This is not actually an introduction... I've been a member and a Vette owner over most of the last 15 years and had 7 different Vettes. My first Vette ever was an 89 automatic, black on grey.... Also had a really nice 94 vert 6 speed, a 93 Anniversary car, (Ruby/ruby) auto... and a 92 ZR-1 Red/gray #091... So yes, I am a C4 lover!!

I was in construction for many years until the crash in 08. That forced me to sell all my cars/toys my house and worst of all I had to swallow my pride and go back to work for a company other than my own after 16 years.... that was really tough! But, alas.... I stuck with it and I am now a supervisor for that company and finally earning a respectable living again.

Sorry, Ill get back on track with Vettes.... So after being Vetteless for the last 2 years, I am finally ready to jump back in the game. After having some really beautiful Vettes and some very fast ones... I think I just want a stock C4 of almost any year really... Just miss cruising, the camaraderie of the Vette family and just being able to tinker and polish a Vette. It doesn't help that like 4 of my neighbors have Vettes and they drive by my house regularly...

So my search is just beginning. I have a budget in mind of no more than around $7k tops. I've been looking at cars in that range and there are actually a fair amount of choices, in many varieties & colors. Id like a manual and really prefer the 84-90 body style...The 89 with the ZF would be ideal...but I know, beggars cant be choosy... Another top choice for me would be the 87 with the roller cam/lifters. As I say though, I am not stuck on any one combination... Just wanting a good looking, well maintained car.

I imagine Ill be here more and more often as I close in on my purchase. Hope you guys will have an "old guy" member join the C4 gang!!

 

Awesome! Welcome back!

Great to hear you are climbing back on top of the world again. Good luck with the search! $7k should bag you a nice one.

 

I love desert cars. So much easier to work on due to clean undercarriages and not-rusty bolts.
Check out the C4s in Arizona, New Mexico, California, Utah etc. on Craigslist.

 

Just watched a 4 part documentary on the 2008/9 Great Recession I was trying to get one of my first jobs around that time. Double

Welcome back! $7k will get you a good C4 that won't require much extra shortly after. Can't have more fun for $7k, well maybe in Vegas!

You should hold out for an 89 6 speed. Ppl who have em seem to be really happy w em.

 

Welcome back "old man". Good luck in your search, there have been a couple nice 6sp cars out your way in the past year or so. Beautiful country out there.

Gary

 

Yea, here in Colorado we are pretty dry and very low humidity. Cars just really don't corrode... I guess I really shouldn't have said $7k... thats truly my top dollar. I have to be able to pay for tags, titling etc... my wife is pretty cool about this kind of stuff, but I spent so much money on cars and parts for cars in the past years, that we had to come to an "agreement" on the max dollar...

This time around I really want to be frugal and find a place to be satisfied.... I always wanted more after driving one of my cars for a while... I figure now that I've owned everything from a pretty bagged out 81 to a 467 hp modified Z06, I can say.... I've been there done that & know what it feels like.... I am totally ok not being the fastest kid on the block anymore

 

Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.

 

A lot of people frown on it... But believe it or not, I found a "Gem" of a car off of craigslist... You obviously know your vettes so you know what to look for... I suggest creating alerts on craigslist... I created an alert for Corvette, Manual, Automatic, and I had an email show up at 11:30 last Thursday while I was stuck in a meeting... I sent an e-mail back to him after the meeting, he called me back at 1:30 and I set up to meet him at noon on Friday... He was not lying it was a stunning 1995 Vette...

I waved cash in his face, and drove to DMV to get plates and drove it home that night......... In a blizzard...LOL But I got home safe....

 

I (thankfully) was patient enough to wait and save for my 89 6 speed, it's my second Vette (first being an auto) and man is it fun, don't settle for a car, get exactly what you want

 

Not really a matter of settling.... I really like and can appreciate all C4's. I love the 84 because its the first year of the body style and I actually think the crossfire looks pretty cool.... I love the 91 & up because I of the obvious technological advances and the ZF trans especially... Either way though, I think I'm looking for a very nice looking good running Vette to enjoy on cruises.... HP is really secondary... Tranny is kind of on my wish list.....but if I find the right car, I can even overlook that.

So, that brings me to the 84. I want to be PC here, but how bad are they? I mean 205 hp/290 tq sounds like it couldn't even break the tire free.... I had LT1's and at 300hp they seemed adequate for cruising... and fun. Just wondering how you guys who have experience with the L83 feel about it. With the torque in the right rpm range, I imagine it could "feel" pretty nice in the "seat O the pants meter"

 

I only had my 84 for about a month than it was time to put it away. So, after having driven my 4 cylinder Jeep Compass for the last 6 months when I get the vette out it will seem fast....for a while.

 

If you are asking me, only way I own one is to sell or part out. Extremely difficult to modify and probably worthless in that respect from the standpoint I can get way better for hardly any more money. I did take a couple for a test drive for a good laugh.

Don't know. I never bother with the SOTP meter. AFAIK, the more mods you pay for (not necessarily all work for better performance) the higher the SOTP registers.

 

My 84 didn't seem to much slower then my 89, although I have no idea what was done to that motor, it was pretty quick honestly.

 

Have to agree: Vette from New Mexico and truck from Calif. Both were in excellent condition compared to anything else I had a choice of. Not to say there won't be issues with them, but likely rust won't be one of them.

 

I LOVE THIS ^^^^^. Who else remembers this movie???

 

Sorry to hear about your misfortunes...glad you're on your way back! I think you find something nice for 7k. Good luck!

Oh...and most of us are "old guys"

 

I think that the 84 has the chance of being collectible like the early C1s with a 6 cylinder are, for their uniqueness. The 82 will.probably always be worth more, but such is history.

It's not a bad engine, keep in mind it has far smaller tires than a lt1 car does, so much less grip. Is it as fast? No. Is it as fun? It can be if you drive it fun. Will it spin the tires? As long as you don't go grip nuts, yeah.

Your 7k budget is probably more like 6k factoring in tax tag title etc. That can get you a decent car, but it will probably need work and love. If that has to be factored into the budget as well, you should look for a 4k car that is a little rough but just needs some labor into it - provided you can provide said labor. Plus it's a bonding experience with the car.

Good luck in your search, and remember, the only bad Corvette is the one you didn't buy.

 

Ahhh, no big deal,,,, nothing lasts forever, and everything is in a constant fluid state... You learn that sooner or later in life.

 

There are a few very nice early C4's for 6-7k even on this site that are for sale, and looks like they dont need too much really. Thats kind of what Im looking for I suppose.... asking alot I guess. I realize I wont get everything on my wish list, but I'm hoping not to have to spend a ton of cash on whatever it is I get... Thanks for your input!!

 

Every car, even the ones on this forum that appear to need nothing, they need something. They're nearly 30 year old cars, they will have leaks, they will need fluids and stuff replaced, they will have stuff go wrong and need fixed. It's the nature of the beast.

Personally, if I had a very strict budget for everything, I'd buy a car under budget and save some on the back end for repairs.