C4 as a condo car.. issues? indulgence requested
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Pro
Joined: Mar 2011
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From: 40 miles N. of the Everglades
C4 as a condo car.. issues? indulgence requested
OK, have a C5 in the North I maintain, thinking about a late C4 condo car in FL for cruise nites/second car, thousand miles per year. I am familiar with the opti, perhaps less reproduced parts, and IMO little harder to work on than others. Thinking I'm avoiding the handling/anti lock module issues of the early C5's?
Any chronic bearing, drivetrain, etc issues I should be looking for? I don't have the facilities here to do much work.
Thanks for your indulgence with these no doubt common questions.
Any chronic bearing, drivetrain, etc issues I should be looking for? I don't have the facilities here to do much work.
Thanks for your indulgence with these no doubt common questions.
Race Director
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 16,475
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From: Kingman AZ
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St. Jude Donor '06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16
I too am (hopefully) headed to Florida when our home sells in Michigan this summer. We will be in a condo/apartment and will no longer have a garage.
Most of the folks who own an LT1 C4 don't have any problems with the opti.
I would buy the best-maintained, best looking, latest model you can afford. The ideal would be a 95/96 that has been garage kept. If you keep the weatherstripping supple by keeping it lubed up with dialectric grease then you will eliminate one of the C4's drawbacks.
I am wondering if there are storage units down there with enough room to work on the car and with light and power available. It might be worth a few bucks a month to have one available.
Most of the folks who own an LT1 C4 don't have any problems with the opti.
I would buy the best-maintained, best looking, latest model you can afford. The ideal would be a 95/96 that has been garage kept. If you keep the weatherstripping supple by keeping it lubed up with dialectric grease then you will eliminate one of the C4's drawbacks.
I am wondering if there are storage units down there with enough room to work on the car and with light and power available. It might be worth a few bucks a month to have one available.
Racer
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 405
Likes: 15
From: Panama City Beach Florida
C4's
My 94 was well maintained, low miles, 22000, when I bought it a year ago. So far the only small issues were headlight functions, (replace plastic gears with metal gears ) , Bose stereo amps, Opti replaced when I had coolant flush done and they got coolant on Opti. Biggest surprise was how hot these Vettes run normally. Fans kick on at 228 which is easy to hit in hot FL or traffic. This can be changed though. Good points are they are good cruisers, decent gas mileage, great looking and tires are cheap (paid $700 total for 4 Nitto's-they are quiet).
I am glad I do have a garage as the sun is brutal even in North FL and mine is black.
Welome RonW, where are you moving to? I'm a former "cheesehead"!
I am glad I do have a garage as the sun is brutal even in North FL and mine is black.
Welome RonW, where are you moving to? I'm a former "cheesehead"!
Race Director
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 16,475
Likes: 270
From: Kingman AZ
Cruise-In VII Veteran
Cruise-In VIII
St. Jude Donor '06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16
My 94 was well maintained, low miles, 22000, when I bought it a year ago. So far the only small issues were headlight functions, (replace plastic gears with metal gears ) , Bose stereo amps, Opti replaced when I had coolant flush done and they got coolant on Opti. Biggest surprise was how hot these Vettes run normally. Fans kick on at 228 which is easy to hit in hot FL or traffic. This can be changed though. Good points are they are good cruisers, decent gas mileage, great looking and tires are cheap (paid $700 total for 4 Nitto's-they are quiet).
I am glad I do have a garage as the sun is brutal even in North FL and mine is black.
Welome RonW, where are you moving to? I'm a former "cheesehead"!
I am glad I do have a garage as the sun is brutal even in North FL and mine is black.
Welome RonW, where are you moving to? I'm a former "cheesehead"!
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 701
Likes: 79
From: 40 miles N. of the Everglades
[QUOTE=corvetteronw;1586500351]I too am (hopefully) headed to Florida when our home sells in Michigan this summer. We will be in a condo/apartment and will no longer have a garage.
In SW Florida construction vehicles are clogging the already swollen traffic because new home construction is active again, media claims there is a shortage of new homes. This is not to say there are not used properties for sale, but they are possibly located other than where you would want to live? Prices have popped,
In SW Florida construction vehicles are clogging the already swollen traffic because new home construction is active again, media claims there is a shortage of new homes. This is not to say there are not used properties for sale, but they are possibly located other than where you would want to live? Prices have popped,
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 701
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From: 40 miles N. of the Everglades
[QUOTE=Richard Raichert;1586501084]My 94 was well maintained, low miles, 22000, when I bought it a year ago. So far the only small issues were headlight functions, (replace plastic gears with metal gears ) , Bose stereo amps, Opti replaced when I had coolant flush done and they got coolant on Opti. Biggest surprise was how hot these Vettes run normally. Fans kick on at 228 which is easy to hit in hot FL or traffic. This can be changed though. Good points are they are good cruisers, decent gas mileage, great looking and tires are cheap (paid $700 total for 4 Nitto's-they are quiet).
That sounds promising, looking at a super clean 95 convert. Always a ton of C5-6's (and C7s) at cruise nites here, don't see many C4's. I can't do much work in a condo here and its always Christmas for service providers here.
My 02 runs in the same temp range, I've read that these cars were designed to run at high temps but I dunno? I always run the A/C to keep the temps lower.
That sounds promising, looking at a super clean 95 convert. Always a ton of C5-6's (and C7s) at cruise nites here, don't see many C4's. I can't do much work in a condo here and its always Christmas for service providers here.
My 02 runs in the same temp range, I've read that these cars were designed to run at high temps but I dunno? I always run the A/C to keep the temps lower.
Racer
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 405
Likes: 15
From: Panama City Beach Florida
I like the Panhandle area!
In SW Florida construction vehicles are clogging the already swollen traffic because new home construction is active again, media claims there is a shortage of new homes. This is not to say there are not used properties for sale, but they are possibly located other than where you would want to live? Prices have popped,[/QUOTE]
1. October1 thru May 1 is our quiet time (except for spring break) ! Light traffic and decent weather. South FL is overrun with tourists at this time.
2. We have decent access to the mountains of North GA and TN for a change of weather and escape routes from Hurricanes if need be. You do get tired of beaches and palm trees eventually!
3. RonW I do understand the draw of family though.
4. Housing is 50% of cost of South FL and has better beaches.
1. October1 thru May 1 is our quiet time (except for spring break) ! Light traffic and decent weather. South FL is overrun with tourists at this time.
2. We have decent access to the mountains of North GA and TN for a change of weather and escape routes from Hurricanes if need be. You do get tired of beaches and palm trees eventually!
3. RonW I do understand the draw of family though.
4. Housing is 50% of cost of South FL and has better beaches.
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Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 701
Likes: 79
From: 40 miles N. of the Everglades
You had your chance. After the storms, housing dump, chinese drywall, property insurance disasters, and other events we could only discuss over a beer.... ya shoulda closed the borders.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 2,531
Likes: 35
From: Lecanto Florida
P.S. Lots of storage parks here also. Most offer air-conditioned spaces of 10x20 and some even larger. I'm sure it's that way all around the state. It just depends on weather you want to put out the fee every month to store your Vette. Lots of spaces on the ground floor so you car could be accessed daily, 24 hrs a day as they give you an access key to come whenever you want. I rented a couple of them myself, but not for the car, just lots of stuff put away while we settled in the house and I did some handy work.
Last edited by CREWZIN; Mar 28, 2014 at 09:30 AM.
Pro
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 566
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From: Earleton Fl
I'm in the Nature Coast of Florida. West central, 90 miles above Tampa, 22 miles from the Gulf of Mexico. None of the things you mentioned except the insurance scam for those who actually lived on the coast line have affected this area and I'm sure other areas also. It all depends on where in the state your talking about. Granted, this and some of the surrounding counties have a vast majority of retired northern folks (including yours truly) so some of the things your talking about didn't appear to hurt us. Knock on wood, this part of Florida has NEVER been directly in the path of any of the hurricanes. So look around, do your research before you decide where to live.
P.S. Lots of storage parks here also. Most offer air-conditioned spaces of 10x20 and some even larger. I'm sure it's that way all around the state. It just depends on weather you want to put out the fee every month to store your Vette. Lots of spaces on the ground floor so you car could be accessed daily, 24 hrs a day as they give you an access key to come whenever you want. I rented a couple of them myself, but not for the car, just lots of stuff put away while we settled in the house and I did some handy work.
P.S. Lots of storage parks here also. Most offer air-conditioned spaces of 10x20 and some even larger. I'm sure it's that way all around the state. It just depends on weather you want to put out the fee every month to store your Vette. Lots of spaces on the ground floor so you car could be accessed daily, 24 hrs a day as they give you an access key to come whenever you want. I rented a couple of them myself, but not for the car, just lots of stuff put away while we settled in the house and I did some handy work.
My wife and I recently retired and moved to Gainesville Fl., from Splendora Tx. (north of Houston) We love it. I traded my '68 GTO for a 94 c4 convertible, so now the wife and I have His and Her Vetts. Mine is a 94 rag top also.The college town is great, with lots of cheap entertainment courtesy of U. of Florida. The best that I can say for Texas is at our age the central time zone was better than east coast time. The late night shows come on a hour earlier!
