Thoughts on the C4 (84-96) Corvette

[Clubber_Lang]

Of course any car will last longer the better it's been maintained, however...

I'd like some opinions on the C4 Corvette. These cars are very polarizing, in that people tend to either love them or hate them. I'm currently considering a low mileage well cared for '90 six speed

 

[CT8]

It imho as the first modern Corvette. When I was a kid, form 16 to 18 years old my best friends Dad owned an Auto whole sale company and would bring us home a vet for Christmas break and Summer Vacations Vettes are fun cars.

 

[Linctex]

They are a real bargain right now - tons are for sale around the $7,000 and under mark

A 6-speed would be the most fun version!

 

[oilpsi2high]

JUNK

 

[NYEngineer]

Ha! My mom's idiot boyfriend bought an 86 convertible. Car is junk. I completely believe it was a Katrina car but they won't give me the VIN to confirm where it came from.
They were all impressed that it had new paint and carpet and all sorts of other stuff. After they got it it had all sorts of other electrical problems. They've spent a fortune on it.

I feel that a 2000 Corvette is a WAY better performance bargain than any of the gen 4 Vettes.

 

[clinebarger]

The C4 was a big leap over the C3, But this is more about the C3 being such a horrible POS.

The L98 is an OK engine but under-powered, Good luck finding someone to work on pre OBD 2 vehicle.....Better to find a GM specialist to work on it!! Not that they're special or overly complicated, I've just seen too many C4's get hacked up by ignorant mechanics.

OEM-NOS parts are starting to dry up & prices are reflecting it. These cars did not age well & even though your contemplating a low mileage example.....It's still approaching 30 years of age. Start using as a car instead of a garage queen.....You'll quickly find out what I'm speaking of.

If you like them, That's all that really matters!! Just keep in mind the honeymoon phase ends quickly & the car "feels" quicker than it really is.....For example, A L98 Corvette has about the same acceleration performance as a newer 2GR-FE Camry.

I'm not a C4 hater, I just want you to go into this with both eyes open!

 

[69GTX]

Not a fan of the pre-1992/93 cars when the Vette engine HP upgrades began again after the slumber of the 1980's. That 1990 would still be a weak sister and under-powered. I wouldn't consider it unless the car was MINT and very low mileage....say under 40K miles....and priced cheap.

There are numerous great 300-350 hp performance cars in the 1996-2004 era. My own favorite are the LS1 GM Firebirds/Camaros from 1998-2002 which are about the best deals out there for well kept vehicles with under 65K miles. C5 Vette from that era is good bang for buck too.

 

[ET16]

I don't know about the mechanics, but I like the looks of them.

 

[dishdude]

Originally Posted by ET16
I don't know about the mechanics, but I like the looks of them.


Same here, especially the '84-'89 with the Knight Rider dash.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Originally Posted by clinebarger
The C4 was a big leap over the C3, But this is more about the C3 being such a horrible POS.

The L98 is an OK engine but under-powered, Good luck finding someone to work on pre OBD 2 vehicle.....Better to find a GM specialist to work on it!! Not that they're special or overly complicated, I've just seen too many C4's get hacked up by ignorant mechanics.

OEM-NOS parts are starting to dry up & prices are reflecting it. These cars did not age well & even though your contemplating a low mileage example.....It's still approaching 30 years of age. Start using as a car instead of a garage queen.....You'll quickly find out what I'm speaking of.

If you like them, That's all that really matters!! Just keep in mind the honeymoon phase ends quickly & the car "feels" quicker than it really is.....For example, A L98 Corvette has about the same acceleration performance as a newer 2GR-FE Camry.

I'm not a C4 hater, I just want you to go into this with both eyes open!


No...it is because the C3 was, at the end of its run, a twenty year old design. (The chassis carried over from the 1962-vintage C2.)

The Tuned Port engines are actually quite easy to service (no tools beyond a jumper wire needed to pull codes), with an enormous amount of information online about them.

My biggest worry would be the early TH700 or the weird Doug Nash 4+3 manual gearbox.

 

[clinebarger]

A 1990 stick car would have a ZF S6-40 6 speed.

The C3 argument is a matter of opinion, GM could have at least got away from the slave cylinder power steering set-up & the corrosion/leak prone Delco 4 piston calipers.

 

[ls1mike]

I had a 1991 for a bunch of years. Larger tube runners, Cam, headers, exhaust, larger stall converter and some other stuff. It wasn't a bad car fairly easy to service and standard GM stuff.
It was a 12.80ish car with all the stuff I had done. It was a 14.20 to 13.90 car with nothing done. It was a nice driver. Not sure I would want another C4, but I do like the how the 1991 and up ones look.
I had actual C4 ZR1 saw blades on mine(rims). That was in 2001ish. Always got compliments and thumbs up, but it was CLEAN.
It sounded nice and always ran well. Never gave me any problems. I remember doing a water pump and the worst thing I had to do was, minus the converter which I wanted to do, was the rear axle U-Joints. Did not like that those. I would say you have to really want it and appreciate it for what it is. An old sports car that is nice on sunny days.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

Do the export tail light mod

 

[BrocLuno]

I think it depends on what you want the car for ... If just s fun cruiser and it's been well maintained, sure - go for it. It got your attention, so the body style is OK with you

If you want it to be a hard core track car, maybe not so much ...

 

[Chris142]

We called the cross fire injection cease fire injection. Pure garbage!

 

[grampi]

Spend a little more and get a C5...leaps and bounds a better car in every aspect!

 

[dave1251]

I really don't like them. But it is your call.

 

[Patman]

My first Corvette was an 84 and it was in pretty rough shape mechanically, I should have waited and bought a newer one (this was in 1991, so I should have probably saved up longer and gotten at least an 86 or 87 model)

I would suggest to anyone wanting a C4 to stick to the 92-96 model to make sure you get the LT1 engine.

 

[GMBoy]

I love C4's. I still own my first Corvette bought new - 1994 Admiral Blue loaded. I also own an '03 and a '14. Guess what - I love the C4 simply because it is crude and what a sportscar is usually thought to be. The thing with Corvettes are that every new model year brings improvements so get the latest model you can afford. Patman is experienced with Corvettes too and he is dead on correct - 92-96 are the best years. If you can find a nice 96 with an LT4 - you are Golden. If you go older, I would not go older than 1988 - that's the year when a lot of good suspension improvements and other quality gains were made.

 

[ArrestMeRedZ]

Agree with GMBoy. A '96 with a manual transmission or the GS model to get the LT4 would be the way to go for a C4. But with all the improvements of the LS1, plus the overall improvements of the C5, for a driver I'd have to go with the newer car.
Personally, I like the looks of the C6, and the fixed headlights. One in the paper today. '05, M6, Z51, 6k miles, mint. The paper is wet from me drooling on it.