Can I afford to maintain a Corvette?

[AFJumper03]

In about 2 months I will be making about 24 grand a year after taxes and loan payments, not before other bills. Can I afford the maintance on a vette that is around 92-96 with mid to high milage? I will pay for it in cash when I sell my car, so thats not a problem. How much can I expect to pay a year for maintaince? How much do you guys out there with similar cars have to spend in regular and irregular maintence? Thanks for any help you can give.

 

[GS Diva]

Hi,

Although I don't profess to be able to give you accurate advice on cost of maintenance, I think you should know that costs will increase if you plan to use a Corvette on a daily basis (especially one with mid to high mileage) which is the feeling I get from what you said. And, although some may disagree, I think you should know that the C4s are not known to be great in snow, ice, rain. My advice is to keep your car (or get another one) to use as a daily driver, then pick up a Corvette to use when the sun shines!!!

Elaine

 

[Corvette-Pilot]

Can I afford the maintance on a vette that is around 92-96 with mid to high milage? .

You can't afford NOT to !

I haven't had mine too long but what I have seen and in talking to some others, Vettes are like airplanes & boats. Parts can get $$$. There was one owner I talked to that said she spends about $1000 year on avg. Then again she pays someone to do everything on the car.

Depends on how handy you are.

But I think the fun far outweighs the costs :s

 

[phxraptor]

Re: Re: Can I afford to maintain a Corvette?

You can't afford NOT to !

I haven't had mine too long but what I have seen and in talking to some others, Vettes are like airplanes & boats. Parts can get $$$. There was one owner I talked to that said she spends about $1000 year on avg. Then again she pays someone to do everything on the car.

Depends on how handy you are.

But I think the fun far outweighs the costs :s

;stupid

 

[SPANISHVETTS]

Hi and welcome to

33 years ago I was faced with the same questions you now have. I bought a ´60 ragtop, the first of many Vettes, and have never looked back.

Yes, a Vette cost more to maintain than a plain-jane sedan, but it cost less to maintain than any other car in it class. (Words of experience, I have owned more than my share of eruo-trash)

The fact that you can pay cash for the car is a good indication that you can afford it. It is a real B!ic# to be making payments on a car that won’t run and not have the cash to fix it! One of our mechanics bought a 3 yr. old M3 on credit. When he blew the clutch the car sat in the garage for 9 months while he bummed rides to work every day. His dad finally bailed him out to keep the bank from repoing the car.

Check with your insurance agent. There are several threads on this forum about over-the-top insurance rates for people under 25. When I gave my son the ´82 we keep the car in my name until he was over 25, this saved him lots of $$$. Since you are not financing it you are not forced to buy comprehensive = big savings. Be sure to get fire, theft and glass coverage, that big back window cost $2,400.

If you buy a LT1 you will replace Opti´s and water pumps. +/- $500. if you do your own work, lots more if you take it to Chevy. My 93 ate 2 Opti´s in 8 months. Otherwise Vette engines are almost bullet proof.

Depending on how hard it was driven the drive train will need a rebuild somewhere just over 100,000 miles. Having said that, I have seen 150,000++ mile Vettes on the original trany, still running like a champ.

Shocks and brakes are priced reasonably. (About like any other performance car)

Tires, there are a lot of good reports on this forum about inexpensive tires. It looks like you can buy your girl a set of new shoes for +/-$700.

Alternator, it is gona go south. See my thread

Bose stereo $150 to rebuild the head unit, $85 each for the Amps, better yet, forget your earplugs on the next trip to the rifle range. It will make the Bose sound sooomuch better.

Oil and filter every 3000Mi. Mobil 1 + K&N always less than 50 bucks, do the work yourself.

If you do not already do your own work, learn how! Using the Base AutoHobbyShop will save you a ton of dough. Working on a Vette is as much fun as driving it!

My wife says, ¨The only thing sexier than a man in uniform is a man in uniform in a Corvette.¨ Go for it.

 

[LEEJANDZ]

Remember this!!!

Labor rates are the exact same for a CORVETTE or a (insert junky CHEVY name)
True, parts can be more expensive... but not if you bring them in yourself.

You can get wholesale prices on VETTE parts all over the internet.
(Let me know if you need a link)

The thing that you have to keep in mind is insurance, tires, & tickets.

Go for it!!!



JASON *** BRAND NEW MAGNECOR WIRES FOR SALE!!! *** 1979 L-82

 

[Corvette-Pilot]

You can get wholesale prices on VETTE parts all over the internet.
(Let me know if you need a link)

I'd like to know of these sites and/or contacts !!
I bet many others here would too

 

[Eagle85C4]

In a word....EBAY

I have saved thousands buying parts off of EBAY...course I knowwhat I am looking for and what is a deal and what is not. And after a few go arounds you learn who to buy from and who to stay away from.

 

[Vettelt193]

With tires, oil changes, brakes, other general maintenance, + stuff that breaks, count on about $2000 per year... and like Eagle said, you can find cheap stuff on ebay, and you can save big bucks by doing/figuring out problems on your own.

 

[CKA_Racing]

Some stuff can be very expensive. The ZF 6-spd trans is $$$. They rarely go but like anything else it can need a synchro or rebuild. Depending on what route you take, the repairs can cost from approx $2500 used not installed to approx $5000 new and installed by a dealership. Sometimes when the waterpump goes, it also takes out the optispark unit. You may not have problems with it for a while if you get lucky.

 

[zog]

Maintaining a Corvette IS MORE EXPENSIVE

But, what do we mean by maintain??? Clearly, the overall daily maintenance is about the same on almost all cars.....oil changees, brakes, tires, spark plugs, etc....

The EXPENSIVE part is the REPAIRS or UPGRADES....wheel bearings for a Chevy pickup are about $10 each, where the bearing hubs for a Vette are $150-250 each.

I drive my 86 Vette as often as possible, except in torrential rains and snow, and I know I spend less for gasoline that lots of other people. I went to an "H" rated tire and saved $400 a set and thay last a lot longer than the "Z" rated ones, but I can't drive 140 MPH with them.

My Vette has 97,000 miles on it and I have to work on it constantly, but that is part of the fun of ownership....I really enjoy taking it apart, fixing something and driving it again knowing that is is better than it was before....

 

[CKA_Racing]

Forgot i wanted to give you an example. Bought my 96 Collector Edition LT4 1.5 yrs ago with 60,000 miles from Kerbecks with an GM extended warranty. Between 60 -80,000 miles rear bearings, AC programmer, radiator, rear defrost not working, go bad and replaced under warranty. Windshield replaced by insurance, had glass coverage.
I replaced the water pump, clutch, plugs, shocks, plug wires, bad coil, six O2 sensors myself so I can save some money on repairs. The car just turned over 100,000 miles.

Replace the GSC's tires last year. I need new rear tires again. My bad.
My glass top has cracks and a few rubber seals around the glass and door should be replaced. My experience with my 91 was more or less that same. Keep in mind these were daily driven 365 days thru rain, sleet and snow.
Keep in mind you'll also want to add or modify to it so that cost money also.

 

[Crispyc21]

The replies above are very good answers to your questions. Just one thing you need to remember is you are buying a 8ish year old car. With 60-70-80+ thousand miles on it. Things will start going on it just like it would any other car. Weather stripping might look crappy…just about all corvettes leak. Just get used to that. The prices for parts are a little more expensive then a normal car. But that is in turn because you want to get the best part for your vette. You can get the parts cheaper. Example: I just replaced my brakes pads all around. The cheapest break pads were about $30-40 for the front or back. Which ones did I buy? $90 brakes front, and $80 rear. The thing is, when you get a vette you will always WANT to work on it. Improving this and improving that. I’ve owned a 92 and currently a 95. I changed the exhaust on both just because I wanted to. At first I always let garage do the work to my vettes, but that is expensive just like any other car. But thanks to this vette forum and others you will meet many people to help you out with working on your car. Either giving you tips or physically work on it with you. The vette is the only car I am proactive in working on. Mine is a daily driver. I have a 90 ford bronco which I drive when it rains or snows. That thing I don’t touch unless it brakes or won’t pass inspection.

You won’t regret owning a corvette.

 

[Eagle85C4]

Bought my 85 3 years ago for 3000.00...had 134,000 on the clock. First thing replaced on the spot before I knew what it was all about was the dash cluster for 400.00, once I got it back to Ohio...I replaced the brakes, rotors, shocks, tires, bearings fore and aft, complete exhaust (stainless), entire interior (carpet, plastic, seats) changed filter and tranny fluid, oil and filter, alignment, complete tuneup, replaced coil and distributor (accel), ported/polished intake, edelbrock runners, P/P plenum, 52mm Throttle Body, cam and aluminum heads. Oh and one headlight motor. Since I have driven it every day except for snow and have not had one problem. All told I have spent close to 4 grand and did all the work myself. So I have 7 grand into an 85 with 147,000 miles in almost perfect condition. That is what owning a vette is all about.

 

[billd]

It's not as bad as some would make you think. The years you are talking about have a special transmission but I have looked into it and ALL TRANSMISSIONS ARE EXPENSIVE. The motor is a 350 how do parts for motors get any more common? Yes some of the very unique stuff can get expensive but most of that stuff is really "wish" not "need" for driving the car.

Now the real question is can you afford to maintain it in fashion that you feel good about. i.e. The digital cluster when I bought mine it didn't work properly now that cluster sells for anywhere between $600 to $1200 depending on where you purchase it. However I chose to bring it up here and with the help of the individuals on this website and a soldering iron was able to repair it myself at a whopping cost of $0.

Corvette maintenance is just like anything else it can be done well inexpensively but you can also pay as much more as you want to and if you intend to pay to have the work done get your wallet out.

 

[AFJumper03]

Maint

Sounds like I really should learn how to work on cars after i get this sucker huh? Unfortunitly, I have never really done any work on cars. Whats the best way to learn? Just grab ahold of someone who knows what they are doing?

 

[SPANISHVETTS]

Whats the best way to learn?

You are in the #1 Corvette University in the world

The expertise, experience, and professionalism you will find here is overwhelming.

A lot of the regulars here are factory trained Vette techs while many more have years of hands on experience.
C4C5specialist GM certified
Blackandblue ¨ ¨
Vigman Electronics genius
Ken See his post ¨My engine project¨
Paintdady His name says it all
Just to name a few. I do not have time to type the entire member list.

The people at CAC will talk you through any problem you may incur. If it is on a Vette somebody here has fixed it.

You will need a text book to attend this school. Buy a service manual, GM is best; Haynes is good for a lot less money.

 

[compyelc4]

You know, afjumper03, I was thinking about your question today as I was tooling my '95 down the road. Most of the well thought-out replies that I have read make perfect sense; some do not.

Of course we do not know how you spend your income, so of course we don't really know if you can afford to own the one that you end up purchasing. It may be a real lemon, and then again, it may be a real sweetheart. However, it is my firm belief (from my 56 years experience on this earth) that if you are concerned enough to ask this question, then you MAY not be able to afford one just now. No offense intended, honest.

One day your income and expenses may make you feel comfortable enough to JUST DO IT without looking back. You will know when that day arrives, and you will be happier for waiting for that occasion.

Best of luck on your decision.

 

[AFJumper03]

Money

Your reply makes perfect sense, and believe me I've thought out that quite a bit. Being in the military, I sort of have a set amount of money and a set date for raises in the future, so my income is set in stone, which is nice, and not nice at the same time. I do know that money will be tight but not really tight for the next 2 years. I also know that when and if I sell my current car I should have more than enough to cover the cost of a vette and any "start up" costs to my new vette lifestyle. I was more worried really about having to replace something major and be caught off guard. From what it sounds like, if I put a set amount of money aside every month, say $100-200, for maintaince, whether I need it or not, I should be ok. Would everyone out there agree with that?

 

[LEEJANDZ]

if I put a set amount of money aside every month, say $100-200, for maintaince, whether I need it or not, I should be ok. Would everyone out there agree with that?

If you have the budget to set aside $100-200 for maintenance... do it!!!
Open a little savings account and have that your VETTE money.
I think if you stick to it, you will be fine.

Good luck!!!