Tommy T-Bone

Get what you like . Like what you get. Spend your hard earned cash and time on it and just enjoy the dammed thing. New cars depreciate while you sleep. C4's are just making moderate adjustments. Do you want an investment? . Buy stock or real estate. Do you want to have some fun? Buy a C4. Fortunately, parts are available. ...............

Rocket22

Calculate your cost per mile or year and the C4 is a great car to own (of course this does not factor repair cost..yikes).

I have a 94 with 100K 6 sped that I picked up for 8 grand, needs a little repair (if anyone knows how to fix the PKE and CHime, please contact me-it has become my White Whale), but if I lose a grand or two (figuring this will bottom out at 6K) then I have spent 2 grand on a butt kicking machine that still gets every (or almost every) honda civic with the fart can exhaust to realize they arent even in the ballgame.

Heck you can buy a crappy new car and watch it lose a few grand every year and still probably depreciate below a vette within 5 years (read Dodge Neon, Ford Taurus, etc)

GlassToys

My feeling is the garage queens will bottom around where they are now. If the carpet, seats and paint are original or have been udated correctly. When they become worn out those who pick them up in 5k range will have to make all the above mentioned updates along with tires, brakes and worn suspention etc. You will put more into it than where thay are priced now so I think for those that turn them into a garage queen, sunny day weekend cruiser the value will not decrease. If you choose to drive them and and add wear to them they will still decrease in value.

DaleD

It's just something to talk about. Hey, if you can get threads about C4 vs. KITT, then surely multiple threads speculating about C4 value aren't stupid.

But, I agree with you, anyone buying a C4 as a investment, (ruling out the 3k mile trailer queens), is fooling themselves. I bought mine because it was cheap, but it is a vette! If it ever quits snowing, I'm going to drive it.

rocco16

Corvette Magazine shows most C4's gained a few percentage points over the last year. Not all, but most years/models.

This is good news.

Larry
code5coupe

__________
I ain't easily impressed....

meshies

Where the hell is everybody finding nice low mileage C4's for 10k and under!?!? If i find a 92-96 C4 for less than 10k anywhere it is in rough shape or RED.

03whitecoupe

A lot of it depends on condition, miles, uniqueness, etc., but they sure ain't much of an investment. For the most part you'll lose money on them and I can't see that changing any time soon, unfortunately.

"J"

I don't care what NADA says! If someone wants it they will have to pay for it. I have to much money in it, and I like it too much to sale.

GlassToys

Buy a boat, motor cycle, snowmobile or camper you will lose a lot. At least with the c4 you won't lose as much.

CentralCoaster

For who?

Greg Gore

It's bound to happen sooner or later and for sure when C7 is introduced but certainly not for all of them. It appears there is a priority to which models will appreciate and which probably will not which includes the more common versions or those that have been extensively modified or those with very high miles. It is safe to say that while C4's were once common to see around that is really no longer the case as attrition and obsolescence is reducing numbers of C4's used for daily driving in spite of the large numbers built and sold. You are seeing C5s and C6s now taking their place as the daily driver of choice and many C4 buyers are now looking for either a special model garage queen with low miles or a hobby racer or an excellent low cost hot street car. This is due to a lot of performance available for well under $10K in some cases. Provided miles are kept low and original condition observed and maintained I would expect the order of future appreciation to approximate the following:

1) ZR-1 (especially the late ZR-1), Callaway B2K, Corvette World Challenge Series
2) Grand Sport convertible (especially red interior)
3) Grand Sport Coupe (especially red interior)
4) Collectors Edition convertible/ LT4
5) 96 convertible/ LT4
6) Collectors Edition convertible/ LT1 (red interior)
7) Collectors Edition coupe/ LT4
8) 96 convertible/ LT1
9) 96 coupe/ LT4
10) 92-95 convertible
11) 86-91 convertible, 92-96 coupe
12) 90-91 coupe
13) 86-89 coupe
14) 84-85

The 1988 35th anniversary edition, the 1990 Indy Festival convertible, 1993 Anniversary Edition and the 1995 Pace Car will appreciate but don't know where they should rank.

ozvette87

Frizlefrak

I don't drive my mutual funds, and I don't invest in cars.

conrad

A Corvette is the only car you can own and drive and get most of your money back. This is my second and although I had to sell my 94 with 30K mile due to being outsourced a few years back. I got 10K of fun miles for $4,000 loss in value not bad in my book!!! I looked for 2 years to find my 92 not near as clean or low miles but was in my price range, still it is a good value. I still think the C4 is a very good value for the dollar and I always get thumbs up everywhere I drive... Of course 3 coats of wax always helps! Only Vette's and Harley's keep there values pretty good. Have fun, keep a smile on your face as 90% of the other drivers wish they were driving a Vette!!! We are!!! Drive on!!!

vettebuyer6369

Simply incorrect. Ive had 15 Corvettes since 1978 and I've made money (sometimes a lot of money) on every one of them except the 3 C4s I've had. Havent sold the C5 we bought new yet, so that will be the forth.

toroguy

When the C7 comes out we will be cashin in...

Wait a minute...in 2020 when the new C7 comes out we will be old geezers!

Good points everyone - I believe the early C4 values should remain "static". The later model C4's will decline until the LT1 becomes more rare..the ZR-1 seems like the true winner in the C4 platform, however nice originals will always be worthy collectibles.

I have seen the newer 91'sh C4 dash layouts - I like the way the earlier C4 dash is the same height as the hoodline - its flat, not rounded - the 91'sh looks nice but doesnt match the hood line? It is like a bump on the horizon.

It would be nice to a have a garage queen and a modded "mad animal" C4 to drive. That would be true enjoyment imo.

rock on - I need some cake?

ronwc

Just go to autotrader.com and look for 84-96 corvettes under $10k - 558 for sale - C4's are very reasonable now (cheap) and won't go up in value for another 5 years or so - I just paid $5100 for an 89 vert in good shape -

AORoads

It's almost early spring in some parts of the country, even tho it's still snowing there . This spring will tell the tale of IF the C4 prices are bottomed out, or going up.

I suspect for some models/years, it may be going up a very slight bit as rocco says. Again, as said on this thread, condition, mileage, rarity if at all, and the location all play into the price. For others, it may be static. And static means going down slightly.

Believe it or not, used C6s are taking a big hit, too, on prices, especially the first and second year ('05, '06). There were quite a few leftover, new, C6s in '06 model year, and they were being heavily discounted in late '06 ($12K off msrp) . There are now selected '07s going below "invoice", and that's not dealer bull either.

5speedC4

Any car you drive, is like sticking money in a rat hole.

You normally only get your money back, in the form of miles that you drive your car.

Transportation is expensive.

You may as well drive a beautiful corvette; and really enjoy those miles, as you drive the value out of your car.

SEA4

I think the L98's are at the bottom of their range right now.. You have to remember that the C4's spanned 12 years.. so the earlier cars are going to hit their bottom before the later cars.. You can get a decent L98 automatic 'driver' for $5000 - $6000 with 100K on it, but an LT1 with the same miles and options will run you at least a couple grand more.. but like anything, it all comes down to condition and supply/demand. I'd pay more for a real clean 89 6 speed with low miles than a 93ish automatic with 100K on it, that's for sure.

As for 'making money' on them.. it can be done, but it's rare unless you are getting a great deal up front and you turn it over quickly after a quality detail job, or you hold on to it for 10 years and hardly ever drive it to keep the miles/condition good. (the 89 vert mentioned a couple posts ago for $5100 is very uncommon IMHO)

I bought a 73 4 speed car with 60K on it many years ago for $10,000 and had it for 6 years. It had almost 160K on it when I sold it and it still brought $9500. I didn't 'make money' on that car, but I sure did enjoy it for a long time without spending any more than normal maintenance items. I think many of the C4's will have that same sort of outcome, especially if they are clean, loaded, standard transmission cars or convertibles.