c4 aficionados please have look.
#1
Oil Producer
Thread Starter
c4 aficionados please have look.
im looking at buying a 60k mile base 4+3 1988 car that is immaculate.
it appears to be 100% unmolested. it even gives a little puff of smoke on startup which i know is valve stem seals. that is congruent with other seals such as the pan and vc’s leaking a bit. this doesnt bother me in the slightest because it to me it looks like NOTHING has been touched on this car.
im only buying it if i can determine that its as new factory
i have two questions that im curious about:
the underside of this car, has faint blue paint on it. it does not look like overspray. it looks like its supposed to be there but i didnt think gm would do that. here is a picture by the jacking point showcasing what i mean. is this factory spec? or is this an indication that the car has been resprayed. pic:
see the blue under the jacking location.
2. shock tower on the passenger side has a very slight bend in it. i see ZERO indication of any repairs. NOTHING. no witness marks from bolts having been undone and replaced, nothing. but again i find it hard to believe that gm would have had this variation in the shock tower mounts. thoughts??
passenger side with very small upward deflection
driver side perfectly flat
actually now that i look at it, it looks like there may be some witness marks on the right (forward) side of the tower.
it appears to be 100% unmolested. it even gives a little puff of smoke on startup which i know is valve stem seals. that is congruent with other seals such as the pan and vc’s leaking a bit. this doesnt bother me in the slightest because it to me it looks like NOTHING has been touched on this car.
im only buying it if i can determine that its as new factory
i have two questions that im curious about:
the underside of this car, has faint blue paint on it. it does not look like overspray. it looks like its supposed to be there but i didnt think gm would do that. here is a picture by the jacking point showcasing what i mean. is this factory spec? or is this an indication that the car has been resprayed. pic:
see the blue under the jacking location.
2. shock tower on the passenger side has a very slight bend in it. i see ZERO indication of any repairs. NOTHING. no witness marks from bolts having been undone and replaced, nothing. but again i find it hard to believe that gm would have had this variation in the shock tower mounts. thoughts??
passenger side with very small upward deflection
driver side perfectly flat
actually now that i look at it, it looks like there may be some witness marks on the right (forward) side of the tower.
#3
Oil Producer
Thread Starter
The following users liked this post:
silverja (07-17-2019)
#5
Safety Car
That shock tower looks to have been bottomed out 'hard'. Hard to believe that that much of a bend could have happened IMO without other damage to the suspension on that corner. I'd give it a real good look see to look for damage, not just the base suspension but also the frame mounting points. Wouldn't hurt to have a frame shop give it a look see for frame damage also.
The following users liked this post:
silverja (07-17-2019)
#6
Oil Producer
Thread Starter
^. much appreciated hcb.
ive pulled the reports on the car and there are no claims at all.
likely a gigantic pothole in combo with the base spring rate allowing full flex and bang on the shock tower.
my time with “project” c4’s is behind me and im now just building a collection of real nice examples. going to pass on the car.
ive pulled the reports on the car and there are no claims at all.
likely a gigantic pothole in combo with the base spring rate allowing full flex and bang on the shock tower.
my time with “project” c4’s is behind me and im now just building a collection of real nice examples. going to pass on the car.
#8
(probably doesn't have the original air in the tires - -- I hate it when folks don't keep there rides "factory original" - )
(if the car IS blue, which it appears it is). early on in the C4 production run, the factory did a little black-out paint work on the chassis, along with painting black, the bottom flange on the rocker panel. sometime after 1990, they, probably the bean counters, stopped any additional black-out paint work on the underside. my torch red 96 had red overspray all over the underside (both sides), half way to the drive shaft tunnel, whereas my 85 shows minimal signs of overspray.
That shock tower looks to have been bottomed out 'hard'. Hard to believe that that much of a bend could have happened IMO without other damage to the suspension on that corner. I'd give it a real good look see to look for damage, not just the base suspension but also the frame mounting points. Wouldn't hurt to have a frame shop give it a look see for frame damage also.
hey VT3 - didn't you just buy a ZR-1? you getting into the C4 car business?
Last edited by Joe C; 07-15-2019 at 07:06 AM.
#9
Oil Producer
Thread Starter
yeah i did just buy a zr1. it just passed its out of province so i can drive it and get on with my thread!
building a collection u could say.
building a collection u could say.
#10
Burning Brakes
Member Since: Jan 2017
Location: Diamondhead Mississippi
Posts: 960
Received 236 Likes
on
171 Posts
St. Jude Donor '17-'18-'19-'20-'21-'22
I don't have a picture with me but my 88 passenger side shock mount looks just like that. I've only had it for 2 1/2 years but don't believe it was ever wrecked before i got it. No issues with the way it rides or drives. I know its strange but I just thought that was the way it was made.
#11
Pro
^. much appreciated hcb.
ive pulled the reports on the car and there are no claims at all.
likely a gigantic pothole in combo with the base spring rate allowing full flex and bang on the shock tower.
my time with “project” c4’s is behind me and im now just building a collection of real nice examples. going to pass on the car.
ive pulled the reports on the car and there are no claims at all.
likely a gigantic pothole in combo with the base spring rate allowing full flex and bang on the shock tower.
my time with “project” c4’s is behind me and im now just building a collection of real nice examples. going to pass on the car.
#12
Oil Producer
Thread Starter
Thank you for the compliment convas!
I enjoy the puzzle solving and i will never stop working on my vettes. dont get me wrong, ill buy them with mechanical problems all day long. What i wont do is buy cars with body/chassis and major interior damage. Ill consider minor interior work as i do find it rewarding.
For example im now looking at an 89 red on black z51 fx3 car with 60k miles, no accidents, original paint, original interior, all decals on the interior panels are still intact, been a driver but obviously taken care of other than:, very dirty engine bay, needs hvac module reflowed or replaced, heatercore, and the engine torn down, cleaned up, resealed, and detailed.
Thats my kind of project now. i should have said....my days of “roach” vettes are over. (or terminally ill chassis damage such as bent shocktower)
also ive been watching videos on how to rebuild the seals inside fx3 bilsteins. it seems this shouldnt be very hard to do and there are a few youtube vids that suggest this.
But thank you very much for the comment and i do hope that other guys who were in a position like i was at the time with not alot of free cash, can use what i did to allow them to get into a cheap c4 for almost nothing, and use the evenings and weekends to fix and refurb it up. That is the MAGIC of the c4 corvette. For VERY LITTLE cash invested a guy can drive an amazing car.
Go at it with the driveability issues first, then the aesthetics later, and a guy can be tearing up the twistys for very little guilt on $ spent!!!
love the C4 vette!!!
The following users liked this post:
silverja (07-17-2019)
#13
I've got to admit VT3, you've come a long way since your early C4 posts. one thing I can say is you're are not afraid to tackle anything -
Last edited by Joe C; 07-17-2019 at 09:25 PM.