wallster

i've been reading up on corvettes (specifically the C4's) and your
newsgroup is a wealth of information. I think I have my first corvette
picked out and wanted some opinions from you experts.
My brother in law owns a chevrolet dealership and he found this car for
me. I've looked at about four others before this one. She's a 1988
triple black vette with auto trans and 80k miles. The previous owner
took great care of her. The car looks great and runs excellent.
Since he's family, he's offering the car to me for $9100. (plus tax and
tags) which I think is a fair price.
What common "gremlins" should i be looking for on this car? and, should
I hold out for a 30-40k mile car? I'm wanting to stay in the $10k-$15k
price range. This car would allow me to invest in better tires, and any
other needed mods (i dont think 80k is a ridicules amount of miles).
I'm buying it as a summer fun car that is replacing my motorcycle. I
have an everyday driver for winter and just plain ol' ugly days.
thanks in advance for any responses.

Walt

waynec

You don't say where you are located, but there are search engines that you
can use to find comparables to see if you are getting a good car at the
right price.
For instance: http://tinyurl.com/hpo5a

Sounds like a decent car at a low price (especially for a convertible).
You'd be
hard-pressed to beat that price, so if you trust your brother-in-law,
why not go for it?
After all, how much can you lose if you later decide you want something
better.

Is there a way you can get a professional mechanic to give it a thorough
going over
before committing? Frame weakened by rust is probably the biggest issue.
Remember, even if you have big problems with the car, you still have to
maintain family harmony!

The method of sensing intake airflow improved in 1989 models, so
that might make me tend to go for an 89 or later, but not a big issue.

wallster

I'm in Buffalo NY and my bro-in-law had his mechanics check it out
thoroughly. He doesn't want me "bad-mouthing" him to the rest of the
family. The car was stored winters and the frame looks pretty fresh
considering the year and our climate.
I'm really considering buying this one, about 99% sure it's the way to
go. My only concern is that i dont want to buy a car based on the low
price. All the used vettes from '88-'92 that i've looked at had 29k
miles to about 45k miles. This one has 80k miles but i would think GM
can make a vehicle that runs strong for at least 150k (if maintained),
should i be too concerned about that 80k miles?
Thanks for the link. I didn't see any c4's in those listings with 80k
miles in there either... d'OH!

walt

fast1970vette

Im glad its an automatic and not the 4 plus 3 manual gearbox, otherwise
, id tell you to seriously forget about it.

pj

Hello Walt,
Sounds like a ball-park car and unless it's been abused or neglected
will be a sound car. My C4 experience says, upgrade the headlight door
gearboxs, abide by the service schedule, flush and change coolant every
two years, swap out alternators every couple of years,
drive-it-like-you-stole-it every once in a while and aside from a cat
convertor replacement you'll have 100K in real fun. Keep the roof panel
snug and if it begins to squeak, get it aligned. Unless abused you'll
get well over 150K from the L-98. This is a real fun car below 40mph --
great off the line and a good KITA around freeway on-ramps. If you're
going to autocross, consider upgrading brakes and adding a cooler for
the power steering.
Here's a suggestion: Go to << www.autotrader.com >> , plug in
Chevrolet, then zip 92123 (bases the search in San Diego) and then
select 'Corvette' and 'any distance' from zip code. I'd suggest a date
range of 1987 thru 1990. That will give you a couple of hundred cars
nationwide to look at. Click on the "price" header and it will sort in
ascending order. I just took a quick look and found '88s from $ 3500 up
to $ 49K for an '88 with just 660 miles.
I've tracked down my last two used cars from autotrader listings.
Generally, I think sellers here ask about 10% above the going market price.

--
PJ
'89 Hookercar, '02 e-blu 6-spd coupe

wallster

Thanks for the info, i really appreciate it. I've read almost all of
your suggestions (headlight gearboxes, alternator, etc) in this forum
before. I borrowed a different '88 convertible a few weeks ago for a
few days and i fell in love with it. As far as the mechanical end of
the maintainance of the car, i'm a hands on guy
(http://www.wallys-speed-shop.com) so this should be fun.
I've rebuilt a bunch of cycles (and just plain built) and last year i
rebuilt a jeep wrangler so this sounds like something i can get into.
I've always wanted a corvette convertible so now i really cant wait to
close the deal.
I'll keep ya posted once she's in my driveway!
Thanks again,

Walt

key

get him to make the bill of sale a lot lower.
save yourself on the tax and tags. ---snip---

I would say get the vette and keep the bike...

my2¢
--
"Key"
=====

wallster

He'll work out something... off the record ; )


just selling 2 out of 3... for now (don't tell the Mrs.)

pj

Gawd 'key, I thot I was the only cheapskate that cheated Gov. Arnold.
Cheesse! Slippery slope.

-- PJ

--
--
PJ
'89 Hookercar '02 e-blu coupe

key

always been a cheapskate.
(every penny saved in one place can be spent in another)
wouldn't think of cheating the gov.
getting over on the state a little,
is a different story:-)

g'day
--
"Key"
=====