Question: Which one would you chose?

[circa62]

Hello everyone, long time stalker and first time posting. I have narrowed my search for a C5 to these two very different vehicles. What do you guys think? Is it worth the extra $3K to get the lower mileage coupe? It will be used as my daily driver and will be driven in very light traffic during the week. I live in NC and can drive with the top down for about 9 months out of the year. Color wise I prefer the red over the black but I prefer the manual over the automatic. I have no intentions of tracking the car and the prices listed below do not reflect any negotiations to this point. The black convertible is at a sister dealership 150 Miles away and I have not been able to site inspect the car. I would have to put down a security deposit before they could bring the car in for inspection. Both cars are covered have passed thru the dealerships(Hendrick Chevrolet) inspection process and are covered by a 3 month 3K mile limited warranty.

2004 Triple Black Convertible
Manual
51K Miles
Clean Carfax (However the car failed emissions twice during the first 18K)
Limited documented service on Carfax
$22,998.00
30 Photos - View Details

or

2004 Torch Red Coupe
Automatic
17K Miles
Clean Carfax 1 Owner
$25,900
20 Photos - View Details

 

[LLC5]

Totally the triple black vert.

 

[Evolution1980]

Yeah, that's a tough one, but I'd probably lean towards....ehhh.....;squint:.....man!.....
I give the red coupe a slight nod. If it too was a manual trans, then it would be a no-brainer. The automagic transmission is the only thing that bugs me. I'm a stickshift guy. Granted, my vette isn't, but that's only because it's too expensive (more or less) for me to convert it to a manual. But all my daily drivers have always been manual and likely always will be. (I can still manually shift my auto "1 through 4" though, so that gets me by, :L)

Between the two... The engines are nearly bulletproof, but the higher mileage and failing e-check twice is strange. Leads me to conjure up too many unanswerable questions about the previous owner and their driving habits or maintenance. (Not to say that 17K miles on the red couldn't have been accumulated 1/4 mile at a time.) Also, while triple-black always looks nice when it's freshly cleaned, that lasts all of 5 minutes. It's a cleanliness nightmare! Black is a such a bitch color to maintain- the slightest amount of dust or dirt shows up like a cold sore! And black paint just cooks in the hot summer sun, even on fiberglass. OUCH!

Spend the extra $3K and get the red. You can almost never go wrong with a Little Red Corvette!

Or...don't get either of them! The nice thing about Vettes is that there are so many used vettes out there, if you don't absolutely fall in love at first site, maybe it's not really the vette you want. There's always going to be one on the market that catches your eye, so even if you pass on these, I guarantee there will be more. And if you wait until the C7 hits showroom floors, that's also going to cause a fairly big ripple in used Vette pricing.

 

[catbert]

The black one would look especially good in the Spring with about a half inch of pine pollen on it. Actually, I had a triple black when I lived in Raleigh, and it was pretty easy to keep clean.

Get the one you want, and don't worry about the miles. It'll go longer than you will.

 

[6 Shooter]

Welcome to the CAC - Roadster's Rule!

​

 

[GS Diva]

There are a couple of things you should determine before selecting either one of these cars. First of all, if you want a 6-speed but plan on driving it daily in all kinds of traffic situations, you might wish you had an automatic. Secondly, if you plan on driving this car every day, the miles will add up quickly so I would suggest getting a lower mileage Corvette.

The prices of these Corvettes reflect the miles. Convertibles are always more expensive than coupes, but the higher miles on the black convertible make that car cheaper than the coupe.

You need to figure out what you can live with and what you must have. Me? I'd keep looking. There are thousands of Corvettes for sale. Besides, the "hunt" is sometimes more fun than the actual purchase!

Let us know how you make out.

Elaine

 

[Huskerman]

There has to be a ton more cars out there for sale somewhere around your area. Keep looking until you find the one that is just what you want then get it. Always get the lowest milage car you can afford is what I'm thinking.....

 

[Vettelt193]

A couple of points:

The first thousand miles cost way more than the last thousand miles.
Convertibles hold their value better in the long run.

What I am saying here is if you plan on keeping it for a few years and putting say, 50k miles on it, you will end up with either a 100k mile 'vert or a 67k mile coupe. I'd roll back a few years to see what the values are. My gut says the 100k mile vert with a manual would be an easier sell... there aren't many manual 'verts.

 

[BoDuke]

Myself, I'd go for the black Vert. Personally, I think black makes more of a statement than red, and with the top down compared to the roof off of a Targa you wont get the wind buffering everyone talks about.

I picked up my '04 auto with 47K on it for $20,400 back in September. Another couple dollars and you have the same car with the 6 speed, which I think will hold its value compared to my automatic.

I too was debating between a manual and auto. A manual woulda been a lot of fun, but the tranny wasnt a deal breaker for me. I wanted a triple black vert...preferably a manual. I came across this automatic and bought it over the phone because it had the miles, price, and condition I was looking for. Granted ot was 600 miles away, it made for a nice weekend trip to get it! The auto is very enjoyable to drive around town cause it allows me to relax and let the Vette do all the work. Mine has the 3.23 gears in it, and hammering it from a dead stop, it lights the tires up, and gets a 2nd gear bark every time!!!!!


Myself I wouldn't worry about the miles (personal preference. I didnt want one with over 60k). If you do, You may not enjoy driving it cause you 'dont want to put miles on it'...been there done that, and all I ended up with was a car that rotted away in the garage and isnt worth anything now. Low miles will cost you more now, and sell for more later. The higher miles will save you now and sell for less later...6 in one hand and half a dozen in the other.

Find/buy a Vette you like, that is in the condition you want, with the options you cant live without, for the $$ you are willing to spend and run the wheels off of it.

That's my 2 cents worth. You can keep the change! Good luck and welcome to the CAC!

Aaron

PS...I read you post again. I agree with Huskerman. I think you should wait for a red 6 speed. It seems that's really what you want. I think this would solve your dilemma. If you have to have one now, whats more important, a 6 speed or a RED car? I'd rather drool over the color of my car as I look at it and walk up to it everyday knowing that I can shift the auto tranny manually, other than just having one with the 6 speed and be disgusted with the color every time you see it or its reflection. I'd be patient, and get one that you wont have to compromise to much on. Compromising on color/tranny, or both, thats a tough one. It's worth waiting for the one that has the combination you want.

 

[BoDuke]

Here's a couple awesome Vette's within 300 miles of ya. All RED, and under 65k miles. Autotrader.com

main search I did... Find Your Car: Chevrolet Corvette Listings Near Raleigh, NC 27601 - AutoTrader.com


2003-2004 Vette, 300 miles radius of raleigh, RED, 6 Speed, dealers only with pictures. 8 listing found

2004, 25k miles, $22,800...with some sweet upgrades

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-...ansmissionCode=MAN&transmissionCodes=MAN&mmt=[CHEV[CORV[]][]]&modelCode1=CORV&showcaseOwnerId=79678&makeCode1=CHEV&startYear=2003&maxMileage=60000&extColorsSimple=RED&searchRadius=300&listingId=336431980&listingIndex=7&Log=0

gwinnettbmw.com stock number 45603g vin 1G1YY22G345100290

Enjoy!!

-Aaron

 

[tamashane]

Love my triple black 6-speed, even in traffic. It really isn't that much of a pain. Nothing like a black convertible either.

 

[circa62]

Well I just put a deposit down on the Triple Black Convertible. Hopefully, the car will arrive tomorrow evening and I will take it to my local mechanic for a pre-purchase inspection on Saturday. I stopped by the dealership after work and test drove the red coupe. The car was in fantastic shape but it just didn't move me like the triple black. I hope we can finalize everything this weekend and I wil be able to post pictures of my new ride.

 

[tamashane]

Well I just put a deposit down on the Triple Black Convertible. Hopefully, the car will arrive tomorrow evening and I will take it to my local mechanic for a pre-purchase inspection on Saturday. I stopped by the dealership after work and test drove the red coupe. The car was in fantastic shape but it just didn't move me like the triple black. I hope we can finalize everything this weekend and I wil be able to post pictures of my new ride.

Congratulations! I think if you end up with it, you will be very happy with your choice. As I said, mine is a blast to drive. And looks great and gets great looks!

 

[catbert]

Well I just put a deposit down on the Triple Black Convertible. Hopefully, the car will arrive tomorrow evening and I will take it to my local mechanic for a pre-purchase inspection on Saturday. I stopped by the dealership after work and test drove the red coupe. The car was in fantastic shape but it just didn't move me like the triple black. I hope we can finalize everything this weekend and I wil be able to post pictures of my new ride.

Will you be joining a local club? Corvettes International meets at Hendricks Cary Automall.

 

[circa62]

Will you be joining a local club? Corvettes International meets at Hendricks Cary Automall.

I will be joining, in fact I am purchasing the car from Henricks of Cary. I can actually walk to the dealership from my house.

Scott

 

[Evolution1980]

Welcome to the club!

 

[catbert]

I will be joining, in fact I am purchasing the car from Henricks of Cary. I can actually walk to the dealership from my house.

Scott

Walking to a Corvette club meeting is absolutely not allowed!