Corvettekid916

Hello! I'm looking at getting a C4, but am not educated on them at all. I owned a C6 a few years ago, but I know technology is a little different in the C4 years. I was just curious if there's any years to stay away from or which years are "better" than others, major differences, etc... Thanks!

PatternDayTrader

Newer is always better.

Stephen Vogel

Yep, newer is better. I have a 94 but if you can get a 95/96 you will get the benefit of a vented optispark and obd2.
Can you tell me why you want a c4 after having a c6?

tmirisola

Years 92-96 with an LT1 or LT4 engine. The increase in factory HP from earlier C4's is well worth the few extra dollars for the car.

There are some great C4 cars available out there in this time frame. Super low mileage in excellent condition. I purchased a 17k Mile 1995 C4 as a second Vette to my C5. No, the C4 does not handle the same as my C5, nor is it as fast. But, vehicle value dollar for dollar you cannot beat a C4 right now.

If you don't mind spending a little extra for factory performance start looking for a 90's ZR1 or a 96 GS. Again, they're out there if you search enough.

divotdug

As already stated, most say the later the better. When all is said and done I think it depends on what you plan to do with it.

Many, many years ago I had a C3 ('69) as my daily driver.

I just bought my C4. I was only looking for a cruise night type car. I wanted it to be at least 20 years old so I could put historic tags on it.

I initially set my sights on a '95 or '96. Found some great cars but then I stumbled on an '84, 4+3 car. Owned by an older lady, garage kept with 35k miles. Cleanest 32 year old car I've come across. All the power options work and everything on the Knight Rider dash works.

Could not pass it up for $4300. So far I'm enjoying the heck out of it.

There are lots of C4's out there for sale, just have to be patient and find the right deal.
















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BrandensBeast

Everyone will say go with the newest and most expensive you can afford Me personally (because of my taste and price range) went with an 84, I could of got an 85 too but I don't like anything above that, 3rd brake like and then the rear bumper change in I believe 90 or 91 and up, plus I love the cluster in the early c4's (crystal light display) but those are the reasons I like early c4's, on the downside they are the slowest of the c4's and are much harder to find in good condition vs the newer ones, plus most people that have a clean 84/85 think it's worth a million dollars for some reason when they go to sell it! Goodluck on your search, we're always happy to help !

JrRifleCoach

96 LT4. Best of the best!

Mishawaka

I've always liked the 91s. No opti and has the newer body style. I recommend looking for a six speed.

C5 4me

Just my 0.2 cents get the best 1 you can afford. I would go latest model and grab a 6 speed. I have a 94 and wish I had held out for a 96 with a 6 speed. BTW, is the 916 your area code?

bac22

96 with LT4 engine is your best bet which means a manual tranny...few problems with the year and engine was solid.

But overall, you're talking a car where the latest model year is 20 years old, so best to stay with the newest year possible.

woody41

I have a 91 6 speed, 78,000 miles. I like the L-98 engine, looks really good and I can get to everything to work on it. It goes as fast as need to drive these days. Can set the cruise control at 95 and still get over 25 mpg. Also I like the late body style and the 90 and up dash and steering wheel. Take your time there are still plenty of nice original low mile cars out there.

Christi@n

I have a 95 lt1 manual zf 6-40 and she runs pretty hard

I think all corvettes c4 are good, just could be a good idea to stay away from cross-fire??? Don't know i've heard isn't a good engine.

Also an importamt thing IMO is that 4l60 is best coupled with l98, for lt1 think zf6-40 is the better trans for that "high rpm engine" high rpm for that years.

Personally i've driven lt1 auto and manual, and think that manual is more more aggressive on high rpm area, plus you have 6 short gear, respect to the 4 auto gear. I've got a better feedback from zf6-40.

Never driven an l98 auto, (yes an l98 manual) so think that 4l60 is better coupled with l98 that has low end torque IMO.

95tealconvert

All C4's have something to offer the right owner. Very important to get to know the C4 and what each year and options have to offer so you can find the best fit for you. Do not buy a C4 simply based on price-do your homework and get the right one that fits you best.

Since I work in the automotive repair industry I keep trying to remind all potential buyers not to under estimate the cost now days to repaint a car, redo a tired interior etc. Many times a vette for say $ 5K looks like a really great deal even though the paint is faded, interior is sun faded or worn but in reality the vette for $ 8K that does not need this work is by far the best value.

Some can live with a faded paint job or leather seats that are coming apart etc. and be very happy, but for me I want a car that is not perfect but at least a 8.5 to 9.0 out of 10. Lower mileage cars are typically in better shape overall but not always especially if they have been left outside for years.

Not unusual to see well informed vette buyers looking and 15 to 30 cars before finding the right car for them so take your time and your efforts will pay off in the long run.

Bendeco

Just be careful which rear gears a corvette has. Some have really crappy highway gears and even makes an LT1 slow. I think some have 2.59. Get a manual with 3.45 or install 4.09 gears with a 6 speed.

auggy

91,94,95,96

Weck86

Some solid advice here. C4 was a loooong run and there was significant tech changes along the way. Sit and think what you will be doing with the car. You can have a weekend blast with any year C4 and hit the DD on Monday.

Early C4's are typically cheaper and in some ways easier to work on, ant thankfully the after market is slowly starting to make replacement parts for them. The later C4's are, of course, the best of the run, but cost more and in some ways more difficult to work on. In comparison to a C7 they are all slugs in stock form.

95tealconvert gave the best advice: whatever you choose remember interiors and paint can run into high $, so take your time. My C4?, its an 86 and I love it. I like the L98 and its old, like me, and has a drop top to boot.

Corvettekid916

Yes.. I'm in Folsom/el do hills area.... Bunch for sale in the area. Just trying to do my research before I buy something

Corvettekid916

Can you elaborate on that optispark and obd2...

I like the way the C4 looks and it'll (hopefully) fill the space on the weekend until I can get a C7

Corvettekid916

Thanks everyone for All the info... I appreciate it. Keep it coming..

What do you guys think of this...

https://sacramento.craigslist.org/cto/5506284583.html

jay23ls

Man, this was me just a few weeks ago haha Didn't know nothin

Its all right. Like everyone has been saying, newer is better unless you're looking to work on it yourself (like a project). But even newer C4s will require work and even if you have $$ to get a shop to work on everything, its still good to know certain things about C4s

Go on Wikepedia to get a general breakdown of each model year from 84 to 96. Go to the Production Notes section--it will tell you major changes each MY (model year). Bookmark the page, you'll want to reference it several times as you look at C4s for sale. Keep in mind wiki general info, Google specific model years you like for more info.

• Opti stuff - distributor problems. Simply put you'll probably have to get this worked on/replaced (less likely problem 95 & 95)
• 6 speeds (ZF tranny, used from 90 or 91 to 96) - awesome to drive but if clutch is worn, work is expensive and the Dual Mass Flywheel that it might need is no longer made so u gotta go w/ a single mass which can cause gear rattle Many threads on this
• Tires - expensive of course but tirerack.com has some well-reviewed Continentals (cant remember the brand) right now for like $600 (500 less than OEM set)
• OBDII - newer diagnostic system - one way the C4 tells you what problems there are and even problems there have been (codes).
• Shop work - for some work, cant take a C4 to just any shop, even a good shop. Gotta take it to shops w/ experience working on your C4's specific issues (clutch work is an example). I'm actually going to post a thread soon on this to see what should never be worked on by a reg shop

The guys on here are very very helpful. Visit the forum often and read as many threads as you can. Its a lot of time but the car is awesome to drive so worth it!

Also the forum search function is not very good but if you google the topic/problem and add "corvetteforum" to the search you will probably find a thread from here in the results