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Hey y'all, it finally happened today! Just returned an hour ago with the new beast. 2004 C5Z Yellow with 20,000 miles. All stock except for Koni yellow shocks and a front sway bar. They guy I bought it from has owned the car since 2005 with 1800 miles!
It also came with the OEM wheels and center caps.
The guy I bought it from was pretty meticulous about taking care of the car, and always did maintenance based on time and not miles. It seems in really good shape. I do have a few questions, as I tend to worry about my cars in general...
1. The harmonic balancer is from the factory. It looks good with no wobble. I already drew some marks on the two bands of rubber and went and drove it hard and they were in the same place. So i expect I have plenty of time, he kept the car in the garage and it basically never saw rain or cold weather being in the south. Is there any data that shows that around this age they start to go regardless of how they were treated? Or is it all dependent on their environment, and luck?
2. There is a small oil leak of sorts. He let me know before I bought. The inspection said rear main seal, but he thought it could be oil pan. It doesnt really drip on the floor, just smells a bit here and there. Should I just ignore it? I plan to get under and investigate it soon, but obviously rear main seal im not doing until clutch.
3. Clutch is also stock. Pulls hard. Any concerns with age on this?
4. Last, original plugs and wires. Should I replace sooner than later, or inspect and if they look ok just keep running them for a while?
Ive never bought a car this age with this few miles...
Congratulations on your purchase. I have an ‘04 Z as well (9,200 miles) with original HB, Plugs, Wires etc… I haven’t and wouldn’t change them if I was in your shoes. I don’t have any oil leaks and as a suggestion tighten your oil pan to the recommended torque specs and pattern. Once completed, spray it down with Brake Kleen and check it periodically after driving it. That will tell you if it’s the OP/gasket.
Lastly, what’s the last 6 digits of your VIN? Did you compare it to the suspect VINs for the gas tank(s) cross over tube issue?
Mine ends in 45122525, so it looks like it does fall into the cross over tube numbers....I don't see any receipt in his records that it was fixed. What should I do?
I personally wouldn’t do anything UNLESS you smell gasoline in your garage (assuming that’s where you park it). As a test, I’d fill it up as much as you can, do some spirited driving and park it (in your garage). If you still don’t smell gas fumes I wouldn’t worry about it. If you EVER smell gas fumes get it fixed ASAP.
I personally wouldn’t do anything UNLESS you smell gasoline in your garage (assuming that’s where you park it). As a test, I’d fill it up as much as you can, do some spirited driving and park it (in your garage). If you still don’t smell gas fumes I wouldn’t worry about it. If you EVER smell gas fumes get it fixed ASAP.
No worries as long as you have an “agreed value” with your Collector Car insurance Company and an up to payment/policy with your homeowners insurance. It could be a blessing in disguise.
Not trying to be a d**k but you should be proactive rather than reactive.
No worries as long as you have an “agreed value” with your Collector Car insurance Company and an up to payment/policy with your homeowners insurance. It could be a blessing in disguise.
Not trying to be a d**k but you should be proactive rather than reactive.
I just brought the car home. It's been in this guys garage for 17 years. I'll call the dealer and see if it had the recall done. Then I can test for gas smell.
Just a cautionary safety comment. If you do the in garage test for gas smell, do not close the garage door. Years back a neighbor had a gas tank leak that he thought was fixed. Brought the car home, parked it in the garage and closed the door. The next morning apparently he opened the house door and smelled gas and hit the light/or garage opener and BOOM! Leveled the whole house, killed him and his wife.
Just a cautionary safety comment. If you do the in garage test for gas smell, do not close the garage door. Years back a neighbor had a gas tank leak that he thought was fixed. Brought the car home, parked it in the garage and closed the door. The next morning apparently he opened the house door and smelled gas and hit the light/or garage opener and BOOM! Leveled the whole house, killed him and his wife.
What is the purpose of this post? Seems like a lot of fear mongering going on...I called C&S Corvettes and they have never heard of the fuel crossover tube issue. Not that it means it isn't a potential issue, but its certainly not common or they would know about it. I don't smell any fuel. This car sat in the garage of the guy I bought it from for 17 years and he never smelled fuel.
What should I do at this point? Other than filling it up and smelling around for fumes, can I inspect anything?
Purpose? Just trying to save your life. But go ahead, do the gas test smell with the garage door down and if you smell gas, turn on the light and hit the opener.
Congrats on your purchase! It looks like a great car. Good advice on tightening the oil pan to spec, cleaning, and then check for leak. So as best as I have been able to gather there was an issue with some of the '04 crossover tubes, as well as an issue with the gas tanks themselves. This was DEFINITAELY a real thing. GM avoided doing an official recall for this issue by adding a 10 year warranty specifically on the gas tank and crossover tube. I have an '04, and didn't know about this issue when I bought the car. My first house didn't have a garage, and I didn't really notice an issue until over a year later when I pulled it into my parent's garage to do some work on it during the winter. The gas smell was VERY obvious (my parents could even smell it inside the house). Unfortunately, it was just past the 10 year limit. I ended up having to get the tank replaced. This is a VERY expensive repair. With that said, you've already bought the car. I can tell you from experience, if this leak occurs, you will know it immediately once the car is in a garage. Based on your pictures, it seems like you likely keep it in a garage. As I said, the smell is immediately VERY obvious, so if you don't smell anything, you're fine. There is no leak. It is something that you want to keep an eye on. If you ever start to smell gas, open the garage. Wait for the garage to air out, and then take the car outside. If a leak occurs, you'll want to get it repaired as soon as possible. However, as long as it smells okay, I wouldn't worry about it.
You should check the date code on the tires. If they are over 6 years old, they need to be replaced regardless of the tread on the tire. It is very hard to find tires in stock sizes for the Z06. It is okay to go 1 size up or down in order to find tires that fit. Let us know if you have any more questions. Don't freak out about the gas thing. Enjoy the car!
Also, don't forget to SAVE THE WAVE!!
10-05-2022, 06:16 PM
I bought my first Corvette!
