EddieVetter

I'm thinking of buying a 92 automatic w50k miles. Is this a good year? What should I look out for? What can expect to go wrong with the car down the road? Transmission? Are repair costs really steep? Any info would be appreciated. This would be my first Corvette. Thanks for your help in advance.

96LT4

Just make sure the car has been serviced regularly, and the optispark is a problem for the early LT1 cars.

With the 92, you get the first year of the LT1. :cool:

FASTAZU

Welcome to the forum :cheers: Be sure to run a CarFax on it...

Stv50

I agree. Get all the info you can on it. Check out this link.
http://www.epinions.com/content_59757923972

RadPolo96

Yeah, first run that car fax. As for parts prices...its a Corvette, thats all I should have to say. Usually on the forum here you can find great deals on parts. Everyone else assumes that just since its a Corvette, that they can charge an arm and leg for their parts and that we are stupid enough to pay for them. If you ever need parts for the car just ask anyone on the forum. As for the car I love mine. Its had its share of probs, but it was used and you have to assume it will have some. Good Luck, the LT1 is a great engine with alot of potential. :cheers:

GTrain

If you can take it to a mechanic, do that too. I have a 1992 and never had anything major at all. The computer went a little crazy and it was replaced but other than that, its always been strong.

Some things I do when I buy cars.... There is a skid plate just under the engine/transmission. It should have normal wear and scratches in line with the mileage. If it looks too good, it may have been replaced, along with other repairs from a wreck, or too bad, it was not cared for. If there is a crazy amount of undercoating, you may get suspicious too as dealers love to hide major repairs. Feel under the mats, they should never feel "damp" ( I ran across two in VA that were flooded, and it never made it to car-fax since it never changed hands ) indicating water damage.

Some 1992's had a fuel line or fuel pump recall, but can't remember the numbers. There are two ways to configure the alternator and the belts. Many delerships configure them wrong, and it can lead to belts jumping off. The factory did it that way, ( the wrong way ) but fixed it on later models. The new configuration, with the new belt, eliminates that problem.

EddieVetter

Optispark problem?

Jimbo93

You didn't say anything about what you were paying for it.
Should be able to pick it up for under $15,000 especially this time of year.

EddieVetter

The guy says he'll sell it for around 12k, with under 60k miles. This seems reasonable to me?

oldace84

Another "Welcome" to the forum.....surf it and you will find your answer's...

Its the best...

:cool:

JCAIRE2

Sounds good. I picked up my '88 for 10.5k in june. You'll be very happy with your new love. :seeya

65Z01

Welcome the the Forum.

Check over the condition:
-a paint job is very expensive
-interior & weather stipping are around $1k each
-tranny is around $1k for a rebuild
-tires are around $800

In addition to the tips already put forth:
-Make sure all accessories are in working order.
-Check the condition, as possible, of all fluids.
-See if the car is bone stock or has mods.

You might expect to have repairs like brakes, tires, fuel pump, EGR system, opti, fuel injectors and the like.

I wouldn't say repair costs are especially steep; the trick is to find a mechanic you trust to service your Corvette.

If you like to (or would like to) wrench on your car, get a copy of the GM Shop Manual from HELM and a decent tool set from Sears; then get some Corvette catalogs such as Mid America Design and Eckler's.

Good luck with your new Corvette.

Rich_01659

Yea, the 'opti spark' is the distributor located on the front of the block below the water pump. Mine is the same style DON'T EVER WASH THE FRONT OF THE BLOCK with a water hose. once you get it , you'll need to race it! so drop me a email and we'll go to the track :D

sraft

When I was looking this past summer, a knowledgable co-worker gave me this advice:

"Look carefully at the wiring under the hood. If it looks like it's been spliced into, turn around and walk away from the car".

good luck

Rick92

I have a 92 and I like it very well, But the later C4's are better in my opinion. I hope this helps. Welcome to the forum :cheers:

Lone Ranger

The LT1 got a new design of distributor completely and totally different from the conventional type. The Optispark is one of the most accurate precision ignition components ever made by GM. But it is sensitive to moisture. If it gets water in it, especially coolant, it can fail and need to be replaced. Due to the location this can be a problem if the water pump leaks. GM decided to locate the optispark on the front of the motor on the block right underneath the water pump. I suppose they had no where else to put it. In '95 they updated the design by venting it with a vacuum source from the intake and a fresh air source from the intake tube just behind the Mass Air Flow Sensor. This helped with moisture problems but the opti is still a fairly fragile component. Because of the opti, it is NOT recommended to clean the engine by hosing it down with pressure. If care is taken and a dribbling or very light hose flow is used it can be accomplished with much les liklihood of getting water in the opti.

Another plague of the LT1 is an oil leak that happen at the rear of the intake manifold, carefully inspect the back of the engine block for fresh oil. It has to do with the factory gasket seal setup. Once repaired in the field with different materials it usually doesn't leak anymore.

The 92 LT1 makes its fuel calculations based on the speed density method instead of Mass Air Flow method as in the 94 - 96 LT1's. Some people like this, some don't. The hp rating is unaffected: 300hp for all 'Vette LT1's through '96.

Look closely at how body panels come together for possible clues as to whether it's been hit or not. Check condition of weather stripping. That can be a clue as to what kind of care and attention the car has been given over the years, if they are original. Don't get hung up on paint flaking off the stock mufflers, it was a common enough defect that GM put out a tech bulletin on it, so it doesn't mean the car's necessarily been neglected or excessively flogged.

Check condition of rubber vacuum lines, etc. 10 yrs can be about the time they start getting stiff and maybe a bit brittle and they may need to be replaced. LT1's are setup by default to run hot-- summer time coolant temps of 220 - 230F in slow traffic are the norm, but there are ways to make slight modifications to bring down the temps. All that heat over the years can affect the plastic and rubber parts in the engine compartment so pay attention to their condition when inspecting it.

Good luck, keep us posted, and don't hesitate to ask more questions here after you inspect the car! :thumbs:

EddieVetter

Wow,

Thank you all very much for the information. I never knew how much I don't know about corvettes. I will take all of your advice to heart and I will keep you informed of my progress. With any luck I will have some pictures to post of my new hobby.

Thanks again!