Why all the issues?
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 3,752
Likes: 190
From: Indiana PA
Why all the issues?
I'm not trying to start anything so don't think that I am but I cannot help but notice all the issues that C4 owners seem to be having with their cars.
I mean sure mine has had some minor things I've had to address but nothing out of the ordinary and my car gets Auto-x'ed a TON and even saw a couple track days this year, not one issue or complaint from her.
Then again I over maintain my car and fix any minor issue that arises. I also inspect the car regularly and between events always.
Are these cars that crappy (my experience says NO) or do people just neglect them or buy neglected Corvettes and inherit the issues.
Case in point, friend of mine had a 96 LT4 liked the car but it gave him tons of issues, so he sold it. Is currently out of a Corvette but wants a C5Z. I let him auto-x my 93, he said it would run rings around his 96. Big difference between a cared for and setup C4 and a neglected one.
Thoughts? Comments?
I guess if most of them are going to the dumps mine just gets more valuable in time. IDK?
I mean sure mine has had some minor things I've had to address but nothing out of the ordinary and my car gets Auto-x'ed a TON and even saw a couple track days this year, not one issue or complaint from her.
Then again I over maintain my car and fix any minor issue that arises. I also inspect the car regularly and between events always.
Are these cars that crappy (my experience says NO) or do people just neglect them or buy neglected Corvettes and inherit the issues.
Case in point, friend of mine had a 96 LT4 liked the car but it gave him tons of issues, so he sold it. Is currently out of a Corvette but wants a C5Z. I let him auto-x my 93, he said it would run rings around his 96. Big difference between a cared for and setup C4 and a neglected one.
Thoughts? Comments?
I guess if most of them are going to the dumps mine just gets more valuable in time. IDK?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 2,409
Likes: 44
From: NC
Abused cars, mostly.
My 89 was full of problems when I got it. It's better than new now, as far as it's performance in handling, braking, and hp goes. Now I could start on the interior and paint... but those are the last on the list. Working on more hp now.
People beat on these cars, and don't fix them. Then they sell them, the next guy beats on it, doesn't fix it etc, until the car is either scrapped, or is repaired/restored/modified by someone who actually cares about it.
My 89 was full of problems when I got it. It's better than new now, as far as it's performance in handling, braking, and hp goes. Now I could start on the interior and paint... but those are the last on the list. Working on more hp now.
People beat on these cars, and don't fix them. Then they sell them, the next guy beats on it, doesn't fix it etc, until the car is either scrapped, or is repaired/restored/modified by someone who actually cares about it.
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 16,083
Likes: 818
From: Dallas Texas
2025 C4 of the Year Finalist - Modified
Because they are old, and of course, most people just put gas and drive them. I'm having fun trying to find out my car's current issue
Last edited by 1993C4LT1; Aug 19, 2015 at 07:38 PM.
Pro
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 622
Likes: 118
From: Denver CO
Have you been watching me??
I just bought one as you described a couple of months ago. I've been tearing apart the interior, replacing missing screws, hardware, glueing broken pieces, etc.. I even found an old pager car alarm that wasn't connected in the back under the rear panel!
Today, I found an old, huge mouse nest behind the aftermarket radio!!
I have no idea how many owners it's had. It has 98k on the odometer.
I just bought one as you described a couple of months ago. I've been tearing apart the interior, replacing missing screws, hardware, glueing broken pieces, etc.. I even found an old pager car alarm that wasn't connected in the back under the rear panel!
Today, I found an old, huge mouse nest behind the aftermarket radio!!
I have no idea how many owners it's had. It has 98k on the odometer.
Team Owner
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 54,026
Likes: 9,381
From: Sitting in his Nowhere land Hanover Pa
2024 C2 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2015 C2 of Year Finalist
Heel & Toe
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
From: Stephens City VA
I just got mine about 3 weeks ago or so . Its an 85 and has had a few issues. First the car sat for 2 years without being moved because the original owner died. His wife did not know what to do with it so it sat. I have had to replace all of the door seals, replaced all of the fluids, changed the oil pan seal, valve cover seals, and distributor seal, replaced the alternator. I had a bad oil leak I could not find (hope it was a bad oil filter) cost me about $2000 for all of the parts and repairs but it has run great from the beginning. Im not sure this is anything out of the norm for a car its age. I HOPE once i get everything fixed it will a lot of fun.
I was in the process of replacing the rear main seal when I found the new oil filter leak. I hope I don't have to end up having that fixed.
I was in the process of replacing the rear main seal when I found the new oil filter leak. I hope I don't have to end up having that fixed.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
2027 Corvette vs The World: Every C8 vs Its Closest Competitor
Joe Kucinski
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 21,543
Likes: 3,216
From: Park City Utah
Then again I over maintain my car and fix any minor issue that arises. I also inspect the car regularly and between events always.
Are these cars that crappy (my experience says NO) or do people just neglect them or buy neglected Corvettes and inherit the issues. Thoughts? Comments?
Are these cars that crappy (my experience says NO) or do people just neglect them or buy neglected Corvettes and inherit the issues. Thoughts? Comments?
I think it boils down to: Who is "in touch" with their machinery (you) and who is not (most posters). How many threads have we witnessed where someone drove their car beyond "that point"? -That point where someone attuned to their machine would have noticed something amiss, fixed it promptly (or stopped driving it) and prevented a larger failure? I see these types of threads a lot. People in general, don't know. Aren't "in tune". And why should they be today? Modern cars, those to which most are "adjusted" are appliances. Don't need to hear, smell, feel, etc. Just turn on, throw in "D" and put your hoof into it.
So now JQ Public gets in a 25+ year old 'Vette and wonders why it ______________ (fill in the blank).
Racer
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 329
Likes: 23
From: douglasville georgia
I picked up a 94 C4 a few weeks ago and have been tinkering with it to find its flaws. So far I had to swap out the ZR-1 wheels that had the wrong backspacing for a C4 and dry rotted tires for a set of factory sawblades with new tire. I have a set of gears and bushings on order for the headlights because they need to be rebuilt. I found that after I get to 70mph the car starts to shake. The faster I go the worse it gets and its not the tires. I'm thinking bad U-joints or out of balance drive shaft. I also think the front driver side speaker isn't working. Today I went to check the air filter and found that the small hose that goes to the air box wasn't attached to the air box, the lid wasn't on properly and when I took the lid off I found a rather impressive rat nest in their. I'm not sure how the car was able to breathe even though it ran fine.
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 4,652
Likes: 80
From: Lakeland Florida
Some people may tend to let the little things go for a longer time than they should, and eventually just learn to live with them.
I have some of those issues on my 86.
1 light bulb out in the dash, but its bottom left, so not a big distraction.
2. Center remote control mirror **** does not work in the down direction. Left, right up is fine, but not down. No problem, I can push the mirrors up manually
3. console lid lock is broken. Does not bother me much.
but for someone looking at the car at time of resale, these little things will add up.
kdf
I have some of those issues on my 86.
1 light bulb out in the dash, but its bottom left, so not a big distraction.
2. Center remote control mirror **** does not work in the down direction. Left, right up is fine, but not down. No problem, I can push the mirrors up manually
3. console lid lock is broken. Does not bother me much.
but for someone looking at the car at time of resale, these little things will add up.
kdf
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 6,528
Likes: 752
From: South Dakota
I think some of it is that they are just getting older and things deteriorate.
I think some of it is poor maintenance and repairs.
To me it seems like the "car" people take some care and fix things right, but those that are just owners don't try or worse have a dealer or shoddy mechanic do the work for them.
I find that most of the cars I have bought take about a year for me to sort them out.
On my '95 I found broken and missing exhaust manifold studs, bad rear wheel bearings, bad shocks, bad tires from underinflation and bad shocks, needed a tune, bad window switch, etc.
On my '96 I found broken front air dam, partially installed shocks, a bad clutch/flywheel (chatter and balance), a rattle in the shifter, bad rear wheel bearing, damaged top, misaligned hood, bad secondary air check valve, etc.
I think both cars will turn out to be very nice, but getting them there takes some attention to notice what they need and some work to fix them.
Once I have sorted them out, I have found my C4's (7 of them) to be quite reliable and drive great.
I think some of it is poor maintenance and repairs.
To me it seems like the "car" people take some care and fix things right, but those that are just owners don't try or worse have a dealer or shoddy mechanic do the work for them.
I find that most of the cars I have bought take about a year for me to sort them out.
On my '95 I found broken and missing exhaust manifold studs, bad rear wheel bearings, bad shocks, bad tires from underinflation and bad shocks, needed a tune, bad window switch, etc.
On my '96 I found broken front air dam, partially installed shocks, a bad clutch/flywheel (chatter and balance), a rattle in the shifter, bad rear wheel bearing, damaged top, misaligned hood, bad secondary air check valve, etc.
I think both cars will turn out to be very nice, but getting them there takes some attention to notice what they need and some work to fix them.
Once I have sorted them out, I have found my C4's (7 of them) to be quite reliable and drive great.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 917
Likes: 25
From: College Station Tx
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 2,616
Likes: 111
Well, my 85 is 30 years old and sometimes things like the headlights no longer pop up, or whatever.......I mean it's just common sense, these cars are aging.
Also, with these cars aging they tend to get modified with h/p parts rather than good maintenance routines. We all know when you modify certain things, other issues may pop up if parts don't work well with OEM parts, etc.
How many times have we seen guys putting on h/p parts and not addressing other things at the same time to accommodate. I get a kick out of cars on here that look worn out, but yet the poster is installing a "new cam."
And let's face it, these cars due to the low cost of entry to get in one, can lend itself to falling in the wrong hands..........
Also, with these cars aging they tend to get modified with h/p parts rather than good maintenance routines. We all know when you modify certain things, other issues may pop up if parts don't work well with OEM parts, etc.
How many times have we seen guys putting on h/p parts and not addressing other things at the same time to accommodate. I get a kick out of cars on here that look worn out, but yet the poster is installing a "new cam."
And let's face it, these cars due to the low cost of entry to get in one, can lend itself to falling in the wrong hands..........
Last edited by 856SPEED; Aug 20, 2015 at 07:39 AM.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 1,038
Likes: 44
From: Pensacola Florida
I would be curious to know what percentage of C4s are still on the road compared to other cars of that era. I would guess there's probably more Corvettes because of one, what they are and two, the body doesn't rust lending to cars being easier to restore.
Rick
Rick
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 4,344
Likes: 48
From: San Marcos CA
Either the cars that are really older, neglected high mileage beaters or the garage queens that don't get any drive time are the ones that are gonna cause you trouble when you drive them. I tell people it takes a solid six months to a year to start driving and fixing a vette to see what fails, along with the usual convenience and cosmetic fixes before a cars starts acting right.
The majority of people don't want to spend a lot of extra time repairing and restoring a car and repairs go unfinished. As has been said many times, you have to turn your own wrenches on a C4 or you better be rich.
The majority of people don't want to spend a lot of extra time repairing and restoring a car and repairs go unfinished. As has been said many times, you have to turn your own wrenches on a C4 or you better be rich.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 888
Likes: 4
From: Ridgecrest Ca
I have a list of things to do on my 90 coupe:
1. Immediate need, replace the heater core and all hoses. It's due. Core started leaking visually last week. Parts started coming in yesterday.
2. Seat lumbar pumps. Pumps work but diaphragms blown.
3. Light bulb for the transmission selector
4. Weather seals. Last on the list. The only bad one is the rear top seal. No rain and car is garaged.
5. A/c leak. This keeps getting bumped down on the list. The tops off most of the time. and #1 is priority.
#1 is a big job and I'll pull the dash top to get at a couple of other things while I'm in there such as the dimming speedo display. Loose or dirty.
I hate inoperative systems on the car.
C4s are aging so things are going to fail. Sometimes hard to keep ahead of the needs I've found. But it sure like cruising they highways and byways and sometimes quickly.
1. Immediate need, replace the heater core and all hoses. It's due. Core started leaking visually last week. Parts started coming in yesterday.
2. Seat lumbar pumps. Pumps work but diaphragms blown.
3. Light bulb for the transmission selector
4. Weather seals. Last on the list. The only bad one is the rear top seal. No rain and car is garaged.
5. A/c leak. This keeps getting bumped down on the list. The tops off most of the time. and #1 is priority.
#1 is a big job and I'll pull the dash top to get at a couple of other things while I'm in there such as the dimming speedo display. Loose or dirty.
I hate inoperative systems on the car.
C4s are aging so things are going to fail. Sometimes hard to keep ahead of the needs I've found. But it sure like cruising they highways and byways and sometimes quickly.
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 1,770
Likes: 33
From: Cohasset MN
2017 Corvette of the Year Finalist
2016 C1 of Year Finalist
Several reasons there may be issues with C4s:
1. They are often not driven like daily drivers. Considering that they are performance vehicles, it is easy to drive them a little more aggressively. This can affect the condition.
2. The C4s have often been sold, purchased, and resold a few times during its life. Each owner may not give it the proper attention it deserves. Some may give it almost no attention.
3. Some characteristics, such as the electronics on C4s, may be more complex than than some later regular cars.
As the original owner of a '86 Coupe, I feel fortunate that I have given the car the proper maintenance and don't have to wonder what the previous owner(s) have done to it over the years.
1. They are often not driven like daily drivers. Considering that they are performance vehicles, it is easy to drive them a little more aggressively. This can affect the condition.
2. The C4s have often been sold, purchased, and resold a few times during its life. Each owner may not give it the proper attention it deserves. Some may give it almost no attention.
3. Some characteristics, such as the electronics on C4s, may be more complex than than some later regular cars.
As the original owner of a '86 Coupe, I feel fortunate that I have given the car the proper maintenance and don't have to wonder what the previous owner(s) have done to it over the years.
Racer
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 329
Likes: 23
From: douglasville georgia
I ran a carfax on my corvette and I'm the 7th owner since 1994. The longest it was owned by one person was 7 years. Several of the previous owners were females and if they are anything like my wife they just drove it. If it wasn't for me keeping up with the milage and maintenance on my wife's care it would have died a long time ago.