Hello all, I'm a new guy here, I hail from the land of Rochester Qjets and leaking T-Tops, ah yes a proud third gen owner I was. Anyways, after my Camaro and I got acquainted with a moving van that didn't see the yield sign, I am in the market for a new bowtie. I've always liked C4s and figured now could be the time, problem is I'm in college. My question to you all is, is it possible to maintain and daily drive a C4 on a tight budget with little access to a garage? I've seen some nicely maintained vettes that seem as if they would be good candidates, but I'd like to hear from this site's collective experience before I pull the trigger. I want an LT1, and would be happy with either trans, stick is more fun, but auto is less to mess with in campus traffic. What do I need to look out for when shopping around?

 

Congrates on your Choice.

If you are specifically looking for the LT1. 92 - 93 has the older Generation batch fire / Speed density ECM management. I would recommend the 94 - 95 sequential PCM management, 96 is the 1st year for OBD2. I would suggest be very Patient! Look for low mileage 86K Or below. Few Ownership/s. Clean. Carfax. Thoroughly Inspect the body for damage. Misalignment's. Also test drive. All ranges. Southern - Western cars. Are more prone to Weather seal damage. And interior panel warpage. If not garaged. You should easily find one of these cars within the 5.5k - 7k range. Especially common color, Auto combo.

 

Sorry to hear about the Camaro.
Yes it is possible to DD and maintain a C4 Corvette with limited access to a garage for maintenance work. The real question is, what is your budget? A nicer car will be much easier to maintain and spend more time behind the wheel. If you can't afford a clean car, you might have issues that need attention and you can't fix them because of the limited garage access, or because of a limited budget that won't buy a good mechanic.

The general suggestion is, buy the nicest car you can afford -- that doesn't necessarily mean low mileage. Watch out for C4s that have been sitting a long time as this tends to cause issues. Personally I'd prefer a 100k miler with good maintenance records over a 35k garage queen that has been sitting for the last 5 years. Also, there are a lot of nice C4s out there to be had, so take your time and drive a lot of cars (at least 5) before deciding what you want. Since you are new to C4s, it will help a lot if you know what you are looking for, before you buy, not after. Shopping should be an enjoyable part of the experience. Have fun! The LT1 is a good motor. Earlier LT1s without a vented distributor (92-94) can be retrofitted with a vented distributor cap. Finally, do your research and learn about these cars before you go shopping. There were a lot of options, particularly with the suspension, but also different wheel widths, factory stereos, LTPWS, etc. Earlier models did not have passenger airbags.

It goes without saying that you have to report back here, with pictures, if you buy one :-)

 

I was looking since February and just picked up a real nice 94 zf6 with 68k three weeks ago. I can't say much to the reliability but if you're real patient you can find what you want for a very reasonable price. I was very picky for months on certain options but once summer came I was more flexible and still didn't find the right one. Then I stumbled upon the one I bought about a month ago about 150 miles away and bought it. And it just so happens to be optioned exactly how I would have ordered it from the factory.

I drove a handful of cars before buying this one and a lot of them had major problems (one with bad synchros, one was backfiring and misfiring), insane high prices, and owners who won't budge. When you find one for the right money don't be afraid to pull the trigger, someone else will. I missed out on a couple cars due to not getting there first

 

The later models are preferable 93-96 LT motors are the norm.
Check the codes
Check for aftermarket alarm systems. Can be a problem.
Check under the hood for butchered wiring mods. None is good.
Drive it

 

Sorry to hear about the Camaro - but glad to see that you survived it.

The C4's are wonderful cars - but remember the "youngest" C4 - which would be a 1996 - is 20 years old. It is NOT reasonable to expect that a 20 plus year old car will give you the same level of reliability as a much newer car will. It's also getting more and more difficult to find mechanics that are proficient with the C4's - particularly the engine electronics. I'd say it's a fair bet that 90% + of the people here on the C4 Forum have a "daily driver" in addition to their C4, it's not that the cars are prone to breaking down - but sometimes parts for 20 year old cars can be a bit difficult (read time consuming) to get, as many are no longer produced by GM.

That being said - a good well maintained C4 CAN be relatively trouble free. The C4's break down into two groups - 1991 and earlier and 1992 - 1996. The 1992 thru 1996 cars came with the 300 HP LT1/LT4 engines (LT4's were 1996 Manual Trans only - and made 330 HP). The earlier cars came with more conventional "Gen 1" Small Block Chevies. I would suggest driving both to see what you like - the LT1/LT4 (Gen 2 Small Block) was an improvement in a number of ways - but as with everything - in retrospect, there were some things that probably could have been done better.

If you do end up getting a C4 - the first thing you should probably purchase is a Factory Service manual for the car - it can be tremendously helpful in diagnosing problems, and with things like where certain parts are located and what needs to be removed to get certain parts out. The good news for you is that Corvette sales are somewhat like boat sales - Dec - Jan - Feb are typically the best time to buy one. Spend some time on the for sale section of the forum to get an idea of what's selling and what the prices are - there are some people who have a very realistic idea of what their car is worth, and there are some who are divorced from reality.

GOOD LUCK WITH THE SEARCH !!

 

As someone who purchased a well maintained 95 with 25K on it and then drove it as a year round DD for 6 years and 100K I am going to say sorry .... but I do not think so.

If you are a good mechanic you can maintain it yourself for "relatively" low budget but you need access to a garage and a means of SAFELY jacking up the car to change out bushings, wheel bearings, brakes pads & rotors.

Others here will tall you how they can replace an engine in 30 minutes in the middle of a snowstorm with no tools ....... but I'm not good enough to do hings like that.

 

I DD a 1984 for 10 years, through 2013, and it was as reliable as a Chevy pickup truck. The 700R4 transmission quit but that was it for major issues. I'm driving a 1996 now and, aside from waiting for trim parts that are only available second hand, I have had no major issue with it either. The C4s are generally as reliable as all Chevy cars were when they were built. I am a little fanatic about preventive maintenance, I grew up in an organization that flys 60 year old aircraft daily.

 

Yes possible, but rare. My 160,000 mile 87 has been my March to November DD for the last 10 years; owned it 24 years total as third owner. My choice since 2004 has been drive it to a covered parking structure at work or let it set in the sun....so I did. Best thing I ever did was replace the MAF relays which dogged it with CEL for the first 12 years I had it. Second best was the later style hood prop. Only major item was lost reverse in the 700R4 when the odometer grew a 6th digit.

Normal replaceables in my VERY lead footed 125,000 miles since 1991 have been: 1 water pump, 1 starter solenoid, 1 set starter brushes, 2 alternators, 2 master cylinders, 1 fuel pump, 2 shock sets, 3 (almost 4) sets of tires. I did a Melling HV pump at 90K, and a new timing chain. Door, console latch, fuel door springs all multiple times. New carpet is next up. It has lived on Costco gas and still runs great with the multitechs; a rare event. I keep a fuel pressure regulator diaphragm at the ready, and expect to be an L98 surgeon in the next 5 years.

Only my 200,000 mile 96 Tacoma 4x4 has been more trouble free than the vette. In the last 25 years my 87 C4 has never failed to put a smile on my face and in my heart, and has taken the long way home (read: more like a detour to twisties or flat stretches with near unlimited visibility) after more than a few bad days.

I just don't think you would regret having a good one...but that is the trick. With the Internet, Amazon, HF tools, and the collective wisdom of this forum, is it more possible than ever before to keep a 20 (or almost 30) year old car running like a top.

 

You can do it. I commuted nearly an hour a day to Saint Leo University in my 94' Coupe 6 Speed. Just make sure you have a place to work on it (say once a month to be safe). There isn't a C4 out there you can buy right now and drive daily without having to replace a few items a long the way.

The ZF6 is way more fun than an auto in stock form, however, an Auto C4 will not only be cheaper, but easier to have work done locally if something were to go wrong. The only major repair I had to do to my 94' was change the clutch at about 105,000 miles. My car was down for roughly 3-4 days before school started back up.

If you get an LT car and drive it for more than a couple years expect to replace the optispark distributor and water pump at some point. It is an easy Saturday job if it ever comes to that. Other small item parts WILL break along the way, but shouldn't leave you stranded.

I would budget 8-10k for a nice car, try to get as low as miles as you can. If I were to do it all over again I may opt for a 91'. It has the old school L98 with the less problematic ignition system, 6 speed, and the newer interior/exterior.

 

I own a 95, and; although I don't have to DD it, I would not hesitate in a minute.. It's that good!