and can create creaking noises in the rear end, another easy fix.
Make sure that the ac and heat work and come out the correct vent when going through the operations of the controls. The bellows in the dash can go bad, and this is a rough job to do and expensive if done at the dealership.
Obviously the trans should shift smoothly, but while cold, they can be notchy but should shift better within 10 to 15 miles or so. Check the operation in going into reverse, as there is a synchronize that have given issues recently reported.
The first year 2005's do have a weaker rear end diff, and was updated with the next year models.
If you don't plan to mod the car, this is not really a issue though.
BTW I love my 06 Z51, no regrets and reliable so far as a DD.

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bonnell

Since you were given a really good checklist by extrapilot so you are good to go there. What I would like to contribute is that you should be excited about a long drive home in a vette!

Purchasing a vette and having the opportunity to drive it home over several hours gives you a great opportunity to get to know your vette and its capabilities.

Good luck with your search. You might start right there in Ohio with that beautiful Jetstream Blue Z06 listed here in the for sale section.

Judgebull

If you are not completely satisfied with a potential car....keep looking. There is a car close to you that will be exactly what you are looking for. Be picky...don't settle for less. I have seen this many times and honestly you may find one that is MORE than you are looking for. Keep us posted with pics of course.

ben dover

Exactly, there will be lots for sale this time of year. Good luck.

AORoads

Clues fr. my post here (but some above suggestions are very good, too): https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...ber-vette.html

jrose7004

Since the world is "Full of Corvettes" I would look for one in your area. I've found that if I drive over 2 hours to see a car, I am always disappointed.

Amontekong

Thanks for this exhaustive list. I'm going to take my time as I continue to search for my first.

J3TVETTE

Great list above!

I personally have owned a few cars that had damage records on them in the past and never had any issues at all. Carfax is funny sometimes, my mom had a car once that was scratched in a parking lot and it showed up on carfax. It was buffed off. I don't really go by them anymore to be honest.

Depending on the price this may be worth it. I would ask the dealer for 50 UP close photographs of every angle of the car, the drivers seat, passengers seat, picture of the glove box decal so you can check all the options, engine bay, up close video of pulleys spinning to see if they need replacement. Should take a dealer 15 min max. I would buy a plane ticket and fly over have them pick you up at the airport and drive it back.

Trust me, it would be an awesome experience. I purchased one of my Vettes 7 hours north of here and was very pleased.

Amontekong

I just want to THANK all of you who took the time to offer up the benefit of your experience and knowledge. I have wanted a Vette since I was right out of college ... but then I got married with in-laws. I was stranded in minivan-land for many years of soccer teams, tennis teams, and Cub and Boy Scouts.

Finally I am at a place in life where I can do more of what I want. And I still want that Corvette. Thanks to your input, I have cooled my jets. I am going to take a more patient and diligent check of potential purchases. Back into the fray! I'll update the forum when the big day occurs. LOL!

MrBill3

I flew 2,200 miles to look at a Vette that the seller represented as being flawless and exactly the color combination I wanted. When I got to the seller's home, I found that everything he said was true, the car was perfect. The drive home was an adventure and a great introduction to driving the car!

449er

Don't be afraid to take a road trip to look at a potential buy, the anticipation can actually be fun, I would not but a Corvette sight unseen, spend the time to look it over yourself, you don't want any "surprises" when the car is delivered

turboed350z

Whats your time worth to you?

When i was looking for corvette, i found one thats 5 states away. It was the one i wanted and have good mods. Good price. However i decided that saving 2k isnt worth my time of flying out, and driving it home. I rather buy locally and pay the extra 2k for a car closer to where i am.

Found a silver(3rd color choice) with everything else i wanted for cheaper than the original car i wanted. It did however had higher mileage but fidnt bother me much.

At the end of the day, whats your time worth to you? Are you willing to sit for 6 months looking for the ideal car or drive 10hrs for one or settle a bit to not have to drive long distance and get the car now. At the end, people focus so much on the final buy price, they foreget about the wasted time they spent looking for the best deal.

449er

Yes, I am willing to wait for 6 months and drive 10hrs to get what I want( it is in my garage right now), but that is just my opinion

turboed350z

And thats perfectly find. Many waited their whole life. For me, in 6 months(or less) ill be moving onto a different platform, so for me, waiting 6 months and driving 10 hours just for that one color and 20k miles less just isnt worth it to me. Id rather hop in one, enjoy it, and move on to the next.

extrapilot

Sounds familiar, although I was not purposely looking for a vette, but needed to get out of the motorcycle scene; to many broken bones.
But after taking a closer look and a test drive of the C6, I was hooked.
Take your time and get what you want and enjoy life.

buckmeister2

I did not read all the replies to your post, but I would think it would be easy for you to get somewhere from the forum to run over and at least take a look at the car. Even if they simply verify the general claims of condition, you are ahead of the game, with few doubts left.

Jim