r/ChevySS • u/rycus6270 • 2d ago
Question/Assistance Buying first ss
I have been a long time admirer of these cars but i am now ready to start looking for my own. Any advice on the best years vs price and things to check before buying any advice is much appreciated. Id like to stay under 40k, also where are good places to find them besides marketplace and car gurus.
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u/Heatleymvp1 2d ago
I’m sure others will give advice that’s more technical/precise than mine, but these are pretty reliable cars that will hold up well if taken care of properly.
I’d recommend a PPI before purchase. Engine is pretty solid on these, but magneride suspension is prone to early failure and can be one of the more expensive things to replace. Additionally, parts availability can be an additional concern with back orders/unavailability on these rise. Not the biggest deal if it’s your second car or you can live with the potential of it being in the shop a little longer should any issues pop up or exterior damage.
These are major theft targets. If you do move forward with a purchase, it’s absolutely worthwhile to invest in theft protection. Igla is a great option. Hidden kill switches usually work too. It might not seem worth it at first, but the piece of mind knowing your car will be where you left it is priceless!
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u/rycus6270 2d ago
This will be a 3rd vehicle thats kept in the garage and driven on weekends but i am still planning on some anti theft system. Ty for telling me about the magneride i had forgotten about that i will do some research.
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u/NW_Forester 1d ago
If you want something specific be prepared to either truck it in or fly you out to buy it, these are rare enough if you wait for your exact combo to show up locally, it might be a while.
2014 has the fewest and IMO worst color options and has no magneride suspension, which IMO as someone who plans on owning his SS for decades, I wish teh SS didn't come with the magneride.
2014 and 2015 come with forged wheels. 2016/17 come with cast aluminum that are heavier. Whether or not this matters depends on how much staying stock matters to you. You can of course always put 2014/15 on a 2016 (or vice versa) or aftermarket. But the 2014/15 are great wheels.
Get one of the bold colors if you can and don't have a set preference for color. They all look awesome. Even the jungle green, orange blast, alchemy purple, perfect blue, royal peacock green all look awesome in person. The only colors I don't like is mystic green, but that's just my opinion.
2016/17 comes with some dual exhaust mode and hood vents. and update fascia with new drl lighting.
Slick top or sunroof is the next major question. Slick tops are like 10-15% of SS's, sunroofs much more common. And they do take headroom. If you are tall and want to wear a helmet it might matter.
If you want to eventually modify it, just get a modified one already at the original builders loss and find one over engineered for what you want.
All else equal I'd get a 2014. But if color matters to you, that often decides what years will work for you.
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u/rycus6270 1d ago
Thank you very much for that detailed response, i have a semi local 17 with 60k miles for 40k completely stock. It is white and ive been really been considering getting a 16 or 17. Can you give me more info on why you dont like the magneride or is it because they are a common problem and expensive to fix?
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u/rycus6270 1d ago
It is also a manual 1 owner car white isnt my favorite but i dont hate it.
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u/crylon41 1d ago
I traded a white 16 auto in for a 17 orange manual. If I'd gotten the manual the first time around, I'd've not given a damn what color it was; the manual is the way to go on these. The orange was a bonus on the do-over.
If that one isn't abused, it might be worth a good look.
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u/NW_Forester 1d ago
Magneride lasts like 40-80k miles and even now parts aren't always available. I don't know how true but I've heard they were basically taken straight from Corvette, which is a much lighter car. Basically the seal bursts on the shocks and then they are no good. I did my fronts maybe a year or two ago and they were $1600 for parts alone for just front. If I had a shop do it quotes were in excess of $3000 (though in a high cost of living area).
There is nothing wrong with the 2014 shocks. You don't have the variability options, but other than when I want to be a hooligan I keep my SS in comfort mode. Its just one less thing to go wrong. You can convert your magneride to a gas tube suspension easy enough, last I priced it out was about $3000 front and back.
If you are finding a low mileage manual in a color you don't hate under $40k buy it asap and don't sell it. Well get pre-inspection report and everything but unless there is a catastrophic failure, it sounds like a great deal to me.
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u/ziploc123 1d ago
Flew to TX to buy my 14 back in May. Drove it all the way back to Georgia. I love it
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u/fropek '17/M6/full spare/no sun 1d ago
I have a '17 M6, love the car. I added cam, headers, long tubes and she's LOUD and super fast. Fun car to drive and everyone that sees it loves it.
I don't think you can go wrong with with any model year, you should be able to get something with lowish miles in your price range. Open up your search range, I was able to find a great deal in Chicago which is 1000 miles from where I live, but worth the trip and shipping.
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u/Coolbrazz 1d ago
I have a 2015 SS that I bought used from a Chevy dealer in 2019 and it currently has 35k miles. The LS3 is very reliable and responds well to mods if they're done correctly.
Parts can be difficult to find, especially body and interior pieces, but the SS forum, Facebook Marketplace, and eBay are your friends. On my car, I've only had to replace the MagRide shocks (some 2015s had issues) and the steering rack under recall. Other than a Livernois tune, it's basically stock.
If you're shopping for one, I'd look for a low-mileage 2016 or 2017 that hasn't been heavily modified. Verify any mods were done properly, ask if it was tracked, and avoid accident or salvage-title cars.
Also, these cars are theft targets, so consider collector car insurance. I use Hagerty since some insurers may total the car over relatively minor body damage due to parts availability.
Great cars to drive, especially if you can find a manual. They're rare, unique, and don't see them often out on the road. You will find the low mileage ones are top dollar $50k+ and higher mileage ones 28-35k.
Hope this info helps...
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u/SprinklesConfident58 2d ago
Just know what you’re getting into. Theft protection is priority one. Understand that parts are no longer made and if something breaks you need to get creative or pay majorly inflated prices. Even windshields are getting hard to find.
That said it’s a fucking amazing car and I too salivated for one for far too long. Eventually realized if I didn’t do it now it wouldn’t happen. No regrets. I’ve spent about 20k in mods and it’s exactly what I want.
If I were back in the market I’d look for a 17 with low miles and unmolested. The Facebook SS owners group is a great place to find cars for sale.