Joe aka - KODAK

Interesting reading these threads - it does seem that local dealers are looking for the no-knowedge customer that is willing to pay the extra $$$. Said to say there are a lot of them - maybe not now though.

I shopped the internet at every Dealer in the valley - about 25 of them and talked over the internet - most are full of Bull S - I live about 90 miles North of San Diego where I bought my 08 Z06 - 2LZ package - I had been watching my specific car for 4 months and talking with them about every 2 weeks - then I called on the 29th of the month and made an offer it took 30 minutes and I went down the next day - wrote a check and drove home. I was extremely happy with the deal.

Botton line is that you do have to shop around.

BubbaDuss

I would go with a Forum Dealer for a few reasons.

1) My local dealer didn't know how to setup a Museum Delivery. I was the first in over 4 years.

2) After they took 5 weeks to get the order in, I was pulling my hair out.

3) Ken Fitchner knew of my frustrations when he ran my order number that he does for us, awesome service, He and I got together over the phone, gave me a better deal then my local dealer and he had the order in and accepted after about 10 hours.

However, if you are doing an impulse buy, the local dealer is a little faster if they have what you want, but expect to pay more $$$.

Z06 RB

I have bought all my Corvettes new from a local dealer, Stonebriar Chevrolet, Frisco TX. I think you should give them a call.

slappy3347

I bought mine from a local dealer but I had a trade in. They had the exact car I wanted and I told them where I had to be to do the deal. After 3 hours of playing around they did the deal. If I had not had a trade I probably would have done museum delivery through a forum dealer.

gotjuice?

I purchased my 08 from a local dealer, San Antonio. It was cheaper than anyone else on the forum. I also had a trade, 04 base coupe. They gave me more than any 04 had sold thru the Mehiam action. I also work for a local GM dealership and purchased my new Vette from one of the competitors. What I don't understand is how another local dealership can sell to me for less than my own place of employment.
I had my 04 coupe for 50 months and I traded it for $7500.00 less than I paid, So there was no numbers game. I was also lucky enough to get GM zero percent financing. I love my Z.

mr.radon

I was a little unsure but went ahead after reading posts about other people who went this route (on-line dealer out of state)

Rick Conti with EVS in WI gave me the best deal...
I'm in WA and did R8C. No problem.

Had lots of problems with the local dealers. Too close to MicroSoft, they wanted 3K over MSRP!?!?! The dealer said he didn't have allotments and wanted to sell the Z06 he had in his lot.
I would do it again in a heart beat.

Squishy

Bought my Z06 from out of state.

I called and checked with the H-town local dealers (this was August and September so there were deals and financing a plenty). They would not budge off MSRP or even talk to me straight about the discounts that forum dealers and just about everything GM was dishing out. I searched around with other Texas dealers on a particular color Atomic Orange just to compare with other dealer prices across the nation (these be selling for 10k over msrp in California ... O'RLY why did the Cali dealer I see ads for sell for under msrp at invoice?).

I took that horrible customer service attitude and took my business out of state. I went with a broker service that helped me unload my prior DD trade and with a mild loss on trade in I walked away with my under employee invoice priced '09 2LZ Z06 w/ comp grey wheels.

Sadly Texas dealers are not the most trustworthy lot. They wonder why I have second thoughts about using them for service/warranty if I can't trust them buying.

jschindler

You can get great deals in Houston, but not if you don't work the dealers right. Naturally they are going to try to get the most they can.

If you are interested in a very slightly used Red 09 I can tell you where to find it. I am a very good friend of the guy who bought it, then sold it back to a dealer in the Houston area. It only has a few hundred miles on it. I haven't checked in the past couple of weeks to see if the dealer still has it, but there is a good chance they do. They also have a Gray one just like mine. I can help - I know the dealer very well.

If you are interested, send me a PM (click on my profile to the left to send a PM).

Nick 02 Z06

Another plug for Reliable. I didn't end up buying from a dealer but I spent 5 1/2 months shopping around dealerships on the internet, over the phone and I even flew to check out cars at dealerships while trying to find my C6 Z06. Reliable had their $hit together from the moment I started talking to them. They had the lowest no BS, no extra fees to my door price of any dealership in the US and I searched everywhere. Call or email Reliable. They know you are an informed buyer and they don't try to hide anything.

hudsonsrule

I live in portland oregon. The local dealers were asking 20k over msrp & would not budge. I flew to chicago & picked it up for msrp. You do not have to pay msrp, but in 2006? The plane ticket was $324 a lot less then 20k. I had a local dealer call me for the next 6 months still trying to sell me there car at 20k over. I kept asking what he was smokeing because I needed some of that as there was no way I was paying 20k over. Even when I told them that I had bought another car they kept bugging me.

jcchevy

I live in Lake Jackson, TX. Purchased a new 07 coupe (Museum Delivery)and an O9 Z (2LZ), neither of them were purchased from local dealers. I tried really hard to give them my business but their prices were unrealistic relative to the market. The 07 was bought from Rick Daniel, The 09 Z was from Wes Milby at Reliable Chevrolet. Both dealers were excellent to work with. My Z was purchased in August at employee price and delivered to my front door. No hidden charges, the deal was the deal! There is probably a dealer in the Houston area that will deal (based on the current market) but my next purchase will be from a forum dealer. I LOVE MY Z!

RUN4CVR

Call Dave or Billy at Reliable Chevy in MO. Can't be beat.

Mrimpala02

I live in Houston on the Northwest side and none of the dealers in the area were close to the Forum dealers prices. So I went to a forum dealer Ross Downing in Hammond, LA. I got it for GMS but right now they are 2500 under GMS and they are all 2LZ models. It was a 5hr drive but well worth the drive. The drive back was a whole lot of fun, let me tell you!!!

BD Z06

I bought my last two Corvetes fromTommy, Jr. Great deals and only about three hours away from me.

HYPRACTV

Dealers are out to make money one way or another. If they aren't screwing you in the front office when you negotiate your deal they will sure try to stick it to you with an interest rate.

Yes, I know many folks on the forum pay cash and for that I congratulate. I hope to have the capacity some day as well.

For the rest of us, the best thing anyone can do is HOMEWORK! Bottom line! With the seemingly endless amount of data available on our cars your only hurting yourself by not going that extra mile before you set foot in the any dealer.

Case in point... I came home this evening with a 2008 JSB Z06 2LZ w/ Nav and HP wheels. Car was built 03/08. Stickered somewhere north of 78k. I paid just south of 55k. My wife and I went to check out the car on Friday, went back Monday and left a deposit. Before going back to finalize this evening I did one last 500 mile search on cars.com, autotrader.com, ebay, and carmax for comparison pricing.

It seems like you're doing the right thing by asking for advice and shopping around.

Best of luck!

kim.mitchell1

I just bought an '09 Cyber Grey 2LZ ZO6 in November from Don Hewlett Chevrolet in Georgetown, TX. I bought her when I came home on leave from Iraq. I got GM Supplier pricing (about $8,000 under MSRP) and they paid more than anyone else would on my '06 VY C6 Coupe. These guys were awesome. First class all the way. Talk to Mike Stephens, he's one of their internet dealers, and tell him that Kim Mitchell referred you. Georgetown is not too far of a haul from Houston and again these guys were very courteous. This was my easiest car purchase ever. Give him a call. Good luck and Merry Christmas.

Kim

lnsaneM

I bought mine at Wiscounsin from Rick... Great dealer. I live in the Houston Texas area as well...

dfinke23

I bought mine from a local dealer. I shopped with the forum dealers but he had the best deal.
Lucky, I guess.

jschindler

I'm going to reiterate what I said earlier. Deals can be made in Houston. I personally know of four Z06s that got bought below invoice.

What's happening is that the "forum dealers" are advertising super low prices to poach on other markets. It's like free money for them. So rather than spending the time to negotiate at local dealers, people give up too quickly and just assume that you can't get those kinds of prices.

I'd bet money that lots of folks who live close to those forum dealers walk in and talk to whatever salesman is "up" and they get treated just like any other shmoe - they get a high ball price - not the internet price that are advertised here on the forum.

Don't get me wrong, I hate the negotiating process myself and I've been known to do the same thing on a motorcycle. And I'm fortunate to have a relationship with a Houston dealer where I don't go through all the haggling. But I'm just saying it can be done if you are willing on working at it.

devlishc6

I'm sure that negotiating can be done, it's just somewhat discouraging to see what happened in other instances. My father was wanting to purchase a new 2010 camaro, so naturally I went to place a deposit on one and order it on the spot. When i got there, the salesman went to his "boss" and came back with some funny news. They were demanding a 2000.00 non-refundable deposit, (illegal in Texas) and was claiming that the car would be sold for 6k dollars above MSRP. This was at Mac Haik Chevrolet here in Houston. I walked out without saying a word, thinking how ridiculous they looked. I drove a few miles to another dealership and paid the standard 500 dollar deposit and got locked in at msrp when the vehicle rolls in. I might try speaking to a few dealerships about getting a deal on an 09 on the lot. I'll walk in there with a blank check to let them know i'm serious. However, as always, I have a feeling that I won't get anything accomplished. At any rate, if all else fails, i'll get back with some of the out of state dealers i've spoken with in the last few days. I want to thank everyone in this thread for their helpful information, and I hope to lock in my deal for a new zo6 soon. I'll let everyone know how it turns out