Help! Need immediate advice: buying a 2008 coupe with 5 scratches....

[Huskerman]

Are they giving you a fair price on this car? You probably said up front but I forgot. Listen as long as your wife gives it a green light that's a big part of the battle. My wife is the same about low slung dangerous cars............but after trying out the bun warmers she was sold...


The problem Tom was mentioning on my car is that it was running real rough at start up....coughing puking staggering until it would finally even out. I did use Techron after taking it in and everyone saying that they couldn't find anything wrong with it. After 2 bottles in two tanks of fuel it has not done it since. Have your tech guy give it the once over and if he is cool with it, beat them down some more on the price and then go for it. I would recommend you run some Techron through it to clean it up some if you end up getting it.

Watch the Junkman vids on how to polish your car and if the scratches are not all the way through the clear coat a lot of that may be buffed out.

Hope it works out for you and the Mrs........

 

[AV8R]

The 5 day trial period begins!

After two hours of the buying paperwork, we head home at 9pm. My 17 year old gets the honors of the first once around the block after I drive the vette home

This morning the covers come off to see the old and the sorta new.

Another angle

Did I get a good price?
It was $33,998 whereas the Kelly Blue Book was 35,xxx for retail/certified with my options and 32,xxx trade in. My Federal Credit Union bank was happy with it the price and gave me 2.54% for a 60 month loan. Surprisingly, CarMax offered the same term at 2.25%. We will give my bank a chance to meet or beat it. From my research we got a fair price, not a low price. I'm paying for the 5 day trial and 30 day warrantee. It's like an buyers insurance policy.


So now starts the 5 day trial period that allows me to keep or return the car and make my squawk list. Monday I have an appointment to go over it with my trusted mechanic.

Squawks:
1. Breaks squeak some times when not breaking hard.
2. One of the key fobs is cracked
3. Noise under hood near belt train
4. Slight engine vibration at idle
5. Look for spare tire and jack tools (never mind, run flat tires)

 

[Psychojr]

Geez, I hope I never wake up and find myself in the used car business! Lol

 

[Toms007]

I'd say you did OK. I've been hearing from people "Oh, I'd never pay that much for a 5 year old Corvette when you can find brand new ones for $35k." I have never seen any dealer offering new Corvettes, either hold over 12s or 13s, even base models for that. Upper 20's to low 30's depending on the options and mileage are about right. Congrats!

 

[AV8R]

I decided to keep this C6, cosmetic imperfections not with standing. What sealed it was that all the mechanical issues were fixed and this combo of options is very far and few between from what I've seen.

Only two issues left:
1. Getting the front bumper repaired at some point to address the license holes that were drilled and filled in. Local dealer,quoted $1500! Then there's the issue of paint matching. California emissions require auto paints to be water based whereas the original paint was not, being painted elsewhere. Will this difference show up as a color mismatch years later and being under California sun?

2. It has an intermittent airbag warning light. Researching this, it appears that some early C6s are plagued with this. Causes cited go from the very complex and expensive (steering wheel gear clip) to the very simple (seat sensors cable connector), solved with a spray of electrical connection cleaner.

I think its the connector because I can turn the light off by moving the drivers chair around either with the adjuster controls or manually tilting the chair back. Any advice?

 

[robertps21]

New Vette

I guess one thing that drives me nuts is the Dealer Decals on the rear of the car. I've had 4 Z-28's and 2 Vettes, I told them when I bought all 6 that if a Dealer Decal is on the rear the deal is off. Point being, you don't put that crap on a car such as a Corvette, it just is not the right thing to do when you pay that much for a car plus it's a Vette after all. My 2011 had it on for less than 2 seconds after I saw it, they trucked it in from KS, I'm in OK. The KS Dealer had it stuck on, lightly I might add. I'm showing my Grumpy Old Age my daughters would say, oh well... I am what I am... Enjoy the car... Robert

 

[AV8R]

You're absolutely right Robert!

ill go outside and remove it immediately. I didn't off my wife's Acadia we bought at CarSmacks a year and a half ago, and its crinkled and wouldn't come off just with my fingers. Baked on. Ill not let that happen with the Vette.

Thanks for kickin me in the six. ... C6.

 

[Huskerman]

When I bought my GS last summer the dealer had a rear license plate frame with their logo on it. It made it home with it on and now is hanging on the wall in the shop with the others I have collected. Maybe more dealers may be going to those on the higher end cars......

 

[Toms007]

I just ask the salesman if they want my address to send me a check each month. They look at me funny and ask what I'm talking about. I tell them I don't advertise for free. And that I figure it is worth about $100/month. If they comment, I tell them to take it off or else I'll be expecting the monthly check.

 

[robertps21]

Advertising Car Dealer

I like that approach but I would not leave it on regardless and I'm sure you feel as I do. Never had it on any car. Next car I'm going to shoot that at them before they remove it.

 

[Toms007]

Heck if they want to pay me $100/month to leave it on, I will. Fair is fair. But I haven't had anyone take me up on the offer. :eyerole

 

[Huskerman]

Gee Tom if that catches on pretty soon your car will look like this driving around.............a hundred here a hundred there it all adds up.......

 

[Toms007]

that might be carrying it to extremes, Marcus.

 

[AV8R]

Offending free ads removed easily

Not so easily off the sun baked Acadia. Will require "Gum-out" if its paint friendly

Now I'm restoring a brass vette plate frame that was ugly oxidized and I took off the C4-90 when I put back in its original plastic nose cap. Need to paint the inset areas

 

[LLC5]

Offending free ads removed easily

Not so easily off the sun baked Acadia. Will require "Gum-out" if its paint friendly

Now I'm restoring a brass vette plate frame that was ugly oxidized and I took off the C4-90 when I put back in its original plastic nose cap. Need to paint the inset areas

A heat gun and a plastic razor blade should take off the stickers fairly easily.

 

[robertps21]

I got one of those baked in Dealer Decals off a friends car with gasoline, we had polish handy after we cleaned it with soapy water. I came right off with the gasoline is my point. I know that's a no-no but we took all precautions by not rubbing hard. It wasn't a Vette, he-he! Polished afterward, could not tell it was ever there even though it was on the car almost 4 years, fading was evident until we polished. Sorry to ramble on but it worked, no paint on rag just the glue and crap from sticker.

Car does look better without that damn thing on it, just an old fart's opinion... Enjoy the car!!!

Robert

 

[AV8R]

Frame finished.

will use the heat gun and plastic paint scraper if Gumout is a no go.

 

[AV8R]

Horsing around today with the targa off, good thing I can lift it off by myself.
Actually, its easier than the c4 1990.

yup, having fun with it