C 6 too cheap to be true ?

Fatbloke-Dim

Busy user
Been looking at C6's , since selling - and regretting it - my nice C4 'vert. Have come across a C6 'vert , at what appears to be a very good price , but have some serious doubts about it. 1- looks like it's been "clocked" , mileage does not tally with the figure when exported, and in previous U.K. ads. 2- mileage is about 150k , I know these are good engines, and this one appears to have good service records, but it's the other things that can be a pain thru' general wear and tear. I'm thinking torque tube bearings , amongst others, as I know that can cost some . It's had a front/rear shunt, possibly stationary when hit , was rear-ended and went into the car in front , or similar. Was'nt recorded as a write-off ,but , well ,you know ? Having said that , it looks to have been repaired properly. .3- it's an '05 , hence a 4-speed ,not a deal-breaker , but I reckon a 6-speed auto be best, as the 2nd to 3rd jump in the 4L60 in my C4 was quite a big gap . Having regard to all this , can anyone suggest what kinda budget I need to get something with less than mega-miles on it? Not after super-low, concours survivor cars, just a regular, sound , and not worn out example. Some of you on here may know the car to which I refer , so if anyone has been and looked at it and decided "no" , would you share your thoughts with me ? Also , being a bit cheeky, if anyone has a reasonably priced one for sale, I'd appreciate a tip-off. But one thing .....I've seen a reasonable one on this club forum , but it's black. I hate black !Bright yellow or red does it for me , but beggars can't always be choosers ! A convertible would be nice, but coupes are sexy, too.
 

Roscobbc

Moderator
C6 could be anything from £12/13K for an early hi-miler to mid/high £20K's for low miles LS3 powered car. GS's and C7's are more again.
 

Motorbikes

Regular user
If the C6 Vert you're referring to is the silver one with black wheels at Waller Way Cars, I have a feeling that one has been clocked. I saw it on a gumtree ad on around 155k, which disappeared before WWC put their advert up with around 90k on it. It's certainly priced a little lower than others but even so, I'd give it wide berth. It won't have been a miles/km display either because there's still a discrepancy.
 

Roscobbc

Moderator
Am I missing something fundamental here? - surely any vehicle that has history in the UK (like it been here for several years and been regularly MOT'd) will have a history of recorded mileage at each test. If 'clocked' wouldn't that be apparent on the DVLA on-line check site?
 

Chevrolet

CCCUK Member
It's had a front/rear shunt, possibly stationary when hit , was rear-ended and went into the car in front , or similar.

How do you know that? Its a US spec car (recently imported?). Essential to have/get a CARFAX report on one of those. Also try a Google search with the VIN number to see what comes up.
 

Fatbloke-Dim

Busy user
These things I know, done got me a Carfax. Imported 2018 , miles 145 xxx , ad in Classic American , 148k miles, washes up on Waller's website, and other places too numerous to mention , in their name - Presto ! Miles now 91k. Carfax listed all service work , the accident as front and rear impact , but not written off , and it appears to have been a company car , maybe, as it's listed from day one as a commercial vehicle, in Arizona. Possibly could have been a rental car. All stateside mileage tallies . A month ago or so , DVLA listed "this vehicle has not yet had it's first M.O.T." It now appears to have one , but the seller assures me it has U.K. - spec lights, although the rears are all red,no apparent amber indicators. Having said that , on the day I got the Carfax , what should pull up next to me at astoplight than an '05 C6 , in Machine Silver. All red taillights on that , so , maybe I'm missing summat there. Not unusual for me ! So , yep the alarm bells are a-ringin' ! Thanx all for the input on this. Kinda got my mind made up for a C6, somehow. Why the HELL did I flog me C4 ? Beware the "pester power" of yer mates !!!!!! Oh , and NEVER sell at "mate's rates" , you'll REALLY hate yerself then !

EDIT;
As for the miles/KM thing , I assume the clocks are switchable from miles to k's, and doing that calculation adds up , close enough for jazz, as my music teacher used to say. However , here's one to file under conspiracy theories......."Plausible deniability" , if the miles are 145-150k - ish , clock sufficient miles so you can just say there's been a miles/KM mix-up. I seriously doubt that all record events stateside would have been erroneously logged in KM. If that makes sense to anyone except me !
 
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Chevrolet

CCCUK Member
"this vehicle has not yet had it's first M.O.T." It now appears to have one , but the seller assures me it has U.K. - spec lights,
Its a US import, so should have been IVA tested on importation to get it registered? That includes testing the lights. But can't see that the required side repeater lights have been installed, and the rears look like the US lights. Won't have new "UK spec" headlights fitted on it. The original US headlights are "flat beam" and get through the IVA and MoT.
 
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Fishy Dave

CCCUK Member
Its a US import, so should have been IVA tested on importation to get it registered? That includes testing the lights. But can't see that the required side repeater lights have been installed, and the rears look like the US lights. Won't have new "UK spec" headlights fitted on it. The original US headlights are "flat beam" and get through the IVA and MoT.
Hi, Just to add that it won't have had an IVA on import. Being over 10 years old it just needs an MOT and all sorts of things can sneak through! 🥴
 

Roscobbc

Moderator
Good job the OP had the presence of mind to do a Carfax on the car - although running the vin through Google might have highlighted if it had been a scrapper in the USA
 

Fatbloke-Dim

Busy user
I assumed that C6's would have a miles/KM changeover button on the dash , since proved that this is, indeed , the case. I know most yanks would have no truck with this metric malarkey, but we've been beaten into submission here in Blighty , so now I can flit between Imperial and metric quite easily. This facility would be useful for Euromarket cars , possibly Canadian ,not sure if they use metric or not. It would obviate the need to have separate parts for each market's speedometers.
 

Oneball

CCCUK Member
Almost every “modern” American car I’ve driven is switchable between km and miles. Both Canada and Mexico are metric
 
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