I think I'm going to buy a Corvette

[KentState]

The most expensive part of owning a Corvette is probably the tires and gas. Everything else is so common that you shouldn't have to worry. Even insurance is decent since the majority of owners are older men and drive very few miles. Therefore the car isn't seen as a high accident vehicle.

 

[Gillbot]

The most expensive part of owning a Corvette is probably the tires and gas. Everything else is so common that you shouldn't have to worry. Even insurance is decent since the majority of owners are older men and drive very few miles. Therefore the car isn't seen as a high accident vehicle.

Tires aren't really that bad so long as you aren't stupid on them.

 

[KentState]

Tires aren't really that bad so long as you aren't stupid on them.

Depends on what you run. The GY OEM tires on mine barely lasted 12k miles in normal driving. There are other non run-flat options, but you have to be prepared for dealing with a flat in the middle of nowhere.

 

[quakefiend420]

Here ya go

http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/cto/3084817654.html

 

[Gillbot]

Depends on what you run. The GY OEM tires on mine barely lasted 12k miles in normal driving. There are other non run-flat options, but you have to be prepared for dealing with a flat in the middle of nowhere.

IMHO, a couple hundred on a tow is nothing compared to the premium of runflats vs. regular tires. 😉

I haven't had a spare in my Camaro since forever and when I did get a flat, the tow was cheap vs. the savings of regular tires over runflats. A few of my buddies do the same for their Vettes also. Also, FWIW, AAA is fairly cheap as well.

 

[KentState]

IMHO, a couple hundred on a tow is nothing compared to the premium of runflats vs. regular tires. 😉

I haven't had a spare in my Camaro since forever and when I did get a flat, the tow was cheap vs. the savings of regular tires over runflats. A few of my buddies do the same for their Vettes also. Also, FWIW, AAA is fairly cheap as well.

Don't know if you owned a Vette, but the damage a flatbed tow can do to one may not be worth it. It's not like they can just drive the car up the ramps or easily put a toe hook on it and drag it up. Even a simple incline like a driveway is a pain with four functional tires.

 

[JackBurton]

Don't know if you owned a Vette, but the damage a flatbed tow can do to one may not be worth it. It's not like they can just drive the car up the ramps or easily put a toe hook on it and drag it up. Even a simple incline like a driveway is a pain with four functional tires.

Meh, my wife's Mustang doesn't have a spare, but it does have a tire inflator in the trunk. In an emergency, use some fix-a-flat and the inflator and you're good to go until you can get to a tire repair shop. May mess up the TPMS sensor, but it's much cheaper to replace than a set of run flats.

And if you are going for "regular tires," they're not much more expensive than a set of performance tires for a Mustang.

 

[Viper GTS]

I just quote it out with Geico, to add the same coverage I have on my Mazda 3 (Liability & Comprehensive) on a 2005 Vette would raise my YEARLY premium by $264. I think I can deal with that. I have no clue why it's so low (my insurance has always been really low compared to my friends- maybe the perfect driving record?) Probably the key thing is I don't pay for collision, that's my own personal decision. If I crash my car into a light pole then I'm willing to accept that that's my fault.

I don't mean to keep bringing up the Auto vettes, to be clear I'm looking at a 6MT Vette with maybe 50-70k miles from a dealer, or potentially much lower miles (20-30k) private party if I can put all the cash up front

I kind of get where everyone is coming from now since the original example was for a 100k Auto, I shouldn't have been misleading. That just shocked me with it's low price (21k) to realize that decent mileage 6MT cars are actually affordable now ($25k)

I didn't mean to be bragging, it just kind of frustrates me because the mentality here is shared by a lot of my friends/family, I'm sure if I was talking about dropping $25k on a used STi everyone would be like "ZOMG MAKE SURE YOU GET ONE WITH A BIG TURBO!" but for some reason because it's a Corvette everyone thinks I'm too young.

To be honest it would be much more than just a "toy car" to me, it would be something I'd love to maintain and take care of and treat like a true classic

I don't have a garage yet, which is a major reason I don't have a project car right now. In a year or two I will be somewhere there is a garage, and that's when I plan on buying a second car.

If you are financing you won't have the option of not having collision coverage.

With a clean record and depending where you live it still might not be all that bad. Insurance varies a lot by location, and I just moved from Oregon to new jersey and insurance on my two cars (forester xt plus viper) is going to double. Still not terrible but it's $200 a month now for maxed out coverage at 30 with clean record.

As others have mentioned tires and gas will be the worst. And oil changes depending on the capacity. Ten quarts in the viper is nearly $100 retail before you get to filter and paying someone to do it (I'm not the diy type - yet).

All this said, every time I drive the viper I am reminded why I did it. If the corvette will do the same for you you probably won't regret it, and you probably won't get another opportunity.

Viper GTS

 

[Gillbot]

Don't know if you owned a Vette, but the damage a flatbed tow can do to one may not be worth it. It's not like they can just drive the car up the ramps or easily put a toe hook on it and drag it up. Even a simple incline like a driveway is a pain with four functional tires.

It's a gamble either way. Plus AAA doesn't only offer tows, but sometimes you can get tire repair/replacement as well.

I currently do not own a vette, but as I said many others I know do and they do the same. Never been an issue for any of them.

 

[yottabit]

I have always had AAA and they are usually pretty good about working with you to send the right tow vehicle for the job. If I tell them I have a lowered vehicle they send a flatbed with a powered lift. It just may take longer for them to get out to you 😛

I would be ditching the run flats first thing anyway just because they are garbage

AAA really pays for itself IMO if you know how to use it, Hotel discounts, coupon booklets etc

Thanks for the input so far. It seems like there are a lot of good reasons to save up and buy private party

 

[Fenixgoon]

It's a gamble either way. Plus AAA doesn't only offer tows, but sometimes you can get tire repair/replacement as well.

I currently do not own a vette, but as I said many others I know do and they do the same. Never been an issue for any of them.

i dont know about you guys, but my insurance covers towing expenses...

 

[KentState]

I really didn't mean to make a big deal out of the tires. Just out of all the things to worry about, the Corvette is as simple as tires and gas. Everything else is as cheap as a family sedan to repair like brakes/rotors, engine work, electronics and so on. The fiberglass is also a little tricky as a damaged panel typically means full replacement.

Mine did suffer from the battery gremlins. We had a bad snow storm a few years ago and I wasn't able to drive it for 10 days. Came home after work and wanted to take it for a spin after the streers cleared up. The car would not start and had to push it out onto the road to get a car in position to jump it. Was a little frustrating getting into the car and dicking around with the push button start.

 

[Elfear]

Go for the C6 OP. When I was looking around at different performance cars in the $25k range a few years ago, I found the same thing you did. Really hard to beat a Vette in the bang-for-your-buck category. I also found that insurance wasn't that bad. I was looking at an STI and a C6 and the STI was nearly twice as much to insure.

Also, in case you weren't aware of the Vette forum, you can find some great deals there. Most of the owners are great guys.

 

[RearAdmiral]

I've been struggling to find a car I'm really happy with and torn between having a daily driver and a separate project car or buying a fun car to commute on.

I don't mind driving used crappy cars as commuters and I already have one that I can continue to drive. I recently bought a newer Mazda 3 (not speed) and have been kind of disappointed in it. I've been looking at selling it and getting something like a WRX or BRZ (along with the Mustang, Genesis)

I came really close to buying a G35, and all kinds of other crap

All in all I just don't think any car I can afford new is going to meet all my criteria for fun. Anything in the $25-30k range is disappointing to me in some way

Plus, the way vehicles depreciate so much in the first few years, financially it makes sense for me to rack up miles on a beater car and have a high value car that I don't really drive as much.

And I've always dreamed of owning a Corvette.

I've always been telling myself that once used C6 Vette prices dropped into the 20k range I would go after one, and today driving by a dealership I saw a Maroon C6 Vette for 21k. Now granted it was an automatic with 100k miles on it it still really shocked me to see it at that price point. It was religiously maintained and had Z06 wheels. And talking to the sales manager I learned a lot.

I'm not afraid of high mileage cars, and I know the LS2 motors are fricken reliable. And from talking to him lower mileage C6 like something with 60-70k miles in a 6MT version go for around $25/26k currently

I guess I never realized they are already this affordable! I would never buy a BRZ knowing that I can get twice the horsepower and better handling for the same price in the used market through the Corvette. And the removable/clear roof practically gives me a boner.

So my plan is to sell the Mazda 3, drive my Saturn into the ground, and put a hefty down payment on a C6 Vette next year or so. Does anyone see a good reason to talk to me out of it?

The 'Vette is a car I can see myself owning for the rest of my life and driving on Weekends/Special occasions etc. I think I could get a lot of longevity out of it. And knowing that if I need some extra power heads/cam and a tune will get me more than I'd ever want is reassuring.

Living in New England it would have to be restricted to solely summers, but that really goes for any nice car, and this kind of forces me into having a beater car anyways.

The only thing I'm scared of is I'm 23 and I have no idea what the insurance payments will look like. I may need to wait until I'm 25 just because of that. I'd only really be looking for basic liability + comprehensive though. I suppose I'll call my insurance and get a quote.

Financially I understand it's a pretty silly decision at this stage of my life, but I make pretty decent money and there's a huge void in my life for my passion for cars. The girlfriend is OK with the idea and I already have some pretty good long term investments going on. What do you think???

EDIT: An additional factor is that there are so many grandpa's that buy these cars, it's really not hard to find one you know hasn't been beaten on. Much harder to say that for any more attainable sports car

I counted and saw 25 corvettes on the road yesterday. Find something more unique for your money. I personally wouldn't want to share my "dream" with 24 other people on the road on any given day. But if having a C6 is all you have on your mind, go for it. Just make sure to go bald first 😉

 

[JackBurton]

I counted and saw 25 corvettes on the road yesterday. Find something more unique for your money. I personally wouldn't want to share my "dream" with 24 other people on the road on any given day. But if having a C6 is all you have on your mind, go for it. Just make sure to go bald first 😉

If you want something unique, you better have the bank account to back your "dream." If it is affordable and unique, the reason more people don't own it is because they don't want it. A Pontiac Aztec is unique too, but I sure as hell wouldn't want to own one.

Unique does not necessarily equal "special" or better.

 

[jlee]

I counted and saw 25 corvettes on the road yesterday. Find something more unique for your money. I personally wouldn't want to share my "dream" with 24 other people on the road on any given day. But if having a C6 is all you have on your mind, go for it. Just make sure to go bald first 😉

I buy cars for my own reasons, not because I want to look better or different than anyone else. Who cares what car you're "supposed" to drive?

 

[exdeath]

That's the internet for you. People who think they are too good to buy anything unless it's a Ferrari or Lamborghini. Meanwhile they are driving a Geo and dreaming and fapping to posters while everyone else is having fun in their Corvettes, Mustangs, Zs, etc. :awe:

 

[Gillbot]

i dont know about you guys, but my insurance covers towing expenses...

I think mine does too, but I have a good buddy on speed dial with a low trailer that's easier to get my car on. 😀

 

[SpatiallyAware]

I counted and saw 25 corvettes on the road yesterday. Find something more unique for your money. I personally wouldn't want to share my "dream" with 24 other people on the road on any given day. But if having a C6 is all you have on your mind, go for it. Just make sure to go bald first 😉

While I do on agree with this on some levels, keep in mind that this is what makes a vette such a great daily driver. Every speed shop has dealt with 100's of them, if there is some problem everyone knows very very quickly.

It's one of the few cars I would be completely confident owning past 100k miles.

Now, with ANY car like this you need to be prepared for a tow truck etc in the case of some issue - whether it's a flat tire or some other 'performance car' related problem. ...And by prepared, I also mean financially as well. Tires are >$1000 a set and last 10-20k miles. Even minor engine problems are $$$. IMO you need to have $3k minimum set aside for car problems.

I would not recommend buying a $20k car and then only getting liability. Honestly, the OP concerns me a bit.

 

[yottabit]

I would not recommend buying a $20k car and then only getting liability. Honestly, the OP concerns me a bit.

I would get liability and comprehensive

Comprehensive is the real money maker IMO. Meaning you can actually save money from your insurance. It protects against Theft and other major crap like that, and also damage from road hazards etc, glass. It's also the cheapest portion of my insurance.

By opting out of the Collision (someone correct me if I'm wrong) the only thing I would be losing is safety from 1) I crash my car accidentally and 2) someone uninsured hit me

If I own the car I'm willing to take the risk of #1 (I'm not going to drive it like an idiot and if I do it would be on a track where insurance doesn't cover me anyway) and #2 is unlikely enough that I don't need to pay for Collision (the most expensive kind of insurance on a car like this)

Why do I concern you?

I'm aware of the cost of Corvette tires (which by the way you can get a nice selection for UNDER $1k online) and the costs associated with owning a sports car. In fact one of the reasons I'm pursuing the Corvette is because of it's low operating costs for essentially exotic like performance. If I wanted to keep the car running at all times I could put aside at least $3k, but since it's essentially a toy there would be no rush to fix it if it did break down. And since I do almost all my work myself I don't think it would be too expensive. Although I'm planning on getting a lift for the Vette.

Also I'm not saying "YAY C6 CORVETTES ARE FINALLY 20k!" because that's the most I can afford, but because that's the most I've decided a toy car is worth to me

I think Collision insurance is basically paying for your own negligence. Maybe it's because I'm from NH where you aren't required to wear seatbelts or helmets or have health or car insurance (not that those aren't good things). I just think it's ridiculous to consider a world without insurance crazy because that's like calling a world without personal responsibility crazy. I'm willing to accept the risk that I might wrap my Corvette around a tree and not have it covered under insurance. I keep Liability because I don't want some jerk suing me if I tap their rear bumper (I'm not perfect) but if we lived in a society that wasn't so sue-happy I probably wouldn't. And I keep comprehensive because to me it's the useful insurance.

Even if I did severely crash a $20k Corvette and it was totaled, there would easily be upwards of $10k of parts to sell on it

 

[JackBurton]

I would get liability and comprehensive

Comprehensive is the real money maker IMO. Meaning you can actually save money from your insurance. It protects against Theft and other major crap like that, and also damage from road hazards etc, glass. It's also the cheapest portion of my insurance.

By opting out of the Collision the only thing I would be losing is safety from 1) I crash my car accidentally and 2) someone uninsured hit me

If I own the car I'm willing to take the risk of #1 (I'm not going to drive it like an idiot and if I do it would be on a track where insurance doesn't cover me anyway) and #2 is unlikely enough that I don't need to pay for Collision (the most expensive kind of insurance on a car like this)

Why do I concern you?

Do you know how many hit and runs are committed DAILY?! A LOT! Just counting me, I've been involved in 2. But if you are willing to bet a $25K car on it, that's your decision.

 

[yottabit]

Do you know how many hit and runs are committed DAILY?! A LOT! Just counting me, I've been involved in 2. But if you are willing to bet a $25K car on it, that's your decision.

Well I've never been in an accident, and I pay less for low coverage while you pay more for more

Both our lives are interesting anecdotes!

Maybe it's because there's not a lot of people in NH, and I'm not planning on driving my Corvette in congested areas

Also say yes it's a 25K car, most likely I will get hit after some period of time (after the car has depreciated some) and if so it's either going to be an accident which is easily repairable, or an accident that makes it more worth it for me to part the car out. So there's never a risk of losing $25k, unless it's an accident that completely disintegrates the car in which I'd be dead, and wouldn't care too much

I'd say the worst case risk is losing 10k if the car got slammed right away, and somehow the driver got away

 

[thedarkwolf]

You won't be able to get a loan without collision.

Do you really want to put crap tires on a vette? One of the local autox vette guys switched to a miata because of the cost of tires of coarse he was buying really good tires that didn't last very long.

 

[Arkaign]

Vettes are really reliable, parts are cheap for the most part, insurance is actually less than things like WRX and Speed3 a lot of the time, and most of the used ones are actually in great shape unless they've been beaten to hell. To be honest, I *rarely* see people hooning in Vettes, they're typically driven by 50+ midlife crisis guys, and that is only good news really.

I say check it out, and go for it. The greatest thing about a Vette is that if you take decent care of it, it will never really bottom out in value, and getting a crate motor put in is dead simple if you eventually wear the first one out. LSx motors seem to easily last 200k, though you may need a tranny before then if auto, and of course a clutch if manual. Tires and brakes really will be the most expensive wear items, even the suspension on the non-magnetic C6s are pretty cheap really. And gas mileage is as good or as bad as you want it to be. Visibility is quite good as well honestly.

 

[Arkaign]

You won't be able to get a loan without collision.

Do you really want to put crap tires on a vette? One of the local autox vette guys switched to a miata because of the cost of tires of coarse he was buying really good tires that didn't last very long.

AutoX is really best with a 4-banger and small light car. Vette is kinda unwieldy for that kind of thing. I think a Lotus 7 is the ideal AutoX car, but AutoX doesn't really float my boat. Just seems like a lot of tire wear for not much fun. I'd much rather do a lap at a circuit than squeal tires around a bunch of cones. Miata Spec racing, now that's fun shit! I haven't raced at one, but I've been to one here in Texas, and it was freaking awesome to see.