Drklingler

Hi, I’m looking at a 2019 C7 LT2 Stingray that has been on the dealers lot since August 2018. This seems like a very long time for a car to sit. Anything I should look for or ask the dealer to do, like change the oil, before I purchase the car? Should I even buy it or get a fresher one?

Responses are appreciated.

justplainjim

Check the paint closely for etched clearcoat and/or acid rain damage..

Corgidog1

All things being equal, I would not get it. However if you like the equipment and color of the car, I would want to know how it was cared for over the winter by the dealer,ie snow removal on the car, moving around on lot, cleaning off bird crap, etc etc. I would expect the price to reflect that it sat around all winter. Maybe get an oil change thrown in and check the tires for cracks if in a cold climate.

Vetteman Jack

I would want a new battery - no telling if the one in the car has been repeatedly discharged due to sitting on the lot that long.

Maxpowers

If you're in a cold winter zone, be sure the car didn't sit out on the lot all year. You will get cracked tires.

Internets_Ninja

As long as the paint looks good I wouldn't worry about much else. The car will have a bumper to bumper warranty. Do you have any pictures of the car and if it is a M7 or A8? I've seen cars sit on the lot for a while because the color scheme wasn't very popular, but there is nothing wrong with a car that hasn't been driven often for 10 months.

Drklingler

Here is the link to the car on the dealers site.
https://www.bomninchevroletmanassas....-VA/3287460713

Cant really see much detail on the paint. The car is an A8. Location is outside Washington DC so winters aren’t too bad but it’s not Palm Springs either. It will be a daily driver so I will replace the tires with A/S come late fall.

jdk541

Great color combo. Does it still only have 2 miles on it like the photo shows or has it been used as a loaner / lunch-runner?

proexpert

Read this entire post then very carefully inspect the car before purchase. Buyer beware.

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...corvettes.html

bjones7131

2019 wouldn't scare me off if i got right deal. I know where there are two new 2017 Z06's sitting on the lot. Long story but small dealership in small Ga. town that went through owner changes. Prev. owner ordered about 8-10 vettes and then lost the dealership and new owner has had a hard time moving them plus they are on hold for the power steering recall before they can sell. Both M7.

SilverGhost

The odo in the adv shows 2 mi. if it only has two miles on it, great, wasn't used as a demonstrator or the Gen'l managers wife's personal use. if it has miles, they be the hardest. stop/start and if demo'ed "punch it" drives without ever letting the engine warm up. good luck with your inspection, make sure it's a sunny day, swirl marks (if any) in a dark paint show up easily when the sun shines on it.

JDSKY

Not unusual for any car to sit for that long specifically a Corvette that was delivered at the end of the driving season for most. I'm not sure what cars most owners buy here but I rarely if ever come across one that just came off the truck unless I ordered it. In fact most of our daily drivers over the years have been on the lot for many months and I am buying them because they are discounted to move. C7 is right in this category now with good incentives to move inventory. Heck, there are dealers that sit on Corvette's for years because they are not willing to lower their margins and make deals.

If the car looks good, and it should, and it checks the boxes for you just buy it. As for the oil and other disposables? Even per GM's recommendation it's not due until next month and you will likely put some miles on it and have it in for the first change by that time anyway. As has already been stated the car has a warranty but I highly doubt you will need it just because it has been sitting for a few months.

1FINE99

I just bought '19 vert with that same color combination that had a build date of 04-18 Did not know that and the Kerbeck salesman did not tell me that . Never thought to ask ! I'm in Calif so all this was sight unseen . Anyhow when I got it I could tell it had been sitting for awhile so that is when I looked at the build date . Some of the nooks and crannies had some green pollen looking crap in there. The car had 24 miles on it . The paint was not real smooth but after I clayed the whole car and gave it a good cleaning all is good . If I new then what I know now I would have bought the newest one on the lot with the same color combination . If you can look at the car in person look her over really good . Mine now has almost 600 miles and she runs great !!

Drklingler

Yes, I’ve been lurking and reading these forums for a while. I’m familiar with the C7 issues: paint problems, A8 shudder, LT3 dash, etc... A couple minor paint imperfections wouldn’t bother me if they can be touched up. I’ll get a range device, not buy the LT3 and cross my fingers that nothing else goes bad.

TKgs2010

Not sure how it works on a brand new Corvette that's been sitting at a Dealer for a long period, since I ordered my ZO6. The problem is that if it's a dry sump car (Z51, Grand Sport, ZO6 or ZR1) it will require the initial oil change at 500 miles, but the Oil Life meter goes by time elapsed also, meaning as in my case I store my ZO6 in the winter months in my garage, plugged in to a CTek and covered, in the spring my car only had 1,100 miles since my oil change, but the Oil Life meter was at 15% life. Not sure how that would work with a zero mile car, but worth asking. Another issue, as others have stated, I'd ask if they had the car plugged into a Battery Maintainer like a CTek or the factory model (also a CTek), the battery can run down if not plugged in for a long period. A friend recently bought a 2017 Corvette that was indoors at a dealer for nearly 2 YEARS, as far as I know he's had no issues so far, but I'd ask a few questions before buying, but good luck.

Red08

Has it been parked outside the entire time? Did they start the motor ocassionally?

JDSKY

You already know what to look for. If a car is dirty it should be detailed properly before it is delivered. Even if it just came off the truck it still needs to be completely detailed for delivery. If it has been sitting for a few months, well, the dealer should do what it takes to make the car look good inside and out. Paint imperfections should be taken care of.

I think you are on the right track and have taken more precautions than most already. Good luck with your purchase.

The HACK

Ask for MASSIVE discounts. You can't save enough to deal with a car that sat extensively without being driven for such a long time.

I bought a car that sat on a lot for more than 2 years. It sat for so long outside that the tires have deep cracks near the edge of the tread and sidewalls. It sat under the sun unmoved for a long, LONG time because Google Street view shows the same car parked in the same spot at the dealership. When I bought it it had 40 miles. It was a 2017 built in 08/16 that I bought in 06/18. Here's a list of problems I had to deal with in the 1 year owning it:

1. Before even driving it off the lot, I insist that new tires and battery be installed. It sat for so long that the car wouldn't crank even with a jumper attached. They had to put a trickle charger on the battery for overnight just to be able to crank over to move it. The tires had deep cracks where the tread meets the sidewalls. I had to delay taking possession of the car for 1 week because they had to order a new set of Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires for it, in addition to looking for the missing side-skirts and front splitters in the warehouse.

2. Within 4 weeks of taking delivery, the leather on the dash delaminated and start forming bubbles. The roof liner also delaminated.

3. Within 3 months during the first rain storm, the windshield washer jets stopped working (don't know if it ever worked in the first place, it doesn't rain here where I live). Washer pump is dead.

4. Within 6 months the heated seats stopped working.

5. Along with a slew of electronic glitches related to the infotainment and infotainment screen.

While those are small issues, they're issues non-the-less. The delaminating dash likely resulted from the car parked outside all the time at the dealership. The dead washer pump and the dead heated seats I can sort of live with, living in paradise every day (it never gets below 50 or above 95 degrees here, and rains a dozen days in a year). Depending on what other issues crop up, I will likely sell the car before the powertrain warranty is up.

There's a reason why this car is the most troublesome car I have ever owned outside of a short courtship with Fiat (don't EVER touch an Alfa Romeo/Fiat car. Fix it Again Tony is for real). Almost all the cars I have owned are mostly built to order, or they're picked off the lots relatively new, or bought from friends/family so I know the history of the car. I suspect the long, LONG exposure under the sun and lack of use and service over 2 years contributed heavily to the lack of reliability (or because Chevy, I don't know).

Luckily I did get a massive discount on it. Like 26% off MSRP massive. Along with a powertrain warranty that doesn't end until 2023 I feel confident "owning" it. But it doesn't give me the warm and fuzzies that's for sure.

One thing I will note. I suspect the oil life monitor doesn't get activated until they sell you the car, or it gets reset by the dealership prepping it for sale, because despite the car not moving for nearly 2 years, and tires being rotted/sun damaged, when I picked up the car it had "99%" life on the oil monitor, and I am pretty certain the dealership didn't change the oil before I took possession (why would they when they've already lost THOUSANDS selling the car to me?).

Kevin A Jones

I don't see an issue as long as you personally inspect the car prior to purchase, seems you know what to look for.

By the way, there's a HUGE difference IMO, from a C7 sitting on a lot for just 11 months as opposed to over 2 years as mentioned in the above post.

Z06_Ruff

I agree. My thoughts exactly.