I was told to stay away from 86 vettes

[tdr1919]

Hi Guys,
Reall y would like some advice, I/m looking at an 86 coupe and two different (non C4 owners) told me that the 86 was very troublesome.
Any advise, what should I look for?
Thanks,
Tom R

 

[Moonunit 451]

Hi Guys,
Reall y would like some advice, I/m looking at an 86 coupe and two different (non C4 owners) told me that the 86 was very troublesome.
Any advise, what should I look for?
Thanks,
Tom R

Welcome to the forum Need more info. All Vettes this old will need maintnance of some sort sooner or later. Tell us what you're looking for and how much $ you are willing to spend.

The bigest thing (and I'm not sure how big it really is) is the move to aluminum heads in late 86, or I've read that all 86 verts had em.

What exactly are you looking for?

 

[Rock Doc]

I have a 1986 vert with 143000 miles on it that I drive almost as much as my 2003 coupe. Other than normal things that go out on any vehicle (altenater,starter,battery, etc) I have not had any major problems with this car. It starts right up and runs great.

Rock Doc (Kevin)

1986 Bright Red Vert.
2003 coupe

 

[Moonunit 451]

Youn are a LUCKY man DOC! Wish I had two Vettes

 

[c4cruiser]

It should be no more of a problem than any other Vette depending on how well it was maintained or the number of miles on it. The engine is as durable as any other L98 motor and if maintained, it should do well.

Typical component failures are common in carw with high mileage and in the case of the L98-powered cars, the alternator is one than can cause the most grief. Hot underhood temps can kill cheap rebuild units. Another issue is cooling. Keep the coolant fresh, clean the front of the radiator to insure an adequate airflow and change oil every 3K miles or so and use a good quality oil and filter

Replacement parts for the interior can get expensive; for example new seat covers and the foam cushions can be over $1200 from some of the Corvette accessory catalogs.

The 4+3 manual tranny is a good unit but requires regular maintenance and can be expensive to repair. An automatic is a good choice if you have concerns about manual trans.

As far as the aluminum heads, all verts got the aluminum head and the later coupes got them. Just bring a small magnet along to test the head material if you're aren't sure.

 

[ProEMTPFF]

I have a early '86 with iron heads and have had no major problems. I've anly had to replace the alternator and battery but that was because the car was sitting for 19 years with 5600 miles on it. Now it has a grand total of 6100 miles. There is no reason to avoid the '86 at all no matter what heads it may have. The aluminum heads will only give you 5 more hp. The advantage to the iron heads is if the car does over heat you won't have warped heads like the aluminum guys will have. If there is a year to maybe avoid its the '82 and '84 just because the crossfire injection was'nt all that great.

 

[vader86]

Thats nonsense, 86s dont have any more problems than the rest of the L98s.

Its usually the 84s that people are recommended to stay away from.

 

[Glassman]

The 85's still have the bad dash cluster problems.

By the way anyone have a idea where to get a reliable rebuilt cluster from. friends 85 is gone.

 

[Edmond]

If they are non-C4 owners, I don't think they are much qualified to make the comment that they did.

Take the advice from people here, the ones who have the cars and have gone through thick and think with them.

 

[tdr1919]

Thanks Guys,

I just do not want to start off with a car that is known to be a problem year. The car I am looking at looks resonably sound, but I have not seen it run, the battery was dead (brand new) this kind of bothered me, like there is a short or something draining the battery.

If I'm going to get torment and hell from my wife for buying this car, I at least want to hear from the people who know before I get it.

What are key things to look for? how about recall issues ? I think there were three major Issues?

Tom

 

[jdenn47]

OK so far

I got an 86 recently from E-Bay and so far so good. Has 80K on it and had to get a few things fixed, Injectors cleaned, Air Cond. recharged and of course the Lumbar Seats don't function. It is an Auto as I have heard that the Manual has problems.
If the price is right, go for it !
Good Luck.

Hi Guys,
Reall y would like some advice, I/m looking at an 86 coupe and two different (non C4 owners) told me that the 86 was very troublesome.
Any advise, what should I look for?
Thanks,
Tom R

 

[Mart]

86 runs great here, iron heads and all.

The crossfires are the more troublsome ones, but dont say that to them.

Mart

 

[NevadaJim]

Owned an '86 before buying my '87 TT. It had over 80K miles and I used as a daily driver, never had a problem. Ran great and was very reliable.

Like other's have said, it's not so much the year as how well previous owners maintained and took care of it that really matters. Don't take the advice of none-C4 owners, listen to the folks here and have the car checked out by a good mechanic (one familiar with C4s).

 

[rrubel]

IMHO an 86 or 87 is one of the best early C4's to buy from a price standpoint. They got the bugs worked out of the 4+3 transmission, ABS started in 86, and the TPI is a good torquey intake. 87 got roller cam and lifters, which is nice, but nothing wrong with the 86's flat tappet setup.

The 4+3 does have a bad rep, but AFAIK that's only for the 84/85 years. Mine has 140k miles on it and has just needed clutches .

Then again, I'm biased...
[RICHR]

 

[JPS]

I have an '86 and no significant problems here. Maintenance by the previous owner is always a gamble but a car this age will have additional maintenance. It's a great car and I love the dashboard!

 

[c4cruiser]

Thanks Guys,

I just do not want to start off with a car that is known to be a problem year. The car I am looking at looks resonably sound, but I have not seen it run, the battery was dead (brand new) this kind of bothered me, like there is a short or something draining the battery.

If I'm going to get torment and hell from my wife for buying this car, I at least want to hear from the people who know before I get it.

What are key things to look for? how about recall issues ? I think there were three major Issues?

Tom

I would have the car checked out by a competent auto repair shop that does pre-purchase inspections. The electrical problem is one thing that definately has to be looked at. Other things to check are the condition of the fluids. Coolant should be fairly fresh, the tranny fluid and differential fluid should be inspected and of course the engine oil. Have the brakes inspected, to include the parking brake. The A/C should be functional as should all of the instruments (the digital dash unit is typically repaired as a unit and can be pricey to fix).

Weatherstripping is another big expense so look carefully at the condition; no big tears or rips. The weatherstripping for the back window in the coupe can be $100 or so for aftermarket stuff or upwards of $250 for the GM part.

I don't think that recalls that were in effect for 86 cars should be a big deal. They have probably been done anyway or any parts involved may have worn out from time or use and been replaced. Any recallwork done should have a sticker on the car stating that the recall work has been done.

Are the tires in good shape? If the car has been sitting for a few years, you may find some dry rot in the form of cracks along the sidewalls. Tires by themselves are not terribly expensive, but it's a PITA to have to shell out $400 or so for new rubber before you can go drive the car safely.

If the car doesn't start and run and you can't take it for a test drive, pass on it. Even a $3000 car can wind up costing you thousands in repair costs or even for replacing cosmetic things. There are a lot of C4's available and the best thing you can do is to find the latest model year car in the best shape that fits in your price range. The C4 kept improving every year and it was not uncommon for the factory to make running improvements during any given model year. The aluminum heads are an example!

 

[Twin_Turbo]

The crossfires are the more troublsome ones, but dont say that to them.

CFI is a very simple system and very realiable, it's morons working on them that makes it unreliable, but so does it for TPI systems. You would actually be shocked at how similar the CFI system is to TPI and especially the later speed density tpi system. The only major different is between the peak and hold (TBI, current sensing/limiting) and the saturated circuit injectors. The p&h drivers are actually used in high performance EFI systems, the peak triggers the injector to open and a lower voltage holds it open., although the multipoint EFI p&h injectors are much more expensive than the large TBI ones.

 

[MARLTON LT-4]

Tom,

I have owned a '86 conv. Two problems that I have had was the computer chip on the ignition key preventing the car to start and a blown head gasket. This car had 22K miles and was taken care of very well. The key problem persisted even when the dealer replaced the key and serviced the mechanism that reads the key. The head gasket(all conv. had aluminum heads) was replaced by the dealer. I was told by them that this was common.

Chris

 

[Heavy Duty]

I'll chime in on this one. I bought my '86 one year ago this past spring. It did have some issues. Mice had set up shop in the car and chewed through several wires causing some serious problems with the MAF and computer. The owner told me that it had been repaired a long with splicing of the wires. To make a long story short, after I bought the car it started running very rough along with the SES light coming on. One MAF sensor and one computer later. Car ran great. The guy who did the work for me stated that because of the sensitivity of the computer to voltage spikes you cannot (or should not)repair the computer wiring on these cars. It is best to replace it. So I did just that. What a pain but it did cure the problems. Car runs great now and I am now in the process of having it re-painted. Cannot wait till it is done. So, make sure that rodents have not set up home and if you have a scan tool use it to see if there are any codes. If the battery is dead than the codes will be cleared from the computer, but you can hook up the scan tool and record real time info as you take the car for a drive. You can check out the engine electronics as you drive. JMTCW.

 

[Mad-Mic]

don't you just love those people that never owned C4's and act like they are junk?


that being said there is nothing wrong with 86 vettes or any other year C4 for that matter. they probably said it because they knew it was an L98 car and think they are slow, old, and out of date. well i can assure you with little mods your 86 can run just as fast as a C5 with minimum investment.

any used car 18 years old will need alittle more TLC than a new one, obviously. fuel pump, alternator, battery, starter, and comsetic things is the only thing to worry about. all C4's go thru these parts after about 60k in miles or so. mostly because they have sat for years with out being driven.

if you like it, drive it, and if you drive it and like it, BUY it! trust me you'll love it!

BTW my friends 86 with iron heads A4 car with gutted cat, pre-catless front Y pipe, and TB Bypass as the only mods with no burn out or dropped tire pressure went a 13.9 in 80 degree weather spinning all the way thru 1st gear. i'm sure if i went to the track with him it would of went an easy 13.7 in the 1/4 this is also on the 2.59 gear set.