Things to Know Before Buying

MikeTandy · 06-28-2019, 08:14 PM

Hi Everyone,

I'm in the process of looking to buy a 2017 Camaro ZL1. I wanted to get everyone's opinion on what I should look out for when buying a used one. Are there any issues I should look out for, what price point should I realistically be looking at, how many miles is too many etc

Thanks!

nicktechla · 06-28-2019, 08:23 PM

BlaqWhole · 06-28-2019, 09:09 PM

I would say try to get one with less than 10K miles. There are plenty of them out there. Also have the ECU scanned to make sure it hasn't been tuned...because if the previous owner tuned it and the dealership didn't check and then you bring it in for warranty work and they scan it then your warranty will be voided.

As far as how they drive and operate I don't think there is anything really to look out for. Well except for the M6 bog that GM programmed into it. it makes launching the car a nightmare. Which is why the A10 trans is soo desirable. I'd say go for the A10. And also try to find one that has been well taken care of. These cars are very durable so you should not have any issues with them overall.

Gunkk · 06-29-2019, 06:49 AM

Mike,
These cars are awesome. There are three things to check:

Run the VIN past your dealer to see if the three wiring TSB's below have been done (all are free while under 3/36 warranty). Two of them can be done DIY in about 5 minutes in your garage.
As Blaq said, have a dealer plug in the ECU and verify the car has not been tuned.
Drive the car up a sloped curb or ramp at 3-5mph to check for loose swaybar end links (the front end will clunk). Easy fix for a dealer on a lift and you can DIY if you have the correct crow's foot wrench w/ blue loctite. There's a TSB for this as well (Reference Number(s): PIC6276, Date of Issue: Mar 27, 2017). More here: https://www.camaro6.com/forums/showthread.php?t=501845 Was an issue in 2017 and I haven't heard of this issue on 2018 or 2019 cars.

Smokin19 · 06-29-2019, 07:11 AM

All good advice. Also, I would be looking to buy one that has not been modded in anyway, as some people do tend to tinker with their cars without being that knowledgeable. Good luck on your purchase.

Jmueller · 06-29-2019, 07:46 AM

Make sure all four tires match. At 10k miles the rear tires are almost certainly done. You’ll know if it was at least cared for if the owner spent the money for matching tires.

Look for lots of rubber in the rear fenders, classic burnout indicator.

If the car has PDR, see if any videos still exist in the system to get a sense of if it was tracked.

These cars are strong though, and can easily handle abuse.

Realist · 06-29-2019, 08:41 AM

See if you can get confirmed service history. Look for stone chips behind wheels, prior paint protection installation would be preferred or can be an added expense to plan for. Make sure the car has PDR, it’s an awesome feature. Make sure you get the orange front shock spacers when/if car is towed. Yeah 10k miles and think maybe $50k since manufacturers warranty up relatively soon on a 17. Check each rim closely for even the slightest damage, you don’t want any regrets. If you plan to keep the car for 5 years or more, you may want to hold off, spend more and buy new at end of year sales.

LT4Greg · 06-29-2019, 08:58 AM

I would look for a ZL1 with 5000 miles or less and give it a good go over! If you buy from a GM dealer ask them to run the vin to check for any service records or TSBs done on the car. Take a look under the hood too at the engine and everything else to see if any aftermarket parts were installed on the car and check the condition of the tires. Lastly take a test drive to hear the engine running and other noises the car might have. I guess I got lucky when I bought my 2017 ZL1 with less than 500 miles and a good price back in March and car was completely stock. Good luck in your search!

Larrio Andretti · 06-29-2019, 01:02 PM

Buy a certified pre owned (CPO). They have better warranties. They have also been inspected by GM. All TSB/recalls will have been complied with.

I bought my CPO at Porter Chevrolet. The price was fair. $59k for a 2017 ZL1 with 997 mi on it. That was almost 2 years ago.

MikeTandy · 07-07-2019, 06:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlaqWhole

I would say try to get one with less than 10K miles. There are plenty of them out there. Also have the ECU scanned to make sure it hasn't been tuned...because if the previous owner tuned it and the dealership didn't check and then you bring it in for warranty work and they scan it then your warranty will be voided.

As far as how they drive and operate I don't think there is anything really to look out for. Well except for the M6 bog that GM programmed into it. it makes launching the car a nightmare. Which is why the A10 trans is soo desirable. I'd say go for the A10. And also try to find one that has been well taken care of. These cars are very durable so you should not have any issues with them overall.

Thanks! I'm planning on getting an A10 trans so good to know. Any ECU scanners that you recommend?

MikeTandy · 07-07-2019, 06:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gunkk

Mike,
These cars are awesome. There are three things to check:

Run the VIN past your dealer to see if the three wiring TSB's below have been done (all are free while under 3/36 warranty). Two of them can be done DIY in about 5 minutes in your garage.
As Blaq said, have a dealer plug in the ECU and verify the car has not been tuned.
Drive the car up a sloped curb or ramp at 3-5mph to check for loose swaybar end links (the front end will clunk). Easy fix for a dealer on a lift and you can DIY if you have the correct crow's foot wrench w/ blue loctite. There's a TSB for this as well (Reference Number(s): PIC6276, Date of Issue: Mar 27, 2017). More here: https://www.camaro6.com/forums/showthread.php?t=501845 Was an issue in 2017 and I haven't heard of this issue on 2018 or 2019 cars.

Thank you for the detail on this! I'll make sure to check those things too. Does the swaybar happen on both the A10 and M6?

MikeTandy · 07-07-2019, 06:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Larrio Andretti

Buy a certified pre owned (CPO). They have better warranties. They have also been inspected by GM. All TSB/recalls will have been complied with.

I bought my CPO at Porter Chevrolet. The price was fair. $59k for a 2017 ZL1 with 997 mi on it. That was almost 2 years ago.

Awesome, I live close to Porter Chevrolet. How are they as a dealership in your experience?

Revalot · 07-07-2019, 07:18 PM

All good information ! I went to look a a hyper blue ZL1 1le the other day here in Texas, after asking? I found out the $57K car had a warranty block. So now I get a print out from a GM dealer with the vin information. I was on my way the other day for a hyper blue ZL1 with my print out, It was all good, got there and the car was sold and gone ! I'm getting print out's with vins and the ecm scan is a great idea ! CPO warranty is the best way !

06-28-2019, 08:14 PM	#1
MikeTandy Drives: 2017 Camaro ZL1 Join Date: Jun 2019 Location: Newark DE Posts: 4	Things to Know Before Buying Hi Everyone, I'm in the process of looking to buy a 2017 Camaro ZL1. I wanted to get everyone's opinion on what I should look out for when buying a used one. Are there any issues I should look out for, what price point should I realistically be looking at, how many miles is too many etc Thanks!

06-28-2019, 08:23 PM	#2
nicktechla Drives: 2012 Porsche 911 Turbo S Join Date: Jan 2017 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 1,776	__________________ IG: 2fast2nick -- Current -- 2012 Porsche Turbo S - PDK - Basalt Black Metallic -- Past -- 2017 Camaro ZL1 Coupe - Red Hot - A10, PDR - HRE P101 2015 Mustang GT PP - Whipple Supercharger

06-29-2019, 07:11 AM	#5
Smokin19 Drives: 19' ZL1 A10, w/pdr Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: S.W. ohio Posts: 1,555	All good advice. Also, I would be looking to buy one that has not been modded in anyway, as some people do tend to tinker with their cars without being that knowledgeable. Good luck on your purchase. __________________ BTR Stg II cam w/ 38% fuel lobe, ARH 2" headers into 3" w/cats, AWE Touring, Kong X port, Weapon X triple ht exchangers, NW 103, Rotofab big gulp, DSX lowside, TCM tune, BMR Lockout, Mustang dyno 720 rwhp, 634 rwtq on 93 pump.

06-29-2019, 08:58 AM	#8
LT4Greg Drives: 2017 Camaro ZL1 Coupe Join Date: May 2016 Location: Georgia Posts: 5,813	I would look for a ZL1 with 5000 miles or less and give it a good go over! If you buy from a GM dealer ask them to run the vin to check for any service records or TSBs done on the car. Take a look under the hood too at the engine and everything else to see if any aftermarket parts were installed on the car and check the condition of the tires. Lastly take a test drive to hear the engine running and other noises the car might have. I guess I got lucky when I bought my 2017 ZL1 with less than 500 miles and a good price back in March and car was completely stock. Good luck in your search! __________________ ZL1 Coupe, PDR, Exposed carbon fiber hood insert, My Link with Nav, M6 6 speed and Silver Ice Metallic. Mods done: ceramic window tint, GM Accessories Camaro floor mats and Roto-Fab CAI.

06-29-2019, 01:02 PM	#9
Larrio Andretti Drives: Really Fast Join Date: Aug 2017 Location: In The Woods Posts: 238	Buy a certified pre owned (CPO). They have better warranties. They have also been inspected by GM. All TSB/recalls will have been complied with. I bought my CPO at Porter Chevrolet. The price was fair. $59k for a 2017 ZL1 with 997 mi on it. That was almost 2 years ago. __________________ THIS SPACE FOR RENT

06-28-2019, 09:09 PM	#3
BlaqWhole Account Suspended Drives: 2017 Camaro ZL1 A10 Join Date: May 2012 Location: NJ Posts: 7,692	I would say try to get one with less than 10K miles. There are plenty of them out there. Also have the ECU scanned to make sure it hasn't been tuned...because if the previous owner tuned it and the dealership didn't check and then you bring it in for warranty work and they scan it then your warranty will be voided. As far as how they drive and operate I don't think there is anything really to look out for. Well except for the M6 bog that GM programmed into it. it makes launching the car a nightmare. Which is why the A10 trans is soo desirable. I'd say go for the A10. And also try to find one that has been well taken care of. These cars are very durable so you should not have any issues with them overall.

06-29-2019, 07:46 AM	#6
Jmueller Drives: 2017 ZL1 A10 Nightfall Gray Join Date: Jul 2017 Location: Fort Lauderdale Posts: 236	Make sure all four tires match. At 10k miles the rear tires are almost certainly done. You’ll know if it was at least cared for if the owner spent the money for matching tires. Look for lots of rubber in the rear fenders, classic burnout indicator. If the car has PDR, see if any videos still exist in the system to get a sense of if it was tracked. These cars are strong though, and can easily handle abuse.

06-29-2019, 08:41 AM	#7
Realist Drives: No Camaro :( Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Chitown Burbs Posts: 1,136	See if you can get confirmed service history. Look for stone chips behind wheels, prior paint protection installation would be preferred or can be an added expense to plan for. Make sure the car has PDR, it’s an awesome feature. Make sure you get the orange front shock spacers when/if car is towed. Yeah 10k miles and think maybe $50k since manufacturers warranty up relatively soon on a 17. Check each rim closely for even the slightest damage, you don’t want any regrets. If you plan to keep the car for 5 years or more, you may want to hold off, spend more and buy new at end of year sales.

07-07-2019, 07:18 PM	#13
Revalot Drives: ZL1/1LE parts added Join Date: May 2018 Location: Somewhere around Texas pines tress and smooth asphalt Posts: 609	All good information ! I went to look a a hyper blue ZL1 1le the other day here in Texas, after asking? I found out the $57K car had a warranty block. So now I get a print out from a GM dealer with the vin information. I was on my way the other day for a hyper blue ZL1 with my print out, It was all good, got there and the car was sold and gone ! I'm getting print out's with vins and the ecm scan is a great idea ! CPO warranty is the best way !

User Name		Remember Me?
Password