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Hello.. I just joined this forum. I have always had a desire to have a C4 since it was introduced in 84. I am finally reaching a place in life where I can make it real. My cousin Ed turned me on to this forum, having just recently added a C4 to his collection. I look forward to learning a ton from everyone here before I take the plunge..
The one piece of advice I see here a lot and agree with is to buy the newest car in the best condition possible. Even if you pay 5k over what some say you should you would be surprised how fast 5k goes when trying to fix up a beater. Dan
Welcome JOsworth! CF is an awesome community with all the pros and cons of internet forums! Get ready for a good time!
Just be sure to search for threads about buying a C4 Corvette. TONS of good advice has already been posted. Read up on the info, consider your budget and driving intentions for the car (DD, weekend cruiser, autocross, etc etc), look at and drive many cars before discussing purchase price. Lots of these cars were made and many are still around -- take the necessary time to find *the right car for you.* It's easy to get caught up in "Corvette Fever" and make an impulse buy on the first decent car you can afford.
Most of all, have fun!
The one piece of advice I see here a lot and agree with is to buy the newest car in the best condition possible. Even if you pay 5k over what some say you should you would be surprised how fast 5k goes when trying to fix up a beater. Dan
That's good advice.
During the C4's 12 year production run, there were 5 different engines:
the '84 220hp L83 (throttle body injection), the L98 (tuned port batch injection) that inched up to 250 hp by 1991, the 300 hp LT1 (MAP, MAF, batch and sequential induction schemes from '92 to 96), the 330 hp LT4 (essentially a hot-rodded LT1 available ONLY with the M6 xmission), and the 375-405hp LT5 in the RPO ZR-1 option ONLY.
Transmissions included 3 major versions:
the automatic 4 speed 700r4 (and later variants, e.g., 4L60, 4L60E, 4L65E, and some others). And, 2 manuals; the Doug Nash 4+3 and the venerable ZF M6.
Two major body styles and limited variants of same:
From 84 to 90* had the concave tail with round tail lights and the third (middle) tail light mounted at center roof-line. From 91 thu 96 had the convex tail with rectangular-ish tail lights and the center 3rd tail light was blended into the middle of the rear bumper.
*ZR-1s: The exception was the 1990 ZR-1 which had the convex rear bumper and rectangular-ish tail lights, (but retained the 3rd middle brake light at the center roof-line for the entire ZR-1 production), and retained the angular front fascia of the 89 and previous cars. However, in 91 ALL Corvettes had the new rounded front fascia in addition to the convex rear bumper. But, the rear end of all 90-95 ZR-1s were 3" wider than the standard Vette (to accommodate the wider tires).
And, in addition to these production cars, there were some special editions in (essentially) token volumes, e.g., the "B2K" limited option which was a turbocharged version.
Best of the best were arguably the 95 ZR-1 and the 96 ZF/LT4s, tho the 91 with the last of the L98 motors and late mo body style are treasured by C4 fans too.
OK... time to dive deeper... First of all, I have been lurking on this forum for a little while since my cousin turned me on to it. I always seem to join up on forums that reflect a car I have. So, I am really familiar with both the good and bad out there. This one looks to be fantastic. Like my two other favorites... LX Forums when I had my Chrysler 300C and Jaguar Forums when I had my S-Type. Jaguar forums, because of the community, was the only forum where I stayed active years after getting rid of the car. I still have friends from that. This, however is the first forum I have joined before getting the car. Also, the forums I was/is a member of all are connected to my daily driver. I also have a toy. Not a collection, just a single toy to enjoy when I feel like it. My current toy has been cared for by me for over 20 years. It is a bit of an odd ball. It is a 1985 Dodge 600 ES Turbo Convertible (Think boxy LeBaron). It is a totally original preserved car with less than 44k miles. It is one of the nicest surviving K derivative cars out there... basically a car that shouldn't exist. That said, I have decided that it is time to get the dream car of my youth. I was not exaggerating when I said I have loved the C4 from day 1. I also am pretty familiar with the evolution of it. So, part one of the journey is learning the details that only a community of enthusiast can teach me. At the same time I will start the marketing of the dear Dodge to the right buyer... a much tougher task I think than selling a Vette. LOL.
The car I want.. My favorites are the 92 to 96. I like the 96 Collector Edition. I want (and don't shoot me) an automatic car as well. I really want to use it for mellow cruising through the country vs tearing up a track. I also want a coupe not a convertible. That is a bit off character for those that know me, since I have always loved convertibles. In fact, until recently, I lusted after a C4 convertible. But my tastes have changed and I really like the idea of the targa top instead. It has the versatility of the hatch, with the open air of the removable top. Plus, it is so much easier keeping a solid roof nice vs a fabric top. And, yes, the ancient Dodge still has it's original top! From there, I strangely like the standard seats in the later cars vs the optional performance seats. As for colors, I like most. The only color I don't want is black. The different blues and polo green are up towards the top, followed by white, red, silver. After the LT1 cars comes the 91 and the 90. I think the 90 is neat because it still has the "older" exterior style with a refreshed interior. Also, the 91 is neat...
I want the same car as you! I really wanted a C4 when I started looking to get a Corvette and I ended up with a C6 M6 convertible (2007) in Le Mans Blue. I got talked out of the C4 by a friend who had one complaining about the difficulty entering and exiting the car. I haven't sat in a C4 in a while, but I am not in bad shape for my age (it's only a number) and I don't think that getting in or out of the car would be an issue for years to come. I've had the C6 for 5 years now and it is a great car. I will be keeping it, but I still would like to have a C4 - just gotta talk the wife into it. I'd have to sell a 1989 Pontiac GTA, though, to make room in the garage. And, I may be sorry to see that one go because it has been a lot of fun, too. I just started lurking over here in the C4 section and the more I read, the more I want one.
Hello JOsworth and welcome to the forum. I think you'll find that locating the ideal Corvette for your self will be an enjoyable task. There are many very nice examples out there at prices that will not break the bank. I agree with your preferred choice of acquisition candidates. I have a 1996 automatic coupe and it is both reliable and a blast to drive. Enjoy your search and good luck finding the car you really want.
Welcome to the forum! If you fill out your location in your profile, it may help other users who are close provide you with leads.
My advice would be to get one that you can tell has been garaged and cared for during its life. When cars are 25 years old, a lot can happen if they are not maintained. Even then, there will always be a few things to fix. You just want to make sure you spend your time enjoying it and not working on it all the time. My 93 was pretty reliable but I still had a few small projects to work on.
1) Invest $20.00 and get yourself a copy of Mike Antonick's Corvette Black Book. Wonderful source for all of the changes that were made from year to year as well as what was standard and what options were available for each year.
2) Don't fall in love with the very first one. Try to drive 5 or 6 different C4s so that you can feel the difference between those cars that were well maintained and those that were not.
Enjoy the search and be sure to let us know what you end up getting
Great advice all... I have updated my profile.. I live in Akron, Ohio. So given NE Ohio weather I am sure I may have to travel a bit for the right car. I totally agree about getting the best most well maintained car I can find. On the other hand I actually look forward to having a toy I can wrench on a bit. I would love to have tinkered more with the Dodge 600 but that car scares the crap out of me.. Why you may ask... Because you only think finding parts for a 25 year old Vette is hard. Try finding parts for a K-Car. These things have basically all been crushed years ago because they are not collected or even really desired there is no aftermarket either. So, I get real nervous touching anything on that car out of fear of breaking something that is irreplaceable. A Corvette... different story...
To the OP: check your emissions inspection requirements where you live. In my neck of the woods (and it varies by county in MO), a 1996 Corvette (and any other OBD2 car) has to pass a plug-in scanner-type emissions inspection every two years. That basically means that the car's own computer (PCM) needs to report that everything is working properly. A 1995 and earlier (being OBD1), has no such inspection requirement. A stock 96 in good working condition with no trouble codes will pass just fine. Difficulties come with modifications or when parts fail.
It's actually not difficult to bypass certain self-tests - such as if you remove cats or otherwise modify the exhaust - but it requires $400 jet DST software to program the workarounds. It all depends on your level of comfort and willingness to do to calibration changes to your car, or your willingness to keep all stock systems in good working order. OTOH, a 1994/5 LT1/auto performs and looks identically to a 1996 LT1/auto, and may not have to pass any emissions tests in your location. And if you ever want to change the PCM calibrations on it, you can do so with much cheaper software.
The big upgrade in 1996 was the availability of the LT4, but that only came with the ZF6 manual transmission. So just keep emissions requirements in mind as you shop.
PS - My 96 is red, but I love Admiral Blue. And my car has the base seats and I think they are great. I autocross, and the standard seats even hold me in place quite well during that kind of driving. And they are light, and there's very little to malfunction in them since the adjustments are manual. So I agree with you on seat preference, too.
Intro.... Looking..
That's good advice.
