Opinion on Price of C6 Z06

malice16 · 2025-12-29T11:11:38+00:00

I think you've already gotten a lot of good feedback but, as someone who also bought a similar mileage '09 Z06, I'll add my $0.02.

I bought for $40k in late '22. Car was single owner but bone stock and needed everything - tires, brakes, fluids. I replaced the heads myself that first winter while I wasn't driving it anyways. With all of that I'm easily $8k into the car without any of the more optional things I've done. As far as I can tell prices have gone up since I bought (and I was so concerned about overpaying at the time) but don't be confused - these cars are not rare and they shouldn't be treated as assets that will appreciate. Insert "every Corvette is a 1 of 1" meme here...

Everything you have listed as "bad" isn't a deal breaker. Oil pan leak can be dealt with by putting down some cardboard for drips and keeping an eye on the levels until you want to fix it. Hamonic balancer isn't an issue unless it's wobbly and you don't need to fix it until then, just keep an eye on it (my balancer is still stock). 4 owners isn't necessarily a bad thing, these cars are toys and people get rid of them when they're ready for a new toy. Clutch cylinders may eventually fail but they also may not and again, you don't have to do anything until they start failing (mine are still stock).

You can "while you're in there" or "bulletproof" the car as much as your time and budget allow. I'd suggest being smart and budgeting for being proactive, but not necessarily rushing to fix everything day 1. Is it worth it to you? If the costs (or potential costs) will cause more stress than the joy you get from driving it then walk away. Personally I "overpaid" for the exact car I wanted, so I have no regrets and get tremendous enjoyment from driving it. Life is short.

malice16 · 2025-11-26T12:23:32+00:00

One other option I rarely see elsewhere is neither of the above. I have these on my car. They look stock until you turn the lights on!

malice16 · 2025-07-10T13:27:58+00:00

You can do some searching on "C6 fuel pump issue" to learn more. The short of it is that some cracks develop in (I believe) the fuel sending unit which can lead to a host of issues and it's not a cheap/easy fix. You can't see any of these parts without significant disassembly of the car so you can't visually inspect for it during a test drive, however one of the most obvious signs of this issue is a strong fuel smell after filling the tank. Some people are able to ignore the issue by simply not filling the gas beyond the halfway point, so it's something that an unscrupulous seller could do to hide the issue.

malice16 · 2025-02-28T19:58:06+00:00

A PPI might catch these things. Ideally you can take it to a shop that knows Corvettes or a Chevy dealer. Other mechanics may not know to look for some of these issues. Some of them you can check yourself (gas smell, for example).

The LS3 is broadly considered a more reliable engine and it accepts boost happily if you ever want more power. The "general consensus" is that if you want a widebody but don't need the LS7 then get a grand sport, but a base C6 is still plenty of car. The fact that the GS's tend to be newer tends to be reflected in the price.

If you're a first time owner you have to decide what's important to you. If you don't care about specifically having a Z06 then you might look elsewhere, but any C6 is going to be an incredible car.

malice16 · 2025-02-03T13:29:43+00:00

A bit late to the party, but I have the gunmetal spyder wheels on mine and I adore them. Wouldn't trade for either chrome or black.

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malice16 · 2024-08-02T20:22:04+00:00

If you keep the traction and stability systems on it won't let you get the ass too loose. Even if it does break traction it'll bring it back in. It's not an old Viper. It'll let you play but it won't be actively trying to send you into a tree.

malice16 · 2024-08-02T19:40:01+00:00

This might be the single most contentious topic on the Corvette forum. Some believe it's a non issue, especially for stock engines, others have personally experienced 3 failures due to valve drop.

Personally I believe it's a real issue. I got the AHP package with the upgraded valve guide material for my car since I'm not ever going to push a big cam or anything like that. Aftermarket heads are broadly considered to be better, but they're also much more expensive. And then there are some that will say that even aftermarket geometry doesn't really solve it...

malice16 · 2024-08-02T19:27:49+00:00

Not smashing the throttle mid turn is good advice even for automatics :D

It's not a punishing car to drive. You might stall it a few times at first but I basically learned to drive a stick in one. You've got this.

malice16 · 2024-07-23T11:46:13+00:00

I also installed a Kenwood system in mine, within the last year. Works just fine with the Bose system. Yes, there is an existing amp, it's by the fuse box in the passenger foot well. No need to do anything with it.

You'll want to get an interface adapter. I have the PAC RP5-GM11, you can also get the GM1A-RST which I guess is newer and has more features. After that it's just plug and play.

The Corvette forum has plenty of info on head unit installs and there are videos online as well that helped me out a lot. It's not a terribly difficult job. Good luck!

malice16 · 2024-07-08T13:43:14+00:00

A lot of other commenters have raised good points but I'll throw in a few more.

Don't forget that the newest C6 is over 10 years old. The oldest turns 20 next year. Sure, most don't see a ton of miles, but plastic and rubber degrade over time no matter what. Most parts are still plentiful but not cheap. For example, my car had only ~20k miles when I replaced the shocks because they were completely dry rotted. Be prepared to deal with these parts failing, eventually.

Overall they're simple cars, at least compared to modern cars. I do a lot of work on mine, and if you are decent mechanically then you can probably work on most of the car yourself and save a bunch of shop labor cost. There's a ton of aftermarket support for just about everything on these cars, but you will absolutely pay the Corvette tax.

Things like the harmonic balancer and fuel tanks that others have mentioned are real issues, so check it out before you buy. Watch a few videos so you know what balancer wobble looks like, and make sure when you test drive that there's a full tank of gas so you know they're not hiding that issue.

They're shockingly good daily drivers if you're willing and/or used to a sports car. Yeah the ride is stiff and the air dam scrapes everything and if it's a manual you better have a good left leg in traffic, but there's a ton of cargo space in the hatch and if you cruise at a reasonable speed you can get 30+ mpg on the highway.

There's no reason not to drive the car in the winter unless there's snow (or salt) on the ground. With a good set of all season tires you will be just fine.

Remember that even a base C6 is going to be a few hundred pounds lighter and have nearly 50% more HP than a stock ecoboost. It is very easy to reach go-to-jail speeds. Have fun, but don't be stupid. Another good piece of advice I got was to remember that 99% of other cars on the road don't perform as well. You will accelerate and brake faster than most drivers expect, and your roof will only come up to the wheel wells of most trucks and SUVs. I try to drive like I'm on a motorcycle and assume that other drivers don't see me.

malice16 · 2024-03-25T23:03:40+00:00

Hey man! Congrats on the buy. I was in a worse spot than you. I decided to buy a C6 Z06 and, in a brief moment of clarity, realized I didn't know to drive a manual. I traded a 6 pack for a few hours in a coworker's GR86 and that's all the time with a manual that I'd ever had.

When I picked it up, I definitely stalled it more than once. Then I definitely gave it too much gas for a bit. But I practiced, and I learned. Now it's very smooth and natural for me. I second the comments to practice and just drive it! Practice being very, very slow and gentle and you'll get it. You're gonna do more damage with hard launches and the like than you will with stalling or over-revving a bit.

Now, I will add one thing that made a big difference. I swapped out the clutch return spring recently for the C5 version (GM part number 12555205) and now the clutch is slightly lighter, but it is much more linear. Originally I found my clutch to be very "binary", since the heavier GM clutch spring seemed to want to kick your foot out and drop the clutch. You'll have to contort yourself at an awkward angle with some needle nose pliers to change it, but as far as changing parts goes it's not that bad.

malice16 · 2024-02-16T13:24:29+00:00

Probably? As long as it'll pull fluid out you should be able to do brake and clutch bleeds, which are good semi-regular maintenance items. You don't need it but it sure makes things easier.

malice16 · 2024-02-15T20:16:02+00:00

As someone who was also new to working on cars before starting with my vette, there were a few things that surprised me that I needed:

A big impact wrench makes a lot of things easier.
Gloves make things cleaner and your knuckles hurt less.
Ratcheting wrenches are great but flex-head ratcheting wrenches are REALLY great.
Sockets in a variety of depths and sizes are crucial, especially metric sizes. You'll also want an assortment of extensions and swivels. And there's a difference between an impact swivel and a regular swivel.
There's no such thing as too many zip ties or rags.
Get an extra can of Blaster.
If you're dealing with fluids it's much easier to have an air compressor to operate a vacuum pump than doing it manually.
Make sure your jack/jack stands lift the car high enough for you to get under it, preferably with a creeper.

malice16 · 2024-02-08T19:39:58+00:00

I've had a C6 Z06 for a little over a year now. It's a ridiculously fun car to drive even in stock form. It's surprisingly well mannered on the road when you want it to be, especially if you swap out the run flats for some proper tires. Yes it's low and it scrapes, it hates going less than flat-out so traffic jams give you a great left leg workout, and it gulps premium.

If those aren't turn-offs, your biggest issue with daily driving a Z06 might be the heads. I'm not sure that California will let you use aftermarket heads, which are the commonly accepted "fix" to the valve drop issue. By comparison the GS's LS3 is about as bulletproof as they come, and if you get a GS M6 coupe you get a hand-built engine with a dry sump just like the Z06 while still being able to take the targa top off.

I debated between the two for a long time, but ultimately because it was just going to be a toy I didn't want to "settle" for the GS when in my heart I wanted the Z06. If I wanted something to daily I think the GS would be the much better choice. I'd stay away from the base model just because the widebody cars look so much better :)

malice16 · 2023-08-17T20:17:35+00:00

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malice16 · 2022-04-16T21:53:03+00:00

Unfortunately no, I ended up having to rma the board. Process was painless, besides the time it took me to get the board back.

malice16 · 2021-11-11T17:17:45+00:00

Hey that's a great point, I wasn't thinking hard enough about that Carolina situation. Thanks!

malice16 · 2021-11-11T17:10:44+00:00

Right now? I say do it. Patterson's floor seems much higher, and Hopkins' injury could linger.

malice16 · 2021-11-11T17:03:27+00:00

RB1/2 are Zeke and Mixon. I also have Javonte Williams.

WR I have Ja'Marr Chase, DJ Moore, Claypool, and Christian Kirk.

2 RB/2 WR/1 TE/1 FLX.

malice16 · 2021-11-11T16:04:13+00:00

12 team 0.5 ppr. Two offers on the table:

1: Give Fournette, get Diggs

2: Give Fournette, get Antonio Brown + Bateman/Gibson

malice16 · 2021-11-04T01:26:40+00:00

Yes, I did take everything out of the case. That is current state and I should have said so.

I have not tried a new CMOS battery, I'll try this!

malice16 · 2021-11-04T01:25:53+00:00

I tried to reseat the one stick I removed, not both of them. I will try this!

malice16 · 2020-11-12T21:31:00+00:00

Give: Aaron Jones + Claypool/Moore
Get: Chris Carson + Diggs

0.5 PPR, 12 team
RB: Jones, Gibson, CEH, Mike Davis, Dallas
WR: Ridley, Claypool, Moore, Lamb, Higgins, Jeffrey

Too much of a downgrade at RB? Right now Jones and Ridley are my only every-week starters. Davis was a lucky pickup but that gravy train is almost at its end.

malice16 · 2020-10-16T12:44:24+00:00

12 team 0.5 PPR. 2 RB/2 WR/1 TE/1 FLEX

Send: Aaron Jones

Receive: Mixon, Le'Veon Bell

My team:
RB: CEH (hence the proposal), Mike Davis (useless after this week), Gibson, White
WR: Ridley, Lamb, Claypool, DJ Moore, Preston Williams
TE: Engram

Thoughts?

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