C4's price's dropping!!!!!!!!!!!!

[kingman]

I was taken back by the drop in price's on the C4's especially the late C4's. The only C4 that brings anything is with the Lt4 engine or the GS, the rest are sagging.

After looking through E-bay and noticing over 500 listings (total) and looking at the 96's, it pays to use them as a planter rather then selling them. But l hope when spring rolls around they will rebound.

This is the year to move up or stay put for a while. On auction the lanes are void of C4's. It's another story for the C5's, l couldn't believe how many were present but will be gone after this week now February.

Alan

 

[B17Crew]

I think the prices will continue to drop for quite some time (read many years). They will level off eventually.

There will always be a buyer for a late model C4 that is in above average condition and has documentation proving that it was appropriately maintained.

I’ve been considering starting a hunt for mint ’95 LT1 six-speed or ’96 LT4 vert to go along side my ’96 coupe. We’ll see how things look in the spring.

B17Crew

 

[MARLTON LT-4]

Look at it another way. This is the time to buy a C4 OR a C5. People that could only afford the generation earlier now can move up. If you already own one, hold for a while (at least until Summer) to lessen the hit you will take on the sale. Low mile, clean C4's will always have a decent market. Everyone saw it coming!


CP

 

[ZumZum]

Yeah, prices aren't holding too good. There's a '90 vert for sale locally, asking price is $9995.

 

[Rain]

I just did that very thing. Instead of dropping 3-5 grand into customizing my aqua 96, I decided to buy a nice C5.

Great time of year to buy because bargains are out there. Lots of C5 owners have C6s on order.
Others want to take advantage of the price drop and pick up a ZR1 or Z06 (C4 or C5).

Will wait and probably put my 96 on the market in the Spring and see how the prices are doing.

 

[Roadster Guy]

If you look at the production numbers of the later model C4's made in the 90's they are pretty low compared to the C3 and C5 numbers. These C4's were around 22,000 units or so a year. I think GM cranked out about 35,000 units a year of the C5 after 97 and the Sharks were huge numbers in the 1970's, bigger than the C5 for sure. So, when buyers are out looking for "late model" C4's there is not the inventory out there of C5's or C3's. And if a C4 buyer is looking for a certain colour with a certain transmission that is low mileage etc etc and well maintained then "the chase" gets a little more difficult.

I just wonder if the much lower production numbers of the late model C4's will one day help to firm up the prices. I plan on keeping mine a long time so I don't really think of prices. I do notice up here though, that C4 prices for low mileage late model Convertibles are holding up pretty well and it may be because there are not a lot of them around.....C4 convertible production was pretty low in the 90's. Anyway, I just thought I'd toss the C4 production numbers out to see what you guys thought.

Friend of mine just bought a really nice mint low mileage stick 1987 red convertible C4 and he loves it....and that's why he bought it. And he had to look for a while to find it.

 

[Tom73]

Not to knock C4s but they are a used car. As used cars age the price drops. I recently sold my C4 for about half of what I paid for it 7 years before. The prices will keep droping until the car is about 25 years old and the car moves into the "classic" or "collector" group. Then it will start heading back up (at least for the low milage original unmodified cars). It is just a cycle in the life of cars.

tom...

 

[Ken]

My mechanic just bought an '87 for fifteen-hundred dollars! :eek

It is running, but of course it is in very rough shape. :L He's going to part it out.

 

[Robert]

I have an 84 C4 that is under 8,000 in production. I hope the first 7,000 or so guys crash theirs (survivable crashes of course) then mine will be the oldest C4 out there. It will still have the "loaf" and of course the CROSS-FIRE!!!!


I can see some guy at a car show a few decades from now looking at my cherry C4 and he bends over to look at that cross-fire injection and asks, "What the Heck is that!!??" And I will proudly tell him that only the 82 and 84 Corvette models had cross-fire and that it is so rare that he may never ever see one again in his miserable lifetime.....but if he wants to be respected by his peers for having possibly the only cross-fire still in existence.....I will gladly sell him this one for around $200,000.00.

Ahhhhh this C4 is my ticket to retirement.......eat your hearts out guys!!

:L

 

[RonJ]

Not to knock C4s but they are a used car. As used cars age the price drops. I recently sold my C4 for about half of what I paid for it 7 years before. The prices will keep droping until the car is about 25 years old and the car moves into the "classic" or "collector" group. Then it will start heading back up (at least for the low milage original unmodified cars). It is just a cycle in the life of cars.

tom...

Exactly Tom, my 85, which I've brought back to pretty nice condition, has had some tempting offers. I'd like to keep it though, who ever thought I'd have an antique 'vette!!!!!!

Ron ...

 

[I_R_DA_ONE]

I have owned a good many vettes and I have seen them all go thru the same process of price change.....Now is the time to buy all the original C4 corvettes you can....but only if they are in orginal condition (matching numbers etc).....thier value now is at rock bottom and the value will go up over the next few years....especialy all the low production number cars..

Just look at the price on a 1967 covertte and you will see what I mean...
I bought a lot of C3 vettes for less than $3500.00 ten years ago...Now look at them
Ole fouggies like me are looking for these cars as IRS free investments....
Just my thoughts
Mike

 

[kingman]

Horsepower wars!

Right now there are vehicles with up to 500hp so the 300hp vettes are almost has beens even though some of them are pickups.

The only thing my 96 vette can do is take a turn a little faster or stop a little faster period.

A 300hp vehicle is common place today but the gearing and weight go against them.

The answer is to wait and buy the Z06 when it comes out in a few months.

The people that stepped out and bought the new C6 will get hammered right out of the block.

Don't feel sorry for them because if they had any foresight they would have waited for the Z06 instead of buying an almost had vette.

Any vette owner worth his salt would not of bought the new C6 and waited for the Zo6, but we should welcome the newbies anyway. Somebody was going to buy them and let be them rather then us.

And to think about them paying over stcker price is a real joke to begin with.

Alan

 

[Tom73]

The answer is to wait and buy the Z06 when it comes out in a few months.

The people that stepped out and bought the new C6 will get hammered right out of the block.

Don't feel sorry for them because if they had any foresight they would have waited for the Z06 instead of buying an almost had vette.

Any vette owner worth his salt would not of bought the new C6 and waited for the Zo6, but we should welcome the newbies anyway. Somebody was going to buy them and let be them rather then us.

And to think about them paying over stcker price is a real joke to begin with.

Alan,
Looks like you have taken your thread a bit off topic. But since you started it....

Yep the '06 Z06 will be something. But it will be fairly limited in production and will have a MUCH higher price. Some people will buy it because they must have the highest HP out there. Others will keep buying the standard coupe/conv because they want the complete package.

But for now....
Back to the C4 discussion :eyerole

 

[BruceBed]

I saw a 84 listed for sale in the paper the other day at $4500. Two days later it was at $2500. I don't know what kind of condition . It seems like it would be worth that in parts.....

 

[kingman]

So Sorry!!

I just lost my head for awhile but l'm regaining my mental stability. It really bothers me but again let's stay with the topic.

Long live the C4's!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Better?

Alan

 

[kingman]

All vettes are not equal!!!!!

You will alway see price's that will throw you off but l'm sure it was a bomb. As long as the vette is orig without the wings or any kind of Greenwood package or too many engine or drive train upgrades it will always bring a fair buck.

If you want to upgrade your vette with aftermarket products, plan on keeping it for a while because it only lowers the resale value.

That's why l never see them on auction, they are for the very young but at least there is a market for them.

Alan

 

[I_R_DA_ONE]

Alan
You are right about the new cars......You, like me probably don't run with the massess..
I guess that's why I retired at age 41 from a formal JOB.....I will buy a like new C6 in about 10 or more years when the price has dropped on that machine as well..
So for now,, long live the C4
best to you
Mike

 

[Ken]

Long live the C4's!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hear! Hear!

 

[*89x2*]

About the only C4's that are strongly holding their values are the Callaway Corvettes, Corvette Challenge cars, and Grand Sports, period.

Sad to say, but even the ZR1 has been taking a hit in the market - ever since RPO Z06 :eek

In the (very near) future, I would suspect CERTAIN C4's to appreciate - the market of those is going to depend upon OPTIONS, CONDITION, and Mileage - IN that order - Years of the C4's will be having less and less to do w/ values -

...stay tuned

 

[Edmond]

If the prices continue to hold low, I may have to jump to an LT4. Of course, the desire is for a Z06 but it depends on the finances!