dwblindref

I have owned 3 C-4's and loved every one of them. My '93 LT-1 coupe w/6 speed would deliver in 30 mpg range on the FL highways. My '96 LT-1 coupe would deliver 25 on the highway, the same as my '95 LT-1 vert.

You drive what you buy, or get what you pay for. If you want a beater then it is really cheap. If you want a low mileage one, then you pay more for it.

They drive well, have good power, ride ok in most cases, and look great just sitting still. You can buy a C-5 for what a nice C-4 will cost you, but are you buying a better car? You be the judge of that. I cannot enter or exit a C-4 anymore, but once in it I love it. No I'm not big and fat or out of shape, just old.

A lot of people will blast me or make fun of what I wrote, or disagree with me in a nasty way. Have at it, this is only my humble opinion and I do respect everyones opinion.

mike100

Pretty much spot on. If you have had more than one C4, you know that the expensive low mileage vette is the cheaper car in the long run (unless you are willing to keep a beater a beater and don't fix or restore anything).

HVAC111

I could not have said it better my self.
I will also add , stock C4s are not that fast .

RacePro Engineering

A couple of additional thoughts on high mileage. When we go looking for a street car to build into a racecar, mileage IS a big issue. Of course, thinking just about the motor for a minute, Garrett is right, in that it will very soon be rebuilt or replaced. But the motor is only a single element that has received lots of wear-and-tear.

Building a racer, typically, we are expecting to go through everything, replacing much of the suspension with more capable pieces, plus anything that is sloppy or worn. And even with the prior knowledge that we are going to replace/ rebuild motor, transmission, rear end, suspension - STILL, we value low mileage and good maintenance.

The frame, the chassis, the body will be much more solid on a 50,000 mile example, than on a 150,000 miler. If the car has been garaged and cared for, everything will be easier to remove and work on. Does lower mileage and careful care come at a price? Of course! But we have found that a few thousand dollars extra spent "up front", on a nice example, saves us many thousands of dollars (and hours!) as we go through development, Athough we are discarding many of the parts for which we paid "extra" dollars, we are still better off in the long run.

Just another way of thinking of it.
Ed LoPresti

garrettsr5

Like I said, I've had a lot of cars that people told me would be money pits and they have been dead nuts reliable (Rover, Alfa, BMW, Lexus, etc)

FWIW I saw a newer "rounder" style rear ended C4 on a dealer lot and checked it out. I like the old angular rear end better :dunno
I'm not going to build it into a "racecar" per se. It will have the suspension redone with performance shocks etc before I touch the motor.

When I get one I will post it up and you can all follow my progress on it, just like I did at the Rover boards and BMW boards. I haven't paid more than 1800$ for any car I've owned and and I have had ~20 and I'm barely 21 years old. I don't intend to start paying much more than that now.

I thought long and hard about this one but then realized I would not be happy with an automatic

http://boston.craigslist.org/sob/ctd/2521247315.html

A few weeks back I missed out on a complete white on red 87 with no motor for 500$. I still kick myself over it.

myfunz

I bought my C4 on the cheap too. Looking for a C5 soon, for some reason they don't do well at car shows... must be the red headed step child of the family.

Bobzilla

Bought my 88 Z51 manual for $3400. I bought it knowing full well what I was in for. My initial plan was to have it "done" for ~$7k total investment. Complete suspension rebuild, bushings, shocks, ball joints, u-joints, brakes were all done first. NExt up is engine/trans and weatherstrips with some nice "upgrades" while I'm in there.

They really aren't that expensive to work on IF you do the work yourself. I've enjoyed every moment so far and I'm looking forward to many more.

azrocketman

You may want to be a little particular relative to what year you choose.

Suspension/brake upgrades are somewhat easier on 1988 and up as they accept brake and wheel upgrades (e.g. J55 or C5 brakes, later model wheels) more easily. If you want a stick many folks prefer the 6 speed over the 4+3.

Do you want a Gen 1 small black as the basis for a new build or an LT1/4? Of course, if you are using a crate motor it does not matter.

Some folks hate the "Atari" dash either because of its looks or because it can be expensive to repair. You'll need a 1990+ model to avoid the Atari dash.

Steve

garrettsr5

Can you tell me more please, specifically about the suspension/brake upgrades. PM me if it's easier.

Thanks.

pologreen1

Because they are 25 year old American sports cars for sale in a DEPRESSION.

azrocketman

Typical brake upgrades include either J55 or C5 brakes. The 1988 and later C4's had a "big brake" option (RPO J55) that featured 13" front rotors (12" stock). This brake option may be a cheaper way to go as it will be easier to find the correct brackets rather than buying custom-made adapter brackets and C5-specific rotors and calipers. With the J55 brakes, you can still use the OEM 17" wheel with the stock caliper.

A C5 front brake conversion can easily run around $650-700 depending on where you get the C5 calipers and rotors and the type of pad you want to use. A J55 setup can be less costly especially given the requirement for a ZR-1 style wheel up front to clear the C5 brakes.

As far as the rear calipers, the 88 and later C4 rotors and single piston calipers are pretty much the same in terms of braking performance as the C5 rear brakes. The rotor diameter is the same but you will have to come up with mounting adapters and possibly change how the parking brake cables attach to the caliper. The 1987 an earlier C4s still had the internal drum parking brake.

1988 and later suspensions have a different wheel offset than 1987 and earlier C4s. 1987 and earlier cars require adapters to match the wheel offset on later wheels to the earlier cars. The availability of 17 inch and larger wheels is improved on 1988 and later cars especially if you want to use stock wheels without adapters. 17" wheels were standard on 1989 and later (and factory installed on 1988 Z51 and Z52). Also, 1988 and later front geometry was modified for zero scrub radius to reduce brake and road kickback into the steering wheel.

You'll also want a manual car if you are going for high horsepower. The 1985 and later manuals used Dana 44 rears versus Dana 36 on the automatics. The Dana 44 is stronger.

Steve

Pizzano

You get what you pay for, Ill take my C4 over my C5 anytime, actually the LT4's had more power then the 350hp C5, they were just under rated due to the LS1 coming out, and insurance reasons of course.

My C5 rattled more then my present C4, my C5 seats were crap compared to my C4, and so on

Z-THREAT

Why is this in the for sale section??

dwblindref

My '93 won and my'96 won and my '95 won a lot until I sold it at a car show.

You get out what you put in, time & labor is what I mean. My cars usually win, I also do detail work for other show car owners and they win quite often. Damn I'm good at what I do as a hobby. LOL to everyone.

dwblindref

4

I may be old fashioned but the C-4's that I've owned were pretty fast cars. Without upsetting the world here, what do you mean by fast?

I also have a '01 Mustang SVT Cobra in the stable and I would list it just as fast as the 'vettes that I have/have owned.

Again, only my HUMBLE opinion so be gentle on me.

Red Rocket

My 94 is like a brand new Corvette. Repainted under warranty in 95 and replaced the seats and carpet. Car is just as fast as a Z06 with the mods. Never liked the C5 body style.

The car looks even better when you visit the Chevy dealer and see new Z06's and ZR1's for $85-125K.

shamdave

I had a 93 Sho that would give the vet a run for its money on the road course and the drag strip. BUT what would i rather be seen in... Duh No question. I have made my C-4 Mine and i dont worry that i cut up a very rare car. I love my car because its mine and i have well under what a c5 or c6 would cost. Its a great platform to be creative and not spend a ton of cash

crkemppainen

anyone want mine its a money pit i give up on it. come drag it off its yours for whatever you can give me on it

417-719-3856

Yello95

I totally agree...my '95 Competition Yellow Vert with ZF 6 speed is in beautiful condition,(one of 1004 made), runs perfect, has none of what Mr. Negative says about C4s and has 72,000 actual miles with almost perfect paint...it is still really fun to drive...

Here...look>>>



Oh yea...btw...see the C3 in the driveway? ...had it since 1980 and IT is also still fun to drive

Yello95

...sooner or later this applies to all Corvettes...and about the "poor"...they shouldn't even be thinking about buying any kind of Corvette

BTW...which year Corvette do you own???