Any C6 Corvette owners/friends out there?
 

I've been recently thinking about trading my car for a C6 Corvette. It's a totally different car and its characteristics. My thought is not fully decided yet, but I'm slowly researching it and trying to justify if this change would be a good fun car for the next 3-4 years. I'm not saying I'm not having fun with this car. I still love driving fr-s on street and track, I may be thinking to upgrade driving experience?

Has anyone driven the car? Is it feasible to use the car as daily driver? Any thoughts are welcome. If not, any other vehicle recommendation would be great as well. My main focus for now is rwd, manual, fun to drive, good balance... preferably 25k budget.

My choice was between 10-11 c6 vs the brz. I could get both at the same price. I in the end chose the brz because thats really what i wanted in a car. The c6 is an amazing vehicle... Still own a 07 XLR yeah its not a c6 but we all FAM LOL. you cant go wrong with a newer model vet. It is a lot of power though. Alot less forgiving car than the brz.
I think it would be fine for a daily if you get one with low miles and a clean history. Just remember not alot of space and no backseat. The feasible part... Its a newer car with power from an NA v8. I dont see what there would be to worry about. Gas?? lol even that isnt bad.
Overall i think the c6 is an amazing car and have nothing bad to say. I would love to have one eventually when I am in a position in my life I dont have to worry about car seats for children and have a little more control to not end up like i am at mustang week.

Nothing i can tell you with out seeing the use you are wanting. Vettes are fun, but have their down falls. If you are wanting to do racing, the vettes consumable cost is insane... price out the tires once.

My 2 cents-I own a vette, used it as a daily driver, it's dead at under 100k and I can't explain how much money I put into fixing it. I think I've replaced every part on that car. I love Corvettes, but never again. It's an expensive lawn ornament at my house in my driveway. I bought a new Camaro instead. I wouldn't recommend that either, I'm trading it for a BRZ.

The Camaro has the grace of an ocean liner. The only reason I was able to DD the vette was that I own lots of cars, so if it broke, I drove something else. You can't have it as your main car.

We have a WRX now, I'm in love. Go drive one. There's a reason people are obsessed with them. You can get a new WRX for 26k if you negotiate hard. I bought at Van Bortel Subaru in Victor, NY, ask for Vince. You can also hit up Clayton at Ramsey Subaru in NJ. It's worth the drive. Negotiate over the phone and by email.

Trading to a C6, do it in a heartbeat. If you have never had a powerful car like that definitely trade if you can.


They are extremely reliable, parts are mostly cheaper or on par with the BRZ / FRS market (brake pads, rotors, etc) the LS engine is dirt cheap to upgrade / fix / maintain.


The only downsides are the seats, certain parts in the vehicle can get expensive, and most of the corvette community would rather talk about wax products than drive the vehicle.


Another thing to look in to are C5 Z06's, you can get one with low mileage for your budget and they're faster than many of the C6 options out there, plus the handling.


I would not DD the car, but I also don't DD the BRZ. They CAN be, if you can live with crawling out of the car, and two seats. I would say they're more comfortable than a twin on a long drive.

My dad owns a C5 and I considered the C6 briefly not too long ago. Here's my Corvette experience:

- Build quality of the C5 is pretty bad. The C6 is an improvement, but the interior of those is worse than a FRS/BRZ. Lots of cheap plastic, poor fitment, poor design.
- The C6 is absurdly quick even in base form. I was only interested in LS3 cars so I can't really speak to the LS2, but I would recommend a 2008+ car to get the newer and more powerful engine.
- As someone mentioned, consumables are very high. I wanted a Grand Sport, which comes with the widebody like the Z06, but in fiberglass instead of carbon fiber. However, it adds wider, sticky rubber and dry sump oiling. Consumables for that car are very high - a set of tires would be well over $1000, even for cheaper brands
- If you're looking at a base model, make sure to find one with the Z51 package - it's worth it.
- Try to also find one with the optional baffled exhaust - it sounds really good when it opens up, but is quiet when you just want to cruise around.
- The shifter in the C6 is not very good compared to our cars and the view out isn't as good either.
- If you get one with an optional glass top, by this point in its life it will usually have a lot of crazing and will look terrible up close. Same goes for the headlights.
- Check closely for any damage - if the car bumped anything, the fiberglass will flex and spiderweb the paint around it, and there's no easy fix (that I know of).

TL;DR - It's fast and fun, quality can be questionable, a few spots show age easily, and consumables are high. I'd hold out for a C7.

get a dodge viper srt...raw as it gets=fun

Camaro

Cousin has an automatic C5 for his mid-life crisis, loves it, drives it every chance he can after owning it for a year.

Drive it, if you like it, buy it. Done, fuck what anyone else says.

Consumables should be on par with the 86 EXCEPT the tires, you track, price 'em out, likely >$1k vs. ~$600. Brakes, oils and fluids, filters, etc. should all be on par.

They are. Consumables are dirt cheap. Common mods are cheaper for the most part. Suspension stuff is cheap, exhaust is cheaper than the 86.... its unreal how much people ask for 86 parts comparatively.

Certain electronics and body parts etc are expensive, but the 86 has certain expensive specialty parts too.

If you don't need a back seat, want more power, do it.
If your mechanically inclined it's not that bad to work on.

Good advice here. My old man had a C6 Grand Sport (in Jetstream Blue!) for a couple of years, he purchased it used, was flawless, I looked at several Z51 cars before buying something else.

Build quality is bad for a $55k car from 2006, it's reasonable for a $25k car from 2006 though. It's on par with Porsche 911's and Cayman's of similar year and I think it's comparable to an FR-S actually. Brace for one or two squeaks here or there. Later models had more color choices as I recall - that helps. There was also a red leather interior, rare, but man it looked great especially on a white or black car.

If you're going stick shift - you won't notice much difference between an LS2 or LS3 in 99% of situations. It's a damn fast car, numb on steering feel, get the Grand Sport or Z and you've got absurdly good brakes and have any intention on getting onto a big track. Z51 on a base is a must unless you're going to modify heavily - then who cares, but if that's the case, start with a Z06 for the goodies.

Tires are pricey, period. $900-1000 is typical in our experience on a deal for rubber on wheel, more for better models without discounts.

For me the interior was too cramped and I didn't want to slouch anymore, it'd be uncomfortable on longer drives plus the wife doesn't care for em, and the car was simultaneously too much and not enough: tough to enjoy modestly (talk about torque!) and zero steering feel/feedback, the driving experience it did provide (low slung, long nosed, long geared tail happy tire muncher) wasn't what I wanted. Looks great in red, mechanically sound, makes fantastic noise and will scratch a speed itch - when I looked last year I was budgeting $22k-24k for a Z51 model with under 70k miles, lots were marketed around $25k. Base models with 70-100k miles tended to go for $17-20k. LS3 stuff was still in the $30k's and Grand Sport was $38-45k. Z's were all over the place though, I've seen as cheap as $29k and as high as $60k. Unsure what they're all trading at now.

Hey man... I learned to wax on a corvette platform....

Edit: Forgot to mention Meguiar's G7014J Gold Class Carnauba. Its the bomb dawg.

That would be a huge cost to consider. Tires about twice the price and probably wear out twice as fast due to the power difference. Same with brake pads I imagine?

Also would need to figure out a tire trailer or vehicle trailer to bring your track rubber.

These are huge reasons I liked the BRZ. Also I probably would have binned a corvette by now if I bought it in 2012 when I got my BRZ. I never had a v8 or any tack experience at that time.

I'm honestly very surprised that you say that, as a 997 owner. I think the interior design and quality of the 997 is far superior to the C6. Now, the 996 is a different story, but Porsche made a lot of improvements to the interior for 2005.

Also very jelly of your Dad's old JSB GS - that's exactly what I was looking for and never was able to find before giving up.

You're also buying more performance. :iono: Stock tire size is 285's in the back 245's in the front, and you can choose to not replace the runflats if it came equipped with them. Brake pads are cheap for most versions as well.

Yeah it's a gorgeous color. I looked for a red interior white exterior Z51 for about 6 months before moving on.

No badge blinding here (well.. maybe a little :D) the Porsche is what it is. The quality between 996 and 997 wasn't all that much enhanced, I think 997 guys say that to feel better about their similar cars. The 991, on the other hand, that is a nice place and I think comes from producing the Panamera and years with building obscene Cayennes.

You can option a 997 up to the gills and it'll be a nicer place to sit but the quality is still comparable: the buttons break & print fades, the infotainment screens go kaput (especially Bose models like mine), the cup holder lid will sag, the paint on the door handles can fade, the steering wheel can ugly fast, too. There aren't as many spontaneous noises (say 1:3), it isn't leagues and bounds better especially when you consider the $40,000 difference between the Corvette and 911. I hadn't noticed much difference between a $50k Cayman and $90k 911 except the headroom. It's pathetic.

The joke about Corvette wax applies to 911's as well. Most are kings and queens living sheltered lives. When you do see a daily driven 911 with average, non-ocd, upkeep you'd think a hobo lived in it. My boss has a 997.2 4S Cab PDK with every damn option imaginable and it applies to his car as well, it looks well worn after 75k miles. I saw how quickly mine went from pristine to average, so I make an effort (I hate cleaning) to keep it semi-clean with bi-monthly washes and vacuums but the seat will crack, the window regulator will go wonky, the interior paint will peel and the console lid will break. So it is. One among the many myths of Porsche products.

That being said there's no substitute for how a 911 drives and how comfortable it is for taller folks. I implore any cabin space challenged enthusiast to consider a 996/997 if the budget permits. At 6'2 needing to sit upright I've never been so comfortable in a sports car, it's unbelievable - I legitimately enjoy driving anywhere in it. After so many years and so many different cars... ahh.. :wub: And it's a hoot to thrash around. You revel in those frisky moments of faith in the machine, sort of like riding a motorcycle. Afterwards you realize, hell, I could've dipped on the gas a little earlier, every, single, time. It's humbling. :cheers:

I sold my 05 C6 to get into the FRS,, it was my 5th Corvette. I bought my C6 in May of 09 with 14K on the clock for $28K ($44K MSRP) sold it at 125K. It was a base 1LT car with an LS2 and a 6 Speed,, black on black. Super car,,, only work done was replacing the harmonic balancer and the water pump. It was needing a clutch and brakes when I sold it. It was fast handled great and was a great daily driver. Frankly I considered buying another but after 6 years in that it was enough. I can see a lightly used C7 in my future.

FRS is a way different car and I do like it (commuter car),,, but the C6 is a much more advanced car. Imagine you can actually adjust caster, camber and toe at all four corners without replacing a bunch of parts. You put in a cam, headers and a tune you're pushing 500HP and it'll live a long time.


When shopping for one keep in mind some Corvette owners think their 9 year old car is still worth tons of money. They're not. I'd say buy a garage queen with low miles and few mods,,, from an older guy if possible. I'd go for lower miles that newer year with higher miles. Stay away from an 05 as there were a few teething problems,,, unless you geta really good deal. As for options,,, the only thing I'd pay for is Z51. The rest is fluff to me. Also,, a low miles C5 Z06 at the right price is worth looking at.


Corvette Forum Is A Great Place To Shop


http://www.corvetteforum.com/forums/...s-for-sale-98/



This.... if you like the color


http://www.corvetteforum.com/forums/...260-miles.html


This could be good.... no stick which is a deal breaker for me.


http://www.corvetteforum.com/forums/...300-miles.html




Good Luck!!

Fair enough - I think I'm mostly hung up on the design and layout of the interior which, for me, is much better in the 997 than the C6. Your points regarding the wear and tear on the 997s interiors are certainly appropriate - I've never seen so many cars with peeling climate control buttons! I also remember testing a 987.1 Cayman, and the interior door handle looked as if it was ready to fall off.

I had a 2006 C6 Z06 before the BRZ. Personally I wouldn't buy a narrow body C6 or C7 they just look too neutered and old manish, but at that budget you're kind of stuck with one. I think it depends on what you're looking for. If you've always had Japanese cars I think you'll be disappointed in the quality overall. Both of the GM cars I've had have had some seriously questionable engineering decisions. If you go for a C6 go for the latest car you can. They made improvements all along the way. My thoughts;

Good
>great gas mileage if you can keep you foot out of it. Almost identical to the BRZ
>good trunk space
>loved the bi mode exhaust. I wish mine had the latter slightly louder open setting. All cars should have these
>Love the looks of the wide body C6
>Their is a ton of aftermarket if you've got money to burn
>The LS7 power is awesome.

Bad
>tire cost is high and the run flat tire noise is deafening. On the Z06 its $1500-2000 for maybe 10-12k miles. Also ride quality isn't that great. You sit pretty much on the rear axle so ever vertical chop in the road you feel it.
>Was never happy about having the roof come unglued (Z06 specific). They recalled this thankfully, but I was never happy about having a repainted roof on a 12k mile car. I mean how many cars have the roof come off?
>I didn't have this problem on my car, but the C6 seems to suffer from fuel leaks on cracked plastic tube on the fuel pump mount. Unfortunately you have to pull the rear suspension to remove the fuel tank to get to this.
>I don't think the non Z06 cars suffer from this, but you can't close the hatch fully with both doors closed unless you slam the hatch with all your strength. Thankfully the car is short so you can close the hatch normally and then the door from the same spot
>If you think the BRZ stereo sucks wait till you use the C6 one LOL. Plus see tire noise you can't hardly hear it.
>Clutch pedal is prone to sticking down. Repeatedly changing the clutch fluid seems to help
>LS7 specific, but the valvetrain issues scared the shit out of me. I don't think the valvetrain should wear out in cars with less than 50k miles. Mine always had a really noisy top end which didn't help. Mine didn't burn oil which was pretty rare I believe. I didn't feel really comfortable putting bronze guide in mine especially after the ones in my 2JZ failed so soon. It was like $20k in damage if the engine let go. This was partly my reason for selling.
>I thought the handling was spooky. If you did the same thing 10 times one of those times you'd spin it. It didn't help the traction control was so spotty. I'm pretty sure you could do a burn out with the traction control on. The later ones around '09 have the PTM system which is supposed to be worlds better. I always felt like the car was going to kill me at some point. Reason #2 for selling. My Supra the limits are lower, but I feel like I can drive that car at 100% all day.
>If you care about this. Going to Corvette meets is like hanging out with your grandparents :) I only went to a couple, but I felt seriously out of place...
>Seats are kind of sucky and the leather doesn't hold up. They made some changes to the 2013 model that you can back retrofit or if you want to can throw ~4k at Carvaggio for a set of Daytonas which are bitchin looking.
>Center console area gets seriously hot during extended drive. Like don't put any candy in their unless you want it to melt.
>Didn't like the power door handles on the C6 and now C7.

I may not sound like it, but I would consider one again in the future. I would go for a much later one to try and get the mag suspension and features they added later on or go for the ZR1 instead. I don't like what they did with the C7 Z06 personally. I think in that price range I'd go for the C5 Z06. Those are seriously great cars for the money if you don't mind a C5.

Was it a C5 or a C6? There are C5s at 2-300k now still going strong.

LSx + Tremec is a bulletproof combo.

You know, I just bought a 2016 C7 vette. If you love vettes, you can't help but buy one after you drive it. I guess I was kidding myself. Hope this one won't break.

I was thinking about a used C6, but no more used vettes.