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I chose the cheaper older higher mileage route. I bought an 06 A6 Base with 105k on it a few years ago. Had a bunch of cosmetic issues like HUD not working (Which didn't bother me bc I find it distracting), replacing buttons/switches/alternator, new brakes, belts, rear tires etc. I spent several months fixing stuff, mostly electronic gremlins etc. In fact I'm waiting on my ECBM to come back from ABSFixer right now. I would have to say it's been pretty solid overall. Once I get the ECBM back in it, it should be good to go for another 100k. Now that I pretty much have it sorted out w/ all new fluids etc, I'm happy I went the route I did. I'm in for probably about $23k total, but my car is ready for another 100k miles. Not saying like new, but mechanicaly it's in great shape.
Our Vette gets driven daily. My wife drives it as her daily driver for the last year or so. She loves it. A ton of groceries fit in the back! LOL She likes the "pick up" in trafffic. Ha. Before that I used it to commute to work everyday, which made it fun. Sometimes I get annoyed with it, mostly at the engineering while working on it, but it's still my favorite vehicle I've ever owned and it's a blast to drive. The performance is awesome, which is why I bought it.
I had the balancer replaced in my 1987....not too bad a price as I was having other things taken care of at the same time. Just read the gas smell in Corvettes and 2013 was one of the years mentioned. I love my 87 and plan to hold on to it for years yet!
I got my 07 coupe mainly for the price-68k miles with a manual for 24k because I wasn't sure if I would like it since I am tall. After having it for a year and living in a warmer area I started looking for a vert with lower miles-after a few months of searching many sites I finally found an 06 that checked all my boxes with 8k miles. It looks brand new and I love it so I say if you can afford it and you like it it really doesn't matter what it costs. There are so many out there if you are patient you will find what you want. I like mine even more than I thought I would.
I can attest to these cars being bullet proof, even with higher miles. I bought my salvaged 07 in 2021 and rebuilt the car myself. A & A S/C'd LS 7 short block and cathedral heads, 9 lbs of boost, Belanger Custom Tri-Y headers, the list goes on and on. It's visceral to drive, and I would have no difficulty driving it cross country. It now has 76,000 miles and draws a crowd wherever I go. So will I get my money back if I try to sell it? Not with the stigma of a Rebuilt Title, which doesn't bother me whatsoever. I know virtually every bolt, and part on the car because I did all the work. So far have "invested" $28K........the reason "so far" is because they are never done when it comes to having a modified car. LOL!! The vertical doors make it much easier for me to get out with my reduced range of motion knees. Love the visceral power of the S/C'd LS7 Love my Rebuilt Title ride......it's all one could ever want from a 17 year old "super" car, (super to me) that I rebuilt with my own sweat and tears.
Appreciate the post and replies. I am hunting for my first Corvette and found this post informative. I am going to adjust my targets to cars with a few more miles. Seems in the end it could potentially be cheaper. Seems like “middle mileage” cars might potentially be a little more road ready, maybe already have balancer swapped.
I’m the third owner of my 2009 Base Corvette that I purchased in summer of 2021 with 5,011 miles on it. After 2 1/2 years of ownership it has been great. I bought new Michelins this past summer and will get the fluids changed out this summer. I paid a low mileage premium but the price was very comparable to similar Corvettes at the time.
There’s no right answer to the year-mileage debate. How the previous owners drove and kept up on maintenance are important. Look the cars over. Listen to them. Drive them if you can. Research possible issues with particular years.
I’m the third owner of my 2009 Base Corvette that I purchased in summer of 2021 with 5,011 miles on it. After 2 1/2 years of ownership it has been great. I bought new Michelins this past summer and will get the fluids changed out this summer. I paid a low mileage premium but the price was very comparable to similar Corvettes at the time.
There’s no right answer to the year-mileage debate. How the previous owners drove and kept up on maintenance are important. Look the cars over. Listen to them. Drive them if you can. Research possible issues with particular years.
Best of luck!
If I am in a hurry, I look at stuff like the brand name on the battery and tires. Michelin tires and a brand name battery with a recent date are indications of a car that was well-maintained. Janky tires and a Wally World Special battery, not so much.
My 09 had the original tires (yikes), old but lots of tread. I drove it easy until I got new tires and still don’t thrash it. The dealer put in a new battery and it’s been trouble free so far. It came with a bra and dust cover. Paint and interior in great shape. Nothing under the car (liquids) when I pulled our for my test drive. No weird noises or rattles. Clean car fax.
I may have gotten real lucky but tried to learn as much as I could when I began shopping for a C6. I had my wants and don’t wants identified and it was about a month of daily internet checking before the exact right car became available. Patience was a virtue in this case.
To the OP, who said he had a choice between a '13 for $31k or a '06 for $23k- both being equal in mileage- look at the options list for both. There are also some differences in the manual transmissions, the '08 and up are using a more robust Tremec 6 speed. Then you get the LS3 with the newer model, which is an improvement in displacement and HP. The seats are also improved over the earlier model.
If $31k is not breaking the bank, and it checks all the boxes, or at least most of them, it's not necessarily a bad price, especially if there are adequate service records, good tires etc.
FWIW I am also in SoCal, and bought my '08 7 years ago. My criteria was manual, under 30k miles, LS3 and under $30k. I found mine in Burbank with 26k, but it also had some minor issues that I was able to address without major expense. Now I have over 90k miles, and the car is in better shape cosmetically and mechanically than it was when I got it. I keep detailed service records and am meticulous about how I maintain my black beauty. Most all these cars are garage kept, so the rubber and plastic exteriors aren't an issue unless they're outside most of the time. It's how they're maintained through the years, not just how many miles or lack thereof.
Good luck with your search!
So I made my decision. 2008 M6 Crystal Red on cashmere with about 70k. Has the SatNav and the HUD so I think it's an LT3. Dual roofs too! Had to drive a couple hours to get it but so far so good.
Also has a Vararam and NPP. It's a bit rough around the edges but hopefully I won't get any nasty surprises.
So I made my decision. 2008 M6 Crystal Red on cashmere with about 70k. Has the SatNav and the HUD so I think it's an LT3. Dual roofs too! Had to drive a couple hours to get it but so far so good.
Also has a Vararam and NPP. It's a bit rough around the edges but hopefully I won't get any nasty surprises.
Congrats but pics would be nice. You can look at the RPO codes on the label in the glove box. It will tell you what trim level you have 1,2,3 LT.
01-19-2024, 03:23 PM
