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Wasted a lot of time trying to find the right one so I jumped in. The right ones either don't exist or are impossible/difficult
to find .Wasting time is wasting fun. I regret a lot more selling them than buying them.
I'm a septuagenerian in New Zealand and wanted an American sports car before checking out. So I saw a nice '88 C4 for sale and took the plunge. Of course, there's things that needed fixing, like a new starter motor, brake master cylinder and booster. The stripping is on hold at the moment but will see to it sometime.
The car goes well, engine seems good and its a joy to drive on our winding NZ roads. For some reason (I don't drive like a maniac!) I've never been passed by other cars. Must be R-E-S-P-E-C-T...
So no, I have no regrets about getting an aged C4. I don't do mechanical work on it but have a good garage that have a lot of experience with classic cars so no problems with repairs.
I just bought mine so no regrets.... yet. One thing definitely leads to another though and common sense has to dictate on improvements, mods, unessential repairs etc. I’m probably not going to do any significant wrenching on mine so hopefully I got a good one and engine/tranny stuff is a long way out. I’m loving it though so I think it’s going to be a fun hobby car as long as annual investment stays in a reasonable window.
Nope. I bought the perfect one. 107k miles when purchased last July (113k now), couple rock chips here and there and paint is just "ok". But the car is perfect because I can drive it from early spring to late fall rain or shine and not care, it just a daily beater work car and I wouldn't have it any other way.
Exactly. But I reduce my odds of buying a more expensive problem by thoroughly checking and adjusting the price accordingly. Sure, I'll buy it from you. I'll deduct the estimated cost to make it all work. AC not working? $2000 off since I figure it might cost that much to replace everything and pay someone to do it.
I'm like you when buying, and I don't deal with people like either of us when selling. I don't generally sell at a price point that anything more than a good look over won't tell you if you are taking it or not tho
That said, there is only so much of that that can happen with most C4s around me. When you are talking about otherwise good running $6000-8000 cars, no one is going to drop $2000 off the price due to poor AC. Yes, you can walk away, but then the next one you get to will have a faulty headlight switch, and the next worn carpet and dirty upholstery, the next will need brakes, and so on and so forth, with few people willing to drop the price to the cost of a shop doing it with top quality parts. And unfortunately with the C4, there was not a lot of correlation between quality and asking price when I bought mine, it was much harder to get a feel for the market than most other vehicles I've gone through.
Originally Posted by auggy
Wasted a lot of time trying to find the right one so I jumped in. The right ones either don't exist or are impossible/difficult
to find .Wasting time is wasting fun. I regret a lot more selling them than buying them.
Yep. I like keeping an eye on the local market for things I own/am thinking about owning. In the six months I've owned this, nothing close to what I would have ideally wanted has even popped up for sale, at any price. Had I waited til this time of year to buy, I'd have had a bit more option, but everything I've fixed/customized on mine has gotten me to a grand total of something in no way "better".
How much would you put in your car to sell it now? Yours is still nice, so I assume you would, but just curious.
I'd have to put about $1000 into the AC. Just bought a kit ($500, IIRC with the compressor, oil, o-rings and orifice) plus a couple hundred in the condenser and maybe $1000 in labor in R&R the condenser and flush the system and recharge. Compressor took a crap so...... Sure, I could replace the condenser myself and the compressor and Receiver/Dryer but I really would not feel comfortable with doing the recharge and not totally sure about the warranty if I did it myself since it is a lifetime on the compressor and receiver/dryer. Just ball parking it right now since I got all systems to work in an acceptable manner.
Didn't really trust too many "mechanics" around town to mess with it. The car was older that most of them any way!
I don't see much of a difference. Even when my car was new, most of them were sloppy and lazy. I mean, it wasn't their own car so WGAS. Problem is the cars are computer controlled and you can't simply guess your way. To most of them, it is a job and the faster they finish it without a return, the sooner they can do something else that makes more money. I could buy a 2019 vehicle and still have that issue since most of the mechanics are not as **** about it as I am. I usually have better luck when the KNOW that I have an FSM and that they are being watched. There are always a few that excel but like most professions, the rest are mostly parts replacers who see it as a way to make a buck today.
My only regret is not getting mine sooner. This thing is a blast as a daily driver. I bought it to enjoy the 30-mile one-way trip to work and it has been worth every penny. Gets lots of looks/waves and gets more gas mileage than my Mustangs or bad weather truck.
I only have little things to fix on it at the moment. It's a learning experience each time I work on something.
The only thing I wish is that it was an M6 instead of A4, but the car is in such excellent shape (and my Mustangs are 5-speeds) that I don't mind it being an automatic.
Anyone ever regretted buying your C4 after you get in to the C4 world and learn more about them and all the differences/ models and wish you waited to buy the "right" one?
no way, ive had 7 C4's 84,85,86 bought new
now have a ruby ragtop. they were awesome then they're awesome now. not the fastest ride on the block, but quick eneuogh
Naah, I owned a C3 for some years as a daily driver and although not stone axe reliable it was at heart a 350 small block Chevy...a likeable puppy. I bought my 1995 64k mile, torch red vert a year ago this month and as a daily driver have put 10k miles on it without a whiff of unreliability....again a friendly puppy. Took it in for an oil change and it seemed to be taking a long time. Peeked into the shop area and there sat my car with clamshell raised and every young gearhead in the shop clustered around--a phenomena called street cred. Needs weatherstrip and the cruise doesn't work but I actually prefer to drive (or ride) older stuff in pristine condition. Technology ain't always your friend and when it isn't it's spendy...that's part of what no longer needing emissions inspections are all about.
Regret... That's kind of to harsh. I don't regret either of the C4's I have and had. But I do wish my current one had a trunk so I wish it was a C5 in place of a C4.
I have smoked a few C5's with it but my 87 is far from stock so it wasn't fair races.
That said at my age its hard to get out of the C4 now.
The lack of a trunk sucks in the convertible. When my wife and I took it for our anniversary trip we had the convertible top area packed with stuff. Luckily it was to cold to put the top down it since there was no way to lower it with all of that stuff in there.
The headlights are cool looking on the C4 but you know you thank god every time they rotate right.
Since the C5 has pop up headlights it will be the newest I ever go to if I buy one.
The C6 isn't happening since it doesn't have a real inside door handle. I will not be the next old guy that dies in one.
I had posted in that other thread similar to this on would you buy another c4.
But with this one being about regret I don't regret the one I have I just envy some of the feature the C5 has. To be honest if my 87 had a trunk I probably wouldn't even buy a C5. I will probably keep the C4 I have and just add a C5 to the fleet.
I own a 90 black coupe 6 SPDR, if I know how little value they hold and how scarce good OEM clutch parts are I probably would have passed. I Rescued it from a coworker for 2500 and he had spent a few thousand in 5 years he owned it. But being a former GM Dealer line tech I was experienced to work on it, Buick Pontiac little Corvette, but in my heyday c4s were mainly still new. However driving it got me sick with the fever, the car had 230k on it so I pulled the engine had it bored 355
All new parts, front rear suspension overhaul new clutch,transmission rear axle overhauled 4:11 gears. Every thing is new, bilstien shocks. It's not worth what I have in it, wife loves riding in it plus it surprises some newer cars! Hind sight 20/20 smiles per mile 100%😊👍
I bought my '91 roadster in early '92, new from the dealer, with every option but FX3, including hardtop. I didn't regret it then. Owned it for 14 years, then sold it... had a wife and a son, had put 4K miles on it in the last 4 years I owned it... but I regretted selling it. Bought it back from the guy I sold it to a week ago, with 10K more miles on it, and he has kept it up beautifully... rebuilt suspension, mild cam, long tube headers and Corsa exhaust, high end repaint with all-new weather seals... it looks and drives as if new (but a little loud with the Corsa exhaust, but okay). He also put C5 brakes and thus it has C5 ZR1 wheels on it... I'll likely get some quieter mufflers and a set of sawblades and figure out how to get them on. The best thing is, I paid the exact amount for it that I sold it for 15 years ago!. I've driven C5s, C6s, and C7s, have kind of thought about buying a C7 but... the C4 is enough and then some, and there is something magic about it. No regrets at all... maybe it's karma getting your dream car back. I sat in it today and listened to a little Pearl Jam... just like when it was new.
My brother-in-law has always had a thing for Mustangs. He had a '67 when he met my sister that he picked up after his return from Vietnam, then picked up a '69 after his second tour. He bought a '64 1/2 convertible (red and black) and completely restored it in the mid-1970s, and owns it still. I'm not a big Mustang fan, but I get it. As we get older, we lust for the dream cars of our youth. I think the C4s will start to appreciate... heck, late 2nd gen F-body Firebirds are selling for more, and I know they made more Firebirds (71-81) than they made C4s (84 1/2 - 96)… and C4s are just cooler.
I actually prefer to drive (or ride) older stuff in pristine condition. Technology ain't always your friend and when it isn't it's spendy...that's part of what no longer needing emissions inspections are all abou
well said...prefer older stuff...not a fan of how new cars feel and drive not an ounce of character & mpg/resale was never a concern of mine
I drive em til nobody but the gardener wants it. Had my DD for 17 yrs, the toyfor 25....its 52 yrs old & love it.
Just the first one. A 96 automatic, when I really wanted a six speed. I did a little research and bought a car that was 99% what I wanted, but the color i like wadnt available in 89.
No regrets. My C4 started out bone stock 91 auto that I purchased back in 2005 as a toy to just mess around with and have and upgrade a little. Did the usual bolt ons and did my first AutoX in the car in 2007. Since then I have done so many upgrades It’s nuts to think about how much has been spent on it. Engine, Trans, rears, suspension upgrades, brakes. Latest upgrade this past winter into spring has been Miniram and coilovers. Have tested the coilovers and miniram at a test n tune course. I need to do some more testing on different lots to verify changes. My C4 currently is a little behind my C6z but it is getting closer. If I had to let one go it would be the C6Z. Just something about this little red Corvette that makes me keep it around.
04-07-2019, 03:07 PM
