jason1972

I am in the market to purchase a used 1985 to 1987 ish corvette. i have $7000 cash.

how reliable are these year models and what should i look for? i dont know anything about corvettes. how durable is the engine and tranny after 100k miles? and how is the maintenance costs? any advise would be great.

LD85

My 85 has been very reliable. The only issues for me were old sensors that needed to be replaced, once replaced, may it run very smooth and actually very very nice.

The 85's and early 86's had iron heads so you may want to search for a mid 86 or an 87 since the heads are aluminum and a little easier to port for performance. It only added 5hp so the ease of modification is the main issue.

stillthere

yes. i have an 86 and it has been great.

Greg Johnson

Depaends on so many things. My '85 with iron heaads was great and ran strong. How has the car been maintained? Who was driving it? How clean in the engine compartment? That will give you an idea how they took care of it.

Greg

Derf

I have an 86 pacecar, love it. :yesnod:

stillthere

for 7k i would expect to work on it a little bit.

November Soul

Expect a little work, but nothing you can't do yourself.

I've had an 86 for about 18months, and so far I've had a new master cyl, I replaced the water pump, I had a coolant hose burst on me, I've had to replace my plug wires, and I currently have an oil leak dripping onto my pre-cat (haven't investigated this one yet).

So nothing really major and probably less trouble than I've had with other "more reliable" cars. Of course I'm not expecting to have to replace the water pump and master cyl every year, these were just the original ones finally crapping out (not bad for a 16 year old car). :smash: :chevy

Storz

I was lucky enough to find an exceptionaly well taked care of '87. I have had the car for about 4 months now and its been great, the only thing I have done was change the intake manifold gasket, but if you have an L98, a leak there will happen sooner or later. Good luck with your search and remember to check out the forum classifieds, cars posted in there are generally in good condition because they were owned by forum members. :cheers:

rainsux89

As mentioned earlier, it comes down to how well the car was maintained in it's past life. Early C4s are almost 20 year old cars now so to have problems here and there have to be expected. But there are several forum members with 150,000 miles and a quite a few 200,000+ mile Vettes still running strong. Vettes are not any less reliable than any other car that is properly maintained. $7000 is a good price for a good running 85-87 that shouldn't need much or any work at all. $7000 could also buy an 88 that needs a little work but if you can spin a wrench, you could save cash on repairs. 1988 and newer models had bigger breaks, 17" wheels, better cooling, improved digital dash and various other improvements. The best advise given to me when I was looking is try to buy the newest Vette you can afford. Good luck and keep us posted! :thumbs:

dgoodhue

They can be reliable if they were maintained and service properly. Any 15+ year old car depends on prior owner maintenance.

87Heaven

If you're looking for reliability, you'll probably have to spend more than $7000 to get a lower mileage car - perhaps a one- or two-owner car that has lots of documentation on prior maintenance and service.

cayboy

Mine was poorly taken care of but thanks to the help of this forum (and $):yesnod: it is running great now. Even with over 100,000 miles on it.

Steve

1bad85

By the way the did not offer a convertible C4 until 86. Most of these guys have hit it on the head. Find one that was properly maintained and you will be set. :chevy

vader86

You may need to replace a few things, but be picky.

Muffin

From the top,I have an 85. Suggest you stay away. 86 and up to gain improved window regulators,no ribbon, many improvements in the 700R4 trans. an improved ECM and dash to name a few. If I were buying a Vette right now I wouldn't go below an 87. My .02. In fairness I should add that I love my 85. Of course only the skin came from Bowling Green. The rest I have swapped out.


[Modified by Muffin, 7:36 PM 12/13/2002]

redwing76

Go with the 87 its a better car with a roller cam and aluminum heads.
Corvettes are very robust cars. With a little maintenance they run for a very long time. The 700r4 is a good trans and the 350 has been around longer than most of the folks on this forum.
On a 87 look for overheating, sticking steering, tires, brakes and rotors,
bearings, (squeeks). Road test. The car should drive well, no shimmy, no pulling left or right, the power will amaze you, trans should shift well, 1st to 2nd will be a little sloppy most are.

Overheating:
This cars run hot from the factory. At idle the temps will climb to 200 fast.
The fans should come on at 220. Average temps on the road should 180-200.
Check the coolant recovery tank for clean anti-freeze, green color only.
Check the power steering pump for clean fluid it shouldn't be black.
Black means a rack is the future for the car.

The newer the car the better. If you buy from a dealer try to get a warranity.
Good luck Corvettes rip. :flag

CLUTCH^Master

well you can look at the pic of mine 52k mi 86 fully loded (bose, 6way pwr seats, digi ac, aluminum heads 2nd owner)....6800$$$ cash.

My car has to few miles though, it wasnt driven enough(IE shot valve seals) aside from that i had to do the u joints and wheel bearings. best money i have ever spent! Period!

In 86 you also got the 3rd brake light :smash:

MrNuke

I love my '85.

Lot better/more robust parts inside with iron heads just screaming for performance mods. Aluminum heads are good for temp control and slightly higher compression I think, other than that they pretty much the same..
Mine has 104K miles now, LOTS of racing and drag runs with my Z51 and she still runs strong.. Even stronger with my mods. Car before mods ran 14.1 bone stock years ago..
The display has been pretty mcuh the same from '85 to '89, other than the upshift light for manual models..
'84 was the one with the noticably different display # sizes..

Things that usually go in it are the window regulators, and headlight gears, and the usualy leaks here and there of windowseals etc possibly.
Those 2 have been redesigned in the following years.

I think if you buy ANY vette, even with a little work you will love it..

:cheers:

IMXCITD

Very reliable...I think you will love it!!! :)

beachcat

I have an 87. It's a love/hate relationship. The first owner, my step-dad, had it for its first 70k, garage kept. I have had it for the last 70K+. The computer has been repaired, it eats altenators( some were do to a short that two dealerships and an independent could not find or fix, eventually the temp fix was to disconnect a plug going to the tranny), the a/c has been upgraded, waterpump, radiator, balancer, heads, brake power booster have all been replaced. The ABS pump is shot, so it is disconnected for now. Oh, replaced the tranny with a factory rebuild. Two fuel sending units replaced. I am sure there is more, but I try not to think too much about the problems of the past.
As is was already stated, they are just as reliable as other cars as long as they are taken care of, but things will break, just be prepared.
More than once, my friends and family have asked my why I still have it, why don't I sell it, etc....
Sorry, I am a vette nut, so much so, that even with 144,000 on it, I am putting it under the brush next week and have ordered 17" rims, as well as, a few things for inside and outside to keep her looking good. :crazy:
For me, just a short drive, with the top off, on a sunny day, along the beach makes it all worth it. :thumbs: