c4 aficionados please have look.
 

im looking at buying a 60k mile base 4+3 1988 car that is immaculate.

it appears to be 100% unmolested. it even gives a little puff of smoke on startup which i know is valve stem seals. that is congruent with other seals such as the pan and vc’s leaking a bit. this doesnt bother me in the slightest because it to me it looks like NOTHING has been touched on this car.

im only buying it if i can determine that its as new factory

i have two questions that im curious about:

the underside of this car, has faint blue paint on it. it does not look like overspray. it looks like its supposed to be there but i didnt think gm would do that. here is a picture by the jacking point showcasing what i mean. is this factory spec? or is this an indication that the car has been resprayed. pic:


https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...589af7619.jpeg
see the blue under the jacking location.




2. shock tower on the passenger side has a very slight bend in it. i see ZERO indication of any repairs. NOTHING. no witness marks from bolts having been undone and replaced, nothing. but again i find it hard to believe that gm would have had this variation in the shock tower mounts. thoughts??

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...e5f841872.jpeg
passenger side with very small upward deflection
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...b1be7b0ef.jpeg
driver side perfectly flat


actually now that i look at it, it looks like there may be some witness marks on the right (forward) side of the tower.

….. Jeezus … any ashes in the ash tray ? those were definitely not factory equipment … PASS ON IT ! …..

i have no idea what this comment means but thnx for the input!

The overspray is factory.

That shock tower looks to have been bottomed out 'hard'. Hard to believe that that much of a bend could have happened IMO without other damage to the suspension on that corner. I'd give it a real good look see to look for damage, not just the base suspension but also the frame mounting points. Wouldn't hurt to have a frame shop give it a look see for frame damage also.

^. much appreciated hcb.

ive pulled the reports on the car and there are no claims at all.

likely a gigantic pothole in combo with the base spring rate allowing full flex and bang on the shock tower.

my time with “project” c4’s is behind me and im now just building a collection of real nice examples. going to pass on the car.

What wheels are on it, i.e. 16" or 17"? Pics?

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...1b96c029ed.jpg

(probably doesn't have the original air in the tires - :willy: -- I hate it when folks don't keep there rides "factory original" - :rofl:)

:iagree: (if the car IS blue, which it appears it is). early on in the C4 production run, the factory did a little black-out paint work on the chassis, along with painting black, the bottom flange on the rocker panel. sometime after 1990, they, probably the bean counters, stopped any additional black-out paint work on the underside. my torch red 96 had red overspray all over the underside (both sides), half way to the drive shaft tunnel, whereas my 85 shows minimal signs of overspray.

no flames, but I disagree - there is nothing on the suspension that would come in contact with the tower flange to bend it like that due to a bottom out condition. :iagree: I would give everything around that side of the suspension a good look. look at the underside of the dent or bend - does it show any signs of paint marring or physical damage due to something coming into contact with that point? IMO - it's a minor issue. if that dent or bend brothers you, take a piece of 2X4, and a BFH and persuade it back into shape. who knows, it could have rolled off the assembly line like that - :rock:

hey VT3 - didn't you just buy a ZR-1? you getting into the C4 car business? :thumbs::thumbs:

yeah i did just buy a zr1. it just passed its out of province so i can drive it and get on with my thread!


building a collection u could say.

I don't have a picture with me but my 88 passenger side shock mount looks just like that. I've only had it for 2 1/2 years but don't believe it was ever wrecked before i got it. No issues with the way it rides or drives. I know its strange but I just thought that was the way it was made.

That’s a shame your “project” threads were brilliant reads.

Thank you for the compliment convas!

I enjoy the puzzle solving and i will never stop working on my vettes. dont get me wrong, ill buy them with mechanical problems all day long. What i wont do is buy cars with body/chassis and major interior damage. Ill consider minor interior work as i do find it rewarding.

For example im now looking at an 89 red on black z51 fx3 car with 60k miles, no accidents, original paint, original interior, all decals on the interior panels are still intact, been a driver but obviously taken care of other than:, very dirty engine bay, needs hvac module reflowed or replaced, heatercore, and the engine torn down, cleaned up, resealed, and detailed.

Thats my kind of project now. i should have said....my days of “roach” vettes are over. (or terminally ill chassis damage such as bent shocktower)

also ive been watching videos on how to rebuild the seals inside fx3 bilsteins. it seems this shouldnt be very hard to do and there are a few youtube vids that suggest this.

But thank you very much for the comment and i do hope that other guys who were in a position like i was at the time with not alot of free cash, can use what i did to allow them to get into a cheap c4 for almost nothing, and use the evenings and weekends to fix and refurb it up. That is the MAGIC of the c4 corvette. For VERY LITTLE cash invested a guy can drive an amazing car.

Go at it with the driveability issues first, then the aesthetics later, and a guy can be tearing up the twistys for very little guilt on $ spent!!!

love the C4 vette!!!

I've got to admit VT3, you've come a long way since your early C4 posts. one thing I can say is you're are not afraid to tackle anything - :thumbs::thumbs:

Have a frame shop inspect
 

Have a professional frame shop look at it. Small price for piece of mind. Probably not a big deal but why take a chance if you are concerned. Good luck.