Still have a very important question

[Denilson35]

The corvette I was looking to purchase went down in price from 9000 to $7500. Again, it is a 1987 Silver beige convertible with 29,000 miles on it. It has the Z51 handling, leather, and all power options. My question is, Is this a good price at $7500, AND if I am not familiar with working on cars, would purchasing a corvette be a mistake. I don't know anything about things under the hood, and someone told me that Corvettes need constant tweaking. If anyone could address both of these issues, I would be very grateful. Thanks

 

[c4ever]

Len has pretty much summed it up. I do think it's a great price for a low mileage car and a vert to boot. If you do not do your own work these cars can run into $$$$$ but if she's a clean car and had good prior maitanence the few bucks will be well worth it. As Len said, take it to a vette mechanic for a once over and good luck. keep us posted.

Carlo

 

[tyrel]

IMHO, that's a very good price for a low-mileage 1987 convertible. I have owned three c4s over the last ten years, and although they have their share of potential problems, I wouldn't say they need "constant tweaking". My current ride has been the most reliable c4 I have owned.

Right off the bat, I must say the single most frustrating thing about the c4 is the alternator. I have had more alternator problems with these cars than any other problem. So if you buy the car, I strongly suggest you find a heavy-duty alternator from somewhere, either Ebay or a local alternator shop, because I can say this with one hundred percent certainty: you will have alternator problems. And it goes without saying that you will want the best battery money can buy. Those two items have been the cause of about 90% of all my problems.

That said, it's a pretty simple car to work on, and easy to understand. I suggest you purchase the service manual (Ebay again). Some things are more difficult to service than others, but you can do a lot of the work yourself. Brake pads and rotors are easy to change, for instance.

Here's an excellent site full of pre-purchase information:

http://www.c4vettes.com/prepurchase.htm

If the car is in good shape, it is definitely worth the money. It will be the ride of your life!

Good luck!

 

[Rob]

The corvette I was looking to purchase went down in price from 9000 to $7500. Again, it is a 1987 Silver beige convertible with 29,000 miles on it. It has the Z51 handling, leather, and all power options. My question is, Is this a good price at $7500, AND if I am not familiar with working on cars, would purchasing a corvette be a mistake. I don't know anything about things under the hood, and someone told me that Corvettes need constant tweaking. If anyone could address both of these issues, I would be very grateful. Thanks

I don't think that $7500 is a bad price for a 1987 with only 29,000 miles on it, provided that it truly is 29,000 and not 129,000 miles and the car is in as good of condition as a car with 29,000 miles should be in. If It truly is all of that, then I would definitely buy it for $7,500 and I'm not fond of the early C4 dashboard layout and I have no place to put it at the moment. :L Go for it.

Ignore the person that told you that Corvettes need constant tweaking. In the old days of solid lifter Corvettes and Vettes equipped with a points ignition system, that may have been the case, but these days, Corvettes are just like any other car on the road - neglect it, and subject it to abuse that it was not designed to endure, and it will bite you in the rear-end. Drive it like it was meant to be driven, enjoy it and take good care of it and it will provide you with many years of enjoyment.

I have 27K miles on 1990 and I've owned it since it had 179 miles on it and other than fixing a couple vacuum leaks, replacing the alternator and the secondary port vacuum pump, I've never had any serious or re-occuring problems with it.

 

[c4cruiser]

That's a very good price for an 87 roadster and Z51 is a very desirable option. The miles are very low so it should have many fun miles left in it. Cars that set for a very long period of time without use may develop leaks around the various gaskets and seals. Some of these will stop after awhile but there is a possibility that others will not.

Like buying any other used car, you should have the car checked out by a competent garage that specializes in pre-purchase inspections. The fee is worth it and you will get an impartial report as to the car's condition. Ask to see repair and maintenance records if they are available. Repair costs can add up quickly especially if you don't feel secure doing your own work.

I would expect that with that low mileage, the interior is in excellent shape. No wear spots in the carpet, seats have no rips or tears (especially in the side bolsters) and no fading. Weatherstripping should be in good condition with no cracking or torn spots. All of these things are expensive fixes in Vettes. The ragtop's rear plastic window should be clear (no hazing) and no tears in it.

Overall body and paint condition should be in good condition for the miles. Some rock chips on the nose would be expected, but faded paint or hazy spots can be costly fixes. Look for even gaps along door edges and where the hood meets the body panels. Look for indications of repainting such as brighter spots or overspray from bad masking jobs.

Good luck!!