[Solsticejoe]

Good morning all!, new member here, my name is Jospeh and I’m looking at a car now that is a 2006 solstice with 11k miles on it. Car is very clean and looks brand new. My concern is what happens when in the future I need parts! Is it hard to find? And is it an over all a good purchase for $16500? If anyone could help me that would be great! So happy to have found this forum
Thank you

 

[al_c]

I imagine that 11k moles could do quite a bit of damage.

 

[al_c]

But in all seriousness, I think $16500 is a bit steep for a 2006 no matter the condition. The parts you mainly need to worry about are body/interior parts. Most mechanical parts are still available as that little engine was/is used in a lot of GM models.

 

[Solsticejoe]

But in all seriousness, I think $16500 is a bit steep for a 2006 no matter the condition. The parts you mainly need to worry about are body/interior parts. Most mechanical parts are still available as that little engine was/is used in a lot of GM models.

Thanks for reply, what do you think I should pay for it?
Ps I’ve never been to any forums of any kind this is cool to see people reply with same interests.

also do you think it’s better to buy a 2006 with around 45k miles for 13000

 

[tygriff]

I agree that the price is a little steep. There are quite a few Kappa's that have been put up for sale on this site. There is a red NA with 35k miles and are asking only $12k. A few GXP's with under 50k miles that are the same or less expensive than the one you are looking at.

I have a 2006 NA and love it. Now, a word to the wise. These are not practical cars. Limited storage, noisy (particularly the clunky rear diff on the 2006's) and as noted above, body panels and interior panels are hard to come by if yours get damaged.
Would I trade, mine? NOPE!!!! I love it as its a second car for me.

Now if the 2006 you are looking at has new tires, fresh fluids and recalls done, it may be worth offering something lower.

Is it a manual or auto? Does it have leather, LSD, Monsoon radio, etc? All of these are important in making a judgement on value.

Good luck.

 

[Wunderkind]

Thanks for reply, what do you think I should pay for it?
Ps I’ve never been to any forums of any kind this is cool to see people reply with same interests.

also do you think it’s better to buy a 2006 with around 45k miles for 13000

11k miles @$16.5k
45k miles $13k

Is saving $3500 vs 34k miles younger. Your call. Prorate it to say 10 years..... it's about $350/year. Check their conditions and decide.

 

[JohnWR]

Welcome to the forum @Solsticejoe

Valuation is tricky, especially in the current market. Those cars seem over-priced to me, but so does just about everything else lately.

To me, unless you are planning to flip the car after a year or so, the price should be what you feel comfortable with.

And, I fixed the title of the thread.

 

[chickenwire]

I'll echo what others have said above and add that if you do get the lower mileage vehicle you need to be prepared to swap out fluids and most likely tires.

As ty stated above, I would not consider getting rid of my '07 NA. It's has it's quirks but it is an affordable and very fun car!

 

[rob the elder]

The basic mechanical systems are readily available. Water pumps, alternators, AC compressors etc.

Things that are hard to find are unique Solstice parts like the rubber seals, anything to do with the top, the tulip flaps, things like cables and electrical assemblies unique to the car.

in the main, the NA is very reliable. many are used as daily drivers and are still going strong after 15 years. Fun cars that just keep going.

If the price fits your ability to pay and you think you are getting value for your money, then go for it. Life is too short. And there are a lot of "used" used kappas out there. If you find a good one and you like it and its in your price range, negotiate as much as you feel comfortable and buy it.

Tulip flaps need to be in good condition and working well
the water pump should be good to go, but can cost $1000 to change at the dealer
Clutch in good condition, changing the clutch at the dealer can run $1300

 

[al_c]

I got my 06 almost 4 years ago for 8k with 38k miles on it. Prices have gone up considerably since then and I see a lot of 06s on cars.com for around the 15-16k range ... most of them from dealerships. That said, I'd think 12-13k would be more reasonable. But as JohnWR said here, if you're comfortable with the price, then it's a good price.

Having had a couple of Spitfires in the past, I love my 06. Very fun car and has been very dependable so far.

 

[Hurricane87]

I got my 06 almost 4 years ago for 8k with 38k miles on it. Prices have gone up considerably since then and I see a lot of 06s on cars.com for around the 15-16k range ... most of them from dealerships. That said, I'd think 12-13k would be more reasonable. But as JohnWR said here, if you're comfortable with the price, then it's a good price.

Having had a couple of Spitfires in the past, I love my 06. Very fun car and has been very dependable so far.

One out of two here. I paid $6100 for my GXP. I am now being told that is why mine is falling apart. I cannot see the relationship between price and disappearing parts.

 

[rob the elder]

I paid $28K for mine and spent a ton more on it to "fix" it.

 

[Solsticejoe]

I agree that the price is a little steep. There are quite a few Kappa's that have been put up for sale on this site. There is a red NA with 35k miles and are asking only $12k. A few GXP's with under 50k miles that are the same or less expensive than the one you are looking at.

I have a 2006 NA and love it. Now, a word to the wise. These are not practical cars. Limited storage, noisy (particularly the clunky rear diff on the 2006's) and as noted above, body panels and interior panels are hard to come by if yours get damaged.
Would I trade, mine? NOPE!!!! I love it as its a second car for me.

Now if the 2006 you are looking at has new tires, fresh fluids and recalls done, it may be worth offering something lower.

Is it a manual or auto? Does it have leather, LSD, Monsoon radio, etc? All of these are important in making a judgement on value.

Good luck.

Thank you, all those are great questions! I really don’t know and I guess I’m just rushing into it. How can I find out all these things? It is leather seats, the radio is. It working I may need to replace that on my own! How hard is it to put an aftermarket radio? And which one would you recommend

 

[Solsticejoe]

Welcome to the forum @Solsticejoe

Valuation is tricky, especially in the current market. Those cars seem over-priced to me, but so does just about everything else lately.

To me, unless you are planning to flip the car after a year or so, the price should be what you feel comfortable with.

And, I fixed the title of the thread.

Thank you, I’ve never been apart of any forums. This is amazing to see people help and reply. So what do you think is a better pick? And do you think it will run for another 10 years?

 

[al_c]

Thank you, all those are great questions! I really don’t know and I guess I’m just rushing into it. How can I find out all these things? It is leather seats, the radio is. It working I may need to replace that on my own! How hard is it to put an aftermarket radio? And which one would you recommend

Crutchfield is a great place to start for that. You can look up systems and components by car make, model and year.

 

[tygriff]

Thank you, all those are great questions! I really don’t know and I guess I’m just rushing into it. How can I find out all these things? It is leather seats, the radio is. It working I may need to replace that on my own! How hard is it to put an aftermarket radio? And which one would you recommend

If it has leather, then it does have the Premium and Convenience packages. Likely the power package as well (keyless remote, power windows and door locks).
Is it a manual or automatic? If you can check the glove box for RPO code G80, this would mean it has the LSD installed.

As for the radio, a few of us have installed the UUI radio from an early cobalt (I installed a 2009 UUI radio from a cobalt). This has a USB port on the radio and allow you to plug in your phone and stream from it. I paid $40 CDN for mine and installed it. My dealer unlocked it for free. All steering wheel controls work perfectly with it. It was a great upgrade for me.
Others have used aftermarket units as well. These will require additional adaptors to allow the steering wheel controls to function.

Take a good look at the tire condition (manufactured date as well) and the service history.

I have had my 2006 for 5 years and have had ZERO issues (except the fluid swap on the rear diff). I expect it will last at least another 5 years or until I can no longer get in and out of it because I am too old and rickety

 

[Bala Hormiga]

I have a 2007 GXP, auto, no accidents, solo performance street race exhaust performance autowerkes charge pipes and intercooler (original had a hole). Performance autowerks tune. Runs great! Almost new tires with 45349 miles. I had originally intended to upgrade the turbo thus the charge pipes and intercooler. But looks like that won't happen.

Also as anyone on the forum can tell you there are a few components that tend to go bad at about 40,000 miles.. I have already replaced them, the HPF and both solenoids.
(
We are moving to Costa Rica in a few months. We have property and a business there that I intend to retire to...
Let me know if interested. I haven't listed it as of yet..still hesitant..LOL. I'm thinking $14000 OBO.

 

[kgschlosser]

OK the single question that no one has asked yet is have you test driven the vehicle? Now I am going to ask if you have test driven a Solstice GXP? If you have not test driven the GXP I suggest that you do. There are a lot of people that after buying a base model wish they had bought a GXP instead. So test drive both so you know what the difference is.

The cars are not designed to be daily drivers. they are your weekend fun vehicle. They have very little storage and even less when the top is down. Not an ideal "grocery getter" if you are getting more then 4 bags of groceries.

I the car fun. hell yes. is it practical, hell no. Bit I didn't buy mine because of practicality.

It' also a great vehicle to tinker with. It's easy to work on and if you do not know anything about auto mechanics it is a fantastic vehicle to learn with.

 

[OnaWingandaPrayer]

Hello and Welcome . I would do a lot of searching the net . Prices vary a lot by location and somewhat by time of year. Four months ago I purchased my first Solstice base model , an 09 with 40ik ish miles for 13.5 . I think if your looking to spend that much, you could move up several years.
Another way to look at this is 11K means the car has been sitting a lot in 16 years. Not always good for mechanical things .

 

[Wunderkind]

OK the single question that no one has asked yet is have you test driven the vehicle? Now I am going to ask if you have test driven a Solstice GXP? If you have not test driven the GXP I suggest that you do. There are a lot of people that after buying a base model wish they had bought a GXP instead. So test drive both so you know what the difference is.

Hey I did or implied that.

... Check their conditions and decide.

On the topic of practicality, you can force anything to work. IMHO this car's practicality is a touch higher than a motorcycle or a Slingshot. There are some idiosyncrasies that you will either find it charming or irksome overtime. I am finding bothering me is accessing the trunk when the top is down. It's quite the circus for something so benign.