downhil

And I'm going to document the whole thing, good and (hopefully not) bad!

The plan is to create a video log of my ownership experience that goes into expenses, modifications, driving events, detailing techniques, etc. I originally wanted to do the same thing for my cycling hobby but figured what the hell, there's probably car guys who would enjoy my no BS approach to things. No set schedules for the videos and no click-bait type format either. Just me hanging out in my garage or driving (mostly).

Enjoy.

MTPZ06

Sub'd for details on the condition of the car...

slammin86

Can't wait for more details!

CobraAaron

Congrats! Hope they fixed the lagging problem. If they did, you got a good deal at the last price it was listed at.

Zeake

Awesome, I hope it works out well for you.

colanut

We all know the waxer's are going to talk sh*t on any car that has been driven. These cars were built to drive, and this one has lots of life in it. You can drive it for a few years and sell it for close to what you paid. Not a bad ROI.
I only have half those miles on my 2011 Z06. No trying to save it for the next guy. We only drive it for road trips, one or two a year. It has seen lots of back roads, some under repair and some in need of it.
Drive it and enjoy it. It is a beautiful car.

downhil

Thanks guys. I'm totally new to videos, but I always enjoy learning new stuff. I've got the detailed walk-around exterior and interior vids that I mentioned that I'll be uploading tomorrow. Then it's on to an in-depth paint correction and detail series of videos before it gets too hot down here.

09Z06pj

OP, congrats on the car. I was going to look at it in Bakersfield but it left there the day before I passed through. A few bucks should get it up to par and you'll love it. Look forward to the vids. BTW, looks like a nice garage you have there. I use coasters on my workbench as well.

downhil

Walk around videos posted. One from before I got it, and one tucked away in the garage.

WA 2 FST

Sounds like you got the right car for you, and your plans for use. Kudos!

DPW_

Red Devil

Keep the videos coming!

Is there any damage to the paint/body that cannot be fixed by your handy work?

ZR1Cat

OP, congrats on finding that very rare colored ZR1. It looks gorgeous and really stands out. I hope it continues to give you great pleasure. Keep those videos coming!

downhil

I think (hope) I'll be able to handle it all. I remember from my last C6 that the clear is super hard, so I may have to experiment with a few different pads and polishes to get the right cut. One cool note is that I was poking around under the car yesterday and saw that the front splitter was replaced sometime around the new year. There is a GM manufacturing sticker on there with a build date of 11/23/16, so it looks like at some point CarMax did do some refreshing to the car.

Here's the video of seeing the car for the first time and noting all the items from the other thread.

mikelj

Can't wait for your first trip to the Texas Mile to join me in the 200+ MPH Club.......enjoy.

I brake for nothing

All cheap and easy fixes.

I wonder why Carmax does not move off these type of cars right away to dealers that specialize in higher end sales. We do not have Carmax here but they seem like a ghetto operation. An exotic car company would have detailed the **** out of that car and sold it from a glass showroom. These guys **** themselves by offering it like a sunfire.

They all get that window rubber fade / peel. I wet sanded and polished mine they came out like new. Mine only has 11000 km / 7000 miles and it had that. I also replaced the door to window seals on the outer they just drop in and are cheap as well as the air intakes on the quarters (rock chips) like 10$ each. Its a chevy so the parts are dirt cheap. Throw a new seat foam in the bottom drivers and that will tighten up the seat or buy a set of wicket aftermarket seats and custom wheel with all the cash you saved.

You do not have to paint the whole door you can repair and dust in just the very edge. Easy easy stuff.

ralphsmithiii

Not that it adds a ton of value to this post, but Carmax isn't in the market to sell high end cars. They move sheer volume which is why they have become the number 1 dealership in the US. So, IMO they are far from ghetto but you have the general idea. When the take a car in, they may clean it at best. However, they won't go as far as doing paint correction or any type of real detailing since they move the cars generally so quick although I know the one local to me has a detail shop out back with polishers, etc.

But, you can find some solid gems there. Myself and a good friend of mine have had decent luck at a few CarMax's in Florida, but I always expect to do a full paint correction when I get the car from there. Otherwise, if you buy a car that's under manufacturer warranty, or even better yet, buy their extended warranty, it's worth its weight in gold. That's assuming you have no plans on modding the car, which for myself goes out the window =).

I was watching this car and saw it moved once or twice between Carmax locations so I assumed that whomever had it transferred wasn't happy with its overall condition. I'm glad you found it for the price you did and hopefully you got a diamond in the rough.

WA 2 FST

After watching both videos...

For what you paid, and the fact you aren't afraid of doing a little work yourself... you got a great deal (assuming all the mechanicals are up to task, and I'm guessing they are, given your attention to detail).

Great find!

z06vettewannabe

While I'm not necessarily a Carmax lover, I will say they actually do paint correction and they have a full service department at their stores. My buddy bought a 2008 Corvette and wasn't happy with the paint when he got it home. He brought it back into the store and they fixed it for him. I don't think it's the same as a full blown detail shop, but he was impressed with what they did. I had a 2014 ZL1 that I sold to Carmax. After a week I didn't see it on their lot and was wondering what the deal was. I went back to look for a car for my daughter and talked to the guys and they said they do a full inspection on the car, top to bottom, inside and out, before they go on their lot. Now I don't know if it varies from dealer to dealer (I live in Fresno), but the one here is pretty legit. When I sold the ZL1 I got a ride home from one of their mechanics. He'd worked for other places (Chevy, Lexus). And he said that he always thought Carmax was this cheeseball low rent place....until he got hired and said they are really serious about making sure the cars are all mechanically sound. He said they can do just about anything any other car shop can do. Anyhow, I'm sure the experience varies by location.......just adding two cents......

Zidane

Good luck with it! Wouldn't haven been afraid to buy it either. Just wish my C5Z would sell and I would have jumped on it.