hogurt

I have been looking through autotrader.com for a different daily driver. As I was looking, first for a Jeep Wrangler, then a Mustang, how about a Jeep Grand Cherokee. . .finally I thought, what about a C4 Corvette? As I started checking, I found several 100k mile Vettes for very cheap prices.

Now, here is the question, I will be putting about 20k miles per year (almost exclusively highway miles), am I being ridiculous to consider a C4 for this purchase? The way I figure, the car would get treated very gingerly. . .seriously cruising at highway speeds back and forth on a daily basis. . .anyone think I am asking for dependability problems?

Thanks,
R

mitymek

they work great.unless you have any snow to deal with.
plus they get great mileage,and you can always sell em quick if you wish.
definately not in the "disposacar" category.
i bought a clean one with daily in mind and it works so good im thinkin about pickin up a tired one that i dont have to polish all the time and can park anywhere i want just for daily use.
go for it.you wont be sorry.
oh yea,insurance wasnt near an issue as i thought it would be either.

problemaddict

Damn, i HOPE they make good daily drivers, cuz that's what i just bought mine for!! And i mean year round, Pennsylvania winters, and all....

I figure, two winters ago, i made it through w/ a sportbike and a gutted, no heat, '75 V8 Monza, last winter my daily ride was a supercharged Miata, this winter will be a 'Vette... I think it'll do okay.

Besides the VHS tape that came w/ my car shows alot of Vettes-in-snow footage when explaining the ASR system. I hope they weren't BSing

Casper

They aren't worth a dime in ice or snow. Maybe if you had studded rear tires. I've thought of trying that. I should know my '89 has been my daily driver for over 8 years. But for all the other times it has worked great. I have right at 150,000 miles on it and a lot of those have been on a track.

-=Iron Mike=-

I use mine as a daily driver and it works great, winter and all.

Unriced

Quote:
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they work great.unless you have any snow to deal with.
plus they get great mileage,and you can always sell em quick if you wish.
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I agree they work great, but mileage isnt all that great overall and
as far as sellin' it quick...Don't count on it... I cant give mine away
(not mint, but not a clunker either) the way the market is now...
If you buy a Vette with 100k or so miles...plan on keeping it or
you will take a huge loss should you try to sell it with 120K-130K+
miles...Buyers are finicky in this market and C4 prices have plummeted..
My two cents...

randy814u

I drive mine 90 miles a day to work and back. I won't sell it but if I did I would figure I got most of my money back already by driving it. I paid 4000. for it off ebay, put another thousand in it, u-joints, brakes, bushings, and it is still driving good at 250 thousand. I have been driving it now for about 4 years, and it has never let me down. I also like it because I get to work 10 minutes faster then I used to


[Modified by randy814u, 3:31 PM 6/24/2004]

StealDads67

I went to bring the Vette out once just to go around the block to she how she would do in the snow..... When she was sliding sideways down the driveway I called it quits, I made it about 3 feet and pulled back up and shut it off

Back to the trusty S10 Blazer.

65Z01

I was surprised how well mine went in snow when my GY Eagles were new a few years ago. It still isn't as bad as my '86 IROC but with reduced tread depth it is getting difficult.

If you put the right rubber on a C4 it will be fine in snow if not too deep. Your success with a C4 as a winter driver will depend on tire selection and road conditions in your area. Otherwise it is a fine daily driver.

tempest

i drove with 10 year old GSC's for two winters and it was marginally acceptable in snow, a little scary on ice - even the crown on the road would cause the rear to start sliding off the road. .... but, again, it is manageable if you know what you are doing.

last year i bought snow tires and it is a huge difference. i have driven through 4" of snow, and iced roads with no problems. just need to remember that there are throttle positions in between zero and 100. i have not driven in snow deeper than that.

i think most of the negative comments on our car's winter handling come from those that drove with summer tires. summer compounds do not do so hot (no pun intended) when the temps go below 50. as the saying goes: use the right tool for the job.

2U Biggs

I bought mine 1 1/2 years ago and in that time I have put in at least $2,500 for a OPTI spark, wires, plugs, tires, air pump, ignition module, rubber molding around the windshield, door sill rubber, maintenance, etc. and at 20 mpg on premium a lot of cash on gas all for 5000 miles of driving. In the rain, driving is interesting though the new Goodyear Eagles have made that less of a pucker factor. So find a Toyota, Infiniti, Lexus, or Honda for high mileage and buy a Vette for fun driving. Also if you are over 200 pounds sit in the seat for awhile as my 93's seats are literally a pain in the butt as they are to narrow for my 6'1'' frame and 200 lbs. The 94 and newer has a good standard seat which is wider. Also my driver side leather seat is in bad shape due to wear and tear at 100K. But drive a Mustang - never!

Jet-Jock

Any time you buy a used car which may also be your daily driver there is going to be risk factor. Brand new cars are a risk too, except you have a warranty (of course then you spend you time in a dealer waiting room). One could buy a brand new Monday/Friday car and it spend more time at the dealer then it does on the road. You could go down the street and buy a used car from some dealer and never have problem one with it.

Depending on the year of the C4 will also determine whether parts start becoming harder to get. For most part the latter year C4's should be ok for a while. With the supporting dealers and discounts prices are reasonable.

Things are going to fail or it may come to the end of its life cycle and the component needs to be replaced. One thing to consider is as you replace those items your gaining more useful life of the vehicle. For example if brakes pads are needed ever 24K, and you just replaced them well hey your good for another 24K. The gotcha is the list of components that are reaching their lifecycle are starting to accumulate. It may seem like its coming from left and right but after your done your good to go for a while.

With that in mind if your so lucky as to find one from an individual and have the service records you'll know what should be good to go and what you can antisipate failing or needed to be replaced. If its from a dealer with no history, then its pretty much like a casino game.

I ended up with the latter, I liked the vehicle and price and took a chance. Now although I've replaced a lot of things, spark plugs, wires, hoses, duct, headlamp motor, opti, waterpump, tires, battery, throttle body cleaning, IAC, shocks brakes, service visits to have things flushed and refilled, a new lens cover, console door, and an original set of car mats. Even when the water pump failed it still worked well enough to take it to the dealer.
But I consider a lot of that normal maintanence for wear and tear, and now look how much more useful life I have. Those parts are good for a while.

Mine is a daily driver, there is nothing else I'd prefer to drive to work than my Corvette. Plus its probably a safer car then most of the other ones out there.

Choose your C4 wisely, 'have a priest bless it', and enjoy your commute.

93 ragtop

Well I hope I dont get flamed for this, but if I had to drive mine everyday for a long distance I would sell it. Its hard to get in and out of, the ride is rough, (and I have the soft ride suspension and mich. tires) and going to the grocery store is a joke. Trying to put anything in the back where the top folds is tough and before everyone says thats only a conv. problem, while it may be worse the coupe is no fun to load in and out of. Its a long strech over the back bumper to the storage area. I agree with the above post that the seat is uncomfortable. I am 6ft. 1in. and 195 in weight and to me it is very tight. You just dont have much room to move around in there. To be honest, driving my 2003 ford 1 ton van on a long trip is less stressful and more comfortable then the vette for me. But on the plus side, they are very easy on gas. When mine was stock with a 2.59 gear it would get 29 mpg on a trip. And they seem to hold up better when driven every day then when they sit alot. Dont get me wrong, I really like my vette, but not as a daily driver.

randy814u

Well, looks like to me it is mostly personal preference, and I guess you will have to find out for youself if it is for you or not. Maybe you should start a poll......to drive everyday,,,yay or nay


YAY

C4EMT

i just got my c4 in may it has been my daily driver but i do not plan to drive it in the winter new york winters are hard and we use salt on or roads wich eats cars up


and it also gets better gas millage than my ram pick up


[Modified by C4EMT, 5:37 AM 6/25/2004]

runner140*

I have a 1996 that is a daily driver. I drive it 20000 miles a year. It has
77K on it. Try looking for a vette on E Bay. They have a great selection
but you have to make the decision.

OrthoAggie

I have been using mine as a daily driver since i bought it. The only repairs that I have done was recharge the A/C. Other than that it has been regular maitenence and upgrades. I have done: front brakes, flushed tranny, many many oil changes, rear diff fluid, spark plugs, and lots of zaino. This weekend i am going to clean my TB and put in a new IAC.

This vehicle is more mainenence intensive then my previous vehicle (96 Bronco) but it is far more rewarding to drive

and BTW my car does great in the very harsh central texas winters

Sawbone

It's great for everything but snow and bumpy roads

Parts are on the pricey side

kornblind

A c4 can be a good daily driver but heres the thing

get a automatic
get the latest year you can 95-96
get something that has not been modded at all!. even small mods can affect computer functions.

you can find good reliable c4's at some dealerships

chevyguy1961

There are a lot of low mileage dogs out there and a lot of high mileage gems out there too. If your not familiar with Vettes, I would definitely suggest having it checked out by a good mechanic who is familiar with the cars. I bought my 90 from a good friend and I already knew the car history. When I'm at home, I drive it everyday rain or shine. It sure makes a boring commute more fun!