selecw

Like I said
- I have a bike that I drive most of the time, so its 1 or 2 days a week I'd be using the car
- I like doing my own maintenance and I am prepared for the repair and replace effort. I'd sooner be proactive and replace before things break!

After my Mercedes 500SEL (breathe on it and it cost $1000), how much worse could it be ?

sweethence

well I gues I am the somewhat diverging opinion.

I have a 68, I spent the time making it safe and roadworthy, and I drive it every day spring summer and fall. I have broke down ( praise AAA) three times, 1. clogged fuel filter, 2. bad alternator, 3. bad starter after i put headers in. one per year. And I love it

The only real downside is MPG for me which is 15+/-, but its only 50 mile round trip to work for me so I dont mind paying.

get what you want, the advice about including how much to spend to get it "right" is spot on


cheers


tim

selecw

This goes back to my original point. I LOVE the look of the C3. Much more so than the C4. If I ONLY had one vehicle, it would probably be a tenuous choice.

sweethence

just to keep it real, I do all of my own work (big monley saver), and there are certian sacrifices in comfort and ride that I willingly make (seat upgrade to later c3 helped greatly), but its my nickel

whatever you get, just.........

Drive it Like you stole it

Cheers



tim

markdtn

I picked the updated dash and TPI (90-91) for a reason. If you want performance you are probably right-go LT1, but I say TPI is more reliable and easier to maintain than an LT1 for a stock DD type car. Water pumps and then Optispark are no fun to replace. Fuel mileage differential is probably negligible between the 2 in a 6-speed car. My .02

Jims79

Aggitated Monkey

partly.

My '91 had the later dash and the later bumper covers. The seats changed somt ime afther 93 I think. Nice driving and comfortable cars. It is all in what body you are going to be happy with.

den(thevetteman)78

No mater which model you chose. Don't jump on the first one you see just to have a corvette. Do your homework. Both model have there distinct problems and by doing your homework on both model you will know what to look for when you shop for your vette.

I've seen a lot of people who always dream of having a vette and bought the wrong car an after a year or so, they got rid of it. The wrong car can kill your passion.

bobs77vet

c4.......its a far better driving and designed car


c3 looks cool......

your money your choice and be prepared to open your wallet like you have never imagined

bwellisley

Where are you located? There's a guy who has a 79 in NW Ohio that is in great shape and the asking price is $10.5K! All original with 51K miles. PM me if interested and I can get you in touch with him ASAP.

selecw

I'm in CA, so that's too far for me. Thanks though.

selecw

Can you elaborate on "like you have never imagined" ?

1mpalss

I saw an 80, I think, posted in the SF Bay or Sacramento Craigslist a week or 2 ago. Said it had the late model LT1 motor, probably an OD tranny too but I think it had some damage/something broken by the tone of the add (I don't think he posted a firm price). If it could be purchased and/or fixed for a reasonable cost, that would be the perfect package for you! Heck, I thought about calling just to get the parts to convert my '70 to the new FI LT1 setup.
I owned an 80 for almost 12 years, sold it in '02 to buy my '70. I drove it to work for a couple of years, then the pwr door locks started to act up, followed by the pwr windows. I also hated the leaky T-tops I could never fix. Knocked down about 20 mpg on the highway with it though (headers, duals, and Accel supercoil, MSD 6AL HEI ignition). Cali smog would be your biggest enemy with something like an '80, IMHO, as most folks with Vette's seem to want more performance. That is a slippery slope here in the PRC!

xCCTer

selecw

Well based on the advice I got, I found a 1992 Blue C4 with 76,000 on it. It's at a local dealer. The asking price is $8995, which seems pretty good. I can probably negotiate down a bit.

I found 3 things wrong with it:

1. the rubber weather seal around the windshield and above the doors looks like it needs replacing

2. there is a 2" area on the corner of the hood where the paint is cracked

3. there is a coin stuck inside the passenger door with duck tape, which I assume is to stop it rattling.

Good deal or not? How much would it cost to put it right?

Thanks again

77TSi-meez

Yes

FRSTR90

Not trying to be a jerk or anything, but I would think you would have better luck in the C4 section. Many of us don't deal with the C4's and probably couldn't give you the best answer.

selecw

Understood. I started the thread here and thought I'd finish it. I got lots of C3 vs C4 hints.

FRSTR90

Well, if you want my opinion, I say it is not a bad deal. I'd see if I could lower the the dealer some because of its problems. Many C3's for that price will cost the same if not more and have the problems that you mentioned. As far as price to fix the little problems, well, I don't have a C4. So, your kinda on your own unless someone else could chime in and give you an approximate cost.

Bowerss2

well everyone else is, so i figure ill throw in my two cents. I bought an 80' last summer for $4500. The great thing with the 80 is you can turn it into the car you want, and it wont hurt the value. I'm keeping all the parts im taking off of it, in case i want to convert it back to original. On the odd chance that someday an unmolested 80 will be worth anything... my budget was also around 10K. I could either get a 69 fire bird (Trans Am Clone) and have no money left over to fix all the rust. or the vett. I think i made a good choice Have fun with it, and shop around. Dont fall in love with the first car you see and end up paying way too much. Happens all the time.
-Stephen