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Hi, I'm a new member to this forum and I'm looking for some advice. I am not currently an owner but hope to be one soon.
I have my eyes on a 1986 C4 that a neighbor is selling. It has just 67,000 on the od. Has new tires and battery. It does need a paint job (clear coat is peeling off). and needs new cloth/fabric in the rear hatch area (the seats and dash are in good shape) my neighbor has had the C4 for 10 years and says nothing is mechanically wrong with the car. In mint condition, I think the car is worth about $8000 - $8500. He's selling it for $6000 and he will consider close best offers. What do you all think? Should I go for it or walk away???
By the time you do the paint job you will have invested about $11,000. The only one painting a car under $2,000 is Macco that I know of and that price does not included body work.. Some people like there work, others dont. I think you probably do better if you are willing to invest $11,000. You can get a newer C4 for that price which means more power. 230 Horsepower by todays standards is considered lame.
It all depends on what you are looking for and what is available in your area.
If you really want an early C4, finding them unmolested and in good condition is not easy to do. Lets say you do buy it for 6K and drop another 3K for a nice paint job. You will have 9K in the car that will be perfect, no marks on the paint, rock chips, etc.
You could take that 9K and buy a later model C4 with similar miles that won't need a paint job in similar condition but it is unlikely the paint will be perfect either.
I personally went with the year I wanted (85, pre ABS, iron heads, Z-51 car) that had low miles (24K) in great mechanical shape with a time capsule interior and decided to paint it so it looked brand new. I drive it sparingly and take it to shows. I plan on keeping it original with no mods and to keep the miles down.
If you plan on it being a daily driver, I would advise not spending money on paint, find one that looks nice enough. Real nice late models C4's tend to go from 9K-12K depending on miles and condition but most don't need paint. Early models tend to suffer from the clear breaking down from what I have seen and been told. You could find an early model that has already been repainted and still be in the same 6K range, you never know, but typically you get what you paid for, I don't think you will see many real clean early C4's for 5K-6K that need nothing.
Oh, one other thing... If you buy an auto car, try to find one with 3.07 gears. Behind the passenger seat open the storage compartment and look for codes G44 or G92... if you want the car to be more fun that is.
I had a 92 with the 2.59 and my 84 with the 3.07 was more fun, as is my 85.
Prices may be different in your area, but you can get an early 90's (92-93) LT1 for $7500-$8000 and similar miles around here.
Most would have good paint and be mechanically solid.
I would definitely recommend spending the extra money when buying the car rather than after. You'll spend more on fixing paint problems and you'll still have a $6000 car.
my wife's advice is if you are going to pay $6000 for this 86 vette,
granted it is close to you so you can have it now or soon, but to do a quick search (here, Craigslist, etc) to see what you can get for $6000 (assuming that is your budget).
if your budget is $9000 or $12000, then use that as your criteria.
you might be amazed at what you find, or maybe your neighbors will be the best one you find. it's also good to drive a few to get a feel for them, etc.
i have only test driven later model C4s....
When I bought my new 84 I wasnt looking for a vette in particular.. I am no longer able to ride motorcycles... so I was looking for a fun car/street rod/rat rod.. The 84 needed tires and some other minor work.. the clear coat is peeling, but it doesnt bother me too much.. I got a great deal and am quite happy with the performance and sound.. I didnt expect a perfect or near perfect 30 year old car for what I paid... Got any pics of your neighbors car??
fpnmf-could you tell us the price of your not perfect 84 that you got?
nice to just know reference.
honestly, i'm sort of antsy for one, my wife sort of threw out the "lets get a good one model"...but that will take a bit of patience w/ our finances.
i personally just wanted one to drive. i didn't really care about looks. i want to DRIVE IT. the 1st vette i saw when i started this little obsession back in May was BEAT TO **** '78 and practically nothing worked on it, but it did have a souped up engine that sounded awesome, and to me, i thought it looked "AWESOME".
but the pics of that car that i showed to people, and they say: it looks like sh*t...and my wife's response was: "it's a bit rough" (which is her code for "no way in f***ing hell would I buy that or allow it to be in our garage!!!!)....
>>>>>fpnmf-could you tell us the price of your not perfect 84 that you got?
The only extras it came with was leather seats and cruise control..The interior is quite nice.. Got the windows tinted,new tires,I put a new oil pressure switch and got the targa top reglued so far.. It runs great.. Does exactly what I wanted ..spins the tires and gets up to 100 in a short time.. got right around 5500 in it so far..
Is the paint needed on rear bumper only? It's hard to tell from that 1 picture
Both bumpers are faded..the clear coat peel is hard to see in this picture but you can see some of it on the front fender and rear deck..the other side is much worse..
I forgot to add it has only 44k miles...I also got most of the service records, the buy sheet and thank you letter from the dealer..
Depending on how well maintained it was, I wouldnt let paint scare you away. Check out any invoices on work done. You didnt mention if its an auto or the 4+3 manual. The 4+3 cars can be expensive to fix. I have an '85 with the 4+3 and its working fine now but I am sweating the day if and when it goes. If it does have the 4+3, service it as well as any other fluids. I like to replace them all when I buy a used car so I am starting at square 1. If records indicate its just been serviced you may not need to. Thats why its so important to see any paperwork.
Heed the advice tho on how much paint will cost you. Fiberglass cars are expensive if they are done properly. If you dont care about the paint I would say offer him $5K.
Keep looking as well. If the neighbor is a good friend I would go into it with the understanding that it is bought "As Is" and hopefully that will prevent any bad feelings if something does happen. Do have your mechanic or similar take a look at it.
Good luck with your search and post some pics so we can see what you are looking at for more accurate advice.
I have 7k in my '86. I was encouraged by several NCRS members at a meet last weekend to Flight judge the car. If I spent about another $1000 for original tires, exhaust, and some other doodads it would probably Top Flight. I'd encourage you to be patient and keep looking. I looked at 7 or 8 cars before I bought.
I bought an 86 for $2,300. Its was bascially just this side of a parts car but ran, stopped and started great.. The plastic top had a huge corner missing,,found a solid top for 100 bucks. needed tires replaced which was around another $500 or so. Leaky tranny..$800 rebuild with a new 2,000 RPM converter. New injectors , around $450. Lucked out on a decent set of replacement seats..$100. Replaced small stuff.. hood cables, wiper motor, plugs, spark pug wires, plugs, coil, cap and rotor, fuel pump and screen, fuel filter,battery, underhood lights,fog lights,ect. Still needs carpet,ect. I am going to paint it myself..mid 80 vettes have a huge problem with peeling clear coat.I have done all the work myself, except the tranny, and i pulled it myself.Now I enjoy building. working on it myself, doing it my way. If you dont, buy the best you can afford. 6 grand for a NICE 86 is in the ballpark. There are C-5 vettes out there for 11 grand.Who cares, I like the C-4s. You best too b4 you buy one. Parts Aint cheap and Chevy doesnt carry alot of them any more.
Last edited by ghoastrider1; 09-18-2014 at 08:27 PM.
09-17-2014, 12:54 PM
Should I buy or stay away???
