Boomdart

I like the C4, I like how they look, anyway. Not a huge fan of the C5 or C6 though.

There are alot of C4's out there though, lots of models and year differences... What should I look for to get the best deal? Are there any problems that these have that I should look for?


What years are the best for the car? etc, etc... I'm sure you get my drift now.

Thanks in advance.

Cozmo

You're openeing the door for a lob of debate here. I hope that I don't accidentally start it. I think all C4s are great cars. In my humble opinion, if you can afford a 96 with an LT4 motor, get it. It was an optioinal motor only made one model year and only mated to a 6 speed manual tranny. Awesome combo. Good luck with whatever you decide.

rocco16

The best year is dependant on what you want in the way of engine, transmission, interior and exterior styling, etc.

None of them are perfect. All of them are awesome.

Hang out on this forum for several weeks and you'll quickly pick up the pros/cons of the various years.

As in any used car, mileage and condition are key in getting a car with minimal problems. In this respect, the Corvette is just another Chevy.
Good luck.

Larry
code5coupe

Boomdart

:

I'll look into it, how much would one of those run normally?

Cozmo

This looks like a fair deal. I don't know what part of the country you are in. Take your time and shop around a bit.

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...89&forum_id=54

1stC3Vette

Basically, find the newest model with the lowest mileage you can afford. Can't go wrong.

Good Luck,
Dino

Mr. Peabody

Read all of the C4 forums for several weeks and you will obtain a wealth of knowledge. There are lots of very helpful people here.

I recently purchased my first vette a 95 C4 2 months ago....but I spent almost 8 months looking & asking questions.

Try this location for a starting place for some stats by year www.idavette.net/facts.htm

Many people will tell you that to get the best deal buy from a private party i.e. someone from the forum who is selling his own vette. I think that this is particularly true if you are buying an older vehicle like a C4. This is what I ended up doing and I am glad that I did.

You might also try www.autotrader.com and select corvettes & the year that you are interested in. This will give you a really good idea of prices all over the country for what you are looking for.

all other things being equal, a 6 sp always costs more than an auto and a convertable (vert) always costs more than a coupe (cp).

Contrary to popular belief your corvette can be driven in the rain and no harm will come to it. What's more you can even drive it every day (get over it you garage queen keepers) LOL.

jrzvette

Since the owner is willing to ship it free anywhere in the country the only questions are:
a. do you like it
b. is it in your price range
c. is it close enough for you or someone you know and trust to check out.

Back to the original question, some things to keep in mind:

Body Styles: 1984 - 1990, and 1991-1996. 1990 ZR 1 was unique with the older style front clip and the newer style rear.
Engines: 1984 Crossfire L83; 1985 - 1991 L98; 1992 - 1996 LT1 (LT4 with 6speed only), LT5 1990-1995 available with 6 speed in the ZR1 only
Transmission: 1984- 1996 automatic available for all years; 1984-1988 Doug Nash 4+3; 1989 - 1996 ZF 6 speed

Convetibles became available in 1986.

vette&f-bod lover

what bodystyle,and trans are you looking for?coupe,conv,auto,manual.like was said look for the newest best conditon one you can afford as they got better each year.whats your pricerange?theres a big difference(over $10K) from a 84 to a 96.

ToyC4

I bought a 92 because all I knew about Corvettes was that 92 was the 1st year for the LT1 engine. Now that I know what I know I would buy a 96 because over the years they improved things almost every year. I wish I would have bought a high mileage 96 instead of my low mileage 92. That's something else low mileage cars can be trouble if they've been sitting.

The 96 model with an LT4 engine is a great car and is in my opinion as good as a C4 gets unless you can afford a ZR1 or a Callaway. The LT4 is an awesome motor and is engineered with a lot of potential. (Keep in mind that the LT4 only came with the six speed so if you're looking for an automatic you'll be out of luck).

With the market the way it is for used cars this would be a great time to buy a ZR1 because you can pick up a beautiful low mileage ZR1 for under 25k and they're awesome cars.

runner140*

What city and state do you live in? There are Form members that would be happy to take a look at a prospective purchase for you.

XPLOCIV

All depends on your $$$ flow.
I believe the 96 was the best model year of the C4. GM was able to put all sorts of upgrades on that model year. Further, the LT-1 and the LT-4 are great motors.
This is all IMO.
Good Luck with your search. Ultimately, all corvettes are awesome I love em all.

redwing76

If I was looking for a C-4 again I'd avoid the LT-1's.
Also any stick.
My pick is the 89-90-91 coupe, automatic.
good luck with your search.

JrRifleCoach

IMHO
LT-1/4's can get expensive if it needs opti-spark repairs, but make GOOD power.
L98's have limited power (stock) but can be considered more reliable.
The 2nd gen C4 instrument panel design is more Corvette traditional.

My next C4 is a 91 automatic convertable with the hardtop option.

JRC

rocco16

I agree; a fair deal.

MY only question is this: How can a Corvette accummulate 70,000 miles and still have "perfect paint, with no rock chips"?
Mine has 72K miles and has plenty of chips......

(The only way, I suppose, is if it had a re-paint, in which case I would knock about $2K off the asking.)

Larry
code5coupe

rocco16

Coach, yer gittin' soft in yer old age..........

Larry
code5coupe

JrRifleCoach

You think? IMO; soft, is selling out for C5

C5Jimmy

I would say get the most recent year you can afford. I'm partial to the LT1-Lt4's b/c the horsepower came up to a respectable level. (No disrespect to the L98's!)

Don't worry about the Optispark stories, its worth it!

weelanddeal

i know where there is a 85 with 80k on it black for 4000 if your in the boston mass area,

tonymax2

Find a copy of "Cor-vette Specs" by Mike Antonick, ISBN 0-933534-51-5. Read it cover-to-cover a couple of times and you'll be well on your way toward deciding which version you want.