Mark presented this at our Pittsburgh Tri-State Chapter NCRS seminar and all attendees thought it was very well done and we all learned a lot. Mark is the C4 expert in our region and I’ve purchased parts from him for my 1994 ZR1. I recommend Mirrock Corvette to everybody. They sell thru eBay.
Great video. A lot of good information. I blame Chevrolet for the low value of the C4 ZR1s. Had they not completely abandoned them and parts were more readily available, folks wouldn't be afraid to purchase them. One of the most durable engines Chevrolet ever made.
Hey Mark, I'm going to stop by the place in the next couple of days I'm picking up a C4 1996 collectors edition should I consider buying an Opti spark from them while I'm there? Or do they only sell used parts?
I just wanted to say, this is a great video. I am looking to get into the C4 market and this was very helpful. I always enjoyed the styling of this car as a kid.
Great video, everyone has there favorite year and you see why that is now. They're all little different. I personally love 1989, you got a true 6 speed manual and still that retro 80's look inside and out.
Mark, this is an excellent presentation. Your delivery was very structured and it flowed perfectly. Would love to have you do this for our Florida NCRS Winter Regional.
I just bought a 92 C4 in the color bright aqua and I love it!!! It’s my first car in my own name and that I bought myself and I’m obsessed with how amazing this car is!!
I own a pristine stock condition 96 CE LT4 convertible w/ 37k miles. I was happy to hear that these are becoming "sleeper collectibles". I don't see them for sale often but when I do they've been modified and have a lot of miles on them. Great presentation.
Excellent video for someone wanting to buy a C4, especially near the end when he starts to talk about parts availability and ease of working on them. I was holding out for a 1996 manual trans LT4 coupe but realize they may be quite hard to find and more expensive with the full OBD2 (although I like the idea of having that tech if something goes wrong). A 1994 to 1995 manual trans coupe will now be my go-to search locally (middle of the country in Canada). Also C4's up here are going between $8000 for an early beater car up to $15,000 for 1996 silver auto trans convertible. Seems like they may finally be going up in price as people find out about these cars.
My Shocks are shot but the ride is so good I was afraid to replace the shocks. I wonder how much rougher my ride would be with new Bilstein adjustable Shocks
I have a 1984 C4 corvette production number 100199,I found this car in the back yard of a farmers house, this one is definitely a keeper. Oh, by the way I paid $2500 for it.
I stayed with the full presentation because it is a well researched and well structured one, but mostly because I almost bought a 1996 Grand Sport. The car is a green convertible, meaning of course that the owner misrepresented it. I did not know what to look for when I travelled 6 hours to drive it, but of course it had no Grand Sport number. The price was reasonable enough for what it is and I almost made an offer on it. Then I realized that the owner had to know all along it was not a Grand Sport, and with a private sale being able to trust the seller is very important. The whole process happened before you produced this video. As soon as I saw the picture of the Grand Sport convertible you use as an example of the 1996 car I am reminded of how long it took before I found a picture of a 1996 Grand Sport convertible. Pictures of the 1996 GS coupe are easy to find, finding a pic of the convertibles is about as easy as actually finding the car.
Very informative. Great presentation. I have a 96 CE and it's worth much more to me as a personal car. The driving experience is great. Fantastic blend of muscle and sport. Great feel. V8. Sleek. Targa. Space age interiors. My kind of car.
Really enjoyed watching this and I know every little thing can't be mentioned but the BIG difference that's not mentioned is the 90 ZR1 to 91 base is the exhaust system went from a split-duel exhaust to a wider rectangular dual exhaust. Certainly giving much better acceleration on top of the increased HP.
Love the Video and Explaining....I have a 1995 corvette convertible C4, Dark Red Metallic. they're pretty Rare..... Thanks for explaining people What C4 really is..👍👍👌
You covered a lot and and one can learn from it. I know this is an old post, however, I wanted to make a comment or two. Thank you for a wonderful fact filled presentation.
Very informative. I like the 91 because it was the quirky year (new bumpers, newer dash, newer 6-speed ZF, but still had the L98). I personally am looking for a 92-96 LT1 6-speed (or LT4 if 96) black on black coupe.
I owned a '90 convertible for 14 years so, I am biased. I bought a '90 because it was the most advanced of the early body-style C4s. I referred to it as a "transitional" Corvette because it had the early body (which I preferred) and the newer interior and upgrades, like the wheels and repositioned ECM. So, when I am asked, "What year C4 should I get?", I always recommend a '90.
I know what you mean, I like the front ends better on the early C4's but the interiors on 90 and up are to me a lot better got a 92 ( I was born in 92 and also the LT1) but yeah I enjoy the squared up front ends more, everything else though i'm good on prefer my tail lights then the 80's big circles (hell the latest gen Camaros agree they seem to have the same style)
Thank you great video. I’ve been meaning to watch it for several months and finally found the time to sit down and watch it too it’s completion. At present I have a 1990 convertible which I am enjoying it as well as working on it. However the one I really would like to get is a Grand Sport convertible. They are beautiful cars. Once again thank you very much, great useful information.
Another external difference between the 84 and later years was that the 84's exhaust tips pointed downwards. The 85 and up had exhaust tips that pointed straight out.
Yes, this is a great video. I have a 1995 base 6-speed car that is all stock (and nearly all original) and it is a wonderful driving car. Everything still works! I've watched some of your other videos and I appreciate your knowledge, and sharing it with everyone. Thank you.
Exterior difference on '84 & '85? If you can't see the Cross Fire/Tuned Port strip on the side, 1984 had turned-down exhaust tips, 1985 had a straight out exit.
Hi, what a great informative video. Well done! I have been a Corvette lover all my life and I have owned a C3, two C6 (base and Z06) and I currently own a 2019 C7 Z06 and I absolutely love it. Yes, it is a manual one. I have learned so much about the C4 from you and I thank you for it. Again, well done!
Fantastic Video. I like this sort of stuff. Fun. I'd like to see a video that shows the different hood supports along with their mounting locations and brackets. Include information about which design allows the hood to open/close the easiest and which the hardest, etc...
Great video. I enjoyed it. With that said, I have to disagree on the opti spark information. First, it was not vented to reduce moisture. It was vented to draw out the ozone gas. The opti was placed below the water pump and when those would start leaking the coolant would also take out the opti, hence, moisture problem. Also, you cannot just swap a non-vented to a vented. Not the same beast. Last, just don't swap it "because". The OEM optis with the Mitsubishi sensor actually last the longest where the others do not (OEMs are not manufactured anymore). If a person really wants to replace an OEM opti, I highly suggest having the Opti Doctor refurbish the original keeping the Mitsubishi sensor. Thanks for the hard work here! (I have a 96 base coupe daily driver) BTW, you also said "all six-speeds got the LT4". I'm pretty sure that you meant to say the other way around - all LT4s got the six-speed. :-)
After looking and hand wringing for a few months, I decided 89 was for me. Cool dash, TPI looks and runs good plus no opti worries, although I think the opti fear isn’t exactly reality. ZF6 is a nice trans, but can be a nightmare should it have issues. Dual mass flywheels are unobtainable and single mass ones make it rattle like a box of rocks, especially the early ( black tag ) ones. FX3 is actually a good system, but again, almost unobtainable parts for that one as well. Waited exactly one year to get new shocks for mine, back ordered from Bilstein. Great cars but don’t expect turn key daily drivers that need nothing. They are 23 years old at the youngest and even the most mint museum one will likely need a few things done. $$$ if you must have everything done at a shop. Learn to fix some of the common issues and save for the big jobs like the common leaking heater core ($900-1100). Just my 2 cents. Happy motoring
That ZF6 transmission, I have two cars with them. I had a mustang with a T56. The T56 felt like a much tighter shift pattern. But, the Zf...I love shifting that. I can't describe it other than to say it is am amazing feeling transmission and if someone is given the choice between the auto and the six speed, I highly recommend the 6 speed.
I decided to go ahead on a Collector Edition LT-4 coupe with 63000mi. Hopefully it doesn't depreciate much more in the next 3-5yrs. Either way, I bought it to drive not sit around to be looked at.
I thought the 1992 had a big change in the small block motor. First year of the LT1 and reverse cooling. The horse power was 300 but the torque was lower than the L98 motor. I think you should have mentioned the problem with the dual mass flywheel on the ZF cars; extremely hard to find and you can't resurface them. Also engine balancing (externally balanced) was a problem for the LT1 when you change the flywheel as it has the pins that are installed on the outer rim of the flywheel in certain patterns. Otherwise, this was a great presentation.
One feature i remember was that the '84 4+3 manual trans had the OD switch on the center console by the shifter and the '85 and later cars had the button on the top of the shifter in the place where the release for an automatic car was.
The hood on the 84 was unique to that year also. It had cold air delivery for the cross fire injection molded in. I had a 91 and it was a great car. I don't think I could get in to a C4 now.
Eddie from Australia, just about to get the first Vette of my own an 89, white auto here in Australia, and am doing the research, come across your MOST EXCELLENT vid,, Thank you for that.. I would like to ask if the Maf from the 94 LT1 would work on the L98 electrics as i want the extra airflow as part of a performance package i am working on, any other ideas would be appreciated.
This was excellent, a good refresher for someone who grew up wanting a C4 and plans to buy one next year. Any thoughts or comments on optispark issues? I'm looking at snagging a ZR1 or LT4 car.
I recently got a 96 with 93K miles. You'll want to replace the optispark like he said, and also check for any signs for coolant leaks. The water pump sits right over the optispark and has this release opening for when the seal in the pump goes bad. That means it's going to leak right onto the optispark. There is an aftermarket mod to change it from a distributor to a coil pack design. I haven't invested in this yet, but it's something on my to do list. Another important thing to check is the LCD display on the dash. Mine is very faded from age and very difficult to read at times. The pop up headlights are another point of potential repair. Any plastic parts like the vents and dash can become brittle with age and can break easily. The rubber housing/hoses that connect the air box the holds the air filter (to the mass airflow sensor if equipped) to the throttle body are also hard to find as I found out. Mine are cracking and need to be replaced soon. Oil leaks are another potential issue. I still have to replace the gasket for the intake manifold so it quits leaking oil out the top/back side of the engine. It's not bad enough that I have to add oil between changes, but it leaks down the engine and on to the transmission so I get a smell of burning oil when they get hot enough. I sill love the car, but be ready to do some fixing and hope you don't have too many problems with parts failing that are discontinued.
I own a 94 C4 and I love the car because of the way it rides, the looks that it gets but most of all I love that because it was made before 96 here in Illinois I DO NOT have to go every 2 years to the state EPA facility to get checked out.
I am glad my C4 was on top of your list of best ones to get, I do really love my car, it costed me a little more than I wanted to pay but I was in love and had to get it, $9200, and I put another $2500 in needed repairs, getting ready to replace the lousy radio that I put in it last year run amps to the speakers soon with new speakers. My Corvette is tuned to the hill and she never shames me, except a ZR1, C5 Corvette was the only lose by just a little, but that was ok, it was another Corvette with the 6.2 and tuned to hell!
Great video, I really enjoyed it. I thought it was interesting in the collectibility section, discussing the 40th anniversary vettes and mentioning the different options. Z07 was not mentioned. I haven't observed it, but there is a possibility that Z07 cars in general (but 40th anniversary ones even more) may become quite collectible given the rarity and the actual difference in driving feel. I also laughed aloud when the mention of the best driver came up. My girfriend and I had an 89 Z52 car, now we have an 88 Z52(155k miles, $3300)...yup, hands down, best for hop in and drive! I daily it and don't even worry if it starts to rain on me with the top off.
Great video! I have a 95. Something you could have mentioned as a difference between the 95 and 96 is the oxygen sensors. The 95 had 2 and the 96 had 4. Again, great video! Joseph
95 triple black, auto, convertible. 85k on her. Daily driver her now after many years of previous owner driving weekends here and there. Wonder what its worth now
I'd be curious to know if there are identifiable differences in paint colors. I know 84 had three two-toned paint options, perhaps other years didn't. That or the colors themselves could be an easy indicator of production year. Another note, 1984 did have the highest production year for any C4 making them very common, however some of the options (such as the two-toned paint I mentioned) were less produced. Only 17% of all 84 Vettes were two-toned, whereas the three most common colors: red, black, and white comprise 53% of all Vettes produced that year. Factors like that should effect market value.
(Drunk, i.e. totally debate-immune) headcanon: Chevrolet Chief designer was worried that a lightning might strike him if he didn't design a Corvette cabrio and he realized how foolish he was for needing to be afraid of a lightning strike to do it and practiced repentance, and he was lucky because God loves Corvettes. Trust me, your chance to be struck by lightning is lower if you drive a Corvette cabrio in the rain than if you drive a closed one in sunny weather. (And if you still get struck by one, you go straight to Valhalla, so there's nothing to fear as long as you manage to follow a simple, basic rule: drive a Corvette)
I am original owner of a '91 with FX3 ride control, 6 speed in dark red metallic. 91k miles, original clutch and even original windshield wipers, lol. Still brings a grin to my face when I drive it!
Thanks for the info I have a 96 collector edition red interior convertible lt1 with 67000m that I paid too much for I wish this info came out 2years ago
I am curious, from 1988 to 1989 did the suspension change at all? I know 87-88 is a massive change, but I’m trying to do suspension on my 88 and see ridetech coilover kit for 89-96, is there any reason it wouldn’t bolt in to an 88? Is there some sort of change between 88-89 that would cause this?
The 88 cars have a taller shock tower mount on the frame rails that is the same height of 84-87 cars. 89 the height reduced making the 88 have a unique shock since length is like earlier cars but lower mounting is like the later cars.
Awesome video and very informative..! I have a 95 c4 that I purchased in April this year with less than 88 000 original miles and this morning we had our 1st cold snap and I couldn't get the heater to work.... any ideas?
Why did they have to make it so hideous? It was the corporate equivalent of a middle finger. Stick a light on the roof. LOL. Other cars integrated the high center mounted brake light into the design. Just look at the Miata! Corvette said suck it. You get a roof wart.
I have a 1986 convertable yellow with graphite interior Pace car, i am 55 but when im in tbst car I am 21 again! There's no other car that.makes me smile, i was 19 when the C4 came.out.and it was a "really.big deal"!
He forgot to mention the info about the new balance collection that was used. I phucking love c4 Corvettes built after 89, the dash curve in the center reminds me of an rx-7, or a Supra
