I feel like a massive idiot now...

"JayZAyEighty thinks C4+3=C7" (jayzayeighty)
11/21/2014 at 16:45 • Filed to: None

1986 Z51 manual transmission, new white paint over new interior (seats, intrument cluster, carpet, etc.) borla cat-back, new brakes, clutch, AC, shocks, hubs, radiator, battery, alternator, starter. 15k fewer miles for $150 ($5,450) less than I paid for mine, and a Nevada car. Anyone else have buyer's remorse every couple of hours? This is still a good deal for you NY Opponauts.

m.ebay.com/itm/161491365601?nav=SEARCH

DISCUSSION (23)

E. Julius > JayZAyEighty thinks C4+3=C7
11/21/2014 at 16:48

Wow. I've never seen anything like this before.

StoneCold > JayZAyEighty thinks C4+3=C7
11/21/2014 at 16:55

Want. Wantwantwant.

And yes. Buyer's remorse all the time -_-

JayZAyEighty thinks C4+3=C7 > E. Julius
11/21/2014 at 16:55

Me either. Someone's going to get far too good of a deal! I just wish I were in a position to buy it.

E. Julius > JayZAyEighty thinks C4+3=C7
11/21/2014 at 16:56

Same here.

JayZAyEighty thinks C4+3=C7 > StoneCold
11/21/2014 at 16:59

I know the feeling. And it's off the charts for me right now; my car isn't half as nice as this one, and this is a Z51 to boot. That means factory oil cooler, power steering cooler, bilstein gas shocks, stiffer springs, and a 3.07 posi diff that makes it capable of over 150 MPH...

Not to mention that I'm spending ~$1,200 to replace my old clutch in a few weeks! This one has a brand-spanking-new one.

GhostZ > E. Julius
11/21/2014 at 17:03

NEVER!

BEFORE!

JayZAyEighty thinks C4+3=C7 > E. Julius
11/21/2014 at 17:07

Haha! It took me too long to get your joke, but good one.

E. Julius > JayZAyEighty thinks C4+3=C7
11/21/2014 at 17:09

No problem. I do like the C4 though. Haven't driven one yet but the looks are so 80s I can't help but love it.

Corey > JayZAyEighty thinks C4+3=C7
11/21/2014 at 17:14

This gen Corvette had the most appropriate set of wheels matched to the car design. Miles better than most other factory configs.

JayZAyEighty thinks C4+3=C7 > E. Julius
11/21/2014 at 17:23

Over bad roads they are quite noisy and rough. Z51 cars are the only ones that are really too stiff, though. The '84 Z51 had a setup that belonged on the track only. Even my non-Z51 '85 handles like nothing else I've driven—throw it into a corner and it'll just stick—although you can really hang the rear end out with ease. There's so much power from 2,000-4,500 RPM that I find myself shifting at incredibly low engine speeds, and even though it has the feel of an old school 4 speed it has the overdrive that makes it a good highway cruiser; if you have it activated, it will decide whether to put you in overdrive or not in 2nd, 3rd, or 4th, for efficiency (but I just keep it off and hit the switch at 55). With that along with a number of other neat features, I'd consider earlier cars the last Corvettes eligible for classic-status.

JayZAyEighty thinks C4+3=C7 > Corey
11/21/2014 at 17:24

I think the resin really matches the car as well. Unfortunately, someone decided to deface the ones on mine with chrome long ago.

DrScientist > E. Julius
11/21/2014 at 17:25

holy crap, this is the best piece of automotive promotion i've seen in at least 4 or 5 hours.

seriously. that mustve taken some major effort from a madison ave shop. and is that guy wearing his gloves after a day's work at the foundry?

E. Julius > JayZAyEighty thinks C4+3=C7
11/21/2014 at 17:28

Do you DD yours?

E. Julius > DrScientist
11/21/2014 at 17:30

What I wouldn't give to see someone make a commercial in a similar style for a modern car. Also I think the driver actually works at a nuclear waste disposal facility.

JayZAyEighty thinks C4+3=C7 > E. Julius
11/21/2014 at 17:37

I do. It makes things a bit less monotonous, but you're reminded of every little issue every day (valve clatter, creaking doors, no AC, interior rattles/squeaks, etc). It only takes 15 minutes so it's not tiring or anything, and a new clutch should help. I just wish I had something as well worked out as that '86, but it's nice to do things yourself I suppose.

E. Julius > JayZAyEighty thinks C4+3=C7
11/21/2014 at 17:50

I've been considering one as a DD for my next car. I don't have any wrenching ability but I'm eager to learn—good car for that or no?

Tinfoil Hat in a thunderstorm, now with added diecast > JayZAyEighty thinks C4+3=C7
11/21/2014 at 18:02

Buyers remorse is bad, stop looking at the other sexy cars and enjoy yours. Stop looking!

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > JayZAyEighty thinks C4+3=C7
11/21/2014 at 18:11

My '84 was a Z51, and I can attest to the 'track only' stiffness of that suspension. I'm reasonably sure the way they attained it was just to spot weld the shock rod to the tube. That's a good deal, and is exactly why I don't look at CL for like 6 months or so after I buy a car unless I know I got just a stupid deal. Like when I got the Corvair for stupid cheap, I spent the next month seeing just how good a deal I got, haha.

JayZAyEighty thinks C4+3=C7 > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms
11/21/2014 at 23:19

To be honest, I still like my car because it's red and a work in progress, but seeing deals like this will make you go into hypotheticals really quickly. I'm convinced that an '84 Z51 with an LS1 would outperform a C5 on a track, though—they took it to an extreme with the chassis of those cars! It must be nice to have gotten a good deal on the corvair.

JayZAyEighty thinks C4+3=C7 > E. Julius
11/21/2014 at 23:28

I don't either, but I've learned a great deal from this car! So I'd say yes. The engine is really pushed behind the front axle, but that's not so much of an issue. It's a 1st gen SBC with Bosch fuel injection, and is very reliable. Great rack and pinion steering, and the 4+3 transmissions Re reliable and fun when well maintained. The horror stories are a result of maintenance neglect and misuse; they need ATF ever 10k for the OD unit and the clutch to be depressed for OD activation. Do that and there won't be an issue, which makes sense considering that they are basically a Borg Warner Super T-10. Overall, they are pretty simple and deliver performance and character on par with 32V 928s, 911 SC, Ferrari 328, with the reliability and price of a 10 year old corolla. Mine has 135k on the clock! The L98 engines have tons of low end torque for drivability and have done 300k miles in some cases. Parts are cheap and plentiful, and any little thing you want to replace is available from one of several Corvette specialty companies. They are very shadetree mechanic-friendly IMO.

JayZAyEighty thinks C4+3=C7 > Tinfoil Hat in a thunderstorm, now with added diecast
11/21/2014 at 23:34

This is basically my car with the character restored out of it and in a non-appropriate-corvette-color! You're right!

E. Julius > JayZAyEighty thinks C4+3=C7
11/22/2014 at 05:58

Good to know, thanks!

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > JayZAyEighty thinks C4+3=C7
11/22/2014 at 07:59

Yeah, the Z51 was almost a bit much. I didn't know it was a Z51 until after I got the car, I read how the suspension was stupid stuff and I'm thinking "man, I hope I have that". The wife hated it...here's a top tip, don't buy an old Corvette while your wife is on a trip across the country to see her family. I also think she doesn't like the Corvair, but doesn't have the heart to tell me. Oh well.