To Vette or not to Vette
 

Hello all,

This is my first post as i have never owned a Vette but am possibly interested in purchasing one. I'm looking at the C6 because its the newest Vette I can afford. Some questons:

What should I look for (pros and cons)?
Did all coupes come with the "Targa Top"? (I'm looking for the targa top option)
Stick or Auto?
What options am i going to want with the car that will help hold the value?

Thanks for viewing my post.

Rallysport aka Dan

Over 100 views and yet not one reply. Very helpful site.

2007 Coupe, Targa Top
 

Rallysport,


If still interested, I have a 2007 coupe with a targa top for sale. It is a manual transmission and has 82k miles on it.


Rocky

Sorry, seems very inactive lately :/

hi RS,

I have a 2008. The base model has a targa top. All the corvettes hold their value pretty well if maintained properly. There are several different packages that you may explore. 1lt, 2lt,3lt, z51,NPP, Z06, Grand Sport...and on and on... if you are paying a fair price than you can expect a small depreciation as it gets older and as the mileage increases.... hope this helps....


OIIIO

C6 best value
 

I recently replaced my '95 C4 with a 2007 C6 Z06. I was actually looking for a Grand Sport but the Z06 came along. First off, suggest you do not test drive more car than you expect to buy. After driving the 505HP Z06 Manual 6-Speed it was hard to go back. For an old guy like me, if it does not have a clutch it is just another cruiser. As with most cars, buy miles not year, all else being equal. Keep in mind in 2008 the LS2 was replaced with the LS3 (a great reliable engine), increasing to 430 HP along with a gearbox/transaxle upgrade. Just do your research and take your time and you will find the right deal. Good Luck!

Just a comment on the tranny choice. What do you want to do with the car? Street race, or tour? I have an '05 with a 6 speed. I just like to shift, but unless I would put in dozens of hour practicing shifting very fast, it is not a racing machine. The gears are so close together that is easy when going to fifth to go back to third. If you enjoy shifting a lot, go for the 6 speed. If you just want to cruise around, go for the automatic.

I'm in kind of the same boat as the original poster in this thread, except that I'm sure I want an automatic transmission. I'm looking at late C5s or early C6s based on my budget ($25K or less). I was initially thinking soft top based on my location, but am thinking a Targa top might be a better choice for a variety of reasons.

Please share your thoughts with this sports car newbie?

Personally I would go with the convertible. Also would go with an automatic because the current automatic is faster than the manual transmission. So even if you're going to track the car on the weekends, the automatic would be a better choice. Good luck on your search.

If you are not in a big hurry to buy a car, you might want to consider buying from the Mecum auctions. They usually have a couple of Corvettes in the '00 to '06-7 range, and they sell for about half what you will pay anywhere else. If you are not familiar with these auctions, they are not like the auctions that sell repo's and former drug cars, etc., they are quality cars for the most part, and you can buy on the telephone or on line. You can preview the cars online before the auctions. You do need to register as a buyer and send documentation that you can pay what you bid. No big deal. The Portland auction had a mint '05 that sold for about $12K. These cars are at the bottom of their depreciation curve and can be had relatively cheaply. Mercedes 2-door sports convertibles in the '00 -'08 range sell for under 10K. An '08 BMW wagon sold for 3K. Something to consider.