the decline of the C4
- Thread starter bucket
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RIISITAS
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Actually from what I've seen in my local market C5s and C6s are really falling in value too. One of my neighbors bought an 06 C6 coupe for $27K. It has 83K miles and is in excellent condition. Another guy I know bought a 98 C5 coupe with about 89K miles in excellent condition for $11K. Both were purchased from private owners. The market is highly competitive on all of the standard pre-owned C4, C5 and C6 models. There are some great deals out there on C5 Z06s from what I've seen too...
bradvette
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well he did say "your car is........"Are you sure he was referring to the vette?
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Baldi and I seem to have wandered across all of the same 'values' out there, and damn few are worth what the owners want for them. I had one that I was interested in and I called about and in describing the car the owner left out the milage, well it had about $5.000 in work needed, and when I asked about the milage, he said 150.000 miles. I asked about the ad for the car in which it stated 'low milage' I said you think that's low milage? He said "Sure for a car of that age!" He asked why I didn't and I said, "Sure it's low milage, for the Space Shuttle !" So there are cars out there, but the bulk of them are VERY WELL USED.
I have a solid 84, but it needs paint, and to paint it would be five times the value of the car now. I just don't see any point in spending four times what the car will EVER be worth. It just doesn't make any sense ! Hopefully I find a nice C-4 or 5 to have, but I doubt it. :ugh
vett boy
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Bought a new 08 vert ,6sp,nav,mag ride,3lt ,npp,new on ebay last fall $ 42,000.
Anyway i've seem a few vvery ,very nice C4's that if I had a little extra cash i'd by in a Chevy minute.
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Yeah, you probably right. but there is some other things I'd like to do, and I think we all know what happens when the 'Mod' bug bites?
triumphjoe
Member
Nelson, what mods can/should I do to my 1989 C4 to make it go better. Allready did a coil,wires,ram air intake,re-locate temp sensor. Should I mess with the ICU chip? Thanks, Joe .........Please e-me at :Triumphjoe@yahoo.com
I laugh at you people talking about your car's falling value. Cars are not investments! Well, a few of them are, but they are only bought by millionaires and they cost many hundreds of thousands of dollars. The corvette is a sports car that is meant to be driven and enjoyed; if you worry so much about "value" then maybe you should sell your car and invest in mutual funds. For any buyer out there right now, the c4 is a tremendous performance "value" for the buck right now, the car was way ahead of its time in terms of its power and handling, this means that many more people can afford to buy one and enjoy it, which means more people joining the corvette owners club. That can't be a bad thing!
But on the negative side, the newest c4 is now thirteen years old, and requiring major repairs. One of my biggest pet peeves on my old c4 was that I couldn't find decent carpet or seat covers anywhere, the carpet I bought from a forum vendor got all wavy and bumpy in the rear hatch area, very cheap and tacky, AND it was the expensive mass back too. The new seat covers I bought were worn on the bolsters in less than three months. Some vacuum lines under the hood haven't been made for years, so you'd better not break any of the brittle ones. The aftermarket body side molding on the 84-90 looks terribly cheap, I was ashamed to put that on my car and sent it back to the catalog guys. And add to that the questionable life span of oem parts for a c4 (radiator, alternator, a/c compressor) and design flaws (perpetually leaking intake manifold gasket, troublesome EGR system) and you have a car that requires constant maintenance. And add to that the fact that there is no incentive for parts companies to manufacture quality parts for a 13-25 year old car, all they do is offer a replacement warranty; who wants to replace an alternator every three months or a power brake booster once a year because the stupid diaphragm inside the housing keeps breaking?
Leaky heater core by 100,000 miles is almost guaranteed, and that thing is a bear to replace. And why can't you get a quality water pump for a c4, my stock one lasted to 50,000 miles but then I had to get three replacement ones. Where does one buy quality parts, if they even exist? The stock radiator, same thing, the tanks are bonded to the side, and easily leak after 30,000 miles. Yeah I know, 30,000 miles but you should never have to replace it even once. And that stupid leaky shaft seal on the a/c compressor, if that isn't the most perfect example of a design flaw.
I guess I'm getting off base here, but I still maintain that the c4 is an excellent driver's car, it is poised, balanced, handles very well, and has more than adequate power even for today's driver. But the labor and money to keep it running finally drove me away from my beloved c4s, my c6 is ten times more reliable. If I were a millionaire I would probably have a c4 again, because then I could finally afford it.
But on the negative side, the newest c4 is now thirteen years old, and requiring major repairs. One of my biggest pet peeves on my old c4 was that I couldn't find decent carpet or seat covers anywhere, the carpet I bought from a forum vendor got all wavy and bumpy in the rear hatch area, very cheap and tacky, AND it was the expensive mass back too. The new seat covers I bought were worn on the bolsters in less than three months. Some vacuum lines under the hood haven't been made for years, so you'd better not break any of the brittle ones. The aftermarket body side molding on the 84-90 looks terribly cheap, I was ashamed to put that on my car and sent it back to the catalog guys. And add to that the questionable life span of oem parts for a c4 (radiator, alternator, a/c compressor) and design flaws (perpetually leaking intake manifold gasket, troublesome EGR system) and you have a car that requires constant maintenance. And add to that the fact that there is no incentive for parts companies to manufacture quality parts for a 13-25 year old car, all they do is offer a replacement warranty; who wants to replace an alternator every three months or a power brake booster once a year because the stupid diaphragm inside the housing keeps breaking?
Leaky heater core by 100,000 miles is almost guaranteed, and that thing is a bear to replace. And why can't you get a quality water pump for a c4, my stock one lasted to 50,000 miles but then I had to get three replacement ones. Where does one buy quality parts, if they even exist? The stock radiator, same thing, the tanks are bonded to the side, and easily leak after 30,000 miles. Yeah I know, 30,000 miles but you should never have to replace it even once. And that stupid leaky shaft seal on the a/c compressor, if that isn't the most perfect example of a design flaw.
I guess I'm getting off base here, but I still maintain that the c4 is an excellent driver's car, it is poised, balanced, handles very well, and has more than adequate power even for today's driver. But the labor and money to keep it running finally drove me away from my beloved c4s, my c6 is ten times more reliable. If I were a millionaire I would probably have a c4 again, because then I could finally afford it.
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bucket
Well-known member
I was feeling pretty good about my bargain C4 but now I think I'll buy a mustang...
Smmmokin'
Well-known member
1,200 parts??? Sounds like some of the work weekenders do, although not on purpose! hnoes
BTW, what were some of the parts left out?
hnoesBTW, what were some of the parts left out?
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bucket
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I WORKED ON MINE AND HAD 1200 PARTS LEFT OVER
Every car ad I see for C4's and c-5's at dealers do not show these huge drops. Of course asking and getting are two different things. I would be interested in a c-5 in the "teens" if I could find one, yes I would take a hit on the c-4 but the spread seemed to have narrowed somewhat.
I also saw a decent 84 listed on CL (madison) for $3995. He Incresed the price by $1K. The low price probably scared people away....
loke it was said before, these are cars, they go down in value
I also saw a decent 84 listed on CL (madison) for $3995. He Incresed the price by $1K. The low price probably scared people away....
loke it was said before, these are cars, they go down in value
Cruzen
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C4 verses C5 Values
Personally I don’t believe there was as big a change between the C4 and C5 as there was between the C3 and the C4. Remember that the C3 was basically a C2 which was a late 1950’s design. The C4 launched the Vette into the 21st century.
As I see it, the big difference between the C4 and the C5 was in how GM decided to market the car. Their target market as noted in several of their product video’s was the buyer who might never have bought a Vette. In their ads instead of showing the car sliding around a wet pavement or doing burnouts they show someone putting groceries into the back of a coup or the guy getting one of two golf bags out of the back. When the first C5 came out we had the usual buyers but also had people who had never owned a Vette but were promised that they could now get into and drive one on a daily basis. Many of these aspiring Vette owners were more than just a bit over weight. That lower entry point was pushed hard as well as the increase in passenger foot well space. We also sold it on the quiet ride. At the time it was quieter than SS Camaro’s we had. With the C4 we found a lot of 40-50 something lookers/buyers many of whom were interested in performance options. With the C5 we had a lot of 50-60 something lookers/buyers who seemed more interested in dual air and sound systems but got excited by the potential power. I was not in sales when the C6 was introduced but judging by the average owner I see at the cars shows I would believe that the C5 and C6 continue to be bought by those in the upper age brackets.
Ironically while the C5 does have a lower side sill. It is deeper which means that you have to step further into the car to get to the seat. This reminded me of getting into and out of the first Ford GT-40’s (1965-1967 series) which had side tanks you had to cross over. I find that for me, it is actually easier to get into my C4 which has the higher but narrower threshold than my C5. When I am in the C5 and have the door open it appears I have at least 12 inches between the seat and the outside of the door sill. Anyway that and the quiet ride were some of the main selling features of the C5 that made it more desirable to most buyers.
All of this is to say that the C5 had and continues to have broader target market than the C4 and as such it will force down the value of a C4. However as stated, because they were used as daily drivers, many of the C5’s do have high mileage. Here in AZ you can easily find a late model C4 coupe with 50K miles for $8000-8500 or a convertible for $9500-11000. Early C4’s go for much less but out here many of those early C4’s seem to suffer from no working air-conditioning and or malfunctioning dash components. If you are like me and like the looks of the C4 now is a good time to buy, buy, buy.
Personally I don’t believe there was as big a change between the C4 and C5 as there was between the C3 and the C4. Remember that the C3 was basically a C2 which was a late 1950’s design. The C4 launched the Vette into the 21st century.
As I see it, the big difference between the C4 and the C5 was in how GM decided to market the car. Their target market as noted in several of their product video’s was the buyer who might never have bought a Vette. In their ads instead of showing the car sliding around a wet pavement or doing burnouts they show someone putting groceries into the back of a coup or the guy getting one of two golf bags out of the back. When the first C5 came out we had the usual buyers but also had people who had never owned a Vette but were promised that they could now get into and drive one on a daily basis. Many of these aspiring Vette owners were more than just a bit over weight. That lower entry point was pushed hard as well as the increase in passenger foot well space. We also sold it on the quiet ride. At the time it was quieter than SS Camaro’s we had. With the C4 we found a lot of 40-50 something lookers/buyers many of whom were interested in performance options. With the C5 we had a lot of 50-60 something lookers/buyers who seemed more interested in dual air and sound systems but got excited by the potential power. I was not in sales when the C6 was introduced but judging by the average owner I see at the cars shows I would believe that the C5 and C6 continue to be bought by those in the upper age brackets.
Ironically while the C5 does have a lower side sill. It is deeper which means that you have to step further into the car to get to the seat. This reminded me of getting into and out of the first Ford GT-40’s (1965-1967 series) which had side tanks you had to cross over. I find that for me, it is actually easier to get into my C4 which has the higher but narrower threshold than my C5. When I am in the C5 and have the door open it appears I have at least 12 inches between the seat and the outside of the door sill. Anyway that and the quiet ride were some of the main selling features of the C5 that made it more desirable to most buyers.
All of this is to say that the C5 had and continues to have broader target market than the C4 and as such it will force down the value of a C4. However as stated, because they were used as daily drivers, many of the C5’s do have high mileage. Here in AZ you can easily find a late model C4 coupe with 50K miles for $8000-8500 or a convertible for $9500-11000. Early C4’s go for much less but out here many of those early C4’s seem to suffer from no working air-conditioning and or malfunctioning dash components. If you are like me and like the looks of the C4 now is a good time to buy, buy, buy.
Curious George
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With everything being relative. I believe the C5 brought as many or more changes to the Corvette as the C4 did over the C3. Consider the following on the C5 platform:
- Total new motor design and quite significant. This in itself is worthy of acknowledgment.
- New chassis design - hydroforming.
- New transmission design - torque tube / rear mounted tranny.
- New rear suspension design. Front is essentially the same with some refinements. Overall, the complete C5 suspension is superior to the C4 design, especially for track use.
- Ingress / egress - we will leave this to personal preference.
CG
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bucket
Well-known member
This has been very educational....i've seen several C-5's in the low teens and several C-4's in the low teens..the one thing they have in common is milage...Low miles equals big bucks.
..that is the only constant..
with the 2010's starting at low 40's...but with only 430 h.p....up to the big cat daddy with supercharger and peek-a-boo hood at $140...or a beat up ole C4 for $5ooo.
they are all still corvettes and the best performance car available for their respective year of production..
Since the 60's up through to today..now and forever the Corvette is the best bargin in performance on planet earth.
..that is the only constant..
with the 2010's starting at low 40's...but with only 430 h.p....up to the big cat daddy with supercharger and peek-a-boo hood at $140...or a beat up ole C4 for $5ooo.
they are all still corvettes and the best performance car available for their respective year of production..
Since the 60's up through to today..now and forever the Corvette is the best bargin in performance on planet earth.
- Thread starter
- #39
bucket
Well-known member
jus playin..lol..
BTW..i saw yer post on the other corvette forum...different pic...same model...thanx
BTW..i saw yer post on the other corvette forum...different pic...same model...thanx
a few quick notes....
I have seen 2 c-5's in the high teens from Private sellers and these are high milage cars. Seems like the low milage CE with lt4's are holding or lt4 cars in general. I have seen a few 40th cars that the sellers want 20k plus and I have seen your 90-95 cpe's listed from "make an offer" to the high teens. I think a few people understand the market has gone soft and a few do not realize it. I also saw a 1990 ZR-1 with 30K miles listed for less than 20K. He started much higher.
I did stop at a classic car dealer yesterday on the way back from a trip and she told me they are abnormally low on Vettes compared to other "muscle" cars. They either try to find/buy/sell the c-2's through mid c-5's. She had 1 c-2, 2 c-4's and 1 c-5 and just sold a c-5 cpe. She had a 94 vert with 80K and wanted $12900 which I thought was a little high since that was more than what I paid for my 93 with almost 1/2 the miles a year ago. Again asking and getting are different.
The "make offer" ads are interesting. Who knows, I may end up with another c-4 yet
I have seen 2 c-5's in the high teens from Private sellers and these are high milage cars. Seems like the low milage CE with lt4's are holding or lt4 cars in general. I have seen a few 40th cars that the sellers want 20k plus and I have seen your 90-95 cpe's listed from "make an offer" to the high teens. I think a few people understand the market has gone soft and a few do not realize it. I also saw a 1990 ZR-1 with 30K miles listed for less than 20K. He started much higher.
I did stop at a classic car dealer yesterday on the way back from a trip and she told me they are abnormally low on Vettes compared to other "muscle" cars. They either try to find/buy/sell the c-2's through mid c-5's. She had 1 c-2, 2 c-4's and 1 c-5 and just sold a c-5 cpe. She had a 94 vert with 80K and wanted $12900 which I thought was a little high since that was more than what I paid for my 93 with almost 1/2 the miles a year ago. Again asking and getting are different.
The "make offer" ads are interesting. Who knows, I may end up with another c-4 yet
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