Jon Hekking

I don't normally do car shows, I don't like the criticism that comes from onlookers that don't own a car but have no problem shooting holes in mine. I wasn't going to take the 93 because it was still missing some lug covers that are on back order but other than that it's in great shape so I thought "why not". Going against the norm, I put both Vettes in a local show today. Now granted, my C4 was parked between two really nice C3's, my 81 (which won best paint again) and a really stunning all black, low mileage 79. People stopped and looked over the 79 for a while, walked past my 93 and spent time at the 81. I spent time speaking to the owner of the 79 and we discussed the 93, he said he never really had much interest in them, I told him I preferred driving it to the C3 and he said he was surprised. I let him drive the 93 after the show and after the ride he said it was MUCH more enjoyable to drive compared to his 79 and he was shocked by the power of the LT1 and he was going to consider picking one up to drive in place of his C3. At least we converted one today!

My 93 dressed up and ready for the show;

Nick 418

Never understood why most people don't care for C4s. I feel that the C4has a perfect combo for styling. It has that modern look to it, and at the same time it has a classy old school style mixed with it. Plus they handle so much better then c1-c3 vettes and perform better then most of them out of the box. And you get can get a great c4 between $5-10k. And get 20+mpg at the same time. Not too bad for 13-25 year old vette. By the way great looking C4 I like the black look

tpivette

congrats on converting a non-C4 guy to our camp!

ive owned three C4s... a 89' auto, a 93' 6speed, and my current 96' 6speed. loved every single one of them. C4s are just my favorite Vette for some reason... i cant help but be drawn to them

Sweet 90

Nice story Jon. Good thing you left that crappy C3 in the garage

Jim

Jon Hekking

Yea, keep that eyesore out of the view of my home owners association

Still love that Autumn Red 81!

tim32920

I never liked the c4 either when I was younger and drove a 77 for a few years, i think it was the lines of the c3 it just seemed more classy looking with the way the front end looked from the inside like it went on forever and the way the front fenders looked and the c4 comes along and it looked flat but in 2002 i bought an 85 and sold the 77 because the c4 was more comfortable and had alot of cool buttons and a cool dash. I now have a 92 and an 03 and would only have a c3 as a collector.

Pwnage1337

i get this crap at school ALL THE TIME.

i'm 17, still in high school. there are about 70 people in my grade, and they all drive cavaliers/jacked up trucks. this is some of what i hear

"does your car have a V-8?"

"dude your kind of corvette (referring to C4's) is the crappiest kind they made" - to which i reply "its still a corvette, not a 4-banger POS"

CorvetteMike2024

I bought my vette new in 1989. This year im enjoying it more than ever. The mentallity "my vette is better than yours" I dont participate in. I dont even like C5's and 6's. I like my 89 with the truck motor, and the atari dash and 237K on the clock. I like the clamshell hood too.

Jon, I like both your vettes Must be tuff in the morning making a decision on which nice vette to drive.

There is nothing wrong with C4's. I think they are the best buy going now. The C4 was the best they had to offer at that time.
For me, my favorite C4s are the early ones.

Corvette Mike

carolinamountains

I just had my 85 in a show (Vettes In The Valley) out of approx 400 Vettes, just a handfull were C4's. they did not get too much attention, but what I did notice, was a few people wanted there pictures taken with my car in the background, that really gave me warm fuzzies:o. when I get my camper paid off, I plan on adding a mid 90's to the stable. got to stick with C4's though I wouldnt mind a C3 for a weekend car.

Scream And Fly

I like the C4 most because of its interior. I felt the C5 and C6 interiors were geared more toward luxury, which isn't a bad thing I guess. I also love the digital dashboard!

tim32920

$#@% em and feed em fish heads! They are just jealous and if they had one it would be the best car in the world. My son is 14 and when he is able to drive the 92 is his and he has spent alot of time on this car with me..I wish when I was 16-17 I would of had a Corvette. I had a pos 78 ford truck with different color body parts that I worked on a farm shoveling crap paid for and when I went into the Army my dad sold it while I was in boot camp and kept the money saying that he bought it...lol We haven't spoke in a few years.


I like the 92 dash better than the one in the 85 its more like a cockpit and not as many problems with the gauges and digital readouts.

mnstrlt1

I think the common issue with the c4 being referred to as the "crappiest" vette' made is that (IMHO) ALL domestics (and some import) cars in the 80's and early 90's were a little "off". the build quality wasn't there... heck the technology wasn't there.

I think the domestic auto market was playing "catch up" for most of the decade (80's), and finally started to refine the process in the early 90's and by the "mid" 90's they started to "get it right".

a few of my buddies have owned f-bodies, trucks, sport compacts from that era that had a lot of issues (build quality again, interior fit, finish... a lot of squeaks, rattles, mistery noises...lol). Interestingly enough NONE of my fiero's (all three) had these problems? Kind of makes you wonder what was done differently with the Fiero compared to the rest of GM's line up? My fiero's all had the original body panels, interior panels, upholstery, weather gaskets, epoxy coated frame etc... all of which looked nearly brand new (more than two decades later) with the exception of the center console, arm rest, and storage compartment panel.

*****edit****
BTW, i don't have experience with "older" muscle cars... (the c3 vette for that matter) so i can't comment on the build quality etc of these older domestic cars.

mnstrlt1

one of the reasons that keeps me from purchasing the newer vette's... they don't look "as cool" as a c4... the interior doesn't feel as much like a cockpit. The newer vette's are certainly much more refined, and much more geared toward the masses... I feel the C4 was more of a "specialty car" (i.e. not for everyone). the c4 is down right prejudice against the majority of the buying market (hard to get in/out, "small" seats, interior gets hot, etc)... the c5/c6 seem to be more "politically correct"...lol.. GM has tried to appeal to a much larger market with the c5/c6... trying to incorporate more creature comforts etc. It's almost "easier" to drive a c5/c6 to it's limit as compared to the c4... i would almost trust a new driver with a c5/c6, but would be a little nervus if that same drive jumped into a c4.

I don't know why you need a button instead of a traditional hand lever to get out of a vehicle? (the c6 has a push button door release from the inside so does the cadillac 2-door convertable sports car BTW).

CStewTAMU

I agree. I guess that's a younger generation.. Most teenagers today don't remember when a C4 was a new car. When I was a kid, the C4 was the pinnacle of peformance by GM. It was bad ***. I remember being less than 10 and turning my head everytime I saw a C4 corvette thinking they were soooo cool.

And I can see where the kids of today are coming from. To me, I don't think that highly of the C3 other than its looks which I think are awesome. I am not quite old enough to remember when they were new. I was born the last year the C3 was a new car. But I know there are a LOT of compromises underneith the C3's good looks. Other than the first 3-4 years of the C3's, they are a forgettable car in terms of performance. My gosh, the Corvette was pretty much neutered like pretty much all domestic cars of its time were. 305 V8 wiht 180hp???? You kidding me???? Defeats the purpose of a Corvette. That, and they clearly have nothing on a modern car in terms of handling and performance. They only good thing they had going for them was looks and power. And the power part of that only lasted the first 3-4 years.

But, I love all Corvettes. C3's too. And I DO wave!!!

Mr. Peabody

This is a great point. They may be a bit tougher to get out of but it's cool being in a C4. The late model sport seats are very comfortable and they're a blast to drive particularly with the Z07 pkg

Mr. Peabody

No one who has ever owned early model corvettes would say this about a C4. While it may be difficult, the coolest thing you can do is just sort of smile ( you know the kind you get when your driving your C4) and say "... yeah, but I like it." Because with us... that's what counts

Greg0u812

On the first part, EXACTLY why I do not put mine in car shows. More or less a garage queen any more (but it's for my own reasons.....not for others to either ogle over or put down). If that's what somebody digs, more power to 'em. I just don't understand why people put cars in shows (nor do I want or need to understand it so please don't try and explain it to me anybody). I love going to them though.......go figure.

I really like the C6 and the 5 is cool in its own right.

I think the only vette that beats an early C4 in the coolness factor is the C3 (any year)......but, just my opinion.



Hey Jon.....what can you expect?
You put your C4 in a car show and then proceeded to park it between a '79 and an '81.
That's kinda like taking a Citation and parking it between 2 Cadillac CTS' and expecting compliments on it.



Ok.....maybe not quite that bad.......but.......stillllll.



Hope you had fun overall.

VetteFreak91

Mint shape Vette you got!

Jon Hekking

I don't care for shows either, only did this one as a favor to a friend of mine that is a Regional Manager for a large retail auto parts store chain. I parked where I was told, didn't really care that much.

Had some fun, good to talk to other Vette owners as well. Won't be counting the moments until I do it again though

Tommy T-Bone

The general populace, (sheeple) , haven't been told yet that the C4 platform is an outstanding car for it's era or have befallen a number of statements that are best researched at the snopes.com website. The newer car designs are giving the C4 it's place in automotive styling history as it starts to look more outdated with each passing year. The round brake lights of the pre 91 cars are readily identifiable as different than the later models. You cannot command respect. You have to earn it. When comparing apples to apples in it's design era, the rants and raves of the popular car rags about the performance and styling of the Corvette abounded. It is the ignorance of the general car population and lack of support from the supposed Corvette media outlets that help perpetuate this C4 dogma. Meanwhile, enjoy your C4 for what it truly is. Don't forget to give it a spanking.