Apr 27, 2018
47
116
London ON
VetteCoins
982
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99 Navy Metallic
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ON
Hi Everyone.
Brand new to the forum and looking for some help on an 05C6 that I test drove last night.

Let me start by saying I have wanted a Corvette FOREVER, and the stars have finally aligned and I'm in a position to do it.

In Grade 7, I got a History of Corvettes book as a gift and 32yrs later, I still have it. Funny looking at it now with the C4 as the latest model.

Anyway, to the matter at hand. Last night's test drive was an 05 base coupe with 167000kms. Looks fantastic inside and out. Slight tinny sounding rattle in the rear end for a few seconds at idle (sounds like a loose heat-shield or something), brakes look decent, so do tires. Corsa exhaust, Nav, HUD.

Current owner is 2nd, says he's put 8000kms on in 2rs, so the first guy must have driven it A LOT.

No service history, and wants $23000 cert.

Looking to those more knowledgeable than I to weigh in on price.

This car is everything I want, at a price i can afford, but I'm not looking to get hosed. Took everything in me not to hand him the cash on the spot!
 
Long live the dream. Welcome to the forum and best of luck with your search.

My only issue would be the milage. Seems high for a car of that vintage but perhaps not. My concern would be lack of mechanical maintenance records.

Lots of cars for sale, don't let your heart get in the way of your cash.:Biggrin: Have a mechanic inspect the car if you have any concerns.

Best of luck to you.:thumbs:
 
I agree with Black Z06. I would add the following: check the VIN with a carproof report. It will show the kilometers of the car when the title was transferred.

A 30$ well invested and available online.

Finally go to your local GM dealership and ask them for a quick history report of repairs. You’ll see the maintenance of the car (at a GM dealership) and warranty repairs + outstanding recalls. All with kilometers at time of repairs.

IMO, the second owner did not do 8000km... no way.
 
FI....
the 2005 models have known rear-end issues.
Check out some Corvette forums for more details.
That is a lot of kms....there are plenty of Corvettes out there with less.
Your price range would get you a ‘minty’ C5..possible even a low-mile C5-Z06.
I would think other C6s can be found in your price range with less mileage.
Don’t let the first Corvette fool ya. They are all nice..
Go look at other Corvettes , that one ain’t moving anywhere at that price.
A lot of the fun is the hunt for the right car.

Good luck.
Graham
 
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Well... I gave my twenty-two cents worth in your other post so will just paste it here...l

Hello FightingIrish and welcome to the forum. Can't understand how you could get hooked on a Corvette after just a test drive... Ok... that was a joke....
In response to your question, that is a pretty top dollar for a base 2005 with that mileage (even if it is spring and the sun is shining). Derek is correct, that's a lot of miles and although the LS2 is a good engine, and the car maybe has been very well maintained, that car is likely getting on it's way to needing some high miles maintenance which could cost a chunk of change. I'm guessing the previous owner also recognizes this and that's why it's on the market.
That price point would be fairer for that car with 80,000 km on it. At the very least, if you are totally in love with this particular car, spend a few hundred first and have a very comprehensive mechanical inspection done, especially looking for items that will pass a safety but are showing signs of wear and will likely need attention soon. Engine (is it noisy on cold start (ticking or bottom end noise); puffs of blue exhaust on acceleration or deacceleration, especially under compression load; front end and steering components; tranny (if it's an auto) drop the pan and look for metal chunks and filings; hows the tranny fluid and engine oil smell... burnt smell... nasty colour? ; manual tranny...does it shift smooth, hits the gears without any roughness or noise, clutch pedal is firm and engages/disengages near the midpoint of travel; drive shaft or rear end play.... does it clunk going from forward to reverse...etc. etc.....

And as Derek also mentioned, look at and drive a few.... There's a lot of Corvettes in your region...

Good luck and we can't wait to see what you buy... remember... we want pictures .... :thumbs:
 
I owned an 05, nice car. Look for the Z51 package for sure. Move one year newer and you get the newer style steering wheel with some controls. I liked the 6 speed manual, don't know what the 4 speed auto is like back then but probs related to the 700R-4 which isn't the sportiest transmission.
I agree with everyone here, far too many k's and the price seems high. Check the driver's seat bolsters for wear. Look around, there are plenty of low mileage machines out there. Better to spend a bit extra for low Ks than have to spend on repairs.
 
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At this price you can have a 67k km in Toronto
2005 Corvette C6 Convertible Black on black leather Fully Loaded ...Automatic, AC, Leather, CD, Heads up display, Navigation Runs and Drives great Excellent condition inside and out US vehicle from South Carolina 42,600 miles Aftermarket exhaust, (see pic 16) Vehicle has a Rebuilt title due rear bumper replaced. NO Structural damage. NO airbag deployment. Very light damage prior to repair. Other than rear bumper the rest of the car is original and super clean!! Picture of Damage and prior to repair is the last picture in the ad (pic 20) Excellent condition inside and out Runs and drives like new If you can live with the fact that the vehicle had the rear bumper replaced, you can save thousands of dollars!!! Comes fully Certified Get a jump on Spring $22,995 PLUS HST AND LICENCING
 
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See...this is everything the internet is supposed to be.
Great advice here folks, and thanks so much for being my voice of reason.
Great reminder that I don't have to buy any car until it's exactly the car I want.
Turns out this C6 probably isn't the right one for me, off to flirt with a '99 tomorrow morning...$2500 less and only 61000kms.
Whoever said the hunt was half the fun was absolutely right!
 
For sure you want to spend your money right. Very glad you are taking your time to find a car you can buy, drive and enjoy rather than immediately having to start working on it and finding out just how expensive high mile Corvettes can be to thighten up.

This is going to be a good summer for you. Hopefully you meet up with some fellow CCF guys from your area and enjoy some drives together.
We would be happy to see you and your new ride at MITM in Winnipeg in July.
 
I do not know if this is true but I have read somewhere that some parts could be difficult to get for pre 2002 C5. And as it it often mentioned on Corvette forum, latest C5 with lowest km your money can buy! Enjoy the hunt, Spring is around the corner!
Gil
 
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In 2012, we bought our 2005 six speed car. It had 21,440 km on the odometer. It was like new and the owner used Q'tips to clean the engine. You could eat off the car. It has just under 100K km on it now and we have no notion of selling it and zero problems. Black 03 Z06 is giving good advice. Check with a dealer about recalls and any maintenance records. Have a knowledgeable person go over it. Buy a salvaged vehicle and you are stuck with it.
 
I have a 2006 fully optioned car, including the Z51 performance option. I bought the car in 2009 when the economy tanked in the USA. I bought the car with 11K miles for just above $31K US, which was $1.05 Canadian at the time or Approx $32,500 Canadian. I flew into Ohio, and drove it back, and registered in the province.
That total on the road was approx. $38K Canadian.
I now have 146,000 KM's on it, and it has been an incredible car. I've had absolutely no electrical issues.
I replaced the water pump at approx. 50,000 KM's. Besides regular oil changes, I've replaced the brake pads once, new Bilstein shocks this winter, and all new sway bar end links, and on my 4th set of Firestone NRF tires. I turfed the GY F1 Supercar RF tires when they were half worn, shortly after I drove the car back home from Ohio. They were dangerous in any standing water on the highways.
I've loved driving this car since I first sat in the seat and the 1250 mile drive back home from Ohio.
Most of the mileage is from our numerous and longish road trips. The c6 is a great touring vehicle, very comfortable. BTW, it was stated that the 2006 had steering wheel controls for the radio. That is not the case. That only came into play in the 2007
The changes from 2005 to 2006 were as follows:
1) The passenger air bag enable switch in the glove box and the air bag light that was on the 2005 console was eliminated and the air bag light was moved to the inside rearview mirror. The passenger seat har d a weight sensor to enable the airbag if the passenger was above a certain weight.
2) The XM antennae was moved from the halo or trunk to the interior of outside rearview mirrors.
3) The rear differential was strengthened on the the 06 due to some failures on the 05 models.
4) The 4 speed auto was replaced with a 6 speed auto and incorporated steering wheel paddle shifters.
5) the Z06 model was introduced with a 427 LS7
6) Instrument panel trim colors were revised.
7) Shift to reverse the car was eliminated in the standard models, thus eliminating dead batteries caused by the car not shutdown and parked in reverse. In 2006 and beyond, the car could be shutdown and parked in any gear.


Good luck in your search.
 
Hi Everyone.
Brand new to the forum and looking for some help on an 05C6 that I test drove last night.

Let me start by saying I have wanted a Corvette FOREVER, and the stars have finally aligned and I'm in a position to do it.

In Grade 7, I got a History of Corvettes book as a gift and 32yrs later, I still have it. Funny looking at it now with the C4 as the latest model.

Anyway, to the matter at hand. Last night's test drive was an 05 base coupe with 167000kms. Looks fantastic inside and out. Slight tinny sounding rattle in the rear end for a few seconds at idle (sounds like a loose heat-shield or something), brakes look decent, so do tires. Corsa exhaust, Nav, HUD.

Current owner is 2nd, says he's put 8000kms on in 2rs, so the first guy must have driven it A LOT.

No service history, and wants $23000 cert.

Looking to those more knowledgeable than I to weigh in on price.

This car is everything I want, at a price i can afford, but I'm not looking to get hosed. Took everything in me not to hand him the cash on the spot!
 
If you're still looking, definitely take the time to get the car that's right for you, it's well worth it, as I can recently attest. I'd make a list of what you want and where you can compromise so you can get as close as you can. I've been in the market for a C6 for the past couple years, got more serious the past few months, and finally picked up a 2005 Z51 6spd a couple weeks ago, 60,000km, BC car, 2 owners with service history, and it was worth the wait. I knew I wanted a Z51 for the shorter gearing as the base gears feel naturally long to me, plus the springs/shocks, brakes and coolers were a bonus, and that I wanted heated seats and the HUD which a number of US cars don't have.

If looking at C5s, consider if that's what you wantor if the improvements to the C6 are worth it. For me, the increased quality of the interior fit and finish and materials (not a rubber maid container), heated seats, more contemporary styling (not flip up lights) were worth it. On the other hand the basic chassis layout and performance are similar so comes down again to what you want and where you can compromise.

Consult Canadian Black Book for wholesale price range and then compare to listings on Auto Trader, Craigslist, and the like.

All the best and good hunting.
 
I bought my 2008 C6 (3LT, 6MT, Z51, NPP) in Alberta for $37,000 in 2015. It had 31,000 kms on it and was impeccable. It was purchased as a CPO car at a Chevy dealership, which gave me piece of mind, and came with service records from that dealership as well. I have since added 50,000 kms in three seasons with no issues (except snapping off the cheap glovebox latch!). We use the Corvette for long trips, typically 4,000 kms, and the car constantly amazes me with its comfort as well as performance. The advice here is good: take your time and buy the right car. Then you can spend all the money you saved on that good deal on accessories and cleaning supplies!
 
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