Is it worth the effort?
06-26-2013, 01:17 AM
#1
5th Gear
Thread Starter
Is it worth the effort?
I know you're going to rag on me for the engine, but I really love my 84 corvette. However this 350 CFI engine is literally killing me. My bank might just send a hitman after me if they knew what this car was doing. I picked up a 1984 Corvette off craiglist (fingers crossed the whole time) a while ago, and posted on here not long after. I've put some work into it (new starter, alternator, harmonic balancer, master cylinder, and brake booster) and it started purring and running like a charm. Now it's sitting again, pretty sure it's just the Wal-Mart battery I had to panic-install, but it's gotten me thinking. Is it really worth it? I love my Corvette, and I'm now a 4th generation owner in my family, we're a Corvette family, but good God is this thing a money pit. I'm really dreaming when I tell people I want a 383 Stroker for this bad boy, seeing how the body is GORGEOUS, but this 350 CFI is just awful. How did they ever thing the Cross Fire would ever do well? Anyways, besides the ranting, I just wanted some other C4 owner's opinions on whether or not this is even worth working on. I'm 24, getting married and just not sure I have the cash. I'm a novice mechanic at best, but have access to the best help and tools should I Need it. and I will. OH lord I will.
EDIT: It's of course a 350, simply an oversight. Forgive me, it's late. Thanks however.
EDIT: It's of course a 350, simply an oversight. Forgive me, it's late. Thanks however.
Last edited by Villainy; 06-26-2013 at 04:42 AM. Reason: Typo
06-26-2013, 03:53 AM
#2
Crossfire Injection was known to be a junk fuel delivery system, which is why I went with the 85, when they converted to TPI. Someone had told me there is a secret to making them run great, but I forgot what he said. Cars are money pits, they all are. And let me first just say that I'm pretty sure the 84 did not come with a 305... So if it has one someone must have swapped. Anyhow, the problems that these cars develop will be costly because they're old. A lot of stuff is prone to break, from being dry rotted, worn out, or not enough use. Regardless, they are still fun cars. It is your choice to keep the car or sell it. If I were you, I'd sell it and get one with an L98 TPI. Good luck with your decision 
06-26-2013, 06:27 AM
#3
Le Mans Master
All I can tell you is unless you have the extra funds now to keep an older Corvette alive and running , your better off waiting until you do before trying to own one of these cars..If you buy an older Corvette in anything other then pristine condition, it's going to cost you money to fix up, and keep running properly ..If your just starting out , getting married, and starting a family, unless your making big bucks, it can drag you down financially, especially if you start needing things like motors and tranmissions..This is just my opinion, Im sure others will disagree..Also, It's early and I haven't had my second cup of coffee yet, so I may be coming off a little negative....
.......WW
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Last edited by WW7; 06-26-2013 at 06:49 AM.
06-26-2013, 07:41 AM
#4
Crossfire Injection was known to be a junk fuel delivery system, which is why I went with the 85, when they converted to TPI. Someone had told me there is a secret to making them run great, but I forgot what he said. Cars are money pits, they all are. And let me first just say that I'm pretty sure the 84 did not come with a 305... So if it has one someone must have swapped. Anyhow, the problems that these cars develop will be costly because they're old. A lot of stuff is prone to break, from being dry rotted, worn out, or not enough use. Regardless, they are still fun cars. It is your choice to keep the car or sell it. If I were you, I'd sell it and get one with an L98 TPI. Good luck with your decision
These cars are generally not investments, but rather expenses.....good luck
Last edited by 856SPEED; 06-26-2013 at 07:43 AM.
06-26-2013, 07:45 AM
#5
Race Director
Now it's sitting again, pretty sure it's just the Wal-Mart battery I had to panic-install, but it's gotten me thinking. Is it really worth it? I love my Corvette, and I'm now a 4th generation owner in my family, we're a Corvette family, but good God is this thing a money pit.
I'm 24, getting married and just not sure I have the cash. I'm a novice mechanic at best, but have access to the best help and tools should I Need it. and I will. OH lord I will.
I'm 24, getting married and just not sure I have the cash. I'm a novice mechanic at best, but have access to the best help and tools should I Need it. and I will. OH lord I will.
All I can tell you is unless you have the extra funds now to keep an older Corvette alive and running , your better off waiting until you do before trying to own one of these cars..If you buy an older Corvette in anything other then pristine condition, it's going to cost you money to fix up, and keep running properly ..If your just starting out , getting married, and starting a family, unless your making big bucks, it can drag you down financially,
It seems that way though, just because you don't see too many people trying to save any other 30 year old car.
You would have all of these exact same issues with any other car the same age.
Lots of people buy one of these cars "cheap" telling themselves what a good deal they got and that it only needs a little bit of fixing up.
Truth is, in most cases your money ahead to spend a little more and buy one that is in excellent condition.
06-26-2013, 09:05 AM
#6
Le Mans Master
my 86 needs many things. I throw a few bucks at it as I go along, keeping it running and driving so the fun factor stays high. Yep, its a money pit, but I sure do like driving it.
06-26-2013, 10:16 AM
#7
Le Mans Master
It depends on what you are going to do with the car.
If you want to restore it and have everything perfect, it is huge money pit.
If you want an inexpensive driver and can put up with a few problems, then it can be an inexpensive car.
I have had both kinds.
My inexpensive ones were an '88 A4 and a '94 M6. I bought them pretty cheap to use as daily drivers. In about 5 years I put about 100k miles on them. When I sold the '88 after 2.5 years I got about what I paid for it. The biggest repair I did was an EGR valve that cost about $50. When I sold the '94 after 2.5 years I got within $300 of what I paid for it. I did a couple of repairs such as the rear wheel bearings/hub, a half shaft u-joint, a used seat bottom, and muffler eliminators. On both cars there were little things like a new radiator cap, a repaired shifter ****, normal oil changes and spark plugs, etc. On both cars the key was finding something fairly decent but needing a few things that I could buy at a decent price.
On both cars there were things that were not right, but I could live with them. For example the radio antenna would not go down all the way, the cd player didn't work, the headlamps made some extra noise when going up or down but still worked, there had been some body work that I would have liked to fix right (but from 10 ft it looked pretty good). I would have liked to do a new interior, but the worn interior didn't look too bad. The weather strip leaked, but was able to stop the leak with some RTV.
To keep them running they are similar to many other cars (small block motors, auto transmissions, starters, alternators, brakes, shocks, etc.)
For me these were two of the least expensive cars I have owned (out of about 70 or 80 cars) and the most fun. I could drive them on my 100 mile per day commute because of the good mileage, and the handling/performance made them fun.
If you want to restore it and have everything perfect, it is huge money pit.
If you want an inexpensive driver and can put up with a few problems, then it can be an inexpensive car.
I have had both kinds.
My inexpensive ones were an '88 A4 and a '94 M6. I bought them pretty cheap to use as daily drivers. In about 5 years I put about 100k miles on them. When I sold the '88 after 2.5 years I got about what I paid for it. The biggest repair I did was an EGR valve that cost about $50. When I sold the '94 after 2.5 years I got within $300 of what I paid for it. I did a couple of repairs such as the rear wheel bearings/hub, a half shaft u-joint, a used seat bottom, and muffler eliminators. On both cars there were little things like a new radiator cap, a repaired shifter ****, normal oil changes and spark plugs, etc. On both cars the key was finding something fairly decent but needing a few things that I could buy at a decent price.
On both cars there were things that were not right, but I could live with them. For example the radio antenna would not go down all the way, the cd player didn't work, the headlamps made some extra noise when going up or down but still worked, there had been some body work that I would have liked to fix right (but from 10 ft it looked pretty good). I would have liked to do a new interior, but the worn interior didn't look too bad. The weather strip leaked, but was able to stop the leak with some RTV.
To keep them running they are similar to many other cars (small block motors, auto transmissions, starters, alternators, brakes, shocks, etc.)
For me these were two of the least expensive cars I have owned (out of about 70 or 80 cars) and the most fun. I could drive them on my 100 mile per day commute because of the good mileage, and the handling/performance made them fun.
Last edited by QCVette; 06-26-2013 at 10:19 AM.
06-26-2013, 10:48 AM
#8
Race Director
All I can tell you is unless you have the extra funds now to keep an older Corvette alive and running , your better off waiting until you do before trying to own one of these cars..If you buy an older Corvette in anything other then pristine condition, it's going to cost you money to fix up, and keep running properly ..If your just starting out , getting married, and starting a family, unless your making big bucks, it can drag you down financially, especially if you start needing things like motors and tranmissions...
The C4 is getting to be an exception because of the resale values and numbers manufactured. FI is also more reliable -- so we're seeing more (still) on the road.
If you'd be happy driving one...and keeping one running -- at the lowest cost possible, they aren't the worst choice for a single guy/gal. Once you talk marriage and a family, ANYTHING that's old and "iffy" condition should be considered a risk. It MAY run and serve you well, but -- at 30 yrs old -- there are a plethora of age-related problems that can/will pop up at any given time.
I think you should sell it, start that family, then revisit the prospect at a later time in your life. Marriage/family are not worth risking on an iffy (old) sportscar.
My biggest clue is that you're ranting on a BATTERY...which is a very minor problem. It shows the lack of resources you must have.
06-26-2013, 01:17 PM
#9
Le Mans Master
All I can tell you is unless you have the extra funds now to keep an older Corvette alive and running , your better off waiting until you do before trying to own one of these cars..If you buy an older Corvette in anything other then pristine condition, it's going to cost you money to fix up, and keep running properly ..If your just starting out , getting married, and starting a family, unless your making big bucks, it can drag you down financially, especially if you start needing things like motors and tranmissions..This is just my opinion, Im sure others will disagree..Also, It's early and I haven't had my second cup of coffee yet, so I may be coming off a little negative...........WW
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.......WW.
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The way I look at it is like this.
My corvette Is not an investment or a Vehicle for that matter. It's my hobby. I could spend my money playing golf, shooting skeet, rafting, on hookers, on blow, yelling at a team on the TV set while at a bar drinking expensive beer because I placed a bet on them...or my car.
I think i'll spend it on something that won't give me a disease/kill me and I can enjoy on nice sunny days.
This....
06-26-2013, 01:26 PM
#10
I disagree Corvettes are fun and cheap to fix..
The way I look at it is like this.
My corvette Is not an investment or a Vehicle for that matter. It's my hobby. I could spend my money playing golf, shooting skeet, rafting, on hookers, on blow, yelling at a team on the TV set while at a bar drinking expensive beer because I placed a bet on them...or my car.
I think i'll spend it on something that won't give me a disease/kill me and I can enjoy on nice sunny days.
This....
The way I look at it is like this.
My corvette Is not an investment or a Vehicle for that matter. It's my hobby. I could spend my money playing golf, shooting skeet, rafting, on hookers, on blow, yelling at a team on the TV set while at a bar drinking expensive beer because I placed a bet on them...or my car.
I think i'll spend it on something that won't give me a disease/kill me and I can enjoy on nice sunny days.
This....
06-26-2013, 01:32 PM
#11
Le Mans Master
06-26-2013, 01:55 PM
#12
Go easy on him, guys!
To the original poster: Whenever you buya used car, you find at least a few items that you need to fix, because the previous owner stopped fixing things properly once he decided he was going to sell sometime soon. But, it IS always good to buy the very best condition car you can afford, as yes, it IS cheaper that way, despite the initially higher price.
About a month ago, I bought a 1992 Corvette convertible with just 9400 miles on it (the Carfax was an intriguing read - 300 to 400 miles per year documented). I paid a premium price for it because of its low miles and fantastic overall condition, and because it is intended to be my daily driver coming-soon-retirement car. I wanted a 1992 through 1996 model, as I had a very happy 2.5 year experience with a 1995 model back in the late 1990s.
In just under a month, I have put on close to 1500 miles, and the only 2 issues I've had were a need to get the driver side window adjusted a bit for a betetr fit on the weatherseal, and replacement of the wiper motor cover because the wipers would turn on and run normally but would not shut off unless I shut off the ignition. These sort of problems are normal on a used car you just bought. But, note that these have been the ONLY problems, because the car I bought had low miles and had been properly preserved. Worth the extra money.
That said, I am pouring a few hundred dollars into fluid changes: brake fluid, engine coolant, engine oil, rear axle fluid, and automatic transmisison fluid. All are being changed, and all are going to synthetic - the best I can buy - as I view these as preventative maintenance. This is part of buying and commissioning any worthwhile used car that you intend to KEEP as more than a short-term daily driver. THis prevents costly on-the-road emergencies later on. If you cannot afford to spend the money to do stuffkike this, you shouldn't buy a 20 or 30 year old car, and especially not a Corvette.
And, to answer your underlying question: YES, it is definitely worth the effort. I rememebred that 1995 model as being my favorite ever car, including even a better fit for my tastes than the 2002 Z02 I bought brand new in 2002. This 1992 model is reproducing the magic successfully.
Jim G
To the original poster: Whenever you buya used car, you find at least a few items that you need to fix, because the previous owner stopped fixing things properly once he decided he was going to sell sometime soon. But, it IS always good to buy the very best condition car you can afford, as yes, it IS cheaper that way, despite the initially higher price.
About a month ago, I bought a 1992 Corvette convertible with just 9400 miles on it (the Carfax was an intriguing read - 300 to 400 miles per year documented). I paid a premium price for it because of its low miles and fantastic overall condition, and because it is intended to be my daily driver coming-soon-retirement car. I wanted a 1992 through 1996 model, as I had a very happy 2.5 year experience with a 1995 model back in the late 1990s.
In just under a month, I have put on close to 1500 miles, and the only 2 issues I've had were a need to get the driver side window adjusted a bit for a betetr fit on the weatherseal, and replacement of the wiper motor cover because the wipers would turn on and run normally but would not shut off unless I shut off the ignition. These sort of problems are normal on a used car you just bought. But, note that these have been the ONLY problems, because the car I bought had low miles and had been properly preserved. Worth the extra money.
That said, I am pouring a few hundred dollars into fluid changes: brake fluid, engine coolant, engine oil, rear axle fluid, and automatic transmisison fluid. All are being changed, and all are going to synthetic - the best I can buy - as I view these as preventative maintenance. This is part of buying and commissioning any worthwhile used car that you intend to KEEP as more than a short-term daily driver. THis prevents costly on-the-road emergencies later on. If you cannot afford to spend the money to do stuffkike this, you shouldn't buy a 20 or 30 year old car, and especially not a Corvette.
And, to answer your underlying question: YES, it is definitely worth the effort. I rememebred that 1995 model as being my favorite ever car, including even a better fit for my tastes than the 2002 Z02 I bought brand new in 2002. This 1992 model is reproducing the magic successfully.
Jim G
06-26-2013, 04:23 PM
#14
Race Director
Member Since: Sep 2003
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Nothing wrong with an 84 that cant be fixed with a heads/cam/intake swap. I did my 87, years ago. A little more involved with an 84 but, worth it, if you really like the car.
06-26-2013, 05:36 PM
#15
Racer
Your Vette is no different than trying to keep a 1984 Chevette on the road, other than it's much better looking, performs better, has a better resale value but it is still 30 years old. Is it worth it. How many people give you a thumbs up or waves at an Nissan or Kia. My daughter loves to ride in the "Beautiful car" and that alone is worth the bloody knuckles, water pump change, alternator, 2 optis, cam swap, torque convertor, battery swap and changing plugs and wires that whom ever designed, should burn in hell for.
06-26-2013, 06:21 PM
#16
I waited till i was 31 to get my first Vette (87 w 161k when i got it). i had it for almost 4 years and due to unforseen circumstances, i got to a point where i felt i "had" to sell it in 2k10. for the next 2.5 yrs i regretted it, but couldnt afford to get another. finally i couldnt take it any longer and about a month ago...(actually 1 month ago today) i bought my 91convertible. i think that you will regret selling it if u do. I dont know your finances but if u can afford to keep it, and its paid for, i think you would be better off keeping and fixing a little at a time rather than get into something you will hate!
) i bought my 91convertible. i think that you will regret selling it if u do. I dont know your finances but if u can afford to keep it, and its paid for, i think you would be better off keeping and fixing a little at a time rather than get into something you will hate!
06-26-2013, 08:26 PM
#18
Le Mans Master
....WW
06-27-2013, 02:13 AM
#20
5th Gear
Thread Starter
Well, I don't feel like a battery is a big deal, that's an easy fix. However it's the 9th problem in less than a year. I feel torn a bit, both selling it to wait and settle down, and keeping it and just keeping up cause I love it sound like great ideas. I've always loved corvettes, and I love classic cars to a fault. I have the money, most of the time, and when I don't I'm lucky enough to have a good father who doesn't mind pitching in when the damage isn't MY fault. Lately I've just heard quite a lot about how awful the engine is. How truly difficult is it to build a 383. I know the basics and I've installed engines, but I've never built one. A Crate motor is a boy's wet dream but most likely far from my budget. But an 84 with a 383 stroker, a re-worked exhaust and a double-tall induction hood is as beautiful as a woman. Anyone ever done made the leap? I'd love suggestions and advice.
