125,000 miles on mine and I'm leaving tomorrow to get a lobster. I live in Kentucky and I'm going to Bar Harbor, Maine via Buffalo, NY to eat wings (Buffalo) and lobster (Maine). All I did for prep was a quick wash, check tire pressure and an oil change. It'll be about 2500 miles before I get home.

Remember, this drivetrain was used in police cars and when the body fell apart they sold them to the taxi companies. Many have way, way over 250,000 miles on them. If I can find room to put it, I may take a screwdriver. These Vette Verts don't have a lot of storage space. Packing for 2 for a week required quite the effort. I'll buy a toothbrush when I get there.

 

I've had my '96 for about 3 years now. Oil changes, and a new battery a few weeks ago. That's it, and I drive it to work and back 5 days a week. (About 23 miles round trip.)

 

Friz, swing up through Arkansas and we'll invade Don's domain in style. I bet we can make sure he never extends an invite again

 

Did it a couple weeks ago. Had the oil and filter changed, checked all fluids, gassed it up and did 3300 miles. Not a single problem. It's almost 15 years old.

 

I paln to take my '95 from Colorado to San Diego, CA and drive north to the Canadian Border on the Pacific Coast Highway next April. Then drive back home to Colorado. I have that much faith in it.

I was considering taking the '79 Vette, but the '95 is more comfortable to be in for several hundred miles at a time and does deliver better gas mileage.

However, I think Godl cylon was the person who told me that the first year anybody owns a C4 is their "debugging year". Little things like replacing shocks, upgrading the exhaust system, changing the fuel filter, replacing the serpetine belt, etc. In my case, at the six-month mark of owning my C4, the water pump needed replacing. This forum gave me much information and at the behest of Agent86 and Gold Cylon, I replaced the Opti at the same time. Expensive? Yes, but not as expensive as it would have been if I replaced the WP and then had to replace the Opti later.

Like any other machine, reliablity is directly related to care and preventive maintenance. Even with a CARFAX in my hand, any used car with be considered as not having been properly maintained by the previous owner and slowly repaired from there. If you get a C4 and it's your first one, look up and see if there is a Corvette Car club nearby and contact them. See if there is a C4 fan in the group and have him/her (pay them a little for their time if you need to) and have them go over your potential purchase. Believe me, they will know what the important things to look for.

After buying the car, don't drive it much until you have all the fluids and filters replaced. Oil, Coolant, Trans fluid and filter, etc. And have the rear end checked out. It amazes me how few people ever have the oil in the differential changed.

That's my 2 cents worth.

 

What did you expect from some members on this forum? Many members show up with that attitude. I don't understand why they are involved with a C4 forum if they just view their Corvette as "just an old car". "Worthless and nothing special". I think it's just a way to show they don't know what they are doing when it comes to a Corvette. Do they also frequent forums dedicated to their boring family sedan? I don't think so. There are good points as well as bad points to Corvette ownership. Seems like quite a few of them dwell on complaining and moaning about their boredom with the car. I say to them, MOVE ON or stop complaining.

 

I have said this before, but I think it bears repeating (at least I think so!)...

If you are afraid to drive your car because you don't trust it to get you from Point A to Point B, then you shouldn't own a Corvette... period! Those are the people who don't know what they are doing when they buy one. They are expensive to buy (off the showroom floor anyway) and they generally do cost more to maintain than your "average" automobile and I think some people do not look at the "big picture" when they get one and once they get a taste of the true cost of ownership, the car becomes a "garage queen".

Some people tend to think that if they just don't drive it very often then it is less likely to break. Most things on a car wear out through use, but some things wear out or deteriorate over time, like the intake manifold seals on the L98 engine! Letting it sit is probably the worst thing you can do for this.

If you can't afford the maintain your Corvette (which is none of our business), then maybe you should sell your car. If you are not willing to spend the time and money to maintain your Corvette, then maybe you should sell your car. Under no circumstances should you ever be afraid to drive your car because it is unreliable. Corvettes are not unreliable by nature. They are only unreliable because you made it that way.

Flame suit on!

 

I'll take exception to that.

First, who made you the arbitor of who should and should not own a C4? That's the kind of junk that makes this place unfriendly to new comers, people who "know", telling others what they "should" do.

Second, in the case of the early C4s, the cars are around 20 years old. On a long trip, things are stressed. Did you know that the SAE changed the specs on wiring for cars somewhere around 1992? Did you know that the wiring on older C4s tends to get brittle and draw back from the connectors? This leads to shorts, and gremlins that come out of nowhere.

Third, I have plenty of money for this car, in fact, I'd guess I've put as much into this thing as most driver quality C4s. My car runs well, it runs cool, and everything on it works, everything.

I drive my car all the time. I drive it to golf league, 20 miles each way and depend on it to get me there. But, I don't want to be 300 miles from home, and have it strand me, that's a headache I don't want.

I'll give my opinion, and I won't presume to tell you what you should do.

 

my only car driving it around town is the shake down drive for longer trips, I am always shaking it down...

 

I agree and disagree on this one.

Yes it is old and yes no matter how well stuff is built it does go wrong.
But meh The chances of a 100% failure are slim at best.... Mine is as old as yours....
Other then it's long garage sit has been took care for very anally and she returns the favor with never going down on me! lol

But on the other note add free towing and road side on your insurance policy that way you can still go to events and have a good time... And if she does happen to poop out on you .... You get a free ride home

Old cars free road side dont leave home without it!!!

 

Until I traded it off yesterday it was very dependable. I would hop in the thing and take it to Denver frequently which was about a 500 mile trip. Never had any issues...Ever

 

I guess I just don't see the point in owning a car that you are afraid to drive. You're going to have to put money into an old Corvette to keep it on the road. When something breaks, fix it. But to let something like a Corvette just sit is just a waste of machinery.

But you're right. Its your money. Do whatever you want. I bought mine to drive... every day.

 

And I don't understand why someone who thrashes their car encourages others to do so.

Notice that I just assumed you thrash your car, you never said you do. Just like you assumed that my car sits, while I never said it does. If you'd actually read what was written, you'd have to preach something else from your soapbox.

 

My car sits! So far this year 2010 ive put on 290 miles

But i drive it enough where it does not hurt anything.

 

I never quoted anyone in my post and I especially NEVER used your name specifically anywhere in my post and since you are not the one who made the initial post, why are you assuming that I was even talking to you or about your driving habits?

 

 

Mine's a 94 LT1 Coupe; 140K on the clock.

I live in the Sierra Nevadas. Once a week I jump in for "have to get there" destinations in the SF Bay Area (Court appearances, etc.). About a 400 mi round trip in one day. I've owned this car for three (3) years now, and haven't missed anything because of a car problem yet...

- WPK

 

My C4 is probably the most dependable car I have. Seriously, this thing is a dinosaur, it's a god damn T-Rex for cryin out loud. It's big, tough as nails, I swear if I took my air filter off and threw a bunch of pebbles into the intake this thing would just spit 'em out and rip my arm off. I drive this thing every day, between 50-70 miles and it doesn't skip a beat. Sure, stuff wears out and breaks, but its never left me stranded. Unlike a particular turbo Eclipse I own that I bought with 60K miles on it 5 years ago, it now only has 70K miles years later because I've had to replace just about everything on the car (but then again I beat the snot out of that car)

 

coming home from the Hot Rod Power Tour. Only 1700 hundred miles as I left after BG, KY. So mine is dependable I would say.



The Edward Jones dome in STL for anyone who cares

 

Exactly what I was gonna say. I have had my fair share of trouble in cars that were less than five years old. There are no guarantees...