Tune Up for a C4

[73vettecollector]

I purchased a 87 convertible this week and I was wondering what you all think I should do to the car before I start to drive it 100 miles a week. The car has 37,000 miles on the odometer, not sure if that's actual or not.

Do I need to change plugs, wires, filters, coolant, etc?

Your input greatly appreciated, and I'd feel alot better driving it if I knew I put some TLC into it...

Shack

 

[vette-dude]

Is the car running bad? If not why would you want to tune it up? If anything take the air intake hose off and clean the throttle body with THROTTLE BODY cleaner (not carb cleaner). Look at the Air cleaner and replace if necessary. With the engine running in a darkened garage look for arcing sparkplug wires. If none, then drive it for another 5 to 10K or so and enjoy. If you are bound and determined to spend some money then order a tune up kit from Mid America vettes. It is cheaper than trying to buy the kit components at a parts store. Enjoy the car and see you out there.

Randy

 

[Vettefan87]

With 37,000 miles you know the car has sat more so then drove. I would definetly flush the antifreeze, and change the fuel filter at least. These cars will eat through head gaskets and what not if you do not flush the antifreeze every couple of years...take it from me I know personally . When you flush the antifreeze do not put any of that weird yellow crap in, or that Dexcool, stay with the green stuff at a good 50/50 mix. Depending on if it is an auto or not, you can take it and have the tranny powerflushed for around 100 bucks, they hook it up to a machine and flush the entire system including the torque converter, and the 100 includes tranny fluid, unless you want to put synthetic in instead of the regular stuff.

Cap, rotor, plugs, and wires are not all that expensive depending on what you want to get. I would definetly get accel wires since they are pretty good for the money you spend. Myself I got the ones you make yourself so you can route the wires the way you want. For plugs you can either get ACDelco Rapidfires, like I and many others here have, although somewhat expensive at around 40 bucks for eight, or you can get the regular ACDelco plugs which are much cheaper and will work fine. If you decide to get a new cap, and rotor just make sure the fittings on both are brass, and they will be fine.

Definetly change the oil so you know it is already done, regardless if the previous owner told you they did it, I would not trust him, nor take any chances. I would run Mobil 10w30 synthetic and a K&N filter. The oil you can get at Walmart for around 20 bucks, and the filter is expensive at around 8 dollars from AutoZone.

 

[Edmond]

I would change/replace:

oil
oil filter
fuel filter
PCV
plugs
wires
distributor cap
distributor rotor
tranny fluid
tranny filter
coolant flush

Like Vettefan said, that car has sat for quite some time with so few miles. In my opinion, if you wait until something goes wrong and then fix it, you're behind the ball.

Oh yeah, check the brake pads and flush the brake fluid, put some fresh DOT 3 fluid in there.

 

[Toms007]

I would change/replace:

oil
oil filter
fuel filter
PCV
plugs
wires
distributor cap
distributor rotor
tranny fluid
tranny filter
coolant flush

Like Vettefan said, that car has sat for quite some time with so few miles. In my opinion, if you wait until something goes wrong and then fix it, you're behind the ball.

Oh yeah, check the brake pads and flush the brake fluid, put some fresh DOT 3 fluid in there.

I agree, this way you know for sure when the routine stuff was done and you won't have to worry about it.

 

[G Winter]

Don't forget to take a close look at all the hoses. They may be original and could be quite dried out or oil soaked. A blown hose can drop the coolant so fast that the temp gauge don't go up [due to no coolant on the sending unit] till the heads are toast. enjoy .

 

[Mad-Mic]

what edmond said.

my 87 had 32k in miles and the factory plugs, wires, cap, rotor, and airfilter. everything was stock and ran like crap. did a full tune up including the tranny and put in valvoline syntec tranny fluid and called it a day

you'll notice a BIG increase in power

 

[jester]

Don't forget to replace the brake fluid also. When you get it running good, you also want to be able to stop.:L

 

[WNH]

Don't forget to replace the brake fluid also. When you get it running good, you also want to be able to stop.:L

And the power steering fluid too, its probably 'murky' if its never been changed.

 

[garycr14]

I would agree with the above suggestions, but before spending the money on the plugs and electronic stuff, pull a plug or 2 and see what they look like, they might be new. Change the oil for sure. If an auto tranny, change or have it serviced. I prefer DOT 4 brake fluid.