LSgoBRRR

So in my hunt for a new (to me) Vette I can across a bit of a franken car. It might be cool at the right price and I want to know what you guys think...

So it's an '06 C6-Z06 that was clearly a Hertz car.. except it doesn't have an LS7 in it according to the dealer. It's missing it's dry sump and it sits slightly tilted in the engine bay. They have it advertised at 6.2L but on the phone the guy didn't even sound like he knew what it was at all. Who knows if it's an LS2 an LS3.... or a Vortec (I haven't seen it yet). Thing could have 200,000 miles on it for all I know. That being said it's definitely a Hertz yellow Z06 chassis with 65K on it. I want to test drive as many as I can and the dealer seems very eager for the sale (he was haggling himself down on the phone, lol) so I think I'm going to go check it out regardless.

What would you pay for this thing? This former rental car that went boom and was reborn as a grandsport-ish thing?

Any way I can tell an LS3 from an LS2 (knowing the fuel rail covers are totally wrong)? It looks like an electronic throttle from the photos, which if I recall started on the LS3, but that could be part of the original LS7 (or a donor LS3) right? Also I'm not going to be able to get it out to look for a block stamp, or rip it apart to look at the head ports. Are there any other indicators? I assume I should check for oxidization to make sure it isn't a Vortec with an LS manifold? I could have a dry sump put in right, any idea for how much? Any tips for guessing at the engine millage (I know to check under the cap but that's it)?

919cw313

Hertz was renting Z06s in 2006? Didn't know that.

Regardless, I wouldn't be interested in this car for anything more than free.

LSgoBRRR

It's an '07 actually I got it wrong in the post.

sstonebreaker

Tells me all I need to know right there.

ClothSeats

If it's an original Z06 car, it would have an E as the 8th digit of the VIN which designates the LS7 engine.

ssg10587

Id test drive it then offer like maybe 5k if it actually drives well. That has a lot of red flags against it. Modifications with no history? Check. Rental car? Check. Clueless dealer eager to sell? Check.

I'm scared of this thing and I'm not even involved.

h8snow

Not sure but probably around $500 to have it towed to recycler. My cost to spend time messing with junk $1000. So looking at getting payed @$1500.00 to take it.

919cw313

Post a link for this beauty. I don't think anyone here is going to steal it from you.

LSgoBRRR

I mean just from the car fax you can tell they bought it at auction from another dealer (who probably dumped it cause they couldn't sell it). The dealer is going to have to eat it at the auction or move it some how. It's worth what, 18K as an engine-less chassis? He's got it listed for ~26k and maybe it's worth like 24K if I could prove it was an LS3 with a millage similar to the chassis mileage, setting a side a couple grand for a good shop to sort any mounting issues (and put in the sump while they are at it).

I guess I'm probably not expert enough to capitalize on this but "clueless dealer eager to sell" doesn't strike me as a negative.

LSgoBRRR

So I saw it listed on another site and it had a fleet tag + it's got the black strips on yellow. That doesn't show on the carfax though: https://www.pristineshowroom.com/det...vette/70252167

LSgoBRRR

Correct, I don't think there was any reason to assume the chassis is anything but a Z06. Someone replaced the engine after a valve guide totaled it (most likely) and got one over on a dealer who got one over on the auction house and this guy probably got some partial compensation from the auction house and is trying to move the car as is.

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racerx3317

I rented a couple vettes from Hertz in Florida in 07 and 08. I'm pretty certain Hertz didn't rent Z06s. They didn't order cars with factory nav, they usually installed their own piggy back system and used the non nav radio in all three cars I rented back then.

MysteryMob

So, this is the "Z06" that I actually sent them an email about in regards to it having the LS7 removed for some random engine thrown in. It was actually priced at almost double this, but it looks like they found all the horrors and dropped the price.
Either way, expect it to have the cheapest engine possible in it, maybe a 5.3 or 4.8L iron block. And probably not even done right.

LSgoBRRR

DOUBLE? lol, even with the LS7 it's worth like $32K tops, they must be deep underwater. Easy to spot an Iron block at least, LS1 would be sneakier.

MysteryMob

Sorry, I remembered incorrectly. I think it was in the high 30s. Either way, they took a huge loss on the car after finding out about a previous owner's antics.

Dano523

Walk away, since Z06 without the LS7, has no resale value to it to begin with, and god only knows the condition of the replacement motor/ other non OEM crap to get it to work with the ECM.

As the car sits now without a LS7 in it, it's worth about 15K at most, even with the car having a clean title.

jbc1995fb

Isn’t it ironic that this car is for sale at a dealership called “Pristine “! Lol couldn’t be further from the truth.

FAUEE

It could be an l92... Or hell, it could be a 5.3 or 4.8. Wouldn't be the first one of these to have parts of a truck motor swapped in...

KevDude

Exactly This.

old motorhead

If it's an LS3, it will have 821 stamped on a flat pad on the front of the cylinder head. 243 or 799 if it's an LS2. Iron block means it came from a truck. I wouldn't be too scared of this if it drives right and can be had reasonably. Iron block would knock the price WAY down. Take a magnet with you if you go look at it.