Gibberson

I'm gonna be buying a used C4 in the next few weeks. I've been looking through the trader/newspaper, and everything I see that a pretty descent price has very high milage.

I'm gonna use the car as a Daily driver, I won't be putting a lot of miles on it, but I'm concerned that most out there have over 100k on the clock.

What kind of mechanical issues show up after the 100k mark that I should be aware of ?

I'm either gonna get a C4 Vette or a '92+ Prelude. I like the power the vette has, and love the looks, but I honestly can't afford 14k for a C4 with low miles.

What should I look out for mechanically on a high miles vette? :seeya

scorp508

Well... I have 161k on the '87 right now. I bought it with 98k in '00.

Nothing super major so far.

Alternators
1 Rear Wheel Bearing
Distributor Gear
U-Joints
Headlight Motor

Mostly things you expect.

VetteNoob

I just got my '86 last weekend and it was $8500. 78k miles. A few gremlins here and there, but all in all, I've been happy with it so far. Have a mechanic check it out. Something I should have done is pull the ECM 'check engine' codes to see what was still stored in the system just so I can 'guess' what I may expect from the car if they didnt fix it. Mine had previously tripped a 15 and 33 so I'm looking into those codes now. Im planning on using mine as a daily driver as soon as I get it where I feel comfortable driving it 45 minutes each way.

Alchemist

I have almost 170K on my '94 daily driver, and it's stronger now than it was when it came of the showroom floor! :D I wouldn't even consider trading it (again) for a "low mileage vette". (the "again" is a long sorrid tale that came out with the happy ending of me getting my '94 BACK :D ).

The mileage "concerns" regarding a Corvette will depend on WHICH Corvette you're looking at (ie: the optispark on '92-'94 LT1s ain't no thang on a L98).

Mark Leiter

I've bought my '95 about 2 years ago with 94k on the clock and since then I've put a little less then 20,000 on it and I haven't had any major problems. Just maintainence things like batterys and tires etc.

It just depends on the individual car. There well cared for vettes with 150k+ on them and there trashed ones out there with 25-30 one them. Miles should be used as a general guide about the car. Not the end all deciding factor about its condition.

DarkRose94

Mine that I bought two years ago had 54049 on it since then the car has something like 61079 and its a 94. Has been WELL taken care of, the car feels and looks brand new. Thats mainly the reason I don't want to mod anyting on it.

Shark ssn591

gave 8K for my '88 last september 60K miles then, runs great

jaa1992

Nope, the 1988 has 122K on it and still in great mechanical shape.

One thing - Replace all the fluids as soon as you can, unless you get recent service records. Oil & Filter, complete trans fluid change with filter, complete differential including limited slip additive, brake fluid. Then change them on regular intervals.

aldo802

My C4 has 94,000 on it and when i bought it, it had 69,000, i had for 6yrs now!! but it looks and runs great!!! :cool:

90Z51Vette

I bought my 90 Coupe (my first Corvette) four years ago with 68,000 miles to use as my daily driver. It's currently got 99,600 in it and should pass the big 100K in the next few weeks.
Since I've owned it I've replaced:
-battery (twice)
-Windshield (due to vandalism)
-water pump & coolant hoses
-master cylinder & brake booster
-brake pads (twice)
-alternator (twice)
-fuel pump
-fuel filter (twice)
-air filter (with K&N)
-distributor cap, coil & plug wires
-spark plugs (twice)
-a/c condenser & evaporator line
-oil pressure sensor
-right front airbag impact sensor
-new intake manifold gasket
-starter
-exhaust & cat (old ones were okay - I upgraded to a Random Technologies cat & Flowmaster Force II cat back system)
In addition to the above I change the Mobil 1 10W-30 & filter every 3K miles.
I've done most of the work myself, with the exception of the intake manifold gasket and a/c stuff (which required purging & recharging the R-12). I've been able to get most of the parts at Discount Auto for 1/2 the price of the Chevy dealer and most have life time warantees (great for things like the alternators that go out every 18 months or so).
I put new tires on it right after I bought it and am planning to get a new set in the next couple of months (I've got 275's all around & rotate them front to rear every 10K miles.) I also am planning to put on new distributor cap,coil & wires before summer. Will put new rotors on soon (the rears have warped).
In four years the fuel pump was the only thing that has stranded me and that was partially my fault because I didn't recognize the warning signs.
The wheel bearings and ball joints and u-joints all are still good & tight (knock on wood).
The L98 doesn't leak any oil & runs like a champ.
Just about the only thing that needs serious help is the Bose system - two of the four amp/speakers are out.
It been a great driver & a great hobby!!!
:cheers: :seeya

aldo802

Wow i change my alternator once a year and no can find out why it goes!!! I change it myself, it only takes 20 minutes, it doesn't cost me any money tho with warrenty!!! So what up with that????????? :confused: :confused:

Jim85IROC

Trade that Auto Zone Lifetime Warranty POS for a 1-year warranty Delco.

VetteBabe1

Had my 87 from 1996 (74,600k) to 2001 (186,400k), and had VERY FEW problems. It was literally the best car I ever had. Dependable, good gas mileage, etc. Did rebuild the tranny at 150k because it got low on fluid - a leak I didn't know about - and burnt overdrive bands a little and was barely slipping...figured it was time anyway. But that was the only thing, couple U-joints, alternator, intake gaskets, etc. Nothing more than normal maintenance. Just like everything else, if you beat the crap out of it, it won't last as long. I babied mine :).

My fav test when looking is to remove the oil filler cap when it's idling, and see how much blow-by there is. Use your judgement as to what is too much, but that is a good indicator in my opinion of engine soundness. I could be wrong?

B R

I'll sell you my car with 113,000 miles. That may seem high, but that works out to an average of only 8,000 a year. It is very dependable, solid, fast, etc. I wouldn't hesitate to drive the car anywhere. Any used car is going to need attention regardless of mileage, but the way that it was driven & cared for is usually more important than having low mileage.