i have seen 2 cars one is a
1998 coupe 35th anniversary auto 30K miles
1994 convertible competition yellow with hard top auto 50K miles

which car will have better resale and hold the value the best?
what should i pay for each? both excellent cond.

 

I don't think you should be buying a C4 looking for resale value. I think you should be buying one to enjoy it.

 

holding value? well, if all those (un)reality car shows on T.V. are to be believed, "when the top goes down, the price goes up". seriously, you should be able to purchase either of those cars for a price close to rock bottom; and as they say "when you've hit rock bottom, the only place to go is up". enjoy

 

For me, when I go to car shows or cruise nights, I see a lot of C4 verts, they made a bunch of them. I don't see very many 35th Anniversary cars. I like the black halo and white interior, don't like the L98 or the Atari dash. Tough choice but I think I would do the 88. Price wise, it's only worth what you would pay for it. I saw a clean one on EBay today with 21K miles for $16K, I'm guessing it could be had for less, maybe $11 - $13K.

 

One thing to always remember. No matter what you pay for it, someone will ALWAYS tell you that you paid way too much for it. On this forum you'll find lots of those type comments. Too many here follow what "trends and markets" tell them the car is worth. It's worth what someone is willing to pay for it. High or low. Some people are willing to spend more on the right car for them. I know I always do and have no regrets.

 

1988; no wait, 1994; no, both; no, neither - who cares?
Threads like this remind of threads on tool forums - Which is better Milwaukee cordless or Bosch?

Residual value is driven by demand. Demand fluctuates over time due to many factors. No one here has a crystal ball to see into the future so it is a crapshoot whichever you pick. Pick the one you like and enjoy it - maybe you'll pick the "right one". The longer you dither over it, the more time you waste that could've used to enjoy the car.

 

Never bought a car with any expectation of retaining value or as an investment. If I happen to get one that does increase in value I'll just go drive it more Cars are a poor investment unless you have stupid $ and never plan on enjoying them.

 

 

C4 values right now are pretty low. I bought mine 2 years ago because I knew I wanted one and felt that there was no way I was going to find another with the low miles and condition for that price 5-10 years from now.

I seriously doubt in 5/10/15 years a low mileage, well kept C4 will be more affordable than it is now.

 

HA!

Given MY experience with both, that is a no brainer.

Milwaukee, hands up or down!

I have had terrible ownership experience with everything German, from e-mail to Bosch appliances to BMWs.

OOPS! HiJack ( but I figured the OP heard enuf.

 

I've owned a new '88 4+3 convertible, a '68 427 tri power, '96 LT4 collector's edition, '04 convertible. I liked the LT4 engine a lot, had more noticeable power than the '04 C5 had, but didn't like the body style as much as the '88. the C3 427 was a beast but was too hot for the passengers inside and the suspension could not handle the awesome power. loved the sound of the 3 carbs sucking air! I went back to my first love....an '88 4+3 coupe with 76,000 miles and love it dearly!
I remember back when the '75 to '80 C3's were going for 5 to 7K and were cheap like the C4's currently are and take a look at their prices now! I did not buy mine for an investment but in my humble opinion all corvettes eventually hit a "bottom rock price" and then slowly and sometimes not so slowly go up in value. If you are in the market for a C4 I would suggest you avoid one with less than 1k miles per year, due to rubber seal issues in tranny , weatherstripping,and engine. A low milage C4 with 2 to 3K miles per year on it and priced between $7500 to $14000 (depending on year, options and condition) would be a great buy. I myself prefer to pay a few thousand dollars more for a well maintained machine that has an excellent interior, exterior, and has all maintenance records from a one or two owner scenario.It will always cost you a lot more to repair, paint, and fix up a "bargain beater" than to pay 5 to 7K more for a primo machine! Today's C4 prices are a great buying opportunity for someone that wants to drive the one and only "American sports car!! at these prices you will never see any depreciation......

 

I think my 91 ZR1 is car number 28 for me, for the most part cars are terrible investments. One should buy them cause they enjoy them not because they may hold value. Drive both and buy the one that gives you the grins.

 

don't think "flipping" a c4 is a good idea unless you've paid next to nothing for it...most guys buy them/ invest time/money in them because they love to drive them. You're not going to buy one for 10 grand and sell it for 20 no matter what you do to it....