RS2K

Hello, I was completely and utterly shocked one week ago when I found out my insurance had dropped to the point where I could afford a Corvette!! I'm 21 and until now I thought I had no chance of sitting behind the wheel of these great cars until I was at least 25. For the past week I've been researching as much as I could about buying a used corvette. My price range is 20K on the road, give or take a couple K. Blue book suggest I should be looking at a fairly low mile (around 50K) 93-96 Corvette. I'm looking for a daily driver - 6 speed, 2 door coupe.

Can someone please point me in the right direction?

Thanks!

Alchemist

First of all...WELCOME to the forum!!! :seeya

I guess the best place to start lookin' for your vette are the local and regional trader papers. But be sure'n take someone with you that KNOWS vettes before ya buy! ;)

Teh Nam

:seeya :iagree:

GS 163

Welcome and congrats. :cheers:

RS2K

Wow, thanks for the fast replies! Unfortunutley I don't know a sole who knows anything about 'vettes so I'm pretty much on my own with the internet as my guide.

I did find one 'vette that looked good as far as I could tell.

$15,988 51K miles, 1993 40th anniversery edition. The car drove very nice but when I was playing with the transmission in park going from Drive to Reverse seemed hard. When stepping on the gas it took about 1/2-3/4 a second as the engine spooled up to 5K before the passing power took over. Is that normal? I'm not used to driving automatics. The inside of the engine looks VERY clean (in the oil inlet), Under the hood looked good and the interrior looked good. The windows seems looked pretty cracked up though, it looks like it has seen a lot of sun.

The dealer I want to buy from seems to have a good extended warranty. Bumper to bumper for 50K more miles with only a $50 deductable including road side assistance and free towing and lock out service for $2200.


[Modified by RS2K, 1:33 AM 4/21/2004]

iceman_t1

Welcome to the Forum.

First off, you are not alone. I'm sure there are many Forum members in your area, you just don't know it yet.

Search for some Corvette Clubs in your area and start hanging out wth them. They will be a valuable resource.

Be careful about after-market warranties. Some of them can be a rip-off.

The first quote I got from my insurance company was actually half the real price when I bought the car. They claimed that it hadn't gone through underwriting yet and once it did, they got a higher number. Make them give you a real number or you could be in for a shock, especially since you are only 21.

Don't necessarily believe everything a dealer tells you. They have a big conflict of interest built in already.

Take your time and read as much as you can. The research will pay off. There is a ton of good info on this site. http://www.c4vettes.com/ Take your time and read through as much as you can. Especially the prepurchase checklist. http://www.c4vettes.com/prepurchase.htm

Best of luck to you and post some pics when you find your new car.

BowTieBlood

Don't forget to check out the C4 for sale/wanted section of the forum, if you post up about where you live, more often than not someone will be selling one in your area, or someone will be willing to check out a car for you.

85red_vette

Welcome to the Forum

rocco16

Welcome to the Forum and welcome to the world of Corvettes.
For $20K, you can pick from a large selection of very nice C4s, up to and including LT4-engined examples.
Read everything you can find about Corvettes. Corvette Magazine is a good source, and Vette sometimes has a good article on shopping for a used unit.
The momentary hesitation you experienced in the '93 you test drove sounds like a normal auto's downshift to me. ANY Corvette you are seriously considering should get a thorough checkout by YOUR mechanic.

Good luck and try to leave a little of that $20K in your pocket for the inevitable repairs, parts replacement, and fluid changes/tune-up that you'll want to do on your newly-acquired C4.
Go Jayhawks...

Larry
code5coupe
:seeya

CentralCoaster

I bet you could almost squeeze into a ZR1 for a little over 20k.

The LT5 motor has nothing in common with the chevy small block, but it's tried and true, and would make a great daily driver, and whip any LT4's azz.

jabez

Bought my first vette three weeks ago on .....EBAY.

1992 Metallic polo Green, 58,000 miles for 11 grand plus 800 for delivery.
Had to buy new tires for it once it arrived but other than that no real problems.

Ebay may not be the way to go for everyone but it worked for me. :steering:

RS2K

I've thought about eBay, but how does buying a car off there work if I can't take a look at it? I do I prevent fraud?

VR'92

Somebodies feeling are gonna be hurt by that last statement. Although :iagree: :lol:

brdd

Welcome! You now know thousands of corvette owners--right here on the forum. If I were you I would post in the regional discussion. site. I do believe Kansas is considered in the Mountain/ prairie section. Ask someone in your area to email you and help you find a coupe of your liking.

You should be able to get a very nice C4 for well under $20 thousand. An experienced owner can be your most valuable asset when you get serious about buying.

Keep asking questions here. Everyone has been where you are today at some point.

One word of caution: A ZR1 is NOT for most corvette owners. They are in a league of their own and, due to the mechanical nature of the beast, should not be "worked on" by anyone who has not worked on one before. If you are not a professional mechanic, I would not advise you to consider going LT5. The King of the Hill is not for the weak of pocket or knowledge. Ask ZR1 owners here: they require a very specialized mechanic. :thumbs:

86_RedRider

:iagree: It's a very solid car to begin with, but as a daily driver, it could be very costly to maintain.

remember, buying from a dealer would add to the price. there are plenty of private owners that have taken care of their cars better then what any dealer can guarantee. look around, take some notes, bring it back here and we can all help. just don't rush into anything and take your time. there are plenty of c4's out there on the market.

RS2K

OK, I printer out the C4 prepurchase checklist and am going over to the '93 I took a look at. If they give me any grief about the checklist (not letting me perform it) I'll tell them I won't even consider purchasing the car and thanks for the help.

RS2K

[QUOTE] It's a very solid car to begin with, but as a daily driver, it could be very costly to maintain.

remember, buying from a dealer would add to the price. there are plenty of private owners that have taken care of their cars better then what any dealer can guarantee. look around, take some notes, bring it back here and we can all help. just don't rush into anything and take your time. there are plenty of c4's out there on the market.[/QUOTE)

Thanks, I will take my time. I am in no hurry, as bad as I want to get one right now, I will wait and get a good one.

Thanks for the advice on the ZR-1. I do not need an ultra high maintenance vehical. I'm pretty sure I can do a lot of work on LT-1, but I will avoide the LT-5... at least this time around.

Bodhi

The rule is buy the newest Vette you can afford. In your price range you could get an LT4 or even make the jump to an C5. With the C6's release C5 prices are gonna drop like a rock. If I was in your situation I would wait a few months and snag a C5.

RS2K

I was also thinking about a '97 or '98 'vette.

n2dafog

There are a few of us from right here in DooDah, Ks. I just recently bought a 95 locally for $11,000 specifically for SCCA autocross and for just plan fun. While Wichita isn't the hot bed for Corvettes, there is a few. You might also want to check Kansas City, Topeka, and Oklahoma. When I was searching I found a good selection in Tulsa and Ok. City.

Best of luck on your search, There is no other automobile like a Corvette.




[Modified by n2dafog, 11:33 AM 4/21/2004]