Looking to buy an 87. Engine rebuilt not long ago (less than 40k) lots of the upgrades but no major engine changes like cams and such. Asking price is 5k and I really want it after driving it, but there are a few concerns.

Interior is pretty trashed, but not ungodly. I wouldn't be embarrassed to have a first date get in it. The speedo acts weird. It's almost doubling your actual speed and the mileage tracker is also clicking by way faster than it should. LCDs are good, but the dash is cracked a bit. All in all, nothing I wouldn't expect from a 26 year old car.

Biggest concern is the windshield. It looks like a marble hit it or something. Bottom passenger side. Not super huge or I would have noticed it sooner, but definitely a ticket catcher. I'm concerned that the harsh suspension and the crappy roads in FL are going to make it worse very quickly. No way i can replace it myself and I have no idea how much that's going to cost.

Took it on a toll road and got up around 100mph (owner driving not me!) and noticed the back end seems to vibrate a bit. It has the Z51 package so I was expecting stiff and noisy but it seemed slightly excessive. He said the tires haven't been rotated or balanced.....could out-of-balance tires cause a bit of vibration?

Also, i kinda toasted the clutch slightly....Just wondering what an average clutch in these bad boys can take before needing replacement. It wasn't terrible, but you could smell it since the heater is locked on full.

Bottom line, I feel like I should negotiate a bit, but at the same time, it's a friggin VETTE! Everything was pretty much as described in the ad except for the windshield. I'm telling you guys, that was a serious buzzkill when I noticed. I haven't said anything yet because I'm trying to figure out what I should do. This would be my first vehicle with 4 wheels so I'm trying not to repeat any mistakes I've made with my bike purchases.

I don't have a fortune, and after registration, taxes, tag/title, and insurance for 6 months, it's not going to leave me with a whole lot.

Bottom line, 5k a taker or not? Please don't just say no, advise a counter-offer, this could be an awesome vehicle with a bit of time and care.

 

Find another one, that's going to need a lot of work. By the time you finish it you'll have spent 8k total or more.

That speedometer problem sounds like he may have changed the rear gear ratio, since you mention mods, so to fix that you would have to get a new set of drive and driven gears and have them installed, and they are located in the tail shaft housing of the transmission, so it may get labor intensive. You can do the easier way like I did and go the speedometer calibrator route. Now also remember, the odometer gets it's readings from the Vehicle Speed Sensor, which is the same sensor that the speedometer gets it's readings from. So if the speedometer is off, so could the odometer, it may not be only 42k miles...

The dash is pretty cheap, I assume it's just the dash pad, I think they go for 100 bucks new.

The windshield will probably run you 150 plus installation.

And, yes, out of balance tires can cause a vibration, but so can other things, such as an improperly installed rear gears, out of balance driveshaft, halfshafts, bent hub, etc.

Also I should mention that a full interior goes for around 2k, not including the dashboard.

I suggest you keep looking, there are a lot of nice ones out there for cheap.

 

My vote is no. My counter offer is that I would take a pass on it. Maybe consider at 2.5k.

5k will get you a lot of clean C4 Corvette right now, but patience is king.

And in my experience, ANY windshield crack WILL become a gigantic, across the entire screen crack because there is so much flex in the body.

 

5K is a bit high with what you have described, did not mention paint, wheels tires trim, did you check headlight function open close. Do not get vette fever on us look around. tell the guy you gonna look around some more he is about 1K high IMHO.

Be Safe

 

If I were you, I would up the budget to around $8k. you can find lots of clean late C4's that need nothing but to be driven. I don't know where they claim to find clean cars for $5k, but I promise they aren't as clean as you think. There are plenty of clean cars out there, don't buy the first one you drive without doing yourself a favor and looking at several others.

 

This is what you need

 

 

That's right you've seen Rose last March.
An eye witness never hurts!

 

Pass You should drive at least 4 or 5 before you buy one. The more you drive the more you will know.

 

OP: you fell in love with that "feeling" you get from Corvettes. Join the club! But! That one is going to need work. So, unless you're buying it as a hobby project, I'd pass and look for a nice one in the 8-9K range; might even finde a very nice LT1 car at that $$ point.

But, if you're looking for a project, I'd say he's a couple Gs too high on the asking price.

JMO. Hate to see you take on someone else's headaches - and this Vette gives me headaches already, and I'm not even considering.

There are very nice ones for $8k that would need little or nothing!

 

Keep looking you will put more money in the car than it's worth.

 

Sounds like a money pit. Just had a windshield replaced in my 91. Insurance company paid $500.
As mentioned above. Save up some money and buy a better one. You will be farther ahead buying one that someone else has already fixed up for you.

 

I have to say, I'm a bit surprised by all the responses I got! A bit more by the unity of them as well. I thought for sure everyone was gonna say take it down to 4k or so and it's not a bad deal.

I do like projects. Every vehicel I've bought so far wasn't running when I got it. This would actually be the first one that runs and has 4 wheels, which is why I'm looking for sound advice. And I got it!

Thanks guys. I was really really saddened when I saw all the things I'd have to do to make this baby decent again. I really did hope it was going to be worth the asking price but I guess I'll have to break the news to the guy. So how about 3k even? Surely it's not a bad buy at that price....is it? lmao

 

What you have described is a bottomless money pit. I'm guessing that you havent even scratched the surface with finding hidden problems with the car. $6,000 to $9,000 will buy you a newer Corvette without issues. After all, you have 384,000 C4's to chose from. Walk away from this one!

 

i got a n 84 that ran and dint look to bad given to me.

it was high milage and i am happy to work on it. that said, unless you have deeper pockets pass and buy better.

the last tally on mine came to over $6000 for parts that i have bought. that would have put me in the wheel house for a much nicer car to start with.

i haven't ran the last 7 months of bills but this is what i wanted and a very happy with my results. i still will need a new motor, trans rebuild. and diff rebuild at some point.

hence all the advice above. tread lightly and be 100% sure of where you want to go with this car. you will always pretty much have a $5000 car no matter how much you put into it.

unless you want a hobby and are in it for personal edification,

pass and find the best car you can. not the cheapest.

 

Advice is you are making a mistake based on what you have stated above. The car that you've described to us is not a driver its a project.

The car for sale by JrRifleCoach is a "driver" that has been constantly maintained. Now, I do not know him personally nor have I ever seen his car however ...... he is know by several people here on the forum, we all see him posting here all the time and ...... you can check back and read all of his posts over the years about this car and see what he's done with it. There is significant value in this.

It sounds like you are suffering from what many many of us suffered from when we first got into a "corvette that we could finally afford" we fell in love with the very first one that we drove. AVOID THIS MISTAKE.

You need to drive at least a half dozen before you can begin to realize a well maintained one from one that has not been.

IMHO a good quality C4 is an $8K - $12K purchase. I'm an not saying that you have to pay 12 but you going to have to look long and hard and be lucky to find one for less than $8 that's not going to cost you $$ to get it up to snuff.

 

Well....I appreciate your and everyone else's input on this. And you guys that said i got the fever, you ain't wrong! I've spent the past 3 weeks researching pretty much everything I could find about this car in my spare time in prep for test driving it. I still kinda want it, but after all the replies I've gotten, and all of them saying to talk away, I think I'm going to do just that. Guess I'm back where I started and am looking for a 4 cyl manual pickup. I want something with a roof damnit! I'm tired of being rained on, cold in winter, sweating ***** in the summer, and worrying about getting killed by some idiot. 4 years is enough.

I'm gonna get a cheap little truck and just keep saving. Who knows, maybe I'll run across something awesome in the future. When I do, you can be sure I'll be back on here to ask about it, you guys know your stuff and I appreciate the input!

 

Well, looks like i can't get it now even if i wanted to. I was waiting on a few checks to clear from some website work I did for a guy overseas, and two of them just bounced, leaving me about 2k poorer than I had anticipated.

I was going to talk to the guy and see if we could work out a deal (the more I look into it the more that vibration from the rear end is scaring me) but now I just have to tell him I'm screwed and sorry for wasting your time.

I would love a project car like a Vette and I know how much cash we're talking about...I've already put together a list of around 4k and I wasn't even done yet..<.<... but it seems it just wasn't meant to be.

On another note, I'm willing to trade one of my kidneys for a nice Vette if anyone is interested. I'm young and healthy and I hate alcohol so I'm prolly a good bet!

 

the C4's surely have a roof, but you will still get wet in most cases, you will still freeze on cold days, and get 3rd degree burns when you get in the car on a summer day after it's been in the sun all day.

 

Hey there, why not get something 92 and newer, much more power ect.
You would be glad you did. Last year I picked up a 1992 6 speed for 2500. Need a clutch but was great.