I'm so disappointed, I am having to sell C5
04-03-2013, 02:55 PM
#1
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I'm so disappointed, I am having to sell C5
Hi Guys...
I am a nurse, a woman who lost her husband last year too, and I have a 2002 Vette that has 120,700 miles on it bc I drive it every day and ENJOY and LOVE IT!! (I have had people tell me that I ought to park it in the garage and cover it...why??!! If I own one, I'm going to drive it and enjoy it every day, I'm not getting any younger! LOL)
Anyway, in the past year, I have had major mechanical issues that have cost me thousands...which I know that if you have a vette, they cost to maintain. But I am a nurse and make good money, but not REALLY good money, and lost my husband and his income, I no sooner get done fixing her with one issue, she needs something else...
I have some to the conclusion I need to sell her, and am SO heartbroken. I cannot afford a new one, I just can't now, and I am considering a Honda Accord (I know, I know, please don't shoot me), but I cannot work on it myself and it is costing me thousands...
I love her so much that I keep going back and forth about selling her...
I'm going crazy here...I feel like dying, like a part of me is being cut off..... Sherry
I am a nurse, a woman who lost her husband last year too, and I have a 2002 Vette that has 120,700 miles on it bc I drive it every day and ENJOY and LOVE IT!! (I have had people tell me that I ought to park it in the garage and cover it...why??!! If I own one, I'm going to drive it and enjoy it every day, I'm not getting any younger! LOL)
Anyway, in the past year, I have had major mechanical issues that have cost me thousands...which I know that if you have a vette, they cost to maintain. But I am a nurse and make good money, but not REALLY good money, and lost my husband and his income, I no sooner get done fixing her with one issue, she needs something else...
I have some to the conclusion I need to sell her, and am SO heartbroken. I cannot afford a new one, I just can't now, and I am considering a Honda Accord (I know, I know, please don't shoot me), but I cannot work on it myself and it is costing me thousands...
I love her so much that I keep going back and forth about selling her...
I'm going crazy here...I feel like dying, like a part of me is being cut off..... Sherry
04-03-2013, 03:12 PM
#2
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St. Jude Donor '09-'10, '14
First, I'm sorry for your loss. When this happens it not only effects us emotionally but financially as well.
If the car is to the point it's become a burden, sell it an move on. Maybe some day you can have another one. But as with anything, and of you can't work on it yourself, you need a car you can depend on. That's the bottom line.
While I know some of these cars are trouble free for their owners, I would bet a months pay most of them are not no matter what we're told here on the forum. To some people trouble free means they can keep them on the road themselves without much effort. However that's not the case with most people.
The best advice I ever received from anyoneon vette ownership, and it's been proven true over and over again is this.
If you own a vette you better have deep pockets or be able to work on them yourself or be able to own one with a warranty, if you don't fall into one of these categories, a vette is not for you. I got that advice from a forum member and long time vette owner.
Sell it and look to the future, maybe someday you can replace it. If not you can still go to shows and share the experience with other vette lovers.
Good luck and take care.
If the car is to the point it's become a burden, sell it an move on. Maybe some day you can have another one. But as with anything, and of you can't work on it yourself, you need a car you can depend on. That's the bottom line.
While I know some of these cars are trouble free for their owners, I would bet a months pay most of them are not no matter what we're told here on the forum. To some people trouble free means they can keep them on the road themselves without much effort. However that's not the case with most people.
The best advice I ever received from anyoneon vette ownership, and it's been proven true over and over again is this.
If you own a vette you better have deep pockets or be able to work on them yourself or be able to own one with a warranty, if you don't fall into one of these categories, a vette is not for you. I got that advice from a forum member and long time vette owner.
Sell it and look to the future, maybe someday you can replace it. If not you can still go to shows and share the experience with other vette lovers.
Good luck and take care.
04-03-2013, 03:23 PM
#4
Melting Slicks
What exactly has cost you thousands, and where are you taking the car for repair? If it's to the dealer there's your problem.
Hell a spark plug change on this car will cost you an arm and a leg...
I would look in the regional forums and ask for some advice on LSx specific shops in your area.
Hell a spark plug change on this car will cost you an arm and a leg...
I would look in the regional forums and ask for some advice on LSx specific shops in your area.
04-03-2013, 03:24 PM
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St. Jude Donor '14
That is very sad. The loss of your life partner and now have to separate your self from the memories and small support/relief that we all get from our cars. Hopefully you have lots of pics and mementos of your lives together.
The first year is the toughest, find and keep a good support system. I'll remember you in my prayers.
The first year is the toughest, find and keep a good support system. I'll remember you in my prayers.
04-03-2013, 03:26 PM
#7
Le Mans Master
Hey Sherry,
Very sorry to hear about your Husband, my deepest condolences.
I feel your pain and I too am going through a back and fourth about selling my 2002 Vert also. My wife and I have two young kids and having an SUV and a Vette is like having a car and a half instead of two. I bought my Vette new in 01 and it's like part of me and it's killing me to think the time has come to sell it and get a more capable vehicle especially this past winter in NY was brutal and leaving my wife home with two kids and a Vette is not a good idea. Getting a third car just to keep the Vette has crossed my mind, but having a new car note and added insurance is not really responsible since there are other things more important to put the money and the $$ I get for the Vette will be real nice to have and I could put it to good use and lease something reasonable.
I hear what your saying about the repair costs, mine has 95K on it and I too am starting to worry about things breaking down and the last thing I want is to start sinking money into it and becoming a money pit (I've been pretty lucky so far). I wish I could tell you what you want to hear but I think we should look at the bigger picture and do what we know in our heads is right and forget about what our hearts say. I'm going to enjoy it for the summer and put it up for about $14,000 and see what happens.
Good luck with whatever you decide and I wish you all the best.
Paul
Very sorry to hear about your Husband, my deepest condolences.
I feel your pain and I too am going through a back and fourth about selling my 2002 Vert also. My wife and I have two young kids and having an SUV and a Vette is like having a car and a half instead of two. I bought my Vette new in 01 and it's like part of me and it's killing me to think the time has come to sell it and get a more capable vehicle especially this past winter in NY was brutal and leaving my wife home with two kids and a Vette is not a good idea. Getting a third car just to keep the Vette has crossed my mind, but having a new car note and added insurance is not really responsible since there are other things more important to put the money and the $$ I get for the Vette will be real nice to have and I could put it to good use and lease something reasonable.
I hear what your saying about the repair costs, mine has 95K on it and I too am starting to worry about things breaking down and the last thing I want is to start sinking money into it and becoming a money pit (I've been pretty lucky so far). I wish I could tell you what you want to hear but I think we should look at the bigger picture and do what we know in our heads is right and forget about what our hearts say. I'm going to enjoy it for the summer and put it up for about $14,000 and see what happens.
Good luck with whatever you decide and I wish you all the best.
Paul
04-03-2013, 03:30 PM
#8
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You have had enough disappointment in your life.
DO NOT sell your vette instead park it and buy your Honda.
Bad days are behind you things will get better and your vette
will be near you when the time comes to fix her up. And you
will. Some of us have gone down your road and now decades later
still regret selling our loved vette.
You don't have to be one of us. Hold on to your prized vette it is
more than money-- it is memories. Good luck.
DO NOT sell your vette instead park it and buy your Honda.
Bad days are behind you things will get better and your vette
will be near you when the time comes to fix her up. And you
will. Some of us have gone down your road and now decades later
still regret selling our loved vette.
You don't have to be one of us. Hold on to your prized vette it is
more than money-- it is memories. Good luck.
04-03-2013, 03:47 PM
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Oldtimer
Very sorry to hear about your husband and your car issue.
No one knows your situation better than you so you're the best one to determine what's best in your situation.
Good luck, whatever you decide.
No one knows your situation better than you so you're the best one to determine what's best in your situation.
Good luck, whatever you decide.
04-03-2013, 04:08 PM
#10
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Sherry, sorry to hear about the loss of your husband.
Regaring your C5, since it is your daily driver you need to remember that the car is over 12 years old with over 100K miles on the clock. I have been known to drive my daily business drivers into the ground. Each of my last 3 business sedans have gone over the 300K mileage mark and the only real reason I get rid of them is because they just start looking like they have 300K miles on them.
Anyway, what I've learned is that most cars have very little maintenance and repair costs up through 100K miles. Typical oil, filter, brake and tires, routine stuff. However, after reaching the 100K milestone, more expensive repairs can creep up like fuel pumps, transmission repairs, new brake rotors, window regulators, etc.
Since you love Corvettes, why not move into a lower mileage, later model C5 or C6? You can get a very lightly used C5/C6 for around $25K, the cost of a new Honda Accord. Plus, if you want to take on car payments, there will be a GM firesale later this summer on the C6 Corvettes, probably with 0% financing to move out the C6 stock as the C7 starts arriving on the dealership lots. That's what I did when I bought my 2004 C5 in the summer of 2004.
If you do get another used Corvette, I suggest you join a local Corvette club. The members will probably be happy to help you in finding a good local Corvette-friendly mechanic/shop so you are not the mercy of dealership service departments. Plus, members help each other with repairs, etc. A few of the members in my club get together for "oil change parties" where we hang out at a friends house (with a 4-post lift), talk Corvettes/cars, have a couple beers and work on our cars.
...and a few of the members are ladies!
Good luck!
Regaring your C5, since it is your daily driver you need to remember that the car is over 12 years old with over 100K miles on the clock. I have been known to drive my daily business drivers into the ground. Each of my last 3 business sedans have gone over the 300K mileage mark and the only real reason I get rid of them is because they just start looking like they have 300K miles on them.
Anyway, what I've learned is that most cars have very little maintenance and repair costs up through 100K miles. Typical oil, filter, brake and tires, routine stuff. However, after reaching the 100K milestone, more expensive repairs can creep up like fuel pumps, transmission repairs, new brake rotors, window regulators, etc.
Since you love Corvettes, why not move into a lower mileage, later model C5 or C6? You can get a very lightly used C5/C6 for around $25K, the cost of a new Honda Accord. Plus, if you want to take on car payments, there will be a GM firesale later this summer on the C6 Corvettes, probably with 0% financing to move out the C6 stock as the C7 starts arriving on the dealership lots. That's what I did when I bought my 2004 C5 in the summer of 2004.
If you do get another used Corvette, I suggest you join a local Corvette club. The members will probably be happy to help you in finding a good local Corvette-friendly mechanic/shop so you are not the mercy of dealership service departments. Plus, members help each other with repairs, etc. A few of the members in my club get together for "oil change parties" where we hang out at a friends house (with a 4-post lift), talk Corvettes/cars, have a couple beers and work on our cars.
...and a few of the members are ladies!
Good luck!
04-03-2013, 04:09 PM
#11
Melting Slicks
Very sorry to hear about your loss.
Have you thought about selling your current C5 and maybe picking up a newer one that is in better condition? With that many miles on the car your going to have maintenance costs.
In the end if you need to sell it then I would do what's best. You can always pick up another one once things get better.
Have you thought about selling your current C5 and maybe picking up a newer one that is in better condition? With that many miles on the car your going to have maintenance costs.
In the end if you need to sell it then I would do what's best. You can always pick up another one once things get better.
04-03-2013, 04:23 PM
#12
Burning Brakes
Sherry:
Condolences on the loss of your husband and the changes in your life that have come and are coming your way.
I love my '99 Corvette and am lucky that I am able to keep it as a "fun" car. Mine has been pretty trouble free, but it is relatively low miles (49K) and I can do a lot of the basic work myself. And, since I have a couple of other cars that I use as daily drivers, if there were a really big ticket repair, I could wait awhile before getting it taken care of. But that's the key - it is not my daily driver.
First, the Accord is great at what it was designed for - comfortable, reliable, affordable, user-friendly, safe, well-built transportation. No, it is not particularly exciting to those of us who love speed and great handling and panache. But, it would be a great car for my wife (who was disappointed when she was told her new company car would be a Malibu instead of a Camry, Accord, or Mazda 6). Honda does make some more sporty cars, mostly Acuras. I've owned three - 2 Integras and a 3.0CL (which my daughter is still driving).
There are also lots of interesting cars out there - have you considered the Subaru BRZ or its Toyota/Scion twin (can't remember the model name)? The BRZ really evokes memories of my beloved 1975 280Z, just, you know, 40 years newer and high-tech.
If you are set on a 4-door, the new Mazda 6 is worth a look. We really love my wife's '04 Mazda 6, which started out as a company car that we bought when her role changed to a non-car job and she has driven until now (moving back into a job that comes with a car, thus the Malibu). I'm looking forward to turning it into a pretty hot sports sedan.
Good luck with whatever you do. If you can find a way to keep the 'Vette as a fun car and get something else you can live with as a DD, then maybe you can have the best of both worlds.
K9Leader
Red cars are faster. They did a study on it.
1999 Corvette convertible - fun, fun, fun car
2003 Subaru Baja - my DD
2000 Subaru Outback - dog-hauling car
2004 Mazda 6 - wife's DD but soon to become a project car for me
1998 Acura 3.0CL - daughter's car
2013 Chevrolet Malibu - wife's company car (arriving late-April)
Condolences on the loss of your husband and the changes in your life that have come and are coming your way.
I love my '99 Corvette and am lucky that I am able to keep it as a "fun" car. Mine has been pretty trouble free, but it is relatively low miles (49K) and I can do a lot of the basic work myself. And, since I have a couple of other cars that I use as daily drivers, if there were a really big ticket repair, I could wait awhile before getting it taken care of. But that's the key - it is not my daily driver.
First, the Accord is great at what it was designed for - comfortable, reliable, affordable, user-friendly, safe, well-built transportation. No, it is not particularly exciting to those of us who love speed and great handling and panache. But, it would be a great car for my wife (who was disappointed when she was told her new company car would be a Malibu instead of a Camry, Accord, or Mazda 6). Honda does make some more sporty cars, mostly Acuras. I've owned three - 2 Integras and a 3.0CL (which my daughter is still driving).
There are also lots of interesting cars out there - have you considered the Subaru BRZ or its Toyota/Scion twin (can't remember the model name)? The BRZ really evokes memories of my beloved 1975 280Z, just, you know, 40 years newer and high-tech.
If you are set on a 4-door, the new Mazda 6 is worth a look. We really love my wife's '04 Mazda 6, which started out as a company car that we bought when her role changed to a non-car job and she has driven until now (moving back into a job that comes with a car, thus the Malibu). I'm looking forward to turning it into a pretty hot sports sedan.
Good luck with whatever you do. If you can find a way to keep the 'Vette as a fun car and get something else you can live with as a DD, then maybe you can have the best of both worlds.
K9Leader
Red cars are faster. They did a study on it.
1999 Corvette convertible - fun, fun, fun car
2003 Subaru Baja - my DD
2000 Subaru Outback - dog-hauling car
2004 Mazda 6 - wife's DD but soon to become a project car for me
1998 Acura 3.0CL - daughter's car
2013 Chevrolet Malibu - wife's company car (arriving late-April)
04-03-2013, 04:39 PM
#13
Melting Slicks
I would suggest posting in the local section for help. I'm willing to bet there will be loads of people willing to help you get her running again. You might learn a thing or two along the way as well.
04-03-2013, 05:13 PM
#14
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Sherry - sorry to hear about the loss of your husband. That in itself is enough to be a major stressor in your life. Add in the car problems, and I can understand how you feel. You are the one that knows best what is the right thing to do - if that is selling the car, then so be it. You still have the memories and perhaps down the road you can find a way to get into another Corvette - one with less mileage and less problems.
However, if you can swing keeping the car and getting a more reliable daily driver, then you can repair it as funds become available and you still have the car you love. A good suggestion was made to see if other members in your area can help you out with any needed repairs - there are a lot of people here that have a good mechanical knowledge of the cars and you could save a bundle on labor charges.
Whatever you do, best of luck to you.
However, if you can swing keeping the car and getting a more reliable daily driver, then you can repair it as funds become available and you still have the car you love. A good suggestion was made to see if other members in your area can help you out with any needed repairs - there are a lot of people here that have a good mechanical knowledge of the cars and you could save a bundle on labor charges.
Whatever you do, best of luck to you.
04-03-2013, 06:43 PM
#15
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I just sold my Vette today after having a vette for most of my adult life - and I bought a Kia Optima. Although the KIA could be had fully loaded with turbo below $30k somethings just missing...oh I know - my heart. On a positive note get a car with full options and something that has a great warranty. Another Vette will come home to you soon.
04-03-2013, 07:25 PM
#17
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01-19-2013, 08:38 AM Hi Sam. Thanks so much for responding. This is my 4th vette and have never gouged one like this. Always had paint with a small brush and a little top coat for gravel nicks etc. always worked great. Never thought about spraying it bc of overspray etc ect when brushing areas with touch up paint has worked so well. The area is under my passenger door about 3-4" down so not very noticeable at all. People don't even realize its there but I do. So I was just going to order more touch up paint and get on the ground near the area, and lightly brush it on and perhaps do several layers allowing to dry In between. Then top coat it. I don't show my car and drive my lovely baby every day so I think this wod suffice. Looking to upgrade to C6 this or next year anyway. Sherry
OK, I'll be the bad guy, not sure about this one I've seen other posts from C5 Tech
...... 
04-03-2013, 08:00 PM
#18
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http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-t...post1581501002
OK, I'll be the bad guy, not sure about this one I've seen other posts from C5 Tech......
OK, I'll be the bad guy, not sure about this one I've seen other posts from C5 Tech
......
04-03-2013, 09:23 PM
#19
Racer
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-t...post1581501002
OK, I'll be the bad guy, not sure about this one I've seen other posts from C5 Tech......
OK, I'll be the bad guy, not sure about this one I've seen other posts from C5 Tech
...... Shame on me, curmudgeon that I am...
Gunny John
