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Post by Avenger on Nov 9, 2021 9:31:16 GMT -5
I needed another project, because I've done so well with all the other ones... As you're probably aware from the New Whip thread I've made another mistake and bought a 1984 Corvette for a cool thousand. So I'm going to document the journey from $#itbox to divorce here. I'll C&P some of my other ramblings from that thread here to preserve continuity too.   But for now, I need the good advice and creativity of my friends here. I'm going to have to join the Corvette Forum to get exspurt advice. For this I will need a screen name. As you're probably aware by now, I'm not good at names. My thoughts thus far are Kilobuck Korvette which may be too long, or Red Roach because, well, the car. However, that may have street pharmaceutical connotations. Anybody have any suggestions? |
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Post by Avenger on Nov 9, 2021 9:33:17 GMT -5
From the New Whip thread: flybridge.proboards.com/thread/2667/new-whipI'll see your two wheels and raise you two..  I'm no good at naming things, but I think I want to call it the Kilobuck Korvette after the purchase price, or the Red Roach after the condition. We'll see how I feel once I get it running. BTW, don't mention it to the Admiral. I haven't broken the news yet, and probably will not for a while. Like until it's somewhat presentable looking and roadworthy. Which will probably be in June. |
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Post by Avenger on Nov 9, 2021 9:34:27 GMT -5
I think those years had the crossfire/misfire injection. Not those years... That year. There's a number of reasons it was cheap. The hated cease-fire engine:  Cross-fire is bad when it's ignition, but good when it's fuel??? It's throttle body injection. Not actually bad, just a product of it's time. GM was putting so much effort into the new platform they just carried the drivetrain over from the previous year. The next year they introduced the TPI engine with 10% more horsepower and a broader torque curve. The whole thing is a victim of progress where the C4 gradually improved and the first models got left behind. I'll detail the sordid tale of why it's worthless in it's own thread. It's not just the tired paint and interior. They're all fairly worthless. Even in good condition. |
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Post by Avenger on Nov 9, 2021 9:35:51 GMT -5
Is that REALY a PG? Probably a T350. For a G note it aint the end of the world. Going through a mid-life crisis are we? Theres a brazillion Vette forums all over FB. I think the average $$$ for an average car is around 4-5K. Thoughts? ws It's a 700R4 transmission. Probably been rebuilt at least once in it's 90K mile life. But one never knows until one knows. The car is a little short on maintenance records. But all the fluids look good and through the oil filler the engine looks like you'd a expect a 90K mi engine to look if it was maintained. I knew the midlife crisis thing would come up. No, I'm not. I wasn't looking for this thing. It found me. Like all good stories, it starts over some adult beverages. I was discussing cars with my fishing buddy who was talking about finding a GTO and doing an LS swap on it. So I was trying to explain how you ruin a GTO when you do that, and you're better off finding a clean LeMans and doing a GTO clone resto-mod. He feels that's inauthentic. Like an LS engine in a 1960s Pontiac is? During the conversation he mentioned that he has a co-worker that has a Corvette that he can't give away. So the first question is what year? 1984. The Crossfire engine. It's worthless. Does it at least have a stick shift? Nope. He's right, it's worthless. Then I mention that THAT is the vehicle you LS swap. You can't ruin the collector value, because it doesn't have any. So my friend starts talking about doing it as a partnership and blah blah blah. Me, being somewhat sensible as to the nature of these conversations, says "Ask me this question again when we're sober." Because everything seems like a good idea with a buzz. Also, what does "Can't give away" mean? A couple of days later, I'm helping my wife set up her classroom to start the school year when my phone rings. It's Mike. He says "I spoke to my friend with the Corvette. He says a thousand dollars and it's yours." Out of earshot of the Admiral I say "It looks like I'm buying a Corvette." So some photos, some time, and a six hour round trip with a U-Haul car trailer and the Kilobuck Korvette sits in my parking lot. Value. It's not particularly a bargain, but I don't think I overpaid. During my research I contacted a guy I knew who was into Corvettes. He advised me not to buy it because 1984, first year of production, Cross-fire engine, not worth much, blah blah, blah. Standard stuff. You can get a better one from 1986 upward for less than $10K. Yeah, but I'm not looking for a Corvette. While I like them, (except the C3s that were in production when I grew up where everybody Ooohed and ahhhed so I thought I was supposed to be impressed they just never clicked for me) I certainly wasn't going to drop mid five figures on a car that I really had no use nor yearning for. But another project,.. yeah, I have time and space and $$$ for that! However, you are correct. A clean one will go between $4 and $5K unless it has some desirable feature. But a mechanically sound car with cosmetic issues,... the word Kart gets bandied around... not worth much. But, it's a Corvette. And for a thousand dollars I have a toy that I can fool around with. The cosmetic stuff is easy. New carpets, a little DA and roll and tip on the rear body, some touch up and compound on the hood and targa top and it will look good from far, even if far from good. First step is to get it running. The fuel in it is years old. But I know a fuel systems guy. It fires on ether so there's that. We'll see what we see. |
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Post by Avenger on Nov 9, 2021 9:41:37 GMT -5
It needs a lot of cleaning. Some squirrel is going to be very disappointed this winter.  This is just nuts! |
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Post by ppat324 on Nov 9, 2021 9:55:00 GMT -5
I needed another project, because I've done so well with all the other ones... As you're probably aware from the New Whip thread I've made another mistake and bought a 1984 Corvette for a cool thousand. So I'm going to document the journey from $#itbox to divorce here. I'll C&P some of my other ramblings from that thread here to preserve continuity too. But for now, I need the good advice and creativity of my friends here. I'm going to have to join the Corvette Forum to get exspurt advice. For this I will need a screen name. As you're probably aware by now, I'm not good at names. My thoughts thus far are Kilobuck Korvette which may be too long, or Red Roach because, well, the car. However, that may have street pharmaceutical connotations. Anybody have any suggestions? LUCY!!! For Lucille Ball...ppat |
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Post by yachtsmanwilly on Nov 9, 2021 10:11:31 GMT -5
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Post by Avenger on Nov 9, 2021 11:05:42 GMT -5
Okay, I may call the car Lucy, but I'm not using Lucy as a Screen name. I already have a forum picked out, and I don't do MyFace. As bad as most forums are, I think Fbook groups are worse. No way to search for old info and stuff gets gone over again and again, and again. Even worse than the HOF.
Those '70s cars are the Corvettes I could never really like. The early ones that still had bumpers had a kind of European flair and were tolerable. But once the plastics got worse so did the look. My neighbor had one, mid to later '70s I think, and I found new reasons to not like them. Every one of them was a monumental piece of $#it right from the factory. They were a classic example of everything wrong with the American auto industry. Cheap, junky, poorly assembled, old suspension and handling. But REALLY flashy, like a cheap hooker. Not only was I always giving the neighbor a hand with unjamming shift linkages and other stupid problems, my technician worked at a Chevy dealer in that era and he says the same thing. Absolute cr@p right out of the box. The styling was so ridiculous by the end I think Car & Driver referred to it as the "flying dildo."
The '80s? For all the hate, I believe the C4 saved the Corvette. Again, in the context of it's time, it was a radical change for GM. Drastically improved chassis, brakes, steering and suspension. Much more sensible styling that classed it up quite a bit as well as a major improvement in aerodynamics, and a lot of innovative tech features that set Corvette on the path to being the technological flagship that it is today. I maintain that without the poor, maligned C4 there would be no Corvette today. I'll admit that I do have a soft spot for them because '84 was the year I graduated High School and the introduction of this thing was major news for a kid who was into cars. GM had decided to step up the car to try to seriously compete on a world level and they succeeded.
Now, on to this one. New seats. Major, major plus. If the seats were as clapped out as the rest of the interior it probably would have been a deal-breaker. The carpets are almost 100% shot. However, for about $1K I can put all new carpet in it and change the color to black or gray (I like gray) which will work as a combo with red. Since about 70% of the interior is carpet I think it will look good and I won't feel so much like I'm climbing into a giant vagina.
The park brake is fine, although the cables may stick. Until it runs I don't have to worry about keeping it still.
And yes, the second thing I checked was insurance. $800/yr as a second car. Full coverage. I'd be doing myself a favor to get it stolen or totaled.
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Post by ppat324 on Nov 9, 2021 14:48:59 GMT -5
So your screen name could be Ricky Ricardo. or just Riccarddo.
Roll the c's and d's. ppat
P.S. Lucy is beautiful name for the car. And won't your kid be needing a car soon???
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Post by skycheney on Nov 9, 2021 16:07:04 GMT -5
A screenname needs to be spectatular like THUNDERBOLT or FIRESTORM. Or you could steal someone else's name off of another forum. Just think you could be Pascal on the corvette forum  |
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