Chevrolet Corvette C6: PH Used Buying Guide
They say there's no replacement for displacement, so here's everything to look out for when in the market for a C6
Unlike the German, the C6 is strictly a two-seater and some were put off by the idea of the Corvette's size, even though it was more compact than the C5 it replaced. It was also much better to drive and easier to live with, though it still retained the classic transverse leaf rear suspension design. No matter, the C6 handled and rode well, even in more extreme Z06 form.
For many, the Z06 with its 7.0-litre LS7 V8 is the one to have thanks to its performance and rarity. Chevrolet only sold a handful in the UK, which keeps prices strong and you can reckon on spending from £37,500 for this model.
The ZR1 paved the way for the new LS3 6.2-litre V8 used in the standard C6 from 2008. It sported 434hp and its cabin was built to a higher standard than in previous models. This is the most numerous C6 in the UK and also the best balance between pace, practicality and cost. Starting money for a decent example is £25,000.
Running a C6 is no more expensive than any of its contemporary sports car rivals, and you have the choice of coupe or convertible. There are also specialists who can look after the Corvette for you, so maintaining one is relatively simple.
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Bodywork and interior
Bodywork is bonded to the chassis, which makes repairs more expensive and involved. Look for signs of the bonding adhesive being interrupted or irregular, which points to a crash repair.
Have a sniff around the left rear wheel near the fuel filler. A strong smell of petrol indicates the plastic tank sender has cracked and needs replacing, which is a pricey job as the whole tank needs to be dropped.
Key fobs stop working, so make sure they function and replace the batteries every couple of years to avoid trouble.
An airbag warning light on the dash is caused by a loose wire under the driver's seat.
Seats can wobble fore and aft, but this is easily cured by tightening the mounting bolts.
Interior plastics can be fragile, especially the glovebox lid.
Engine and transmission
A grumbling sound from the rear of the car can be differential bolts that have worked loose.
Make sure the battery is in good condition or budget for a replacement, and also keep the car on a trickle charge when parked.
The alternator can weaken due to heat from the engine, so make sure it's charging properly.
The cam chain tensioner on the LS3 engine is a known weak spot, so budget for an upgrade at around £130 plus shipping from the USA and fitting.
The harmonic balancer on the front of the engine goes out of kilter and needs replacing. A new one is £150 from the USA and fitting is about five hours work.
A sloppy gear change can be sorted out with a new cable or re-bushing of the existing item. A new manual cable is £45.
Mass airflow sensors can throw up problems when aftermarket air filters are used.
Suspension and steering
Larger aftermarket wheels spoil the ride and handling balance and can rub on wheelarches.
Wheels, tyres and brakes
Front tyre wear on the inside edges is common, so turn the steering all the way to one side to check. If the rubber is worn, a full alignment set-up is needed.
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SPECIFICATION - CHEVROLET CORVETTE C6
Engine: 5,970/6,162/7,011cc V8
Transmission: 6-speed manual/4 or 6-speed auto
Power (hp): 406/437/512@/6000/6300rpm
Torque (lb ft): 400/424/470@4400/4800rpm
MPG: 25.2/21.2/19.2
CO2: 310/316/350g/km
Price new: £47,495/£49,000/£59,895
Price now: £25,000 upwards
Lying in the tent, it was unmistakable when Corvette thundered past!
You’re getting a huge slice of presence at this price point, but the combination of a large footprint and LHD would deter me.
That's an astonishingly shallow and trivial list of 'things to look for' for a buying guide for a decade-old performance car. Keyfob batteries can run out? If you fit larger wheels they might hit the wheelarches? Aftermarket parts can cause MAF issues? These are hardly Corvette-specific issues.
Either it's a half-arsed article by PH, or alternatively the Corvette is just very robust and there truly isn't much to talk about. Given the reputation of the car, and that it's sold in the most litigious country in the world, I'll be charitable and pick the latter explanation. Compare the above to the 997 buying guide that I saw in Evo ('we recommend buyers keep a £10k contingency fund to allow for rebuilding the engine'), and it's quite the contrast!
Either it's a half-arsed article by PH, or alternatively the Corvette is just very robust and there truly isn't much to talk about.
Size isn't an issue, my c5 fits in parking spaces fine and I'd guess it's smaller than a modern 5 series or jag xf.
The LS series engines are great. Even the LS1 in its most basic form makes 350bhp and 350 lbft of torque. It's a brute when above 4.5k rpm but a great cruiser for town work. Mine bearly breaks 2krpm and I'm still generally the first from the lights.
Gratuious pic...
Having just returned from working in the States a few days ago was surprised to find out that over there the Corvette is referred to as a "Hairdressers Car" and the subject of petrol head ridicule.
LHD is the main excuse for not buying a Vette. But if LHD was the only issue that puts people off then Lotus would be selling a lot more! I think everyone's got so accustomed to rolling around in their upright 5-door SUVs that sportscars are generally avoided, despite the frothy internet enthusiasm for Alfa 4C and many others. Artega, Spyker etc have gone out of business. F-type sales have been well below Jaguar's hopes and the fate of new-TVR remains to be seen.
Corvettes have had double-wishbone suspension at all four corners for many decades - just look at the exposed chassis in the photo above. A transverse composite leaf spring has the advantages of light weight and compact profile.
The world has two leading sportscar makers, both in business for 60 years and very good at it. Porsche and Corvette. The only contender with a significant slice of pie is the much cheaper MX5.
So by your thinking does that mean there is only 1 leading sportscar maker left, Corvette?
So by your thinking does that mean there is only 1 leading sportscar maker left, Corvette?
t off a shovel and handled superbly. LHD puts me off here but my plan is to put one in the garage of my Spanish abode in due course. Targa perhaps.
The targa roof panel is not brilliant, removal and refitment are 2 person jobs and stowing the panel in the car will massively reduce the luggage space - best to either accept the car as a coupe or buy the convertible version in the first place.
The auto box is beyond woeful - seriously, only consider a manual, it's a great box and a delight to use.
The loose under-seat wire mentioned in the article leads into a wider C6 problem - the electrical systems are not the best, over the course of 2 years I had all sorts of niggling issues, some serious (sudden instant loss of all headlights) to trivial (pax door wouldn't open from the outside)
In chasing these faults, various design issues came to light, most serious of which is the placement of the main fusebox - it's unlikely to be an issue in the UK but in the Middle East (and hotter states of the US) fusebox replacements are commonplace (and indeed I had to) the box gets crazy hot, causing the internal insulation to fall apart and wires and links to touch each other.
The start/stop switch, door release buttons and driver's door window/mirror control panel are all also common failure points as they're cheaply made and the contacts within them degrade - weirdly replacing the door master switch cured a bunch of little issues on mine that were not related to windows or mirrors in any way!
Mechanically though they are beyond bulletproof, aside from servicing and a starter motor change (probably unnecessary but the dealership insisted it would cure an issue I had - it didn't) I had no problems with mine in all the time I had it, it even coped fairly well with some mild wadi-bashing.
I'd have another in a heartbeat, but for the reasons listed above would buy a full convertible next time rather than the targa.... oh and a Borla exhaust upgrade is worth every penny as well!
The targa roof panel is not brilliant, removal and refitment are 2 person jobs and stowing the panel in the car will massively reduce the luggage space - best to either accept the car as a coupe or buy the convertible version in the first place.
You may in fact know the one I was blasting around in then. Posts as Ron Fellows on here (Craig).
The targa roof panel is not brilliant, removal and refitment are 2 person jobs and stowing the panel in the car will massively reduce the luggage space - best to either accept the car as a coupe or buy the convertible version in the first place.
You may in fact know the one I was blasting around in then. Posts as Ron Fellows on here (Craig).
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