Is the C4 Corvette a bad car?

[BattleRabbit]

I like them. I think they look cool, and apart from an early C3 one of my uncles drove when I was young the C4 is the Corvette of my childhood.

What I think I know:
They post impressive numbers. Until the C5 Z06 the C4 ZR1 was the fastest ever Corvette.
They were one of(or the?) first car to break 1.0g on the skidpad.
The brakes are sub-par.
The ingress and egress are Countach-inelegant due to high sills.
A fairly nice one can be ha fairly cheap.
Early cars are to be avoided. Convex tail section = better.

They look darn fine:


What should I know? Is this a case of "never meet your heroes?"

[JustinCSVT]

There's not much performance difference if any at all between a late C4 LT4 and early C5.

I'd stick to the latest one possible. There's a lot of people still driving them. There's still owners on Corvetteforum that won't move up to the C5 or C6.

I'm going to own a C4 ZR-1 at some point in my life.

[silverA4quattro]

I kind of have a soft spot for them too, since it was the Vette of my childhood as well. The interior does suck, but I almost like it for it's quirkiness. From what I have read/heard, the chassis is about as stiff as overcooked spaghetti.

Still, part of me wouldn't mind a later model C4 with a 6 speed.

[teileguy]

Looks like an early zr1 in the photo. Sawblades with the early nose.

C4 vettes are garbage. They put up big numbers but are pretty awful to drive on the street. Rattly, clunky, noisy, playskool interior. But they're fun in their own junky way, the same way 3rd and 4th gen f-bodies are.

Buy a late spec lt1, lt4 cars seem to go for a lot more without getting much more, and forego any ugly ass commemorative cars.

[ChristopherB]

I had a 96. Never had a single problem in 4 years of ownership all I did was change the oil and filters. I found it to be quite comfortable, the optional sport seats held me in place very well and were very supportive. If you remove the top, it definitely shakes like a wet noodle on rough roads, but it wasn't that bad with the top on. Good gas mileage, high 20's on the highway at 80-85mph, about 20 around town(automatic with optional performance axle ratio). My only complaint with it was the terrible headlights, the worst performing I've ever had. If you get one, definitely get one as new a possible, they made them long enough so that by the end of the run, they had it pretty well figured out. I took very good care of mine and after 4 years it was just as solid as it was when it was new.

[Harv]

My buddy has a C4 35th anniversary. Also known as the ''triple white''. White paint, white wheels, white interior.

It's everything 1988 rolled into one. Seats were amazing and that's about it. The thing clunks, rattles and rolls down the road with every hard shift along the way. When you close the door some of the switches pop out of place. It's a super heavy car and the handling and steering reflects that. It's just the interior is just a mess. Everything is hard plastic and everything comes to a point.

But like I said, seats were amazing.

[Tuneman7]

It's a super heavy car and the handling and steering reflects that.

The C4 weighs about 3,200 lbs, probably heavy for an 80's/early 90's car but not really by modern standards. Corvettes have typically had heavy controls over the past few decades as well. The chassis is relatively gelatin-like, I don't think it would cost much money though to get it to really handle.

[JustinCSVT]

Yeah, the C4 isn't heavy at all.

[x1000rpms]

blah blah blah crossfire injection blah blah blah. like you said.. get a later model.

[landstuhltaylor]

I wouldn't want one as a street car but I would love one as an autocross toy, they do very well there. I know back in the mid-late 80's they absolutely dominated showroom stock racing, driving Porsche and Nissan to quit.

Also, definitely stick with the LT1 cars (1992-1996)

[ChristopherB]

92 and up have the LT1(LT4 in 96 only with 6sp), the newer body style, and a better(than the pre 92) interior.

[Jrod511]

Had a 93 Auto for a bit and drove a 92 6 Speed for a while. Not a big fan. Every time I see one the look still gets to me; I want it to be so much better than it really is. Darty, harsh ride really turns me off the most.

[DerSpiegel]

I had a 96. Never had a single problem in 4 years of ownership all I did was change the oil and filters. I found it to be quite comfortable, the optional sport seats held me in place very well and were very supportive. If you remove the top, it definitely shakes like a wet noodle on rough roads, but it wasn't that bad with the top on. Good gas mileage, high 20's on the highway at 80-85mph, about 20 around town(automatic with optional performance axle ratio). My only complaint with it was the terrible headlights, the worst performing I've ever had.

This.

My pops had a '96 LT4 6-speed, he leased it new and had it for 2 years. Never a lick of trouble with it.

The only thing I would add to the above was non-linear steering with very little feel/feedback. I was constantly making tiny corrections mid-corner.

Otherwise, lots of grip and plenty of horsepower to make life fun. LT series motors had bad ignition systems, tons of info about that on the interwebs.

Interior squeaked and rattled a lot more in the winter than the summer.

[patrikman]

I've seen rolling shells for under a stack. Can this chassis be made to handle well?

[autoxmack]

I wouldn't want one as a street car but I would love one as an autocross toy, they do very well there. I know back in the mid-late 80's they absolutely dominated showroom stock racing, driving Porsche and Nissan to quit.

And that was over 20 years ago. When the C5's hit, the C4's pretty much disappeared from any serious autocrossing or amateur sportscar series that I've been involved in.

They are still a fun ride, but definitely a wet noodle. I've driven and tracked a few and I agree with the advice of finding the latest you can. And stay away from anything where there is any type of cut in the roof. The convertibles were especially terrible; it's like the front and rear of the car aren't even connected.

[bigbumpmike]

Saw one today and wanted to ask this same question. I figure an LSx swap would make one of these real fun car.

[karl_1052]

Get an 84 for $4k
Get an LSX
Get a 6 speed

Put it all together and you will have a damn fine weekend toy for a lot less than $10K.

[Baddass93TA]

Find your self an LT1/LT4 car and you will be fine. Dont wast your time with anything else. Then you wont need an LS swap like some have said, you can throw a head/cam kit at it for around 2k$ and reliabaly put down 400 wheel all motor with no issues what so ever.

if you like the way they look ........do it.

[1995Camry]

with the c4 i think that even though it may not be the best performing car, its damn hard to beat for less than 8k

[GRN6IX]

I've seen rolling shells for under a stack. Can this chassis be made to handle well?

Lots of options here:

http://www.mamotorworks.com/corvette...its-1-148.html

[BattleRabbit]

An LSx swap is doable, but doesn't that mean no A/C?

[JustinCSVT]

The C4 gets a bad rep mainly because it was around too long IMO. If GM was on the ball it would have been gone by the early 90's.

[jtls8]

I took the kids out in my 84-y/o grandpa's '86 auto convertible last Friday. It's fun for a short time. The brakes are scary but that may be some neglected maintenance. I agree w/ the aforementioned poor steering feedback and mid-corner corrections. It was surprisingly stable through some corners w/ gravel sprinkled on though. Props to the old man for having (and driving) any Corvette at that age, even if it's the worst one.

My dad had a '96 LT4 6m targa that was an absolute hoot to drive, minus the skip-shift. I bought him an eliminator for it but it was repo'd before we got it in. Surely wouldn't be the same now but I've always been quite a dork and that car would have women on Daytona Beach begging for a ride on the roll bar (the car's, not mine ). It was fine for some of my 1.5-hr trips from Dad's house to Mom's but I learned that a cat will counteract acceleration g-forces by moving to the furthest forward point...under the brake pedal (and that said cat should've been transported in a box).

[Mike!]

What I think of when I think of the C4 Corvette:



I'm not saying I'm right, it's not even a C4 in the commercial, just that it's what I think of.

The later cars in particular actually sound like they're great buys. I think they're just overshadowed by how good, popular, and well-regarded even the early C5s are.

[Double-V]

Four never before speakers. Enough said!

[BltByKrmn]

I wish I liked the way the C4 looks, it's by far my least favorite Corvette.

[Chapel]

I've seen rolling shells for under a stack. Can this chassis be made to handle well?

Um, they handle pretty well from what I've seen at autocross.. the ability to stick 315s in the front might have something to do with that

[92skirmishgti]

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac...114444513.html


Someone buy it NOW!

[r_fostoria]

Four never before speakers. Enough said!

Also, lots of post here saying "avoid early models." Is that for any particular reason? Is this just for age related problems or experimental 80's tech gone bad? I recently discovered that on the earlier cars if you wanted a manual your only option was a "4+3" gearbox. What is that? It sounds scary. I know they aren't the best cars ever, but they're damn cheap. I've seen them sell around here for aroung $3k.

[8v_gti777]

I like C4's, they're such a huge jump from the C3. I'm amazed at ZR-1 prices and hope one day I can own one.

[Wanganrunner]

I still see a lot of C4's at auto-x and at Summit Point.

They handle very well, although not in the effortless way that, say, a Cayman does.

The LT1 can do 400bhp with bolt-ons and maybe LT4 heads. You can build a very serious car for like $10,000 that (IMO) still looks great.

Yeah they're tough to get into and they have 80's starship interiors, but to me that adds to the "special" feeling. It feels like 75% of a Countach or other 80's supercar at 10% of the price.

I also grew up with them and generally adore them, so maybe you should ignore me.


EDIT: And they come in such great colors.

Bright Aqua:



Copper Metallic:




Quasar Blue (perhaps my favorite car color ever, actually):




Dark Red Metallic:





Black Rose Metallic:




Polo Green:

[/QUOTE]

[landstuhltaylor]

Also, lots of post here saying "avoid early models." Is that for any particular reason? Is this just for age related problems or experimental 80's tech gone bad? I recently discovered that on the earlier cars if you wanted a manual your only option was a "4+3" gearbox. What is that? It sounds scary. I know they aren't the best cars ever, but they're damn cheap. I've seen them sell around here for aroung $3k.

The engines in the car before the LT1 just didn't make much power.

[Jrod511]

The engines in the car before the LT1 just didn't make much power.

While that is true the 1985+ L98 is a good motor. It's going to put out 230-250 HP (stock form, back in the day). It can make more power, it runs out of lungs really quick though.

I don't want another C4, and it's true each following year is better than the one before it, but I wouldn't necessarily buy a late model POS LT1 car over an earlier but really clean well maintained L98 car.

I would probably buy a 300ZX instead, honestly.

[EdRacer71]

And that was over 20 years ago. When the C5's hit, the C4's pretty much disappeared from any serious autocrossing or amateur sportscar series that I've been involved in.

The C4 is still a competitive car in B-Stock. An '89 finished 4th, which was in a trophy position at last year's National Championships among a sea of S2000's and a couple of Solstice GXP's and Boxsters. I would love to see what a LT4 car could do against them!

[Chapel]

Also, lots of post here saying "avoid early models." Is that for any particular reason? Is this just for age related problems or experimental 80's tech gone bad? I recently discovered that on the earlier cars if you wanted a manual your only option was a "4+3" gearbox. What is that? It sounds scary. I know they aren't the best cars ever, but they're damn cheap. I've seen them sell around here for aroung $3k.

It's a 4 speed transmission with an electronic overdrive box on the top 3 gears...
avoid the non LT1/4 cars and the 4+3 cars if you can.

http://www.5speeds.com/dne.htm