Mr.Toad

I'm being offered a gold 85 Corvette auto as a "project" car, basically
for free.

It's been parked under a tree in California for the past year or two,
not driven. Has about 100,000 miles on it.

It has had a new dealer-installed transmission within the past 5000 miles, new tires and
apparently will run (haven't checked it out yet)

What I know it needs is:

New paint
New Interior. No serious trouble, just seats/carpets are rather tattered
New computer/cluster for the dashboard light show. None of the instruments
work, it seems.

Obviously I need to check it over, but I'm thinking that spending $1500
on paint, another $1500 on the interior and about $600 on a new dash
cluster might get me a reasonable car, of course in addition to mechanical work
that I may find.

Is this reasonable? The dash display worries me a little; perhaps this
was a common problem? How sound is the engine on 85's?

Typically, how much damage might have occured by it not being driven for about 18 months? Would you expect all the rubber and seals damaged by now? :confused:

TIA

FD2BLK

Every body who owns a early C-4 has had to deal with the dash if you still have the old cluster it can be repaired here is one site. If not you can get a used one for about what you are planning to spend. It sound like a great dael a free car if you don't want let me know. http://WWW.CORVETTEDASHCLUSTERSERVICE.COM.

Bluevette85

I bought my 85 18 months ago. The past owners did NOTHING to maintain this car. It ran okay but as I went system by system, most of the car needed to be replaced or repaired. When I'm done I will essentially have a new car that should go another 100,000 miles without a problem. I'm doing the work myself so I know it is right.
If you do the work yourself, you will save alot of money. I would put aside $5000 to cover everything you might have to do as you uncover things. This is not unique to 85 but to any C4 that wasn't properly cared for by the previous owner(s).
The 85 has the strongest pistons and rods of the l98 vettes.
Good luck and have fun.


[Modified by Bluevette85, 10:13 PM 12/16/2002]

paintdaddy

sounds like a good deal.When you start the project ,dont look back. :seeya
Welcome to the forum. :thumbs:


[Modified by paintdaddy, 1:04 AM 12/17/2002]

randy814u

I did the same thing, and as I fix each thing, I just like the car that much more. :seeya

CentralCoaster

Sounds like a great project, and a great price. I know some people who'd take that car to Earl Sheib, and then try to turn around and sell it for 5 grand.

The engine is pretty much the same as the other early small blocks, with basically the same fuel injection as the 85-91 Corvettes and Camaros. If it's been sitting for awhile, the coolant is probably full of rust, and the brake fluid should be changed out also. The coolant tends to rust the intake base gaskets where the aluminum is next to the iron head or block... and it'll leak coolant into the oil. If you have to pull it all apart anyways, you might as well get the heads redone and ported.

When you're done you should have a like new Corvette for the price of a used one, and you'll know how to tear anything apart and fix the inevitable small things that always fail.

The electrical is bound to be a mess, especially if any animals nested in there. You'll find plenty of help on here, as we all tend to run into the same problems.

85vetteguy

I think it depends on how much time and money you have and how much of the work you can do yourself. If it has been sitting for a long period of time it will have some issues. A good paint job and interior parts are ex$pesive and if you run into mechanicle and electrical problems that you can not handle these will be exspensive as well. Even though it is free you could easily put more money into the car than it will be worth. Just a thought, but you could take it and sell the parts and make some money to start a Corvette fund and buy a more road worthy car. I know this is not the popular opinion but you could be setting yourself up for alot of frustration, again it depends on how mechanically inclined you are. If this car is free it is for a reason and it may be to far gone to be worthwhile. Good Luck w/ whatever you decide, guy

stillthere

sounds like a fun project. parts are easy to find. some of the parts can be found on the forum and some on ebay. you will spend a little more on paint but the other numbers are fine. if you dump 5 or 6k in the car you can still get it back.

Mr.Toad

Thanks for all the helpful comments. I'll post more once I have the beast in my garage and have started to go through it.

darkcarn85

A lot of good advice here, especially from 85vetteguy. I would only add that unless this car really is saying something to you, his idea of parting it out may not be bad. It is highly likely you will ultimately spend more than the car is worth. I have done this on my '85 and have no regrets, but somehow over the many years of ownership the car means a lot to me and I don't really want something newer or "better". I'm a :jester but I don't care about resale.

Black85L98

My 85 needs work and she would be worth more if I parted her out but I think I will keep her in tact. You can not beat the price and the 85 is a great car.

LD85

Check for rust and at the door pillars and around the battery, if not rust I agree that $5000 would definetly solve 90% of the problems known and you will need to wait and find the unknown.

Personally, I'm biased, but I cant see how anyone could go wrong with an 85.

vettmech

My 85 has over 182K on it and I wouldn't want any other Vette. Even though it needs a LOT of work that I can't afford right now I still drive it every day and just deal with it.
Paint........for a good job you need to spend more than that unless you can paint.
The dash is no big deal.......... get a Haynes manual and a Helms manual (the dealer one) and the get in touch with BATTEE on the forum. He hsa a great article on repairing the dash that will fix about anything that is wrong with it.......... except one........ you mentioned that the trans had been out....... there is a ground wire that is bolted to the upper left belhousing bolt that will turn the dash off if left loose (don't ask).
Interior is pretty straightforward.
I hope you get to like yours like I love mine......... oh by the way ....... mine's a HE ......... he's an old brute :lol: :seeya
Welcome aboard :thumbs:

dmorris

Most of the things you list are going to be wrong with any 85 vette. I had about half of this to deal with on my 85 that I got about 2 months ago ( and mine wasn't free). The interior needs some tlc, I had the tranny rebuilt, tune up, etc. When I get through, I'll probably have about $8500 total in the car. Maybe a bit too much, but I've done worse on cars. If you are trying to turn a buck on the car, part it out. If you are the **** retentive mechanic/owner (like me) get it and work on it. I've torn down way too much stuff that really wasn't broken to "fix" something or clean up. I just got through cleaning the throttle body and iac (which I broke and had to replace) and the car runs so much better. You don't get that satisfaction with a newer car that needs nothing.
If you want a nice vette and have the bucks, buy all the vette you can afford. If you enjoy working on cars, and find it easier to pay as you go, it sounds like a good project. 100k miles is okay on that car, if oil changes etc. were done. A rebuilt tranny is a good $1300 savings. Interior is going to need help anyway. I dyed my carpet (temp fix--the carpet was faded) and will order vinyl covers after christmas. Don't skimp on paint. $1500 is on the low side, unless you will do the prep work and have a body shop that will work behind you. That is how I do mine. I get great paint jobs at about half the price the shop normally charges. Mechanically, change ALL fluids, belts, and hoses. Check the brakes.
I'd work on this car in a minute. I like taking a car that has been given up on and bringing it back to life. I like knowing that I fixed this or that, and when I am through, I know exactly what I've done.
:thumbs: