PoVette

Hi everyone. New guy here... I've been looking for a C5 for about 2 months now and I believe that I've found the car that I want. It's a '99 Silver Coupe w/ 90k miles on it. Super clean looking car, has both tops, the painted and the glass, HUD, and a light grey interior- wich looks flawless too...

I'm going to drive it Monday and give it the once over.... I've read up on this forum quite a bit about what to look for: on checking the axle seals, front end for scrapes, seat issues, steering lock, dim displays, etc. etc.

Asking price on this car is right at $15k.....

Any advice from guys who have bought C5's with this kinda mileage would be helpful and appreciated.... This will be my first Vette and I want to make sure I know what else I may need to look for before buying..

jrose7004

I've had 2 different C5's but both were low mileage when I got them but they both were great cars. I still have the 04, never had a problem with either one beyond column lock on the 98.

SoSlow1

I bought my 2000 model with over 100,000 miles on it and drove it 2 years before modding it with no problems at all..I think most of the issues you stated above had been fixed prior to me buying mine..Sounds like you found a very decent high mileage car to look at..

John1990

I always thought that moderately high mileage on an 8cylinder engine was nothing to worry about. On the other hand, moderately high mileage on, say, a 4 cylinder Chevy Chevette back in the day is another story. At least that's what I remember hearing ever since I was a kid.

SCM_Crash

LS1s are fantastic motors. For the most part if a car gets its regular maintenance done on time the right way, the motor will last a VERY long time. LS1s will go 200K miles without needing a rebuild. Just need to find one that has been well maintained.

My friend has an LS1 with 120+K miles and it's running stronger than most LS1s with half the miles. Another friend of mine has a 97 C5 with an A&A blower on the stock bottom end. The car has well over 100K miles and it's also running strong.

Maintenance is the key to a healthy motor.

Hi/Tek/Vette

that's a lot of money

15k should buy a sub 50,000 mile car
i paid a premium for a '99 vert with 14,000 miles @ $19,000

PoVette

Thanks for all the replies so far... Very good to know.

Forgot to mention that this isn't going to be my daily driver, I have a Ford Ranger and a Suzuki Hayabusa to ride as well, so this is mostly going to be a weekend driver and a car that we may take on trips..

I thought 15K was kinda high too, but right now looking around OK,TX, and LA, this car is priced fairly well compared to other vettes listed...
I figure I'm gonna offer them 12k for it and hopefully settle at 13k. Any more than that and I may just walk.... It's at a small car lot..

VinnyT

I would consider it IF it has been maintained and it 99% stock. Check the basics: Worn out interior, oil on the underside of the motor, tire wear patterns, etc. These will give you an idea of the previous owner and if they cared for it.

If you are serious, do an Autocheck, NOT carfax. Carfax has been known to not report all incidents.

tracer1

If you need a autocheck let me know. Won't cost you anything, can e-mail you the report. Just need the VIN#.
tracer1

00NoVAVette

I just bought my 2000 coupe with 88k miles, millenium yellow, and it has been absolutely amazing! Its a manual, had a few upgrades, but the power is the best part. The only thing I havent really got over is the radiant heat that comes thru after driving for a while. and the heat in VA has been rough. Def going to invest in some sort of heat liner before next summer. Other than that, I havent had a single problem and I already had it on the track. Best of luck with the vette.

skid/1947

check harmonic balancer and belt.

ZFLASH

Price seems a little high to me. A friend of mine just sold his '03 z06 w/ 93,000+ miles with mods for 18,500 on this site. I look on this site all the time and find real decent prices for lower mileage and newer models. Take your time, because in this economy climate you can find a really good deal. Just my two cents!

Vetteman Jack

Does the car have a documented maintenance history? Can you talk to the prior owner about the car?

If you can find out more on the car and can get the car down to the $13K or so, could be a decent buy.

PoVette

Carfax and Autocheck show 3 owners, not much on service records, and the car has been in Tx since new... Looks like the car lot bought it at auction so I doubt I can speak to a previous owner..

Thanks for all the input so far!..... And to Tracer for your help too

Michaelw

Bought my 99 with 76 k miles, now just hitting 90 k miles and still running good!

jonnyc

you can check to see if it show any codes.
on the dash hold down the option button and at the same time press the fuel button 4 times.this will bring up any codes it might have.you can check what they mean here
http://www.davidfarmerstuff.com/c5-dtc.pdf

UniqueDoug

What state and date was it sold at auction. If it was a Manheim I can probably tell you what they paid for it...

UniqueDoug

Well, did ya buy her?!?

road dog

85k is still new for the LS1 theses engines are bullit proof

c5BlackBeauty

Good advice......good luck with your search.