I am looking at an 89 convertible and curious to know if there are any issues particular to the 89 that I would want to know about before making a commitment. Any 89 owners out there are encouraged to chime in. The car has 45K miles and appears in great condition.

Thanks for your responses.

 

First off the May, 2004 Vette magazine suggests the following pricing for a 1989 roadster, based on condition:
$18k - Excellent
$14k - Good
$10k - Average

Check chassis for rust, undercarriage for any fluid leaks, fluid contion.

Check condition of paint, interior, top, weather stripping and tires as these are fairly expensive items to replace.

Operate all controls, like headlights, radio (and antenna), power seats & windows, heater & A/C, and such.

Drive it for a while let all systems come up to temp and assure that all is well with shifting, steering control, etc.

Good luck with purchasing a fine year for C4s.

 

Thanks 65Z01... I have owned my 84 for about 8 years now and am pretty familiar with the general "watch for" items after having replaced or repaired most of them by now. I would still like to hear from any 89 owners as to whether there are any issues peculiar to the 89 model year.

 

I have a 89 with 35000 miles have had some issues with AC /wiper motor and
fuel pump other wise good car It has 6 speed, bose, luggage rack and hard top. I have beed thinking of selling it in great shape always keep inside.
local market is showing about 12,000.00 at best. It is white with white top and red inside.

 

Jack - I have only owned an 89 so I cannot say what repairs are unique to this model year. I purchased mine in 2001 with 48K miles and now have 65K miles.

Some of the items mentioned in the previous post may need watching for, but are not unique to the 89 model (every Vette eventually needs tires and shocks). Since purchase I have had to repair the following:

a. Water pump (55K)
b. Clutch Master cylinder (55K) and I replaced the slave cylinder also but it was not leaking at that time
c. Exhaust manifold gasket leak (61K)
d. Hood latch release mechanism in the dash broke (50K)
e. Cat back system (original Y-Pipe eventually rusted away) (59K)
f. One headlight winking (today) :-(

Problems coming-
1. I have developed a very small oil leak at the rear intake manifold.
2. A recent oil anlaysis showed the presence of some fuel in the oil which I am pretty sure will be a leaking injector. I am watching the oil and at some time the future will have to correct the problem.
3. The gas gauge is giving me erratic readings, but according to others on this forum that is a pretty easy fix.

Some of these repairs I attribute to age more than mileage (like the rusty tail pipes). Let's face it the car is 15 years old. IMHO from all the horror stories I hear about 84's my guess would be that you will find the 89 to be a "very low maintenance" vehicle.

Bob

 

No issues with mine after 121,000 miles. I am the second owner and have not had any regrets getting it when it had 54,000 miles on it.
One issue is the plastic window for the ragtop. They do get sun-worn and scratches easily when cleaning. Haven't found anything that can really clean it and at the same time clear-up the scratches. When I had a new one put in a few years ago, the shop told me "just a lot of water and a nice soft cotton cloth.....". Bought a used factory hardtop about a year ago and have been using it ever since.
Overall: excellent ride, no regrets.

 

Thanks to all for your responses. I have not really had any problems with my 84 beyond those that you would expect with any car that is now 20 years old. I bought my 84 with 28,000 miles on it and it now has 115,000. I expect to have all the same "wear" issues with an 89 if I go through with buying it. I am looking at a few other C-4's and am torn between this 89 convertible - it is black with red interior and a couple of later C-4s including a yellow, 91 coupe. I will be keeping my 84 regardless...

 

Jack - You might find it benefical to ask owners of 91's to chime inon their experiences. I suspect the experience is about the same since the engine and trans are the same. Having an airbag and the different dash might be a deal maker on a 91 over an 89.

I would prefer the 89 because it is a convertible (mine is a convertible).
Good luck

Bob

 

I also have not owned an 89 but I do own an 87 vert. As said before, be careful of the back window as it costs a bunch to replace it. I was told to use a rolled up towel (I use a beach towel) every time you fold it down. This prevents the horizontal line you see in many vert plastic windows from forming. It is a result of the window being folded against itself. As you drive, it rubs together and forms scratches. On a previous vert I used plastic polish/scratch remover that I got at Boats US that is made for plastic boat windows. Go with the convertible and leave that top down as much as possible. Are you aware that your 84 was eligible for Bloomington Gold Certification this year?