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Questions on C4 vettes

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Vett-dreams

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This may sound very weird or crazy......yes...well...it will....

I'm 19 years old and have dreamed of owning a vette my entire life.....my first vette was a R/C nikko C-4....and ive been in love with the 80's vettes ever since.

However.....since im a Dodge boy....i payed little attention to the corvettes.......other than looks and dreaming to own one.....i never really looked down deep into the C-4 vettes.

I have no idea what the horse power in the 84-90 vettes are..nor the torque...drive train figures.....or reliability marks.

Here's the crazy part.......

Because of a strict step dad ive never had a car.

well i had a 89 dodge shadow once....but i never could get a key made...so i never got to drive it....i never transfered the name/plates/ or insured it. just sold the front clip and motor and junked it.

So the crazy thing is...im going to work 80 hours a week to be able to pay cash for a C4 corvette by spring time.

I'd like to get the front light louvers....rear lisense plate louvers....tail light louvers....hood louvers......fender vent louvers (small ones) and a scoop that makes the hood look something like cowl induction.

i also want some rims for it that look like the ZR-1 rims....only the star blades are split. (only way i know how to desribe em)

i want the wooden dash kit and oakoly seat covers (black/yellow)

The car im looking for is yellow.....with a targa top. all the louvers..ALLLLLL the louvers and ground effects will also be painter yellow to match the car.

one thing at a time however......

But this car will be my FIRST car and im working my butt off to get it.

does this car have rear drums? if it does THOSE are going yellow too......and the callipers for the front also will.

if its an 84 that air cleaner box that reads "cross-fire injection" is also going yellow.

heres my questions.......

i'm sure the horse power rating in the 80's was low.......is there a way for me to get about 300 horse off of just bolt ons? (i.e. headers...air-cleaner..ignition..exhaust kists...stuff like that)

Can i get a Flowmaster or any other muffler for this car.......that will make it louder? with a nice baffle.......like a 89 mustang GT for example.....

Exactly how much horse/ torque is in that car?

Whats a 4+3?

What is cross fire injection?

Will a C4 corvette be a reliable car for every-day useage?

what size rims/tires should i get for this car?

what was the first year yellow was offered on C4'S?

Can i paint that black molding to match the car?

and how fast will it get to 60 if im mad one day and stand on it....

annnddddd......since im paying cash for it........i dont have to worry about payments.....BUT!! the insurance on it for me is 4700 per year......

thats 396 dollars per month......i make almost 3k per month...but still..is it worth it?

and FINALLY....gas prices are high here in detroit......does this car get good mileage? or is it one of them "0 - emty tank in 6 seconds" cars

i dunno..just fill me in on what you know about the C-4 corvette.......REMEMBER.this is my first car and has to get me back and forth to work everyday.
 
Whooooaaaa, that's a lot of questions to digest.

I have a 94 c4 and use it every day for work. It gets an average of 19mpg and performs admirably. No mechanical problems so far. It has 44000 miles on it and runs better than new.

Stock, the car comes with 300 hp and 340 lbs-ft torque. At www.Ecklers.com you can find dozens of simple bolt-on horspower parts that are relatively inexpensive. You can easily bolt on 50+ horspower with minimal mechanical knowledge.

Im not sure what the horsepower on the the late 80's models are but whatever it is there are tons of aftermarket bolt on to increase its power.

My 94 has been very reliable so far and I love to drive it every day. It was designed for that. It's a chevy for cryin' out loud, not a Lamborgini or some other exotic hand built car. It was built right along side the Monte Carlo and Impala in the same factory by the same mechanics and uses the same 350 ci engine block that chevy has been using for ages.

Buy the car!!! It will be your happiest day. Trust me.

Good luck.

Tom Longo
 
Vette-Dreams,
Welcome to the CAC. You'll learn a lot about the C4 and other Corvettes in general here ;)
Do you have any idea how much $$ your looking to spend on a Vette? Either way, your pointed in the right direction though......
If your looking for an earlier C4, I think your best bet would be to stick to an '85 - '89. These are starting to be pretty affordable. '85 was also the first year of "Tuned Port Injection". This is going to be your most reliable setup. The '85 had 230 horsepower and I believe the bumped it up around 5 horsepower per year after that. These are strong running cars. If your looking for specifically yellow, I know they made a yellow Con't in '86, and coupes in '87, but they are pretty rare.
As for automatic or 4+3 maual? Well, you'll get a bunch of different opinions on this one. I prefer the automatics for these years.......mainly because I heard it's hard to find someone who repairs the 4+3 well. The auto trans (700R4) is much more common and parts are readily available.

All the C4's are 4wheel disc......
They are reliable if maintained properly.......
They all have black molding that's easy to clean........
They all get to 60 pretty darn quick....... :D

My only suggestion would be to take your time and do a little homework on the different years. Each year changes a little from the previous. Check out magaznes like "Vette" and "Corvette Fever". Get the car first..........worry about mods after it is sitting in your driveway. Lastly, I would call a few different places for insurance. I'm with Allstate and they've got very decent rates ;)

Good luck & keep us posted......

Jay
 
Vett-dreams,

Welcome to the Corvette Action Center.

You've asked a lot of good questions. The best thing I can suggest to you is to check out our specification pages linked at the top of this page above the word "Community". Not all of the 1984 - 1996 specs are done, but most of them are. From there, you can get an idea of what came as options, paint colors, production numbers, engine specs, etc.

Yes, a C4 Corvette will be a reliable piece of transportation for every day usage.

For horse and torque ratings of stock engines, check our specification pages.

1986 was the first year that yellow(code 35) was offered on the 1984-1996 generation of Corvettes.

All 1982 - Present Corvettes come with 4 wheel disc brakes.....no drums.
 
Whoa.....i figured most of you guys would just be vette heads like that only dream of em.

Thanx for the knowledgeable input.

Apparently nobody has anything bad to say about the C4...

Exept the dash..quite personaly....i like the didgital dash....but i DONT like how its so flat and cheap looking.

I was on "www.collectorcartraderonline.com" last night and learned C4 corvettes from all years are reletively....inexpensive.

But if you guys say go with 85+....thats what i'm going for.

I dont have to buy the car in yellow......i've been to school for painting cars and when i get one its going 2002 "milenium yellow" or chrysler's "solor yellow"

probably solor yellow..because i do NOT trust or like GM'S flake job paint.

If it dont flake...than it scratches or fades easy/fast.....i dont like GM paint......so like io i said.....ill probably go with chryslers yellow

but the mods will be the last thing i do........

i want the cosmetics done first...but still...one thing at a time. No rush...i just want one...if i can find a yellow coupe...ill get it....

but since im willing to go anywhere in the country to get a yellow vette...im SURE ill get one. So im not worrying........i mean hey..this is a vette here...not a pinto.

I like the body style on the early C4's better than the later......but i like the interiors in the later better.....

So i geuss the best way for me to go is the 1990 correct? thats got the 80's body with the 90's interior right?

I dunno.

Its gonna feel funny though because my uncle told me i can have his 86 F-350 4X4 with a 460 motor......its got 33's on it stock..so it sits up kinda high...going from that truck...to that vette..well.....LOL...thats gonna be a change...yes?

I dunno......im not a big time ford lover....but i HATE chevies...exept for that wonderous Corvette....god i love that car.

I'm also an artist....if any of you would like your cars drawn let me know..... you dont have to pay me till the drawing is sent to you....and i only charge about 10 bucks.

i can draw any time.....and ive been awarded from robert eaten for designing the concept charger R/T.

Ive also been awarded from the michigan state governer, and multiple art shows......

So youre not getting a 2-d flat dull....dull and boring drawing here....

i can make them look 3-D for ya's.

i can draw any model of the corvette (c1,2,3,4,5) hard top..vertty.....hatch.....dont matter.

Let me know by posting here and ill send you my addy VIA e-mail.....just send me a regular picture and i will draw it in black.white. proper light shading also so you can see its glossy. itll just look like a black and white photo..only drawn.

you can e-mail me at "YellowVetteC4@aol.com"

Thanx for the tips guys...you guys that posted the info will get pictures for free.
 
Personally, I like the digital dash. I didn't care for the flat panel dash in the '84-'89 Corvettes, but love the dash in the '90-'96. It's a combination of digital and analog gauges.

Magazine reviewers never cared for the digital dash in the C4s and I could never understand why. Admittedly, the older dashes seemed too video game like. The newer style is more of a fighter pilot style in my opinion.

You're right, there is no reason to rush to buy mods. Mods will always be around. Concentrate first on getting the car....that's 3/4 of the battle.

Let me give you a little bit of advice as well.....after you get the car, give yourself some time to get accustomed to it before you go out and spend a lot of money on performance modifications. My own motto: "Learn to use what you already have before buying more than you can handle."

The C4s are excellent performance sports cars and they were capable of respectable performance numbers for their day. I see a lot of people run out and blow tons of money on the latest whiz-bangers because they are "all the craze", when they haven't even learned to handle what they already have.

One of the best investments you can give yourself and your Corvette, is to take a high performance driving class. They are expensive; you're looking at $1,000+ easily, but if you take the course at a school that uses Corvettes (even though they're using brand new C5s), it's still a Corvette and you'll learn how to properly handle one and take advantage of all they have to offer before running out to beef up the engine and exhaust.
 
And one more thing.....no, we're not a bunch of old farts that sit around and do nothing but polish our Corvettes and don't know anything about them past where the gas goes. :D

There are a lot of die hard enthusiasts here that know every nook and cranny of their Vette.

One last thing.....if you're serious about working 80 hours a week to get the Vette....plain and simple, it's going to suck. You're going to go through periods of second guessing yourself....wondering if you're making the right decision....if the pain and trouble of working that many hours is worth it....let me just tell you.....it's worth every minute.

I know. It took me 3 years of working 2 jobs....weekends.....3rd shift making donuts and baking (I kid you not). And let me tell you....one of the hardest things I have ever had to do is crawl out of bed on a Sunday morning at 3am in the dead of winter to go bake muffins and pies.

A lot of my friends think I'm crazy because I give my Vette the best possible care I possibly can, but there's 3 years of blood, sweat and tears....my life wrapped up in that hunk of fiberglass sitting in my garage right now.....and each and every time I climb behind the wheel, turn that ignition key and proceed to engulf pavement like an anteater sucks up ants......it was worth every drop of blood, sweat and loss of sleep for three years.
 
Welcome To The Corvette Action Center Vett-dreams!

Seeing as how Rob and all the rest already have given you enough material to tide you over until you earn enough money to make your purchase, you can also visit my site to see if there is anything that may have been missed. It's basically devoted to MY '87 Corvette, but some of the info (such as the DN 4+3) covers multiple years.

I'm constantly updating that site. :crazy

Enjoy this site in the meantime, there's enough to keep you busy for awhile.
 
Like i said....engine/performance mods are the last thing to happen........

And another thing...80 hours a week MAY not have to happen.

I have an interveiw tomarrow at a computer graphics shop.

oh yeah...how does "stocks and blondes" sound for the tittle to go on my windshield? dont nobody steal that now.....its my first car and i want it to be special and original.

okay?

LOL!!

Anyway...the only "mods" to be made right away are ditching them nasty rims.......i really can not STAND those rims from the 80's era......they are all flat and what not.....ya know?

So im gonna go up to my freinds "bell tire" (actually its his dads) and we are going to go through rims/tires books.

See if we can find a rim UNDER 2 frillion dollars

tire too

nope..only mods to be done are cosmetic........

greenwood 8 pc. aero kit (ground effects/wing) ....tial light louvers...parking lamp grill (louvers to me) fender side louvers......hood louvers (like the Viper GTS)......lisence plate louvers...(i dunno..i call it a frame with louvers on either side....louvers DONT go over the license plate....just around it) the uh......hood scoop from umm.....i cant think of the name...its more of a hi-rise cowl induction looking thing.....bolts on.....name starts with a "V". ALLLLLLLLLLL that will be painted yellow to match the car.

im also taking off all the dash face frames and painting them yellow also...i saw this on a C5 in ecklers website.....so imma do it to my C-4.

i mean the radio frame....gauge frame.....console top......all the flat bland boring crap....godda spice her up a bit.

all to be yellow. the brake calipers will be painted yellow.....

i think this car will be one sweet ride after im done...and i cant wait till i am.

but all the cosmetic mods are 1 thing at a time.......starting with the dash..then the tires........and the hood louvers and hood scoop will be last.....

By the time im done with all this i will probably have put 15k on the car. and i will start with small performance bolt-ons.....like a K and N filter....than borla mufflers with LT1 tips.....than headers......than the ecklers fast pak......and thats about it.....other than hose covers.....and a performance air cleaner box.....

i figure i SHOULD get about 65 to 80 horse out of it......with all the mods..but it will all be done slowly..with the biggest being the last.

Trust me guys...im not being stupid with this car.....i just want all my mustang head freinds to can it.
 
Heya, Vett-dreams...

I own a 1989 Triple Black Convertible and I've been toying with the idea of selling it for the right price. The thing is, I never have the time to drive it. I'm one of those guys who never drives a vette in rain or snow (and I don't even drive it to work because of the neighborhood I work in). I think I've only put around 1,000 miles on it at most since I took it out of storage in May.

We live fairly close to one another and I'd be more than happy to show it to you if you'd like.
It is an automatic with approximately 36,500 original miles on it. It's perfectly sound mechanically (needs no work at all) and only has a few very small flaws in the paint. It has a custom exhaust from the previous owner (which sounds great) and I've slightly modified the air intake system for a small increase in performance.

If I did decide to sell it, I'm thinking $17,000 firm.

Let me know if you have any questions. I'd be happy to answer them. You can also email me at jrasizzi@yahoo.com

:)

-J.
 
Sorry sleepy..im only putting away 500 a week till spring time (aproximatly 25 weeks) and that will only give me a little over 12 grand.

i figure i can get a 1988 coupe for 6k.........and have 6k in to splash on it.

since all the mods i want will cost me 5k (dem body mods are spensive aint they?)

but the REAL cost is the tires/rims.

those things are just to much money.

the ZR-1 rims i was looking at (triple chrome plated) were 419.00 a peice for the rear.....and 326.00 a peice for the front.

And i hear a good tire for that car goes for about 250 a peice.

no brake torques for me!!! :t

I dunno....so you like the stocks and blondes name ehh?

i'm also thinking of "painfull victory" because of all the blood sweat and tears thats going into this thing.

i dunno......

i'd like the rear tires to be wider than the front. and the size of the rims im looking at are as follows.....

front.....17X9.5-38mm
Rear.....17X11-50mm

those are the tire sizes i say....and i have NO idea what to think of it.......what tire sizes will fit on those rims?

And are those rims good for the car...

Thanx again guys
 
Okay........This picture was VERY hard to do.......

I didnt take my time so the yellow is off and so are the "ram air" ducts.

I downloaded a picture of a white corvette......than sat here and colored it yellow.....and placed a ramair hood scoop on her.....

this is how the car SHOULD look when im done......
 
Thanx....now from looking at it.........i cant wait to get it......i want it like...NOW!!
 

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