DaleD

I am looking to buy a Corvette. I can buy a lower mileage 80's car, or get a higher mileage 90's, (that's my budget). I prefer the 90's Corvette, not a big fan of the Atari dash. I know what I think of mileage on other cars, but how is it for Corvettes? Is there a lot of maintenance repair that comes with a high mileage vette versus other cars? I'm not worried about resale. I'm not a collector. I want something fun to drive that isn't going to cost me a fortune to keep running. Thanks.

Staehling

1 - Don't get something you're not a big fan of, you'll regret it.

2 - High mileage does not mean much IF the car was well maintained.

3 - Any car that's ~15 years old or more will have some ongoing costs to do regular maintenance, so be prepared for that. You probably won't find a C4 that's had every single maintenance item done recently.

Wayne88

My .02

On a high milage C4, look for a one or two owner car.
Make sure there are maintenance records. Try to find out what's already been changed, like waterpump, u-joints, etc. Get documentation on oil changes.

I bought my '88 with 112K miles, I'm the 3rd owner. I got all maintenance bills.
I've driven it 21K miles since. Never stranded, always started up, and doesn't burn a drop of oil;I changed the oil every 3K miles.

All that went wrong was u-joints, and a master cylinder.
I did a major tune up. Its still runs OK.

Good Luck

Fast Doc

Looking at all the nice pictures of high mileage 'Vettes I don't think you have much to worry about. Besides, when all is said and done, they are Chevys. Pretty reliable cars in the long run. That said there are multiple semi-complex sub systems that can be nagging but no big deal.

My advise is buy the most recent C4 you can afford. They improved every year until the end of the model line.


JMHO,

Fast Doc.

Frizlefrak

It all comes down to how the car was maintained. I'll take a meticulously maintained high mileage car over a neglected low mile car any day.

Also keep in mind that the 80's Corvettes are....well, 20 years old. Things become "worn out" without being actually worn out....like bushings and weatherstrippings for example.

Properly cared for, the drivetrains on these cars will run 200K miles +. Neglected, I've seen some engines that are completely whipped at 70K.

Whatever you buy, look for evidence that it has been well maintained. That should supersede all. I've owned my 84 for 10 years now, and it was a one owner car before I bought it. It has been very well cared for over the years, and I've fixed anything that broke as it broke. I could hop in the car right now and trust it to drive to Los Angeles and back.

Good luck on your search....I'm sure you'll get tons of opinions on this subject.

Frizlefrak

Best advice yet.

flyinlow90

I've spent a ton on my Vette.

I don't say that to scare you rather that to prepare you for what lies ahead.

You can look for a Vette that has alot of maintenance done already,
ie:transmission, new cats, injectors etc.

This will certainly save you money and tell you alot about the current owner.

from the experiences I've had with the repairs on my Vette there are obviously parts that are also used in other GM cars and trucks and fail at the same mileage on those vehicles as a Vette.

The only difference may be in how the Vette was used in relation to how soon parts will fail. Was it raced, auto crossed etc. Things you may want to find out.

Most Vette owners are pretty maintenance minded but not all. Once you start looking you be able to tell the difference very quickly.

Good Luck in your hunt.

Gary

WYCKD 1

I shopped carefully when I was looking for my ride (with very expert advice from a forum member). The differences in maintenance are amazing even for similar mileage cars. Looked at a 95 with about 45K miles and it was extremely rough -very neglected. I bought a 92 at 45k miles - I am 3rd owner with maintainance history and it is in amazing shape. Handles tight even at high speed and smooth running.

It does need some minor repairs that only come with age due to parts wearing, etc, however to be expected and just part of regular maintenance.

Take your time and you will find. This forum is a great place for advice and building of your Vette knowledge.

Good luck
Lauri.

Frizlefrak

On that note....

Can you do your own work?

If you can do your own wrenching, these cars can be kept running for decades for a reasonable amount of money. If you have to call a mechanic every time it sputters, an old C4 can bankrupt you. And ALL C4's are old C4's. The newest specimen is now 11 years old.

Some other questions...

Do you have the tools to work on it? A good set of hand tools is all you really need to get started. You can buy (or rent) the special stuff later as you need it.

Do you have a suitable place to work on it? Heated garages are nice....working outdoors in a snowstorm because you need the car to get to work the next day will quickly spoil the joy of owning a Corvette.

Do you have the know how? Or if not, a buddy who will teach you if you dont'? There's nothing mysterious about these cars. If you do your own wrenching on your other vehicles, the Corvette won't present anything overwhelming. Oh...and always remember...the folks on this forum have done it all and will be more than willing to help you if you run into a snag.

And most importantly.....do you have an understanding spouse? I've seen a lot of guys get rid of their sports cars because the wife gets sick of the time, money, etc needed to keep it running. C4's like attention....lots of it. Owning one is quite rewarding if the spouse likes it...and quite frustrating if she doesn't. I'm lucky...the wife thinks the car is very cool...and even helps me do the wrenching. Great family fun.

I don't want to scare you off from owning a C4, just to approach it realistically. None of them are trouble free....all of them are fun.

cv67

Excellent reply

jserio

Maintenece records are key really to any car. No records you can figure the car was beaten to shIIt. Even though there is nothing wrong with the older C4's I would try to get a later model. I have a 95 now and it certainly is better then the 91, 89, 84 I have had. If your budget does limit you then I would try to find one from a forum member first since we are nerotic about our cars.

JrRifleCoach

The 95 96 model years are the better years IMHO.

High mileage will result in repairs on wear items.
Low mileage may cost some repairs from lack of operation.

Do a search on OPTI U-JOINTS and CLUTCHES.
This will give you a better idea of the areas of concern and how other CF'ers are resolving their problems.

rich653

or worse yet get rid of your wife for the sports car

biggrizzly

My 94 has approximately 150,000 miles on it. The only items that I have had to repair or replace in the past six years are tie rod ends, lower ball joints, starter, pulled and cleaned the radiator, completely replaced all of the brake system less the reservoir, but this was an upgrade that I wanted to do. I could have gotten away with new rotors and pads. Replaced the leather seat covers. I polished the heck out of it and now it looks and drives as good as new. This car still has the factory Opti-Spark and water pump, so I'm counting my blessings.

It does currently have an intake leak that is dripping more and more oil each month. This repair will be done after my ongoing parts accrual is completed sometime next year. A leaky intake can be fixed fairly easily and is common on the LT-1 engine. I chose to let it leak for now because I'm preparing to do a total top end rebuild when I do it.

Now that I said all that. I still catch myself wishing for a 96 LT4, but I guess once my engine is done I won't care anymore.

Also I would check out local Corvette Clubs, their newsletters often have cars for sale that have been well taken care of.

Good Luck hope you get one soon!

EPiC Vette

Good replies, all.

Good luck in your search. I wish I would have asked some of these questions before I bought mine

94z07fx3

This site does a good job of documenting what changed from year to year in the Corvette.

You may notice that 1994 was the first year with both passenger and driver air bags and the first year that r12 wasn't used in the AC.

And 1995 the 13" front rotors were standard but were availible as an option on earlier years RPO J55.

Raydarlove

I recently bought my Vette with 144k on it for 7K. All I could afford at the time. I knew it was probably going to need repairs. What car with that mileage wouldn't. Now I could of waited a couple of years and bought a lower mileage one for several thousands more.

My debate was do I go ahead and get the high mileage Vette for a lower price and do the expected repairs, or wait and get a higher priced one in newer condition with "probably" less repairs needed. I figured either way it was going to cost me about the same.

Well I decided to have fun now so I got the higher mileage one. So far the Vette has done me good. But everytime I drive it I'm evaluating what it needs. In a nutshell it basically needs underneath stuff. Engine, transmission, and cosmetics are great. I can deal with the underneath things a little at a time.

The only thing is it will always have high mileage so will not be worth as much in the coming years no matter how good a shape it's in. That's okay. Don't plan to sell it.

DaleD

I think I'm going into this optimistically hoping for relatively trouble free, but aware that anything with *something* or tires will give you trouble.
I am almost 50, so some of the wrenching might push my physical limits. I was a little bit of a "gear-head" in High School. Had a '72 Camaro, only had a 307, but it would scoot. Worked on cars out of necessity until I was about 25. Just recently threw out my old timing light. I love cars, and have wanted a Corvette since I was about 15.
I plan on doing some of the work, and have a reasonable set of tools. I'm in Ohio... this will be a toy for me. I drive an '02 Bonneville that will be paid for in a couple of months, so that will be my "real" car. My Corvette will be a garage queen in the winter. In the summer, I'll drive it all the time.
Understanding wife? Hmmmm, she's put up with me for 25 years, I guess she'll adjust to competing with a Corvette!

DaleD

When I realized I could finally afford an older Corvette, I got real antsy. I wanted one NOW. I have driven a few, looked at a couple more that weren't worth driving. I love the feel, and the 2nd one I drove taught me that the first one was a dog!
So now, I'm taking my time. I'm enjoying the hunt, and trying to get up to speed as fast as I can. I realize I don't know much, which makes it easier to pick things up!
It may take months, but I'm going to find a good one, and I'm not going to overpay... well, unless it's a really good one.

murraybob

My previous car was an 88. I now drive a 92. I definitely prefer the 92 version. I like the interior (dash) much better as well as the more rounded body lines. Of course the LT1 engine is an improvement over the L98. My 92 has approximately 50K more miles than that 88, but it is a much more solid car mechanically. (just the difference in care received, I'm sure) I would definitely chose the higher mileage 90s over the lower mileage 80s if they were in comparable condition.