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I am looking to buy my first vette. I am currently looking at an 09 with 91k miles. Is there anything I should have a heads up about for a higher mileage C6? Do they have typical issues or are they still generally running strong?
I understand that there will be differences on a car to car basis but what should I know about 91k mile C6 going in?
Details
91k Miles
09 1LT
6MT
$17.9K
4 Owners/ past two sales at auction
Floridia to Georgia to Alabama
Harmonic balancer wobble. Other than that, just the usual used car stuff. Bald tires are expensive to replace, especially on the Grand Sport and Z06 cars.
I am totally new to vettes. some particulars I should look for?
Other than the below... not really. Miles wouldn't scare me at all on these cars. I would say you should drive it before buying just to get a feel for it.
Originally Posted by jimijam
Harmonic balancer wobble. Other than that, just the usual used car stuff. Bald tires are expensive to replace, especially on the Grand Sport and Z06 cars.
I'd also watch closely for vibrations. Check the AC works well, especially if it's cold out and otherwise you wouldn't be checking that. balancer wobble above is important, it's not a fun job. Not horrible, but about as bad as normal maintenance stuff gets.
Feel the carpets at the floor in both footwells, make sure everything is dry. Get into the panel under the passengers footwell and make sure all the fuse panel is clean and no rust. I"m assuming all models have that in the passengers footwell, forgive me if all C6's don't. Same goes for behind both seats and in the rear trunk area.
Most stuff on a C6 sticks out. There's not much hidden perils. Everything is pretty much in plain view. Goes witout saying, look at the oil, (and smell it). I'd prefer dirty and smells normal to clean and smells odd or burnt. Get two fobs and as much documentation as you can, and call it a day.
Closely inspect the INSIDE of the tires for unusual wear. Try to look around the entire circumference. An unusual wear spot could mean a bent wheel, not all that uncommon on these cars. I just fixed 4 on mine.
LS3 is amazingly venerable. Miles don’t mean ****. The rest of the car may need some attention. Seats, tires, rotors, pads. Definitely check the harmonic balancer as stated above. That’s $1,000 alone. Also, on a 1lt car, the shocks may be approaching the end of their life cycle at 91k.
Generally, the car should run like a champ. LS is no joke as far as engines go.
Run the VIN through CarFax (not perfect, but better than nothing) and your local Chevy dealer's service department computer to check for anything other than routine maintenance. Do this before you make the drive.
Looking at all the H-Balancers videos on youtube and no one shows how to find it! Ugh!
It's the main pulley on the front of the engine down at the lower end. It's right on the front of the crankshaft. What you have is a very heavy steel pulley that is two pieces and they are bonded together with rubber. So the outside can kind of oscillate a little bit and take up vibration as all the cylinders fire. It's a wear item, they simply fail over time. Nothing lasts forever. If the pulley isn't running dead true, it is due for replacement. It will shake something terrible.
Get the VIN number and have a Chevrolet dealer run the service history on the car and get a CarFax. Other than that inspect it the same as you would any other used car. Do your homework.
I'd up your purchase price $3000 or so, if you can. Look for an '08 3LT/Z51 with @ $50,000 on it. I did...bought this beauty from a great guy here on the forums, Laguna Fred on the right (Formally Atomic Fred). Paid $21,500 and the car was worth every penny of that.
Look under the car closely, and the engine compartment, that tells a lot about how it was treated. Look under the front bumper very closely...the air damforward for scrapes and gouges and also the radiator support where the car may have hit speed bumps or curbs etc.... also look under the door sills....carefully for cracks for signs of repair from damage cause by jacking the car incorrectly...
These cars are very durable...90k aint **** if its been maintained...
Good luck....it will be a ton of fun when you find the one....
Get the VIN number and have a Chevrolet dealer run the service history on the car and get a CarFax. Other than that inspect it the same as you would any other used car. Do your homework.
Darned car is low to the ground, so bring a good flashlight and look at the bottom in front for debris in the radiator, a clue to how well car was maintained. Easy to check the air filter box for dirt too. Easy to pull the little door off the cabin air filter on the firewall to inspect. Easy to see the brake rotors. Run the windows and doors and seats too. Should have 2 key FOBs.
Maybe there is one closer to your 'hood you could go look at to learn about what to look at.
03-02-2019, 10:08 PM
Heads up about higher mileage purchase
