What modifications reduce value?
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2020
Posts: 2,135
Likes: 1,309
From: North Little Rock, AR
Its already been said but it is all about what a buyer wants. In my case I looked for a unmolested car so I could make it my own. When I say make it my own I gave 0 thought as what it might do to resale. The reality is I don't care because I want to enjoy the car my way and not what someone else perceives to be the right way. If I ever sell it and take a a small loss so be it. I look at it as the price of enjoying the car my way. And yes I have done things that are not reversable.
In your post you mentioned mods that you had done. If I were a buyer for your car it would be a hard pass because of the morimito headlights alone. I want my C6 to look like one since I am not a fan of the C7. The tune would also cause me pause but may or may not be a deal breaker.
In your post you mentioned mods that you had done. If I were a buyer for your car it would be a hard pass because of the morimito headlights alone. I want my C6 to look like one since I am not a fan of the C7. The tune would also cause me pause but may or may not be a deal breaker.
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Mar 2021
Posts: 25
Likes: 8
From: Chicago
I totally get where you are coming from. I kept the OEM headlights. It is foolish to get rid of them and not allow myself to put the originals back on. Others in this thread have also mentioned the suspicion of the tune, but I have all the documentation for it, who did it, what they did, etc. The shop is very well known in the Chicago area, and I trusted them. I don't know if it is reversible, but it didn't change anything drastically.
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 1,755
Likes: 662
It's not necessarily a "mod" but new tires and a new good deep cycle battery helps value. The OEM run flats stink for both traction and ride comfort but a good newer set of tires like Continental Extreme Contacts and a good Optima battery help as they make the car more reliable and better to drive.
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 17,335
Likes: 6,509
From: Melbourne, FL
I really struggled a lot with my Grand Sport because I went down the path of over-modding my 2008 Z06. The entire driveline was overhauled except the transmission. I was into that car for ~$30K above what I paid for it, which at the end of the day would have put me into a ZR1 with the same power level and zero compromise to the drivability. Needless to say, I lost my a$$ on it when I finally threw in the towel and cut my losses.
So for the Grand Sport, the only things I've done so far was to bring it up to date and make it more relevant by adding modern headlights, taillights, and head unit with CarPlay and backup camera. Of course, the ZR1 aero did get me to put holes in the rocker panels, but there was already paint damage under the nose from steep driveways, so I knew it would never be a "collector' car. I've kept all stock components even though one fog light has the pins broken off and the tops of the stock headlights also have a couple of broken retainer pins that held the gasket, but they are perfectly salvageable. Why anyone would want to go back to the stock worthless nav unit is beyond me, but no harnesses were cut in the process with the MAX-DIN.
I am really struggling with under the hood. The last thing I want is another money pit. Do I bite the bullet and drop another $10K into it for a blower with supporting mods, or do I just leave the rest of it alone and make fancy covers for the car shows? Honestly, I think I'm done. I'm already upside down in the value of the car compared to what I've put into it, so it doesn't make sense to continue to dump money into it knowing full well I'll never get it back. Besides, as soon as they work all the bugs out of the C8 and the prices continue to drop, I might be in one of those. My boss just bought a 2024 Red Mist Z06, and I am in love with it.
So for the Grand Sport, the only things I've done so far was to bring it up to date and make it more relevant by adding modern headlights, taillights, and head unit with CarPlay and backup camera. Of course, the ZR1 aero did get me to put holes in the rocker panels, but there was already paint damage under the nose from steep driveways, so I knew it would never be a "collector' car. I've kept all stock components even though one fog light has the pins broken off and the tops of the stock headlights also have a couple of broken retainer pins that held the gasket, but they are perfectly salvageable. Why anyone would want to go back to the stock worthless nav unit is beyond me, but no harnesses were cut in the process with the MAX-DIN.
I am really struggling with under the hood. The last thing I want is another money pit. Do I bite the bullet and drop another $10K into it for a blower with supporting mods, or do I just leave the rest of it alone and make fancy covers for the car shows? Honestly, I think I'm done. I'm already upside down in the value of the car compared to what I've put into it, so it doesn't make sense to continue to dump money into it knowing full well I'll never get it back. Besides, as soon as they work all the bugs out of the C8 and the prices continue to drop, I might be in one of those. My boss just bought a 2024 Red Mist Z06, and I am in love with it.
I decided full bolt ons was my sweet spot. Faster and louder than stock, but still useful and not always at risk of failure. I ended up buying my X5 M50 instead, which is faster than the TBSS would have ended up anyways, plus safer for the kids to ride in.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 2,340
Likes: 722
From: Chicago N/W Suburbs
I own a 2013 GS convertible with NPP exhaust yielding 436 hp. If I wanted more power, I would instead get a 2013 427 convertible with more power. If I wanted more power yet, I would get a ZR1 but would have to sacrifice the idea of owning a true convertible.
I would not modify the car to achieve more power. I would instead buy one with more OEM power.
I would not modify the car to achieve more power. I would instead buy one with more OEM power.
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2021
Posts: 1,934
Likes: 1,126
From: Peoria, AZ
2023 C6 of the Year Finalist - Modified
Oh my, I could go on forever about increased/decreased value and stock vs. mods......but that's already been done in this post. I actually bought (as many already know) a salvaged car and did the rebuild myself. I've been retired for 18 years and that was in my budget. The car turned out amazing and has a LOT of mods. S/C'd LS7, Belanger Custom Tri-Y Headers, ported and polished heads, C7 style wheels, custom interior, 6M, and the list goes on and on. Show winner, and a very visceral, loud and very very fast. I'm 75 years old and don't plan to sell the car, just enjoy it! I have about $25k in the car, including the price of the car, and someone actually offered me $35k for it and I turned it down. So, do I care what its value is as a modded car? Not one bit. I don't look at it as a trophy but a tool that needs to be driven and enjoyed. I don't care how many miles I put on it. It has been absolutely a very reliable car with absolutely no issues. I would drive it across the country with no thought at all. Mods are my thing. I am not a keep it stock guy because there are out there all over the place, but no one has a car like mine. It's a personal decision, and I'm never going back to stock......my car is better than stock, and MUCH faster (if that's your thing....because its my thing as an old drag racer!). Buy what you like, and do with it what you want as life goes by very fast.....just ask me how fast its gone for me at 75 yers old! Blessings to everyone........be safe and happy Vetting!
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2023
Posts: 1,963
Likes: 876
From: Richardson Texas
2025 C6 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2024 C6 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
Just finished with this thread (so far). The responses here are the epitome of, IMO, what makes this forum great. Intelligent, well thought out, well presented responses. Thanks, my Corvette brethren. 
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 7,913
Likes: 2,060
From: Cypress TX
I own a 2013 GS convertible with NPP exhaust yielding 436 hp. If I wanted more power, I would instead get a 2013 427 convertible with more power. If I wanted more power yet, I would get a ZR1 but would have to sacrifice the idea of owning a true convertible.
I would not modify the car to achieve more power. I would instead buy one with more OEM power.
I would not modify the car to achieve more power. I would instead buy one with more OEM power.
I absolutely loved my ZR1, and I still ask myself every day since I got rid of it, "What the hell was I thinking?" I should have never sold it, period, let alone at the bottom of the market. I got out of it right before they starting climbing in value.
So, supercharger for me would be the perfect compromise - all the power with no sacrifice to drivability. My only hesitation (aside from feeding the money pit) is the ZR1 is all forged from the factory, and the LS3 is not (not even the crankshaft in our wet-sump convertibles). With the modifications I've done to my Grand Sport so far, I'm into it for close to $50K ($6K of it was paint correction, protection, tint and ceramic coating). If I add a blower with headers and supporting mods including E85 conversion and larger capacity fuel pump (or aux pump like the ZR1), then the Grand Sport will have cost me just as much as I paid for my ZR1 in 2019 ($65K all-in with only 12K miles and 683rwhp on E85). ~$65K invested into a convertible Grand Sport that I'd be lucky to sell for $43K? Makes zero sense. Although someone did at some point because of its ~$78K sticker price.
That's why I think I'm done with it. I'll drive it, enjoy it, but further modifications are not on my immediate radar.
Last edited by VetteVinnie; Jun 26, 2024 at 10:45 AM.
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Race Director
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 17,335
Likes: 6,509
From: Melbourne, FL
My 2008 Z06 with that LS7 was my problem child. I don't think I could ever go back to an LS7 based car, not because they are all unreliable, but because I am still in shock over what it cost me to repair and how often it was in the shop (which was about six months out of the year almost every year I owned it). Granted, I abused that thing both on the street and at the track (drove it like a raped ape when the wife wasn't in it), so I'm sure most of the problems were my own creation.
I absolutely loved my ZR1, and I still ask myself every day since I got rid of it, "What the hell was I thinking?" I should have never sold it, period, let alone at the bottom of the market. I got out of it right before they starting climbing in value.
So, supercharger for me would be the perfect compromise - all the power with no sacrifice to drivability. My only hesitation (aside from feeding the money pit) is the ZR1 is all forged from the factory, and the LS3 is not (not even the crankshaft in our wet-sump convertibles). With the modifications I've done to my Grand Sport so far, I'm into it for close to $50K ($6K of it was paint correction, protection, tint and ceramic coating). If I add a blower with headers and supporting mods including E85 conversion and larger capacity fuel pump (or aux pump like the ZR1), then the Grand Sport will have cost me just as much as I paid for my ZR1 in 2019 ($65K all-in with only 12K miles and 683rwhp on E85). ~$65K invested into a convertible Grand Sport that I'd be lucky to sell for $43K? Makes zero sense. Although someone did at some point because of its ~$78K sticker price.
That's why I think I'm done with it. I'll drive it, enjoy it, but further modifications are not on my immediate radar.
I absolutely loved my ZR1, and I still ask myself every day since I got rid of it, "What the hell was I thinking?" I should have never sold it, period, let alone at the bottom of the market. I got out of it right before they starting climbing in value.
So, supercharger for me would be the perfect compromise - all the power with no sacrifice to drivability. My only hesitation (aside from feeding the money pit) is the ZR1 is all forged from the factory, and the LS3 is not (not even the crankshaft in our wet-sump convertibles). With the modifications I've done to my Grand Sport so far, I'm into it for close to $50K ($6K of it was paint correction, protection, tint and ceramic coating). If I add a blower with headers and supporting mods including E85 conversion and larger capacity fuel pump (or aux pump like the ZR1), then the Grand Sport will have cost me just as much as I paid for my ZR1 in 2019 ($65K all-in with only 12K miles and 683rwhp on E85). ~$65K invested into a convertible Grand Sport that I'd be lucky to sell for $43K? Makes zero sense. Although someone did at some point because of its ~$78K sticker price.
That's why I think I'm done with it. I'll drive it, enjoy it, but further modifications are not on my immediate radar.
I'm a staunch believer that the LS2/3 are at their best as full bolt on vehicles. Going beyond that opens up a whole new world of expensive upgrades lol.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 6,337
Likes: 5,113
From: Charles Town WV
2024 Corvette of the Year Finalist - Modified
2023 C6 of the Year Winner - Modified
2022 C6 of the Year Finalist - Modified
I think you could run a blower on pump gas just fine without the forged stuff. The problem is when you get used.to.that performance and want to turn it up more. You start wanting to make 500, 600, 700 who and it very quickly becomes an expensive game to play, as you've found out.
I'm a staunch believer that the LS2/3 are at their best as full bolt on vehicles. Going beyond that opens up a whole new world of expensive upgrades lol.
I'm a staunch believer that the LS2/3 are at their best as full bolt on vehicles. Going beyond that opens up a whole new world of expensive upgrades lol.
Thats how it always happens... 700hp starts feeling slow way to soon lol... my 5.3 learned that the hard way... whats 5 more lbs of boost right?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 1,120
Likes: 145
s in "Over $10K invested in mods! Yours for only [$20K over market price for a rock stock car]!"
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 7,913
Likes: 2,060
From: Cypress TX
I think you could run a blower on pump gas just fine without the forged stuff. The problem is when you get used.to.that performance and want to turn it up more. You start wanting to make 500, 600, 700 who and it very quickly becomes an expensive game to play, as you've found out.
I'm a staunch believer that the LS2/3 are at their best as full bolt on vehicles. Going beyond that opens up a whole new world of expensive upgrades lol.
I'm a staunch believer that the LS2/3 are at their best as full bolt on vehicles. Going beyond that opens up a whole new world of expensive upgrades lol.
But, of course, the mileage sucks. I ran E85 in the ZR1 most of the time. You just need to flush it with a tank of 93 every now and then. I could definitely feel the difference in power level between the two fuels.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 6,337
Likes: 5,113
From: Charles Town WV
2024 Corvette of the Year Finalist - Modified
2023 C6 of the Year Winner - Modified
2022 C6 of the Year Finalist - Modified
I would actually favor E85 over pump gas. It runs cooler, less chance for detonation, and the exhaust smells good. But, of course, the mileage sucks. I ran E85 in the ZR1 most of the time. You just need to flush it with a tank of 93 every now and then. I could definitely feel the difference in power level between the two fuels.
But, of course, the mileage sucks. I ran E85 in the ZR1 most of the time. You just need to flush it with a tank of 93 every now and then. I could definitely feel the difference in power level between the two fuels.
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2024
Posts: 247
Likes: 145
From: Florida
It is generally assumed that when you do modifications to a car, it loses value in the end. However, I am curious as to what modifications don't reduce value. I have a 2013 C6 GS with only 11.5k miles and I have done a few things, and this question crossed my mind. I never plan on selling the car at any point due to personal reasons, but I am curious! If there's anything that increases value, what would that be? Just trying to understand how this works. Here is what I have done so far if you're curious:
-Morimoto headlights
-Spoiler lip
-Side Skirts
-Sony stereo with Apple Carplay
-Basic tune for torque management removal and shift point adjustments
-JL audio subwoofer
Thank you guys!
-Morimoto headlights
-Spoiler lip
-Side Skirts
-Sony stereo with Apple Carplay
-Basic tune for torque management removal and shift point adjustments
-JL audio subwoofer
Thank you guys!
Not mentioned, specifically, is what the customer understands versus thinks is outside his/her grasp. Call it buyer fright.
e.g.
A modern stereo upgrade with front and rear cameras. A buyer would feel has value. It is a modern proven upgrade. Or the old stereo, no camera system means a reduced price so the customer can choose his own upgrade !
New tires, a potential buyer would understand it. A plus check.
A new battery. A plus check. Who hasn’t had batteries go bad.
My point, a customer understands many upgrades and will probably like many. But how many customers will grasp other “upgrades” ?
e.g.
A $6,000 xyz Blower professionally installed by 123 Racing Systems Inc. A customers 1st thoughts could be “I do not know crap about blowers”, then comes “how do I know it is still good ?” Or “How does this affect engine life ?” Or “How expensive is it to maintain ?” Or “Is anybody local can handle this maintenance ?” Or “does it affect insurance ?” Soon so many questions, it becomes a pass. Even though it is a 1st class auto, buyer fright causes a walk away.
My point is outside of whether an ecstatic item to you is also ecstatic to another, blackout versus chrome. It is more about if a potential customer would understand your upgrade, then recognize as a plus.