Hi Forum,

I'm kind of new to this forum. I've been conversing about buying a C5 and almost bought a red one but the deal fell through at the last moment. The more I look at the C4, the more I like it.

I'm 62 years old, a retired school teacher from Connecticut currently living with my wife in our vacation home in Speculator, NY (In the Adirondack Mountains). I have to drive an automatic as my left ankle was fused several years ago as a result of MANY old sports injuries.

I have a few questions about the C4.

1. Assuming the car I'm interested in has the digital dash, how problematic is that module? (I've heard they go bad regularly -- stop working or get cloudy or very dull)

2. What pitfalls would you recommend I look for in a C4?

3. How available are parts for these cars?

Thanks, Rick

 

The C4 is lots harder for ingress/egress; helps to park nose downhill!

My '84 digidash was repaired 30 years ago and works fine still.

Parts are not a big issue save maybe the electronic climate unit. Then, not having one, others can speak to that. Not sure if C5 parts are Chinese like ever other car!

Like any used car, buy the nicest (unmodified, IMO) you can afford and visit some local Corvette clubs for info/leads.

Welcome to the marque and forum.

 

1. If the car you are looking at has a functioning dash now then it will continue to work for you. If it breaks at some time then there are vendors that will fix it for you.
3. Plenty of used, new, reman parts out there. I like www.corvettecentral.com for new and www.vette2vette for used. There are other vendors out there.
2. When you find a good candidate then take someone with you to look the car over and do a test drive. Make sure they have owned one in the past and are familiar with the quirks. Make sure it runs good, shifts good and all or most of the switches/lights work. It is a big mistake to buy one with bad paint or interior. These are costly and will bother you every time you look at the car or drive it if they look nasty.
The following will wear with time and mileage: Headlight bushings (allow the lights to go up and down), weather stripping, suspension parts, brakes, tires, driver's side bolster, carpet, electronics, catalytic converter(s), door panels, radio. Don't forget to make sure the spare tire is there and hold air and the car has its jacking equipment to include the correct locking wheel key.
You should not be afraid to fly and drive for the right car. I have done it 3 times and have had good luck and good luck having the cars inspected by local Forum members.

 

 

Being that you have to get an automatic, I'd go with an lt1 over an l98. With C4s, it's usually the newer, the better. 95-96 would be your best bet. Interior is much more refined, gremlins are mostly worked out, plus you get the vented opti. Under the glove box, there is a series of codes. Look for "G92". It has a better gear ratio so it makes the automatic feel ALOT better. It is somewhat rare however. Good luck!

 

Find out when the opti spark was replaced.

 

harder to get into/out of than a normal car so look for drivers seat /shape. weatherstripping/ leaks. ac/heater, leaks (tranny,engine).

 

I like my c4. I looked for one that had the usual fixes all done. Haven't been able to locate a good used parts supply around here though. And if you see something in the Syracuse/CNY area you might be interested in I can take a look at it for you.

 

I'm 64 and not the most agile person in the world. I get in butt first and then swing my legs in. TRY before you buy. If you have have limited mobility in your left leg because of an ankle fusion you may find clearing the parking brake handle a pain in the ****.

Be sure to check for excess play in the steering column from previous owners using it as a grab bar to exit the vehicle.

I have a relatively low mile '84 (36k). Has not really needed anything except the front coolant sensor. I have been systematically replacing all sensors just because 32 year old sensors don't leave me with a warm and fuzzy feeling. I have yet to find something no longer available.

I agree that your search should start with a nice '95-96 but don't rule out any year C4 that has been well maintained.

 

LOL. On the plus side, you get the vented opti. On the minus side, you get an opti.

The ACDelco Optispark is no longer available new. Rebuilt only. The heart of the Optispark is an optical sensor no longer made by Mitsubishi.

So besides routing the distributor to the front of the engine, under the water pump where it is vulnerable to leaks, they only did this for five years. Replacements are a crap shoot costing anywhere from $60 to $600 (for the part).

Honestly, there are plenty of things that are going to fail no matter which year. It's GM. Buying the end of a twelve year run means not much more than it will be newer.

I would advise to look for the changes in body/interior style that appeal most to you, whether early or late, then deal with the GM-ness.

You can get the later body/interior style with the L98 in 1991. No opti.

Good luck.

 

Make sure you know why you want to buy an old corvette. The newest C4 is 20 years old! Why did you like the C4 over the C5? Can you/do you do any minor maintenance? e.g. oil changes, etc. This will help you save some $$'s. Good advice from others. Sit in the car to see if it "fit" you. I'm 67 and mobile, but these aren't the easiest cars to get in/out. The footwell can be confining so make sure you're happy with the driving position. Assume you'll have a garage to store the car over the winter?
Maintenance records are key to your happiness.....choose wisely grasshopper!! Good luck and if it all comes together, you'll love the car. They are fun to drive.

 

I'm 67 and 6'3" based on last measurement. I have an 86 convertible and have enough headroom though I sometimes have to bend down to see traffic lights.

The newest C4 is over 20 years old so they will take maintenance. Parts can be found but at times it won't be a trip down to the Chevy dealer, it will be though 3d parties to find them. With mine being 30 years old, when I see particular parts on sale and good quality, I pick them up and put them on the shelf for future use.

I happen to like the L98 over the LT1. Mine is a cruiser and it has plenty of torque to get it moving and keep moving on the highway. It also has a conventional distributor vs the optispark and does not have the issue with water getting into it. It also will run on 87 octane or better fuel so you can gas it up anywhere.

Mine had the 4+3 manual in it when made, but now has a Tremec 5 speed and it's fun to drive. The 4+3 overdrive unit can be damaged if not maintained or used properly. The newer manuals had a 6 speed with a dual mass flywheel. If a replacement is needed, unless you can find a NOS unit, they are no longer available. There are options but there can be more noise when stopped or in low speed.

One thing of note on the early C4's, the wheel offset is different than the later ones (38 or 32 vs 56mm) so later wheels will not work without a spacer (which I won't run) and had 16" tires so that is becoming harder to find. I'm planning on upgrading mine to newer rims and tires (18") some time in the future just to make it easier to get them down the road.

It can be harder to get in and out of than other cars. I find that when I get out, I hook my left elbow on the doorjam and that's enough to aid me getting in and out of it. You do not want to pull on the steering wheel to aid getting in and out, you will damage it over time.

The 84 was the only year for the crossfire engine, later went to TPI. 86 was the first year for ABS.

One thing to watch is check the bottom for damage from improper jacking. It has happened and can be a pain to repair.

Paint is another area, they are not cheap to repaint unless you can do it yourself. Same thing with mechanical work, unless you can do some or all of the work yourself, it can become expensive to have them worked on.

Especially if you look at a modified car, check it out carefully. There are not that many places that know these cars and know how to work on them. There's been alot of cars Bubba has worked on and screwed up, so be careful there.

Check any car over well and have a trusted mechanic go over it to. Don't be afraid to pass on one if it doesn't work out. There are alot of cars out there available and if one isn't right the next one might.

Good luck

 

Living where you are I'll assume this will be a summer car. If getting in and out of a coupe is troublesome I suggest you look at a vert. Leave the top down if you have a garage makes it a little easier. I'm 80 with sciatica so pushing up to get out is a necessity. Left forearm on the body and right hand gripping the wind deflector on the side view mirror and up you go. Top down of course. The wife laughs watching me get out but at my age...what the hell.

 

One more thing and this is a personal concern. Stay away from cars where the owner has done modifications. It might have been driven harder than normal and maybe raced. I wouldn't want to troubleshoot someone elses problems or questionable work.

 

1. I had a digital dash in my 87 and everything worked fine for the 15 years I had her. My 94 dash is fine currently. Ive never had to do a repair on a dash related item.

2. Subjective but 92-96 ignition issues that lead to an "optispark" issue is a common thread much like the engine oil or exhaust threads it seems. Common sense tells you the newer the better, with the least amount of miles and mods but buying a 20+ year old sports car is a risk, potential money pit no matter the make/model.

3. I don't have any issues finding parts at the local counter or online.

 

Hi, In my opinion the C4s are great Vettes. I have owned 5 Corvettes starting with a 1968 427 390HP Coupe (never finished by GM until '69 came out), a 1969 350 350 Convertible (pure fun) after a 25 year break a 1986 C4 Coupe 6 line long list of RPO Codes(loved it) then a 1999 C5 FRC (Too many sensors to enjoy) now back to a 32K miles 1993 C4 Convertible M6
I think the C4s are very reminiscent of my 1969 even same color Polo Green with Tan Interior.
My '86 was high mileage and required a lot of work until I got it right. It had an Automatic that was very good and easy to Commute with. The Digital dash worked great but I had to replace most of the bulbs in it. The Hardest replacement was the Heater Core took me most of a Day of contorted positions.
I like the C4 best of the latest series. I have had experience with the LT1 and Optispark in a Caprice 9C1 very strong engine but you must to keep an eye on the weep hole in the Water Pump which will destroy the Opti.
I am retired and up there in age I recall watching Captain Video. I enjoy working on this Vette.
Best advice on entry and exit just practice. Once you are inside it is very comfortable.
Good Luck
Barrier

 

Love my '87 and if I can run and maintain one here in the Scottish Highlands for the last 12 years, anyone can. Its an easy car to tinker with and I've done around 100k miles since I bought it.

Exit dvice?

Do not use the steering wheel for support or you'll break the adjustment bracket which is a pita to sort out.. Its the first thing to check if your buying a C4 too.. Does the steering wheel move up and down even when its locked in position? Reckon on about a $700 repair if you don't do it yourself.

 

 

Look at your $ Budget and start tracking for sales in Autotrader. Don't buy the first one you see. If you can afford $11k-$15k get one with under 45k miles. Often you can get one in the 30k for $13k to $15k asking price. Stick with 1995 to 1996.

The low miles will often indicate a car that has spent much of the last 21 years in a garage and that helps with the cosmetics.

Irritating interior things to look at include floppy door panels and visors. Check the rear hatch to see if it lifts slightly when the open button is pushed and when the hatch is open, it stays firmly open. This forum has fixes and hacks to correct them.

Not too much to worry about with this vintage dash breaking or being broken. And there are replacement and fixing services available for reasonable cost if it ever happens.

Look for wear on the driver side carpet and brake/accel pedal. Wear should be indicative of any car with similar miles. This and some engine and undercarriage bits will help tell the story of the cars true mileage.

Look for the OBD1/OBD2 connector... is its solid or loose.. indication of just how many times a computer has been connected... no issues, but could be in indication of reprogramming, past faulty sensor.

You can look on this forum on how to read how to read the codes without a fancy reader.

Look for cracks in the windshield gaskets for dry rot and give the weather stripping a good inspection.

Remove the top. When reinstalling it should be a little stiff, extra effort to reseat and bolt in... this is ok and likely because its rarely been off.

Look for all of the screws and fasteners... there are many. After all this is a plastic car. Some may be missing, but maybe not because the panel was removed. In these cars they just come lose. No worries, the corvette stores sell all of the interior fasteners you could ever want/need.

When you take the car for a drive listens for interior squeaks and rattles and make note of where you heard them. These cars have a bad rep for these, but ones with low miles should have any unless the panels have been moved/removed or the car suffered some sort of trauma..i.e. pancaked on a whoop tee doo.....

Do look for the Bose radio and climate control. Make sure they work. Don't worry about the adjustable sport seats.

Externally the engine compartments should be VERY clean and free of grime.. that said... these motors are know for some seepage from the intake gasket to block front and rear of the engine. a little is old. but if you see puddle on the cross members and suspension under the motor be wary.

Hose.. if they have the date codes in line with the age of the car... you will need to consider that that may be a little too original for a safe drive.. so likely a bunch of rubber bits will need replacing... hoses, belts, transmission shift cable boot. not hard.

Brake hoses should be new.. or need to be replaced.

Look at the sway bar bushings for cracks. This suspension has a lot of bushings... some may be worse than other, but the sway bar ones take a beating and are often the first replaced and make the most notable difference in driving.

Jack the car up. Even if its only one side and see how clean and rust free it is. Oils and grime tear up those bushing fast. A very clear undercarriage is often a sign of just how well the overall care care was. and these lower mileage garage queen cars should be very clean.

Try to stay away form the adjustable suspension option. Do look for the 3.07 gears as someone else mentioned.

Look at the paint... spider cracks, bubbling on the top of the fenders and targa top edges are common... this is a fiber glass car. But the degree of the blemishes may indicate just how much time the car spent outside in the sun vs. a garage. It can get quite pricey fixing and repainting a Corvette.

You'll read varying opinions on the LT1... focus on the forum members who have 150k+ on their motors and read why. If you don't screw with the motor and do better than regular maintenance they motors and the 4L60E transmission will go forever.

Definitely read other recommendations.. hope these help.

 

I have a very ugly, eyesore looking 86. lots of little things needs looking at. I just pulled the dash and had it rebuilt..300 bucks, great service and turn around time. My vette is so ugly women and kids point at it a laugh. I love my vette. runs like a bat outta hell. No, its not for sale even tho it looks like a rolling parts car.. she is my baby so hands off. You too will feel like that towards yours when you get it. Its a Vette thing,