I have always been a Pontiac guy, love GTO's and T/A's early ones that is but I got tired of dealing with rust. Then one day I came upon a polo green vert with tan top, I was sold immediately on looks. After doing some homework and searching I realized the C4 was quite the car and were affordable. I ended up with a pg coupe, kinda glad I did as they have more room for traveling, so 30,000 miles later and driving in most every state east of the Mississippi, I can happily say I still smile when I drive it. Albeit less now that I have an '09.

 

I drove a C3 for many years and had a friend that bought an 84 soon after they came out. I realized how far advanced the C4 was and I had to have one. It took a while, but I bought an 84. I realized that by the time I bought my 84, it was the red-headed step-child. I'd look through catalogs and everything was for 85 and newer. I moved up to a 95 and it was a blast. I loved that car. A stupid 16 year old pulled out in front of me and killed it. When I was finally able to get another one, I was married and could afford something better and bought my C5.
I'll have another one, one day.

 

I bought a new one in 1978 Corvette light beige with brown leather seats ($10,125.00 out the door) . I loved it and had to sell it to finance a patent I was getting. Found my 1996 with only 27,000 miles and figured it would be way less work than trying to find a good 1978. I like the looks of the late C4 the best of all the corvettes. I could afford a new one now but I live on a gravel road and if I had a brand new one I might not want to drive it on the gravel like I do my 96. It definitely gives me something to do every day. I have to use a leaf blower to blow off the dust every time I get home. Dan

 

Well, Ive had a C3, 4 C4's and 2 C5's..... First Vette was an 89 Coupe/auto 95k miles on it.... I was bitten and had to try the next one.... moved onto a 40k mile 94/M6 vert.... Loved it, but again, the need for speed overwhelmed me.... Bought a 15k mile 02 Z06.... That for me was the epitome of Vettes... Still, I had to see what the mighty ZR-1 was all about. bought a 92 with about 43k miles on it..... While it was not quite as fastor nimble as the Z06, I still liked driving it more than any other Vette I had... ( I had a 93 auto ruby/ruby along the way also)

Unfortunately, I had to sell the ZR-1, (still consider that a mistake).... but ya gotta do what ya gotta do.... went vetteless for close to 3 years....

Started looking early this year with a total of a $10k budget.... Saw many high mile C5's and many low mile C4's around that price range.....Knowing what a very fast modded Z06 with 411 hp to the ground feels like.... and feeling like that was more than enough for the street, and that I didnt need that kind of Vette this time around, I set out on my search.

Simple was the word this time around.I specifically wanted an early round light C4 with an automatic tranny, & manual a/c car in red or blue.... Didnt want an LT1/Opti car, didnt want a clutch to have to replace with the accompanying hydraulic issues... and dont like the newer style C4 front or rear bumper design more than the older style.

Had to have very good to excellent paint, a very nice to excellent interior, have at least some kind of maintenance records and need very little with low miles.

I am now the owner of a beautiful now 34k mile 86 coupe and I love everything about the car. It looks wonderful, drives beautifully and everything works as it should. Except for the wheels/tires and cat back, its 100% stock form. ( I also have the oem wheels that came with it)....

 

My first Corvette was a red on red 84 that I got in 1988. Still own that car. I was bit by the bug of having to have the newest Vette that I could, and have owned about 23 of them from C3's to C6's, some that i bought and sold to make money to support my car habit, but as daily drivers, I have had several 84's, an 86 vert, a 92 vert (that I still own), a 97 that I did heads and cam 2500 stall headers etc., a 99 coupe, a 2005 6spd coupe, and a 2006 auto coupe. The others were just kept for a year or less.

With all that said, I went back to the C4 and finally got the one that I wanted most which was a 90 Zr-1.

The c4's have a rawness to them that I like, and the clamshell hood and flip over lights are cool features.

Their day of respect will come one day, but I have loved them since they came out.

I still want a 96 Grand Sport one day and also would like to say I have owned every year C4. Right now I have had all except for 87, 91, and 93.

C4's are my favorites.
I like the looks of the C5, but not the feel.
C6's are also high on my list, and one day want a 2013 427 convertible, which is the car I drool over.

 

I have a C3 and I love it. It gets lots of attention, waves from the general public and a lot of people taking pictures of it. I also have a C5 which I also love, that gets lots of attention. We have 2 C4's that don't get as much attention from the general public but are the most fun to drive. We really love how the C4 has an intimate driver feel versus the C5.

 

Mother of god

To be more specific, I stay with a C4 because I really like them. Love how they are much lower than 90% of the cars on the road, love the fact that you hardly see them compared to C5-7. Love how they sound and drive.

 

See this is a knowledgeable, experienced C4 buyer. Wish I had had your knowledge when I was buying, and did not. I got the ZF and the Opti and all the whiz bang electronic controls. Must confess, though, I love driving with the ZF.

 

I liked Corvettes early in life, remember getting a ride in a C3 as a kid. My first Corvette was a 255...a 255 Computer Command!



Then the C4 was announced, fell in love right away. The dash, the flow of the body and oh my GOD that tail! Those huge taillights glowing so deep!! That skid pad performance, whatever that was, so awesome!

I got an 1/8 scale '85 model when I was 14 or so, nice red. After assembled, I took it to a class for a speech about the new Corvette, its enhancements and awesome performance! Taking the model home, one of the rear tires broke at the axle, devastated me. I "knew" I wouldn't be able to fix it, too young and stupid. Well, I ended up taking her outside and burned her, praying under the smoke that someday, SomeDay I would own a full sized 4th generation Corvette.

And I do.

 

1 c3 2 C4s, were cheap and fun... I was looking for a clean SS LSx Camaro at the time and vettes were less. Drove a new 02 vert 6 spd back in the day didnt speak to me. Too soft a ride and slow as molasses.
Know the "flat power curve" thing is in vogue but bores me to tears, always dug peaky motors.

 

A nice article from autoblog
https://www.autoblog.com/2017/09/05/...ht-time-to-buy

 

Always liked the body lines of the C4 so when I saw one with low mileage and in really good shape, convinced the wife it would be a fun car for us to get in and just go. She relented and now the driveway looks like this:

 

When I "came of age", it was the 63 SWC that set the Corvette hook in me. And, maybe because I'm also left-handed I seem to be attracted to the unusual, the cars that stand out among their peers...that sort of thing!

My wish list:

1957 283 fuelie coup; first Chevy production car producing 1 hp/cid.
58-59 Vert...just like the looks!
1963 327 fuelie Split Window Coupe...but $$ wise, so would a lot of people!!
1967 427 tri-power M4 coupe...I came oh so close!
1968 L88...a classic!
1989 SCCA Corvette Challenge car
1990 ZR-1...a real killer in its day, less than 2% of total C4s built, and with some relatively modest mods of its unique DOHC LT5, it can make over 500 hp and keep all of it's drivability and yet rub elbows with much newer Corvettes. It is the first of the "modern" Corvettes, and I personally love everything about it - even tho there are newer/faster (tho not many!) Vettes. We have a 69 C3, which by comparison is "RUDE, CRUDE, & SOCIALLY UNACCEPTABLE, but we love it too. They're all special in their own ways.
2003 C5 Z06
2008-13 C6 Z06 most of the valve bugs worked out - LAST of the 7L motors...if I guess right.
2009-13 C6 ZR1...Can't touch that one either!

C7s...??? Never drove one, so I haven't formed even the slightest notion of how I'd like it. However, the interiors take their Qs clearly from the 90 C4!

 

Born in 1968 makes me 14-22 years old during the c4 run. I think it is the most understated body of all corvette eras adding to the it's cool without trying to hard appeal.

 

Affordable.
Doesn't require too many specialized tools.
Styling that is clearly recognizable as a Corvette.
Love that big open engine compartment.

C4 haters can eat my shorts.

 

The C7 is awesome! Will get mine when prices drop. The interior really is a modern 90-96 C4

 

Was looking for a C5, when I found this 1 of 24 Copper Convertibles.

I simply like driving a rare Corvette...

 

Vette’s I have owned, in order:
1978, a lemon, a couple of years out of college.

1976 that I kept for 13 years. I painted twice, different colors, 177,000 miles. I couldn’t afford a C4.
(Bought a new 85 S-10 truck to drive the 50 mile round trip to work to take the load off the 76.)
1988 35th in 1995 and then sold the 76 as I wanted more power and better mpg.
2007, my first new Vette that I drove for 89,000 miles in 7 years.
2015, my first new Vette I ordered and still have.

Since I knew I would be driving my 88 for a long time I choose a 35th as it was a special addition.
Why did I keep my C4?
I can work on it, somewhat similar to the C3
The interior doesn’t snap together.
Uses regular gas.
Back in 07 the trade in value was so low it was stupid to sell it.
New radio, interior, fuel system, top-end engine job. Now has 137,000 miles.
Now my C4 has a permanent parking place.

Now that I am retiring I can concentrate I can concentrate on paint prep.









The C4 Forum is the best Forum here.

 

Jr summed it up
If we didnt have the smog laws we have Id sell off the current toy off find a 6 spd C4 and have that as my one and only car. Just cant beat the performance and creature comforts for the money.

They dont have that huge bloated look the late model ones do
Put any older vette or camaro next to a new one the size difference is off the chart.

 

C4 was the easiest to transfer the new motor I had from a 91 F-body that I had just finished getting a 420 RWHP motor and it got side swiped and totaled. C5 was an impossible swap and I didn't want to lose the creature comforts in a C3 just because others like the look which I totally don't care for one way or the other.