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My name is Paul, 64 years old, and like a lot of guys my age always have had an interest in muscle cars. Owned the '69 firebird 400, Impala convertible 454, and a Camaro Z28 back in another life.
My daily driver is currently a pristine Jeep Wrangler Sahara JK, which I considered trading in on a new 2023 Challenger 6.4. but I like the Jeep and I realized there's a lot of Corvettes in what appears to be pretty great condition, at a similar cost ($25k-$30k) to trading in, and I can keep the Jeep as a winter/bad weather/errand car.
Right now I'm looking at Corvettes in the Chicago area ranging from 1996 to 2008 models, although I'm leaning towards 05-08. My primary criteria is how close to "perfect" they are rather than any particular model, engine, color, or top type. I'm also I'm pretty set on an automatic transmission, but for the right car I could be talked into manual. (Partially because I assume manuals are much cheaper to repair if need be?)
Any tips on this whole process.... buying, model preferences, things to look out for,, good and bad dealers that specialize in Vettes.... etc. are greatly appreciated. I have seen and owned cars that have had work done under the Carfax radar, so I'm not putting a ton of stock into Carfax reports.
I have a 78 and a 2012. They are the 3rd and 4 th vettes I have owned. If you are mechanically inclined and don’t plan on using the car a lot look at a C3. But if you want a fun car with as much power as you could use go for a C6. I got mine 2 or 3 years ago for $30k with 50k miles on it. It was taken care of with dealer service records to show it. One of the best cars I have owned. Can take long road trip without worrying ….much.
I have been driving Corvettes since 1978 and between me and my wife we have owned 14. The C6 and C5 are the best performing, easiest to work on and most reliable generation Corvettes we've owned. I would buy a car from a private seller who is a car guy and can provide a maintenance history.
There is a post on 12/16/2023 by someone doing about what you are. It has 65 replies and should cover it pretty well. One of the main things I would say is consider the tires. They are not cheap and you will want good ones since there is no spare. Good luck in your search.
Spend time on here looking around, you can learn a lot. For my 1st vette I chose a lower mile, 1 owner, dealer serviced, reasonably priced '05. I kept it for about 3 years, learned a lot about the C6 during that time, sold it for close to what I paid for it. My 427 is a keeper for a long time but that first vette let me get my feet wet and learn what I really wanted in a Corvette. Good luck with your search, most will tell you to buy the newest, lowest mile, least molested car you can afford.
The C6 platform is likely the most desired and very reliable. The rule of thumb is to buy the newest model within your price range. You want an Auto, so I would suggest a 2006 and up, since the 2005 had a 4 speed auto from the C5 format. The 2006 and up have a 6-speed auto with paddle shifters if you want to use those.
I purchased my 2006 Auto in 2009 with approx 10K miles, and now have 124K miles on the clock. I use the paddles more often than not, once I did the mod to have 1 paddle for upshift, and the other for downshift. (easy DIY) I have not had any issues to speak of with the 2006.
Each year, there were improvements, either interior, or add on like the LS3 in 2008 from the LS2 of 2005-2007. Beefed up rear diff from 2005 to 2006, etc etc.
Since you are in Chicago check out D&M Motorsports. They carry high end cars and specialize in corvettes. It is family owned and where I purchased my car and had it shipped to Arkansas. One of the best buying experiences I have ever had.
Since you said automatic from '05 to '08, you might as well start w/ an '08 to get the LS3 engine. Now all of the LS2 owners will chime in saying the LS2 is great, (and I don't disagree). But if you're about to buy a car why not get one that had the 40 Hp increase.
I would say if $30k is your upper end on the budget, look at Autotrader and see what's available to you in a radius.
The other thing I would suggest is to not rush. Identify what you want and then look and wait for it. Don't buy the first 1 you see unless it checks the boxes.
I've been fortunate enough to own a lot of Corvettes during almost all of my adult driving life extending form numerous 1962's to the 2007 I own now. I try to select base cars with lower mileage, good histories and the equipment my wife and I want. I am close to 80 years old and I hear a lot of older folks having trouble getting in and out. Your budget should buy a very decent 2005-2008. The C5's ending in 2004 are starting to have some problems getting some parts. The C6's stating in 2005 have a four speed automatic transmission. 2006 is the start of the six speed automatic. 2008 is the beginning of the slightly better V-8. I do think these are tricky cars to buy . Some of them have been wrecked and some have been beaten on most of their lives and you want to avoid all of these. The comfort and performance of the C6 is a significant improvement over previous models. Though I love the 1962 and many of the later models, they don't compare with the C6. I'm in S/W Illinois. PM me if you want to chat on the phone. Gene
I guess you’ve done some research on what’s available and maybe your budget is absolutely fixed. Maybe not. It’s been about 7 years since I started looking seriously for a C6 with a price in mind but then about 6 month's later a 2011 Grand Sport caught my attention and when I went to look at it, the budget went out the window. It’s not that I couldn’t afford the 33% or so increase, it just wasn’t what I had considered paying at any point until then. In any case I bought it then and there and have never looked back (except in the rear view mirror). And the GS gives nice braking and suspension upgrades over the base models. I’d be kicking myself now if I hadn’t gone the wide body route.
I guess you’ve done some research on what’s available and maybe your budget is absolutely fixed. Maybe not. It’s been about 7 years since I started looking seriously for a C6 with a price in mind but then about 6 month's later a 2011 Grand Sport caught my attention and when I went to look at it, the budget went out the window. It’s not that I couldn’t afford the 33% or so increase, it just wasn’t what I had considered paying at any point until then. In any case I bought it then and there and have never looked back (except in the rear view mirror). And the GS gives nice braking and suspension upgrades over the base models. I’d be kicking myself now if I hadn’t gone the wide body route.
No doubt.
Not sure if the OP can swing it, but for sure he should consider the 2010+ GS. The wide body is sexy.
So far I'm looking on most of the major websites, autotrader, cars.com, CarGurus etc. really the most appealing one so far are the 06-08 models that I've seen, so it looks like I'm on a good track there. The whole reason I'm getting a Corvette to begin with is that I'm looking at a little bit of a financial windfall in a couple months, but not sure on the exact amount, and the first priority is to get my wife a new SUV.. I'm sure there's going to be a lot of turnover in the market by then.
Since I'm not the most mechanically inclined guy, I may hire my mechanic or something like Lemon squad to review my pick before I it purchase as well
There are a few places in the Chicago area that specialize in Corvettes I've been looking at including D&M Corvettes. Also St Charles Motorsports, Bill Kay classic motorcars, among a few others. I think D&M has been around since I was a kid, I grew up just a few miles from their shop. Right now they have a gorgeous 1996 collector's edition with only 14,000 miles on it. Don't know if I want to go that far back in the time machine though.
In a perfect world I'd rather buy from a private party, but given the abuse potential for Corvettes I'd hate to get stung with no recourse. I know dealers aren't going to be a lot of help either, but at least they have some concern about their reputation.
Thanks again for the tips! I'll probably be asking for more advice once I get to the purchase point and the field narrowed down.
Looks like you have gotten some GREAT insight. Use that any extra knowledge that you can glean and then track various C6s for sale with differing interiors, body styles, and mileages. Knowledge and patience will be your friend, but if you find one that checks your boxes, don’t dawdle. Ask me how I know about that!
Happy hunting.
Taking your time and being careful is great advice. There is always another one around somewhere just as good. So is help by someone who knows these cars. However be aware that right now you are in the slow market time. Corvette prices are somewhat seasonal. As we get closer to Spring, Corvettes do not normally get cheaper or stay the same price. If you drive a '96 and a C6 this will cure any interest in a '96. (No offense meant to you '96 guys) I enjoyed that model when I had one but there is no comparison to the later cars. There was a nice low miles 2013 GS at the Chev dealer in Wheeling. I personally prefer the base car to the GS but would have looked at that one because of the color combo but it was not optioned the way we needed. It is no longer listed as of a week or so ago. I think it was around $31,500 with about 31K miles. I was surprised it stayed there as long as it did.
I’m new to the C6 but just picked one up recently so I’m familiar with the search. There are low mileage cars out there so be patient and get what you want. I used cars.com and cargurus.com primarily for my search. Be picky on the transmission, convertible or coupe, LT1-4 packages, Z06, GS or base, color etc. In my search I was firm on the LS3, LT3, base, black on black, coupe unmolested with low miles. I was open to either manual or automatic. I got exactly what I wanted….had 14000 miles. I paid about 2 K more than I should have but that’s ok. As far as where to buy it…I chose a reputable dealership just for the ease of the transaction (tags, title, taxes). Plus if I found anything minor wrong with it, they could fix it right there before I bought it. So find the right car on paper, find a reputable dealership or private seller, be patient and it’ll happen.
I would also vote for the C6. Solid as a rock and reliable...better interior as well than prior models. I love my 2008 (LS3 first year). Actually for the 16 years I have had it, it is easily the most reliable car I have ever owned. You need to find a person who has had one since new, treats it like family, kept it in a garage and has kept the mileage down. Someone moving to a newer model or that has decided to let it go due to old man time. Good luck!
My 2 cents - get an ‘08 for the LS3. Also, check out AutoTempest.com for searching. You can search all of the major sites in one place. That’s where I found my GS.
12-31-2023, 02:32 PM
Looking for my first Vette
