Is your C4 your daily driver?
 

I bought my 1992 C4 convertible a few weeks ago specifically to use as my daily transportation, but am getting the impression reading on this forum that not that many of you other C4 owners use your 17 to 29 year old C4s that way!

So, I'm asking: Do you use your C4 as your daily driver, or more as a hobby, race car, or toy?

Jim G

my 85 has always been my DD from April to November. I can't enjoy it if it sits in a garage.

My 90 coupe - is my sunny day only, summer daily driver ,when it rains I use my infiniti but prefer to drive the coupe.\,so summer toy.
I could not imagine winter in that, forget it.
MZee

^^ Mine also driven everyday (weather permitting) but not my primary daily driver. :cheers: :salute:

Weekend cruiser/race car. Unfortunately it's been been far more cruiser than race car in the last few years. :crazy:

The C4 is amazingly capable in winter weather.

When I owned my 6-speed 1995 convertible in Minneapolis, Minnesota, from 1996 through 1998, it was my only car. I commuted 40 x 2 = 80 miles per day in it, every weekday. Often that meant:

- minus 20 to minus 30 degree weather (heater worked fine despite it being a convertible, and it always started imemdiately, even after siitng in my employer's outdoor parking lot in minus 30 weather with up to 30 to 40 mph winds)

- Driving to work or home in freshly falling snow, with some blizzards delivering 12 inches or more of snow (wide performance tires and all)

- Driving on glare ice (wide performance tires and all) at 40 mph on the freeway

There were numerous time I had to literally dig it out of freshly fallen snow at 5pm in the employee parking lot.

I got a lot of incredulous looks from other drivers on those kinds of days.

I never once actually spun out or slid. Mind you, having been born and raised in Canada, I learned early that when you drive in the winter, you imagine there to be eggs on each of the accelerator and brake pedals, and you must not break the eggshells.

The traction control system did activate once, on a curved freeway on-ramp on a cold icy morning in the dark. Since I had never before felt that accelerator pedal "kickback", it took me a second or two to realize what had occurred. The car did not waver from its course.

In Minneapolis, winter is half the year, so I put on a ton of miles in winter conditions over 2 1/2 years or so.

It was experiences like that that reinforced in me the notion that a C4 is a pretty special car, and that's why I bought this second C4 two decades later.

Jim G

Mine is a "Fair Weather Lady"

DD for me, too. The only time I don't is when there are t-storms forecast (get lots of hail down here in Tejas).

Otherwise, what's the point of owning the car if it's not driven? The more I drive it the better I enjoy it. :thumbs:

I think most of us in the northern states only use them as pleasure vehicles. In the winter here in Pittsburgh, most of the nice ones are put away and stored for the bad weather months and only driven for fun in the summer. These cars are far from being new and dependability in bad winter weather is best left to cars that are only a few years old. If you are seen here driving a Corvette in the winter, you are constantly asked "why are you driving a car like a Corvette now"?

:iagree: I wouldn't even want to try and drive my vette around here during the winter months, that's what my 4X4 pickup is for, but in the summer months it's hard to get me out of it.

I bought my 85 a year ago and drive it everyday. I've done 11,000 on it. No major problems

Wife's C4 is her DD Yellow 95 200K+ miles, My C4 a few road trips a year and car shows. My C5 is a DD why waste a good C5..

These cars make great daily drivers. Mine was an only car for about five years, winter and all. Very durable and reliable.

For me no DD in the plans. I work out of the house anyway, but I wouldn't want to waste the car on work related miles and then sit in the parking lot getting sunburned (I'm in S. FL) or getting beat up by other car doors. It's too nice and I want to savor the miles I put on it.

As a primary car, the convertible like I have doesn't have the space to really do anything practical so mine's a play toy only. I have a GMC 2500 4x4 for my other stuff and the pair covers my bases.

I drive my '95 with over 152k on the odometer one day/week to work (100+ miles round trip). Other than that, occasional weekend drives.

It's a toy that I have wanted since I was 13 years old.I try to use it once a week in the summer months.Winter with snow around it sleeps alot in my garage.If no snow I do try to use it

I drive mine on just about every sunny day until it's time to put it away for winter.

Absolutely a DD! when I buy a car, no matter what it is, I expect it to work for a living, in return I make sure it gets the best of everything! :thumbs:

my 94 has been mine for the last 7 years now. put over 40K miles on it with the normal maintenance. drive it year round in show, ice, rain, and sun.

i drive my 94 6spd daily from April until it snows, be that November or December. i don't drive the car in the rain, i have other cars that don't have an optispark that hates water, lol. i think the 94 makes a GREAT daily driver and i usually see between 17 and 19 mpg in the city and between 20 and 24 mpg on the highway. not bad for a car capable of 160 mph plus!

Betty Boop has been a daily driver now for 8 weeks. :thumbs:

Money would change the answer to your question. Some owners' Vettes are strictly for racing, others garage queeners (toy/hobby), and others it is their only car.

I agree, but to put into prespective the massive improvements in engine efficiency and fuel consumption over the past few years:

The 2011 Mustang with VVT 3.7 liter V6 with 6-speed that my wife and I owned for a couple of years til just recently made 305 hp (same as our LT1 C4s), weighed about the same despite being a 2+2 seater, delivered 22 mpg in suburban driving, and actually beat its EPA highway rating of 31 MPG by hitting 33 MPG regularly at 60 to 65 cruising in Texas Hill Country (lots of rolling hills). It made a great daily driver, but had handling and low end torque inferior to that of the C4 (depsite the C4's age!) and none of the charm of the C4. :)

Of course, the Mustang also had a warranty and no Optispark . . .

Jim G

My "91" Vette is my daily driver and performs excellent in any weather condition!...

No Water leaks and AC and Heater work Great!...

132k and going strong!...:thumbs:

I drive my 85 to work about a few times per week, and my 95 once or twice a week to work. I have a third non-C4 vehicle that often gets driven to work once a week, as well. On weekends, both C4s get driven. My husband is retired, but usually drives whichever C4 I leave at home that day. So, they both get driven very regularly. We live in a climate that allows all-year driving without much concern. I particularly enjoy the handling and the torque at the low end offered by the C4s.

Well, I am from Canada and used to drive Mustang GT's not my Cobra in winter .no snows, but it would be a shame to subject that nice machine that has never seen winter or much rain.Good for you to drive in that, it confirms you actually know how to properly drive a car.
Mzee

I like this strategy. Just get enough of them to spread out the wear and tear. If I had the garage space and no kids, that would be my plan too.

Mine is now a dd, the old dd bit the dust with worn valve lifters.:willy:

What was a weekend resto project with no a/c no heat and no stereo yet, has it's limits of enjoyment in the brutal humid heat:crazy2: but,

The good thing about this is that i can work out all the bugs that crop up, so the more i drive it the more things that go wrong that need attention can be taken care of right away. :thumbs:

I really think it shines as long haul gt car, the idea of having to run errands getting in and out every 15 mins around town puts too much wear and tear on your kidney's getting in and out of it :ack:

Excellent point! And, you have to remember to NOT use the tilt steering wheel as support getting in or out, and to tell any service people the same thing, since using it as a support WILL eventually cause it to need a new u-joint!

Jim G

Daily driver. I just park in the back of the lot, with a curb on the passenger side , and in the shade whenever possible. Never park in the middle of a parking lot. Other car in the lot backing out of spaces flat don't see them.

We think alike!

Be ESPECIALLY careful to avoid parking near a pizza joint. Lots of customers coming in and out, and those delivery drivers are brutal.

Jim G

WOW !! so very true !!, i literally hate to park it anywhere locally, yeah she's not a trailer queen but still !! just the thought of it getting more chips in the ever so flawed paint makes me cringe !! LOL

HA HA HA guess what? the previous owner thought it was a monkey bar set at a playground and yes it DOES NEED a u-joint oh what fun it is to restore this apple of gm's eye !! funny though how i never use it as leverage to get in and out, the side bolster on the badly worn seat though needs serious attention !!!

I have almost the same experiences. I had a 50 mile each way commute for 100 miles per day. I bought an '88 A4 with a 2.59 axle as a daily driver. It was great. I put about 50k on it in just over 2 years winter and all. I sold it to get my '94 6m because I wanted a manual transmission. I put about 50k on it in just over 2 years also.

They both made the drive a lot more fun. I chose them because they both got about 30 mpg on the highway and I wanted a fun "economy" car.

I can also see the other side. I have had an '85 as a weekend or pleasure car that doesn't get near as much driving.

Between the two, I have had a lot more fun with the ones I drive all the time.

I have a 1989 that I've had for a year. Drive it any chance I can. I avoid rain and snow since I have another car for that. Very reliable .

For a daily driver, I have concldued that getting in or out requires TWO precautions to prevent damage to the carpeted sill and to minimize wear to the bolster:

1. Install sill plates

2. Getting in: sit down into the seat with your legs outside the car, and avoiding the bolster when sitting down, then swing legs in over the sill. Getting out: Swing legs out over the sill and feet onto the ground, then hoist yourself out withOUT using the steering wheel or pressuring the bolster, but OK to raise yourself by putiing left hand onto the sill. :)

Jim G

JimGnitecki stated it very well on page 1.

My 95 Was my year round daily driver for 6 years and was my only vehicle. Now the C5 is my daily driver and the C4 comes out on the weekends when it's time for fun:thumbs:

Yes.:cheers:

got my 84 3 years ago and been driving it everyday ever since

It was originally going to be a weekend toy with my stang as DD, but I tend to drive the vette more often lately. Like others posters have said, how else can you enjoy it?

My '94 coupe is my daily driver also, although I don't commute anymore. I've had it one year next month, and put 15k on it. I had to drive from Atlanta to Orlando recently and was going to take my wife's Lexus, but enjoy driving the Vette so much more I took it. I figured it would be an adventure. I had a great trip! Never missed a beat!

The opti quit a month or so later...., in my garage! Is this a great car or what!

93 coupe, my only car and daily driver for over a year now. cant imagine not driving it every day or attempting to drive another car.
helps i live in california and the weather goes from 60-90 where i live. i do drive in the rain, usually in the slow lane going 50ish mph wondering if i should have put on more all weather tires :rofl:

also i never have any issues getting in or out, but maybe it is because i am only 24, anyone else who wants to ride with me always makes a huge deal about trying to get in and out of the passenger side

I bought mine with 69k miles almost 4 years ago. I used it as a DD until I hit 100k, and started to have problems. So I knocked the dust of my real DD and use the vette on weekends only. When she is running correctly, it is my weekly fix.

get your baby running smooth again and drive it everyday! once you go vette you cant go back!:rock:

Pretty much the same thing with me except I'm in Florida. I drive it in rain or shine for everything gigs, school, gym, groceries etc.

My user name 89dd stands for daily driver. Only snow keeps her in the garage.
I love going to the supermarket and the look on peoples faces when loading the car with groceries as there loading their minivans.

My 94 is strictly a toy - used only when the weather is nice and sunny, and the blacktop is dry. And the physical condition and mileage on the odometer (64k) in 2010 when I got it shows is was a play toy.

Generally --- on the East Coast Corvettes are seasonal cars used between April and November then put to sleep for the winter. The majority of people that I know from a few local Corvette clubs in NJ do the same as me - have the Vette in the garage and only take it out when the weather is nice, and very protective, not used as DD's.

On another personal note --- it gives me a warm feeling inside when I drive the clean shiny car out of the garage for a weekend drive - and the heads turn.....

Bob

Friday through Sunday. I'm in sales and drive 60-80 miles a day. Sometimes 130 miles. Don't want to rack up those miles on my baby! I talk to her every day though.

That's exactly why I sold my 1995 convertible that I had in the late 1990s. My commute was so long that I would have burned through the car faster than I could afford to replace it. Now, my commute is both shorter and sporadic, so the annual miles are far lower.

Jim G

Once was.... but like many have already posted, once I closed in on 100,000 she has gone to "a weekend date!"

I drive my '92 a couple times a week.

DD from the time snow stops until it starts again! :thumbs:

My 1994 six speed coupe is STRICTLY a weekend only in fair / nice weather toy only.

The plan was for mine to be a daily driver. The only other vehicles I own belong to my business (except for my wife's ride). Now that I scored such a nice specimen I'm having second thoughts about piling the miles on it.

Mine is 20 years old and I bought it 13 years ago with 18000 miles on it. In 13 years I have only put another 20,000 miles on it. Basically a top down weekend cruiser.

My DD is a 2000 Silverado Pick Up with 220,000+ miles that is a perfect car for urban traffic.

I would like to have a more fun DD and in another thread I am talking about adding a low mileage C5 to the mix and actually driving it all or most all the time. Hopefully my Truck won't get sad and than break down due to its newly jealous and sad nature given the possible new addition to the family.

Mine is not. I have a Honda Accord. I love having a car that I just do not fret over.

My 93 is my dd from april to dec in mass.

My last c4, which was a supercharged 93', was my daily driver. My current supercharged 96' is more of a fair weather toy.

Yep. 94' 6 speed. 115, 000 miles. Only car and drive it every day to and from work.

My '85 is my DD during the good months from April-October weather permitting. Otherwise the Impala SS fits the bill.

I don't have TIME for my 94 to be a daily driver. Living on a gravel road with the nearest blacktop 2 1/2 miles away it takes me a good 20 minutes or so just to get to some pavement with the vette. The '01 Bonneville is a great DD/work car and the Impala is my "nice" car for going out to dinner or to a movie. The 94 is a fair weather toy although I think I did drive it to work twice this year. My NCM insurance policy has a 6000 mile/year clause so I try to at least get that used up :D

astepup said that

Daily driver
 

I have had fewer problems using my 93 coupe 6 spd than any other car I've ever owned. I use it for trips out of town with no hesitation. I look at it like this If it were to break I think you have a better chance finding a replacement part say in Fernley for a Chevrolet small block powered car than say a Fiat 500. I also think that the build quality of the last few years of the C4's life was outstanding. There a fun car to drive without being filthy rich to own one.

I have put over 10,000 miles on my '96 as a daily driver. It now sits at 89,064 miles I have had to replace the fuel evap canister, brakes, and O2 sensors, and oil filter, but that's all general upkeep.

It does get driven in inclement weather, I just spend the effort to keep it looking sharp. There will be dirty days and clean days, but it usually gets washed at least twice a month, and waxed at least once every other month.

Cars are built to be driven, why not enjoy them every day,

bought my 1992 with 56km last year, second vette for me and it is a fair weather car for me. Our season is short here so I don't drive it a lot but when I do its the best thing ever. This car will last me my lifetime and I plan on grandkids using it for their grads some day

bought my 1992 with 56km last year, second vette for me and it is a fair weather car for me. Our season is short here so I don't drive it a lot but when I do its the best thing ever. This car will last me my lifetime and I plan on grandkids using it for their grads some day

Bought my 86 to drive alot because i have a land rover that gets 12 mpg, so my 86 vette is my economy car getting 21 mpg overall.

My 94 has been in my possession for 13 of its 20 years. It has about 170,000 miles on it with a fairly recent complete drive train upgrade. It has served as a daily driver for many years and now is taking it easy after many years of the daily grind. She still wins trophys at the local cars shows occasionally and turns most heads when they hear her cruise by.

We bought an 88 C4 coupe purely with the intention of driving it !!! and that's what we do , city driving , country miles all the same , why waste a perfectly good drive ....driven not hidden ......:cheers:

I am on my 2nd c4 and I have daily driven both of them. When I originally got my 93 I planned on it being a weekend toy. I had a Tahoe that I planned on daily driving, after about 6 months of having the Vette I sold the Tahoe because I never drove it. These cars are too much fun too let them sit in the garage.

I drive a Ford now, but I did daily drive a 95 for a year. I bought it with 77k miles on it and it was stock. It is getting harder to find a late model six speed with reasonable miles on it now. I had mine 3 or 4 years ago.

If I would have known how hard a good fully loaded 95 or 96 would be to find, I might have tried to keep it around. The ZR-1 I bought to replace it isn't so bad though ;).

Yes it is my hobby to daily drive my toy race car. :D

My '86 has been my daily driver since I bought a 2003 in August of 2002. I was using a '90 Supra (nice car) as my daily driver but wanted to keep the C4. I sold the Supra to a friend (who asked for it when I got it in 1995) and now I have two Corvettes in the garage.

Here's my L98 daily driver, it may be slightly different, but lighter:
http://www.scotthansen.net/images/friday9.jpg

1991 Standard Auto (RED) no mods except stereo and LED's in the gills.
April to November in Central NY as long as there isn't salt or snow on the roads.

Labor of love tweeking it a little at a time over the winter, and jonesing to drive it.

:iagree:

My 91 is my daily driver. It's been in the rain, sleet and snow, and keeps on going. Regular maintenance and keeping the radiator clear is key to keeping them running strong.

Not everyday, but a couple days a week.

MR willys, im a jeep freak, can you post some more cj pics.

The C4 is my daily driver. The C5 is a sunny day garage queen.

Yes.. I am currently doing a 60 mile round trip, 4 out of 5 days of the week. A recent speeding ticket and now a catastrophic failure of the rear spring bolt close to getting on the freeway has me considering alternatives. I don't see ANY corvettes on my commute, nevermind C4's. I see a lot of current gen Camaros.. 40k for an SS tho? Anyway, probably the last year I'm doing this.

Until I bought my Superduty a few years ago I daily drove my 1990 6spd 60 miles a day 5 days a week. Aside from minor things breaking from old age/wear like any older car the C4 was a fine DD

It used to be my daily driver, but not any more. I just couldn't deal with the MN6 and the frequent stop-and-go traffic. I still try to drive it a couple of times a month when the weather is nice and I don't have to drop my son off at daycare.

I have 7 cars and trucks so I dont have a daily driver

I don't really use it as much anymore, I recently purchased an ATS.

However, when the occasion strikes, I have no qualms about driving it everywhere. Garrage queens are depressing, machines are ment to be used, period.