Buying a 'new' 2017 Z06
 

Hi folks,

I'm getting close to purchasing a leftover 2017 Z06 from an out of state dealer. I'm getting almost 30k off on a 109k MSRP untitled car with ~20 miles on the odometer. Seems like a good deal on the surface. The car seems clean in the photos and the sales person claims the paint is in perfect condition since the car spent all of its 2 years inside the showroom floor on a battery tender and not out on their lot or in the sun. This wasn't a corporate use / track school car and there's no warranty block on the invoice statement as well. Seems like a clean car that they couldn't sell for 2 years.

How do I go about making sure the car is as good as they claim? What are some tell tale signs I can ask for/look for? I'm unable to fly in to check out the car myself. I understand the 3 yr / 36k mile warranty will kick in once I title it, but I'm paranoid about something fragile like a hose failing somewhere because the car wasn't used for a long time.

I'm guessing they'll need the paperwork signed before they ship the car to me (I'll probably use a third party transporter) so I probably wont have an opportunity to inspect it in the flesh before I sign the papers. Congrats on your 17, it must be an absolute hoot!

I bought a 2017 ZO6 "new" three months ago. 12 miles on it. I have driven the wheels off it since I got it. I paid 17K off of sticker and got a very good trade in. Zero problems with the car.No regrets.

The number of miles on the odometer will tell you a lot. For a car that spent its life on the showroom floor it shouldn't have many miles on it. My car spent 6 months on 2 dealer show room floors and had 15 miles on it. Some Corvettes that have been selected for the QC test drive at the factory can come with as many as 22 miles on them. Before buying make sure the warranty hasn't been started yet. It has nothing to do with the title. It all depends on when the dealer put the car into service. If there is no In Service Date then the warranty hasn't started yet. If the car was used as a demo then it is likely it was put into service. Your big issue will be the battery and how well it was maintained. The rest of the stuff should be fine and you will have a brand new warranty to cover stuff that isn't. As with any new car your big issue will be infant mortality and that is why new cars come warranties.

Just make sure before you put your money down on the car you aren't going to run into some of the problems that others have had with smog testing/registering an out of state purchased car in California. There have been some horror stories discussed on the forum over the last 19 years.
Bill

What he said ^

Thanks for chiming in. Let's say, hypothetically, I sign the loan docs, the car gets delivered here. On the walkaround I discover a serious cosmetic or mechanical issue. What are my options? Can I refuse the delivery - I'm guessing not because this will probably a third party transporter. Do I get the salesperson on a phone and ask them to fix it or take it back? I feel like my options are pretty limited by being in a different state from the dealer.

Thanks Bill. I spoke to the dealer, and they claim there's no in service date. The warranty will start fresh when I buy the car. So I'm good on that aspect.

The miles are a bit of a concern because they state this wasn't a demo car of any sort. It may have been just test drives given over the past 2 years it was on the floor. Additionally, I learned the current dealer bought another dealer in the same area and they 'inherited' the inventory. Their intention to clear out unsold cars from the old dealership is a part of the stated reason why this car is priced so competitively. Not sure if this opens up a different can of worms related to how the car was handled prior to the dealership switching owners.

There are businesses that will inspect the car for you who do this routinely. Cost is around 200.00.
Check google.

:cheers:

I like posts 10 and 11, and I might do that or....or I might find some local-to-dealer, Corvette shop that will do an on-lift check. I'd go there and be with him/them when it's done so I can ask questions and get "human" answers, not just a report. On a brand new car w. 20 miles, this can't take long at all. Less than an hour (ask me how I know). Your cost can't be more than 1 hr. labor charge at an indie shop. It's your money tho, just my thoughts.

If you are buying from a forum dealer, you are well protected from the car being shipped with a defect because forum dealers care about their reputation. Not a forum dealer, still have a reputation but it is harder to attack that reputation from out of state. You could post a request on this forum for any c7 z06 owner in the vicinity of the dealer to drop by and take a quick look over and report back to you. I bet you can find someone who would do this gratis. Just the way most of the corvette family treat each other. You could always send them a gift card as a token of appreciation.

I bought my 2017 z06 from Mike Furman and I live in Southern California. He sent me pictures and did a detailed inspection. Car showed up in perfect condition and I have been enjoying it ever since. You got the warranty to cover any problems other than something done to the car at the dealership or in transit.

A word of warning regarding registration. You will likely pay the California tax and registration to the seller. However, the seller will send you a check made out to the California DMV for the tax and license and you will need to go to the DMV in person to register the car. I think you have 30 days to complete this. AAA cannot do this for you, so don't waste your time going there. You will also need a smog check, even though it is a new car with CA emissions certification. Now, here is the key point. This car will not pass a normal smog test until you put 1000 miles on it. GM built this into the ECM to break in the emissions system. What you need to do is call the Bureau of Automotive Repair and request an appointment with the referee. The reason you need this is because of this quirky issue with the emissions break in. They will tell you the nearest referee to your location (there are not many locations, so you may have to travel some distance). You will pay $12 and the referee will know what to do to give you the certificate to take to the DMV. Do this before you go to the DMV or you will have to make another trip to complete the process. I would be lying if I told you this was a piece of cake. It was a pita because I did not know about the smog issue and the seller did not tell me. Also, hope that this screwed up state doesn't increase fees between when you bought the car and when you register it. If they did, like what happened to me, you will have to pony up the additional fees.

Enjoy the z06 and the great deal you are getting on an amazing automobile.

I bought mine sight unseen but my delivery company inspected the car very closely. They took a ton of photos and sent them to me. They looked for any type of damage before accepting the vehicle so that they wouldn't be held liable for the damage since it is a "brand new" car.

Any paint defects or other issues due to the manufacturing process will be taken care of through a dealership through warranty.

20 miles isn't anything. The car could have had that many on it before it was put on the truck to be shipped to the dealer. GM does a sample of the cars coming off the line and does about a 20 mile test drive with them around the BG plant. Some place and some time ago somebody on the forum posted a map of the drive route they follow. They have been doing that test drive since the C5 days and you are actually getting a special car if that is what the miles were from. My car had 15 miles on it across two dealers who were 600 miles apart and I put 167 more on it before I got home. I didn't worry about it as I was planning on beating the hell out of the car as soon as track season started. I have been beating on it for two years without any failures due to how it might have been treated for those 15 miles.
Bill

The only problem you may run into are flat spots on the tires from sitting for so long in one spot. However, the car is light and the tires are strong since they are run flats, and its been inside a cool place the entire time, so it might be okay. Other than that, you are fine, the warranty will cover everything. If you dont mind me asking, how did they get to 30 grand off?

at 30 grand off, you cant go wrong, even if the car has problems... needs tires... has scratches... so what... you are at 27 grand off? Think about it... you've still won.

Them buying it from another dealer and saying thats why they are giving you a great deal, seems odd to me, but could be true.

What state is the dealership in? These rules vary state to state. Let me know, and ill give you the real answer.

I also recently bought a new 2017 z06 from a dealer about a 5 hour drive from where I live. Before I drove there, I made sure to ask if the car ever had an in service date and they said it did not and that all the warranties would start the day I drive it off the lot. I drove it home and racked up a few miles on it and it even got rained on while on the interstate and rained on some more on some back roads on the way home. Got it home, cleaned it up, good as new. Unlike Ford, you will get the full mileage of the various manufacturer warranties, so for example if there are 36 miles on the car when you buy it, the B2B will expire in 3 years from date of purchase or 36,036 miles. My car sat on the dealer lot for a year and a half, mostly under roof. According to the window sticker, the selling dealer was where GM shipped it. The car was fine. No flat spots on the tires. Some used 2017/2018 z06's in my required options were being offered for sale at only about $3,000 less than this new one and I even saw one 2017 used for $6000 more than the one I bought new. I was happy with the deal and the car is optioned the way I would have ordered it. It was exactly what I had been looking for, vert, right color, right options, 2LZ. I don't think you'll be disappointed, and that sounds like a terrific deal you're getting. You will also get some other goodies with it. A 1 year trial membership for the NCM, and a discounted offer for the Ron Fellowes driving school (which is much closer to you than it is to me in the sunshine state - so I can't use it - dang). Good luck with it and all the best. The z06 is a beast. Can't even imagine a zr-1.