R3v's thoughts on C4 corvettes.

[Sailor37]

Do you have a leather skinned wife with massive, gross looking implants?

If you have the hots for your sister, I would say go get 'er done!

And buy the car too.

Do you have a lot of chest hair? Gold chains? Go for it !

This, this, and this.

[OniKyan]

My 2ed fav Vette next to a 67!

IMO, '63-'67 is the only Corvette.

[slammin.e28]

I would never drive anything that shared names with an explosive ordinance.

[JasonC]

I'm with JasonC and avoid the L98 (tpi) cars. That intake is very restrictive (think m52 but worse) and is somewhat pricey to "correct" plus all the 3 pedal cars were a funky 4+3 spd (basically a 4 special with selectable OD's for the top 3 gears). The later LT1/4 cars with 6spd are a much nicer platform to start with (dealing with the optispark vs a conventional gm distributor or coil packs is probably your main trade off).

Other than that pretty much what the others said applies. The door sills are lotus Elise bad, the interior 80's gm at its worst and the suspension design works but isn't gm's best effort. With all that said if you want a vette that badly I'd look for a C5, interior is worlds better (it still sucks compared to its contemporaries) but you get a much better suspension and chassis design and you get an all aluminium LSx powerplant to start with.

BBK has a intake out now http://www.bbkperformance.com/news_item.php?nak=23 But for $700 :/ And as for the LTx with the optispark, so far i never really had any trouble with them. My last LT1 opti lasted 125,000 before it went out. And also with the LTx's the waterpump is driven with a gear off of the timing chain, and the seal tends to leak onto the opti with age. So look for that if you're going to look at the later model C4's.

[lolcantturn]

Thanks guys! real nice info here. And yeah I was never going to go automatic, 6 speed is really what I'd be looking at. I'm aware of the shoddy American build quality, thats why I'll have the E30 ;) . just need something that I don't have to dig into every weekend, and Amurikans are (or were) pretty good at building machines that are capable of lasting forever or are repairable cheaply and available anywhere.

[mrsleeve]

350 chevy will run like shit longer than most things run at all. But Pray you get one that does not have dash board gremlins. Only other thing is that vettes are kinda a PIA to work on period when you do have to fix them

[M-technik-3]

Jason is that a Grand Sport?

[mrsleeve]

Yup

[M-technik-3]

I'd buy one of them, or if I could find a true ZR1. Lots of guys around here drive them nearly year round. I saw three yesterday and a few C5's

[mrsleeve]

there are several decent early Zr1's 90-93 on the e-gay right now. Only issue is, the LT5 is HUGE MONEY TO FIX. Think S38 then add some if you have any serious engine issues. And the factory has mostly stopped supporting that bastard of a power plant. Its a bad ass Lotus designed V-8 just really hard to get your hands on major engine components if you need them

You would be better off for similar or less money with the GS or a "Silver edition" 96 than a Zr1 unless you want shear barging rights. As the GS was nothing more than an appearance package ( I cant remember if there were suspension difference from the GS to the standard). The early Zr1 were 375 hp/tq and the latter 94-96 were 405hp/tq

[M-technik-3]

Blow the engine LSX crate engine.

[mrsleeve]

LOL yeah Ls7 there you go, but then its not really a Zr1 anymore the LT-5 is a fantastic engine when they are working right, I have driven a 95 Zr1 and HOLY FUCK for a C4 they are a beast. All though you have the nanny electronics are a bit of a hindrance at times in the C4 in general

[Holland]

Drove a 95 ZR-1 and it was one of my most favorite cars I have driven.

[delatlanta1281]

My 2ed fav Vette next to a 67!





But yeah i'd go after one with a LT1 or LT4 in it. Nothing against the TPI models. But the performance plus gas milage of the LT1 would be better. With 6 speed, they get close to 30mpg (if you keep your foot out of it)

Mine too, but in silver. My Mom has always had a vette. So growing up with almost every bodystyle in my family has made me partial to them. Get one. just make sure it isn't an auto. My mom will make fun of you ;)

[acolella76]

I loved my 'vette. Sad day when it left but I had been drinkin too much moonshine and I was in a hurry to get home and beat my wife/sister and accidentally drove it into the side of my trailer. Man I was gittin' it like Dale Jr. boy'lltellyouwhat yea c'mon