FirstTimeBuyer

I'd like my hypothetical car to be a manual and in good condition with no immediate issues. Preferably LT4.

RetroGuy

A 1996 automatic LT1 in good running condition and shape, under 65,000 miles, in southern California will be between $11,000 and 12,500.

OH THREE Z

way to vague of a question... condition and mileage will dictate the price.

a high mile (100k+) LT4 in fair condition condition should be around $6-7k imo

a nice 50k mile car should be $10k

a very nice 50k mile car should bring $12k

a show piece with low miles should be $15+

i feel like i have a nice low mile LT4 priced fairly in the FS section.

GL with your search

FirstTimeBuyer

My bad with that! I'm just trying to find out as much as I can about all C4s before hurrying off and buying one. I appreciate the feedback, I think I wouldn't mind going for a higher mileage '96 w/ an LT4 as long as I could get some good use and reliability from it.

OH THREE Z

there is nothing wrong with a higher milage car if it has been maintained. these cars when properly maintained can go 200k miles+ easy

its much cheaper in the long run to pay more for a well maintained car vs a car that has been neglected.... regardless of the milage

the old adage is buy the nicest car that your budget allows

GL!!

FirstTimeBuyer

What would you consider to be a "high mileage" C4? 100K+?

johno504

my cost of ownership in last 24 months for a 96 ce lt4 , pro repairs and pm is $17,200..... DOCUMENTED

Mr. Peabody

1) Invest $20.00 and buy yourself a copy of Mike Antonick's "The Corvette Black Book" This book has two pages on each model year and is a wealth of information making it much easier to determine what changed during each of the 12 years of C4 production. You can see what options were available each year and what optional equipment became standard over time. If you are really interested in the history of the C4 buy the book "Corvette from the Inside" by Dave McLellan who was the chief engineer during the C4 design and development.

2) Once you have decided on a particular year of C4 that you desire ....... don't hurry off and buy one until you have driven a least a half dozen examples. This gives you the opportunity to feel the difference between a well maintained one and one that has not been maintained. There are lots of them for sale. Used car lots are a great place to find examples to drive (and learn from)

3) A private seller with maintenance records and receipts is much more likely to provide you with a well sorted out car than finding one on a used car lot.

Don't be afraid of over paying for a good condition well maintained cart. So many seem to be only interested in "Did I get a good deal". With a 25 - 30 year old car the lowest price is rarely the best deal unless you are a mechanic looking for a project.

OH THREE Z

yes.

OH THREE Z

i agree with all of this

FAUEE

Just buy oh 3 Z's car. He's practically giving it away.

OH THREE Z

^^my biggest fan

seems like a no brainer to me. i probably didnt talk it up enough in my ad. i hate surprises and disappointments when traveling to look at a car so i laid it all out. i cant imagine anyone not being happy with it at the price ive listed it at.

FAUEE

That's what I liked about the ad. It was honest. Most of the ads you see out there make their cars out to be 10/10 creampuffs, and the low res pictures make them look nice. People on here assume that's the going rate for nice stuff, not the utter crap those cars really are.

To the OP... also consider people have different definitions of nice and no immediate issues. If you want a car where literally nothing needs touched but gas and oil for a year+, you will pay a lot more than one that runs fine right now, but hasn't had a coolant change, brake fluid change, etc. Some people think a "nice" car has 30k miles and no swirls and never had a crumb in it. That's a much different price than a ice car with 80k miles and a few minor scratches and a little bit of wear inside the car.

The best way to approach this is decode what your all in budget it. That's purchase price plus expected costs for the next year. Be honest about your mechanical repair abilities, desires, and availability. Lay it all out and go from there.

FirstTimeBuyer

Your car is quite beautiful, but unfortunately 11k is outside of my price range. And you’re located in Ohio (not Florida) ��

OH THREE Z

no worries at all... i completely understand budgets. ive seen some cars listed here that appear to be very nice in the 7k range. you might have to consider an LT1 and or an automatic. depending on your abilities.... a nice well kept automatic might be something that you should consider given that they dont carry a price premium and are more abundant.

GL!

PS. i wish that i lived in Florida

vader86

I definitely wouldn't go over 15K, you could get into a later generation at that price. Not unless its a Grand Sport.

I would realistically be looking at 10K, 6-7K if its higher miles.

FAUEE

Agreed, that's sort of what I was getting at in my post. If you're capable, willing, and ready to do work yourself it opens up a lot more cars. But if your budget is 10k, and you cant do anything beyond oil changes yourself, I would say a clean automatic lt1 with a few grand ti spare for fixes is a great idea.

cv67

Definitely,,,100k is a hell of a lot of drive time
Dont pay collector $ for one....a perfect example will get more than high KBB but dont let anyone tell you they are a sought after collectible they arent.
15k will get you a nice ZR1 with similar miles.

cv67

Definitely,,,100k is a hell of a lot of drive time
Dont pay collector $ for one....a perfect example will get more than high KBB but a nice 50k car for mid teens? Keep looking unless $ is no object.
There are plenty of nice low mi vettes of any yr still out there. A perfect 89 ZF ZF1 with 20k mi sold recently for 10k. Not an everyday thing but if youre patient....

corvette_realtor

The last 2-3 years of the C4 command a much higher premium than any other year of that generation. In my area I see 95s and 96s listed for ~$15k with 20-45k miles and in seemingly nice condition.