Personally I think the Vette's on Ebay are priced insanely. They have C4 Vettes with 60k to 80k miles for $15,000 - its nuts. Ebay sellers have to cover the % they owe back to EBay if the car sells - so they tack that on top of their prices - and YOU end up paying for that.

The best place to look is Craigslist. They are 95% owners selling (not dealers) and they will negotiate (most of the time).

As for VALUE - I think the only place that gives an honest valuation of a Corvette is Corvette DNA. Alot of guys say Hagerty but they are in the insurance business and want to inflate the value of your car so you insure it for more...so to me their valuations are off too.

A nice early C4 with acceptable mileage and in acceptable condition should run you about $4k to $6k. Now you could get lucky like I did and find a desperate seller and get a mint 92 for $4900 - but that is rare. The best advice I can tell you is keep looking. Dont be afraid to drive 200 miles to get the right Vette...there is alot of junk out there, but there is alot of great cars too...you just have to know what you want, and dont deviate from that MUST HAVE list.

Hope this helps!

 

How much is it really that justifies the huge price increase? If the car is a $10000 car, does ebay charge $5000 to make it a $15000 car? I glanced at the listing fees and it wasn't that much. What am I missing?

I've had ads flagged and removed when we used them before. Sometimes it goes for a while, sometimes not. Same ad. As new ones come up, we have to keep renewing them. Low ballers if you don't mind and there are a lot more "no call, no shows" so CL isn't all peaches and cream.

I thought if they insure it for more the payout is also more? Regardless, the question is how they get their numbers be it VetteDNA or Haggerty. I don't care what people are asking for it. I need to know it has sold for previously in my area so depending on how they get their numbers, it could be good or not. As my math teachers used to say "No working, no credit".

As to getting a used car, it might not be too bad to have more stuff worn out so you get it for less and replace it with quality stuff that lasts. Kinda like they say "marry them young and bring them up any way you want them".

 

When I was looking I did check out a local convertible that I found through e-Bay. I also found a really nice triple black coupe on e-Bay in awesome condition, but the price was a little much for me. Ultimately I bought a '92 I found in the C4 For Sale section and had to drive 240 miles each way to bring it home.

 

Aklim, look up torqhead. They delete the opti 100% and run on an LS ECM. No re wiring needed. Meaning, anyone will be able to tune us that are LT.

 

That is pretty cool. I have been looking into an LS swap for the L98 myself. Not sure if it would be cost effective to get it done and make sure all the ABS, FX3, gauges, etc all talk together or whether an actual LS car would be cheaper.

 

Sounds to me like you got a pretty good one! I have been told to avoid '84s at ALL COSTS due to their CrossFire engine. There are so many '84s though that they are priced the lowest. I am personally just fine with them, but want input from real '84 owners. Are they more problematic??

I have looked primarily on Craigslist even though it makes me uncomfortable. I've realized that there are A LOT of different places to look (online) for used Vettes, which adds to the frustration.. time requirement.. etc. I am wary of Craigslist sellers and nervous about buying without some dealer being involved. At least to make sure the paperwork is done right?

It would be great to find that "lucky" '92 like you did and if I stay diligent I might find one. Though where I'm from it seems like there is quite a premium on Vettes of all ages. Lots of GM heritage here and Vette clubs still strong, I think.

I already feel like I've been looking forever, and I'm getting pretty antsy. I've learned one thing though through this process - if it's meant to be, it'll be!

 

I would never get one since they are probably only a step better than carbs. That said, for modification, I would say it takes a lot of "slop" in that you can't easyly tune it. You'd have to compensate and what not which is not what I want to do. 85 and 86 have iron heads and I prefer Aluminum but this is my personal preference. If you are not modifying and just driving like what my wife would, the only drawback I see is that 84 is the first year. Kinda like boinking a virgin.

 

@Aklim your analogies are highly memorable.. lol.. I don't know enough about engines to say I feel one way or another on Iron VS Aluminum heads. I only know Aluminum is a lighter material.

I don't plan to do any mods (though the '84 only has 200HP, so I wouldn't rule out trying to bump performance numbers). But with that said, I'm unbothered by the lack in tuneability.

 

​​​​​​​That is my favorite thing about Torqhead. The fact we'll still have ABS, ASR and so on. You just disconnect the connections at the back of the ECM on the LT, and plug them into the new supplied computer. I'm really blown away that they were able to do that. Non Vette LT1/LT4 owners have been running it. They should be done with their C4 kit soon.

 

People get all rosy eyed about the c5 right now. A 7k c5 is going to be busted, and the c5 has no shortlist of problems. They're also FAR worse and more serious than any c4 problem. You get to contend with steering column that lock up, memory seats that crush you, piston slap issues, harmonic balancers that fail, ecbm failures, active handling failures that cause your car to swerve into other lanes, magnetic ride shocks that are hard to find and 400 a piece, and brake rotors that crack any time you track it on get real aggressive on a mountain road.

The C5 is a good car, but it has a laundry list or reliability issues. And they're all more expensive to fix than c4 issues.

 

Lighter is good unless you are OK with the lower performance in which case it doesn't matter

 

Not to mention they are the ugliest of the modern Corvette, if you ask me I did not know they had so many potential issues, though. I would expect a significantly better/trouble free car if I was buying a C5.

 

If it works for my L98 C4, I might be interested if the price is right and I was upgrading

 

With any new innovations, the POSSIBILITY of failure occurs. I do remember when I got my W210 Mercedes. Quite a few old timers were warning me how bad it could be when things fail. Hell, even my Dad was so paranoid about his own F150 that he took out full insurance on everything. "What if a couple systems fail? It would cost a fortune to fix.". Well, 480K later, the most money I spent on the W210 was paintwork and AC. All of the electronics are in good order. If it wasn't for the rust and water getting into the CD changer in the trunk, the radio would work. Sunroof and AC wasn't cooling is the other issue. So the electronics of a C5 don't frighten me.

As to the brake rotors, I assume they have better aftermarket ones which I would go to anyways. Regardless, I'll bet I can find more parts at the parts counters than to have to scrounge around. So while the C4 MAY be cheaper to fix, that might be because you are getting junkyard parts and there are fewer people that will make stuff for it and definitely, tuners are harder to find just because they don't want to invest money in buying stuff for it. Sure, there are ways to work around but I'd pass on working around if I can get it done easily.

All said, if I were getting another Vette, I'd definitely get used and the C4 will NOT be on the consideration list. A decent C5, maybe and if money works, a C6.

 

Looks are subjective. What you find good looking others might not. A lot of it depends on what you are used to. In some cultures fat girls are hot. Others, not so much. Some men found bound feet especially cute and would drink tea out of the girl's shoes. I don't find girls with a gap between their front teeth attractive and in other cultures it is considers a sign of luck.

You are buying a newer car with newer equipment. I would say the potential for more failures exist since the C4 didn't have squat. Same could be said with the C6 or C7, etc. Compared with a car that has nothing but a motor, any car has a higher failure potential.

 

Aftermarket rotors are just as bad as oem ones on the c5. In fact, most guys I know just run the cheapest rotors they can or get ones with lifetime warranties and expect to swap them.

Rockauot and amazon have had every part I've needed except for the accessory mounting bracket. Y p u probably wouldn't be able to get one of those for a c5 or c6 either, or it would come as a component with a ton of other things built in.

I love my C6. But not for the driving experience, it's for the looks and the fact that it's exactly what I wanted. The c4 drives miles better. I traded 2 C6s away, I've refused offers from people to buy my c4.

I get the idea of wanting something newer. But the "deals" on C5s and C6s are not without their downsides. C6 parts are insanely expensive, and some parts don't exist. Interior materials in a c5 are, well, they're crap, and the seats are less supportive than the seats in a c3. It's all a question of what you want to deal with. If I hadn't found THE car inwanted, I'd have bought a c4 grand sport. Heck, I wouldn't mind buying a high mileage one without the GS price gouge as an addition.

 

I've only had my '84 for a little less than a year and a thousand miles. I really can't speak to how well it will hold up over time.

I do understand enough about the differences between engines and am not bothered by the cross fire. It's just another small block Chevy with a different induction system.

I don't really care that it only has 205 horsepower. I outgrew my need for speed in the 60's and 70's. Except for the radio, my car is unmolested and I plan on leaving it that way. I have it solely for the smile it brings to my face every time I get behind the wheel. It's just fun to drive.

 

That's interesting. A brief google didn't seem to indicate it was a problem other than the drilled rotors. They seem to recommend the slotted ones. Not sure if it is poor materials or maybe not chamfered holes that cause the issue.

Sensors, yes. Rockauto does have it. Many other parts are rebuilt this or that or recycled was my experience. Like I said, there is something nice about not having to scrounge around and newer seems to have less scrounging for the non-performance stuff. IIRC, last I saw my parts guy was before the major dealership in Madison closed. Whenever he saw me it was "Oh, it's obsolete. What do you need?" and most of the time, it was.

Don't know. Color and looks are the last thing I ever look at, if ever. Only thing I prefer not to have is black because that picks up heat. Beyond that, I could care less about the color or how it looks, assuming I had an opinion of the looks. I'd sell my C4 if I could get enough to shoehorn me into a C6. Everything I own is always on sale except for the dogs if the price is right. Not sure what you mean by "drives better". I didn't think the C4 made that much power stock nor is it that modifiable anymore. Sure, it WAS king at one point and all kinds of stuff was made for it.

NILIF is the right acronym. Nothing In Life Is Free. I want newer because of the gadgets. Guess what, I have to pay for it. Kinda like insurance. Sure, it's nicer to have a $500 deductible than a $5000 deductible but you will pay more for the lower deductible for the lower sticker shock when things go sideways, I suppose. I have a harder time with the older stuff getting tuning and aftermarket parts but it is cheaper to fix. I hate the aggravation of having to scrounge around for used parts.

 

If you are keeping it, what does it matter? I never plan to sell my C4. WGAS if it has a value of $1? OTOH, if you need to liquidate fast, it can be a problem.

Yes, a different induction nobody has support for and I am not sure how easy it will be to find someone who understands it should a serious issue arise.

I always wonder about that. All things equal, would you buy that same car with the 4 cylinder option then if you don't care about how much power it has? 60s and 70s? That was like 40 years ago at least. I'm 50 and I sure hope I don't live old enough to grow past wicked acceleration. Not sure how much left there would be to live for. I see my adopted parents give up stuff bit by bit. Scary.

 

No v8 ... no chance, even if the 4 had more power/was faster ... I just like the v8 rumble.