Need Advice: Trade in Z06 on GTO?
08-08-2007, 04:41 PM
#1
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
Need Advice: Trade in Z06 on GTO?
Well, I am contimplating trading in my 2001 Z06 (52,500 miles) and purchasing a 2005-2006 Pontiac GTO. Here is the reasons...
1. My wife and I are finishing up classes to adopt a child. We are looking at adopting a child between 6 - 12 years old.
2. We don't own a 4 door car (my wife's car will be the 4 door).
3. Looking at trading in the Z06 and her Ford Escort ZX2 on two cars and working on keeping the payments of both equal to the Z06 payment. (owe around 11.8k on the Z06, ZX2 is paid off)
4. Z06 is going to need some work...AC has started to not hold a charge for more than a week, right rear axle has a popping sound occasionally, slight leak on rear end. Figure it is going to run me $4k or so to repair.
So, with all of the reasons that I am thinking about, I then started to think about what car I would want to replace the Z06. The only one I can really think of that I like, that offers similar performance that has a back seat in the price range I want to be in is the GTO. Has anyone gone from a Z06 or Corvette to a GTO? What did you miss about the Corvette and what did you gain in the GTO? What about the other direction (GTO to Vette)? Same questions? Any other input? Thanks!!
1. My wife and I are finishing up classes to adopt a child. We are looking at adopting a child between 6 - 12 years old.
2. We don't own a 4 door car (my wife's car will be the 4 door).
3. Looking at trading in the Z06 and her Ford Escort ZX2 on two cars and working on keeping the payments of both equal to the Z06 payment. (owe around 11.8k on the Z06, ZX2 is paid off)
4. Z06 is going to need some work...AC has started to not hold a charge for more than a week, right rear axle has a popping sound occasionally, slight leak on rear end. Figure it is going to run me $4k or so to repair.
So, with all of the reasons that I am thinking about, I then started to think about what car I would want to replace the Z06. The only one I can really think of that I like, that offers similar performance that has a back seat in the price range I want to be in is the GTO. Has anyone gone from a Z06 or Corvette to a GTO? What did you miss about the Corvette and what did you gain in the GTO? What about the other direction (GTO to Vette)? Same questions? Any other input? Thanks!!
08-08-2007, 05:05 PM
#3
Burning Brakes
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Before I bought my '02 Z06, I was SET to buy a GTO. Drove one a few times at dealers and just didn't like the shifter (6sp), I kept hitting my head on the roof when getting out, and was unsure about resale value.
You're in luck with regard to resale value - there isn't much! Many parts have to be shipped from Oz so keep that in mind if you need service. I still like the car and I think it's a decent value if bought at the right price (with an automatic!), and no one will look twice at you (which could be good or bad, depending...).
If you're not a GM diehard, you might want to consider a used Hemi Magnum/Charger - they have much more room up front, and a much more useful back seat and trunk. A Mustang GT has a back seat not all that different from a GTO and can be had pretty cheap. A nice used car buy is the Cadillac CTS. My folks have one and I have driven it. It won't have the ***** you're used to, but can certainly get out of it's own way and drives very nice. Last idea, find a low mileage '02 T/A or Z28 and you sort of get a back seat with it, plus you still have an LS engine!
Just throwing out some suggestions!
You're in luck with regard to resale value - there isn't much! Many parts have to be shipped from Oz so keep that in mind if you need service. I still like the car and I think it's a decent value if bought at the right price (with an automatic!), and no one will look twice at you (which could be good or bad, depending...).
If you're not a GM diehard, you might want to consider a used Hemi Magnum/Charger - they have much more room up front, and a much more useful back seat and trunk. A Mustang GT has a back seat not all that different from a GTO and can be had pretty cheap. A nice used car buy is the Cadillac CTS. My folks have one and I have driven it. It won't have the ***** you're used to, but can certainly get out of it's own way and drives very nice. Last idea, find a low mileage '02 T/A or Z28 and you sort of get a back seat with it, plus you still have an LS engine!
Just throwing out some suggestions!
08-08-2007, 05:18 PM
#4
Racer
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Sad to hear you getting rid of the vette, but I'm glad to hear your going to adpot a child.
Their are allot of kids that need good homes. My opinion on the car swap. The GTO is just to small, back seat will be a death sentance for the choosen one.
If it were me I would look at the Dodge Charger SRT 8.
It has way more room with 425hp and in the same price range..
My 2 cents,
Their are allot of kids that need good homes. My opinion on the car swap. The GTO is just to small, back seat will be a death sentance for the choosen one. If it were me I would look at the Dodge Charger SRT 8. It has way more room with 425hp and in the same price range..
My 2 cents,
08-08-2007, 08:26 PM
#5
Le Mans Master
I went from a 2005 C6 Corvette to a 2005 GTO..............then to a 2006C6 A6 and then to a C6 Z06............
The GTO was Black with Red interior and had a 6 speed. I traded in the Artic White 2005 C6 due to the crank bolt issue, mine fell out at 2,000 miles at 70 MPH on I-4......and I was Pissed Off!
The 2005 GTO is absolutely an awesome vehicle.............but delivers, at best, 19 MPG. When stopping hard the nose dips a bit, and in a tight corner, you have a slight "body roll".
However, I wish I still had her. Fit and finish............. way above a Corvettes, except for the 2007 Corvette.
Do not let ANYONE tell you the back seats are terrible...........they are not..........but a bit tough to get into. However, once one is settled in, their comfortable! Trust me, the first thing I did, prior to purchase, was to get in the rear seats!
You won't go wrong with a 2005/2006 purchase................try and find one for sale. You should be able to find a good one for around
$20K...............good luck!
If you feel the need to discuss this issue further, call me at work....
(863) 802-1971......Lakeland, FL
The GTO was Black with Red interior and had a 6 speed. I traded in the Artic White 2005 C6 due to the crank bolt issue, mine fell out at 2,000 miles at 70 MPH on I-4......and I was Pissed Off!
The 2005 GTO is absolutely an awesome vehicle.............but delivers, at best, 19 MPG. When stopping hard the nose dips a bit, and in a tight corner, you have a slight "body roll".
However, I wish I still had her. Fit and finish............. way above a Corvettes, except for the 2007 Corvette.
Do not let ANYONE tell you the back seats are terrible...........they are not..........but a bit tough to get into. However, once one is settled in, their comfortable! Trust me, the first thing I did, prior to purchase, was to get in the rear seats!
You won't go wrong with a 2005/2006 purchase................try and find one for sale. You should be able to find a good one for around
$20K...............good luck!
If you feel the need to discuss this issue further, call me at work....
(863) 802-1971......Lakeland, FL
08-08-2007, 09:04 PM
#6
Le Mans Master
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$4k in repairs? Bring it in, we will diagnose it fo free & I am willing to bet it will be a fraction of that to have good as new. We are a full service AC shop as well as Vette specialists. 813-628-0080
We have a few Lakeworth cars in the shop right now!
813-628-0080 We have a few Lakeworth cars in the shop right now!
08-08-2007, 10:20 PM
#7
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
I know that the rear axle and a new clutch (might as well replace as I toasted it pretty bad out at the track one night) need to be replaced...$ 2,100 for that. With the rear out, the leak is just permatex used between two pieces of metal. AC repairs are a guess at $ 2,000. Just put in some stopleak and charged with 2 cans of R134a. We will see how long it stays sealed. So far, so good, but it has only been a couple hours. We will see how it is when I leave for home after work tomorrow. I am still debating on doing this. As for the Charger, my wife is interested in one of those (with a Hemi). I just can't see myself in a 4 door. I just need to have 4 seats and would love to have the LS2 motor. Not sure if I would bother with a 6 speed. Traffic is getting crappy down here in South Florida and with driving 35+ miles each way to work, having an automatic might be fine. As for losing my "play car", the nice thing is I have a 1986 Monte Carlo SS that I am restoring/modifying, that will be the weekend play car, with room for the 3 of us. This isn't set in stone, but is getting closer.
08-09-2007, 07:43 AM
#8
Le Mans Master
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I know that the rear axle and a new clutch (might as well replace as I toasted it pretty bad out at the track one night) need to be replaced...$ 2,100 for that. With the rear out, the leak is just permatex used between two pieces of metal. AC repairs are a guess at $ 2,000. Just put in some stopleak and charged with 2 cans of R134a. We will see how long it stays sealed. So far, so good, but it has only been a couple hours. We will see how it is when I leave for home after work tomorrow. I am still debating on doing this. As for the Charger, my wife is interested in one of those (with a Hemi). I just can't see myself in a 4 door. I just need to have 4 seats and would love to have the LS2 motor. Not sure if I would bother with a 6 speed. Traffic is getting crappy down here in South Florida and with driving 35+ miles each way to work, having an automatic might be fine. As for losing my "play car", the nice thing is I have a 1986 Monte Carlo SS that I am restoring/modifying, that will be the weekend play car, with room for the 3 of us. This isn't set in stone, but is getting closer.
Most AC repairs are far under $1,000 (stop leak does clog up the orfice tube leading to future problems) and a new DTE rear installed is only $1600 or so. I'd be willing to bet you can have the whole thing done for $2k or less.
08-10-2007, 04:18 PM
#10
Safety Car
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Kids grow fast. So unless you want to be upside down in a year or two, start looking at 4 doors. I know, I tried to do this in a Datsun 260Z 2+2 with a 6 y/o & a 1 y/o. Soon had to get the 4 door but kept the Z. When the 1 y/o turned 19, he totalled it. 
DBD
DBD
08-10-2007, 07:39 PM
#11
Safety Car
I owned a highly modded GTO for two years and recently sold it and have an 08 vette on order. The GTO is a great car for the money, loved driving it, considered it a 4 door vette, well almost.
The positives, good gas mileage, my car was making 512 at the rear tires with 24mpg on the highway, but only 12/13 mpg in the city. Very nice interior, quality above average, seats both front and rear are very comfortable, zero warranty work in two years, its overall quality was above average, fun to drive and great performance for the money even before I modded it, because of resale value should be able to purchase one used at a good price.
Now for the negatives, small trunk, terrible shifter, many GTO's with strut issues, zero resale value, car has been discontinued, will be only a matter of time before parts will be an issue, very difficult getting in and out of back seat, both the driver and front passenger have little head room and its difficult getting in and out without hitting your head (I am 5' 9"), pedals too far apart, two piece drive shaft, almost impossible to see out of the back due to the rear wings location, and in my opinion they are ugly.
The positives, good gas mileage, my car was making 512 at the rear tires with 24mpg on the highway, but only 12/13 mpg in the city. Very nice interior, quality above average, seats both front and rear are very comfortable, zero warranty work in two years, its overall quality was above average, fun to drive and great performance for the money even before I modded it, because of resale value should be able to purchase one used at a good price.
Now for the negatives, small trunk, terrible shifter, many GTO's with strut issues, zero resale value, car has been discontinued, will be only a matter of time before parts will be an issue, very difficult getting in and out of back seat, both the driver and front passenger have little head room and its difficult getting in and out without hitting your head (I am 5' 9"), pedals too far apart, two piece drive shaft, almost impossible to see out of the back due to the rear wings location, and in my opinion they are ugly.
08-12-2007, 08:27 AM
#12
Race Director
I went from a mildly modded 04 GTO to my 02Z. I think that the GTO would be a good car to have with a 6yr. old or so child. The back seat is a pain to get in to, but once you are in, it is surprisingly comfortable. I regularly carried 4 average sized people around with no complaints (once they were in). The shifter sucks! However, after I put in a B&M for about $200 and an hour worth of easy work it wasn't bad at all. For what it is, it is very fast. You can't compare it to a Vette, but it will wipe any similar sized coupe off the street. The interior is simply phenominal. Going to the Vette was a huge disapointment for me when it came to the interior. I regularly went on 10-12 hour drives in the GTO and I can say that without a doubt it was the most comfortable car I have been in. It has the LS1/LS2 depending on what year which we all know are good engines. If you are buying used, any of the known factory issues like struts, electrical gremlins, the infamous thunk in the trunk of the 2004s should already been known.
My answer is that for the money, there isn't a better coupe out there. If you like it, GET IT! Don't expect the Vette, but they are very nice cars. If Pontiac had released them with any name other than GTO they would still be around and selling with force. Great car, terrible marketing.
My answer is that for the money, there isn't a better coupe out there. If you like it, GET IT! Don't expect the Vette, but they are very nice cars. If Pontiac had released them with any name other than GTO they would still be around and selling with force. Great car, terrible marketing.
08-12-2007, 08:35 AM
#13
Race Director
BTW... I wrecked my 04 because when the crisis situation came, I went to hit the brakes and missed. I put my big size 12 right between the gas and the brake pedal. I had driven it for 30,000 miles and apparently never got used to the gap between the pedals. When I thought about it was no big deal, when it came time for instincts to take over... well... I ended up with an XTerra on the hood.
08-12-2007, 02:17 PM
#14
Drifting
I went from a mildly modded 04 GTO to my 02Z. I think that the GTO would be a good car to have with a 6yr. old or so child. The back seat is a pain to get in to, but once you are in, it is surprisingly comfortable. I regularly carried 4 average sized people around with no complaints (once they were in). The shifter sucks! However, after I put in a B&M for about $200 and an hour worth of easy work it wasn't bad at all. For what it is, it is very fast. You can't compare it to a Vette, but it will wipe any similar sized coupe off the street. The interior is simply phenominal. Going to the Vette was a huge disapointment for me when it came to the interior. I regularly went on 10-12 hour drives in the GTO and I can say that without a doubt it was the most comfortable car I have been in. It has the LS1/LS2 depending on what year which we all know are good engines. If you are buying used, any of the known factory issues like struts, electrical gremlins, the infamous thunk in the trunk of the 2004s should already been known.
My answer is that for the money, there isn't a better coupe out there. If you like it, GET IT! Don't expect the Vette, but they are very nice cars. If Pontiac had released them with any name other than GTO they would still be around and selling with force. Great car, terrible marketing.
My answer is that for the money, there isn't a better coupe out there. If you like it, GET IT! Don't expect the Vette, but they are very nice cars. If Pontiac had released them with any name other than GTO they would still be around and selling with force. Great car, terrible marketing.
I have an '04 GTO as well as an 2001 Vette and 2007 vette. Love the GTO is will destroy any other car in its class! Great interior and tons of rear seat room once ya get back there! Engines are easy to mod too!
08-12-2007, 03:34 PM
#15
Race Director
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2022 Corvette of the Year Finalist -- Modified
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We have a Pontiac dealer up here still trying to unload new 2006 GTO's. It might be worth a look. Lee Pontiac, Fort Walton Beach/Crestview.
