Whats the difference?
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Joined: Jan 2004
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From: New Ulm Texas
Whats the difference?
I just bought another vette, a 95. I've had three C3s before and even a C5 but wanted a daily driver with more HP than my C3s but not so much depreciation as my previous C5. The prices seem to be all over the place. I see 96s with 70K-80K miles for $14 thou and then comprable condition 87s for $20 thou. The cars I'm talking about are all standard coupes with about the same mileage but the prices seem to be in an extreme range. I've noticed that there are some of the lower priced cars that seem to be in good to exellent condition and have been for sale for months. If this is the case then what do these cars really sell for? Is anyone paying $20K for a 90 coupe with 80K miles? I looked at a couple of the cheaper cars and the more expensive cars, including corvette dealers (all high end pricing) and didn't see that much difference between the several I looked at. The dealer cars seem to have a better armour-all detail under the hood but that couldn't account for the price difference. Am I missing something here? Are some of these cars selling for $20K+ when there are lower priced cars available? I'm not a corvette expert but I can tell the difference between a car that has been taken care of and one that has just been drive with no regard for maintenance and cleaning. Opinions?
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2006
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From: Irvine Ca
Originally Posted by dechilders
Is anyone paying $20K for a 90 coupe with 80K miles?
Not to bag on Texas becuase I am a Native Texan, but when I was looking for my car, I knew I had a trip through Texas coming up. I decided to see it there were any good cars to look at while passing through. What seemed a common theme.....High mileage cars for the same price as what was listed here in California. Nothing attracted my attention in the whole state. Craigslist, Autotrader, Cars.com etc.
Maybe I am out of touch with the Texas market. IDK
Race Director
Joined: Feb 2003
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From: Kingman AZ
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St. Jude Donor '06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16
C4 prices have really been reasonable of late. Some of the dealers don't seem to know this and I wonder if they make their living off of uninformed consumers or even overseas buyers.
Rogers Corvettes in Florida seems to have some of the higher prices but most of his cars are exceptionally low mile examples of fine C4s. You can really sink a lot of money into a high miles C4 so it might make sense to go with the lower miles.
On the other hand, I would not be afraid to buy any C4 (regardless of miles) if it has been well maintained by a Corvette fanatic.
Search the usual on-line car listings and you will soon become well informed. Try the C4 for sale section here and www.corvettetrader.com to get you started.
Rogers Corvettes in Florida seems to have some of the higher prices but most of his cars are exceptionally low mile examples of fine C4s. You can really sink a lot of money into a high miles C4 so it might make sense to go with the lower miles.
On the other hand, I would not be afraid to buy any C4 (regardless of miles) if it has been well maintained by a Corvette fanatic.
Search the usual on-line car listings and you will soon become well informed. Try the C4 for sale section here and www.corvettetrader.com to get you started.
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2002
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From: The reason time exists is so everything doesn't happen at once
Asking price does not equal selling price. To get a better feel for where these cars are selling follow several auctions on Ebay.
The only 87 I can think of that would sell for $20k would be a Calloway, and I'm not even sure if that price is high or low.
The only 87 I can think of that would sell for $20k would be a Calloway, and I'm not even sure if that price is high or low.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2004
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From: Austin TX
St. Jude Donor '07
Unless you're buying a b2k, zr1, gs, etc, if you're spending $20K on a c4, you're getting ripped off, regardless of miles. On average, it seems that mosts C4's are between the 8K to 12K range, and then sometimes fluctuating within 1-2k of that. My '93 had only 45,000 miles when i bought it, and i bought it (in Texas) for 12.9 K from a vette dealership. Well maintained, excellent condition. In most instances, you should never be paying over $15 K for a C4, regardless of mileage.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2006
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From: One day you're a Comet...the next day you're dust... Arkansas
I paid $10,700 for a one owner 1989 Z51 coupe with 47K milles 2 months ago.
Some people say that's too much but haven't seen the car, so how do they know. Look at NADA and KBB for guidance. 20K for a 1990 is outrageous unless it is a very special model.
Some people say that's too much but haven't seen the car, so how do they know. Look at NADA and KBB for guidance. 20K for a 1990 is outrageous unless it is a very special model.
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Joined: Jan 2004
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From: New Ulm Texas
I paid 12K but expected to pay around 2K additional to get minor transmission and engin leaks fixed (I hate a leaky car). Those were the only problems with the car. This car has an excellent carfax, 72K miles. Had it inspected at Corvettes of Houston and everything worked fine, tires good, electrical system good, no previous damage, good paint and interior. Made me wonder why anyone would consider paying some of the higher asking prices I see. For 14K I have a great looking, mechanically sound, C4 with no major issues and currently no minor ones. Leaks were expensive to fix, like that hard to get to o-ring, but had everything checked out while being fixed and feel comfortable with the condition now, not even a leak on an 11 year old car. Thanks for the comments everyone. I guess it doesn't hurt to start out asking more just in case someone is willing to pay it.