Good luck in your search, and my best advice to you is to TAKE YOUR TIME! A couple of very important questions to ask yourself is what does this car mean to you? and what are your priorities for this car? What does it absolutely have to have, and why? Of course another significant question is what is your budget?
Show up to some Corvette meets and tell people that you are looking to buy one. I have found that owners are quite accommodating and might even take you for a ride to show you.
I found that it was really helpful to make a list of "must have" options. Everyone is different, and some jerks like me might make fun of some of your options, but it is really your choice.
HUD is cool in an annoying and always in your face kind of way. I would have taken it in the right car, but I didn't care if it didn't have it. My gauges are right there! I experienced HUD in Buicks and Bonnevilles, GTPs, and Cadis, and always wanted to turn them off. It's like a constant smudge on my windshield that I can't wipe off.
Heated seats - If you have lower back problems and this might help you to be able to get back out of the car, then perhaps this is a reasonable option. Otherwise, if you need to use the heated seats, it is too cold to be driving this car, and you should take your SUV instead.
Navigation/BOSE/Premium Sound - We are talking about a C6 here, so let's keep it relevant, please. The NAV is junk. It is a subscription-based, disc-driven system that costs a bunch of money to keep running and is absolutely awful. Hold the button on your iPhone (or double-click the button on your Android device), and say "Give me directions to", and you will be as good or better than pretty much any current navigation system, let alone the pathetic offerings that were available in the C6. Bosé Premium Sound? LOL. Did I already say junk? There are some excellent aftermarket offerings to take care of all of you sound and navigation desires, most of which will not integrate properly with HUD, but there are some expensive options that will. Don't pay extra thinking that this stuff will be good. It isn't.
You did make some specifications, and let me quote:
- 6 Speed Manaul
- HUD
- Coupe - Glass roof
- Prefer Silver or Red -- but would consider any color
- LOW KM's -- less then 60k would be preferred.
Okay, let's get into this. 6-speed manual. Good for you. I like you already. Stay away from the 05 because the rear diff is weak, unless it has been changed and you are getting a preposterously good price. The T56 is a decent transmission, but the TR6060 is significantly better.
HUD. I went over my preferences above. If you really want HUD, then get it.
Glass roof. This is a fun one. I have had many sports cars with sunroofs and t-roofs, and never complained as badly as in a Corvette with a glass roof. Pardon me for being cynical for a moment - you live in Ontario, there's nothing to see anyway!
- But seriously, you
will want something to block the sun from coming through constantly. A lot of owners opted for the two roof deal (one glass, and one solid), which is the ultimate solution, but nevertheless you need to be able to block the sun when you don't want it. Trust me. I have the simplest solution ever: I have a solid targa, and I never take it out (maybe five times in all the years I have owned it), but if I want to see the mountains or something on a nice morning or evening, I can take it out, and there is a spot to put it in the rear hatch. The car has a heater - don't be a sissy.
I won't argue with your color preferences except simply to point out what everyone already knows: Cops LOVE red cars even more than they love donuts. C6's actually had a reasonably good spectrum of colors, and there were changes every year. There are lots of examples right on this forum, look around and you might find you like something. Silver is a fine choice, too.
I'm writing this not knowing what your budget is, so it is a bit tougher to make a good recommendation to you, but let me tell you what I would do. And although I do hate it when people tell me what to do, haha, there is nothing wrong with taking your time to make this decision. Taking time to increase the budget is also a very wise decision. Don't let the excitement take you away.
I would look for an 08 or newer car. The LS3 is perhaps the
best engine that GM has ever made. By 'best' I mean in terms of reliability and longevity, and availability of parts for repairs and upgrades. All 08 and up cars will also have the TR6060 transmission, which is fantastic and very strong.
From 10 to 13, you also have the choice of a Grand Sport, which is to me, the penultimate and best choice. But I do also understand that budget is a real thing.
