OriginalMarshmonkey

Hey folks,
I will be buying a white on white '87 coupe from my sister in the next few days. She is moving into another home and does not want to take it with her so she is practically giving the car to me, so I don't think that I will be getting a bad deal. The car belonged to her husband who passed away in March of '10.
The only things that I know are wrong with the car are interior related. The driver's seat won't move forward and back, but all the other functions of the seat work. The interior is rough, as he used the car daily for several years. Mechanically, it is good but i plan to replace all of the hoses, belts, fluids and tires before I take it on the road. Less than 85000 miles. He was **** about his possessions, so I know it was never abused and was always garaged.
I don't know much about Corvettes or GM in general, but since I am retired and have plenty of time, I look at this as another toy (my wife looks at as just something else for me to waste money on ). I look forward to learning about it. I expect to be picking some brains here in the future.
The car is in another state and I am planning to haul it home. I know that Vettes are low, so are there any hints as to how to safely load one on a car hauler without high centering it?
Thanks
OK, shame faced here. Got my sister to email me the VIN number, ran it, and lo and behold, this is an '88, not '87. I had seen the car before, but never discussed it much with her husband. That would explain why the white on white was confusing. Sorry. I have a lot to learn about the car; a large part of why I decided to get it. The car has been started pretty regularly, but not driven on the street in a while. That is the reason that I do not want to drive it home. It will be more of a project to keep me out of trouble than any kind of transportation, so if it needs work, all the better.

FOURSPEEDVETTE

Congrats on getting the 87! These early C4's are great cars. A little wear on the interior is to be expected, so don't let it bother you. Everything on the interior is replaceable. Keep us updated!

OriginalMarshmonkey

Thanks FourSpeed, I am looking forward to learning about it.

Baldfart

Post some pictures when you get it!

sailorsteve

If you are planning to do at least some work yourself, you will be well served by getting the correct year Factory Service Manual (not Chilton's, etc.). You will find a world of good info on the forum, also.

corvetteronw

Your wife and mine must be related!
Check Socalman's sticky on DIY projects. Welcome to the hobby!
For used parts I like www.vette2vette.com and www.corvettecentral.com for new.
I spent some time at Ft Stewart during the run up to Desert Storm and got to visit your lovely city. It is a beautiful place!

Jimbo 89

Read stickys at top of tech/perf page. Lots of good info. I've had to replace head gaskets (done by shop), heater core, & fuel injectors (so far). These are typical problems for these years. Welcome to the madness....

proracr

I think that all wives are related when it comes to men's toys! There's nothing practical about a Corvette......they are just FUN!

Enjoy!

92ragtop

Great choice of color IMHO. Congrats on the new toy, and welcome to the forum!

gkrynick22

Welcome to the world of Corvette's and the Forum. You will find members on here very helpful. As far as wives go, mine absolutely HATES my car. She has never been in it and says she will never go in it. Oh well, it gives me some quality time by myself!

flightmate

If everything mechanically is sound llike you said, why not drive it home? That way you don't have to worry about how to load it, and you get some wheel time as well. Congrats on the new ride!

sailorsteve

H P Bushrod

Welcome to the forum! Post pics when you can.

MyFirst90coupe

I was stationed at Ft. Stewart and LOVE Savannah. What a beautiful city.

Good luck with the new Vette, it's not a car, it's an addiction.

jsims002

Driving the C4 is half the fun, the other half is wrenching here, upgrading there, etc.

I recommend a set of Factory Service Manuals.

Congratulation and welcome.

p.s. The first Corvette and last C4 was white with red interior.

Z-07 freak

Curious what you mean by "white on white", as white was not an interior color option in `87.
Anyway, welcome and post some pics when you get her home.

OriginalMarshmonkey

Well, here I sit red faced. After getting my sister to send me the VIN #, I discovered that the car is not an '87, but is an '88 35th Anniversary Edition, which would explain why it has white interior. I have seen the car, but it was several years ago, so when I was told that it was an '87, I had no reason to think otherwise. I kept up with Corvettes pretty closely up thru about '71, but all I know about the C4 is what I have learned here.
Anyway, I will be going to get it this Thursday. I will be going there and back in one day which will make for a loooong day, but my mechanic is going with me and he can't afford to miss more than one day of work. After talking over options with him, and your comments here, I have decided to drive it home. The only real concern would be the tires since it has been sitting for quite some time. We will be taking my friend's (the mechanic) tow dolly (taken apart in the back of my P/U, just in case), and will take it easy, since this car is new to me. I am excited!

sailorsteve

Congrats! Hope your trip goes smoothly. Keep us posted on how it goes.

Texas Stinger

I figured it had to be a 35th especially when you said it was actually an 88.

When did white interior become optional after the 35th?

OriginalMarshmonkey

I don't know about the white interior options. I do know that I really like white interior, but it is a bear to keep clean. I owned a '78 Datsun (before they were Nissans) 240Z 2+2 with white interior. It was a beautiful and great car (I put 227,000 trouble free miles on it) , but definitely required work to keep nice.