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Must be that time of year for great storytelling. Very cool.
my vettes are average mileage. Zr1 has 80k miles, 87 has 90k miles, and 99 has 130k miles
the highest miles ive seen on a c4 locally was 355000 miles for sale near me. i couldn't believe it. half a milliuon kilometers. i meant to go see it but was afraid i'd buy it purely out of my desire to keep cool things running. it was an 86 i think. looked like crap.
For me, going off memory -
1988- 59k...sold at ~143k
2002 Z - 56k...sold at 135k
2006 Z - 98k...totaled at 141k
2002 Z - 30k miles...sold at 35k miles (hated the way that car drove with the mods I bought it with)
2015 Z - 4k miles...currently at 14k
1996 GS - 100k miles...currently at the mechanic's getting a myriad of things updated
Late 1999 I wrote the following after the passing of a major milestone:
Fellow Corvette friends,
This evening, November 21st, 1999, at 9: 48pm brought to me a new milestone, a goal was met and I'd like to share it with those friends, you folks, that might understand it's significance.
First, a bit of history is in order to put it all in perspective. It all started on a late Friday night in 1989, on the way home from work. I had just paid yet another $1, 200 to repair the Honda I was driving and really upset about it. I stopped at a stoplight on Beach Boulevard, in Orange County, California. Across the street sat a VW dealership and I always checked out their lot for some uknown reason. As I pulled by it I saw something totally new, a red 1984 Corvette was sitting on the lot this day. I turned around and went back to check it out. I still don't know why, I mean, why this car? Why now? It was a completely impulse buy, giving that poor dealership my Honda and some cash, I pulled out of that lot not realizing that my life had made a turn, one of those really big ones that you look upon later as having been significant, and yet somehow lost during the moment.
I was living in Huntington Beach, California, and later in Redondo Beach. I joined the Corvette club called "The VetteSet" and made wonderful memories on some of their incredible road trips. It really started to build during those first six months, the appreciation for this car which is so very often maligned for being not quite ready for the public, born a bit premature from mother GM. As I sit here now and reflect on what all has happened with that car, it spills forth in such a torrent, all interwoven with events in my life. This car was there for so much of it.
I can remember touring the back lots of some of the major movie and TV studios in the car.
The days where it sat next to the beach while I read in the sand.
I remember escorting the home coming court and fathers, helping to build youthful memories for some very lucky young ladies.
The 19 times it "flew" me to Las Vegas in one year.
Getting pulled over by the police on one of those flights, and yet not getting a badly deserved ticket (he liked the car)
The ever so many first dates, and last ones.
The beginning of two very serious relationships, escorting us to many a very thrilling adventure, and ultimately to the demise of both relationships. That car was witness to it all.
That one magical night at the drive-in with the girlfriend.
Putting girlfriend and two more of her friends in for a trip to Disneyland.
Driving the car up to Pismo Beach, into the surf, for some photos I'll forever cherish.
My best friend Mike coming out to visit from Michigan, and usually ending up putting the car into a four wheel slide at some point during the trip! When he left, it usually had less tread, but something special from the General was often left. Those were truly memorable times.
Dating a young lady whose mother was stuck in Vietnam, and sending photos to Vietnam of her daughter at the helm of America's premier automobile.
Drag racing at a drag strip with the Vette Set group. I had my cell phone on and called Mike at work back in Michigan, slaving on details of the 95 Corvette. All I remember was a good deal of tire squealing, and my yelling. It was great fun.
Flying at high speed across Edwards Air Force base, someplace I probably should not have been driving.
Picking up a date on Sunday morning at 7:00 am, and returning her on Monday morning at 7:00, after driving 1,000 miles in one day to places like Las Vegas and Sequioa National Forest.
Street drag racing my friend Bruce in his 69 big block, in Venice California, and losing every time.
After this, it was time to return home, to Michigan, and resume my job with General Motors. I flew home and unwisely shipped the car back. It was gone for over a month, most of that time nobody could tell me where the car was. When it finally returned to my possession, in mid-February, in Michigan, a window had been left down just enough to coat the interior with winters finest. I hope I never have to ship it again.
That one special trip with my friend Mike, taking nothing but small roads on our way to Bowling Green. He drove his 75' and I usually followed in the
84'. We were wheel to wheel on occasion.
Getting hit on that trip by a large chunk of retreaded tire off a semi, shattering the hood.
Having a dear friend at the factory repairing that hood to the best of his ability, to this day I'm still grateful.
Drag racing Mike at Beach Bend, and losing (there is entirely too much of this losing! )
Acquiring a copy of my build sheet and discovering my car was originally from Michigan. Meeting the original owner and getting the original window sticker.
Almost losing the car to a bitter and painful fight with the IRS, something for which I will never forgive them.
Trip to Virginia Beach that ended up with a dead alternator, and actually making it with no lights and something like 11. 0 volts. It did not fail to get me to my destination.
Caravaning with the Corvette engineers to Carlisle, and TOTALLY losing the on-ramp races, year after year.
Taking a special friend from Scotland to Bowling Green and enjoying the ZR-1 get-together. It was a memorable 2,800 mile extended weekend, and she was able to see a bit of middle-America, albeit swiftly <g I hope to be able to add a ZR-1 to list of vehicles some day, for it is the pinnacle of Corvette performance.
Giving the Vette to my mother while I was away on business, and returning to find it had accumulated 600 miles due to, in her words, "a couple of shopping trips".
That one special photo of my father at the wheel, head out of window, smiling.
One of my niece's earliest words being "Corvette", and her being able to identify at C4 while so very young.
That one special night with the nose of the car up near a tree in upstate New York, laying on the hood and watching the stars with the girlfriend.
Getting that Vette stuck in a farmers field with the same girlfriend, very late, with one wheel in a VERY large and deep hole, dropping the car to the frame.
Getting out of bed at 3:00 am, just to drive fast somewhere, usually with the radio turned off.
This automobile has helped forge friendships, created opportunities, been present for many significant life events. It has never let me down, always given more than it probably should. That, in of itself, is the definition of a friend, a lifelong friend. Never judging, always there. How could I possibly elect to part with such pure friendship and sell it? Ever so many past memories, and untold quantity in the future.
Which leads me to tonight. Just the two of us went out this evening to cross over a threshold for which I hope to be allowed to repeat, and hope you all can someday enjoy.
At 9:48 pm my 84' crossed the 200,000 miles point. I pulled over and stopped, took a picture of the odometer, and thought there was only really one way to celebrate this moment. Like so many times before, I asked and she gave a very nice burnout on it's way to 105 mph. It seemed so fitting to be at 3 digits for such a milestone, in the premier American sports car.
Now what? The original engine is actually in fine shape, needing valve guide seals and tightening of a few bolts about. The leather isn't so "leatherly" any more and I should be looking into some new U-joints soon. I guess we're going to be looking for 300, 000, and another whole chapter of memories.
To me, that's what it's all about to own a Corvette, and I hope you folks find such content with your vehicles.
This is my 91 with around 180k. I bought it about 2 years ago with 175k on it. I know the 2 previous owners from autocrossing with NCCC. I've been driving it back and forth to work a bit and it is now my main autocross car. Had to have the trans rebuilt this year, but i knew that was on it's last legs when i bought the car. This car, minus the down time in the trans shop, carried me to a 13th place finish for the year in NCCC competition.
My 92 is at 118K. Car had a rough life. Seems to have changed hands a lot when I looked at the title history. Runs decent. Has a very specific misfire at 1800 RPM, probably opti or coil haven't decided yet. Trashed interior. Got it for free basically and it looks nice in the sun so I'm ok with it. May restore it or LS swap it. Hard spending money on an auto though. If it were a M6 I'd keep it forever. Got twins on the way though so won't be working on it much this year until the babies are older lol.
This 96 Paint stock motor stock well a few bolt ons LT-4 ran like new .. The 93 130,000 Miles stock motor and auto trans stock at time of pic ,new paint and a few other things with a 373 rear gear smoke the tires NO PROBLEM ... .. These old C-4 are a great buy big fun for the money ..
I do all the work on the old C-4s and that make it feasible if you can not work on them RIGHT not feasible . I have done all the work on the 96-and the 93 around $10,000 in the 96 might have $9,000 in the 93 like I say I do the work ,it is getting harder and harder to find anybody to work on them .. I restored the 96 with around 130,00 on it drove it another 20,000 miles sold it to a young guy in Calif . He drove it a year was running as good as when I sold it and the 93 had around 125,000 on it when I restored it and at 130,000 runs great show winner . The 96 12 best in class ..
I tried to buy a old 72 Camaro a few back flat tires sitting for 10-12 years under a shed paint gone insides well bad 283 2 barrel auto it have a solid body $8,000 so $9-$10,000 in one of these old C-4 show winner , I think way better that $20,000 30,000 in the old Camaro . What I know ???
Was a club run last year SJCC out of Houston first run in my 93 just happens to pull up beside a club member in his GS in the town we were meeting at and he said : Nice 93 how many miles I said 127,000 how about that one He said 230,000 WHAT I said: he said one more time 230,000 . I was in shock and yes it has lots new parts and looks very good and not stock .. Mike Evert lives in hill country TX..
12-23-2019, 11:12 PM
