I hate my vette
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 12
Likes: 0
From: l98 86 coupe
I hate my vette
i'm done i cant take it anymore i've had my 86 for a year now and it has been in my garage broken more than i have driven it.if its not electrical problems its leaking something or vibrating something.everytime i fix one thing something else breaks. and yes i am a good mech. have been an airplane mech for years. i can make 20 million dollar airplanes fly but i cant keep my pos vette on the road. i have loved vettes since i was a little kid this is my first one.my dad had a 78 i thought it was the coolest car ever.but this c4 is the biggest piece of junk i have ever owned.so if anyone wants a 86 coupe with brand new everything and gremlins. let me know i'm going to buy something that eats rice and lasts forever.
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 81,241
Likes: 3,063
From: altered state
St. Jude Donor '05
Corvettes are a definite love/hate thing for sure. Try the C4 for sale section?
Grab a later model C4 and hang around, they are not all bad, but some dont age very gracefully. Wev'e all been there.
Grab a later model C4 and hang around, they are not all bad, but some dont age very gracefully. Wev'e all been there.
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 10,641
Likes: 13
From: Slidell Louisiana
Sorry to hear about your problems!
I guess you did not choose wisely. C4s are simple cars and with the exception of the ZR1 most of the drive train is right off of the GM shelf. This makes them pretty damn easy to trouble shoot and repair, if you use a systematic approach and are halfway decent with a wrench.
If you're done venting and post your problems someone will be able to help you out.
However, if you're done with Corvettes I wish you luck with whatever Japanese POS you buy.
Mike
I guess you did not choose wisely. C4s are simple cars and with the exception of the ZR1 most of the drive train is right off of the GM shelf. This makes them pretty damn easy to trouble shoot and repair, if you use a systematic approach and are halfway decent with a wrench.
If you're done venting and post your problems someone will be able to help you out.
However, if you're done with Corvettes I wish you luck with whatever Japanese POS you buy.
Mike
Last edited by aboatguy; Feb 20, 2006 at 10:17 PM.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 772
Likes: 6
From: Huntsville AL
You have to remember that this is a 20 year old car. There are going to be problems. I know what you mean about fix one thing and something else messes up. Replaced brakes and master cylinder went out. Replaced weatherstripping and windows need to be adjusted. Taking door panel off - broke a piece.
I look at it as a fact of owning an older car that your trying to keep in top condition.
Unless your willing to spend the money to basically have the whole car rebuilt from the ground up (and you probably will still not get something right) your going to have problems as it gets older.
Any car will be this way after 20 years. A corvette just costs more than others to buy up front. A rice burner that is 20 years old probably is not worth $500. Your corvette is definetly worth a lot more than that.
You have a choice: - drive a newer car of whatever kind you want.
I look at it as a fact of owning an older car that your trying to keep in top condition.
Unless your willing to spend the money to basically have the whole car rebuilt from the ground up (and you probably will still not get something right) your going to have problems as it gets older.
Any car will be this way after 20 years. A corvette just costs more than others to buy up front. A rice burner that is 20 years old probably is not worth $500. Your corvette is definetly worth a lot more than that.
You have a choice: - drive a newer car of whatever kind you want.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 3,193
Likes: 1
From: Cincinnati Oh
with all of the above posts. My 84 is TWENTY THREE years old, yet I'll take it over 95% of the cars out there. Sure, reliability can be an issue when you do your own wrenching, but for the most part these cars HAVE to be one part thrill riding, one part hobby, one part fixing things that break at the most inopportune time.The only difference between that vette of yours and the *** POS is that most people will still envy/enjoy your vette, and of course you can actually fix the vette yourself with some patience. Lol. IMHO naturally.
By the way, I've definitely cursed my beloved 84, I've hated on it, and then I've spent time and money fixing it up to the way I want it. The beauty is that I have a 375HP/450ft-lb daily driver that rocks - the car still turns heads even if it does show it's age a little - and of course it's so cheap that I couldn't come close to the performance for twice the money I've put into it.
Relax, drink a beer or two, then come back in a few days and let us help you solve your problems. But hell, if older vettes aren't for you - then buy a new Kia or something.
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 12
Likes: 0
From: l98 86 coupe
I understand it is 20yrs old.but i have owned a 78ta,68 skylark,77 blazer,and numerous other really old cars.and with love and care they were all great cars.but i have never seen this poor quality in my beloved gm products before and it gets old.so i will keep plugging along and get it going again until the next time it leaves me stranded then its a match in the gas tank and a tear in my eye you know they say you only hurt the ones you love thanks for letting me vent its back to the garage for me.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 81,241
Likes: 3,063
From: altered state
St. Jude Donor '05
Unless you can pay cash for a brand new vette every few years, your in the same rut as the rest of us....Here's my thinking...
....Car payments
-I have two of them that total $858 each mo, plus insurance. Even they break down sometimes...
-IMO once a car reaches 3 yrs old, its seen the best of its days. Youll be replacing stuff. Even with a warranty itws still a hassle and costs somehow.
-Cant trade them in, 'cause youre upside down - unless you go more negative on a new one again.
-Every time I drive my vette I see one more thing that needs fixing, but everytime I write that check Im glad I have something I CAN fix.
If I lost everything tomorrow, guess what? Got wheels, they are paid for!
Paid for is good.
....Car payments
-I have two of them that total $858 each mo, plus insurance. Even they break down sometimes...
-IMO once a car reaches 3 yrs old, its seen the best of its days. Youll be replacing stuff. Even with a warranty itws still a hassle and costs somehow.
-Cant trade them in, 'cause youre upside down - unless you go more negative on a new one again.
-Every time I drive my vette I see one more thing that needs fixing, but everytime I write that check Im glad I have something I CAN fix.
If I lost everything tomorrow, guess what? Got wheels, they are paid for!
Paid for is good.
Drifting
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 1,302
Likes: 1
From: Tomahawk WI
Rick, the car is obviously causing you great heartache. Let me help you, I'll come take the car from you and save you from further misery. All you need to do is pay for my plane ticket to where you live. I will not charge you for my services beyond that. I'll get that car out of your hands and your troubles with it will end, mercifully.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 752
Likes: 0
From: richardson tx
Originally Posted by rickthejetman
i'm done i cant take it anymore i've had my 86 for a year now and it has been in my garage broken more than i have driven it.if its not electrical problems its leaking something or vibrating something.everytime i fix one thing something else breaks. and yes i am a good mech. have been an airplane mech for years. i can make 20 million dollar airplanes fly but i cant keep my pos vette on the road. i have loved vettes since i was a little kid this is my first one.my dad had a 78 i thought it was the coolest car ever.but this c4 is the biggest piece of junk i have ever owned.so if anyone wants a 86 coupe with brand new everything and gremlins. let me know i'm going to buy something that eats rice and lasts forever.
Racer
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 420
Likes: 1
From: SAN DIEGO CA
Ive been there a thousand times!! Everything from burning up some of the engine to dropping a bolt into the intake of a brand new engine that was 1 hour old. That was an expensive bolt!! Corvettes are a hobby when they get that old. U can make it work perfectly if you did a nice rebuild on the engine and electrical. Patch jobs dont last long on a vette.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 8,700
Likes: 298
From: Ft. Lauderdale Fl
I was at a luncheon yesterday and talked with a gearhead like myself. We said the same thing, black hole for money and always chasing problems. I spend three hours a week on my 96' but its all preventative maint. changing old parts for new ones.
I feel your pain.
I feel your pain.
Advanced
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 91
Likes: 0
Luck of the draw.
I've got an '87 that I've owned since new and it's been the most trouble free vehicle I've ever owned. In the almost twenty years, if memory serves, I've replaced the alternator (and after the fact am not sure it was necessary) and replaced the MAF sensor (also unnecessary as it was a relay problem.) Other than my hood cable breaking recently, it's been a pleasure to own. And, yes, it was a daily driver for many years though not so much now.
Of course, I also have a '65 Triumph TR4A so maybe I'm spolied.
Jim
I've got an '87 that I've owned since new and it's been the most trouble free vehicle I've ever owned. In the almost twenty years, if memory serves, I've replaced the alternator (and after the fact am not sure it was necessary) and replaced the MAF sensor (also unnecessary as it was a relay problem.) Other than my hood cable breaking recently, it's been a pleasure to own. And, yes, it was a daily driver for many years though not so much now.
Of course, I also have a '65 Triumph TR4A so maybe I'm spolied.
Jim
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 1,230
Likes: 27
From: Athens Ohio
When I was 19 years old I bought a brand new 69. I was the biggest piece of junk I have ever owned. The day I picked it up, one of the headlights wouldn't come up and it was leaking oil. I had to replace spark plugs every 1000 miles. The gas tank got water in it everytime it rained. The last straw was to have it throw a rod at a drive in movie. I traded it for a Triumph TR6. I couldn't take it anymore. I latter bought a new 75 & 76. Both were great cars. Had kids sold the cars and 25 years latter bought an 86 with 81,000 miles on it. I did have to do some work to it but the thing is almost perfect now and I love it. My point is even a brand new car can be a POS. I would get rid of yours and look for another.
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 128
Likes: 0
From: Windsor CT
Well, I know you can be frustated, but when I switched for a while from GM Firebirds and then Vettes to road racing and Fiats, I had no idea how much better the GM line was. After 3 years of painful Fiat fixes, I went back to Vettes and haven't left again. Maybe a change would do you good, but put the Vette in storage while you make up your mind. I may not take as long as you think.
Good luck with your decision.
Good luck with your decision.