Found a 97 in my area that the dealer is willing to sell for 13.5k. Has 79k miles on it and from what I can tell it looks clean.

Before I buy it I'm having it looked at by a vette mechanic in my area, but I have some questions for those of you who already own C5s.

Is 13.5k Fair or is it too high?

How much mx does this model require on average?

What issues have you guys seen come up?

How reliable is it? In particular I'm worried about the powertrain.

1G1YY22GXV5103690 Is the VIN

Also if you guys can think of anything else I need to look for or ask about I'm all ears.

Thanks!

 

One of the problems with buying from a dealer or used car lot is not always being able to obtain the car's maintenance history. If the car was bought and serviced at the same dealership, you're in luck but this is often not the case. I like to buy used cars from private parties, particularly from original owners.

Assuming the car was well-cared for, there is not a whole lot of maintenance required other than the usual tranny fluid changes (more often with an auto tranny), coolant changes every 5 years, oil changes with synthetic only up to once per year or whenever the digital display tells you to (which could be at little at 3 months, depending on how many or how few miles are driven.)

Issues that should have been taken care of are:
Door lock module (each door has one)
Leaking differential gasket
Leaking rear or front engine seal
Bad EBCM (not fixable in C5s older than 2001) if you have one
Failed smog pump check valve (the one way in the back of the engine, typically replaced only after removing the intake manifold)
Failed pressure switch (again, very hard to get at; some people install a romote kit)
Failed Column lock. Most C5s now have a bypass kit installed (as I do)
Stripped headlight motor gears (aftermarket replacements are often made of brass or bronze)
Disappearing outside temperature display - I resoldered resisters on a circuit board behind the module and all is well.
Fuel level sender unit failure

There are a few more but not every C5 has every one of these problems. Many can be fixed by someone handy with tools and who has some automotive repair skills.

Is $13.5K too high? It all depends on how well kept the car is. For example, an auto tranny can last 70,000 miles or 180,000 miles. The LS1 can last 300,000 miles if well-maintained. If I owned that car, it's be well worth the money.