Corvette fans?

[Pliablemoose]

Am looking for a well used Corvette, under $10K

Suggestions for years that were most reliable?

 

[Vette73]

For under 10K you will be limited.

Me and the wife have a 2001 Coupe and love it. But for undre 10K you will be looking for a C4. They were made from 1984-1996. I would to get a 1994-1995 range. Don't worry about the miles as much as has it been taken care of.

 

[Demon-Xanth]

I'd say that the LT1 years are probably going to be your best bet. If you get an early '80s car, feel free to kick yourself in the nuts. There was one year when you had a choice between 165HP and 210HP. Unless you got a state with liberal emmissions laws, that's just craptacular.

 

[boomerang]

A quick kbb look see shows you'd be in the early to mid nineties group.

The underpinnings are the same as from 1984 and they were pretty bulletproof. Same with under the hood.

I shouldn't comment because I'm not as "up" on Corvettes as I used to be.

My one bit of advice would be to get a manual transmission. These cars are meant to have the gears shifted by the driver. If you do get a stick, make sure the transmission is in good condition. If it's been abused, it will be big dough to fix.

 

[Demon-Xanth]

Looks like your range is going to be covering the early '90s.
'93 for $9k:
http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/...tyle_flag=1&cardist=10

 

[Pliablemoose]

Yep, would like a MT & a ragtop. Mileage doesn't really matter as it will be a daily driver not a garage queen.

I currently have a 97' Miata, it's bulletproof & a hoot, but have always wanted an F250 diesel (just bought one in Dec-a 99' with 80K on it) and a Corvette.

 

[boomerang]

The nice thing about a used Corvette is that parts availability is as good as it gets. The aftermarket offers just about anything you'd need and they are usually licensed by GM to manufacture/sell them.

Meaning you can find all kinds of obscure parts that normally would be no longer available for your average car.

A lot of parts will still be available through the dealers too.

I've owned 4 Corvetttes in my lifetime (so far) and was very pleased with every one of them.

 

[Pliablemoose]

Originally posted by: Marlin1975
For under 10K you will be limited.

Me and the wife have a 2001 Coupe and love it. But for undre 10K you will be looking for a C4. They were made from 1984-1996. I would to get a 1994-1995 range. Don't worry about the miles as much as has it been taken care of.

I've heard the 94's were problematic, has that been your experience?

 

[Vette73]

Originally posted by: Pliablemoose

Originally posted by: Marlin1975
For under 10K you will be limited.

Me and the wife have a 2001 Coupe and love it. But for undre 10K you will be looking for a C4. They were made from 1984-1996. I would to get a 1994-1995 range. Don't worry about the miles as much as has it been taken care of.

I've heard the 94's were problematic, has that been your experience?

No, 94 was the last minor update the C4 got. 94-96 was the last group of C4's. That is why I would go toward them. The LT1 was just as good if not better then the 93 or further back ones. Of course a used car will only be as good as it has been taken care of. No matter the year or even name.


Also most are Automatic. Sticks usually go for more and are harder to find that have not been beaten up.

 

[AdamK47]

I had a black/black 94 C4 convertible. The only mechanical thing to look out for on the car is the optispark. If that gets wet then it's only a matter of time before it goes bad. Water gets trapped in there and it starts to corrode. This happens on the 92 to 94 model years. 95+ had the problem fixed with a different optispark that could vent gases. All C4s have problems with the weatherstripping deteriorating faster than usual. That's probably the most common problem with C4s. There are plenty of kits available to fix that though.

 

[Arkaign]

You'll have a hard time finding one with a decent interior, as the plastic/knobs/seats are usually shot after 7-10 years. So, rather than nitpick about it, find one that's mechanically sound but with crappy seats, and replace them yourself.

This would be ideal :

http://dallas.craigslist.org/car/371180719.html

Or for a more budget approach :

http://dallas.craigslist.org/car/365892549.html

 

[Pliablemoose]

Originally posted by: Arkaign
You'll have a hard time finding one with a decent interior, as the plastic/knobs/seats are usually shot after 7-10 years. So, rather than nitpick about it, find one that's mechanically sound but with crappy seats, and replace them yourself.

This would be ideal :

http://dallas.craigslist.org/car/371180719.html

Or for a more budget approach :

http://dallas.craigslist.org/car/365892549.html

I like the black on black convertible :thumbsup:

 

[DougK62]

If I was shopping in that range I'd look for a 89 or 90 6spd convertible with red interior.

You should be able to find a lot of cars from about 1978 to 1996 in that price range, and they'll all be reliable if maintained well.

 

[Gillbot]

Originally posted by: Marlin1975
For under 10K you will be limited.

Me and the wife have a 2001 Coupe and love it. But for undre 10K you will be looking for a C4. They were made from 1984-1996. I would to get a 1994-1995 range. Don't worry about the miles as much as has it been taken care of.

+1

Personally, I'd save until I could to get into a C5 (1997+).

 

[Arkaign]

Originally posted by: Gillbot

Originally posted by: Marlin1975
For under 10K you will be limited.

Me and the wife have a 2001 Coupe and love it. But for undre 10K you will be looking for a C4. They were made from 1984-1996. I would to get a 1994-1995 range. Don't worry about the miles as much as has it been taken care of.

+1

Personally, I'd save until I could to get into a C5 (1997+).

Truth! The C5 is a gigantic improvement over the C4.

This $10k range, you've got cash, right? I'd find a nice $15-$20k C5, with low miles and warranty, and put the $10k down and finance the balance.

 

[boomerang]

This is putting the cart before the horse, but while the thread is fresh, here are a few places for parts and such.

http://www.madvet.com/

http://www.ecklers.com/

 

[Pollock]

I like C3s much more than C4s.

 

[Gillbot]

Originally posted by: Pollock
I like C3s much more than C4s.

So do I but if I had to buy one, it would be a tough decision between the C3 for it's looks and the C5 for it's looks and performance. Now a C3 with a C5 drivetrain would be heaven!

 

[AdamK47]

Originally posted by: Gillbot

Originally posted by: Pollock
I like C3s much more than C4s.

So do I but if I had to buy one, it would be a tough decision between the C3 for it's looks and the C5 for it's looks and performance. Now a C3 with a C5 drivetrain would be heaven!

What? A 165hp C3 isn't enough?

 

[Gillbot]

Originally posted by: AdamK47

Originally posted by: Gillbot

Originally posted by: Pollock
I like C3s much more than C4s.

So do I but if I had to buy one, it would be a tough decision between the C3 for it's looks and the C5 for it's looks and performance. Now a C3 with a C5 drivetrain would be heaven!

What? A 165hp C3 isn't enough?

a 1000hp c3 wouldn't be enough if you are a true gearhead.

 

[Demon-Xanth]

Originally posted by: Gillbot
a 1000hp c3 wouldn't be enough if you are a true gearhead.

A car has enough HP when it can no longer put it to the ground. At which point it needs more traction. When it gets it, it no longer has enough HP.