WHAT TO AVOID - mid to late 80s

[Rain]

Buddy of mine is shopping hot n heavy for his first Vette.
He keeps sending me these 84-89 models that tend to have a few things replaced/rebuilt but still need some TLC.
Typically have 120k miles and are in the price range of 4-8k.

What does he need to avoid?
What options should be look for or shy away from?

Thanks
Rain

 

[Rain]

bump

 

[6 Shooter]

WHAT TO AVOID...

...mid to late 80's!

​

L8TR - D​

 

[Rain]

Thanks D -
Just braggin about you on another site......

 

[6 Shooter]

Thanks D -
Just braggin about you on another site......

Sure - I bet you were! ​

 

[Ripp 73]

Well, I am not a C4 expert, but I will share what I have heard (feel free to correct me if anything is wrong or mis-information).

The 84 Corvette with the Crossfire carb is a great engine, if ran all the time. If it sits for too long I hear it can become problematic. So for me that really hurts my thoughts of ever purchasing an 84 or an 82.

The only other problem with these particular Corvette's that I know about in this price range is that a lot of them have been "Bubbafied" meaning that someone has done something crazy to make something else work in a strange way. Anything from re-wiring the fans to run at certain times to cutting holes in the floorboards in order for them to drain when it rains or if the heater core breaks.

Biggest thing you can do for your friend is to encourage him to take his time. There are lots of late 80's Corvettes out there. They are a great bang for the buck, but take time to look over the Corvette completely. At these prices people are not afraid to drive them in the snow and the salt can eat away at the frame.

Either way, help your friend also to enjoy the hunt for his first Corvette and teach him to wave.

~Just realized I am no longer a "Supporting Member". Time to go fix that.

 

[89sleeper]

The wife and I own 2 89s with 6 speeds and I would buy another if I had the money and had the room in my garage

 

[Bonnell]

I sold my '88 coupe in June. My new DD is an '02 vert. I drove the '88 for 4 years. It had 167K on it when I sold it. It still ran great and was driven from Arkansas to Illinois with the buyer.

The L98 was pretty bullet proof. If I were in the market for a C4 I'd want to make sure that it had the extra fan in front of the radiator. Take it for a ride at highway speeds and then into the city with A/C on and let it idle and see how the temp holds up.

Check the weather stripping. If it needs to be replaced the OEM kit is about $700 if you do the work. Check the A/C and see if the R34 conversion has been done.

C4s are great vettes.

 

[Rain]

Bubbafied is right -
The ones he has sent have all been rebuilt by the owners, interiors ripped thru, etc.

Model he has his eye on now has had a 7000r transmission put in it - 1988 model I believe.

 

[gmjunkie]

Bubbafied is right -
The ones he has sent have all been rebuilt by the owners, interiors ripped thru, etc.

I have a 94LT1 6sp Cp with 60,000 miles, It's not Bubbafide though!!:L

It has the Certified Official

"Junked Seal of Approval"!!

 

[Rain]

I know - the Junk Vettes are always premium vehicles..
Alas, joe only has five grand to spend on his first Vette

 

[nelson84]

Get an 89 with 6 speed, or if auto get a late 86 -89 they have aluminium heads they don't leak as bad. The 85 has a better exhaust than later models only one catalytic converter. The early TPI units are MAF(mass air flow) you get more HP out of the MAF setup than the speed density setup.

If you leave it stock get an 89 with 6 speed.

If you mod it get an 85, you get MAF, less restrictive exhaust, they are cheaper, and NO ABS, ABS is nothing but trouble and stock GM ZR1 rims fit the 84-87 and they sit lower, better handling, and I have one, great car. I paid $4300. auto 88,000 miles.

The best handling vette is the 84, hardest suspension, but lacks the HP to project you out of the corner and down the straight.

These are just my opinions, some people like ABS.

In 88 GM changed the wheel offset and the ZR1 rims stick out, not cool for your paint.

 

[Craigars 84 Vette]

Need a small box of clues........

I bought an 84 Vette and got robbed however it's worthy of keeping (I Think) To start out the oil pressure always seemed real high. Looking around on several post I'm guessing this might be some what normal. Before I bought it it had a leak so I had the compression checked before I offered to pay half for repairs. Compression was said to be fine and the Pan gasket/seal was replaced. I received a call from the mechanic, he was asking how much oil she took and the ownwers son said about 9 or 10. ??? The rear seal ended up giving out later on after a few runs down the race strip (1/8 mile). Does anybody believe this thing takes that much oil? I know if you put 4-5 quarts in there's still no reading on the dipstick. There's been some modifications done on this car and I'm not certain if they would warrant the use of so much oil. The car's got a 6 speed tranny 5 + Reverse (I hardly think this would have anything to do with the oil (I are Builder) not mechanic. The oil pan looks to me like it's stock (How can I tell? How long is the dipstick supposed to be? My guess is that the car was getting too much oil because everyone was assuming the car had a larger pan or sump to help accomodate so much oil. The cars been sitting for over a year and now the stick shift will not go into any of the gears. Got any suggestions as to what it might be??? OK Maybe I need a Big Box of Clues!!! Can you help????

Thanx,
CraigarT in MissaDamnSippi

 

[milehigreg]

I have an 89. It is a great car. BUT, even though I bought it with only 74, 000 miles on it, I have still had to do some work on it. headlight bushings, water pump, alternator, inner door window seals, troubleshooting turn signal and running lights, replacing emblems, tune up parts, fluid changes and the recent injector failure issue. ( see my thread, hard start/no start troubleshooting log.). The point is, these cars are almost twenty years old and stuff is going to go wrong with them. It is going to take money to pay mechanics or some of your own time to keep them roadworthy.The cool thing is, it really isn't that complicated or exotic and if you shop wisely ( internet ) parts aren't that expensive. C4s are huge bang for the buck but don't expect a trouble free car for what he has to spend. There are lots of them out there so I agree with the above given advise, take your time and find the best one you can afford.

 

[Bob Chadwick]

Watch out for the dash displays. Particularly on the earlier ones.

 

[Craigars 84 Vette]

milehigregI
Thanx for the reply...... If you know anybody who can answer some of the mysteries see if you can oick their brain for me. I need all the help I can get. LOL Everything works fine on this car with the exception of the previously mentioned pitfalls I've run into. She was driving great and probably would still be doing so if I didn't put her on the track and pushed her before I got a chance to see how well she fared normal driving.

Bob Chadwick........Any relatives from NY? I knew Chadwicks in Peekskill , NY about25-30 years ago.

 

[Craigars 84 Vette]

The Pic

Hey Y'all how do you put the picture on this site? I'm a little slow, work with me....LOL

 

[chuck121566]

The best advice here (as others have stated) is to keep looking as there are alot of the C4s on the market. I think that if you persist, you'll find that $5k jewell....it's out there and you'll know it when you see it. As far as problem areas, watch for the following:

1. Dim or flickering digital dash display.
2. Headlights that when rotating up are noisy, very slow or inoperative.
3. If looking at a car with the 4+3 manual transmission, be sure that car does not "pop" out of gear under acceleration OR deceleration....this can be indicative of worn synchros.
4. Make sure there is no excessive noise from the rear. On higher mileage examples, many times the rear bearings can become worn.

Of course, none of these potential issues HAS to be a deal-breaker...but if any of them exist, it could give you an upper-hand in negotiating your best deal!

Last but not least, enjoy the hunt...this is one of the biggest thrills of Corvette ownership if you asked me!

 

[Rain]

Yes, figured with as many of these that I've seen listed with repaired dash units, that it was an issue.
Thanks guys
Rain

 

[XLR8]

Hey Y'all how do you put the picture on this site? I'm a little slow, work with me....LOL

Craig,

Welcome to the CAC. To upload photos into your posts, check this thread Click here

When you have time, stop by the New Member Forum and start a new thread to introduce yourself. Click here

Jane Ann