I am about to move to Florida in a week or so, and am seriously interested in getting a 2002-2004 Z06, in addition to a couple TAs. Is there anything in particular that I should know to look for when I finally go car shopping? I read through the FAQs and such about standard repairs and such, but is there anything in particular I should look for? Or watch out for?

 

Check the underbody for damage, but first run a carfax to check for accidents/structural damage etc. I would also call a Chevrolet dealer and have the service writer check the vin to see its maintenance history, and or if it has been in for major work. Check the rocker panels under the doors, these cars are easy to high center, so a few scrapes is normal, however I would steer clear of one with considerable damage or cracks. Check the frame rails in the engine bay, the VIN number should be stamped on the passenger side frame rail right behind the head light assem, if the frame rail has been cut and replaced the vin will be missing. Check the lower crash bars and radiator supports under the front fascia, just like the rocker panels there may be some scrapes, however they should not be obliterated. Tires are another area of concern, because rubber is expensive for these cars, try and find one with some left so you can spend money on mods instead of tires These are cars are also known for electrical issues, make sure the climate controls work, and that the DIC does not display any warnings, also check the headlights operate normally.

 

Cool, appreciate the info. I've had a camaro, trans am, and firebird formula in the past, so I am going to try to avoid the same issues I had when I bought those.

I bought the formula with the rear diff stripped to **** (didnt know at the time) So is the rear end weak like it is on the F-Bodies?

Formula also came with H rated POS kumo tires... and I know eagle F1s come standard, but what tires are generally decent for daily driving a vette?

TA threw a piston straight down through the engine within a month of buying it... So are there any tell-tail signs of an upcoming shitstorm of engine repairs that I should know about?

Camaro vert top leaked like ****, formula T-Tops had small leaks as well... So are there any issues with the FRC seals? or window motor issues?

And of course... what is the speaker size for a c5z? ... or any special systems to get around like the shitty monsoon system in f-bodies?

I read that there were special jacking/lifting requirements... and since I plan on attempting repairs/mods in my new garage (whenever we get the house), what is the easiest way to get at under-car components. I assume a simple jack isn't the answer.

I would really like to come into this as knowledgeable as possible.

 

See if the car has either a CLB (Column lock blocker) or if the car went in for the Column Lock service recall.

If it went in for the recall, I'd recommend not getting that car or get a CLB right away ($50 - 20 min easy install).

If it didn't go in for the recall, I'd give it a green light to start looking for other issues on the car to see if you want it. The CLB should still be installed when you get it. It's a good insurance to make sure you don't get stranded anywhere.

Look at the grounds behind the headlights and front fender wells under the hood. See if they're corroded. If there's just a tiny bit of oxidation or corrosion, not a big deal, but if there's a lot, you're likely going to have lots of little gremlins in the electrical system. Go through the computer to see if there's any codes being thrown. Easiest way to do that is to put the car in the ON position (don't start the car) and while holding the OPTIONS button hit the FUEL button 4 times (5 to go to manual scroll mode). That will let you know what kind of codes it's throwing. Anything that says BCM or ECU is likely not good. You may see TCS or RDO which is fine... The TCS usually has to do with alignment or over inflation of the tires (although can sometimes be the steering wheel position sensor which is expensive to fix). RDO is just the radio. Sometimes during weird starts on the car, the radio will temporarily lose communication with the BCM and throw a code. No biggie as long as the radio is working.

Look at the exhaust to see if the pipes are lined up right. If not, there's probably been an accident that caused them to go crooked.

Open and close the headlights a few times and make sure they both go up and down fine. They usually don't make a lot of noise (WAY more quiet than the Trans Am lights) but may give a little squeak... That's no biggie. If one comes up WAY faster than the other, the slower one's motor is likely going to die soon. They should both be up within a half a second of each other.

Run the A/C. See if it blows cold. Doubtful a C5 needs a freon recharge but if it doesn't blow cold it could need a compressor (although also doubtful). Also, if a car has really low miles and the A/C is never run, the A/C seals can crack, so double check it's blowing cold.

Listen for rattles in the test drive. (Don't let them turn the radio on while you're driving.) If the car's rattling, then the panels have likely have been pulled off... It's hard to make them not rattle once they start. When some people do audio work, they use the same retainers instead of new ones and it causes the panels to rattle really easily.

Double check the memory on the seats... Sometimes the memory module goes bad way early and it doesn't remember the position on the seat. (but should still remember the radio and A/C settings)

All the T56 transmissions clunk around, but if you're getting a harsh clunk when you're letting off the clutch, you've got something loose in the drivetrain and that's REALLY expensive to fix on C5s and C6s. The diff is also stronger than the LS2 C6's, but can still easily break with wheel hop, so listen for the diff as well.

 

#1 is patience , Don't jump into the first one you see because it looks good. Use the good advice given above.

 

Haha, thats the idea.. hence asking the random questions. I made that mistake as well with my fbodies... granted there were slim pickings in CA when I got them all. You would be surprised how rare manual LS1 cars are there.... at least for sale. ANYWAY, thanks for the advice so far, is there anything else I should be aware of? I am especially interested in opinions from people who made the transition between fbodies to corvettes.

 

I had a WS6, sold it for my Z06. I agree with others,have patience and do your homework. The right car for you is out there. And honestly....Vettes are just leaps and bounds better thah F-body's. You really can't go wrong here.

 

Anything in the vette that you had to adjust to? For the past 3 years I have been DDing 3 different F-bodies, so I am used their handling and such. Of course, with the theft of my latest one, I have been without a car for a couple months and am sure that the vette will take some getting used to. Just kinda curious if there was anything major that you wern't used to, or stuff that is important to know.

 

Yes... More attention from girls. LOTS more attention from girls.

Aside from that, there's no real adjustments since the car handles better and is far easier to drive. Less blind spots. Easier to park...

You just can't go wrong.

 

I had to get used to the extra legroom and the seats are more comfy in the trans am actually. They seem similar to camaro seats really

 

I kind of agree about the seats. For some reason, the Z06 doesn't come with adjustable lumbar support or good side bolsters. Not sure why they did that, but the Trans Am definitely had better seats. However, seats are easily changed... I wouldn't buy a car based on it's seats.

 

SCM is right about the colonm lock issue. Check to see if it has had the recall(although i HAD the recall done to mine and it STILL LOCKED!) You might as well plan on doing the column lock bypass. It cost around $40. Another thing which may or may not happen to you is the dreaded C1214 code. Service Active handling/Service Traction System/Service ABS...Pm me if you ever get this code. It is not one that you can reset. And if you just so happen to get it to reset, its only a matter of time before it comes back. I love my ZO6! I also came from an F-body and ill never go back!

 

SS, I actually had that Service Active Handling crap at one point, but it turned out that it was because my right front tire was somehow over inflated. Someone told me it was the Steering Wheel Position Sensor, which made me think about it mechanically and I realized one tire must be spinning faster than the other while going straight. I double checked the air pressure in all the tires. My left front was 29PSI, and the right was 35PSI. Setting them both to 30PSI fixed the issue.

 

That is freaky the Active Handling System is that sensitive!

 

You're telling me... Also, the front tires have to be 0.8" shorter than the back tires otherwise the AH turns off as well... ******* weird rules programmed into the AH. I don't know if the C6's are the same, but that's how it is for the C5s.