Looking for a c4 mechanic
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Mar 2025
Posts: 12
Likes: 0
Pro
Joined: Mar 2024
Posts: 536
Likes: 375
From: Northern California
I’m not surprised that a dealer wouldn’t touch your 85. You’ll find no luck there.
Whats the issue with your car? Some issues can be easy to fix as long as you know which end of a driver is the handle. Plus, shop repair fees can get costly.
Whats the issue with your car? Some issues can be easy to fix as long as you know which end of a driver is the handle. Plus, shop repair fees can get costly.
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Mar 2025
Posts: 12
Likes: 0
im not too sure, I’ve been slowly trying to fix it for the past 7 months and so far with my knowlege and skills car-wise I have no idea what I’m doing. I want to get it fixed soon as I’m about to deploy with the military so hopefully I’ll get to drive it at least one time before I leave but doesn’t seem like I’m gonna have much luck with that, I’m just ready to send it somewhere to get fixed regardless of the cost
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2018
Posts: 1,782
Likes: 578
From: Mays Landing, NJ
Sorry to hear that you can't find a local garage to provides services. The garage I've used for all my vehicles for many years have a couple of mechanics that previously worked at Chevy dealerships and certified through those dealerships, The engine is not exotic in any way, just a 350 that has been used for many years. The same goes for the rest of the power train. Because of that I fully understand your frustration. I do believe some dealers don't want to deal with 30 years plus vehicles because of the lateral old parts (connectors and associated wiring, etc} causing a domino effect.
Don't give up, keep knocking on doors.
Don't give up, keep knocking on doors.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 823
Likes: 216
From: Tampa, FL
Then in the mid/late 2000s, I started seeing this. I showed up to a Volkswagen dealership with my 73 VW Bus, wanting them to adjust the suspension and alignment, and while they thought the car was cool... they flat-out told me they no longer work on these cars.
I'm 47, and to be completely honest, most mechanics working at the dealerships today were born after I graduated from high school. Most of these kids don't even know how to work on these cars, even though they're significantly less complicated than modern cars. But the dealerships lack the specialty tools that make specific jobs easier to do, and the experience is just not there. You're better off NOT taking it to a dealership, to be completely honest.
Today, you either need to know how to do everything yourself, or have a shop that specializes in old cars.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
2027 Corvette vs The World: Every C8 vs Its Closest Competitor
Joe Kucinski
10 Most Common Corvette Problems of the Last 20 Years!
Joe Kucinski
Racer
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 296
Likes: 93
what year? what are the top issues that need to be addressed? engine running/idling poorly, no reset on codes, seats/windows/door locks inop? as previously noted, brake systems, exhaust, general maintenance items, trans and diff service, wheel bearings, u-joints, etc are all standard stuff to any mechanic.
the resources here have helped me immensely on getting my '86 up to snuff. I still have a page's worth of minor issues, some of which i'll pass along as they're not that important to me. but, am still fettling as weather permits. I like it { the hobby } most of the time.
the resources here have helped me immensely on getting my '86 up to snuff. I still have a page's worth of minor issues, some of which i'll pass along as they're not that important to me. but, am still fettling as weather permits. I like it { the hobby } most of the time.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 2,209
Likes: 3,041
From: So Cal
2023 C4 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
YZ scrolled into a "Related Thread" and responded without looking at the date or noticing he was in an old, dead, thread.
Go into User Control Panel, edit options, related threads, and turn it off. You'll no longer scroll into dead threads.