Hi,
Recently my Grandfather passed away, leaving us with his 1998 Corvette. I started driving it and am feeling blessed to have to since I had no car. I took it to get inspected and was alarmed at the price of the fixes. I also started hearing a knocking noise behind where the the A/C is. And today the car started shaking and vibrating. I don't know much about cars but I am willing to learn. Are these easy fixes I could do by myself. I also live in Germantown, Maryland and am willing to pay someone to help me, I just don't have nearly enough to cover the costs of what the shop said.

 

Run. that is completely ridiculous.
Changing the clutch is cheaper than fixing radiator support. and half the car has to come apart to change clutch.

 

If isn't a joke, you need to get that car out of that shop ASAP. That kind of crap pisses me off.

Post here in the Northeast Region forum. Ask for a trustworthy shop in your area.

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums/northeast-40/

 

The rad support is mostly cosmetic and most C5s have the same damage\issue so no need to touch it. The sway bar end links are cheap on amazon and an easy replacement. The steam hose is attached with hose clamps...For someone to do what is needed at their home you are looking at probably under 100 bucks total for the replacement of the end links and "adjusting" the steam hose......Whoever gave you that quote wins scammer of the year

 

Welcome to the corvette community! C5’s are great but yours is nearly 30 and needs tlc. I recommend reading this and other sticky’s in the general section. https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...fo-thread.html

best of luck and look into doing some of the work yourself and start with safety items.

 

That shop is a ripoff. Get your car out of there ASAP!! Sway bar end links range from $6 to $32 on Rock Auto. Too bad you weren't closer to me. I'd fix that for no labour cost. I had a 98 for about 5 years. I've changed out my C6 end links 3 times and haven't spent what they want for just the front or rear.

 

Agreed ...with the exception of buying parts off Amazon.

 

Another shop trying to rip off a woman.

 

That radiator support mount looks like that on every C5, the left side of mine has a folded over brace and it's bolt has been pulled through the frame (and I only know because I went in there to do headlights). You could replace it with an aftermarket support for ~$500 (for the part at least) but it's probably not worth it. The nose on the C5 is so long, it's going to scrape and be dented again, unless it's falling off or rattling/sagging forget it. The missing boots and stem hose are basically just labor costs and probably don't matter either, you do that stuff when you are servicing related components. You asked the shop "is there anything wrong" and they gave you the "well technically..." trying to make a lot of money taking some stuff off and putting it on again but with fresh rubber booties.

As for the vibrations/noise... could be nothing, it's almost 30, it's got aches and pains, noisy/stuck fan bearings...I thought the HVAC fan was a harmonic balancer in the early stages until I turned the AC off to listen and realized the sound/vibration was gone. I was right to be paranoid though because the harmonic balancer will go on every Vette. You should check your late grandfather's service notes if you have them and see if he already replaced it and also what are the miles? If you develop serious vibrations/bucking don't drive it!

Finally, I reiterate that the car is old enough to settle down and get married and unless gramps put a ton of miles on it already (probably not) the engine/transmission (tough as nails) and the body (largely un-rustable fibre-glass) are going to live and live but the rest of the car is going to fall apart around you and letting it sit won't save it (in fact it makes some of the decay worse and you should start it every month and work all the electronics over). This car is loaded with shitty 90's GM electronics and dried out plastic bits. It's a great car for what it is, plastic bits are cheap but you have to get in there and replace them... in other words, you should know what you are getting into.

If you have no mechanical/electrical interest/talent/workspace and no second car you should enjoy it for a summer, hook it up to a 30 dollar battery tender, add a bottle of Techron to the gas tank and then sell it in spring when everyone gets their tax rebates, take the 12-17k it's probably worth and get a Honda or something from like 2012 that will be way more practical in weather, for moving, on fuel (the Vette ain't bad if you drive it slow but who wants to do that?), etc.

Oh! Also check your tires! I assume they are not expired (the shop guys would have loved to charge you a small fortune for a new set over that) but there is a good chance Grandpa had summer tires and if you try to drive them in December, on a rainy day you might step on the gas gently in 3rd and find yourself looking out the front window at the highway divider (ask me how I know...* I caught it on the backswing with the assistance of the stability system thankfully). These cars are super smooth and stable and predictable if you know what you are doing and they make excellent lazy slow cars and first stick cars as well ironically... but if all you have ever driven is front wheel drive/AWD there is a learning curve and you should short shift/take it easy until you know the car (most people start on lower power/high revving RWD stuff like the BRZ or Miata because the Vette adds the element of high torque), you have a lot of tire but you also have a lot of power even at low RPM to break that tire loose.... remember that in poor conditions and when you are pushing the car... smooth and easy on the way out of turns (especially tight ones). Spend some time in a big lot on a rainy day learning the car. If she starts to slide don't panic just slowly ease up/ brake when the car is facing the right way, cars don't like sudden change, they like smooth correction.

 

Thank you so much!!

 

I know it made me so upset.

 

As others have said, RUN don't walk from that shop. Find some Corvette Gearheads in your area to give a good lookover of the car.

 

Radiator support is not a problem. Mine looks worse than that. Doesn't affect anything if it's just cosmetic. I replaced my sway bar end links myself with premium Moog links ordered online. Parts were about $100 and took me a couple of hours taking my time but I also had to have the right tools.

Consider joining a local Corvette club for advice on shops or people nearby who know how to work on these cars and won't rip you off.

However, Corvettes this old are likely going to require more work than most people not familiar with them expect. They are great cars but older ones require attention. People who love owning and WORKING on Corvettes buy these as projects and hobbies. If you're looking for a daily driver, I'm not sure it would be a good choice. It has sentimental value to you obviously. You could hang on to it and get classic car insurance (cheap) and drive it now and then and fix it up over time. Get a good newer car like a Honda or Mazda for your daily driver.