gsg822

I'm starting to look at corvettes and I am very particular about the kind I want. I have not had much luck finding what I want close to me and may have to go out of state to get what I am looking for. I was thinking of doing a road trip, but I'm a little worried about the possibility of something going wrong. I will get a PPI before buying the car to limit a situation where the car could have a problem after picking it up. I have also thought of using a shipping company to ship the car close to me. Has anyone here done that? If so, could you tell me your experience? Also, if the seller knows that you traveled a good distance to see the car, do you lose negotiating power? I'd also love to hear what sites you used to locate your car so I could expand my searches and hopefully find one closer to me.

JakeC6Racing

I live on Long Island and got mine from a dealership in Miami. I was specifically looking for a silver 6MT Grand Sport 3LT and found one down there. I bought it site unseen and had the dealership arrange shipping to me. It was a gamble but everything went smooth and the car is beautiful without a single problem. Sometimes things just work out. I can tell you I was standing on my front lawn waiting for that delivery truck like a kid on Christmas morning

Suprpig

I bought my 2011 GS from a forum member in FL... I live in Rochester, NY. I did have a family friend go by and verify the car was in the as described condition.... like new. I had no problem negotiating with the member and he and his wife were gracious enough to pick me up at the airport and take me to pick it up. It was an outstanding experience and the owner went out of his way to accommodate. I drove it to Hilton Head to finish the winter and then to NY in the spring. Great experience and exactly the car I wanted. Good luck!

ruxvette

Flew out on 3 occasions:
Bought my '89 in Phoenix, AZ and drove it to Tacoma, WA...
Bought my '05 in Hattiesburg, MS and drove it to Tacoma, WA...
Bought my '11 in Sauk, WI and drove it to Tucson, AZ...

RicardoFors68

Bought my Z51 3LT coupe from a dealership in Clearwater, FL. Sight unseen as well. Negotiated transportation to my house, warranty, and 3 day return with me paying shipping it back if I didnt like the car.
dealer worked well though, all kinds of photos and videos, I was confident that I was going to love the car.

Another Don

I couldn't tell you the last time that I bought a Vette within 500 miles of where I live. I'm in north central Texas and I've bought cars over the internet and telephone in Milwaukee, Random Lake, WI, Fort Wayne, Ind., Vineland, NJ and this car that arrived 3 weeks ago from Fort Dodge, IA.

Step A is to line up your financing locally. Then you can negotiate the deal over the telephone and internet. From the dealer's standpoint it's a cash deal. When the dealer gets the price right, be ready to put down a deposit of about $500. Use a credit card. That way if the wheels come off the buggy you can protest the charge with the credit card company if push comes to shove. This is when you get the PPI done. At this point, the dealer will send you some papers to sign and send back and then your bank can contact the dealership to get the necessary info to wire funds to the dealership's account for payment. Now you own the car and you need to get it home.

I have both had cars shipped and flown out and driven back. Depends on the time of the year as to which I prefer. I have found that shipping a car ain't cheap. Budget about $1.00 to $1.25 per mile for shipping in an enclosed trailer.

Flying out and driving back ain't cheap either. By the time you buy a plane ticket (2 if you're taking an SO for company). buy gas, meals, and spend a couple of nights in motels, it'll cost about the same as shipping.

I highly recommend buying out of state to find what you want. It's fun and a great adventure.

airmed2

Ebay. Didn't leave my house. Bought the car near Reading, PA., and had it shipped to my house near St. Louis. Trusted the dealership, their reputation, the photos, description, and the painstaking care the previous owner took that was quite evident; therefore I was sold. Unloaded in my driveway and my first drive was from my mailbox to the garage.

Not all transactions which you don't personally look at the car prior to the sale may go that smooth as well as not having any mechanical issues, but in my case, I feel I hit the lottery. I couldn't be more pleased with my 'once in a lifetime' decision.

Jon

not08crmanymore

I'm NOW IN Upstate NY and bought mine from Tommy Jr at Macmaulkin in New Hampshire and this last one from a dealer in Baltimore.

kedar

I found the vette optioned exactly how I wanted on a dealer lot just outside of LA. Negotiated with the dealer, flew one way with wife on Friday before memorial day weekend, dealer picked us up at the airport, signed some papers and were on our way back to Chicago within thirty minutes. The drive took several days, but we enjoyed it. Started with thirteen miles on the odometer. It was a positive experience and would do it again. Tinted windows and some heat insulation dramatically improve interior cabin comfort and would have been nice during that road trip. I did hardwire a Valentine one to a visor mount and install a mild to wild exhaust controller in a fast food parking lot. The pic in my avatar is from the drive and is taken somewhere in Colorado.

Honeybadger719

I live in Colorado Springs, Colorado and I ended up buying a silver 97 c5 from a guy who owned a performance shop down in Tucson, Arizona. I had it looked at by a rival shop down there and got all the carfax information on it, and any other things I could think of. We agreed on a price before I got down there, so there was no bargaining involved really. Flew down that weekend and drove it home. It was a fantastic experience, really enjoyed the road trip in the brand new car! Unfortunately, within a month of being home with it the pilot bearing went out on it, costing me almost $900 for a shop to do it since I don't know how to just yet. All in all, I'd still recommend it. You never know what you're gonna get with any used car, and there is definitely more of a risk going out of state I'd say, but it's a fun gamble. I ended up getting a fantastic price on mine, so I didn't mind shelling out the extra $900 to have a basically pristine car for the price I got it for.

Red Devil

2300 miles for me, Nevada to Toronto!

AORoads

Do all your due diligence over the phone, and finally in person with someone checking out the car at the car's location. Ask the seller for lots of pics, couple dozen in today's digital cameras and cell pics is not unusual or asking too much. CarFax, AutoCheck and IVH will help. Good luck.

Oshuwah

I've now bought three cars I've had to get on a plane to drive home...2 Corvettes and an Audi. Best flights ever! I picked up my current centennial in Fargo ND and drove it home 24 hours to SE PA.

EVRose

I found mine on Carmax website. It was in CA. I called the Carmax here in Vegas and they had it shipped here in 2 days for free. 2 hours after it arrived I was driving it home.

mlicker

Lubbock, TX to Seattle, WA.
'08 Z51, M6, 4LT in the exact colors and options i would have ordered it with new. Bought it almost 3 months ago now from an awesome dealership in Lubbock, TX., sight unseen other than the images on Autotrader and additional ones they sent upon my inquiry. Flew one way with the wife unit and had the drive of our lives bringing it across 6 states back to Seattle. Do it again in a heartbeat!!

Jeff-Ford

1200+ miles Pittsburgh to Dallas. Considered looking at cars in Seattle, Miami and Hartford. Found the exact car i wanted and it was the easiest money to spend.

rsparks64

about 450; I did that after expanding my search from a 250 mile radius. I too had specific ctiteria and would have gone farther if necessary.