OT: Corvette info
 

I'll looking at getting and older vette as a third car. Once my current lease is up in a few months I might use it on a regular basis. I have an option between an 84 and 85, both only have about 10,000 miles. They are both garage kept super nice cars. Both red. One has an auto trans and the other is a 4+3 manual. Both have the Z-51 package. Other than the tranny, they look alike.

Was the 4+3 a problem trans? I'd prefer the stick.

What would you put as a fair price for both.

84 with auto
85 with 4+3 stick

Any advise would be helpful.

Run away and don't look back. The Missfire motor is a pig!! The 4+3 tranny can be problems, but works OK when working. It's a cross breed 4 speed with a 3 speed auto overdrive tranny bolted to the back. They all had paint problems, and dash problems. The body is a little dated looking. I would stay away from C4 Corvetts until the LT1 cars. But if you can get a good deal on it go for it. Ron give me a call if you want And I will talk with you about them. Is the awards cruise a formal dress thing? It's my mother's birthday that weekend and thought about comining up for the weekend. Good Luck with the Jersey Boys series this summer, looks like you guys got a good thing going on. I'll try and make some races this summer and be a sweep boat with the Sea Ray.
Pete :) :cool:

i think it was the 84 that was considered the worst vette ever biult. I would stay away.

You can pick up eth newer year fro reasonable prices. Heck if you want something small and "sporty" thats convertabel I'll sell you my MG for cheap. Show your wife some pics of it and I can GAURANTEE you'll own an MGB.

The ladies love it (i have no idea why, but they do).

If i had space for it i would keep it for just that reason.

ron i'll see if i can find the article i had. It covered all year vettes and there strong and weak points.

I'm pretty sure it was the 84 that had issues. Mainly due to the fact it was the first year for an entirely new design. I think it was the 84......

Ron, I would also stay away from both cars. They did have transmission issues and the 84 crossfire engine did have problems. The LT1 cars would be a good alternative at a reasonable price. I think that motor was standard in 1992.
If you go older you can get antique full coverage insurance for around $250 a year.

Ron, I currantly own a 1988 Vette with the 4+3 trans. It has broke 3 times in the last 5 years, but I'm not real nice to it. Ive owned this car for 10 yrs and its not all stock, and have had no major problems (other than trans) sence I bought it. 1987 and up are the better choice, and the 89's - up have the 6 spd trans a much better choice. the car's alot of fun to drive and with the mods dun to mine it will kick the crap out of mustangs all day long.

I went through the same discovery process when I bought my wife a summer car to drive.

The advice I received consistently for C4s was to stay away from 80s for the reasons sited. 90 marginal. 91 was fine but if you could find a 92+ you would better off. I bought a 91 with 19k miles - and have been very happy with it.

Try the corvetteforum.com to obtain specific feedback.

Good luck

Jeff

Walk away! The '84s and 85's leave something to be desired as far as vettes go. Unless you can steel one I'd save your money for another year. I've had a '68, '71, '70, '84 and currently have another '70 that is undergoing a full restoration(I'll be keeping this one). The '84 I bought it right, painted it, replaced the interior and did a little work on the motor, then sold it! The only reason I bought it was the price was right and I fully intended to fix it up and sell it from the begining.

Just my 2cents, but there are many other vettes that 1. run and perform better, 2. and most improtantly - hold their value and will increase in value much better.

Good Luck.
Steve

Sheesh guys, I have a 20k mile '84 Vette with the "pig" crossfire and 4+3 that is none of what you say. Paint is mint, just like the dash. Maybe if I actually drove the thing, it would break down too. ;) It has sat for more than 2 yrs at a time and has always started in less than 3 sec of cranking. And that was with no fuel stabilizer. I will admit, it is a rough riding car, but I didn't buy it for a smooth ride. The air in the tires is still original! I like it just because it is the 1st yr of the new style. Just my .02 Notice the '98 plate, last yr it was plated. :rolleyes:

pls take no offense to my comments.

some cars have more issues than others.

my researched revealed that of the c4s that 91+ have been perfected, more reliable, etc.

enjoy whatever you have!

J

No offense taken. Just pointing out that it is not always the case, nothing more. Remember, I have a Fountain. So I'm used to it. ;)

Your last line is what it's all about.

I'll jump on the band wagon for them too. I owned an 84 up until 1988. The only problems I ever had (in 50000 miles) was the digital dash blew out and I had to replace the whole circuit board. And a real PIA trouble that drove me nuts:crazy: , the damned engine would loose power and then die when it got warm:mad: . Seemed to be the fuel pump as I was not getting any gas. Well long story short...it was a $5 fix. The rubber fuel line between the frame and the engine made a 180* bend. When it got warm from engine heat , it would soften and kink.When it cooled off it would firm up and get rounder and allow fuel to go threw:rolleyes: .
Other than those two problems I loved the car. But people were forever telling me how bad the 350 "Ceasefire" engine was:confused:
I currently have a red 75 convertible / tan top and tan leather interior.It's an original 86000 mile survivor. Gets maybe 500 miles a year:D

Wasnt 84 the last year for the crossfire(200hp)? 85 was the 1st year for multi-port (240hp)?

Yeap!

I bought my wife a brand new 82 Z28 with the Miss Fire motor and it was a pig. Couldn't take it anymore, put an intake and Holley on it and couldn't beleive how much more power it had. The crossfire intakes are very well known to crack. GM painted the early C4 cars for free if you complained. I think it had to do with the primer or water based paint they used. The same thing with the late 80's Chevy trucks that the paint would peel off. It wasn't something they wanted to tell everyone but it happened. I sent many a customer back to the dealerships for free paint jobs. And I have seen a lot of instument problems with the early C4's. The funny thing is they sold so many of those early cars but you don't see many for sale, and when you do they are cheap!! And plan on buying a new targa top somewhere down the road if you got one. They always seem to crack down the middle for some reason? I own a 68 #"s matching Corvette Conv. so I know what it's like to have a red headed step brother car. FYI, the 64.74,84 vetts have the worst resale value. Must be something to do with the 4 :confused: But any Vette is better than no Vette at all. If I had to explain you wouldn't understand.
"Save the wave" Pete:) :cool:

I owned an 85 with SPI. The 84's had multiple quality/ reliability problems. The cross fire injection wasn't a bad system just no balls in the 84, about 205 hp. The HP went up to 230 with introduction of the SPI in 85. I had serious injection system issues with my 85 till I sold it. It spent more time in the shop than on the road. In less than 3 months the entire intake/ injection system was basically replaced. List on the car at the time was just north of $29K. Turned me off of Vette's for a while. The Z suspensions ride very rough. You are better off, and so is the car, with the base suspension. I also bought new an 89 with ZF 6-speed (couldn't stay away, I always loved Vette's - still do). Nice tranny, much better than the 4+3. Car quality improved each year as well as the HP. If I remember the 89 had 245 HP. I'd agree with the advice to find a nice early 90's C4, much improved reliability and reasonable used prices.

I had an 84 and put serious mileage on it, even towed my Flats Skiff from Fort Lauderdale to Islamorada (Florida Keys) on weekends. This back in the 80’s

No real problem with the car, I kept after the Maintenance and haveing two Brothers in the Vette restoration business doesn’t hurt either.

I would look for one in the LT1 range

Great advice guys.

Does this help? The 84 is 10K and the 85 is 12K. Both are in mint condition and not abused. I'm not looking to spend 20K on this toy. Also, aren't vettes with sticks easier to sell becuase they are harder to find?

Puder, I'd look like a circus clown riding around in that little car. Sorry, but I want a V8.

for 20K you could can but a much newer vette. I sold my 94 that was MINT red convertable, 6 speed, tan on tan, 24,000 miles for $22,000. There is a corvette store here in orlando that all they sell is vettes. Rogers corvette center. They sell MANY different year cars from first year to brand new ones. http://www.rogerscorvette.com/
Thats where I got it from. They stand behind the cars they sell and if there is a problem with it the fix it, no questions asked. At times the get a premium price, but the service is second to none.

Ron

Speaking only from expierence I have owned both an 84 and 98 Corvettes. I bought the 84 used in 92 with 44,000 miles. The car had been repainted and stayed in good condition but the dash faded by the day. The 4+3 stick tranny did hold together but the engine was the weak link in that car. No horsepower and loved to be in the shop for stupid problems almost every week. At the time it was the only vette I could afford. So I guess it did fill the need. But as I look back it was a very poorly built car. And as a practical matter rattled like a son of a *****. Especially in the winter when it was cold made it worse.
On the other hand the 98 was an awsome car. No rattling and definatly a much larger car inside. And with 345 stated horsepower (yeh right Motor Trend says 400) why would you need a stick. My 98 was so fast I used to blow the doors off all the mustangs and boxters that I could find. Would blow away all the non turbo Carreas too. Can you tell I hate Porche. The new style looks like a real sports car too.
This of course is only my two cents though. I love all vettes but the newer ones are so much better to drive every day. Unless you want my favorite old one. 67 with big block and side pipes. Loud enough to rattle the bridges when you drive under them on the highway.

1978 25th Anniversary Edition, 220HP upgraded factory power, rare, all factory original, won 4 shows in 2002, 14K original miles, garage stored, asking $19K.
VIN 1Z8748S438951
Make me an offer! Price is flexable, would love to move this car, we own it!
Lets make a deal.
Pictures available, to big to post here I guess.
Bryan

Lets try again.
Bryan

another

Regardless of their reputation
 

Yup the first c-4's had a few reliability issues .. And for that kind of money you could go faster and handle better.. Try taking a Nissan 300zx twin turbo Z-32 era for a ride ..90 to 96 you could get them in this country.. They will easily make 400 hp in a very light car.. I sold my 92 last year what a mistake ..

last one for now

corvettes with an auto trans is for old gray haired guys trying to cruise town and get some action. it's not a sports car if it has an auto.

Love the side pipes Bryan. Just not a big fan of the C3. Its too small inside for my taste.

Ron, IMHO, if you're set on one of these cars I'd go with the 85. Offer them 10K and settle on 11K. The 85 is better than the 84. Many quality improvements you will notice. 84's have a very negative reputation and for the minimal difference in $ you'll be better off with 85. The 84 has and will continue to have little/ no collector value. Neither will the 85 but a right car can be a nice driver.

Bryan, that car looks awesome! I, for one, like that body style. Had a 76 for a brief time. Lots of fun but not fast by any measure. If I wasn't looking for a larger boat I'd make you an offer. Good luck.

ron,

don't blame that on the car ;)


but seriosuly show your wife a pic and she'll love it!!!! The trick is you have to play the part of teh car. Drive in the fall with sunglasses and a scarf and gloves on!!! No joke i was in NYC one nmight last fall sittign at a light with the top down and a cure young thing come right up to me and "I love that car" smiled winked and walked on. Damn was the guy she was with pissed!

:D

pic 1

Mrs. Polli Check this out!!!!

pic 2

I had this 82 crossfire ,there was a guy in the back of the
corvette mags that bored crossfires injectors out and made them breath better, My main goal was to make tha motor look stock
But when I was done I had underdrive pulleys , computer
mods, and a full hooker header, solid motor mounts
the tranny took a puke on the 2nd time I had it build
with a higher stall coverter, thing was a hell of a street racer
:D
Oh I forgot Those header sidepipes had to be the Hardest thing
I ever installed!
as for a C4 I would'nt get it unless it was 91 up LT1's
much improved Or it was a Really good deal and was at least an 85 with auto, Not a fan of the 4+3 , you will find a few
85 and ups that had custom conversions to 5 speeds

Ron, wait till you have to CLIMB out of the C4 :eek: Hope your driveway isn't on a hill.:D It's a ***** holding the door open and climbing out. The C5 is so user freindly and makes as much power as a ZR1 did. Which was made by Murcury Marine in case anyone cares.:)

circus clown????????

fyi the old hoopty in the background was my granfathers car. It got donated.........

Man it will not let you use Hillary Clinton middle name? Good thing this isn't a show dog site.

Puder, don't you own an American car somewhere:confused:

Ron, The Mrs would deffently look better in the Vette:cool:

you mentioned both cars are Z51 cars?
Worst, stiffest, most abusive suspension settings GM ever installed in an automobile. (84,85 only - I think 86 was the revamp of the suspension).

If they aren't creaking and groaning at 10k miles, then the owner must've vaselined every door, window, hatch, and top seal. Ferocious rough ride. They tamed it later and gave up nothing at all in the handling department.

Crossfire motor is not bad, just slow. Also prone to dirty nozzles which make idling rough. Also, as mentioned, vacuum leaks thru bad intake seals (Huuuge gasket around top of intake "tub" fails with regularity).

4+3 had QC problems, but was sturdy enough. Doug Nash 4-speed with an electronic overdrive at the tail. Most issues were in the OD actuation. This transmission is THE reason there were no 83 Vettes. Holdups and internal recalls at Nash caused the release date to move out and out and out until there were no 83 cars at all..

LT1 Vette is as far "back" as I would go in a C4. The LT1 combo is a great improvement. No trouble at ALL finding one for under $20k.

I sold a '99 C5 6-speed for $27,500 last year (62k miles).

Deals are certainly out there. I'd pass on the 84/85 unless you have a real soft spot in your heart for them (I don't but you might).

Ron you are a circus clown no matter what you drive.Save your money and buy an older vett. I have a 66 convertable nassau blue,black interior 44,000 original miles with a simple 327 motor.Stars every time and turns heads.The best part is its an investmant that goes up every year not down.
Randy (another clown)

Sidepipes LOL I have a pair. Every girlfreind you dated still has a burn scar on the inside of her right leg. Right.:D :cool: