samsonb

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65Z01

I think you have selected one of the best L98 C4 made.

You will have the choice of an A4 or 6-speed, a traga or vert. That year still has the tilt/tele steering wheel, stock 17" rubber, improved steeing & suspension, no cold start injector and still used the MAF intake.

I run my '88 year around and, though I avoid deep snow most of the time, it will pull well in a few inches of the white stuff with the nearly new GY Eagle Ultra HP Plus rubber around. These tires have excellent wet & dry traction as well as reasonable snow traction.

If you get one with say 30k-50k miles you should have a number of trouble free years of driving. Routine maintenance will keep it that way. And, if you turn wrenches, you will even enjoy any maintenance.

Plus you will be pleasantly surprised to see mileage in the 25-30mpg zone. Right now my average is around 25.5 and a week ago on a 400 mile trip she averaged just over 30mpg.

I think that once you slide into the cockpit of a nice '89 and drive it you will be sold on the idea.

You should be able to find an '89 coupe in good to excellent condition for $9k-$14k. If that leaves any extra $$ toss em into a nice IRA for use on future maintenance or mods as you decide.

Good luck and enjoy the search.

Daffy

Lots of difference between a Jeep and a vette.The vette will be built way better and will be more fun on paved roads.However if you are using rough roads alot the Jeep might be a better choice.In your area(a lot like mine)it could go either way..The 89 is the last year for the flat,digital dash and the first version of the interior,if you get one with that low of mileage it will last a long time.If it were gonna be my only car I'd lean towards the coupe because the verts have NO space for anything but the driver and a passenger and maybe a case of beer and that's about it.

Billy Stargazer

I use my 87 coup as a daily driver and could not be happier. I will probably have to put her to bed though sometime within the next month. Northern MN winters are not too kind to Corvettes. Go with the Vette and you will love it. Whatever your decision, Good luck!

Midnite 88

My '88 was purchased specifically to be used as a DD. I am currently at 109,000mi and have only been stranded once. I had a coil go out on it a couple of years back.

Some people will tell you that a very low mileage 16yr old vehicle is not necessarily a safe bet as far as having a "dependable" daily driver. On vehicles that are not driven, the seals don't get lubricated and dry out deteriorate. Also, the maintenance that would have been done on a higher mileage vehicle usually isn't done on a low mileage vehicle.

Good luck and I am sure you will be happy which ever way you go.

1bdvet

I HAVE A 89, AND LOVE IT, WOULDN'T WANT ANOTHER CORVETTE.

Mr Mojo

You won't find a low mileage L98 car for a decent price.

My suggestion is to set your budget and then get the latest year you can afford.

These cars are great daily drivers, though in the mud and snow, they can be a handful. Not impossible to drive, but a handful.

You will probably get about the same mpg in either vehicle, but the fun factor of the Jeep off road, may outweigh the fun factor of the vette on the road.

Main problem is, there aren't too many places(in the northeast) anyway where youcan enjoy either vehicle for it's intended purpose.

Also factor in your insurance cost. A new Jeep may rewuire you to have full coverage if you finance it where as a used vette can squeak by with just liability.

The aftermarket for both vehicles is vast, so no worries about getting parts and accessories.

I've driven my '95 just about everyday through all four seasons with the exception of heavy,deep snow and the occasional roadtrip where I know it will be snowing. I got stuck in VA for a couple days due to idiot drivers who decided a 125 car pileup was more fun than getting home safely.

It took me 8 hours to drive 41 miles on a sheet of ice. Much of the delay was caused by heavy traffic, but also the ASR kicking in every second of the trip didn't help either. WHen I got off on a side road, I was able to increase my speed to 30 mph. Had I been in a 4WD, I may have been able to do 50-60(some truckers were doing well over 60 and that sent me sliding as they passed).

So if this will be your only car and you have four fullseasons, the Jeep may be a better bet, but if you only get occasional snow that's less than 6", I would go for the vette.

redwing76

If gas is a consideration I'd not get the Wrangler.
A Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo would be a better bet.
2000 and later.

Here gas is $3.00 plus so I buy only cars as DD's that get at least 25mpg.

A Ford Tauras with the 3.0 225 hp gets 30 mpg on the hiway.
A Corvette in the snow no thanks.
If you want really good mileage get a 2000 and later Golf 45mpg.

If you want comfort (long commute) a Lincoln LS V8 has close to 300 hp and gets 30 hiway.

I use a Ford Freestar 25mpg, a Ford Tauras, 30 mpg and a Linclon LS V8 for a daily driver.

The Freestar will haul a 4X8 sheet of plywood or a 50" tv.
Find a car that gets good mileage and can haul a sheet of plywood and gets good mileage and you've got it all.

Not many cars are more than passenger cars. The Grand Cherokee Laredo can go off road and drive in bad weather with comfort and still haul a lot of lumber or pull a trailer.

C4DC

My 96 is my dd and I love it! I agree with Mojo with buying the newest you can afford. Go for a few more miles and a later 90's model IMO.

_twisted_

I bought a regular driver and made it a once in a while driver, if it sits for more than 2 weeks its gets pissed and will throw codes, til it gets the attention its used too.

I would think a 16 yr old car with 20k on it wouldn't respond well to a sudden change in use - due to its lack of being exercised over the years.

First thing to do would be get all new fluids in it, and be ready for things to crop up without warning. If your good with the tools and have cash for the parts, you'll be fine. If you have to use a repair shop you'll go broke.

Caleb56

89 with 58000 miles for 8000 dollars. Just maintaince problem until i decided to make it a speed demon. Dont listen to them if you have your heart set on an 89 get it. The digi dash and body style cant be matched. The car may be a little slower but it sure doesn't feel that way.

ElisTwoCents

I've been using mine as a daily driver for almost 4 years and I've enjoyed it very much. As far as mechanical issues there are none...I had to replace the torque converter about 2 1/2 years ago but besides that no major problems. I think the L98 engine Vettes are the perfect street machines and the engine with proper care will last for a long time.

Too tell ya the truth though I would attempt to purchase a 90+ since they have an updated interior and the 91+ have an updated exterior.


Good luck. Let us know what you decide

Caleb56

He likes the digidash like i love my digidash. Its just so much better.

apeacefulstorm

I bought my 93 in 2001 and have driven it daily since... no problems except going through tires.... when I bought it there were 75,000 miles on the odometer, currently its right at 170,000 miles or so....

Only problems have been a water pump and the ecm went out... other than that, routine maintenance....

So I would say, go for it!!!

MARDAG

mileage is irrelevant. Look for a well maintained 89. Mine was lo mileage but thrashed and I put in way more to fix it up than would have paid for a higher mileage but better car.

Also, C4s are not ideal DDs, but if you're a fanatic like me, it's worth the sacrifice. Good luck!

65Z01

It's not so much mileage as oveall condition. Look for well maintained paint, interior, weather stripping along with a clean engine compartment and even tire wear. These all mean that the owner was meticulous about his Vette.

The only thing I did when I got my Vette was to change oil & filter and tranny fluid.

Since you only occasionally deal with light snow just slap on a set of GY Eagle HP Ultra Plus and you are good to go.

To check out a potential Vette go over it carefully, check fluids and put it on a lift for a look under for signs of damage or corrosion. When driving check out operation of all controls and options both cold and warm.

If you find one that you really like but has some issues, just jot them down, get estimates and use that as leverage to deal if the asking warrents it.

CentralCoaster

My 85 was my daily driver for 2 years until the clutch mc leaked and I didn't stop the domino effect.

As stated, you should look at newer, higher mileage vettes for a dd. Of course, older L98s are easier to work on and parts are generally cheaper.

ZR-71

That's why I have my White Vette.

newbecorvetteguy

I've been driving an '87 for about a year and a half now. Had 25k miles on it when I bought it. 1st owner drove it 10k miles in about 15 years. 2nd owner drove it the the other 15k in about a year. I've driven it about 20k so far. I needed to replace the tires because they were old, hard, and slicker than snot on wet pavement. The water pump went out after about 10k miles. Replaced MAF relays due to check engine light coming on. Cost about $28 for the pair. That's about it for problems I've had that needed to be dealt with. Oh, it has a water leak problem I've been kind of half heartedly trying to fix.

As you already know, it's a lot of fun to get you from one place to another. Pretty much worthless for anything else. If you don't need to haul stuff, or no more than one other person in reasonably good shape, it's fine. If you need it to do more than that, pick something else. jmo

Fozzy_Bear

What type of driving do you do where a jeep gets better gas milage than a vette?

I don't currently have a Grand Cherokee, but my friend does and she gets about 85% the gas milage my '86 C4 gets around town and about 75% as much on the highway. Even if you figure in buying premium for the vette vs cheapo for the jeep, your still ahead in the vette. And most L98's will take mid-grade without even noticing.

[ Edit: Or did you just mean that a ZJ is better than a TJ? That I can agree with, but on a second reading of your post, I'm not sure which way you were going. ]

And Josh,
As far as a company to inspect the vette, I have used the forrum for that. If you find one you like, just go to the corresponding regional section and ask if anybody is near to the car. More than likely on of us can swing by with little or no hastle and check it out for you.

I have been on both sides of this, (asking for a check, and checking for somebody else) and I have had nothing but good experiences from it. - Just a thought. -