2001 Z06... your thoughts??
2001 Z06... your thoughts?? hey everyone,
so i'm in the market for a Z and found one that can be a potential take home... its an 01 with 63k miles at a good price, only thing is that i hear the 2001's have quite a bit of problems with them, can anyone chime in on it? i like the car, i can live without the HUD and i've seen all the difference between the years, but as far as reliability and mechanics , does it really make that big of a difference ?? 20hp less isn't all that bad, i dont mind it at all, i'm just worried about reliability. any help would be appreciated, thanks!
so i'm in the market for a Z and found one that can be a potential take home... its an 01 with 63k miles at a good price, only thing is that i hear the 2001's have quite a bit of problems with them, can anyone chime in on it? i like the car, i can live without the HUD and i've seen all the difference between the years, but as far as reliability and mechanics , does it really make that big of a difference ?? 20hp less isn't all that bad, i dont mind it at all, i'm just worried about reliability. any help would be appreciated, thanks!
On The Tree
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 129
Likes: 0
From: Kennesaw, Ga
Some of the 01 LS6 engines had a ring problem/ excess oil burning.They should have been "fixed" by a GM factory recall.
I've had three Z06's, an 01, an 04, and currently an 07.
The 01 served me well... over 50,000 miles with lots of D E Events.
Same with the 04... the suspension change and a slight boost in power was very noticable.
Have the car inspected at a reputable shop... also do a leak-down test.
If it passes inspection... you should be good to go.
I own an 01 and do not have any of those issues... currently @ 84K miles. Don't listen to everything you hear. I too was skeptical when purchasing my 01 for the same reasons you are. I would not trade for mine. a nice CAI/Headers, Ported TB, Tune and you got yourself a screamiing machine... jmo...
thanks! i dont take others opinions too seriously, its just nice to hear what the consensus has to say. the car that i'm looking at looks like its in good condition, mileage is on the high side but the oil burning worries me a bit. i've owned my fair share of cars and now with less and less time, i dont want to be getting into something that'll take up too much of my resources. to be honest the car will be boosted in the future and thats what worries me, i know when i get it i'll do a complete makeover, new rear main, have everything checked, new clutch and timing chain and things like that. i checked the carfax and theres no history of it going in for the ring replacement so that worries me a bit as well, any others care to chime in??
63k miles is really low for an LS motor, just considered "high" for a corvette. My silverado has 214k on the 6.0 LS motor...all its had are oil changes. Don't listen to everything you hear from corvette guys.
Not all cars have the ring flutter problem. All cars will use quite a bit of oil through the PCV valve when driven aggressively, which can lead to misdiagnosis.
When you say a good price, that car should be 16-18k.
I would not do a timing chain, unless necessary. If it is done incorrectly and the shop reuses the balancer bolt, it can cause major problems.
Not all cars have the ring flutter problem. All cars will use quite a bit of oil through the PCV valve when driven aggressively, which can lead to misdiagnosis.
When you say a good price, that car should be 16-18k.
I would not do a timing chain, unless necessary. If it is done incorrectly and the shop reuses the balancer bolt, it can cause major problems.
thanks callys ! right now the price is at 18k which isn't bad at all, i really want a c6Z but if i can get a c5 for 1/4 of the price then why the heck not.
the paint isn't all that great , its also been in a front end accident where the airbag was deployed (only bumper damage), i had the frame and damage checked out and it all came out ok (everything has been repaired), i really couldn't notice it myself, but it still worries me. thanks for the reassurance everyone, i'll have it checked out at a shop and get a leakdown done and we'll see how it goes from there, if i can save 2k and get it for 16k then that'll just go into the sts kit,
keep them coming!!
the paint isn't all that great , its also been in a front end accident where the airbag was deployed (only bumper damage), i had the frame and damage checked out and it all came out ok (everything has been repaired), i really couldn't notice it myself, but it still worries me. thanks for the reassurance everyone, i'll have it checked out at a shop and get a leakdown done and we'll see how it goes from there, if i can save 2k and get it for 16k then that'll just go into the sts kit,
keep them coming!! Trending Topics
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I have one. The car has been great, no oil consumption. I added HUD with new GM parts and a new GM dash (most cut thier stock dash).
Car has been awesome. With a ported throttle body, H-pipe off a newer car, vararam and a tune it went 7.67. Bone stock the car went 7.90's.
I've since put it back completely to stock (saved everything) other than a c6 shifter, clutch bleeder line, and tick adjustable master. I'm selling it because I've got a new camaro on the way. If it doesn't sell in the next 2 weeks i'm trading it in.
Don't be afraid of what people say about the 01's. The few differences they have are on parts you'll be changing anyway if you hot rod it. The 01's I believe are lighter. It has 48k miles and plently of life left in it.
Car has been awesome. With a ported throttle body, H-pipe off a newer car, vararam and a tune it went 7.67. Bone stock the car went 7.90's.
I've since put it back completely to stock (saved everything) other than a c6 shifter, clutch bleeder line, and tick adjustable master. I'm selling it because I've got a new camaro on the way. If it doesn't sell in the next 2 weeks i'm trading it in.
Don't be afraid of what people say about the 01's. The few differences they have are on parts you'll be changing anyway if you hot rod it. The 01's I believe are lighter. It has 48k miles and plently of life left in it.
very good point, i've also thought about that. the previous accident worries me quite a bit, but when i drove it and checked it out everything was ok. i might just be pulling the trigger on it, it has nice little trinkets here and there, can't really beat the price, i was expecting to spend 40ish so @ 18k i really cant complain, haha. the colors' black by the way.
TECH Senior Member
iTrader: (3)
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 6,524
Likes: 1
From: Western Burbs of Detroit
The accident and bad paint would send me somewhere else. THe price should be lower considering its been in an accident. JMHO but I feel there are better deals to be had. Just be patient.
i agree, usually i would react the same because i'm extremely picky with my cars, BUT, all of the flaws are repairable, the current owner showed me all of the body shop documents , and the paint isn't bad, but its not exactly perfect, i know that a good clay bar and wax will take care of the paint.... i just dont like having the history on the back of my mind, but mechanically its a very solid performer, thats really the thing thats actually making me consider the car, other than that, i usually dont even bat an eye in the situation.
the hud would be nice, the 20hp and 15tq i really could care less about, its the rings/oil consumption problem and stuff, but 01z0h6 made me feel better about it, haha. i guess i should just bite the bullet and go for it, it fell in my lap, it'll save me money ( even in the long run) still be fun as hell to drive and a solid performer. only bad thing is now i have to get rid of my ls1 rx7 faster to make room for this 
reality is that if i get the Z i'll never drive the rx7, nuts.
reality is that if i get the Z i'll never drive the rx7, nuts. 
Registered User
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
I just got my 04 for 26k, if you really do some looking you can find some really decent Z's for cheap. I also saw another one nearby me, an 03 with 25k miles for 25k! If I were you I would look around some more before making a decision and definitely drive as many as you can (then you can really decide which is the best!). Also check the codes too, press reset a couple of times to back you out to the main screen on the DIC and then hold down OPTIONS and press FUEL 4 times, this will bring up the diagnostic mode and you can get a history of any codes that were thrown:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1571034158-post4.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1571034158-post4.html
i have an 01 ZO6...i for one can tell you that it is VERY relaible. I was concerned about oil comsumption too. Infact i believe mine does burn some. It may use a quart every 2k. MAY. It all depends on how you drive. I know guys that have 02+Z's and they STILL burn a little oil. I love my car and i wouldnt trade it. However in your case...the fact that the airbag has been deployed would turn me away. Another thing to look at...better yet ask, would be the colomn lock. Vettes are notorious for having the dreaded colomn lock issue. GM just came out with a bulletin this year stating they would no longer fix these under a recall. I have a colomn lock by-pass on mine and havent had issues since.
thanks for the input! i read the police report as well as saw the pictures of the accident and it wasn't bad at all, the accident hit right at the sensor and they deployed, only the bumper and headlight were replaced. everything was fixed and verified by CHP so thats why i stay, it also still holds a clean title and everything is straight. the column lock has also been replaced by GM , verified by the carfax and service records.
thanks for the input! i read the police report as well as saw the pictures of the accident and it wasn't bad at all, the accident hit right at the sensor and they deployed, only the bumper and headlight were replaced. everything was fixed and verified by CHP so thats why i stay, it also still holds a clean title and everything is straight. the column lock has also been replaced by GM , verified by the carfax and service records.
