billccm

Hi All and Happy Thanksgiving!

I am about to purchase my first Corvette, a 1984. From my research, it seems 50% of the people I talk to say nothing good about this car (and call the Cross Fire a 'Cease Fire'), and the other 50% claim they wish they still had their 1984 because they loved it so much.

Anyhow, I am about to get this car for what I think is a very good price. I've cut and pasted my posts to the corvette newsgroups below. I will offer $5,000 this weekend and expect to get the car for $6,000.

Thanks for any advice, Bill

Hello All:


I have the oppurtunity to buy from the original owner a 1984 Corvette.
She has all the history and documents on the car, the original paint is
beautiful, the interior is pristine, everything works including the AC
and DELCO tape deck. She has the glass top and body color top. The car
just turned over 61K miles. Her husband joked that it has never been
driven in the rain, nor ran through a car wash. Color is light blue;
paint and body is pristine without a crack, chip, or blemish. It has
been driven by a mature women only. Never been in an accident.


My brother, who has owned a 1972, 1979, 1984, and 1989 Corvettes does
not have much good to say about the 1984, and does not like the Cross
Fire V8 at all. He claims that I would be better off with a high
mileage 1989 that needs work than a low mileage cream puff 1984 that
needs nothing for about the same price.


So, I am looking for a few opinions.


What is a realistic offering price for this car? I have been told
anywhere from $1400 to $5000 from the local Corvette club president
(who also believes that the 1984 is not a good car).


I have alwyas wanted a Corvette, and value this particuliar car due to
it's one owner, low mileage, and well cared for history. My wife has
been friends with this women for several years, so we trust what she is
telling us about the car. Most C4 Corvettes I have looked at are at
100K miles, or more, and need TLC and comestic repairs, and run in the
$6000 to $14000 range depending on the year.


Thanks for any inputs! Take care, and have anice day,


Johnny


Concur with you assessment of prices for early C4s. Mid 80s with around
100k miles in the mid GA area per Auto-Trader have asking prices around
ranging 10 -15k.An 85 with 2400 miles had an asking prices of 19. If you can
find something nice at a good price, I would jump on it.


I don't know if I'd buy a 2400 mile '84 for 19 grand..... There is a lot of things that deteriorate
with age. Not with mileage or use. Dunno. I just don't think I would. I think I would look for
a decent c5 iffin I was out to spend 19K.


--
Ric Seyler

Johnny:


Deciding to buy a Corvette is not something that you do with your mind
as much as you do with your heart.
If this car speaks to you, buy it.


Yes, it'll cost you more for upkeep than a Toyota or a Honda, but at the
end of the day, you'll be driving a Corvette, YOUR Corvette.
It probably won't be your last Corvette, but it will be your first, always.
Buy it and don't look back.
Don't expect to make a dime on it when and if you ever sell it.
This way you won't be disappointed if it is worth less when you pass it
along to the next owner, and pleasantly surprised if it's worth more.
At any rate, a Corvette IS NOT a wise investment financially speaking.
(unless you had a time machine and could go back to 1969 and buy one of
the only 2 Corvette ZL1's made, but I digress).


As that it's the first year for the C4 design, there were still bugs to
be worked out, and the design improved a great deal until '95 when it
was replaced with the C5.


The L83 350 engine was not a world class performer, HP was rated at
205hp @ 4300rpm with 290lb-ft torque. That can be improved somewhat with
bolt-ons, but to significantly improve performance requires heart and
lung transplant surgery. Not trivial (or cheap), but certainly a handy,
mechanical kinda guy with lots of tools wouldn't find it too much of a
challenge.
The Doug Nash 4+3 transmission was not the greatest design, a lot of
people had problems with them while others did not. If it's never been
repaired or replaced then you may be one of the lucky ones.
The Crossfire fuel injection system was another problematic item, a lot
of people replaced them with newer FI systems or carburetor systems. If
you do take it off, box it up and store it away in a dark corner of your
garage. You'll want to keep it for the next owner, he may want to put it
back on. I've always liked the air cover lid, I think it looks really cool.


Good luck!
Welcome aboard.


TomC
'90ZR1 #792

Thanks for the replies and advice.

I am not looking for an 'investment', but rather a daily driver to
enjoy. I do not expect Honda reliability, but also cannot afford a car
that is constantly in the shop, either. I am pretty handy with my cars
such as belts, hoses, brakes, and maintenance, but high tech electronic
glitches do stump me (and many mechanics for that matter).


My idea was to get the car at a price that I could afford, and enjoy
it. If I bought a newer Corvette, for more money, I would constantly be
babying the car and probably would not enjoy it as much.


This car is an auto trans, so I need not worry about the 4+3 issues.


I just looked at eBay for completed listings on 1984 Corvettes with
less than 70K miles; most did not sell, or meet reserve even in the
$8,000 to $9,000 range. Then I see a few here and there that sold on
the $5,000 range I was thinking about $7,000, but now I am really not
sure what it is worth?


I am still thinking about the car; my brother is adamant that I run
away as fast as I can, and see some of you agree.


Thanks again for your time in your replies! Have a nice day,


Johnny

aminnich

Normally I would agree as the crossfire motor makes it underpowered for a Vette. But, that is offset my the general condition and the fact that you want to enjoy it for what it is--A Corvette. Just do not expect to be a fast sports car, fun yes, fast no. $5000 is on the high side for an 84, but what you spend has to correlate directly to what you want.

tarheelracer

It seems like that is a decent price. I think it is very difficult to find a well maintained early C4 with that kind of mileage, and most of the time the owners think their car is worth 8 or 9 thousand dollars. I'm no Cross Fire lover, but the motor will still give you a lot of torque. Drive it, and if you enjoy it I would go for it.

Happydad

Deciding to buy a Corvette is not something that you do with your mind
as much as you do with your heart.
If this car speaks to you, buy it.

wes0826

Research Research Research. You have to do your homework when purchasing a car like a Vette. And it must be the kind of Vette that fits your needs. If you want a pristine numbers matching only drive on nice days Vette that's one type. How about a daily driver? Or do you want something you can fix up.
I have a friend that has an '84 coupe and he has about 130,000 miles on it with no major work done to the engine & trans other that tune ups. Also refer to Corvette magazine. They rate all the various models in almost every issue. The last comment I read about a decent C4 - 1984 is that they are a bargain right now.
Good luck and happy driving.

f451degrees

nothing wrong with the 84, the first of the c4's.

I just picked up a 01 vert for 8 with 80,000 on the clock. Been looking for 9 Mo. when it showed up. Does not sound as nice as this 84 and will need several thousand to make it perfect( radio, top, paint, exhaust, headlite bushings) but she is great and I love her.

If you like the car and want to be able to go for a drive, I think 6K would be a good deal, IMHO.

see ya on the road

nferr

I love my 84. Light blue like the one you're looking at. My crossfire runs perfectly, and very reliably. Yes they're a little slower than the TPI engines, but not that much. And the 84's have standard 3.07 ratio while a lot of the TPI cars came with 2.59 which negates a lot of the power difference.

And anyone who says to get a higher mileage, worse condition late 80's car over a fairly pristine low mileage 84 is nuts. The cost to fix up these things adds up fast. Cosmetic stuff is very expensive, as is repairs. A decent paint job is several thousand.

I say condition, condition, condition is a lot more important than 25 or 30 horsepower. And you still will get all the feel, handling (the 84 is excellent there) and joy of owning a Vette. I bought my 84 off a forum member for $5300 with 73,000 miles and I use almost daily. No repairs needed yet. Compare that to some of the horror stories you'll read right on this forum from owners with later year C4's and you'll see that condition and maintenance is what is most important rather than year IMO.

cv67

Post pics when you get it

BADDUCK

I don't know about the engine but I paid for a car in top condition and will keep it original. Mine is an '89 but the '84 should be O. K. if it's an auto.
I wouldn't go over 6K.

elwood blooz

Welcome & please post the pics when you buy her.

billccm

Thank you all for the encouragement and advice.

I have always wanted a Corvette, and like I have said in previous posts, I value this one because it is a well cared for, one owner car that has a documented history, and really seems to need nothing to make perfect. It is in great shape right out of the garage. Besides, how often do you really get to buy a Corvette from a 70 year old grandmother who bought the car new in Jan 1985? That alone has some value to me about this car, and it is an interesting history to keep with the car, too.

My research seems to say that $6,000 is the MAX that this car should be purchased. I will stay as close to $5,000 as possible, but this lady is a friend of my wife, and I will not low ball her, nor insult her over price. The seller in turn wants someone to buy this car and care for it, and someone she knows to get the car so she can see it from time to time, etc, so I think this will work out well.

It seems to me that some people dislike the Cross Fire due to it's 185HP, but others claim it is really unreliable. This car's relibaility and repair history seems reasonable to me, so far, requiring some minor electrical fixes, a AC repair, and normal maintenance items. The engine and driveline have had no major repairs.

Thanks again for the advice, and thanks for the welcome!

Bill

tarheelracer

I think the '84 was rated at about 205 hp/ 320 tq. The '82 might have been 185 hp.

AORoads

Well, I think your first post kind of said it all: the car you're going to buy. So, unless someone here gave you great advice to the negative, two people you already know have said it ain't the greatest. But, you're still gonna buy it, so have at it. And enjoy the ride.

Just remember one last thing: this is now a well over 20 year old car. Anything, and I do mean anything, could go wrong tomorrow regardless of maintenance or care, or mileage, and there is nothing you can legitimately say that it shouldn't have. AND, you may (stress: may) have some difficulty finding some things/parts for the car. Neither one is an unreasonable or (to be) unexpected potentiality.

In the car's strong favor, is its condition and maintenance. Good luck and post pics.

tonymax2

1st: Get a copy of these 2 books, especially the first and read them until the covers fall off BEFORE you buy a C4. "Cor-vette specs" by Mike Antonick, ISBN 0-933534-51-5 and "Corvette From the Inside" by Dave McLellan, ISBN 0-8376-0859-7. Dave was Chief Engineer, Corvette from 1975 thru 1992, taking the reins from Duntov.

2nd: Start reading posts on this forum in all the C4 sections until you get a feel for problems that arise and also the prevaling market. Good luck.

SK.LT1

This car as described by you sounds very nice,and I think that you will get many enjoyable miles for your money from this car.

Corvette1996LT1

nferr

I would be fair and not lowball her too much. If that car is as you describe it's a steal at $6000. Original owner, maintenance documented, both tops, mint paint and interior, 61,000 miles and everything works. If you definitely want a Vette in that price range I would jump on it before somebody else gets the chance. By the way, it's 205 HP, and 290 ft.lbs. of torque at 2800 RPM. Very torquey at low RPM so it's very easy to get it sideways if you're not careful.

dpsantoli

i purchased my 87 from the original owners with 70k in excellent condition in june. the car was garaged and came with receipts showing all the maintenance and repairs since 1987. the owners were good friends of my in-laws and took great care of the car. i paid 6800 for the car and me and my wife are really enjoying it. good luck with your decision. pat

If you can

Great buy. That is the best deal I've seen in awhile. I had a 87 just like it that I sold last year for 10k with 69k on the clock.

wes0826

I agree with tonymax2. Both excellent books. Also take a look on EBAY and Autotrader to see the range of prices for a 1984. Right now I'm seeing a price range of $3,500 for a TLC and $12,500 for Good. Sounds like you may be getting a bargain. Have a certified mechanic that knows Corvette to do a once over to spot anything you may miss. It will be worth it in the long run. Happy driving. Can't wait to see pics.