nc_c5

A friend of mine is in the market for a Corvette. He found a 2006 Z06 with 24 miles at a reputable dealer. The price is reasonable. The car has bought new, and the owner immediately stored it. He never drove it. He recently traded the car for a 2014.

Carfax backs up the history of the car.

My question is, if this car has been sitting since it was new, would it be risky, from a mechanical perspective, to buy this car?

Cars are made to be driven, not kept in storage. Having said this, my friend realizes he probably never will have another opportunity to buy a used car that is basically a new car.

All opinions/suggestions are welcome.

Unreal

Honestly, I wouldn't buy it unless he plans to do the same. I've seen more issues with cars like this than low mile well taken care of cars. Tires rotted/flat spot, valve springs weak/break, seals dried out/cracked. I wouldn't buy a car that has less than 500-600 miles a year on it but that is my opinion.

Wndotintman

with this guy.

Z06 Steve

only if he got a bumper to bumper extended warrantee thrown in with the deal

spy2520

Sitting is not good for cars.

hiznhrz

I generally agree with the posts above but here's another perspective. I have only bought used, low mileage (generally less than 5K miles) and have never had a problem. In each case, when I get the car I change all fluids and filters and then do it again 3K miles later. After that, it's been business as usual. I'm no expert but just stating my experience. In one case, with a ZR-1, I have to have the injectors cleaned before I could get the car to idle smoothly. With my 2006 ZO6, the clutch fluid was very black when I bought the car. I had to change the fluid several times before it began to stay an amber color for a reasonable period of time. Perhaps I've just been lucky.

- Purchased a 1971 Corvette with 11K miles in 1980.
- Purchased a 1987 Corvette with 3K miles in 1991.
- Purchased a 1987 Corvette with 4.5K miles in 1994.
- Purchased a 1991 ZR-1 with 3K miles in 1995.
- Purchased a 1991 ZR-1 with 1.8K miles in 1998.
- Purchased a 2005 Z51 with 5K miles in 2007.
- Purchased a 2006 Z06 with 11K miles in 2012.

Mr. Gizmo

I agree -- the cars i would worry more about is one driven 30 or 40k miles then it sits 5 or 10 years with very little or no use.

For something with this low a mileage, the prospective buyer should see if he can get a warranty for it.

There were a few recalls such as roof delamination. So those recalls should be checked out and immediately performed.

Question for the OP, what is the reasonable price this reputable dealer is asking for this 2006 z06 with 24 miles

3LZZ06

45K max price with "at least" a full 1 year warranty would be reasonable.

If no warranty available then 40K-ish for the car...and of course monitor the heads.

RedZ4me

24 miles or 24k??? If 24, what a dummy, what a waste......depreciates with no enjoyment

sublime1996525

If it only has 24 miles on it I would walk away. There could be lots of dry rot issues with the seals and gaskets. I understand hiznhrz has had good luck with low mile cars but 24 miles is extreme.

nc_c5

$48,995

nc_c5

My friend looked at it last weekend. I was wrong when I said it has 24 miles.

Someone test drove the car. It now has 30 miles on it.

I have been racking my brain trying to figure out why someone would buy this car and never drive it. It makes no sense to me.

Too-Fast

Some people want to buy things just to possess them and admire them, nothing wrong with that really, just a different perspective. My brother owns a 2003 Z06 with 95 miles on it. He takes it out once a year, drives it around the cul-de-sac and puts it away...absolutely no issues with the car.

Chonger

You are basically looking at purchasing a new car w/out a warranty. Time is also a factor in wear although no where near actual mileage.

If so the first thing I would do is replace every single fluid in the car as well as any belts and hoses.

pkincy

At $39,000 it seems like a buy and worth the trouble. Modern seals, gaskets and rubber hoses are a lot better then they were 40 years ago.

At $49,000 find a 09 with low miles and enjoy.

Having said that, my collector cars are driven at least 30-40 miles/month to get the fluids hot and keep the gas from going bad.

Bill Dearborn

Old low mile cars are a risk for two reasons.

First, they are still in the infant mortality portion of their life cycle. That means they have a higher risk of failing. That is the reason why all new cars come with a warranty.

Somebody mentioned he purchased low mile cars all the time and changed the fluids. A car has a lot more things that can go wrong with it than mechanical items and the parts cost to replace them can be quite high let alone whatever labor charges might accrue. Electronic modules can have cold solder joints, contact corrosion, poor connections inside the chips that connect the silicon to the outside world, etc, etc. GM and all other auto manufacturers cover that stuff with the B2B warranty. Would anybody on this forum walk into a dealership and buy a new car without a warranty? Not, if they weren't candidates for a mental hospital.

Here is a link to an overview of the reliability of products: http://www.weibull.com/hotwire/issue21/hottopics21.htm ; http://www.weibull.com/hotwire/issue22/hottopics22.htm

Second, once a car has been sitting for that long there are things that can go wrong in the drive train. A lot of critical parts in the power train are made from metals that corrode. How was the car stored? Did it see a lot of humidity. Water vapor can easily get into places where you might not expect it due to the expansion and contraction of the air as temperature changes. Seals can go bad due to not being lubricated on a continual basis, gasoline sitting around for a long time can form into a sludge that blocks fuel passages in injectors and pumps. Fuel preservatives only last about 6 months so if the car sat in one place for several years there could be some issues. There probably is some sludge at the bottoms of the two gas tanks.

You only buy a car like that at a significant discount. I would prefer to buy one with 20-40K miles on it Vs 24.

Bill

MattZ28

I'd look for an 09 with low mileage as the others have mentioned.

hiznhrz

I'd buy it in a heartbeat. If you were really lucky, you've found it at a dealership who is or has access to a Chevrolet dealer. Then you'd be able to buy it as Certified Previously Owned.

A number of people have made good points as to why you should not buy it. I agree there are risks buying an 8 year old new car and I sure don't mean to suggest otherwise. If a 2006 ZO6 is what you are looking for and you like the car and it runs well today, then, for me, it would be a risk worth taking.

I'd buy it, enjoy the heck out of it for about 10K miles, and then replace the valve guides. Another risk, for me, worth taking...

3LZZ06

Walk away from that "deal", $49K is way too much for an 8 year old unproven Z.

1320IN9

i would buy that car all day long, i have owned many low mile cars that have been stored with no issues, in fact my current car 06 zo6 has just a mere 3,900 miles on it, with 24 miles aside from doing an oil change and replacing the tires i bet that car is perfect in every way.. just get them down on the price a little bit, a list of some of my "low mile stored cars with NO issues"

1989 turbo trans am-5200 orig miles
1996 camaro ss 6k orig miles
1990 eagle talon AWD turbo 23k orig then parked stored for 15 yrs
03 ZO6 50th annv 952 orig miles


i only buy low mile cars but thats just me, i wont buy a car with more than 7k on the clock, but i would be all over that car if i were in the market