"Cheap" C5 2004 6-speed too good to be true?

"Cheap" C5 2004 6-speed too good to be true?

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malc350

Original Poster:

1,035 posts

252 months

Thursday 24th April 2008
quotequote all
I want to get a look at this if I get the chance:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2004-CHEVROLET-GMC-CORVETTE-...

Ticks all the right boxes, MANUAL, low miles but it's a good price and has had 4 previous owners indicating 1: people have bought it for some summer fun, 2: maybe it's a problem car?

Anyone know this car before I call the owner?

Anyone wanna give me a lift! I'm off the road at the moment: would you believe a diesel pump for an Astra van (my Astra Van) costs £1,670 fitted. The 'vette would make a good run around while that's being fixed!

P.S. I'm still alive but a car has to excite me to get my interest: having a 6-speed is a good start!

Malc

malc350

Original Poster:

1,035 posts

252 months

Thursday 24th April 2008
quotequote all
Just phoned the owner: could be a good car.....

vetteheadracer

8,271 posts

259 months

Thursday 24th April 2008
quotequote all
Hi Malc,

If this is a Euro-spec 2004 Le Mans Coupe then it is mega rare, I think they only made something like 39! Obviously this would make the car a future collectors car back in the USA........you just would need to keep it for a few years.

I would suggest a trip to Sussex on Saturday.

malc350

Original Poster:

1,035 posts

252 months

Thursday 24th April 2008
quotequote all
vetteheadracer said:
Hi Malc,

If this is a Euro-spec 2004 Le Mans Coupe then it is mega rare, I think they only made something like 39! Obviously this would make the car a future collectors car back in the USA........you just would need to keep it for a few years.

I would suggest a trip to Sussex on Saturday.
Hi Nige, what's rare about it? Or was there a special edition in 2004?

Malc

malc350

Original Poster:

1,035 posts

252 months

Thursday 24th April 2008
quotequote all
Actually I just remembered! There was a blue special edition wit white stripes if I recall correctly (coupe/convertible/Z06).

Any more details that would help identify it Nige?

Malc

outatime

10 posts

249 months

Thursday 24th April 2008
quotequote all
Do not even contemplate buying this car!

I bought it last summer, it promptly went back to the owner after I discovered it was listed as a 'salvage title' on carfax - it was written off in pennsylvania with about 8k on the clock, then shipped over here.

It creaked whenever you turned a corner and had panel gaps all the way down the car consistent with the chassis being twisted. The seat covers hide the fact it has 50th Anniversary seats, no doubt changed after the crash.

I had it up on a ramp, and the welding on the chassis legs was not pretty.

I still have the carfax report and the GM Database 'junk' listing somewhere.

Edited by outatime on Thursday 24th April 10:35


Edited by outatime on Thursday 24th April 10:46

outatime

10 posts

249 months

mitch_

1,282 posts

230 months

Thursday 24th April 2008
quotequote all
Just to confirm I have run this car through the GM Vehicle Identity System and it comes up as 'Government Reported Salvage'. Originally supplied by Don Allen Chevrolet in Pittsburgh, PA. It was listed as 'JUNK' on 06/01/2005. Any questions feel free to contact me.

Regards,

Mitch
Bauer Millett & Co. Ltd.

vetteheadracer

8,271 posts

259 months

Thursday 24th April 2008
quotequote all
Looks like Mitch just saved you Malc!

G4HKS

2,673 posts

225 months

Thursday 24th April 2008
quotequote all
10/10 to Outatime & Bauer Millett!

Edited by G4HKS on Thursday 24th April 12:33

mitch_

1,282 posts

230 months

Thursday 24th April 2008
quotequote all
If anybody has a genuine query about the history of a vehicle then feel free to message me. I can fairly easily check vehicles on the GM Vehicle Identity System if I have a VIN number. Any vehicle listed as junk in the U.S. is cross referenced onto this database too. Sadly, there are far too many damaged cars out there.

M

outatime

10 posts

249 months

Thursday 24th April 2008
quotequote all
Thanks for backing me up, Mitch.

I have no reason to spoil the guys sale, I just remember how absolutely gutted I was when I discovered the history. I hoped the guy that sold it me had kept it.

malc350

Original Poster:

1,035 posts

252 months

Thursday 24th April 2008
quotequote all
Cheers guys, the owner actaually just phoned me to tell me the bad news (I had just managed to persuade a friend to drive me down there tomorrow).

The owner does seem like he was genuinely caught out to me. He even told me it would show up an an HPI ok but Ebay have removed the listing as it has a "salvaged" title in the USA.

Amazingly I really thought I knew about cars especially as I have owned 5 US cars (3 of which were Corvettes) and I didn't even know you could check the US history. If it had driven OK (sounds like it wouldn't have...) and checked out OK on the HPI I would have bought it! You guys should have seen how impulsively I bought my Callaway: looked over it, went for a drive and said "I'll have it mate!" (with a bit of haggling over the price).

So a huge thank you to Mitch (especially) & Tom

Looks like life really is a lifelong learning process..

"If it looks too good to be true it probably is!"

outatime

10 posts

249 months

Thursday 24th April 2008
quotequote all
Yeah, I've been talking to him since this morning and he told me he is pulling the ad after what I told him.

Seems a nice guy that got caught the same way I did.



Edited by outatime on Thursday 24th April 14:10

malc350

Original Poster:

1,035 posts

252 months

Thursday 24th April 2008
quotequote all
I meant to say this goes to show:

1) What a small world the Corvette world is (or any niche car make)

2) How valuable these forums are

Malc

Still looking for something exciting to replace the Callaway with...with some spending money in my pocket at last!

mitch_

1,282 posts

230 months

Thursday 24th April 2008
quotequote all
It's no problem Tom. I'm quite happy to relay raw facts and what I posted was done so without prejudice.

M

malc350

Original Poster:

1,035 posts

252 months

Thursday 24th April 2008
quotequote all
mitch_ said:
If anybody has a genuine query about the history of a vehicle then feel free to message me. I can fairly easily check vehicles on the GM Vehicle Identity System if I have a VIN number. Any vehicle listed as junk in the U.S. is cross referenced onto this database too. Sadly, there are far too many damaged cars out there.

M
Hi Mitch, is there a way I can check any US car (not just GM) on a US website for example, if I have the VIN?

Thanks, Malc

mitch_

1,282 posts

230 months

Thursday 24th April 2008
quotequote all
There is Malc. It's called CarFax, the equivalent of HPI in the U.K. I don't have an account I'm afraid but that's where you'd need to look.


Mitch

malc350

Original Poster:

1,035 posts

252 months

Friday 25th April 2008
quotequote all
mitch_ said:
There is Malc. It's called CarFax, the equivalent of HPI in the U.K. I don't have an account I'm afraid but that's where you'd need to look.


Mitch
Cheers Mitch, I just tried to sign up but their oreder form won't take a non-US address so I've just emailed their help team!

They offer unlimited reports for a month for $30.

outatime

10 posts

249 months

Friday 25th April 2008
quotequote all
I used carfax, I had no problem signing up.

I think I put my 'zip code' as 90210