DinoBob

Jim Rogers

Call me even crazier-- I have two 85's in that color combination! (VIN's are only 12 apart.)

However, we're probably derailing the topic, so I'm gonna shut up now.

FAUEE

Wouldn't worry about it. These price threads always end up with people talking about how crappy the c4 is and how amazing the c5 is and how it makes sense for c4s to be cheap because they saw a Craigslist ad for a super clean c5 with 20k on it for 10 grand and didn't realize it was a scam.

DGXR

I always remind myself that I bought this C4 because it is affordable, fun, and reliable. It is a toy, and it does its job very well. As others have said, it is the enjoyment of the driving experience that I am looking for. Later generations cannot compare to the raw feeling or the C4 "cockpit." Earlier generations didn't have the handling that these cars do, not even close. So these cars have a lot of merit even if the market does not reflect this. A car is worth what someone is willing to pay for it, and I paid extra for my car because it is exactly what I wanted: base coupe LT1, very clean, manual trans, relatively low miles, white, all stock. And a real pleasure to drive

pacoW

Saw that too, Agreed. Values still headed south, though I'm sure others here will strongly disagree. But it's the best performance platform for the money right now.

FAUEE

The problem with auctions is you have no idea what kind of condition they're in. All you have to go off is a few pictures from far away and a few peeks inside. So of the paint is shiny and there, people will say it looks pretty clean. It could have just been repaired from a major collision, have a bad head gasket, need a heater core, etc.

Buying a car at an auction is super risky, and low prices at auction typically reflect that. The only cars that bring money at auctions are the super rare cars people get in a frenzy over and really only have that chance to buy one, so condition doesnt matter as much.

ErrrrCar205

Couldn't agree more with DGXR. I always wanted to fly but don't have the eyesight, so my Corvette is a fighter jet substitute - and it's good at it, and at a damn reasonable price. It's plenty fast, I like that I have to muscle it around a little, and I love that it starts (knock on wood) whenever I want. I've peeked into more recent Corvettes but they sure don't look like they replicate the "cockpit" feel that my '96 has. I definitely appreciate the later cars and am looking forward to seeing what the C8 looks like...but I doubt I'd ever let myself spend double or triple the money that I did, and I'm not a pro driver or autocrosser so having something with hundreds of additional horses is both wildly unnecessary and just likely to get me into trouble. So C4s are just in the Goldilocks zone for me. (I guess some C5s could be too, I just don't like the styling as much).

I get the Rodney Dangerfield "I can't get no respect!" reaction when 'our' cars don't fetch big bucks, but I'm more than happy to let the C1/2/3 collectors and the C6/C7/C8 fans pony up instead.

BLUE1972

I really like my C4, the ride sucks (335's don't help) , the handling is fantastic and for what I paid for the car it was a great buy. Since I went with a " carb and manifold" set up - got rid of the computer the car is super reliable and with the 6 speed - even though the engine is heavily worked I still get great gas mileage.

C5's are nice until you have to fix them and the parts are no longer available. Same goes for the C6. I can't imagine a C7 in 15 years when the electronics needs a replacement module - and it's not available...

I'm seeing more and more C4's here getting hot-roded . There are 2 with big blocks - I would not do that … If I were to do it again I would go with a 383 crate and HELI Disy with a stock 6 speed and drive it until the wheels fall off.

FOURSPEEDVETTE

Well put! We'll always have those "few" here that constantly moan and complain about values of these cars. They love to depress themselves and try and bring others into their group Bunch of babies if you ask me. Why do they complain about it? If it upsets them so much, they should just get rid of it. Why be miserable. Better yet, why try to make others just as miserable?

cv67

x2 think its great the are cheap, how many fun cars are unaffordable these days?
The C5 and newer will get stupid cheap, too many electronics. I cant see someone buying an 8k C5 and spending the money/time to fix all the gremlins that pop up with those cars
Never saw a car as a rolling bank account, shoot if its that big a deal find a cheaper hobby, work some OT etc.

CorvetteRules

When I went looking for a Corvette I was drawn to two factors. First was there is something about the C4 styling that to me is very appealing and second was reasonable examples can be found at a good price. There will be many who will argue, but that is fine because everyone has their own opinion regarding what makes a great looking sports car. Compared to the newer generations the stock C4 is not going to win a race against a newer generation, but in it's own time it did set the mark and it is a great handling car.

In 1988 I bought new a Ford 5.0 Mustang Fox Body hatchback with a manual 5 speed as a daily driver. It was fast, handled well and was a blast to drive and I thought it looked 10 times better than a Mustang GT with all the extra body pieces. When I retired it as a daily driver I kept it because it still ran great and there is something about the deep barking exhaust sound from a Ford 302. I'd still have it today but a few years back as it sat in front of my house at the curb an idiot plowed into the back and totaled it. At that time it had 213,000 miles on it was still great fun to drive.

Point I'm trying to make is that for may of us it doesn't have to be the fastest and newest generation, all it has to do is put a smile on our face when we climb in and start that motor.

jefnvk

I bought mine for $2800. Yes, it has 170k, and was daily driven in the later part of its life and needs the tune up items that goes with such usage, but that money around here barely gets you into used in snow rusty Mustang GT and Miatas (as far as something that can be driven relatively as-is) with as many miles. Be glad they're running cheap, it is precisely what got me as into the owners group instead of the Mustang or Miata crowd

And call me crazy, but I actually prefer the looks of the C4s. The C5/6 is way too soft for my liking, and I'm not ready to pony up for a C7.

81c3

The C4 platform is the last real Corvette if you ask me.... Still a very gritty feel to it when driving. You become one with the car and the road feel lets you know youre driving a sports car and not a Camry with a 5.7 and a 6 speed in it. Its noisy and its still a very analog experience. I could care less anymore what people think.... especially the doomasses that think my C4 is an easy walk.... surprise bitch.... I have 4 cams and 32 valves!

drcook

Maybe yes, maybe no, maybe some woman getting even with her now divorced husband for fooling around with a younger woman by selling off his toys cheap to punish him. I have bought stuff like that in the better neighborhoods.

Or in the mid to high teens, low twenties because the guy went to trade it in when he bought his 2018 (or 19) for that matter and that is what the dealer offered him on trade-in. Of course the guy said "I won't take that for a car I paid X-amount for (fill in the blank for what a C5 costs) I will sell it myself. So he buys the car, thinks he is going to get top dollar out of it and is surprised that there are lots more out there just like his.

So it sits in the driveway of the Home Owner's Association who is threatening to fine him or go to court on that matter and he is forced to cut the price so he can get it out of the driveway.

C5's (at least around NE Ohio) have been dropping drastically for the last year. As far as the ABS and EBCM modules go, there are now companies rebuilding such. There are only 2 codes on the ABS that are terminal. Additionally, with a the flooding that has gone on the southern US, there are lots of Corvettes being totalled out and parts are becoming available.

If there had been this market (and price availability) in 2016, I would have probably bought a C5 and started working it over.

FAUEE

I wont say it CAN'T happen, but the majority of the really cheap c5s are cheap because they're in fact, total POS. If you want a clean, low mile car you're still paying 20+ for it. You can get an A4 Peter wagon wheel base model car with lots of deferred upkeep and other issues for 10k ot less, but you shouldnt. You end up 16 deep into a car that still sucks.

drcook

That is why I caveated my response with:

and

I was just trying to say: Not always. Wasn't an attack, just a "not always" counterpoint.

But yes there are some scams. Right now someone has that photoshopped "Donk Mobile" Corvette posted up for sale locally here on CL. You have deal on CL very carefully. We had the "Craigslist Murders" here. At least one of them was buried a couple miles from my house. The guy and some kid he sucked in on the scheme, were advertising manual labor jobs, and they would then end up killing the guys responding, just to do it.

1993C4LT1

20+ for a low mile C4. Better be a GS or ZR-1 for that much.

FAUEE

That was an autocorrect issue, meant to say c5.

1993C4LT1

Lol all good! Yes, agree with you there.