Personally, I wouldn’t go older than 88 In a C4. There’s nothing really wrong with 84-87 (except maybe the 84 crossfire debacle), but 88 saw a lot of running gear changes that make it a more desireable model from a performance driving perspective.
Things like redesigned front suspension to give less bump steer, a zero scrub radius, first year the base brakes were bumped up to the 13” discs, and there were more mechanical changes that just made it a better performing car than prior to 88. Nice thing is that they still had the early body style wrapped around those mechanical upgrades. I’m a big fan of an 80’s car actually looking like an 80’s car, so I have a preference for the pre-1990 C4’s. Both on the exterior and the interior. I’m a little “odd“ that way I guess....
I’d pass on any of the doug nash 4+3 transmissions. Those years, the 700r4 was a better choice IMHO. The electronic overdrive 4 speed was just a weird setup and a lot of the overdrive units turned into trash fairly quickly when used hard/wrong. 89 was the first year for a 6 speed, so I’d look for an 89+ if I just HAD to have a row your own box. My 88 has a 700r4, but I woukd love to have that 6 speed. Oh well, I just couldn’t turn down my 88 Z52 ’vert when we found it:
It’s a triple black by the build sheet, but someone changed the top to a saddle colored one in it’s past somewhere. Not a big deal for me as the top spends 99% of it’s time folded in the “trunk”. Hey, why buy a convertible and drive around with the top up? Kind of defeats the purpose IMHO.
I’d also look for a car with at least the Z52 rpo code. That gives you all the Z51 “goodies”, but a softer ride as the springs are not as....errr, “abrupt”....as the Z51 cars. With the Z52 rpo, you essentially get a Z51 car that doesn’t rattle your fillings and rupture your kidneys on rough roads, yet performs pretty much on par with a “full on” Z51 car. In fact, I’ve read old mag articles where a Z52 car turns in pretty much identical times as a Z51, yet is far more enjoyable to drive.
Convertibles were not available with the Z51 option, only the Z52 option. If someone tries to tell you a vert is a Z51 car, they’re full of poop and don’t know what they are talking about. At that point, look at any car they are trying to sell you extra super close. There’s likely something buggered up pretty good by this unknowing idjit...or they know and are just lying to you. That’s even more reason to walk away...
Of course, if you run across a well priced ZR-1, I’d say grab it. But they’re sort of hard to come buy, command the highest C4 prices and are the most expensive to repair when something goes wrong. There were never any ZR-1 convertibles, so if someone tries to sell you one, they’re full of poop too. If you look at a vert and it actually has the LT5 engine in it, someone swapped it in. There was only
ONE ZR-1 converible built by GM and it was specially built for a GM exec. It now lives in the corvette museum.
Theres nothing wrong with a good, strong running L98 (87 saw the introduction of the aluminum heads on the ‘verts and they all got aluminum heads in 88+), but I sure wouldn’t turn down an LT1 car in good shape. Aluminum headed L98’s were essentially the same as the ZZ4 crate motors GM used to sell. Some differences, but very few.
The only thing about the LT1 cars is you get the “newer” style interior and the rounded butt and taillights. Thats a personal preference thing, but I like the orginal C4 “squareness”. But could live with the “new” stuff for a sweet running LT1....
I, personally, don’t worry a lot about paint color when looking at a used car. I’m more concerned with mechanical condition and then the option level of the car. Mechanical stuff I look at how much parts would cost and whether or not I can do the work myself or if I would have to pay someone else to do it. At 80 bucks an hour, labor gets very expensive, very fast....
3-5 grand and you can change the color to what you want and it won’t have the buffs and scrapes old paint jobs will have.
I would be a lot pickier on interior condtion and colors though. Interior work gets very expensive, very quickly if you have to repair it or change it out. Interior is also one of those things I want fixed right away if something is missing, torn or cracked as you have to look at it everytime you get in the car and all the time you are driving it. It really takes away from the enjoyment of driving for me when an interior is ratched. The car can be a soild runner and look great on the outside, but if the interior is a mess it’s always going to feel like driving a junker. At least with paint, you can go to nearly any local shop and get it resprayed. Not so much with interior work.interior work means you will be spendong a lot of bank....
Convertible or Coupe is a personal choice, but with a convertible you are literally getting a “2 seater“ car. With the top down, you have virtually no storage room at all. The coupe at least has that somewhat large rear area (as long as you don’t have the targa top in there that is).
If you are serious anout a C4, you better ger right with the thought you are going to have to learn to plastic weld, be replacing a lot of interior parts or living with broken/creaking interior bits. Gm plastic from that era wasn’t great to start with and time has not been kind to any of it. Expect lots of broken tabs and split plastic pieces. More so if the car you are looking at wasn’t garage kept. Check out all the electical stuff, as thats another place where 80’s era GM’s don’t age very gracefully. Espcially the headlight motors (gears strip and the bearings disintegrate) and the wipers. Make sure the wipers work on every setting, including the “wash” selection. GM had a lot of trouble with the circuit boards in the motors that controlled the wiper functions.
If you are going to look at an Ontario car, it is IMPERATIVE that you get it up on a rack and check it out from underneath. Vette bodies are fiberglass, but the space frame/chassis is galvanized steel. If that car has seen ANY Ontario winter road time, you need to check out that frame with a microscope. One place to pay extra soecial attention to is under the battery tray on the drivers side. Becuase of the caustic nature of the lead acid battery, it’s very likely the chassis under the battery has rust. Light surface rust is fixable fairly easily, heavy rust or holes is terminal. Walk away if you find holes in that spot. Or any where else for that matter. My 88 has never seen a Nova Scotia winter road in it’s life, yet the chassis has surface rust on the frame rails under the battery. I’ll strip it doen and dral with it this winter, but even the nicest C4 needs to be VERY closely inspected in this area.
Tires. Oh lordy, tires! They are not cheap for a C4 by any stretch. If you look at a car with the 275/40’s, they better have a lot of life left in them or expect to drop a good 1500-2000 on a new set of 4 right away. Maybe more, depending on what brand you buy. Mine has michelin pilot sports on it and proces on those suckers will make you grab your chest and start screaming “martha! Are you there martha? Lord, I’m coming martha!”
Good luck In your hunt. The C4 is currently the worlds best “supercar” bargain out there. There‘s enough of them floating around that you can find what you want, sooner or later. It just may take a little patience.
