C4 Pricing?

"MM54" (mm54mk2) 02/28/2016 at 20:54 • Filed to: None

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Yesterday on a drive, I happened to drive past a sketchy-looking used car lot, at which I noticed two things - a late 50's chevy with, uh, patina, and a red C4 Corvette in, passing by, average condition. What stood out to me, though, was the price written on the windscreen - “$2500 Cash”

Have these really dropped to that low of a value, or is there something terribly wrong with the one in that lot? For under 5 grand I’d totally daily a C4 at some point just for fun.

Not actual car pictured... duh.

TheVancen- In Pursuit of a Greater Payday and Car Parts > MM54 02/28/2016 at 21:04

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$2500? You know what you need to do.

hike > MM54 02/28/2016 at 21:05

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I really hope value hasn't dropped that much! It's gotta go up eventually, right?

jjhats > MM54 02/28/2016 at 21:05

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The 80's ones were very shitty to own and drive. The 90's ones were awesome and totally worth it if you get a LT1 with 6 speed. I don't recommend an older one as the most were autos and the manuals were shitty. Google 4+3 gearbox problems

MM54 > TheVancen- In Pursuit of a Greater Payday and Car Parts 02/28/2016 at 21:12

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Trust me - if I had the space to fab up the cage for a vette-cart I’d be all over it!

MM54 > jjhats 02/28/2016 at 21:14

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I’ve heard of the wonders of the 4+3 box - definitely something to stay away from. I’d be all over an LT1 with a 6-speed, though! I have to imagine the one I saw at that lot was an early auto, or has something very broken on it. I don’t know enough about C4s to be able to tell its age at a drive-by.

Alfalfa > MM54 02/28/2016 at 21:16

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I occasionally see a few older C4s dip below 3k. It does happen, just not for all of them.

Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage > jjhats 02/28/2016 at 21:22

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How are they shitty to own and drive? You basically cannot get any better performance car under $5k.

DoYouEvenShift > jjhats 02/28/2016 at 21:23

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I had a mid 80s C4. Still had a ton of fun. Could do a lot worse.

Gone > MM54 02/28/2016 at 21:24

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Both. No love for the early C4s. More so for the later, esp the GS, ZR1s, and LT4 ‘96s. But they can be had cheap. I imagine that one has issues. But L98s are a steal, although it’s not easy finding manuals. Only the later L98s came with the ZF trans. LT1s are a deal as well. So, newer is better. Autos have the junk D36, while manuals got the much better D44 diff. I’d imagine that car is an early auto.

They’re light ~3-3100lbs (2800 and less stripped). LS swap is possible, so that’s good. 315s fit all around easily. 335s(!) with some work. C4s used to be killer SS and then AS/ASP cars, but I think they’re in BS/BSP now. You can also run STU. CAM-S would be great but you can’t run it there which is stupid.

Obviously they’d be fun in TT/NASA form as well.

Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage > MM54 02/28/2016 at 21:28

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That’s a low price, but it can easily happen. It was most likely an ‘84 (Crossfire Injection 350, ‘85 went to TPI. Also the most produced year of the C4) with an auto (700R4 that year did not have a lockup torque converter, that also came in ‘85) and high miles. It would be a very good value, but if you’re looking for one in better condition, it’ll be more than that.

Master Cylinder > MM54 02/28/2016 at 21:40

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Yeah, C4s are cheap but not quite that cheap. For $2500 I would be interested but I would definitely be inspecting it closely.

ranwhenparked > MM54 02/28/2016 at 22:14

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They were a real low point in build quality, but, hey, its still a Corvette, for that money, you can’t complain.

96Formula6spd > MM54 02/28/2016 at 22:41

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I have been really looking into a few C4. The L98 cars with the 6spd were pretty good. I would go for a Lt1 Car. However I would want a 94 or 95 with a 95 being the best year. That opens up tuning on the ecu. Watched a C4 Lt1 car with a 6spd sell for $3000. This was a poster car on my wall as a kid. Always had a soft spot. Yes the C5 is a much better car but there is something about the late C4.

I wish I could find a roller. Maybe swap in this 385 Pick and Pull Lt1. Would be better in a Corvette than my stupid Fireturd.

JasonStern911 > jjhats 02/29/2016 at 00:22

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stop. you’re embarrassing yourself.

trash talk like that should be reserved for a car like the Cadillac Cimmaron or any sold in America 80s Renault/Peugeot/British Leyland. the C4 is a solid 80s car, and if you can tolerate just how over-indulgent decadent 80s it is, there’s a very valid argument to be made that a C4 is a much better “no cash” enthusiast car than tuning a similar era Honda (better suspension, better aerodynamics, RWD vs. FWD, V8 vs. I4, etc.). is it better than its contemporaries? of course not, but that’s why OP is asking about a $2500 C4 instead of a $30k+ 911.

jjhats > Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage 02/29/2016 at 08:06

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a 944 or Honda or bmw will drive much better. mods only further this argument until you engine swap the c4

jjhats > Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage 02/29/2016 at 08:08

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if performance means 0-60 and specs like hp torque then yes. a bmw or Honda or 944 will drive better around town and on a race track

Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage > jjhats 02/29/2016 at 08:28

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Around town? Sure. Around a track? Hell no. Early C4s pull 0.9g on a skid pad. No 944 can do that, especially under $5k. And I don’t know what BMW or Honda can be that either, unless you find some super cheap E36 M3 that hasn’t had the ever-loving shit beat out of it.

Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage > jjhats 02/29/2016 at 08:31

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Again, not very true. Maybe the Honda or BMW are better DDs, but sure as hell aren’t better performers. And C4s have massive aftermarket support, so modding one is cheaper than a 944 or a BMW.

MM54 > 96Formula6spd 02/29/2016 at 17:57

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Man, I’d be all over an lt1 with a 6-speed for 3 grand - I wouldn’t be too concerned about appearance/condition since after dailying it for a little while... it’d probably get stripped and become more of a toy... or a true daily.

Can you get 305 wide snow tires?

96Formula6spd > MM54 03/01/2016 at 00:16

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Yeah I know people who used them as year round daily drivers. Wide snow tires are bad. 245 is plenty. The few cheap ones have been 92 or 93 cars. Those ecus suck. To convert is a whole entire wring harness swap.

I have my lt1 firebird. It has a 385 junkyard find of a lifetime. To bad a c4 runs the zf trans and not the t56. Maybe one day my firebird will be running. Till then maybe I’ll look for a c4.

MM54 > 96Formula6spd 03/01/2016 at 18:30

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Oh man that light of a car with that wide (300+) of a tire would be hilariously awful in the snow.

Your Firebird sounds pretty cool!

96Formula6spd > MM54 03/02/2016 at 22:12

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It would be if the dam thing would ever run. Has seen about 1000 miles since 2009.