Thinking of buying '90 Coupe--has issues

[swmdal]

I'm thinking of buying a black 1990 Coupe with 83k miles from a friend. It drives well but has some issues. Before I sink a lot of money into repairs (I"m not a mechanic, this will be done at a shop), do any of these sound like deal-killers? Any thoughts will be appreciated.

MUST BE FIXED:
-Airbag light/seatbelt light both stay illuminated
-Tachometer is registering several thousand RPM too high
-When the car is stopped and I turn on the headlights, the right headlight doesn't open fully or sags back down, and the emergency manual backup knob doesn't work. However, if the car is moving at about 30 MPH or more and I turn on the headlights, the right headlight opens normally and stays open.
-"sys" light to the left of the fuel gauge keeps blinking
-Strong buildup of fuel vapor is released when the fuel filler cap is opened if the engine has been running hot (extended slow speeds on a warm day.) Vapor can be smelled inside the car if windows are opened while driving.

NICE TO HAVE FIXED:
-Cruise control inop
-Bose CD player doesn’t work
-Left front channel audio only makes popping noises—previous owner disconnected the speaker for me to stop it (maybe cheaper just to put in a new aftermarket system than to repair?)
-Passenger interior door pull is separated at the top (vertical part of door pull)

There are several other minor items like weatherstripping and shuddering brakes. The drivetrain feels strong, as does the steering and adjustable suspension.

Thanks!

 

[mauivette]

The airbag can be costly to get fixed. Everything else added together could add up to some serious coin. Since you stated that you won't do the work yourself this is what I would do. I would take the car to a shop or dealership with a good reputation for working on Corvettes and get an estimate. This will help you to assess the amount of $ you may have to put in. Then you can look up the blue book value and subtract the fix fees from that and see if it is such a good deal or not. There are some low mileage C 4's out there that arn't too expensive.

 

[Tom73]

MUST BE FIXED:
-Airbag light/seatbelt light both stay illuminated
Very common problem with the 90. The sensor on the frame rail looses ground due to rust forming. After fixing mine twice I cured it with a 1/4 inch piece of black electrical tape (over the light)
-When the car is stopped and I turn on the headlights, the right headlight doesn't open fully or sags back down, and the emergency manual backup knob doesn't work. However, if the car is moving at about 30 MPH or more and I turn on the headlights, the right headlight opens normally and stays open.
A $5 bushing kit from Ecklers solved the problem on mine. One went and then a year later the other went. Easy self fix, but don't know what a garage would charge

NICE TO HAVE FIXED:
-Left front channel audio only makes popping noises—previous owner disconnected the speaker for me to stop it (maybe cheaper just to put in a new aftermarket system than to repair?)
The 90 has a history of bad amps in the speakers. Can get a replacement amp for $90-$100, very easy fix.
-Passenger interior door pull is separated at the top (vertical part of door pull)
Very easy fix, just remove door panel and tighten the bolt holding the door pull.

Check out the transmission, had to replace mine at 90,000. Lost third and fourth gears

tom...

 

[HallenTi]

The shuddering brakes could be that the rotors need to be resurfaced. That was the same problem my 1990 had when I bought it. After taking them in (just the front needed work), the shop checked the thickness and they were out of spec - had probably been turned before and were already too "thin". I had to buy both the front rotors. Mine has the HD break option (13" directional rotors) so they were fairly expensive. I went to this web address and checked for them compared to the dealer price, and they were just over 1/2 price, so got them from these people: http://www.gmpartsdirect.com/ I have been quite happy with their prices and customer service. Tim

 

[tnovot]

Besides the many items you already know need to be or must be repaired, think about the problems that haven't shown themselves yet. Sounds to me like this thing has been severely neglected to let this many things go unrepaired. Makes you wonder about the maintenance history and what will go wrong next.
If it were me, I'd pass and shop around. You could surely find a more trouble-free car.
Just my .02

 

[44 Mag]

I agree with what everyone has already said before. Although you didn't say what you were considering paying (I wouldn't have either), you may have some serious banking issues ahead. Unless you're getting a heck of a deal and have the time and money to put into your ride, you may want to keep looking. A 15 year old car that doesn't get driven often is going to require TLC to keep it nice. Broaden your search pattern outside your area, there's loads of nice cars out there!:cool

 

[spyysee]

I would Skip it...
Unless you can "steal" it, are handy, mechanically inclined, and more importantly, have
the patience to make a project/hobby of it.

 

[RedRagTop]

I would Skip it...
Unless you can "steal" it, are handy, mechanically inclined, and more importantly, have
the patience to make a project/hobby of it.

I agree, unless it's a gift look elsewhere. You don't give an asking price but for example I paid about 9 grand at the poorer rate of exchange I had at the time in US bucks for this near very good condition rag with less miles and quite loaded...

 

[tyrel]

The airbag light is a common problem on the 1990 model, I see it all the time in different online forums. It is most likely the impact sensors, two of them on either side, which need to be re-grounded. Not a huge job, but if you use dielectric grease the ground will last forever. The headlight problem is most likely the bushings inside the motor housing, they begin to disintegrate after a number of years but you can purchase a superior quality set for around $5.00 per headlight, and they will last much longer than the stock ones.

 

[RedRagTop]

Off topic Tyrel but do you think my backward rims look wierd? I am putting new rubber on before Auburn and that would be the time to fix it. Was like that when I bought it and we have comparison pics right here.
Sorry about the hijack, back to our regular programming...
RJS

 

[swmdal]

Asking price

The owner is asking $7900 for it, which would leave me about $3000 for repairs on the budget I've allotted. Is that a decent base price (83k miles)?

I would Skip it...
Unless you can "steal" it, are handy, mechanically inclined, and more importantly, have
the patience to make a project/hobby of it.

 

[Radar]

Besides the many items you already know need to be or must be repaired, think about the problems that haven't shown themselves yet. Sounds to me like this thing has been severely neglected to let this many things go unrepaired. Makes you wonder about the maintenance history and what will go wrong next.
If it were me, I'd pass and shop around. You could surely find a more trouble-free car.
Just my .02

I totally agree with tnovot! Shop around for something in better shape, there are many to choose from in C4's. $7,900 will buy something reasonaably nice.

Radar

 

[RedRagTop]

After hearing the prices of the mid 70's C3's down there I am surprised that 8K can get good C4's.

 

[44 Mag]

I don't know??? $7900 might be a pretty good price as long as you don't need to throw alot of money into it right away, i.e. brake system, tires, rims, major engine work. Go on-line and look around at what 90's are going for and in what condition, and make the call. You'll be glad you did your homework. If it's right, you'll soon fall in love and it won't matter when somebody say's they got a better deal than you. Check it out and welcome! :cool

 

[MBDiagMan]

You have gotten some good advice, maybe the best being to get an estimate for all the repairs and go from there.

That said, since you don't do your own work, you need to be realistic and understand that once all these things are fixed, as time goes by you will continue to have issues so you need to plan on having a healthy maintenance budget.

These cars are definitely NOT the Kings of reliability. I have a love/hate relationship with mine. I love driving it and hate working on it. What worsens the hate portion is the fact that I have to work on it constantly to keep it on the road. With that said it should be clear how much fun it is drive. If it weren't, I wouldn't put up with what it takes to keep the rattle trap on the road.

Have a great day,

 

[livinez]

I'm thinking of buying a black 1990 Coupe with 83k miles from a friend. It drives well but has some issues. Before I sink a lot of money into repairs (I"m not a mechanic, this will be done at a shop), do any of these sound like deal-killers? Any thoughts will be appreciated.

The fact that you are not mechanically inclined is your deal killer IMHO.
I have a 85 with 85K miles (with 3 months of work nonstop to put on the road)and these are high maintaince cars.
Yours sounds neglected and a poor starting point for YOU. Sounds like you would be better served getting a low mile C-4 (35-50K) from the 1st or 2nd owners and having a good mechanic, that knows vettes, keep it running good for you.
The brake job is cheap if you do it.
The sys light and fumes would be time consuming to chase out and will involve possibly buying a data link and learning how to use it.
Heck, just changing the weather stripping can end up taking the better part of a day if it doesnt go smoothly. And more tool buying is in order.
The head light deal sounds like bad wiring and/or battery possibly too. The bushing deal is easy if you have any mechanical skills at all. But as some1 mentioned the regrounding for the airbags it makes me think of other sensors and electrical connections maybe being corroded.
The deal killer in my eyes is upcoming tranny rebuilt, tires, brakes, and your assumed inability to work on it yourself.
These arent Toyotas.

 

[Edmond]

I would personally pass on this deal. Like everyone else, you not doing the work doesn't make the car worth it.

If you put on a nice set of SZ50's, that's $800 there.

Brakes don't cost that much to do.

The headlight isn't hard to do but it is time consuming and a shop may charge you a lot to do it.

I'm no mechanic myself but I always thought one of the perks of Corvette ownership is turning the wrenches yourself.

 

[berky2500]

Airbag light/seatbelt light both stay illuminated
Very common problem with the 90. The sensor on the frame rail looses ground due to rust forming. After fixing mine twice I cured it with a 1/4 inch piece of black electrical tape (over the light)

Tom,
where on the frame rails are the ground, I have the same problem with the seat belt light on a 90 that I've been trying to figure out?

TIA
Shawn

 

[Edmond]

Or you could just take the dash apart and pop those bulbs out.

 

[Daryllawman]

Alot wrong to begin with.........then after you OWN it, there will be more that you didn't know.....I think I would shop around more......Just my Dollar and a Half worth.......