Looked at a Vette today...

[OldSkool]

I looked at the '92 I mentioned in my other post today.

Sort of.

I got there and the keys were MIA. While I was waiting for the keys to show up, it started pouring.

So while I didn't get to see inside of it or start it up, I DID get about 20 minutes to scutinize the outside.

The good:

Almost new tires; BFG G-Force KDW, 275/40/17ZR

Felt the brakes through the wheels, rotors are nice and smooth, no scoring.

Looks like it's been sitting a while, and there aren't any puddles underneath that I could see. Undercarriage looks pretty clean.

Looking through the windows, I noticed it had selective ride control.

Interior looks very clean, with the exception of some scuffing on the driver's seat side bolster, stained carpet in the hatch, and a trim piece above the driver's side door handle that appears to be loose or broken.

Wheels look to be in good shape, except for minor peeling on the centercaps.

All the body panels line up well, and the paint looks pretty good for a 15 year old car. No major blems that I could see, besides the front bumper, and a few chips on the moulding on the doors.

The bad:

The minor interior issues I mentioned above

Appears to need new weatherstripping around the windows and targa

Paint is chipped around the front plate mount, there are a few pieces that have flaked off to reveal the primer.

Looks like it needs a power antenna, it seems to be missing, unless it retracts REALLY far down that I don't know about.

The front airdam has taken a beating, it need to be replaced. There are also a few scratches under the front bumper, but they're only noticeable if you're laying on your back on the pavement. The bumper itself looks okay, the plastic airdam seem to have taken the brunt of the abuse.

(I scraped the airdam on my 88 GTA everytime I pulled out of my driveway, so this is totally expected)

That's pretty much it.

It's a white on red '92, and it has 59,500 miles. It actually looks it too, like I said the interior is really clean save for those few details.

I also ran my hands inside the rear wheel wells, I didn't feel any clumps of rubber.

So I'm thinking for a 15 y/o car, it's really nice. I really dig the color combo. The white looks really clean, and the red interior looks very cool.

I'm going to try and go back saturday to get inside it and take it for a spin. I also want to have them put it on the lift so I can check it out underneath.

Asking price is 7,500 obo. I 'm thinking I'm going to bring 6,500 cash, and offer him that, as long as everything checks out.

Any thoughts or opinions?

Only things that really concern me (besides the Opti, of course) is the power antenna and the weatherstripping. Are these major things?

Thanks alot!

 

[OldSkool]

Almost forgot, Here are the pics.

They're not very good, I took them from my car since it was pouring out.

This is a close up of the front bumper, look to the top left of the plate cutout, there is the flaking paint.

Another pic of it, look to the top left of the plate cutout, and also to the right of it.

Besides a few chips, this is the only paint issue I could see. Easy enough to cover with a bra, I guess.

 

[KANE]

I looked at the '92 I mentioned in my other post today...

Well, sounds like you like it. I paid as much for my '80.

Drive it- then decide. Seems like a good deal otherwise.

 

[OldSkool]

Well, sounds like you like it. I paid as much for my '80.

Drive it- then decide. Seems like a good deal otherwise.

Yeah, I do like it. I'm trying to remain objective though, I tend to fall in love with things quickly.

I'm actually glad I didn't drive it today, gives me a few more days to mull it over.

Hopefully I get the chance to take it out on Saturday.

 

[G Winter]

I don't know what the Vette market is like there but around here if it is in good shape at all you wouldn't touch it for $7500 around here.
Do allow yourself $1000 for repairs. There is always the unknown.

Glenn

 

[Toms007]

The weatherstripping can be expensive. I installed new door, a-pillar and b-pillar (non-GM, which many will say don't do, but I am very happy with the after-market stuff I bought) and have about $250 in that. I've heard that antennae issues aren't really too bad, but I'm not sure what you mean by "it retracts REALLY far down", but the antennae retracts completely beneath the body panel maybe a 1/4" or so. The price sounds pretty good, have you run a Carfax? I would have like to have found one in that price range.

Keep us posted.

 

[OldSkool]

The weatherstripping can be expensive. I installed new door, a-pillar and b-pillar (non-GM, which many will say don't do, but I am very happy with the after-market stuff I bought) and have about $250 in that. I've heard that antennae issues aren't really too bad, but I'm not sure what you mean by "it retracts REALLY far down", but the antennae retracts completely beneath the body panel maybe a 1/4" or so. The price sounds pretty good, have you run a Carfax? I would have like to have found one in that price range.

Keep us posted.

Yeah, I've been reading old posts about weatherstripping, it seems like OEM is the way to go according to most people.

As far as the antenna, what I meant is that the black ring is there on the driver's side where I assume it goes, but looking through it it doesn't seem that there's an antenna in there. It just looks like an empty hole. On my Olds, when the antenna retracts, the top of it fits flush with the ring.

I haven't run the carfax yet, I have a friend who works at a body shop who is going to do it for me tomorrow.

G Winter, not sure what you mean...do you think it's a good price, or that you'd stay away from it?

As far as C4 prices around here, it seems alot of people want top dollar for them. I've seen a few priced reasonably, but I've seen other mid 80's C4's with over 100k advertised for close to 10k, or even more. One I just saw was a '90 with 140k for 7,200.

The more I look at prices, the more I want to jump on this one. After looking at the carfax, of course.

 

[jsinga]

Have a close look at the halfshaft u-joints and wheel bearings. Those are the big hits. Both are ready to go if they are orginal..
If you see any sign of red or rusty dust around the u-joints it needs all 4. The wheel bearings can be done at the same time on the rear. If you have it done the rear alone will cost $1000. any more.

Js

 

[Lucky 3]

Check out the water pump and the opti-spark, getting close to the age and mileage when they fail, 92 was a bad year for the opti-spark. Bill

 

[jrzvette]

You don't mention if its a 6 speed or automatic, but either one for $7500 is not a bad price.

Weather stripping can be expensive and a pain to replace. One benefit of the heavy rain you had (and if it was anything like what passed through NYC yesterday it was heavy) is you'll be able to tell if the car leaks. Try to get back sooner rather than later to check the foot wells and rear compartment for dampness.

(When I was looking for my car one that I came across was at a dealer. I went to test drive it one morning and as I sat in the car waiting for the salesman to move a few others so I could get out his crew came by and power washed the outside. That car didn't leak a drop. Unfortunately it had other issues that made me move on.)

 

[gmjunkie]

I don't know what the Vette market is like there but around here if it is in good shape at all you wouldn't touch it for $7500 around here.
Do allow yourself $1000 for repairs. There is always the unknown.

Glenn

I agree,if it's a decent car around here it will bring $10,000+ at a Manheim Dealers Auction!!!

 

[Ted Krempa]

Junk !!! turn that bird up the right way so we can see his cute little puss !! (I can't bend that far)

 

[gmjunkie]

Junk !!! turn that bird up the right way so we can see his cute little puss !! (I can't bend that far)

One of my Fav-O-Right things to Do, is make The Bird Fly upside down!!!

 

[bossvette]

One of my Fav-O-Right things to Do, is make The Bird Fly upside down!!!

That bird doesn't know up from down, right from left nor his butt from a hole in the ground.

 

[OldSkool]

You don't mention if its a 6 speed or automatic, but either one for $7500 is not a bad price.

Weather stripping can be expensive and a pain to replace. One benefit of the heavy rain you had (and if it was anything like what passed through NYC yesterday it was heavy) is you'll be able to tell if the car leaks. Try to get back sooner rather than later to check the foot wells and rear compartment for dampness.

(When I was looking for my car one that I came across was at a dealer. I went to test drive it one morning and as I sat in the car waiting for the salesman to move a few others so I could get out his crew came by and power washed the outside. That car didn't leak a drop. Unfortunately it had other issues that made me move on.)

It's an automatic.

I'm going back to look at it shortly. It's been raing for the past 3 days, so I'll definitely be able to tell if it leaks.

I'm just kicking myself because I forgot to write down the VIN to do the carfax. So now I'm going to have to get it today, THEN run the carfax. So that means at least one more trip.

Oh well, at least it's not raining right now, so I'll be able to drive it.

 

[jrzvette]

It's an automatic.

I'm going back to look at it shortly. It's been raing for the past 3 days, so I'll definitely be able to tell if it leaks.

I'm just kicking myself because I forgot to write down the VIN to do the carfax. So now I'm going to have to get it today, THEN run the carfax. So that means at least one more trip.

Oh well, at least it's not raining right now, so I'll be able to drive it.

The dealer should be able to run a carfax for you.

 

[OldSkool]

The dealer should be able to run a carfax for you.

It's actually a private party seller. The lot where I saw it is actually the seller's cousin's repair business.

Anyway, I drove it this afternoon, and I'm all set.

It had a few more cosmetic and interior issues that I didn't notice the other day. Very clean under the hood though. Not all armor-alled, like dealers like to do, but just clean.

It had a few mechanical issues that I don't want to deal with, and the thing was kind of a rattle trap. Not very pleasant to drive, actually. I liked the feel behind the wheel, and the driving position, but that's it.

It had sort of a rough idle in park, and it felt like it was going to stall with my foot on the brake in drive. It also had a engine stumble under load, in noticed it when accelerating up an onramp. At the end of the drive, I slowly increased the engine speed in park, and the idle didn't smooth out till 2k rpm.

Also, the "service ASR" and "service ABS" lights were on. The seller mentioned the ASR, he said it needed to be adjusted, and that was the reason for the rough idle. I don't know, those symptoms made me think Opti.

I guess for someone really looking for one and not minding a little work, this is still a good car at a decent price, but it's just not the car for me.

I'll just keep looking.

Beautiful car though, I really like the look of them. I think if I bought this one I'd get more enjoyment out of just looking at it in the driveway than driving it, lol.

 

[aboatguy]

You'll know when you find the right one. Make sure you test drive the various versions. The cars evolved during the long production run for example the interiors are totally different on the 95/96 compared to the earlier C4s ie 85/86. Good luck in your hunt!

 

[OldSkool]

Update: Here's what I ended up getting....

'00 Firebird Formy...Navy Blue Metallic, loaded, leather, T's, A4/LS1, 65K miles.

It's really clean, and I love the color, the photos don't do it justice. It runs and drives great, and consistantly gets 23mpg.

After looking at Vettes for a while, I decided to go back to my F-Body roots. This is my fourth 'Bird now.

And YES, the wheels have to go!! I'm waiting till spring to get a new set, I'm not sure which I'm going with yet. Suggestions are welcome!

 

[6 Shooter]

WOW - That's a wild looking Vette!

L8TR - D