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External differences in model years

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Old Aug 8, 2019 | 12:56 AM
  #21  
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Originally Posted by owc6
I don't know if this qualifies as "external" but if you look through the window on an '05 or when the top is down or off, the steering wheel is different.
Conversely an "internal" difference would be the wart on the '05 convertible when viewed from the driver seat via the rear view mirror...
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Old Aug 8, 2019 | 08:53 AM
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Originally Posted by seatrout
Are there any external differences in the C6 model years that can be used to tell the year? Maybe by the wheels? Looked at the posts in the sticky that identified all the year to year changes and as far as I could see they are all inside or mechanical.
Originally Posted by captain vette
they are very similar the big visually difference is the wide and narrow body.
Originally Posted by Bruze
I believe the wide body was available (Z06+) on all years except for 2005.
My response was that narrow-wide bodies were useless in identifying years because they came in all years except 2005.

Originally Posted by Turbo6TA
Bottom line .... The 05-13 all look the same except for such little exterior changes such as the 'chicklet', an exterior radio antenna or different wheels.

Sure, the wide bodies C6's are different, but I don't think that's what were talking about in this thread.
I agree, I wasn't sure why captain vette even mentioned wide/narrow.
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Old Aug 8, 2019 | 09:16 AM
  #23  
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Originally Posted by seatrout
Are there any external differences in the C6 model years that can be used to tell the year? Maybe by the wheels? Looked at the posts in the sticky that identified all the year to year changes and as far as I could see they are all inside or mechanical.
Thanks for the replies, not much to go on. Used to be you could tell model years by subtle differences in the lights, grill, wheels (hubcaps), etc.
I didn't know about the chiclets on 2005-2009 which is at least puts the C6 into two groups. I knew about the GS being only 2010 and up (I have a 2012 GS).
Other than that very little differences.
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Old Aug 8, 2019 | 09:27 AM
  #24  
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Originally Posted by Bruze
My response was that narrow-wide bodies were useless in identifying years because they came in all years except 2005.



I agree, I wasn't sure why captain vette even mentioned wide/narrow.
Because captain vette?
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Old Aug 8, 2019 | 12:51 PM
  #25  
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too bad it's not like the old days. around 1969 was when cars ( at GM anyways ), started to run the same model for a few years.
that started stretching a bit more, then before you know it, model runs are at 5-10 years or more.
I still 'amaze' my daughters ( 19 & 22 yro ) when I can identify cars ( age wise ) from the mid '50 - '70's.
now it's like, 'yea, that might be a 2011, or 2012, or 2013' or....fill in the appropriate year.
the only C6 year I could identify for sure, would be a 2005 ( by the steering wheel ).
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Old Aug 8, 2019 | 01:17 PM
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Originally Posted by cgladish
too bad it's not like the old days. around 1969 was when cars ( at GM anyways ), started to run the same model for a few years.
that started stretching a bit more, then before you know it, model runs are at 5-10 years or more.
I still 'amaze' my daughters ( 19 & 22 yro ) when I can identify cars ( age wise ) from the mid '50 - '70's.
now it's like, 'yea, that might be a 2011, or 2012, or 2013' or....fill in the appropriate year.
the only C6 year I could identify for sure, would be a 2005 ( by the steering wheel ).
You're absolutely correct. Show me a '59 Impala, a '55 Ford Crown Vic, even a Studebaker from the mid sixties (Golden Hawk) and I'd call every one... Drove a '68 Ford police car in Philly... Replaced with a '71 Plymouth with a 383 and a four barrel... I own a '98 and couldn't tell you the difference between any of the C5's... Forget about the C6's... Those were the fun days for me...
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Old Aug 8, 2019 | 03:22 PM
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Yup ... A 57 Chevy looked nothing like a 58

A 58 looked nothing like a 59

A 59 looked nothing like a 60

A 60 looked nothing like a 61

And this went on and on for another 10 years or more
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Old Aug 9, 2019 | 11:02 AM
  #28  
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But those were not Corvettes either!
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Old Aug 9, 2019 | 12:05 PM
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True ....
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Old Aug 9, 2019 | 12:28 PM
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Originally Posted by seatrout
Thanks for the replies, not much to go on. Used to be you could tell model years by subtle differences in the lights, grill, wheels (hubcaps), etc.
I didn't know about the chiclets on 2005-2009 which is at least puts the C6 into two groups. I knew about the GS being only 2010 and up (I have a 2012 GS).
Other than that very little differences.
Don't bet on years based upon the lack of chiclets. Lots of owners removed them, including me, for various reasons.

If you can't get close enough to read the VIN, then try learning what special body colors were used on specific years. The "standard" red, white, and black used every year will account for about half of all Vettes, so you can narrow it down to maybe a one to five year range if you know the "special" colors by year. As one goes by at 20 mph, it might be tough to see the differences between Magnetic Red, Monterey Red, and Crystal Red.
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Old Aug 9, 2019 | 12:39 PM
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Originally Posted by HOXXOH
Don't bet on years based upon the lack of chiclets. Lots of owners removed them, including me, for various reasons.

If you can't get close enough to read the VIN, then try learning what special body colors were used on specific years. The "standard" red, white, and black used every year will account for about half of all Vettes, so you can narrow it down to maybe a one to five year range if you know the "special" colors by year. As one goes by at 20 mph, it might be tough to see the differences between Magnetic Red, Monterey Red, and Crystal Red.
as you mentioned about the possible removal of the chicklet badges, it would also be possible that someone might have had
a repaint too. while not highly likely, possible
the C5 - C7 had minimal if any real physical changes done to them. I guess you could argue that that is due to a great initial design ( as opposed to GM being lazy with no mod's being done ).
regardless, the C6 is my favorite generation, with the early year C3 extremely close behind.
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Old Aug 9, 2019 | 12:48 PM
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Originally Posted by bc6152
You're absolutely correct. Show me a '59 Impala, a '55 Ford Crown Vic, even a Studebaker from the mid sixties (Golden Hawk) and I'd call every one... Drove a '68 Ford police car in Philly... Replaced with a '71 Plymouth with a 383 and a four barrel... I own a '98 and couldn't tell you the difference between any of the C5's... Forget about the C6's... Those were the fun days for me...
JFYI, Studebaker Golden Hawks were only made in '56, '57, and '58. There were Silver Hawks in '58 and '59, plain Hawks in '60 and '61 and Gran Turismo Hawks in '62, '63' and '64, but no Hawks made by Studebaker in '65 or the last year of production in '66.
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