Hey guys Im from the c4 forums. ANyways I have an '88 C4 that I just got about 2-3 months ago and Ive already spent a lot on the car from taking it to the shop and buying new parts needed to keep her running good. Well the Chevrolet dealer here just got a '02-04 Zo6. I stopped to look at it yesterday. Its quicksilver and looks stock other than a kenwood cd player and an amp. It has about 30k miles and they want about $30k for it. I was thinking about trading my '88 in for her. Now I know Im not gonna get what my loan for my '88 is(I own about $8k on her) but seeing how this car is fairly new I was thinking that Id save money since its not old and wont need as much money for repairs. I dont drive my cars hard and this will just be a daily driver/weekend car. Btw Im 20 and in the USAF and Ive got insurance with USAA si I dont think the insurance will be too much more.
Any input would be appreciated. How does the 6spd compare to a c4's 4+3? Are these cars easy to drive or do they have an unrefined feeling?

 

The C5Z is a world beyond your C4. It is literally twice as fast as the 88 C4, is easier to get in and out of, and is just a far better car. I had almost 10 different C4's, from 89-96, but the C5z is really in a different time zone....

The C5 six speed, while not as nice to shift as the ZF six speed, is a world nicer than the the 4+3 (I always thought the 4+3 was miserable and clunky to shift)... C5Z rides better, has far fewer rattles and is an overall superior car. You won't be sorry going for the Z... The C5 soaks up bumps better than almost any C4 and is a much more civilized car in general. The Z is tuned a bit to the wilder side with more cam and a bit stiffer ride than the regular C5, but it is a lot more responsive and fun to drive too.

Do it and Enjoy, you won't be sorry...

 

Just do a little research and take your time. It sounds like you payed too much for your C4 especially for the condition it's in. You'll love the Z06 if you get one, but make sure it's a solid car. Take it to a good mechanic for an overall assesment if you're set on buying it, and find out as much about the car's history as you can. Good luck

 

It sounds like you are tired of paying the mechanic. My advice is to get a shop manual for the '88 and keep it a while to justify the money you already dropped into it at the shop.

Don't take it to that shop again unless it doesn't run. Shops now try to screw you every chance they get; "would you like a few more cows with the rest of the farm"? Don't pay them $75/hr to fix things that aren't broken yet (and won't be for another 5-10 years) or that you can live without. The 2002 Z can also have issues and will be harder to work on yourself than an '88.

Now, before you get on my case, I'm not saying don't do any maintenance. Changing all the fluids in the car is not unreasonable especially if you don't know when last they were changed; changing fluids regularly is proper. But mechanics have told me (about my c4) " you need your calipers re-built soon", "that whine from the diff means it needs a rebuild soon or it will explode", "you need to do this emissions part or you will flunk emissions next time", "you need a brake job right now; it might last 3000 miles more tops". I drove on the calipers another 20k miles 3 years and they were still good; I drove with the diff whine for 40,000 miles and probably 5 years, never fixed it; my firebird has passed emissions twice now without that part and no codes; I just checked the brakes 3000 miles after they said that and there is another 10,000 miles of pad remaining. Get the drift?