I recently sold my modded 09 C6 Z51 M6 after selling a 15 C7 A8 to buy the C6, mod it, and keep some money in the bank. That happened, but what also happened is that I realized two things: 1. The C6 is infested with manufacturer defects that cost a lot to repair (ask me how I know) and, 2. I really missed my C7. It was a far superior car, IMHO, than the C6. I only kept the C6 for 14 months.

Then I saw a C8 up close. A guy in my neighborhood bought one. He was a Porsche fanatic until he saw the C8 and said it was a no brainer for him to buy the C8. The C8 is a beautiful car and although I haven't driven one, I have sat in one and they look just as good from the inside as they do coming down the road at you.

My dilemma, and one that most of you have either faced or are currently facing, is the wait time on a C8. With all of the posts I'm seeing about waiting a year or more and the dealers who have them selling them for up to $30k over MSRP I am now wondering if I should start looking for another C7. I found an 19 Arctic White Grand Sport A8 convertible this morning at a nearby dealer for $65k. It has 9500 miles on it and is a one owner car.

First world problems, I know, but I would like to hear your opinions. Develop some patience or go for a C7 I really like?

 

only you can make that decision. Maybe ask your neighbor for a ride in his. You don't have to pay $30K over, or wait a year or more. Look in the MacMulkin thread, and you'll find many people who are waiting in the 6 month period, and if you're lucky and willing to do some phone calling, you might even run across a dealer with unclaimed allocations and get a new C8 even faster.

Thanks to the scarcity of the C8, used C7 prices are very strong right now, setting a lot of people up for a big surprise when the C8 market reaches equilibrium and they aren't as hard to come by, and the used market re-adjusts to typical depreciation levels. Of course, the million dollar question, and one debated quite regularly, is exactly "when" that is going to happen. And that's the other part of the equation only you can answer. C7 grand sports are definitely good cars.

So, get what you want and can afford.

 

Put a deposit down order C8, buy a C7 in the mean time? Get the right deal on a C7 shouldn't lose much in 12-18 months.

 

I thought about that, but it's a seller's market right now. I sold my 09 Z51 3LT M6 with mods and $47k on the clock for $30,000 two weeks ago. That's about $7-$10k more than all of the used car value websites said it was worth!

 

1. It sounds like you bought a crap C6 after selling your C7. The C6 is actually pretty reliable for a high-performance sports car *when properly maintained*.

2. Do you want another Corvette now or do you mind waiting a year or so? Paying anything over MSRP for a new one is ridiculous, imo, but it’s your bank account.

3. You’re looking at a $65k used GS, what is your budget? What are you planning to spend on a C8? Will it be be a bare bones 1LT for $60k or will it have options?

4. Do you want a bare bones 1LT C8 Stingray or a better optioned C7 GS? What will you use the car for?

5. Do you want/plan to mod the vehicle? C8 is going to be very expensive to mod vs the C7.

 

This is the most important sentence in this thread, C7s are actually going back UP - especially if it's a stick. Once the C8 evens out then C7 prices are going to crash, hard. The question is when will that be?

2021s are a lost cause at this point.
Word on the street is, 50% of '22 allocation is already spoken for.
The C8Z will help with supply but who's to say they won't hold value? (I seriously see the C8 holding value like a GT-R)

 

If you like the C7 then I believe it’s the smart move now. Get one and enjoy it. Get a C8 when the prices come down. When the C8Z comes out one will be able to get a garage Queen for a reasonable price.

 

Answers to your questions:
1. It wasn't a "crap C6." When Vengeance Racing had it doing the mods they told me it was one of the cleanest C6s they had ever seen, and they modify a lot of them. It had a clean Carfax and was serviced at it's required regular intervals. I replaced the Goodyear tires with Michelins in November 2020, so I maintained it as well. The crap is that I had to pay to repair the faulty, cheap plastic parts at the top of the fuel tanks. GM issued a ten year or 100k mile warranty on this manufacturing problem that I know you are well aware of having seen you on the C6 section of this forum often. I also had the car throw a code when I was getting the emissions checked, so I went online, checked the code, and found another GM bulletin. The only "crap" part of that car was manufacturing issues.

2. I'm not paying over MSRP.

3. I can afford the $65k C7 and a I can afford a C8.

4. I've built a C8 and plan to get the 2LT package convertible with MRSC and the front bumper lift if I do order a C8. Whatever I buy will not be a track car.

5. I'm not going to mod another Corvette.

Anything else to offer? Have you owned a C7?

 

 

I would get the C7 enjoy it, and when things settle in which could be a year or so then go for the C8. I have no idea what the future value will be for the C7 nor does anyone else. So I would take all that speculation out of the decision.

 

Having 2 issues with the C6 that were covered at some point by TSBs, although yours was outside of the extended coverage period, is far from being plagued with manufacturer’s defects. I took from your initial statement that you had far more issues with it. In that respect the C7 has plenty of known issues & the C8 has already had its share as well with double-digit TSBs issued so far. Let’s not forget it’s a Chevy, & to keep prices down they use a lot of cheap parts.

I’ve not owned a C7. Driven more than a few and decided I didn’t really care for them. Last year this time I was considering a ‘16 Z06 convertible with the Z07 pkg, 3LZ, stage 3 aero, M7 with 15k miles. Admiral blue, black interior, competition seats, yellow calipers. Price was $53k - shows what prices were a year ago. Sharp looking car, just didn’t love it. Bought the Carbon instead (for more) knowing full well I’d have to spend $ to get the heads fixed. I’m still under the extended coverage for the gas tank for another year. Clutch master cylinder went out, replaced it & received reimbursement from GM. I just spent a weekend removing my dashboard and having it repaired because the leather was separating - another known problem. Very crappy job by Chevy on the leather install on the dash.

They’re all going to have issues, some of us get them, some don’t.

Back to your question, it comes down to what you want to spend & when you want to get it. Personally, I’d go with the C7 over the C8. You’re already familiar with it, know what to expect, lower cost & you can have it now.

 

If you want a C8 and don't want to pay over MSRP you are likely looking at a fall delivery and a 2022 model year (which could have a price increase). You don't have to wait a year and you don't have to pay over MSRP, but you do have to have patience for 7-9 months.

Nothing wrong with wanting another C7, values have remained strong and likely won't have some steep decline anytime soon.