1vette98

Merry Christmas! I'm usually on the C5 side, but I have a question for you C4 guys. A friend of mine called and is looking at a '96 collectors edition for a surprise Christmas present for her husband. They are asking $14,000 for the car. It has 71,000 miles and she said it drives really good, but she has never driven a Corvette before, so......My question is, what are some things to check on a C4 that might be problems now or in the near future and what about the price? I appreciate any advice you guys can provide that would help her with the decission.

Bigredwing

I'm new to this forum and have a '94 but from what I can tell the price is probably pretty good. There are numerous threads about ignition and electrical problems but I think anybody getting into the Vette hobby expects that. So it goes that the newer the Vette the fewer the problems (generally). The woman I bought my car from said it drove perfect but I could feel some modulation on the brake pedal. I also found numerous trim pieces loose or needing repair. Following an inspection by a good mechanic we also found the rear pads and rotors were shot and the front rotors were warped (excessive runout). So with 71,000 miles brakes could be an issue. Figure $1000 more or less for that. The serpentine belt was also at the end of it's life. That's why I recommend getting it inspected before laying down the money unless you have a complete history of the vehicle. She probably doesn't have time to do that so maybe offer less or get a contract with a contingency clause. Hope this helps,
-Chris

Corvette Kid

Is it a manual or auto? Coupe or vert? This will obviously make a difference and I'm not sure how much being a CE adds to the value, if any.

rick96cevette

I have a 96 CE Vette that I bought about 3.5 mo. ago. It is a coupe with the LT1/Auto and had 43xxx miles when I bought it for $17000. Condition of my car is good to excellent. As said above, $14000 is probably a decent price assuming there are no major issues with the car.

corvetteronw

Try this buyers guide. It is specific to the 96 Grand Sport but has a lot of info that can come in handy when evaluating other C4s. Lucky guy!
http://www.grandsportregistry.com/GSBuyersGuide.pdf

USAFPILOT

I think the price is fair...do your homework on it. Try not to let her catch the Corvette Fever and buy a lemon. Get the Carfax, have it checked out.by a Corvette Tech. Get us some pics and the details if you can, that will help us all give some opinions.

Things to look at.

1) Make sure everything works...things like traction control, ABS, etc. not just the lights and stereo. See if the auto climate control is operating.

2) Have the compression tested, make sure its not burning oil etc.

3) Check all the fluid levels and for evidence of contamination in the fluids.

4) look at the alignment of body panels...one side should match the other etc. Look inside the doors for cracks.

5) Ask for records documentation etc

There is really a ton of stuff to look at/check out. Somewhere on here is a great check list. Hopefully someone sends you the link.

1vette98

Thanks for all the replys. I drove by tonight an looked at the car. Appearance wise, it is top notch, good paint, good tires, very clean car. I plan to go by tomorrow and drive it down to a friends shop and put it on a lift and check out the bottom side. I haven't driven a C4 so I hope I can be aware of anything that may be a problem. Again, thanks for the advice.