Is a 1984 CFI with 80,000 miles a good starter Vette?

[Funtoy]

Is a 1984 CFI with 80,000 a good starter vette?

Greetings everyone,
I'm looking to become active in the Vette Hobby, been searching the last few months for my 1st Vette. Reading literature, studying specs & shows etc... I am a not mechanic but have technical bkgrnd.

Would like to purchase under 5000.00 car. Preferably as close to a driver as possible.

I've spoken to a various club members and most have suggested a c3 as a starter.

I have a lifetime friend who has aquired a 1984 C4 and is willing to sell it to me. The only thing I am leary about is the CFI system. Would this Vette be a good choice. I have given the car a cursory look and the following items work; Dashboard fully functional, engine runs extremely rich, possibly new fuel pump.


Good Starter Vette ..........Why? or Why not?


http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...m=220172846193

Ps. I will check responses daily until Thanksgiving.

Thanks
Funtoy!

 

[warren s]

That car looks like a good project Corvette as it seems fully stock and intact. It’s a prime candidate for a stock restoration being the first year of the C4 - but unless you really have some mechanical ability – its gonna coast you a moderate amount of money for almost anything even if you do it yourself. Additionally a 1984 is not exactly the high water mark for Corvette performance. There is a substantial difference in models just a few years newer, but 5 grand may be a little light budget wise.

I would pass on an 84 as a first Vette.

I cant imagine why anyone would post a car for sale and have pictures of it with a semi flat tire and dirt in the interior.

 

[XLR8]

I'm afraid I'd have to pass on that one. As Warren pointed out, one of the tires is nearly flat, there's debris inside her... if that's what she looks like cleaned up for sale, I'd be concerned over what I couldn't see.

If it weren't a friend selling her, as you said he is, I'd run!

BTW - welcome to the CAC. Good luck with your search.
Jane Ann

 

[Funtoy]

Greetings everyone,
I'm looking to become active in the Vette Hobby, been searching the last few months for my 1st Vette. Reading literature, studying specs & shows etc... I am a not mechanic but have technical bkgrnd.

Would like to purchase under 5000.00 car. Preferably as close to a driver as possible.

I've spoken to a various club members and most have suggested a c3 as a starter.

I have a lifetime friend who has aquired a 1984 C4 and is willing to sell it to me. The only thing I am leary about is the CFI system. Would this Vette be a good choice. I have given the car a cursory look and the following items work; Dashboard fully functional, engine runs extremely rich, possibly new fuel pump.


Good Starter Vette ..........Why? or Why not?


http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...m=220172846193

Ps. I will check responses daily until Thanksgiving.

Thanks
Funtoy!

 

[Fast Freddie]

why not ? : if you get a troublesome vette as your first vette, it may turn you against them forever. the vette in question looks like a neglected vehicle.

what is your budget? here is a link to an 88 i had on ebay a short while back. it did not sell.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=6168&viewitem=&item=220160535076

 

[GS Diva]

Funtoy,

Welcome!! You've come to the right place to meet great Corvette people and a wealth of Corvette knowledge.

I'd pass on that particular '84 and keep looking. There are thousands of Corvettes for sale, and half the fun for you will be in the hunt!

The 1984 Corvette has a bad reputation, justified or not. That one certainly looks like it needs more care than you want to get into. One suggestion would be to get friendly with members of a local Corvette club. They usually know of Corvettes for sale and can check them out with you.

Let us know how your search goes.

Elaine

 

[gmjunkie]

Funtoy,

Welcome!! You've come to the right place to meet great Corvette people and a wealth of Corvette knowledge.

I'd pass on that particular '84 and keep looking. There are thousands of Corvettes for sale, and half the fun for you will be in the hunt!

The 1984 Corvette has a bad reputation, justified or not. That one certainly looks like it needs more care than you want to get into. One suggestion would be to get friendly with members of a local Corvette club. They usually know of Corvettes for sale and can check them out with you.

Let us know how your search goes.

Elaine

I whole heartedly Agree!!!
Nice Vettes aren't Cheap,and Cheap Vettes aren't Nice!!

 

[67vet]

Welcome to the CAC. I would pass on the 84. The horsepower is very low. It is missing the fuel door, and who knows what else. Have you test driven it? With the top on and off. They can tend to have lots of rattles. But, then again, if it runs it's a Corvette!

 

[hmcquade]

I have an 84 4+3 and just put an new 88 Over drive in it. Mine runs great, that one looks real bad, I'd pass.

Hugh

 

[sriat]

I have an 84 and have an opinion

For almost the same money, I would go with an 85-88. Those have the tuned port injection. Parts are more available, you can add 50 to 100 hp with $500 and a screwdriver.

The issues I have had with the 84 are with getting parts.

The one listed in the Ebay auction seem to be.

Paint seems questionable
Missing Fuel door.
Does it have the top? Is it cracked? Those are $500 to $1000
Radio. I think this model had the bose. Therefor you will have to remove the bose amp (Located at each speaker) for sound.
Probably need tires $100 each at very good discount
Unless dash has been rebuilt, you will have to do it (They come and go) Figure $100 (DIY) and $500 professional

So you could invest $1-$3000 or simply spend that much on the origional purchase and get a solid vette.

Just my thoughts.

 

[KANE]

Greetings everyone,
I'm looking to become active in the Vette Hobby, been searching the last few months for my 1st Vette. Reading literature, studying specs & shows etc... I am a not mechanic but have technical bkgrnd.

Would like to purchase under 5000.00 car. Preferably as close to a driver as possible.

I've spoken to a various club members and most have suggested a c3 as a starter.

I have a lifetime friend who has aquired a 1984 C4 and is willing to sell it to me. The only thing I am leary about is the CFI system. Would this Vette be a good choice. I have given the car a cursory look and the following items work; Dashboard fully functional, engine runs extremely rich, possibly new fuel pump.


Good Starter Vette ..........Why? or Why not?


http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...m=220172846193

Ps. I will check responses daily until Thanksgiving.

Thanks
Funtoy!

I'd pass.

The dirt, twigs, and lack of a top scare me.

 

[hoosierdaddy]

Greetings everyone,
I'm looking to become active in the Vette Hobby, been searching the last few months for my 1st Vette. Reading literature, studying specs & shows etc... I am a not mechanic but have technical bkgrnd.

Would like to purchase under 5000.00 car. Preferably as close to a driver as possible.

I've spoken to a various club members and most have suggested a c3 as a starter.

I have a lifetime friend who has aquired a 1984 C4 and is willing to sell it to me. The only thing I am leary about is the CFI system. Would this Vette be a good choice. I have given the car a cursory look and the following items work; Dashboard fully functional, engine runs extremely rich, possibly new fuel pump.


Good Starter Vette ..........Why? or Why not?


http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...m=220172846193

Ps. I will check responses daily until Thanksgiving.

Thanks
Funtoy!

Only you know for sure, looks pretty rough hnoes though, but you saw it up and personal so it falls back to you.

Good luck,
Bill :confused

 

[82ColEd]

Welcome to the CAC!




-Stefan

 

[onedef92]

I'd pass on that one. Even for the money you're looking to spend, you can find a Vette in way nicer condition with solid service documentation.

Always buy the best 'Vette you can for the money.

 

[c4c5specialist]

HI there,
Just remember, 85-91 has been plagued with injector issues due to Ethanol.
Crossfire, while incredible in torque production, is rarely tuned correctly for syncronization of the throttle bodies.
Otherwise, parts can be obtained with a bit of difficulty, but they are not IMPOSSIBLE to get.
Just remember, have an UNBIASED professional source look over the vehicle prior to purchase.
Allthebest, c4c5

 

[rickvette]

1984 as First Corvette

Hi Funtoy and welcome to the CAC!

The 84 Corvette as many have pointed out was a carryover engine (L82 Crossfire) from the 1982 C3 Corvette. This was done as the new L98 was not yet certified for the the new C4 body style introduced and sold in 1984. The L82's utilized a dual throttle body type FI which requires a person who really understands this 25 year old technology! The main problems (and you stated it appeared to running rich) is the balancing and synchronizing the dual throttle bodies. In addition, as other CAC members have pointed out, the 1984 in Z51 form is a real "kidney buster"! In other terms it is a rough rider and there were numerous body and systems problems associated with this new model.My suggestion is to look for a 1986 thru 1988/9 C4 as there were many improvements and refinements with these later years. They can be had for very reasonable dollars and there were literally 35k plus cars a year built!

On the flip side- if you are really wanting a challenge and are up to doing the repairs and upkeep on the '84 yourself, it can be a fascinating hobby Corvette! I agree I would niot recommend this as a first Corvette, however!

Rickvette

 

[minifridge1138]

The answer to that question really depends on you.
I'm not attacking anyone, but if you look at the comments from the people that recommend against the 1984, they are almost all driving 1998 and newer cars (with the exception of one 1967 owner and he said that if it drives it is a Corvette). They obviously want newer cars.

There is nothing wrong with the L83 Crossfire. It actually has a lot of low-end torque, and that is what gives you the kick-in-the-butt acceleration. Also, having the intake manifold ported adds a lot of TQ and HP (I don't remember the numbers).

The biggest drawback of the Crossfire is the dual Throttle body units. It is very similar to dual carburetors. Each one is independent and needs to be tuned independently. You can spend a couple of hours on one TBI and you're still only half way through with your tune up. However, when tuned correctly the work very well. They were also only used by GM for 2-3 years, so there is not as much information available about them as there is for carburetors and later fuel injection systems.

A lot of people like to convert the Crossfire intake into a Carburetor because it is easier to tune a single carb than to tune 2 throttle bodies. I DO NOT recommend converting it to a Carburetor. I own a 1982 Corvette and the previous owner converted it from the CFI to a carburetor. You will be left with a mess of unused wiring harnesses, and a ton of things stop working. Removing the CFI makes the car's computer think the engine is dead, so anything that requires the computer will stop working. You'd be much, much better upgrading to a more modern throttle body setup that uses the stock computer.

Another thing to consider is your budget. For $5,000 you'll be lucky to get a car that runs at all, much less a Corvette. If there is nothing mechanically wrong with the car (you said it runs rich but that can probably be fixed with a tune up), then you can buy it for $5k, clean it up, fix the little things like the missing gas lid, and sell it.

Drive the car. Have a mechanic take a look at it. And decide if it is worth it to you. Unless you buy a new corvette or a newly restored corvette, you're going to have to have fix some things.

 

[warren s]

Sorry, but i missed somthing- you said your budget was $5000, and your friend has that 84, but you didnt say he wanted 5 grand for it - I dont think it would be an insult to make him an offer of much less.

 

[Robert]

I guess this is where I get to add my 2 pennies worth!!!


I bought an '84 as my first and so far only Vette. Yes, all my friends who own other years....'72, ' 89 and '99 all said...."OH NO Not an '84!!!!"

Reasons ranged from the it being the first year of C4 production, bad computer, bad cluster, wimpy engine, rough ride and of course...CROSSFIRE!!!!

Well, I did a lot of searching on the net. I also found a good Vette mechanic with his own shop in a small town. I talked to him about the Crossfire and he said any mechanic who knows throttlebody injection can work on Crossfire injection. Chevrolet used it for years on many different vehicles.

Now if you want a Vette to get in a drive and never to crawl under it, then you better save your money or make payments.

But, if you can get it for $3000.00 or less (and I personally think less would be best for this one) and have fun working on what needs fixing and feel proud that you made this Vette your own, then go for it.

I paid $4000.00 for mine, but I sold my wife's and my Gold Wing for much more than that so we could get off two wheels and into 4 and not have payments. I have replaced bushings with more to go, removed the front transverse to cut off the bad rubber mounts which lowered it to the ground, added ZR1 mufflers, new tires, new valve cover gaskets, new shocks, new air pump, K&N air filter.

I still have to replace valve seals and like I said, more bushings....but it is a project to keep me home and give me a sense of pride. I KNOW this Vette. I have seen her naked and she is beautiful!!

So do what you want....you have enough advice now to be a savvy consumer.


Robert


PS: this vehicle gets better gas mileage than any other I own now....1989 Astro Van, 1990 Olds 98, 1993 F250 diesel, 1993 3500 Van and 2006 KIA Sportage.

 

[catbert]

The 84 is much maligned, but as a former owner of a triple black 84, I was very happy with the car. It isn't fast by today's standards, but in its time, it was a supercar (Think back to the cars of 1983). I subjected mine to three full 32 week autocross seasons, and it never went to a shop for anything (except R compound BFGs). The crossfire was easy to keep in tune , and was easy on plugs, etc. They are good runners in stock form, but if you want to play with your Vette, get an 85 or later. For a driver, the 84 is .