I am currently looking at 1994 - 1996 C4s for under $10K. This usually implies higher mileage ranging between 60,000 and 100,000 miles.

Most of the cars I have purchase have been used and in that mileage range. Most of these cars have gone up to 200,000 with minimum maintenance, except for my '95 Chevy p/u. This concerns me! At 100,000 I had to do a major maintenance repair that included the following:

Major tune up - no big deal
EGR valve - no big deal
Intake manifold gasket - Big Deal
Clutch, pressure plate, etc. - Big Deal
Rear Main Seal - I do not like leaky cars
Shocks - No big deal
Other minor things.

My concern is that it was aprroximately the same year that I am looking at for the C4. However, I assume that the engineering in the Corvette will always be better than all other Chevy's.......please say yes! I do not hear of many 'lemons' in the Corvette world.

Obviously many of these things are a function of how it was driven (i.e. clutch), but some can be characteristics of the car in general.

So, what should I expect from a C4 corvette with high miles?

I assume a major tune-up at 100,000.? or 80,000?
Shocks?
Intake manifold gasket - I hope not.
ASR module?
Special electronics that are specific to Corvettes?

The electronics are probably my biggest concern and any feedback specific to that will be appreciated......especially if they are high price items, which most electronics tend to be.....

I also assume that for the Corvette, it is smart to buy most parts from a dealership or specialty shop vs a generic parts store?

 

Yes, assume a major tune-up at 100,000 + Water pump, fluids, filters, clutch, brakes, plugs, plug wires, maybe a new opti spark too.
Test drive the car and keep and ear out for strange noises or vibrations. Make sure all of the electronics work correctly before you buy the car. Drive the car for awhile before you start changing stuff out like shocks and gaskets....if you can resist doing it.

 

94-96 are the best years, so they say, for the C4, which makes sense, as they were the final 3 years. Most of the bugs were worked out by then. Not sure about 95-96, but several earlier LT1's, including my 94, had a leaking intake seal. Nothing major, but the sealant used across the rear of the intake would blow out, causing an oil leak down the passenger side rear of the motor. Many cars had this repaired several times, and one of the problems was the repair shops were not letting the sealant cure long enough, starting the engine, and causing another leak. If your car needs this repair, it is not a big deal, but tell whoever does it to let the car sit overnight before starting it up.

As far as electronics, your power antenna probably won't go all the way down, and your CD player may work intermittently or stop working completely. You may have problems with your power seat lumbar bladders not inflating. Don't expect the Passive Keyless Entry system to be working for too much longer, if it is at all.

But from my experience, and many others I have heard, there usually are not serious problems. At least no more than any other "regular" car. I'm sure others will chime in to add problems, or to say the ones I mentioned are fine in their car, but it's all just personal experience. Just find one you like, buy it, and enjoy the ride! We are here to help, feel free to ask anything.

 

All of the above items I have replace many times on my own cars and with the exception of the clutch they are relatively easy fixes. I do a lot of my own engine work. Not that I am good at it, but tend to take my time so that I know it is done right. Will the corvette be different?

With the hood opening toward the front, it seems to give the 'back-yard mechanic' an easier job of doing his own work. Is that true? Or is the corvette engine compartment so 'packed' that even simple jobs tend to require special tools or 'tricks' etc. Historically, I seem to always hear stories of high-performance cars being harder to do simple fixes.

Sometime when working on cars I wonder what the design engineer was thinking if he was thinking at all. And on other cars I am really impressed with the engineering design and layout relative to the ease of replacing parts, etc.

Specifically, I would think dropping the manual transmission (I am looking at manual only) in a corvette would be near impossible due to everything being so tightly packed in the drive train. Unlike my Chevy p/u which was a breeze, I expect the Corvette would almost have to go to a shop. Am I seeing this picture correctly?

 

Yep, 50 lbs of crap jammed into a 10 lb box....that just about sums it up.

 

You can pick up a nice low mileage '94-'96 for under 10K with less than 70K miles. You may want to get a '95 or '96, as these come with the Gen II vented Optispark, and also has a more robust design over the Gen I. Given the current economy, this is a great time to get a C4. You should be able to negotiate "a better than asking price" for sure.

Yes, the engine bays are cramped, but I have found that if you have the right set of tools, you can pretty much get at anything on these cars. Using the right tool for a particular job, is in my opinion, 95% of the battle. (swival sockets, extensions, Torx set, inverse Torx set, full set of deep and short sockets(both metric and english), offset wrenches ....etc).

The LTx engines have a lot of electronic controls, but run great and are very reliable. Don't be put off buying one due to fear of working on these cars.

Finally, try to find a C4 that has a service history. These cars have been running the roads for 14 years, so it is important to know how well they were maintained. This usually means you must buy from a "Private Party", as dealerships never seem to carry any former work history on their inventory.