Churchkey

An auto trans car with a manual valve body & ratchet shifter is a hoot to drive, works like a paddle shift in the new cars. 700r4 transmissions were built with better components 88 & later.

Does that car come with 2 tops? The "glass" top = more head room.

Suggest a man of your stature look @ a C5 they have a larger cockpit.

Good luck

hcbph

I don't remember where I got them, but doing a quick search I found these sites:
http://www.corvette-web-central.com/C4RPOcodes.html
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...4-rpo-faq.html
www.corvette-c4.eu/c4oc.pdf
http://www.corvetteactioncenter.com/...o/8496rpo.html

I may have missed it but didn't note the year of your car. I think most apply to all C4's but when in doubt use logic.

I just did a Google search on "c4 corvette build codes"
Hope that helps.

RIC96

In my mind, $5K for any 87 is too much based on what I see around metro Detroit and the value I realistically place on my 96, which I would estimate to be 7 to 8K on the open market. It's worth much more to me because it's a one owner car and I know and can document its history but that doesn't mean much to buyers who tend to be skeptical, as well they should.

30 years old and 190K is a lot wear and tear and the fact that the engine has been rebuilt by this Jasper person means nothing to me. It might make it more difficult to find parts or make repairs because of compromises that have been made to put it all back together. Does the air work? Does the cruise work? Good charging system? Headlights? Heater; etc? Do these things matter to you?

The pictures seem to be taken at different times based on the wheels being changed and it looks just ok to me but you've seen it in person so I'll defer to your judgement but don't let emotion cloud your decision. Personally, I wouldn't offer more than 3K for it. For a few dollars more I think you can find something that will prove to be more reliable and therefore more enjoyable if you just look around. C4's can be a lot of fun but they can also breed much frustration if you pick the wrong one.

hcbph

One more thought here, if you know someone with a dealers license you may be able to check out some if the car auctions. I have a friend with a dealers license and have bought 3 cars via car auctions. Maybe I'm lucky or maybe I did enough research ahead of time but I think I did pretty well that way. I bought them (including the Vette) for much less than I could have on the open market and got a set of good vehicles along the way.

Understand though, it's not perfect. If you buy something, you've bought it so if you can view them ahead of time you want to do so. I found the condition reports pretty good on them, not perfect but good. As my friend said, the reports need to be as accurate as possible or the seller could be black balled or not have activity on their cars in the future.

scrappy76

$ 5,000 too much for that car. imo.

markKlein

200 is nothing to worry about. I think the fans should come on at228, but I may have that mixed up with the LT1. As already stated you can check the fans by turning on the AC. You should be fine looking at the digital display. Also, I put a Jasper rebuilt LT1 in a 95. Like new and performed perfectly as long as I had it.

Mayor111

You can buy a MUCH newer C4 for $5000 to $6000. Also - if you get into a 92 or later C4 - you get the LT1 motor with 300 HP.

There are PLENTY of C4's on Craigslist with ALOT less miles for the same price.

Not sure where you're from - but Im certain with a quick search, you will find a much better C4 for the money!!

If you let us know the area you're from, Im sure some guys here will reply back with much better deals.

rusty76

Thanks hcbph, I'll take a look at those links.

rusty76

I'm a standard guy. If I wanted an auto I know where there's an '06 low mileage caddy that would fit me much better and probably be much easier to live with than any vette but that's not the point. Maybe I'm wrong but I think a corvette is an emotional decision and an auto corvette leaves me cold. You don't buy late model caddies because you want a retirement car to work on. For the same reason I don't see myself buying a C5, what's the point? I want something to tinker with and in my mind that's not a caddie or a C5. I can't afford a C1 or 2 so that leaves a C3 or 4 and even the 4 is getting kinda new for my taste.

You guys are making me think and that's good, thanks.

rusty76

Your points in the second paragraph are central to the discussion "Do these things matter to you?". I'm new here but I expect that there are as many reasons the members have bought vettes as there are members. I'm sure some people buy vettes who don't know anything about cars and don't want to learn. They want a finished car that needs nothing and if it does need something they'll take it to a mechanic. I'm as sure there are others that would buy a vette because it's clapped out and they want to rebuild it from the ground up even knowing it's a money losing proposition. I'm somewhere between those extremes. I want a car I can drive but I'd be happy to work on any system as it needs it. Only thing that scares me is rust/body and EFI because both those require tools and experience I don't have. This '87 fits my criteria but I hear those that are saying it's too much money. Right now I'm listening to those of you with more experience and thinking it over. Maybe I'll make a lower offer on this car in a few days . . . or maybe not. Point is I don't HAVE to do anything but if I buy the car it's mine, good or bad.

jsmn4vu

Just for the information of anyone not familiar, Jasper is a huge, and pretty well respected, remanufacturing company.

http://www.jasperengines.com/

Silver85

Especially with 190k. And not a Z51 package.

RIC96

Ok, sounds like you're going into it with your eyes open. I just see so many guys come into the vette hobby excited about their first purchase, only to be disillusioned when they start getting nickeled and dimed into frustration. It's not the brand in total, they just chose the wrong car.

rusty76

Thanks Mayor I appreciate your, and everyone's, input. I have to figure out what I want/need in a corvette. I know what I want in a retirement car as I mentioned in a couple posts. I' welcome any input from members local to me. I live near Lake Hopatcong in New Jersey. Part of my issue is I need to figure out the best way to locate the cars. If someone's got suggestions I'll listen.

rusty76

HAH! I don't feel like I know anything. I'd love to find a manual vette in better condition than the one I look at yesterday for the same or less money. Better yet a C3 with a manual that I didn't feel like I got robbed to buy. I see a lot of vettes on the typical website for prices in the teens, seems like a lot to me.

rusty76

Thanks jsmn4vu for adding that. I meant to say that in my reply to RIC96 but I forgot. Hey, I'm old, I'm allowed to forget!!

When the owner of the car mentioned it has a Jasper engine I didn't know what he was talking about so I spent some time researching Jasper and read a lot of threads on this forum to learn about them.

Patsgarage

[QUOTE=rusty76;1594147521]I note now that you have New Jersey showing up in your posts. I don't see that for mine even though I have New Jersey in my profile. Are you using a signature to have New Jersey show up in your posts? Anyhow, I'm near Sparta, NJ, where are you?

I am in Leonardo, or in Jersey speak exit 117 off the GSP.

As far as locating cars I have had good luck on Ebay, Craigslist can be a crapshoot. It does not sound like you are in a rush, so lurk on the forum, check the for sale ads, and ask any question that pops into your head. Rust is not too much of an issue on these cars, but definately buy one with good paint/body. They are not too hard to work on, but they do require some special knowledge and tools. It sounds like you are not looking for an all out track/corner carver type of car, so I would look for a L98/6MN car (89-91). They are a little more user friendly (no Opti) and easier to work on with fewer electronic systems. You can also choose what interior design you want, 89 has the "Atari" dash, while 90-91 had the newer hybird style.

rusty76

[QUOTE=Patsgarage;1594153698]OK, you've hit me with a couple 'vettespeak' terms I need help with. Is 6MN the option # for the ZF 6spd? What is ". . . user friendly (no Opti)", specifically the "no opti"?

You're correct I don't need/want a track car nor do I care about numbers matching nor do I care about the rarest of the rare. I'm looking for a car that needs me but not so much that it breaks the bank. I'm looking for a car that I can drive and fix not one I have to fix to drive although for the right car I'd be willing to put in the time before I drive it. What is the right car? An unmolested barn find that can be coaxed back to life. OK, maybe that's the rarest of the rare, ah well.

There is a fly in this ointment. I just put another thread on the forum about looking again at the 77 I first posted about here on the forum. After sitting in both the C3 and the C4 I find that I have a distinct preference for the C3. This may be a premature conclusion and time will tell but I came of age as a driver in the 60s and the C3 satisfies that aura more than the C4.

H P Bushrod

[QUOTE=Patsgarage;1594153698] I'm on my 3rd C4 and they're loads of fun to me. I can still twist a wrench and enjoy doing work on the car myself. Keep lurking in the C4 for sale section of the forum. BTW, welcome aboard and welcome to the Corvette family. I'm sure you'll get the car you want.

rusty76

[QUOTE=H P Bushrod;1594154188]Hey, you live in Murville. My wife and I were in the Knoxville area a number of years ago and we kept hearing about a town called Murville. Imagine our surprise when we saw it spelled Maryville. I liked TN and wish I could have convinced the wife to move there.