Hi, my name is Braydon and I am interested in buying a 1994 Corvette Hardtop 6 speed manual. I am getting the car for a good deal, but the seller says the car has some issues. The power windows don't work, he says that it could be the regulator or just a fuse. He says he recently changed the clutch and the throw out bearing didn't fit quite right so it makes some noise. These cars are known to have noisy transmissions according to forum members previous posts and many say that the throwout bearing is a common issue and that they have had the issue for years and the cars have done just fine and some even said they noticed the issue since the car was new. Also, he seems to think that the U joints are having some issues. because he hears a weird vibration at certain rpms that sounds like something is loose. Lastly since taking the car to the shop most recently, at low speeds the steering wheel shakes. My question is how much of this is something that I can deal with and not fix until later and for the stuff that I have to fix now, how much would it cost? I can do some work myself with the help of youtube and friends that work on cars, but if the throwout bearing needs replacing then I would likely need to take it to a shop.

 

There's a FAQ on zfdoc.com that addresses some of the noises from repairs like switching out the dual mass flywheel to a common 1 piece. As far as u joints it's a doable job. The c beam is a little tough to take off your first time to get to the u joints. There's a common problem in the steering column that causes a shake it's an easy repair. Otherwise you'll need to go through all the ball joints and bushings on the suspension. Always a good idea on a 30 year old car anyways.

 

sounds like a great car for a guy or gal who will diy fix it up.

If you are taking it to a shop to get worked on, be prepared to use lube as they say. trans jobs on these cars typically result in some other more innocent parts like shift boots being torn.

where do you live? maybe we have some members who would be willing to check out the car with you?

Great choice! 94 6spd

 

Congrats on considering this car, but you better be getting a GREAT deal as the issues you listed could lead you down a money rabbit hole. The thrown out bearing will require the trans and "C" beam to be pulled before you get to the clutch. Windows could be a fuse but be prepared to take apart the door and replace regulators. U joints themselves are not all that expensive but are tricky (as in dropping suspension pieces) to install and are labor intensive. Shakey steering wheel could be anything from wheel balancing to heavily worn front suspension pieces.

Also, your repairs will always (always) result in little side projects and parts requirements. For example, replacing your throw out bearing could lead to resurfacing (or replace) the pressure plate and possibly a new clutch and certainly new trans fluid and bleeding the clutch with new fluids.

Can you do it? Sure. All this is doable if you have the skill, tools and a FSM (Field service manual).

 

i seem to be doing it alllllll the time. Its doable but if u had to pay someone? Id just pay more for a sorted car. If you can do it yourself and enjoy it (like me) fill ur boots u can buy c4’s very cheap!

 

I have negotiated down to $5300, do you guys think if I could get it under $5k then it would be worth it?

 

To give an accurate assessment of the car's value it would be good to have several pictures showing the shape of the exterior and interior, as well as a picture of the RPO code sticker which is located underneath the center console lid door or on the underside of the rear storage compartments lids/doors

This details a lot of the cara factory options.

Additionally knowing what mods and service have been done.

From what you have shared so far I would say it is potentially a reasonable car to buy.

 

I second YakMaster.... lets get some details.

Now, set yourself some expectations. You are looking at potentially several thousand dollars of repairs for parts and labor along with the time involved. Do you have the skill and equipment to pull the transmission on your driveway or garage? If not, for example, you are looking at a couple of thousand (potentially) on a single repair....... with more to go.

It would be worth taking this car to a qualified mechanical for a pre purchase inspection so you know what you are getting yourself into. Buying a car with know problems typically means there are more "as you peal the onion back."

 

From what you have posted ...... it reads to me like the current owner of this car ..... has not kept up on the maintenance. If the windows don't work and there are problems with the clutch along with weird vibrations and he hasn't/can't fix these issues .... I'd be concerned with other routine long term maintenance issues like ball joints, suspension bushings, wheel bearings, shocks, brakes&rotors, weather seals, new tires.

Are you a mechanic yourself whose is looking for a DYI project?

If it turns out ..... that you need to spend another $5K to get the car sorted out after you get it home ..... is that still a good deal in your mind?

 

Link to Listing:https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1279922075934306?ref=search&referral_code=null&referral_story_type=post&tracking=browse_serp%3A91ac412f-e3e7-4a77-8f8f-77eb4a4054b4 I talked to a local mechanic, and he said they would charge $800 for the throw out bearing fix.

 

I'd make sure that mechanic specifically knows the zf6 trans in the C4. These cars came from the factory with a dual mass flywheel to reduce engine vibration. All these years later those dual mass flywheels are no longer available. You can't easily resurface a dual mass flywheel so people convert them to a regular flywheel. That's where you run into problems with that throw out bearing noise. You really need to be experienced in this set up to know what needs to be changed and what specs to look at.

 

Also, after reviewing my conversation with the seller, he said the car had a "clutch rattle" but the it was "pretty much unnoticable" does this mean that it could be something other than the throwout bearing? He also said he has only had the car a little over 6 months and he just doesn't have the time to keep up with the issues the car has because he does his own work. Here are some pics of the car in his listing, for some reason it has taken him a while to respond to me today so I don't have any more pics yet.

 

I see that this car has been lowered in both front & back. Do you think who ever had that done had a 4-wheel alignment done after the suspension mods? Depending on where you live and how you drive you may find yourself with ground clearance issues. I couldn't drive that on a daily basis where I live way too many pot holes & speed bumps.

I sure hope that you are at least going to take this car on a significant test drive prior to purchasing it.

PS: If the windows don't work make darn sure that the HVAC system is working prior to taking the car for a test drive.

 

He said he had an alignment done recently, I fully intend on taking the car on a test drive before buying and will likely also take it to a mechanic. The seller also said the heat and ac both work well. I wonder if what the seller is hearing is just the transmission, because on another thread owners said the zf 6 speed that is in these cars is noisy even when in good order.

 

From those pictures, $5k for a running and driving 94 ZF6 that potentially needs a clutch job isn't terrible. I personally would consider that, but I like many on this forum am a gearhead who genuinely enjoys working on cars.

Be prepared to have to work on it, or to pay someone to work on it.

Interior and exterior look to be in solid shape.

You need to know how the car was lowered.

It looks like has an aftermarket exhaust. Find out.

Heads up, these C4 vettes are not the kind of car that you can drop off at just any mechanic to have fixed. In doing so, you are liable in my opinion to pay quite a bit of money, or to get the car back with all sorts of little plastic bits broken. C4 Corvettes fall into an interesting category of used car where very quickly the shop repair costs for the car can FAR outweigh the used purchase price of the car as well as the final market value after repair.

In short, unless you are willing to lose money on the car, and both love the cars enough and have the expendable money to do so, or are willing and able to do the work yourself, a C4 might not be for you.

That being said, we all love C4s here, and will be more than happy to help bring you into the fold of DIY enthusiast wrenchers if you so choose to dive in!

 

Mine is a 92 6 speed and I bought it 10/21 with 180k+ miles. The transmission is not noisy at all. The clutch is smooth also. I've put about 5k miles on her in this year and a half. No rattles or vibrations from the trans. I have no idea what flywheel I have, but I doubt it's factory with the miles.

 

What tools/equipment do you all think I would need at a minimum to do work on a C4 in general myself? How often would I have to be doing work on it? Also, on this thread it said that the zf 6 speed does make noise https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...g-noise-2.html. I am kind of confused as to what to think about it because the clutch was recently changed in the car and the noise at this point from what I heard from the seller is almost unnoticeable. But once I got that and the other issues sorted, would other problems likely arise in the next 6 months? That is the question that worries me. I generally think of older Corvettes to be fairly reliable, is that a misguided opinion? I definitely have a lot to think about, but if anyone sees or has a cheaper 1992+ manual C4 in good shape please let me know!

 

Miles on the car?
None if us can predict the maintenance items that might come up, but with previous service records, and the miles on the car, we can help you make educated preparations for possible issues and some potentially more likely things.

When it comes to tools, the sky is the limit. The more you have, plus the nicer the space is you have to work on the car, the easier and more enjoyable it is to work on the car...

Jack stands, floor jack, a budget tool box and tool set will easily be around $1000 or so. But with that, you can handle most of anything that the car might throw at you.

I remember sitting in an inch of standing water during a Colorado spring rainstorm trying to wrestle an SM465 manual trans back onto the bellhousing of an 83 K5 blazer... not a bad memory, but not a good one. Stuck with me 10 years later..

Anyway

if the clutch was recently redone, unfortunately the nature of the ZF6 transmission is that it is possible that the components that were put in there are problematic and need to come out. It is also possible that they just put a single mass flywheel in there (factory original was dual mass), and that is causing noise, but that isn't a functional issue and the transmission can stay up.

Hard to say. Your average mechanic unless they legitimately know C4 vettes and the ZF6 probably won't be able to say either.
Your best bet in diagnosing a C4 is going to be someone that legitimately knows C4s, and that will be the more senior experienced members of this forum or some of the unique mechanics across the country that are familiar.

Please don't think I am trying to scare you off! Quite the opposite actually. With enough tenacity these cars can bring an immense amount of joy and satisfaction! Just know what you are getting into. You could go with some Honda... but that is a far cry from a Chevy V8 350 in front of a stout manual trans in front of a limited slip equipped independent rear suspension rear wheel drive...

 

The car is listed as having 107k miles on it, the guy who owns the car has only had it a little over 6 months and all he has done to the car is change the clutch, beyond that he didn't give me any indication on what the previous owner did to the car. He said that he did get a straight pipe exhaust system, but that has not been installed yet and I would likely be the one who would do so after purchase. I agree with you a Honda is a far-cry from a Vette, I want a rwd sports car with a manual trans and decent power. Is it possible to get this in a 1992 or newer Corvette in good mechanical shape for under $6k? It sounds like if the flywheel is the issue, then I would be much better off. I would do the work in my driveway most likely, and I maybe would have access to a jack and tools, the only thing that I may need are jack stands which possibly could be supplemented with wood or I could buy some. Sounds like I need help from a corvette specialist to diagnose the issue, or I could just replace both, does anyone know of any good corvette specialists in southern or southwest va or northern nc? Thank you all for your help, this is going to be the first car I buy for myself and I want to be sure that I get a car that won't bleed me dry.

 

You're not going to get a good LT1 6 speed for under 6k. You can get a cosmetically nice car that needs some mechanical work, or you can get an ugly car that's mechanically sorted, but not both at your price range. Hell, getting any 6 speed LT car in that price range is gonna be tough.

If you can get that car for 5300, are able and willing to learn to work on it, and don't need it as your every day driver, I'd go for it. You could do a lot worse.

Go to harbor freight and start buying yourself some tools. Jackstands, and a low profile jack to start with, along with a socket set and torque wrenches. As you find you need something, you add to your tool chest.