Hi, like the title says I'm looking into getting an 86 Corvette.
4 Speed Manual. Cheap enough I can afford, but does need some work.

Here is what I'm not sure on
"This Corvette drives very well, and the engine is a monster. With that being said, the biggest problems are as follows;
The engine needs valve seals. It smokes when downshifting, but clears up after the engine clears.
The LCD controller in the dash is burned out. the dash lights up but the gauges don't work. See Eckler's or Ebay for replacements.
The factory seat covers are shot but has good seat covers. the carpet is faded but not torn up. the dash is good but the center console need a new lid and hinge mechanism."
He's asking 3200, and I have a mechanic friend willing to do a rebuilt for 1000 possibly less depending on if it needs new valves
I was hoping to offer 2500 considering it needs a bit of interior work, but he said "the car runs too strong and smooth for there to be anything seriously wrong with the rings"
I can't really put my faith in that kind of logic I need some solid proof haha. Any ideas? Do you think this Corvette would be worth it? It would be my first, and it's a dream of mine to own one. I'm finishing my last month of my deployment with the Army and I have the funds to purchase and fix anything now. It seems like the best time for me to own. It will be a weekend car and stored in the winter until I move to FL to be with family.

Any idea where I can get the things listed? I could not find the LCD sensor anywhere..

 

DO NOT BUY IT

 

What is your reasoning?

 

save your money, buy a later year ,one with out all that b.s. this forum is full of folks that bought, are spending more money then they would have spent buying a later year and now are having more fun then its worth trying to make them at least be drivable. the later years are cheaper for parts, easier to work on , and are better all around comfort. I have an 87, I've been a mechanic in one form or another for over 40 years, I dont have any problem with mine cause all I buy are the parts, and this is an excellent forum for vette specific info. If i had it to do again I would have went with one of the lt versions, for the reasons already stated.

 

BTW. your friend doing a rebuild for a $1000 or less 'depending' if it need valves, doesnt impress me much. try and find better friends.

 

You didn't mention how many miles are on it, but 'blowing smoke while downshifting' sounds
more like 'blow by' from worn rings. Not valve seals.

With all that's wrong with it, personally I'd pass.

 

Smoking al the time or on accel=rings
Decel usually seals or guides.

Youll dump a few grand in the car. Most C4s are going to need something though they are getting old.
Seat cover kits arent super cheap, fixing the dash isnt too bad.
Id offer the guy 1000less tops. Who cares how strong it runs it needs work.

 

Run! A regular C4 already needs money, time and labor thrown at it at irregular intervals. The car you're describing needs that, right off the bat and then some! If ya don't believe me, take a quick cruise down the long list of threads here.

 

Id offer him 2 grand for the car depending on the mileage and prior body damage and as long as you know you will easily drop another 2500into the car with Engine repairs, LCD replacement and interior replacements etc. Ive torn apart my 86 a thousand times and have invested about 10 grand in parts and paint. I do it for the fun of it, not for what kelly blue book tells me what its worth. Understand also that unless you know how to or are willing to learn how to wrench your own car you will slowly get eaten alive by that car. I do all my own repairs and paint so i saved alot but still managed to dump a small fortune. If your not motivated to learn Id stay away from vettes altogether or do what is recommended and buy a newer vette......as new as you can afford.

 

Thanks guys I appreciate it. I found another 86 needing different work but in the long run way cheaper. I'm going to have my Father take a look at it.

I do understand they are old, it's something I've come to expect. I do know a thing or two about taking cars apart, granted not nice cars and not a lot, it's all been hands on. I'd love to learn, my Father is the one who really knows his way around, but with the internet and forums like this and excellent manuals out there, it's easy to find information you need.

To those reccomending going newer.. I really want to go older with a C3... but they are harder to come by at a reasonable price and finding one that's manual is even harder.. Plus parts seem to be more $$$. The C3 is my dream, but owning one in general would make me extremely happy.

@oldalaskaman - He's our Mechanic that's done a lot of work for us. Considering it usually costs quite a bit more, I'm thrilled to be able to get it done that cheap.

 

yea seriously, just save up and buy a newer one unless if you know your the type of person that wont get sick of working on your own car. with the money I've spent on my motor I could have just bought a newer model vette with as much horsepower.... though I have learned quite a bit about working on cars. /bethatgood,bad,orindifferent.jpg

 

How about 85 and 86's? Are they mostly interchangeable?

 

Almost all the parts interchange between the two years. The major differences are:

1. first year for C4 convertibles (all were designed as Pace Car replicas)

2. high mounted center stop light on the '86 (none on the '85)

3. VATS was new for '86

4. ABS was new for '86

5. all '86 convertibles and late production coupes came with aluminum head. (Early production '86 coupes had cast iron heads.)

 

Dont know where you're doing your looking but depending on the year, theres a bunch of C3's arround, for bout what you'll put into a C4 , you should wait till you get back and do the looking yourself, cash in hand, as always, goes a long way in price adjustments

 

I have an 86. It does't really require a lot in parts, but the labor! I'm always working on that car. I drive it to work daily, and probably there's not a week that goes by that the hood isn't open 3 out of 7 days, or I'm upgrading something every month.
The biggest problem with the corvette is the original bean counters at GM. The engineers made the initial configuration, and the bean counter engineers cheapened it.
Just understand, the initial price for any corvette was way above any main line production standard model GM car. So it stands to reason that parts will be more expensive.
Corvettes take more time to produce, and the fact that they are small, more time is needed to pack all those parts in a smaller space.
Excessive time to take it apart, and more than that to put it back together.
Don't get me wrong, I love my car, but sometimes I get sick of always fixing it and taking the same things apart to get at a new problem in the same area.
It has 140,000 miles on it now. and then again, it is a 25 year old daily driver........

 

All Corvettes are a Love Affair.

Offer the guy $2K.

If he won't take it,
walk away.

Keep Looking.

I found my 87 Vert in the dead of winter buried in snow 4 feet high.
Car was traded in for a New Vette 1 week prior.
Had not been PDI'd by any of us GM Mechanics yet.
Snow storm hit that same week in December.
I was pulling a car out of the GM Dealership I was working at in 2007.
I saw a bright red shadow through the snow in the maze of cars in that dealership parking lot 200 feet away.
I jumped out & started to brush the front of the car off.
Much to my surprise it was a C4 Vette.
Brushed the snow off the top of the car & it was a Convertible.
32,000 miles on the clock.
Had to wait for the snow to melt over the next 2 weeks to take it for a test drive.
It ran flawless And ran fast.
Negotiated a price with head car salesman & he was an old hotrodder too & liked me alot.
Called my bank.
1 day later that 87 Bright Red Vert was mine.

Better off finding a very clean & well maintained C4 if you can.
I was lucky.
Right place at the right time in the dead of winter here in IL.

Brian