Review of buying a used C6 in this weeks Autocar
Discussion
Great article, including the issues & costs with the front lights - Thanks Mitch. Bet that is going to generate a lot of extra interest & demand for C6s. I (existing Vette owner/CCUK member) bought a 2007 "alleged" one owner Euro spec/Stratstone car last week from a UK Vette specialist/dealer. Not Bauer Millett, or the two GM authorised Vette repairers (Whitequay and Phoneix) I must add. The car had been MOT'd the week before.
My learning point from this purchase is that before you part with the money on what should be a UK spec car, make damned sure it still has the UK spec front lights on it! Slightly worrying when:
1)The dealer you are buying from happens to have, at the same time, a set of C6 UK spec lights the same colour as your car advertised on PH.
2)The car arrives for a pre-purchase inspection with one of the front licence plate fixing screw plastic covers broken. It wasn't broken when you viewed the car a few days before. You need to take the front-end off to change the lights don't you?
3)You gave a deposit/agreed to buy the car on Saturday, subject to an HPI & inspection. The car is offered to another CCUK member with a P/X on the Monday. Before he can get down to view it, is told that the car had been sold for cash to a German dealer.
It's a minefield out there/You couldn't make it up!
My learning point from this purchase is that before you part with the money on what should be a UK spec car, make damned sure it still has the UK spec front lights on it! Slightly worrying when:
1)The dealer you are buying from happens to have, at the same time, a set of C6 UK spec lights the same colour as your car advertised on PH.
2)The car arrives for a pre-purchase inspection with one of the front licence plate fixing screw plastic covers broken. It wasn't broken when you viewed the car a few days before. You need to take the front-end off to change the lights don't you?
3)You gave a deposit/agreed to buy the car on Saturday, subject to an HPI & inspection. The car is offered to another CCUK member with a P/X on the Monday. Before he can get down to view it, is told that the car had been sold for cash to a German dealer.
It's a minefield out there/You couldn't make it up!
The only silver C6 I knew of being for sale was with Chris Graham? Have you checked the beam pattern against a wall? The kick-up on the left side is very visible. A flat pattern is also permissible. I can't comment on your other points except to say that you do have to remove the nose cone to change the lamps but depending on the location of the plate holder this does not need to be removed. Typically people struggle to re-align the nose correctly which can leave some tell-tale signs of removal.
Edited by mitch_ on Monday 5th March 09:43
Mitch, Thanks. I was reading your excellent informative comments in the thread "Adjusting lights for Europe" over the weekend. I am new to this site and do not wish to name names re possible website rules infringements and, up until this morning (see below), possible litigation. The car I bought is a Euro spec car with Stratstone stickers/tax disc holder and Stratstone plates. Front plate is the oblong/UK size plate sitting on a same size colour coded mounting plate. You can however discount the Chris Grahame car, as that is a US import as noted in the "Ones we found" section of this weeks Autocar article.
I had the car inspected on Wed 22 Feb by a specialist who looks after my 85, with the dealer in attendance and me with a copy of the PH advertisement for the UK lights in my back pocket, if needed. Lights checked and they dipped the wrong (to the right) way. I produce the PH advert/dealer offers to supply them (next week) as part of the deal with return of the ones currently on the car. As of last Friday 2 March, no lights received and dealer does not return my phone call, hence my frustrated post here on PH. Really does take the shine off the enjoyment of your new car.
Monday now and and my guy phones to say the lights have arrived and he is checking the part # to see they are the right ones (fingers crossed then). Somewhat stunned that in the relatively small community of UK Vette owners, enthusiasts and suppliers this can happen.
I had the car inspected on Wed 22 Feb by a specialist who looks after my 85, with the dealer in attendance and me with a copy of the PH advertisement for the UK lights in my back pocket, if needed. Lights checked and they dipped the wrong (to the right) way. I produce the PH advert/dealer offers to supply them (next week) as part of the deal with return of the ones currently on the car. As of last Friday 2 March, no lights received and dealer does not return my phone call, hence my frustrated post here on PH. Really does take the shine off the enjoyment of your new car.
Monday now and and my guy phones to say the lights have arrived and he is checking the part # to see they are the right ones (fingers crossed then). Somewhat stunned that in the relatively small community of UK Vette owners, enthusiasts and suppliers this can happen.
Silver C6 said:
Mitch, Thanks. I was reading your excellent informative comments in the thread "Adjusting lights for Europe" over the weekend. I am new to this site and do not wish to name names re possible website rules infringements and, up until this morning (see below), possible litigation. The car I bought is a Euro spec car with Stratstone stickers/tax disc holder and Stratstone plates. Front plate is the oblong/UK size plate sitting on a same size colour coded mounting plate. You can however discount the Chris Grahame car, as that is a US import as noted in the "Ones we found" section of this weeks Autocar article.
I had the car inspected on Wed 22 Feb by a specialist who looks after my 85, with the dealer in attendance and me with a copy of the PH advertisement for the UK lights in my back pocket, if needed. Lights checked and they dipped the wrong (to the right) way. I produce the PH advert/dealer offers to supply them (next week) as part of the deal with return of the ones currently on the car. As of last Friday 2 March, no lights received and dealer does not return my phone call, hence my frustrated post here on PH. Really does take the shine off the enjoyment of your new car.
Monday now and and my guy phones to say the lights have arrived and he is checking the part # to see they are the right ones (fingers crossed then). Somewhat stunned that in the relatively small community of UK Vette owners, enthusiasts and suppliers this can happen.
Sounds like quite an interesting story and sadly I have a gut feeling that I will know whoever is involved. Without trying to be too incendiary dare I ask who is paying to have the lamps swapped over and setup? It's not a moments work and can be a real nuisance to refit the nose properly. Oh and just to be clear the Euro plate holder does not need to be removed to refit the nose.I had the car inspected on Wed 22 Feb by a specialist who looks after my 85, with the dealer in attendance and me with a copy of the PH advertisement for the UK lights in my back pocket, if needed. Lights checked and they dipped the wrong (to the right) way. I produce the PH advert/dealer offers to supply them (next week) as part of the deal with return of the ones currently on the car. As of last Friday 2 March, no lights received and dealer does not return my phone call, hence my frustrated post here on PH. Really does take the shine off the enjoyment of your new car.
Monday now and and my guy phones to say the lights have arrived and he is checking the part # to see they are the right ones (fingers crossed then). Somewhat stunned that in the relatively small community of UK Vette owners, enthusiasts and suppliers this can happen.
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