chagger32

I am looking into buying a 84 corvette for sale that i got him down to 3500 the body is in great shape other than the quarter panel it has a code for number 4 2. the headlights work but will not flip open the test drive went good when i checked under the hood after the test drive it a little smoke was coming from the driver side header area the fluids the coolant was white as water but the coolant bottle has brown all over it and the oil was normal color please help me as i do not know if i should buy this or how expensive the flip out headlights would be to fix , the check engine light or the little bit of smoke ALL HELP WOULD BE VERY VERY APPERCIATED

Raidmagic

$3500 should buy you a decent car that runs and drives. Smoke from where? The surface? Oil could be leaking from a valve cover. The headlights aren't expensive. Even if you need motors you can buy them pretty cheap.

Hot Rod Roy

Welcome to the Form! The code 42 is an error code for the Electronic Spark Timing (EST). I'm sure someone will comment on whether this is minor or major. I don't know.

The non-flip headlights might be a DIY internal clean up in the motor, or it might be a bad relay. This is a 33 year old car, so some mechanical skills will be extremely handy! Are you prepared for that? This DIY work isn't that difficult, so new motors may not be required. (Don't let anyone tell you it's bad "pellets", the '84 doesn't have "pellets".) You will come to appreciate a copy of the FSM (Factory Service/Shop Manual)!

The smoke is likely to be an oil leak from a bad valve cover gasket. Again, not too difficult, if you're handy.

The dirty interior of the coolant bottle is normal for this age car. The coolant should have a good antifreeze color (green) rather than clear water! Ask about this! The bottle can be cleaned by removing it (easy), and putting some water, a little detergent, and some pebbles or a bunch of small machine nuts in it, and giving it a good shake!

I've sure had a lot of fun with my '84!