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I made the mistake of buying a C4 and it was an iffy decision impulse really, and never again will I own one. Mine has been a lot of problems and wouldn't test it on a long trip. Have put on about three thousand miles so far over three years and here are some of the things I have replaced.
steering rack
three fuel pumps
head gasket
heater core
starter
so many friggen sensors and things not going to list them all.
It still idles poorly for the first couple of minutes and can't seem to track it down,
I made the mistake of buying a C4 and it was an iffy decision impulse really, and never again will I own one. Mine has been a lot of problems and wouldn't test it on a long trip. Have put on about three thousand miles so far over three years and here are some of the things I have replaced.
steering rack
three fuel pumps
head gasket
heater core
starter
so many friggen sensors and things not going to list them all.
It still idles poorly for the first couple of minutes and can't seem to track it down,
Round tail light car = 89, later model = 96. Missed the C4 style seats in my 99 FRC I needed a 5 point harness to keep my skinny butt planted in the wide seats they lack side support. The run flats were noisy, on the + side 2 golf bags easily fit in a C5.
Test drove a Coyote 5.0, effortless 7500 rpm reminiscent of a liter sport bike, I want one.
I made the mistake of buying a C4 and it was an iffy decision impulse really, and never again will I own one. Mine has been a lot of problems and wouldn't test it on a long trip. Have put on about three thousand miles so far over three years and here are some of the things I have replaced.
steering rack
three fuel pumps
head gasket
heater core
starter
so many friggen sensors and things not going to list them all.
It still idles poorly for the first couple of minutes and can't seem to track it down,
Point 1; its over 20 years old. Point 2, its a Chevy. You'll find a 20+ year old Mustang, Charger, Honda, Toyota, MG, Fiat or any other car breaks parts when it gets old. Things like alternators are going to be either remanufactured replacing only select parts with non OEM components or entire assemblies copied after OEM and made entirely of non regulated parts. A good example is the clutch slave cylinder. The OEM original part worked fine but it is a wear part and after some years needs replacement. There are no more OEM's left and the original was not designed to be rebuilt. Aftermarket parts are Asian junk and some work, some don't. Get over it. Its over 20 years old! Yes there are problem areas like window motors and such that are problematic even for OEM parts but lets not condemn the entire lot because you got some non spec parts.
Point 1; its over 20 years old. Point 2, its a Chevy. You'll find a 20+ year old Mustang, Charger, Honda, Toyota, MG, Fiat or any other car breaks parts when it gets old. Things like alternators are going to be either remanufactured replacing only select parts with non OEM components or entire assemblies copied after OEM and made entirely of non regulated parts. A good example is the clutch slave cylinder. The OEM original part worked fine but it is a wear part and after some years needs replacement. There are no more OEM's left and the original was not designed to be rebuilt. Aftermarket parts are Asian junk and some work, some don't. Get over it. Its over 20 years old! Yes there are problem areas like window motors and such that are problematic even for OEM parts but lets not condemn the entire lot because you got some non spec parts.
Actually, I think we have it pretty good compared to some of the other vehicles enthusiasts restore and maintain.
I can get just about anything I want for my car, and I usually have the choice of new or used. (Although new options may be limited to the aftermarket.)
Not true for that beautiful 70's Buick Rivera or the 55 Ford Crown Vic. And heaven forbid it's some European thing!
Those guys have a much harder time sourcing parts than for any Corvette, of any era.
Not true for that beautiful 70's Buick Rivera or the 55 Ford Crown Vic.
that is true, I have been making upper bump stops for the car I am helping a friend do. none are available and the design makes the generic ones incompatible, they just pop out
this started life as a section of big equipment tire, I sawed a section out and then cut the first one out with a band saw, then sanded it smooth with a belt sander
If you have 12K just take your time and and really think about what you are looking at. There are plenty out there and they are all in different condition based upon the prior owner's care.
I spent 8K on mine.
It came with:
New Tires
New Clutch
New Brakes
5 other dealer services documented etc.
It did have needs:
1. The window seals (did it myself with parts sourced online),
2. Headlight motor gear replacement.
3. I cleaned the HVAC control module and it works perfectly.
4. New wiper blades.
5. I had the fluids changed.
6. I had a leak on an AC Valve and had it replaced, vacuumed, and recharged. Not the car's fault.
That is about it. Everything done was fairly easily after watching Youtube videos and taking my time.
My car had 84,900 miles on it and I spent 8K for it. I may have found much cheaper or better deals and I know I missed a couple out there but I know what I have and what I paid. I am happy with my adventure so far.
I love the feeling of driving a Corvette with the Targa Top off.
In the end it is all up to you. The good news is that with 12K you have plenty of room to work on one OR to find a very clean low mileage example. This forum is awesome for advice and help. Don't be scared of the C4!!!
that is true, I have been making upper bump stops for the car I am helping a friend do. none are available and the design makes the generic ones incompatible, they just pop out
this started life as a section of big equipment tire, I sawed a section out and then cut the first one out with a band saw, then sanded it smooth with a belt sander
Tedious work.. And yeah, that's exactly what I'm talking about.
We have it pretty good as far as parts availability goes.
I made the mistake of buying a C4 and it was an iffy decision impulse really, and never again will I own one. Mine has been a lot of problems and wouldn't test it on a long trip. Have put on about three thousand miles so far over three years and here are some of the things I have replaced.
steering rack
three fuel pumps
head gasket
heater core
starter
so many friggen sensors and things not going to list them all.
It still idles poorly for the first couple of minutes and can't seem to track it down,
Wanna buy it
So you admittedly buy a C4 without doing any research, wind up with a pile, then say you will never own one again.... Im confused.
Theres plenty of C4's out there that run just fine. These cars were daily drivers for many people who put alot of trouble free miles on their cars.
20, 30 years later, you, me, we get the leftovers.... theres a ton of work to do on some of them, others not so much... BUT they arent ALL junk... impulse buying is not recommended when C4 shopping
The tires I get but I can never figure out how a car goes through three alternators? It seems like they should last.
DamifIknow. Actually it was 4 alternators, I forgot one. I've put on reman alternators and brand-new alternators, they don't seem to matter. They last 3-4 years then poof.
Where the OP and several others complain that the C4 ends up not being driven because it has too many or too frequent problems.
I figure I have one major car project a year in me. Meaning one thats going to take me several full days and some evenings too.
Though it also seems that because of the OBD1 on pre 96 and the kind of OBDII on 96 you have trouble sorting out whats wrong with a C4, rather than just fixing it?
I prefer the looks of a C4 but more importantly I want a car I can drive.
Given a base budget of 12k - which includes buying the car and some intitial repairs, replacements and upgrades.
Would you go C4 or C5?
IMHO, half the fun of owning a sports car is working on it. I would almost say that if you don't work on it yourself you'll never truly experience the magic of corvette ownership.
Buy the corvette you want and like and don't worry about C3,4,5+. At least to me the older they are the easier they are to DIY work on because there is a bigger knowledge base and aftermarket. All the weird problems have been solved, by now.
Buy it, work on it yourself as much as you can and you'll enjoy it more. The only downside is time and you'll never want to get rid of it.
Given 12k, if you do it yourself, you'll have a nearly new car, pride of ownership, and an amazing amount of knowledge to keep it running forever.
Where the OP and several others complain that the C4 ends up not being driven because it has too many or too frequent problems.
I figure I have one major car project a year in me. Meaning one thats going to take me several full days and some evenings too.
Though it also seems that because of the OBD1 on pre 96 and the kind of OBDII on 96 you have trouble sorting out whats wrong with a C4, rather than just fixing it?
I prefer the looks of a C4 but more importantly I want a car I can drive.
Given a base budget of 12k - which includes buying the car and some intitial repairs, replacements and upgrades.
IMHO, half the fun of owning a sports car is working on it. I would almost say that if you don't work on it yourself you'll never truly experience the magic of corvette ownership.
Buy the corvette you want and like and don't worry about C3,4,5+. At least to me the older they are the easier they are to DIY work on because there is a bigger knowledge base and aftermarket. All the weird problems have been solved, by now.
Buy it, work on it yourself as much as you can and you'll enjoy it more. The only downside is time and you'll never want to get rid of it.
Given 12k, if you do it yourself, you'll have a nearly new car, pride of ownership, and an amazing amount of knowledge to keep it running forever.
IMHO, half the fun of owning a sports car is working on it. I would almost say that if you don't work on it yourself you'll never truly experience the magic of corvette ownership.
Buy the corvette you want and like and don't worry about C3,4,5+. At least to me the older they are the easier they are to DIY work on because there is a bigger knowledge base and aftermarket. All the weird problems have been solved, by now.
Buy it, work on it yourself as much as you can and you'll enjoy it more. The only downside is time and you'll never want to get rid of it.
Given 12k, if you do it yourself, you'll have a nearly new car, pride of ownership, and an amazing amount of knowledge to keep it running forever.
I have put so much time into mine that I just couldn't ever bring myself to getting rid of it (mostly by choice). Partly bc of the time and money I have put into it but mostly bc I have enjoyed the experience, knowledge and patience I have gained from working on it. Bought mine when I was 18 and its made me a better person for it honestly.
I agree with most in that $12K is a decent C4 budget. Not so for a C5 IMO.
I went a little nuts with mine. I knew from the get go that I wanted a later model 6-speed C4 (92-96) and immediately wanted to pull the engine and put in a 500hp LS3. So I looked for the best looking high mileage car I could find. I found a 96 LT-4 6-speed car, Torch Red, Black interior, w/ 142k miles. Everything mostly worked. Throw out bearing whined a bit, headlights were a bit floppy and it leaked a bit here and there, and the leather of the drivers seat shows it's age. But.....I only paid $3500 for it. And I drove it 150 miles that weekend and did nothing to it, before trailering it home. I then put another 1000 or so miles on it while waiting on all of my engine swap parts to come in.
Since then, not including swap stuff (as that's not really relevant to your question) I've replaced ball joint boots and end link bushings, upgraded the front sway bar to 32mm, swapped the bilsteins for Ridetech shocks, installed new brake pads and stainless braided lines, bought some floor mats, replaced the rear hatch seal (admittedly the rest need doing at some point), and that's about it. Oh yeah, and a couple rear tires to replace to 10 year old ones that were a bit hard. I also just spent two nights clay barring, waxing, and sealing the paint to look far better than a car of its age might otherwise.
I say all that to point out that I could have simply just driven it as it was and had a super fun sports car that cornered on rails and looked sweet as all get out, all for $3500. But if I'd had a $12k budget I would've had $8500 left over for anything that came my way. I could've done everything mentioned above (LS3 not included) and still been in it for around 6 grand. I've also found that most anything on my car at least is something that could wait until a rainy day, for the winter, or the summer, depending on what part of the world you live in. And you can just enjoy it when the weather is nice.
As as many have also stated, being mechanically inclined beyond your average joe schmo is a major benefit and frankly A necessity with just about anything outside of the factory warranty. I too don't trust anybody else to work on my cars outside of the warranty. And in some cases even when they are under warranty I prefer them not to touch them. Always seems to be something go wrong soon after a visit to the dealer.
I think they're great cars. But as always, find the best example that suits your needs. I think that $12k will buy you a great non-special edition C4, but they're all at least 21 years old and will need somethings Some have said keep $2k in your pocket for repairs. I'd suggest $3-4K unless someone's already been through all the wearables. Suspension, brakes, weather stripping, light motors, gaskets, tires, etc. If you're not going to work on it at all yourself then You have two choices: 1. Keep more $ in your pocket for labor costs. 2. Buy one that's throw away cheap and drive the wheels off of it. Third option is to spend your entire budget on the best example you can find and hope nothing breaks. But then you're into something you don't want sitting idle if something does break (which on any old car it inevitably will) but have no budget to fix.
No matter what you do, there's lots of support and parts available here, all with our own issues, so you won't be alone. Best of luck and keep us posted.
yup I will never own one, I have owned cars a lot older than this with little problems.
Now my hvac and radio have no power, fuses good. Never ends.
Originally Posted by 81c3
So you admittedly buy a C4 without doing any research, wind up with a pile, then say you will never own one again.... Im confused.
Theres plenty of C4's out there that run just fine. These cars were daily drivers for many people who put alot of trouble free miles on their cars.
20, 30 years later, you, me, we get the leftovers.... theres a ton of work to do on some of them, others not so much... BUT they arent ALL junk... impulse buying is not recommended when C4 shopping
I agree with most in that $12K is a decent C4 budget. Not so for a C5 IMO.
I went a little nuts with mine. I knew from the get go that I wanted a later model 6-speed C4 (92-96) and immediately wanted to pull the engine and put in a 500hp LS3. So I looked for the best looking high mileage car I could find. I found a 96 LT-4 6-speed car, Torch Red, Black interior, w/ 142k miles. Everything mostly worked. Throw out bearing whined a bit, headlights were a bit floppy and it leaked a bit here and there, and the leather of the drivers seat shows it's age. But.....I only paid $3500 for it. And I drove it 150 miles that weekend and did nothing to it, before trailering it home. I then put another 1000 or so miles on it while waiting on all of my engine swap parts to come in.
Since then, not including swap stuff (as that's not really relevant to your question) I've replaced ball joint boots and end link bushings, upgraded the front sway bar to 32mm, swapped the bilsteins for Ridetech shocks, installed new brake pads and stainless braided lines, bought some floor mats, replaced the rear hatch seal (admittedly the rest need doing at some point), and that's about it. Oh yeah, and a couple rear tires to replace to 10 year old ones that were a bit hard. I also just spent two nights clay barring, waxing, and sealing the paint to look far better than a car of its age might otherwise.
I say all that to point out that I could have simply just driven it as it was and had a super fun sports car that cornered on rails and looked sweet as all get out, all for $3500. But if I'd had a $12k budget I would've had $8500 left over for anything that came my way. I could've done everything mentioned above (LS3 not included) and still been in it for around 6 grand. I've also found that most anything on my car at least is something that could wait until a rainy day, for the winter, or the summer, depending on what part of the world you live in. And you can just enjoy it when the weather is nice.
As as many have also stated, being mechanically inclined beyond your average joe schmo is a major benefit and frankly A necessity with just about anything outside of the factory warranty. I too don't trust anybody else to work on my cars outside of the warranty. And in some cases even when they are under warranty I prefer them not to touch them. Always seems to be something go wrong soon after a visit to the dealer.
I think they're great cars. But as always, find the best example that suits your needs. I think that $12k will buy you a great non-special edition C4, but they're all at least 21 years old and will need somethings Some have said keep $2k in your pocket for repairs. I'd suggest $3-4K unless someone's already been through all the wearables. Suspension, brakes, weather stripping, light motors, gaskets, tires, etc. If you're not going to work on it at all yourself then You have two choices: 1. Keep more $ in your pocket for labor costs. 2. Buy one that's throw away cheap and drive the wheels off of it. Third option is to spend your entire budget on the best example you can find and hope nothing breaks. But then you're into something you don't want sitting idle if something does break (which on any old car it inevitably will) but have no budget to fix.
No matter what you do, there's lots of support and parts available here, all with our own issues, so you won't be alone. Best of luck and keep us posted.
$3500 for a working LT4 car is a steal. I'm jealous
08-09-2017, 10:31 AM
but I can never figure out how a car goes through three alternators? It seems like they should last.
