[VIDEO] Mechanic Notices Something on a Burned 2025 Corvette Z06 and Drops $70K to Buy and Restore It

Nov 5, 2026

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[VIDEO] Mechanic Notices Something on a Burned 2025 Corvette Z06 and Drops $70K to Buy and Restore It

Would you spend $70,000 on a Corvette that looks like a S’more?

Most people would run the other way.

But Chicago mechanic and YouTuber Alex Palmeri saw something beneath the soot and apparent fire damage that convinced him to take a very expensive gamble.

Now he’s hoping his instincts were right.

Palmeri, who operates the popular LegitStreetCars YouTube channel, recently purchased a fire-damaged 2025 Corvette Z06 3LZ at a salvage auction for $65,000. After auction fees, his investment climbed past $70,000.

That’s a considerable discount from the nearly $155,000 the heavily optioned Corvette reportedly sold for new just months earlier.

There’s just one problem. The car doesn’t run, its removable roof panel is missing, and virtually every surface is covered with black soot.

“This might be the most expensive mistake I’ve ever made or my best car purchase ever,” Palmeri admitted as the auction began.

What convinced Palmeri to bid wasn’t the Corvette’s appearance. It was a tiny patch of white paint visible beneath what appeared to be melted material. A Carfax report revealed that paint protection film had been installed when the car had just 400 miles on its odometer.

Palmeri suspected much of the apparent fire damage might actually be soot and damaged protective film rather than ruined paint. He also noticed that rubber weatherstripping and portions of the interior appeared remarkably intact.

The Corvette’s history raised additional questions. Its fuel filler neck had been replaced at approximately 2,600 miles, and the car was declared a total loss from fire damage on July 4. General Motors has issued a recall involving certain Z06 and ZR1 models because of potential fires during refueling, but whether that issue had anything to do with this Corvette remains unknown.

Palmeri traveled to Cartersville, Georgia, to pick up the car. There, he discovered that the Corvette’s missing targa roof had allowed rainwater into the cabin. Both exterior mirrors were melted, and the Natural and Black leather and Alcantara interior was coated with soot.

But there was encouraging news. Peeling away portions of the protective film revealed surprisingly good-looking white paint and carbon-fiber components underneath.

Even better, the Corvette’s 670-horsepower, 5.5-liter LT6 V8 appeared largely untouched by extreme heat. The engine contained clean oil, and Palmeri found no obvious melted wiring in the engine compartment.

Back at his shop, Palmeri began investigating the Corvette’s electrical problems. The instrument panel behaved erratically, several electronic modules failed to communicate, and the car initially resisted attempts to shift into neutral. He eventually managed to crank the engine, but it refused to start. Water intrusion from the missing roof may be responsible for some of the electrical trouble.

Still, Palmeri remained optimistic after discovering that much of the supposedly ruined interior could be cleaned. Black soot wiped away from leather, trim and expensive carbon-fiber surfaces, revealing components that appeared far better than expected.

The restoration remains a work in progress, with the engine’s condition and final repair costs still uncertain. Palmeri knows the gamble could become considerably more expensive, but he’s convinced there’s a nearly new Z06 waiting to emerge from beneath all that soot.