looking to buy a c4, would like your opinion and knowledge

[DaveW]

Hi guys, name is Dave,I am no stranger to cars but even though i have always wanted a vette,i havent had the pleasure yet.
i was originally looking to save for a newer vette but due to finances and some health issues i have decided to buy me a clean c4 instead. I have went to take a look at this car and like it but have not test drove it as the guys driveway is currently being rebuilt , they think to be done this week, if so i will go back then but i wanted to get your opinions on it, and any knowledge of things i should be looking for.

the car is a 1993 automatic, quasar blue with matching top, it has 35,700 mile on it. i have carfax'd it and it comes out clean.

things i know.
the car is a one owner car, it is the wifes car and the hubby drives it sometimes too but was mainly hers. the car is clean but has a few stone chips on both front fenders above the wheels, he lives on a very long and rocky( small black ones) road. the drivers seat is not torn but does have a little frey starting about 3" at the seam. i seen No leaks looking under the car on the frame and anywhere i could see.


here is their ad( not much of one)

1993 Corvette Coupe. 35K miles – 90% highway. Automatic trans, PW/PL, alarm, 6 way adjustable leather seats, Bose stereo w/ cassette, cruise control, tilt steering wheel, ABS. $13,000


here is the car. I appreciate any help guys

 

[sstearns2]

That's not a bad price, but I'd still try to get them down a bit. I'd still look toward a 95-96 with the better optispark and the newer interior. Also, not having a CD might be a problem if you want to put one in. Putting an aftermarket stereo in a Bose C4 is not a simple task. That is a nice looking car.

Scott

 

[DaveW]

Thanks Scott, i have been looking at others, and do know of a fairly good deal on a 95? polo with 67k on it, but i keep finding myself back looking at that sharp blue one.lol , i do plan on trying for a bit lower if i go for the blue one, not sure if he would go any lower though as i seen that they had it listed before for 14.5, so i think they might be kinda firm on the 13, but we shall see.
Ill also do a search for the removing and replacing of the stereo to see whats involved IF i go that route. thanks

 

[sstearns2]

The basic problem with the Bose is that the amps are in the speakers not the head unit, so you have to replace the speakers with the head unit and you have to run new speaker wire since the wire in the car is too small to power normal speakers.

You can get a rebuilt original Bose head unit with the cassette/CD player that's been updated to play the new computer formats for about $550. Also check each speaker to make sure it's working. They're think they're about $150 each to rebuild and they do go bad around this age.

That blue one is pretty sharp. Still, nothing beats 94-95 admiral blue.

Scott

 

[XLR8]

Dave... first !!

Some thoughts...

If the car belongs to a couple, mainly wife driving it and no teens, it would seem to me that worries of the car being flogged frequently would be nil.

Take a look at seams/joints to make certain they line up well, especially around the front of the doors, clamshell hood next to the nose piece, etc. I didn't look at this on my first C4 and I had to have some repairs to the frontend due to the hood catching everytime I opened it.

As for the CD player, I paid to have mine rebuilt after a year of owning it and within a year it went out again. I supect (don't know this for certain so take it for what it's worth) that the stiffer suspension on the C4 is harder on CD players due to pot holes, railroad tracks, etc. If I purchased another C4, I'd look into putting in an IPOD or something along those lines and let the CD player alone. And that is definitely just my 2 cents worth, my friend!

The C4 is a great seat of the pants ride! The interior almost has a cockpit feel to it and owners who love C4s always mention that as one of the pleasures of driving. Now, the other side of the coin is it's difficult for some to get in and out of the C4. The C5 alleviates this issue by making the car much easier to get in and out.

One other thing, you mentioned health issues... if it's a bad back or bad hip, you need to test drive the C4 and get in and out several times. I loved my C4 but I have those problems and I doubt I could still enjoy my Corvette if I hadn't upgraded to a C5.

If you're a youngster with no creaky old bones you'll probably love that ride! :L

Lastly, here's a link to a Buyer's Checklist (Click me) we suggest as a carry along when shopping for a Corvette. It helps serve as a reminder when you're in the grips of the fever and can't think straight for dreaming of all that horsepower and finally owning your own piece of the American Dream.

Good hunting! Be sure to come back here and let us know what you decide!

Jane Ann

 

[B17Crew]

The ’93 LT1 is a fine machine. Had a ’93 coupe that I throughly enjoyed. The asking price of $13,000 is fair to me... reasons why:

1. Quasar Blue is not common -- and is quite striking
2. Original owner with documentation
3. Condition of car sounds to be good
4. Its better to spend a little more for a well cared for C4 upfront then shelling out $ for repairs on a Corvette that’s been beat. I always get a chuckle out of people who say to offer less for a well cared for Corvette, or that it’s overpriced. Buying a “beater-bargain” will cost significantly more in the long run.

Good luck with your decision!

B17Crew

 

[DaveW]

Xlr8, thanks for all the info, and the check list. I dont have a problem listening to the radio until it dies on me, then i will just replace the whole system, been there done that on other cars and had to re-run some new wire for them as well, as far as the health issues im not old(33) but have a few kidney issues, some nodes in the lungs they say, and was also just diagnosed with Lyme disease that put me out of work for a month, so im tired all the time currently, and a little achy. i have some older car projects that i have been having problem keeping up on and i will prob be selling the one, but i have tooo much money and in a 64 cutlass 442 to stop. I have the cash to buy this vette above, then if i sell my 71 duster, that will put money back into my fund. i still might keep the duster but one less project would be good and its always nice to have a cash stash

Dave

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The ’93 LT1 is a fine machine. Had a ’93 coupe that I throughly enjoyed. The asking price of $13,000 is fair to me... reasons why:

1. Quasar Blue is not common -- and is quite striking
2. Original owner with documentation
3. Condition of car sounds to be good
4. Its better to spend a little more for a well cared for C4 upfront then shelling out $ for repairs on a Corvette that’s been beat. I always get a chuckle out of people who say to offer less for a well cared for Corvette, or that it’s overpriced. Buying a “beater-bargain” will cost significantly more in the long run.

Good luck with your decision!

B17Crew

absolutely! I would rather pay a little more for a car i know wasn't ragged out. i have found some a little cheaper in a different colors, but with more miles of course, the ones i find close to this millage as typically about 15K. and yes i looked it up, and according to what i found online there were 683 quasar blue cars made that year. not the most limited color but its down there.

Dave

 

[6 Shooter]

I'd say get a 1994, 1995 or 1996, but that's just my opinion.

BTW - Here's a shot of my past 1996 LT4 in the Smoky Mountains! :cool
​

Later . . . . . .
6 Shooter

 

[CorvetteArchives]

The stereo problem really shouldnt be an issue as far as I know since I'm not experienced on the vettes after 89. However, in earlier c4's all you need to install a new head unit with the bose system is an output line converter. Its very simple and easy.

 

[DaveW]

Oh almost forgot, to XLR8(Jane Ann), thanks for the welcome

also guys and gals
i have been looking at vettes within 200 miles of me and so far the 93 is the best deal for mileage int/ext color,and price. what im figuring on is that i would rather have a low mileage car even a yr or so older rather than pay 2K more for a 1-2 yr newer car that has double or more of the mileage that the blue one has. i will continue to look until i have a vette in my garage. I plan on driving the car on nice days and on the weekend, i have a beater POS i drive after work, and i drive my work truck home too so the vette will see "fun" driving not daily. i also checked to see what the Ins will cost me if i put it on Hagerty where i have the 64 olds and 71 duster insured and they said if we do a agreed value of 18K on the car then it will be 391 a yr( pretty dang good for a 33yr old guy.lol). ill be dropping the ins on the duster anyway in a month so basically ill have to pay about another 91bucks a yr to own the vette as opossed to what i was paying. i think i can live with that.



Far as the better optispark in the 95-96, whats the differnce between them?


again guys thank for all your help


Oh and if any of you guys need a carfax done, let me know, i have it for a bit longer. just shoot me the vin and your email

Dave

 

[Toms007]

Personally I'd say go for it, it looks like a really nice car, sweet color, low miles, one owner...and best of all YOU like it!

Oh, and I'll say welcome to CAC as well.

 

[B17Crew]

absolutely! I would rather pay a little more for a car i know wasn't ragged out. i have found some a little cheaper in a different colors, but with more miles of course, the ones i find close to this millage as typically about 15K. and yes i looked it up, and according to what i found online there were 683 quasar blue cars made that year. not the most limited color but its down there.

Dave

Enjoy the search for your Corvette! You’ll be glad you held out for the color/options you want.

B17Crew

 

[jrzvette]

Far as the better optispark in the 95-96, whats the differnce between them?

The opti in the 95 and 96 model was actively vented, the earlier models were not. Moisture build up can kill the opti, but as long as you don't do anything stupid, such as power wash your engine, you shouldn't have any problems. Most optis die when the water pump fails and dumps coolant on the opti. As a suggestion, secure a small fitting to the weep hole of the wp and run a length of tubing down along the side of the opti to channel coolant away in the event of a wp failure.

Back to your original question the price seems a little high but not way out of range. Feel him out to see if there's any room in his number, and ask if he has all of the service receipts.

Good luck.

 

[DaveW]

Well i went for the 93 yesterday, i had offered them 12 the other day knowing they prob wouldnt take it because they had lowered the car from 14.5 (they didnt know i knew)and sure enough they said no, so we met at 12.5, which was fine with me, like i said i looked at plenty and for the blue, the mileage and yr, i found maybe two even close to this price and they were no where close to me and shipping would have added to it. I will be going to dmv and getting everything done tomorrow and then going back for the car during the week, so i should get some good shots up by the end of the week. Thanks for all the input guys, and Jrzvette, that sounds like a good idea with the water pump. thanks.

Dave

 

[DaveW]

oh forgot to add, i checked every switch i seen and everything worked, even the radio and the Pke

 

[hotshotzny]

awesome..... the car looks hot..and you got what you want... i bet those health issues take a back seat when you are cruising down the road with that big grin on your face.... i know i always feel better when i am driving mine!

 

[jrzvette]

oh forgot to add, i checked every switch i seen and everything worked, even the radio and the Pke

If you like to spend time working around your car (or even just washing it) you'll soon learn to hate the PKE.

Now the next thing you need is the FSM from Helms.

 

[B17Crew]

If you like to spend time working around your car (or even just washing it) you'll soon learn to hate the PKE.

jrzvette,
Did you know you can deactivate your PKE very easily via your fob?

Hold down the gray door button on your key fob for several seconds, you will hear your door locks cycle, they will lock and then unlock. This turns the PKE off so you will not have the door unlock and lock when you are near your Corvette with the fob. The horn will sound once (briefly) to let you know the mode has changed.

To reactivate your PKE, simply hold down the door lock button till the locks cycle again, the horn will sound upon mode change.

You can also program your Corvette to unlock the driver door only, or, to unlock both doors upon approach.

B17Crew

 

[DaveW]

jrzvette,
Did you know you can deactivate your PKE very easily via your fob?

Hold down the gray door button on your key fob for several seconds, you will hear your door locks cycle, they will lock and then unlock. This turns the PKE off so you will not have the door unlock and lock when you are near your Corvette with the fob. The horn will sound once (briefly) to let you know the mode has changed.

To reactivate your PKE, simply hold down the door lock button till the locks cycle again, the horn will sound upon mode change.

You can also program your Corvette to unlock the driver door only, or, to unlock both doors upon approach.

B17Crew

Sweet, you just saved me from watching the video again that they gave me with the car

 

[B17Crew]

Sweet, you just saved me from watching the video again that they gave me with the car

It’s a little feature that comes in handy.

I have to congratulate you on the purchase of one nice C4. Every now and then I see a Quasar Blue coupe just like the one you bought in the morning rush hour traffic around here. The owner keeps the Quasar shiny :cool, it’s a pleasing color that grabs your attention. It’s also the only Quasar Blue I ever really see, they’re few and far between. Be great to see some more pics of your ’93!

B17Crew