Is this 1988 Vette worth 6500?

[rmtsteve]

I look @ a (2 owner with documentation)1988 automactic with 86000 miles today. It drove and shifted good and has new tires on it and a newer exhaust. The color is dark grey (charcoal?) exterior and light grey interior. The paint look good from about 10 feet but once you got close you could see it needed some attention in a few spots. The drivers seat was a power seat, but also needed to be recovered. The passenger seat was standard but look new. The A/C blew hot air and I was told that it had been recharge last year but is low again and could possibly have a slow leak. The dash lit up but the right side was a little dimmer then the left, can this be easly fix? The weather stripping didnt look perfect but all was intact and everything sill up good. It was raining when i test drove it and there were no leaks. The battery needed to be jump to get it started so when I was driving it I check out the volt reading and it was in the 13.2-13.7 range. Is this normal? All in all I thought that this could be a good daily driver that I could fix the little things (if these are little things) while I drive it and if I wanted to maybe later on invest in a partial or maybe even a whole paint job. The seller is asking 7900 but I was thinking of offering 6000-6500. Any and all thoughts would be appreceiated.

 

[Dons97]

According to a recent Vette magazine, an '88 in "fair" shape is about $4725, in "good" shape about $7475, and in "excellent" shape $11500.

But...there are plenty of "good" deals to be had on older Vettes since the intro of the C6. Why not look for one that has decent paint, a fully lit dashboard, starts without being jumped...etc., etc., etc.

That's my two cents worth.


Don

 

[Mart]

Thinking about the little things......

• The dash lights are easy to change and not too expensive.
• The drivers seat leather, $$$$$
• It sounds like you would need a new alternator, but that's nothing new for these years of vettes, they eat alternators it gets hot as hell under there..
• A little paint or a really good polish.
• And the AC I'm not sure about $$ but not too bad.

 

[C4Tom]

It sounds like an aweful lot to fix for only having 86K on it. It was probably abused or not taken care of. If you think the repairs are within your realm of knowledge/abilty to fix and you thought it was mechanically sound, you might start by offering $6000. Remember, Vette parts, mostly, cost a bit more than other Chevy's.

 

[87blackroxi]

This is what you want

TI hear this is a good deal .

http://corvetteactioncenter.com/forums/showthread.php?t=70660

For $7900 there are other deals around. I agree with the above post that since the C6 came out, you can find C4's pretty cheap.

 

[WNH]

It sounds OK to me.

You will always have something to fix on a 17 year old Vette [thats a fact Jack].

The leather seat wear is normal for Vettes that age, new leather seats and foam about $900.

 

[Lninety8]

All the little things you've mentioned are the commons on these older C4's, none really expensive or terribly that hard to fix.

Mileage sounds good.

As far as the paint goes it doesn't sound like anything a clay bar, good wax & polish won't take car of. Good, because a quality paint job is a minimum $2k with fiberglass bodies.

Pair of leather seat covers $600 minus install. You say passenger looks good, I'd put a pair of seat covers and be patient to find the other at a good deal. Usually when seller only has 1 seat cover they can't get near 1/2 what it's worth.

A/C not sure of problem but $100-$500 fix if that.

Dash - easy fix

Battery or alternator, no big deal either way.

Truth in rain test on weatherstripping. Not terribly expensive but not a fun job either. Since no leaks put on back burner and concentrate on the other things.

I'd say if you're a little handy with the wrenches and could scoop it up for $6000 and have $1000 in your pocket to get back up to par, you'd be alright.

 

[tyrel]

I don't think he'll get $7,900 for the car, so maybe he will accept $6,500. A/c is not cheap to repair, my guess is the shaft seal on the compressor, if you see oil spots on the underside of the hood there's your leak. Voltage sounds normal. The new tires are a big plus, as well as the intact w/s, those are expensive to replace. Seat covers are expensive too. I think your plan is okay, using it as a daily driver and fixing it up as you go. Check for misaligned body panels, this is a dead giveaway that the car has been in a wreck. Also check for wavy bumpers, the urethane warps over time. Also ask the guy if he has the receipts, this is invaluable for a used car, it will tell you how the car has been cared for.

 

[vee93]

IF you really want this Vette and IF you're willing to shell out the bucks for parts and services, then offer the guy $5000. But I'm gonna tell ya, I'd hold on to my money and look around a little more and a little harder--there are better maintained Vettes out there in that price range. That dash repair will be expensive. Weatherstripping is not cheap. Have the A/C checked out and make sure it's just a slow leak. Leather for seats is costly and a j.o.b. to install. Have some patience. Take some time and think on it, then do what your gut tells you--not your heart. And besides..., it's only money. In a 1000 years, who'll care?

 

[vee93]

Okay. Thanks to my Mom running her Monte Carlo up the highway to blow the cobwebs out, we found this:

1985 Chevy Corvette. Automatic. $8995.00 or best offer.
White exterior w/ rear wing. Red interior w/ swirl wood dash kit installed.
69,000 miles.
(601)668-1015
The car is located on U.S.49 North--north of the city limits of Jackson, Mississippi.
You can email me if interested. I could probably email you an image or two of the car.

 

[Randys88Vette]

rmtsteve- Sounds like mine I bought a year ago, except it is bright red. It had 84K miles and the paint has a few minor scratches. Mechanically sound, A/C is nice and cold (now that its fixed-explain later), seats the same, etc.

Anyway, bought it at $7900 (appraised at $11K, here in VA). Bought it and found things not to bad. I am 3rd owner of car and it is great. Did a little leather cleanup and polish on the seats (no tears anywhere, just wear); had to replace the alternator 4 months after I bought it ($125 cost, install myself); a good wash, wax and rub with clay bar (paint almost perfect now); dash repair by Gene Taber for $185 (3 day turn around);and the A/C is fine now. You'll find on most of these cars because of age and heat, some of the little plastic pieces will fall apart. My A/C can make ice cubes in the car. Problem was the blender door arm connects to the actuator motor with a little plastic half clip. Due to age and heat, it broke. The system was fully charged but would blow nothing but hot air. The CAC and great people here got me pointed in the right direction and for $10, I bought a new style clip and replaced it. The A/C is g-g-g-great!! (A little chilly in here now....)

Again, look around but keep this Vette in mind, if you have the skill and abilities to do some of the work yourself. I wont ever regret buying mine, just the length of time it took to do it (35+ years and its my first). If you do decide to buy it, keep in touch here with the CAC for great people and great answers. Good luck!!

 

[vette-dude]

rmtsteve- Sounds like mine I bought a year ago, except it is bright red. It had 84K miles and the paint has a few minor scratches. Mechanically sound, A/C is nice and cold (now that its fixed-explain later), seats the same, etc.

Anyway, bought it at $7900 (appraised at $11K, here in VA). Bought it and found things not to bad. I am 3rd owner of car and it is great. Did a little leather cleanup and polish on the seats (no tears anywhere, just wear); had to replace the alternator 4 months after I bought it ($125 cost, install myself); a good wash, wax and rub with clay bar (paint almost perfect now); dash repair by Gene Taber for $185 (3 day turn around);and the A/C is fine now. You'll find on most of these cars because of age and heat, some of the little plastic pieces will fall apart. My A/C can make ice cubes in the car. Problem was the blender door arm connects to the actuator motor with a little plastic half clip. Due to age and heat, it broke. The system was fully charged but would blow nothing but hot air. The CAC and great people here got me pointed in the right direction and for $10, I bought a new style clip and replaced it. The A/C is g-g-g-great!! (A little chilly in here now....)

Again, look around but keep this Vette in mind, if you have the skill and abilities to do some of the work yourself. I wont ever regret buying mine, just the length of time it took to do it (35+ years and its my first). If you do decide to buy it, keep in touch here with the CAC for great people and great answers. Good luck!!

Did you buy that in Richmond?? I think I know the former owner and he really took care of that car. He sold it to his neighbor (I think that is who you bought it from) and the neighbor had a good time with it and wishes he never sold it. You got a good one for sure if it is the one I am thinking it is.

Randy

 

[Randys88Vette]

no, vette-dude....i bought it here in Chesapeake last year from a local dealer. I have all the doc's and paperwork from the previous 2 owners though. And yes, it is a VERY nice car.......i'm like a grandparent talking about their grandchildren when it comes to the car.....I love it!!! This silly little grin will never leave my face now!!

 

[rmtsteve]

I Bought it!!!!!

Well I am now the proud owner of a 1988 Corvette w/86000 miles. It is charcoal metallic ext. and gray leather int. I love the way the car runs and handles . Although it needs some TLC (which I plan on giving plenty of), I believe I got a reasonable deal. I have already came upon my first issue with the car though, The headlights or driving lights are not working. they wont do anything. I check the fuse and it is ok, I was told it could be the switch. Is this a possibility and if so how hard is it to change?:confused I know I will be putting some money into this car to get it in the shape I want, but I love it. I am driving this car daily now and it is awesome. The situation with the charging system was a bad battery which I replaced. I bought a haynes repair manual to try and figure out the headlights and the A/C Blowing hot air situation. I have it schedule to go in on the 18th to get painted. I priced the leather for the seats (WOW) I think I will go with covers for now, any suggestions where I could get a set ? Well I will post some pictures as soon as I get them. Thanks to all of you for all the support during my search process and I hope it will continue during my restoration process. Once again Thanks to all!

 

[Randys88Vette]

Way to go!! You're going to love it!! Are you talking about replacing the headlight switch or the driving/fog light switch? Both are relatively easy to replace. As for the A/C situation, i just got done "troubleshooting" mine with the help of everyone here. Look under the C4 forum of "Techinical and Performance" and look for my post of "A/C blows hot air" ( this should get you there : http://corvetteactioncenter.com/forums/showthread.php?t=69953) . There are some great suggestions in there and they steered me in the right direction. If you have questions, you can PM me too. I am usually on here at night after work (and ocassionally during work, like everyone else...) . Seat covers....sport seats or standard seats? There are a few suggestions in the "General" forum as well. If they are both sport seats, like mine, it is hard to find some. However, let me get the web link and I'll post it up here for you.

Again, CONGRATULATIONS on your new possession!!!

 

[Randys88Vette]

Seat covers

rmtsteve: This website has good covers for the Sport seats for ALL Corvettes. It is one of only a very small few that have the covers for sport seats. I am ordering mine this weekend. The web site is www.iggee.com. Check them out. The price is $195 and there are a few styles to choose from too!! Good luck with the new prize and have fun!!

 

[rmtsteve]

Thanks Randy, I think I will get some of those seat covers they dont look too bad. As for the lights, I dont know where to start? Neither headlights nor running lights are working. They just don't seem to be getting any power. I wouldnt think that both switches would go bad at the same time? As for the A/C I will check out the other threads to see whats on here and I am going to check out my thermostat I notice this morning that the defrost never got hot so I am thinking it may be stuck open?

 

[bossvette]

Try Ebay for shop manuals
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=34215&item=7984772377&rd=1

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=34215&item=7984576725&rd=1

they are much more detailed then a Haynes