Is the C4 paid for, or are you making payments on it? If it's paid for, keep it, drive and enjoy it... and wait till you're out of school to get a newer one.


Nice car btw...

 

Well if you truly believe you will keep it forever then the decision is made? I personally don't like C5's at all, I just think the styling is horrible, that's just me. The C6 Z06? That's a different story.

But, I plan on my boys being able to drive my C4 a long time from now (they are 4 yrs and newborn ) so I want to maintain the car for them as well as myself. How many C4's will you see in 15-20 years?

The only way to make a car truly special is to keep it for a long time and continually improve it, unless you have lots of $$$$ to just blow on a car that is.

For example, this project I've got going on mine is costing a pretty penny, no doubt. But when it's done I'll have (in my opinion) one of the BADDEST C4's in the country. Sure I could have sold the car and used the dough to buy a C5 or C6, but then the car would just be average, not SPECIAL in any way whatsoever. Just my .02 - but I've been in love with these cars since I was a little boy, I'm 32 so these cars were IT when I was coming of car age. It's so cool to pull into a gas station, car show, drag strip, whatever, and pop that big clamshell hood, I even like the popup headlights because they spin all the way around, they don't just pop right up like a C5's. I think the longer you keep the car the more you love it, even with all the C4 quirks and problems.

 

I have enough money to buy any vette I want. I chose to stick with my 96 CE LT4 Roadster.

 

ZZZZZZZZZZZ06

 

Only car i'd trade that in for is a C6 Z06.


Keep it.

 

LOL. I thought I was one of the few that was going to dump mad money into their C4 to make it one of the BADDEST C4's in the country. Glad to know I am not the only one! Makes me feel better.

 

I'd definitely upgrade to a C5 or 6. At 87xxx miles, your C4 is probably on the verge of needing continual cash infusions, money you'll never get out of it.
Besides, the C5 and especially C6 is far superior in every way to the C4.

 

I say keep it. Drive it & enjoy it for awhile cuz, like my car and the mods I've done, you'll never get out of it what was put into it....so why sell it now when you'll get close to the same for it later?

If you're really set on selling it soon, leave it the way it is...otherwise you're throwing money down the drain. Unfortunately, wheels..gears..shifter..lowering etc..aren't going to get you more money when you sell. Those are things for you to enjoy (as I've done the same things to my car, because I'd be driving it & that's how I wanted it to be) and unless you can find someone looking for a car "pre-setup just like yours" (and believe me, that's who "I'll be looking to sell to" when my time comes..lol), you're just wasting cash you can use on the next car.

BTW, nice pics dude...car looks sweet.
2 things: Where are the fuel rail covers & what's up w/ the gap in the hood/fender on the passenger side?

Oh yeah, one other thing, let's clean up that engine compartment a bit shall we? LOL...j/k man.

Before:

After:

 

I hear people say that about the C4 but do you realize how much more electronics and additional computers are on a C5/C6? People are already starting to have trouble with that stuff. Imagine what it will be like in 10 years, 20, etc. Those cars will be a nightmare.

That being said, I'm getting rid of virtually all electronics on my car and I'm just gonna run standard gauges. I've already gotten rid of all the ABS/ASR crap, A/C, etc. That's pretty extreme for most people but it means less crap to break, etc.

 

I have one C4 with well over 87k miles and it does not need a continual infusion of cash. I had a 220k mile 95 that was bone stock until the head gasket blew at 220k. Neither of my cars have been maintenance or upkeep intensive.

As far as being "far superior", I think that depends on your wants and needs. I've driven a base C6 and a C6 Z06 and I would not say that the base C6 is "far superior" to my 96 in any category except leg room and interior quietness. The rest of it was pretty disappointing. The C6 Z06 was everything that all C6's should be.

 

While it's encouraging to hear that your C4s were reliable, I couldn't disagree more that a base C6 or even C5 isn't far superior to the C4.
Just the increased chassis stiffness alone is reason to upgrade, never mind the improvements in ergonomics, lighter weight, superior interior materials, more advanced electronics, vastly better instruments, improved engine, and on and on.
I'm hard pressed to think of ANY car that's not vastly better than its 12 year-old predecessor.

 

Im still paying on it but i dont have far to go. It will be paid for very soon unlike the C6 if i decided to go that route so i think the C4 is the better choice in that aspect anyway. Ive been lucky though. My parents were very good at explaining the importance of good credit to me so i am religous when it comes to payments and that sort of thing. I can sign for anything i want already and im only 22 because of my good history i have made. I have NEVER been late on 1 payment ever! I just sold and paid off some of the things i have/had so i can cut back while im still in school. The vette is my only payment which will be gone soon other than the must have bills of course(living, food, bills, etc.).

 

This is a very good post! Made me think about what i would really like to do with the car and id really like to just keep it around afterall and eventually build a nice 383 out of it. 87k miles seems like 5k with the way this car runs but when it is time eventually way down the road, i can just go bigger and better with it.

 

Thanks man and yeah, i already cleaned it up. I took the covers off to wipe them down and didnt plan to take anything but outside pics over there at the park but i took under the hood shots anyway. I just posted them cause those are the only ones i have of under the hood. Its much cleaner now! lol

The gap in the passenger side of the hood is just an alignment issue. I need to loosen it up and move it over a little to make it flush. No biggie... just havent dont it yet. Its hardly off, the pics make it look like it is because of the shadow. I think the shop had the hood off for the cam/LT's install and just didnt align it perfect when they put it back on.

 

As I said before, it depends on what is important to you. Ergonomics? Thats a subjective category. Lighter weight? huh? Base C5 and C6 are not significantly lighter than a comparable C4. Superior interior materials? Plastic is still plastic. They seem to use better leather than in the C4's, but I don't know that it was such an improvement that I'd say it was major or a vast improvement. Chassis stiffness? Yes, that is probably the only area I would say is 'vastly' improved. Improved engine? The extra 50 HP in the base C6 did not impress me in the least.

I can think of lots of cars that did not improve over their 12 year old predecessor...

 

Thanks for all the replies guys! I think the only way i could consider selling this car to make a big step up is if i did get the C6 Z06 which i cant afford right now being in school still and all. That is really the only Vette that makes me drool when i see it! The rest are just average to me. I think if i sold my car and got a C5 or base C6, it might make me happy for a short time but when i see a C6 Z06 pull up somewhere, im going to making a post like this all over again! lol

I dont see my car being any kind of maintenance intensive project anytime soon. These cars seem to run well for a long time and when it is eventually time somewhere down the road, i will build a nice motor (Most likely a 383 setup) with a bigger/better combo. All cars have quirks... new/old doesnt matter. My car has 87k miles because it has actually been driven. Some have less and some have more. I (like the guy that owned the car to begin with) bought the car to enjoy it. I wouldnt waste the money on a KILLER SWEET VETTE just to say i have it at home in the garage. Weather is nice around here almost year round. I drive it when i can and enjoy every minute of it.

 

Ok, I'll bite, name just one car that hasn't improved over the last 12 years.

 

There you are, ya gotta go with what trips your trigger.
I can buy any Corvette I want, but I like my C4. It's not the fastest or most modern, but it's what I like and that's all that matters.

 

I agree completely!

 

Hell I did that a 50MPH passing with a 1972 ford torino. Nail it at 50 and the tires would start smoking. Look In the mirror and 2 black lines about 20 foot long Not bad for $50.00. really