apollo240

Hello, my names John. Im brand new to this forum. Ill jump right to the point. Im looking at a 1994 from my buddies grandmother. Shes the original owner, the cars got about 24000 miles if he remembers correctly, we know its under 30,000. When its not under the cover, its Admiral blue, black interior, A/T. I havent had a chance to talk to her yet, but when I do I want to know what I should ask. Im coming from......the mustang world.....I had an 03 Mach 1, but I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A CHEVY MAN AT HEART HAHA. Corvettes have been my favoirte cars since I was a kid, the C4's in particular. I love the desgin inside and out. So this car is kind of a dream come true. Especially since I dont have alot of money and shes already asking a great price, but may even come down more, not sure yet.

Ive been searching the internet all day and I keep finding different things, most of which relates to the optispark. I found that there is 2 different generations of it. Honestly, Im still confused.... This car would be a daily driver for me. I live in Maryland, so we get all seasons. Does this have the early generation opti thats going to give me problems when driving in the rain? I also see some people claiming the opti is alot of internet hype. I did work a very respected Chevy dealer, who has one of the best Vette mechanics around. I do remember him talking a little about the optispark but that was awhile ago.

Are there any other issues with these cars?

What should I look for?

Is this even a good choice for me?

What things should I ask her about the cars history?

What else am I missing in my questions? I dont really know much about these cars since I have never been even close to owning one.

Thanks in advance,
John

1963SS

Hi and welcome to the forum John.

A lot of folks have a bad opinion of the Optispark. I have driven Opti-cars since 1995 and during my 300,000 or so miles have never had a failure. I even put a LT1 in my 1989 Chevy truck. The 1994 was not vented and some say it's less reliable than the 95 and up vented units. You can upgrade the cap to a vented design if you want.

Of all the parts that make a car run....if any Opti-car even stumbles there will be 50 posts saying it's the Opti. Most times it isn't. If this is "a Dream Come True" then I think you should just go for it. Under all the hoopla it is just a regular ole' small block chevy not unlike the one that powered your dad's 1955 Belair. It's well sorted out and will last almost forever.

apollo240

Thanks Gunny! So this being a pretty well kept car, I should be good to go with it?

1963SS

That's a real low mileage car. If the price is right you should have a real head turner. Owned by a little ole' Grandmother and only driven to church on Sundays. Downhill both ways I'll bet. Just grab it and growl.

biggrizzly

Where do you live in Maryland? Maybe I could help you out. I live in Southern, MD but am in Gaithersburg or Silver Spring all the time for my Corvette Club Meetings and shop nights.
I have owned a 94 since 2001 and feel pretty comfortable with everything on this car that you might have a question about.

Digital Disaster

I wouldn't be afraid of this car with those kind of miles. The color is the best (obviously I'm a little biased), and the 94 has the latest interior, which is also the best looking (subjective, I know) and most rattle-free.

I've owned an '88, '92 and a '96 and have never replaced an Optispark because it failed. The secret on early Optis is to keep the water off it when cleaning the engine.

At today's prices the late C-4s represent a great bang for the buck. but understand they're not as good a car as the C5 - the latest model of any car is always the best from a technical standpoint.

Good luck!

apollo240

I live in Columbia, Silver Spring is not too far from me. Hell, Sport was the Chevy dealer I was talking about.

How about maintence on this car? Im usually a do it yourself kind of person. Im not the most mechanically inclined but what I cant do, I generally have a buddy help me. I most recently rebuilt an engine for a 2004 Yamaha R1, never want to do anything like that again. However as far as oil changes, spark plugs, or even knock on wood, if I had to do the optispark. How hard are these cars to work on? What would I be getting myself into?

jsims002

94 here also, replaced the clutch master and slave (you won't have that problem), brake booster and recently the ICM. Get it, drive the poop out of it, and if it breaks, fix it.

Drove back from Carlisle, PA to Fredericksburg, VA in the Irene rain all the way, no problem out of the opti.

apollo240

I am really glad to hear that you all dont really have problems with the opti. Thats honestly something that scares me since I probably wont have much money to mess with the car after I get it inspected and tagged. If my Godfather was still alive, it would be no problem, I could take any issues to him and itd be fixed in no time.

Dudeurgettnavette

check for leaks and wear

apollo240

Well I have some bad news...kind of a let down. The car actually has 78-80K on it, and shes not willing to move on her price. My buddy kinda blew it up to be a better deal that it really is. Sadly her price is above what I can spend. However I am going to look at a 92 tomorrow, admiral blue. I believe he said the paint was a little fadded. I dont know, I guess I gotta keep looking. Hopefully I can find a Corvette.

DRidgeway

Don't worry about the disappointment. There are plenty of C4s out there but you just gotta keep on looking.
A 70-80 k is nothing for these cars if maintained properly.
Just be prepared for crappy blown Bose radios, hanging door panel, peeling consoles and floppy visors.
Still all of these eyesores can be fixed and the car is so much Damn fun to drive.

Btw, DO NOT BUY A C4 WITH PAINT ISSUES. A quality paint job costs in most cases cost more than many C4s are worth.

RockG

The C4 is a great car, I have a 94 and bought it with 86k miles on it. To me that is nothing for these cars. Well maintained they are great motors and will last you a long time. Before I bought this one I drove one with 149k miles and that engine was strong and smooth. I have not had an opti problem and not so much as a misfire. But if your looking for low miles and perfect condition inside and out than your gonna pay more. Look at it this way, there are lots of things you can do yourself to restore and personalize this car and there are somethings you just don't want to deal with or spend too much on, so look for what you can afford and get the best deal you can, they are out there, don't rush.

apollo240

Im not going for a 100% perfect one. What are some of the things that would be ok to overlook on these cars? Like the cheap or easy fixes? Stuff to watch out for?

Big Daddy James

If it's admiral blue and has cruddy paint, just paint over the bad bits with a white stripe down the middle and hide the rest with some red hash marks. I would buy that car just for the color. Good luck, C4's are awesome

apollo240

UPDATE:

Today i just looked at a 93 red, black interior auto just under 100k. It wasnt a bad car, needs a new right rear rotor, and pads. It drove smooth, shifted fine. The problems: little paint bubble in rear, and scuff on fron near tag. Needs new intake the tube is electrical taped, the ac was stuck on auto, meaning the up and down arrows did nothing. You could change the temp, and switch where you wanted the vents to come out but couldnt adjust the power i guess would be how to describe that. Then the thing that worried me the most. The headlights got halfway and wouldnt go further. The right one did work and went all the way after a few tries, however the left would not. He said he would let it go for 6000. Thats pretty much my maximum funding, and since it needs work, im unsure.

Last night i looked at the 92 blue, tan interior, auto, 116000 miles. Smooth car, has a shift kit. That cars main problem is the paint. The targa top needs paint for sure, however that blemish extends to the hatch, and top of the lef quarter panel. He said he lowered his price from 7200 to 6600. I didnt make him an offer. That paint gets me.

I have 1 last one to look at once the person gets back in the state. Its a 92 red, grey interior, auto little over 100000 if i remember. The only issues i see in the pics are: tear in the seat, the kick panel speaker has a hole worn in it. The emblem isnt on the hood, and the wheels are missing the fifth lugs, probably the locks.


Am i being too cheap or they are not really worth it?

Jon Hekking

Keep looking, I bought this 93 with just under 90K miles for $6,200, they're out there to be found.

apollo240

You have EXACTLY what im looking for condition and price. Thats a beautiful car. I was almost starting to think ive got wine taste with beer money. Maybe this 92 will be something. Ill give it that the person seems to be very nice so far.

RickTheRuler727

Where do you live? I have a 95 in NY that I'm getting ready to put up for sale.. Black/ Tan A/T with 94k miles...

apollo240

I live in Columbia, Md. That souds like a good car. Whats the price though? The only thing about going out of state is te travel cost. Im willing to do it for the right price and car. My email address is jaj3rd@yahoo.com.