I recently picked up a new 1992 6 speed. Previous owner sounds like he changed the oil and that was about it (didn't drive it much either). Anyways, I'd always like to do some common sense maintenance items when I get a new vehicle.

My plan was to:

Change transmission and differential fluid to synthetic
Coolant flush
Brake/clutch fluid replacement
Weatherstripping
Fuel Filter

Considering:

Changing to urethane bushings throughout the suspension
Upgrading to an aluminum radiator

Are there any other items I should consider or look at?

Thanks!

 

24 year old . Congrats on purchase.
spark plugs and wires, vacuum tubing, hoses, belt. Would be on my list
Check on brakes . Rad.- coolant.
Remove and clean grounds.

 

That, + all fluids.

 

How are the tires? Age, cracks and flat spots...?

 

Air filter too. When I purchased my 92 it had a really dirty K&N air filter I replaced with a standard paper filter. Good call on the tires ^.

 

I agree 100%! First thing I did was replace 12 year old tires and glad I did. Had to replace 4 wheel studs and lug nuts. I would have never gotten the spare on along the side of the road. Prevented a tow for sure. Congrats on the 92!

 

They're on my list for next year. Yeah, the front's have some minor cracks. No flat spots though. I figure they'll last another year. I kinda wanted to put them off a bit so maybe I could repaint the rims over the winter (rims are pretty clean--no rash).

I guess I was looking at cheap tires if I got them this year (Riken Raptor ZR). Any opinion on those? Seem to get pretty decent reviews at Tire Rack and they're about half the price of the other comparables.

 

how many miles on car?
add transmission filter to list

 

Start changing everything made of rubber: hoses, tubes, tyres, bushings. Anything related to fuel, coolant or vacuum first.

Also all fluids and filters, plugs, wires, belt.

Urethane bushings are a good idea, also new shocks if old ones seem tired.

The stock radiator is aluminum, it only needs good cleaning every few years. Clean stock radiator with fresh coolant, working water pump and stock thermostat are good enough for any climate.

 

I put urethane bushings in my entire suspension along with new ball joints, tierods, shocks, full alignment and more. It dramatically changed how the car drives. From worn to like new - maybe even better than new.

That said, seeing as you just bought the car my advice to you is to wait on it. Enjoy it for a while. Find the items that are a safety concern and address those. The suspension overhaul is a worthwhile endeavor if you plan on holding onto the car but understand it is no quick easy task. Enjoy the car first. Work on it in the winter.

 

I was unaware the radiator was aluminum. I thought it was plastic. That saves a bunch of money I was unsure of spending anyways.

I am enjoying the car for now , and will mostly plan to work on it in the winter. I mean there's roughly a month to use it right now? I think the suspension rubber is largely gone. I suspect it's mostly original. Fortunately it doesn't seem like the suspension is that costly to refresh (if I ignore the shocks) but maybe I'm missing something. It also doesn't look that difficult to do and I realize pictures usually omit the fun part where you're swearing at the top of your lungs while wielding a large sledgehammer and a pickle fork trying to pull something loose.

It also looks like the ignition wires are pretty new (there's a receipt in the glove box from them being replaced). I'll add spark plugs to my list to do this winter. Hoses don't look too bad from what I can see. There's gotta be some stuff disintegrating in there that I'll have to find. Like I said, I know a lot of the suspension rubber is pretty bad and I can see things like the foam around the air filter falling apart by just looking at it. Belts probably should go too but look ok.

The fun of a "new to me" car .

 

Plastic alone is not really a good material for a radiator. But the C4 radiator tubing and cooling fins are aluminum (the part that actually cools), end tanks are plastic. If its clean and does not leak its just fine.

 

The rubber bushings that came out of my 94 weren't THAT bad. Don't underestimate the suspension rebuild. It has cost to it and it will not be easy. The front control arms are the most difficult part.

See my front suspension thread for a flavor:
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums/c4-tech-performance/3940726-front-suspension-overhaul.html

 

I have an '88 that I replaced the front and rear bushings on. That was more of a project than I expected. I ended up with paying my mechanic to help as the bushings were a real pain to remove and replace.

I have Polyurethane bushings on my C3 ('68 BB, convertible) and I am planning on going back to the old style rubber ones. The polyurethane bushings I have squeak like crazy in cooler weather. They were also a "challenge" to install.... Overall my experience with "early" Polyurethane bushings was not the greatest, from now on I will only put the original style replacement parts on my Corvettes

I would suggest you enjoy the car for the first year or two and "learn the car" before you start modifying it. Tearing into a car that is "new to you" does not help you in the long run. If you have prior experience with a Corvette of its vintage then that is different.

So many people buy a Corvette and start modifying it right away. This IS your privilege. Unfortunately that does not allow you to learn how the car works like the engineers who designed her to work. I would follow the previous advice about replacing all the fluids.

Basically what I am saying is "If it isn't Broken, don't fix it". At least until you have a real good idea (and the $) where it needs to be fixed or modified.

I would follow the route mentioned earlier and replace the tires. Having an old tire go south while you are pushing the car hard can lead to ugly mishaps. At speed it may be the "last mishap". It is just not worth taking risks that you don't have to.
The tires you mentioned from the Tire Rack may work for you but remember what they said about winter driving? The car will be "useless" on any slippery surface. The first thing I did when I bought my C4 was to replace the tires with some Bridgestone Potenzas and then I just drove it for a while. After several months I rebuilt the suspension because I had movement in my rear axle to eliminate.

These cars were designed by a group of engineers who "know" performance cars. Corvettes are amazing cars (excluding the solid-axle cars, in MY humble opinion) and they will almost guarantee a smile on your face many times over during the years of ownership.

One of the best things about this forum is we have so many people with an incredible amount of knowledge that will share it with you. I have learned a lot just reading the posts on this site.

I hope you and your "New to You" Corvette have a long and happy relationship together! Just take your time....

 

 

This is an IMPORTANT point. Where the C4 radiator usually leaks with age is where these two plastic end tanks attach to the aluminum. The metal and the plastic expand and contract at different rates and over time stress cracks happen.

One important thing for preventative maint is to clean the area between the AC condenser and the radiator. The condenser sits just in front of the radiator and this area can easily get filled up with leaves, twigs, bugs and dirt plugging up the area between the aluminum cooling fins.

 

I would not put off the new tires too long. Imagine what happens to a FRP body when a radial tire disintegrates anywhere above 50mph.