90_vette

Bought a base '96 convertible in August for $12,500 w/56,000 miles. Within two weeks had to put on a starter. After another month picked up something in a rear tire, two new tires. Another month goes by and had to replace the EGR valve. Had the exhaust modified (self inflicted). Now the water pump leaked, thru the PO335 & 336 codes. Having water pump and Opti spark replaced. Still needs some other items fixed.

Momma ain't happy......

AirForceOne!

Welcome to the wonderful world of vette ownership$$$! You never know what you are getting into! Mine has 106,000 and runs great! Some parts last longer than others!

Why is your name 90_vette when you have a 96? Do you also own a 90?

zr1fred

Can't really count the tires. Why did you have to change the EGR, emissions? It doen't sound to out of line so far for a 17 year old car. Often time the low mileage cars will have more problems than the ones driven regularly.

90_vette

Had a 90 in the stable, bought a 96. I agree with zr1fred, I think the more they are driven the better.

GREGGPENN

Sounds like you overpaid to buy the car.

AirForceOne!

True story from all the info I have read!

Frizlefrak

It's a 17 year old car. What exactly were you expecting?

ch@0s

It's car period.They need maintenance and care.I have a non profit that takes unwanted C4s in. Let me know if you want someone to adopt.
BTW it doesn't sound all that bad. Keep your head up.

Bout' Time

Now I am starting to panic. I have a bank check ready to hand over to a guy with a 95 with 29,000 miles. Car looks in showroom condition.

dizwiz24

12.5k for a 96 vert (im assuming is in excellent shape) isnt bad. Esp. if thats a rare 6speed lt4 vert (by chance?).

But anyways, are you doing the work yourself?

If not, you must learn. By the books, tools, ask questions here on CF.

If you take it to a shop they will:

1. Mess it up.
2. Charge you an arm-and-leg for messing up your car.

That was my experience.

Forget the dealerships also. The techs (even if they still work there) have forgotten how to work on these unique cars.

dizwiz24

i would have never guessed the optispark was trashed (broken seals, water intrusion, rusted) on the immaculate 93 vert 6spd w/ 26k miles I bought in the year 2000.

It was.

Of course 95-96 has the vented optispark, so perhaps its still good.

Klondike

"Of course 95-96 has the vented optispark, so perhaps its still good."
I wouldn't count on it! You can vent out the moisture, but you can't get the fog off of the photo cells from the antifreeze.
I know what you're going through....Sounds like the repair list for my LT4 except I don't have the EGR! Did rear axle stub & seals, all 'U'-joints (twice) rear wheel bearings, all four O2 sensors, wires & plugs, played the Opti game when the water pump pee'd on it.
But HEY! It's like a new car now. It's all fixed!
My wife stopped dosing my scrambled eggs with Dawn dish detergent, because of my foul mouth, and we are now enjoying our car.

FOURSPEEDVETTE

Y-ME

A 96 Camry would not fare better, specially with puncturing tires.

Aaron Keating

I'd argue a mid 2000s Camry wouldn't be much better if not worse.

envirotrans

I picked up a 1988 4+3 with 141000 miles in august and have sense replaced the water pump, timing chain, clutch slave cylinder,
Clutch master, and the ecm, have small oil leak at distributor or oil pressure switch, now that winter is here no power brakes intell it gets warned up, maybe -2 is a little cold

383vett

To the op; what you have spent is nothing compared to what you'll spend when you start modding the thing.

markKlein

Did you have it checked out by a mechanic?

ckwhite

...that's what owning a Corvette has to be or you'll go crazy agonizing over the money you're putting into it. I bought my '89 cheap (I thought): $3,500. Then promptly put over $11K into it, But it's worth it to me. I love the car!

Cygnus

Some cars are a labor of love and some are a labor to love.

A troublesome vette is still better than a fine running Toyota in my opinion.