the_merv

iTrader: (88)

I'm about to sink my teeth into a Vette..it's a Black on Black/Red 2003 Z06 50th Ann. Edition, has some minor mods done to it, other than that it's pretty much stock. I'm getting it for a pretty damn good price..I'm pretty much in that spot of making the final decision about it. I have to pay for it now cause the owner doesn't want to hold onto it for that long after it's finished.

I'm about to go to Iraq till mid may, the car is in the shop currently getting a freshly built LS6 Engine installed in it..the story behind that is it hydrolocked in a bad rain storm and it needed a new Engine. It won't be done till the end of Jan(I'll be out of the country..) so I'm going to have a friend snag it and stick it in a secure location for me. Where it's at getting the work is a GM Dealership and it's in good hands(General Manager is pretty much watching the whole thing..), that and I know some people that can keep tabs on it for me while it's there. When it's done my friend is going to get it and move it to my spot for me.

My question is what would you guys do if you were in my place..?

Great car..in good hands..kinda want to be there but cant so I got good people taking care of it..and it'll be there all built up when I get back in may with some nice mod money..one bank already approved the loan and it's a good rate so I got it pretty much.

That's pretty much where I'm standing.

itsslow98

iTrader: (18)

Id wait till I could drive a car before I bought it that way you know what your getting. There will always be deals and I dont hear anything fromw hat you explained to make this a real steal. Id hold off and wait till you get back to find soemthing that you really want, whats the point of buying it if its gonna sit and you wont be able to drive it till you get back anyways.

eseibel67

iTrader: (10)

^ I agree. There is always a deal out there if you are ready to pounce when it comes by.

Engine change is major surgery. Lots of little plastic clips that will get busted and tie strapped if you don't do the work yourself. Unless your getting a SUPER deal, then go for it.

RPM WS6

iTrader: (3)

Unless you're paying about half of the fair market value on this car, I'd pass without question.

It's totally against my nature to pay a running/driving price for a car that isn't running or driving at the time.

How well do you know the seller? I would never buy on a promise, unless this was a person I had known for a very long time and felt that I could trust 100% with anything.

I understand your situation about having to leave the country, but it's just an '03 Z06, nothing so rare or special that you can't find one in complete, finished condition with no worries when you come back.

Just my feelings.

the_merv

iTrader: (88)

Price for it is $14k..I know the seller quite well and so do a few of the people that I know, so that is what makes it easy to keep tabs on things.

I do agree with you guys though, that was the first thought in my mind aswell as the main topic of conversation when I had talked to my old man about it earlier.

Unless with some good written agreement with some legal binding, it's a very hard decision to drop $14k on and leave alone unwillingly for the next 4 'n a half months.

CranMaro99

iTrader: (10)

I never buy a car until I drive it and get it checked out at 2 different places. I don't understand how some can buy a car in this manner. Sorry to put it bluntly, OP.

Long story short I think you know the answer to your own question

01ssreda4

iTrader: (96)

Just get it. You dont need to drive it, Its gonna have a brand new engine. Its gonna run perfect. Any any other flaw that these sissys are/would be looking for during a test drive can be fixed or dealt with. I wish people would stop acting like most used cars dont have issues bc they do. Plain and simple. And you should have no problem dealing with anything that may come up later on down the road of owning the car. Me personally, I look at the new motor as a big plus of buying the car. I guess I'm a kind of glass is half full type of person.

Z28/2002

iTrader: (27)

Damn going to Iraq again? Good Luck

eseibel67

iTrader: (10)

That's mighty noble of you to spend the merv's money.

Used cars are always a gamble, but why start with one that you know has been ripped up by some guy at a dealership working flat rate?

I suspect there is another Z06 for sale that hasn't been in the ICU.

TooLateVTEC

iTrader: (2)

Maybe b/c he said he knew the service manager at the dealership it is being worked on?

Dude, if that thing has average/low miles on it thats a ******* STEAL as long as its otherwise good condition and not a salvage title.

Since you know the owner pretty well, so I would imagine you would know the car fairly well to then (as in where its been, how its been treated, etc) than I dont see any reason not to buy it. Thats a great price, you already know it will be taken care of while your gone, I say if its what you want get it.

If you do, you outta try to talk to that service manager about letting you keep the motor that came out of the car...

01ssreda4

iTrader: (96)

And you sound like someone thats scared to work on a car. You also sound like someone who buys a hugely overpriced extended warranty. Everything doesnt always need a cushy warranty with rental car coverage and stupid **** like that. You sometimes have to take a chance to get a great deal. And he is getting a Z06 with a brand new motor. You sound like a real glass is half empty kind of guy

eseibel67

iTrader: (10)

ssred: Spot on, the amateur psychologist nails it.

OP: Take it from a guy that's been in the repair business for 25 years. The less a car has been handled, the better. Guys in the trade are in it for the billed hours, not for the love of your car.

01ssreda4

iTrader: (96)

Have you read any of themerv's threads? He is plenty capable to handle a used car and any issues it may throw at him. Its not really even a big deal. I bought my car at about 85k. About 2 years and 20k later my basically stock motor had a trashed crank. I replaced the motor with a 50k unit with fresh bearings for all said and done $1k. In the process I got lots of upgrades, lifters, gaskets, pushrods, head work, etc etc. Its not really a big damn deal when you can do that kind of stuff and themerv can.

RPM WS6

iTrader: (3)

First, he didn't mention the price in the initial post. Now that we know it's $14k, that's a pretty damn good price and *might* be worth the gamble.

Secondly,

the_merv

iTrader: (88)

Thanks for the inputs guys.

Right now I'm looking into making sure the title is clear..that is a MAJOR factor. I haven't seen the title for it physically, but as I'm getting into this more and more info comes out. Currently it's clear cause the prior owner is still on it.

Here is the current story..

Car Engine was Hydrolocked..so that's trashed. New Engine is being installed at Dealership. The previous owner of the car(the guy before who has it now) made a claim with his Insurance Company when that happened to the Engine. The Insurance Company determined the car as a total loss, and wanted to cut him a check for it. He said no since he owned it with title in hand, so the Insurance Company cut him a check to repair it. This is where I have the question as far as it being considered Salvaged.

The car has switched hands recently, so the new owner, who is the GM of the Dealership, has yet to re-register and re-title the car in his name. As of right now the Registration and Title are still in the previous owner, and are clear.

Ya it's kinda confusing but if you can follow it it makes sense, the main question being is if it's a Salvaged Title since he accepted the money from his Insurance Company. I'll have to look into that part, I don't remember that part all too well..

That's the story that I'm getting..I'll have to car-fax it to make sure.

Ya I know right..11 months home and back again..

eseibel67

iTrader: (10)

I'm not too good with legalities, but I would guess that if the insurance company paid out for a repair claim, the car will not have a salvage title like it would have if the first owner took the full payout. This will make a big difference for selling it in the future if you decide to buy it.

Likely what's going on is that the GM came across this deal and wants to make a quick buck. Not a problem. I suppose the dudes that work at the dealership are still entitled to make thier own private deals.

I would check out 100% that the car will not be branded with salvage before you make the deal. If no, make an offer to the GM if you like it. He would love to make a deal ASAP on this car.

My earlier posts weren't meant to say this is a bad deal. I just wanted to give you my opinion that a car goes through a lot on an engine re&re.

If the dollars to car ratio feels right, do it.

the_merv

iTrader: (88)

Well here's the answer to that..

the_merv

iTrader: (88)

I'm not investing into a Salvage car..I'll buy a blown motor roller with a clear title before I buy a salvage one.

bene

iTrader: (16)

You'll find another good deal Merv.

RPM WS6

iTrader: (3)

That price isn't such a steal when you consider that it's a salvage title, plus you have no clue what else might need to be repaired after the engine is done. That's the downside of not being able to drive it first, it could need a whole laundry list of repairs on day one, and your total amount out-of-pocket, even if you can do all the work, could be extensive.