TXGS507

You must be a C4 owner.. Are you trying to convince yourself that the Chinese Z06 wheels on your C4 look better than the Sawblades? I am sure their are plenty that would disagree.

Do not take this guys advice....

I have owned two C4's myself 93,96... loved em both. However, I have to agree with Bill (Evil Twin). He knows a thing or two about a thing or two when it comes to the C5....

edram454

5k for a 96 is cheap if the mileage is low. lt1 are torquey and great on the street. I have had 3 c4's and the last one a zr1 and they are good cars. my 93 convertible was excellent. My zr1 was modded and was a power house and exclusive. 5k is cheap for a low mileage garage queen which i assume might be your case. I have also owned and currently own a c5 z06. I had a supercharged couple auto and sold it. My modded z06 is quite a different animal. It feels like my modded zr1 but lighter and the engine is more peaky. Power comes on after 3k rpms and then hold on... my zr1 was a constant hard pull to 7000 rpm.. it is a great car and ridiculously undervalued but the aftermarket in parts and experienced mechanics practically dont exist. One must survive on nos parts, used parts and salvaged from crashed zr1's. Love the car but expensive to truck it all over the country for any mods or repairs which is why I sold it. It was the most exclusive corvette I have ever had. the engine is second to none.. My z06 has 470 rwhp and is low miles 30k 2 owner and rocks with black/black combo. tight as a drum.. much tighter than my zr1 with roll bar and front camber brace etc... z06 feels like a track car.

Not4spd

I'd at least look at it cause the worst that could happen is that you decide it's not for you. If it were me I'd probably end up buying it and then using the other part of the money to find the right C5. Then again high mileage doesn't scare me like it does other guys on this forum.

jackjohnson_218

No I've never owned a c4. Yes the sawblades are horrible. They look like the wheels that came on early 2000s hybrid cars.

grampi50

Better yet, he should go drive the C4, then immediately go drive a C5...if that doesn't make him hate the C4, he should get it...

friou

Well, first thing is, and I'm only speaking for myself, C4's are far and away my least favorite of all vette generations. I would only do the $5k C4 if I could immediately flip it at a profit to put towards the car you really want. That would involve family and that can sometimes be tricky. As already pointed out, a vette that has been sitting for many years can have unseen problems which can add up to get it back in condition. If your family would look poorly on you flipping the C4 then I would skip it and continue to work towards the car you really want. Just my two cents, but whatever way you go I wish you good luck on it. Best wishes!

grampi50

I would have to say the C4 is tied with the C3s from about 1973 and newer as my least favorite Vettes...those were pretty bad too...

Pounder

I bought a new 76 and was by far the biggest disappointment in Vettes to me, I drove a few C 4's and at least I felt I was in a Vette for power and handling !!! (had 63,64,59,85 and the best C 5)

grampi50

My favorites in descending order; C5, C6, '68-'72 C3, C2, C7, C1, C4, and the rest of the C3s...the mid 70s thru early 80s C3s were a joke!

JR-01

I had an 80 and loved it. Great cruising car and 22 mpg. Surprised at how much power it had. I checked the engine number and it turned out the engine came out of a 72 cop car. Sweet runner.

Scylla

C4's and C5's are very different cars, which share virtually no components or design configurations (other than the auto transmission). They're also made of different composite materials and in many ways the C4 is not really a modern car. That's not all bad though.

What a C4 has going for it, is it's a little smaller than a modern vette, and has vastly inferior handling. What that means is that they make great drift cars, if that's your sort of thing. A high power C4 can slide all over the place just like an older C3, people have a lot of bad feelings about the C4, because so many of them had low power engines, it created a very bad impression.

If you enjoy old school burnouts and suicidal slides through corners, a C4 with an LT1 could be a ton of fun... it hurts the situation a lot that it's an auto though, that kind of guarantees unless your driving skills are nothing short of amazing, that you'll take a dive if you try anything stupid.

Ultimately it's your money, if you like the C4, buy both, $12k for a C5 is plenty to get one in excellent condition. I don't think I'd personally go for the C4, because I think I'd probably kill myself with an auto and C4's are a lot less safe to crash than a C5.

friou

I had, and wish I still had my '71 454 4spd in Ontario Orange. That was a nice car and I did enjoy it but my current C5 would run circles around it in every way!! Take care!

friou

I had a very nice '76 4spd, a good cruiser if you could get it moving. A genuine slug by just about any standard. Dependable and trouble free, looked pretty nice but that was about it. Best wishes!

grampi50

The early 454s were nice, but by '73 or '74 they had been completely neutered...

the kid C6

For the OP, be sure to take pictures! We want to see, too!

claf

If you compromise on this C4 you will never be satisfied no matter how great a deal you get. It will probably only be two weeks before you are kicking yourself in the azz. Hold off until your dream car appears !

QCVette

I currently have both C4's and C5's.

They are both great cars, but very different. It is fun trading off between them.

In most objective categories the C5 wins. Better frame and suspension, great LS engines for performance and economy, easier entry, better access to storage, easier to remove top, etc.

However, the C4 is fun to drive. It feels raw and more feedback so it feels like a sports car. The engines are not that bad either. My LT4 is slightly stronger than my LS1 with the LT1 is a little behind. Granted it was quite a few years ago, but they were so dominant in racing that SCCA kicked them out to form the Corvette Challenge series. Even though they do not handle as well as the newer ones, they are still very good handling cars.

Like others have said, take a look at it and test drive it to make up your mind if you like it or not.

Good luck with your choice.

LannyL81

If the C4 has Sport Seats do not sit in them as they are so far better than the C5 seats that you may not ever get a C5.

I had two '96 LT4s and a '95 LT1 6 speed, all with Sport Seats, drove them for years, the '95 daily for two years. Got my C5 with Sport Seats last Feb and have battled with those seats since; installed the "rocking" fix, still rocks, something loose in one seat rail. Will likely require seat rail replacement which is not going to be cheap.

I say get it, clean it up, enjoy it, continue looking for a C5, but spend some time in the C5 before you buy and sell the C4.

Have fun.

novasscnc

No offence to c4 owners buy a c5

friou

Sadly, you are right on, performance was heading into the abyss back then. Take care!